So many directors like to make brief appearances in their own films. Often they act as winking cameos that peeled-eyed viewers like to point out. Alfred Hitchcock famously liked to subtly put himself in his own films.

Martin Scorsese is no different, but a new video essay from the Fandor team argues that there is more to his cameos than just meets the eye. he clip argues that in certain instances, like in say Mean Streets, Scorsese's presence acts as the conscience for the protagonist.

The director has appeared in some form or another in nearly all of his movies, including the documentaries he's made. We might see him as face on a poster, eating at a diner, or as a voice on the other end of phone line - but he's always there. The times he's not in his own films, like with Silence or The Last Temptation of Christ, are arguably his most personal films, dealing with issues of spirituality and faith.

Watch the video below: