I’ve always said that I’m no genius when it comes to web design but I manage. Over the last few days, I’ve spent time tweaking and enhancing the design of my blog.
The first thing I added was a long overdue PAGE navigation system which you can find at the bottom of the page. Replacing the ‘older posts’ and ‘newer posts’ links has been on my list of things to do for a while now as it allows people to go back and read my previous posts in a more efficient way.
Next up was a new navigation system in my sidebar. Essentially, it includes the most popular categories on the blog with a drop down list containing the rest. This is a lot easier to go directly to the category that interests you. I messed around a lot with positioning and such but I think it’s in a good spot. I still want the spotlight to be on my most recent articles so they remain on top.
Finally, you’ll notice a brand new SCREENWRITING Advertisement promoting my number one passion. There are now more than 100 original articles on screenwriting on this blog with more added each and every week.
I also spent a lot of time cleaning up some old posts, deleting a few outdated articles and re-evaluating my stable of plugins. The result should be a much easier site to explore. There are some more tweaks I’m working on but for now, I’m happy with the work I did.
I think it’s important to constantly think about how you can make your blog better. New graphics are a great way to start but for me, it will always be about the content. So you can still expect to see daily articles for the foreseeable future.
As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions email me at jason@17west.ca.
Looking to advertise or submit a guest post? There are plenty of opportunities on the way. Check out my about page for more and don’t forget to stop by the links page for even more.
It doesn’t dominate my life but I definitely love the tools the software provides. I’m far from an artist so my work will never be near the level of many digital artists I admire but I try. I’m always searching the web for new techniques I can attempt and recently, I’ve become a fan of magazines like Advanced Photoshop.
Over the years, Photoshop has become my escape from editing and writing. It’s my third love. My way of turning my brain off while still being creative. I found Photoshop to be a perfect way to keep me occupied while I worked out scenes in my mind. It’s my cure for writer’s block.
I think a lot of people are intimidated by Photoshop and I was no different. However, if you have the motivation and dedication to learn, you’ll never stop surprising yourself. I’ll always be jealous of graphic designers. I tell people I’m good at manipulating elements in Photoshop but I struggle when it comes to creating something great from scratch. I can’t draw. I never could. I think that’s why I stick to logos and fonts and steer clear of more complicated images that are beyond my skill set.
I can’t draw a dragon… But I could certainly incorporate an image of a dragon into something.
Nope, I can’t paint that. That doesn’t stop me from watching videos like that in awe of what some people can do.
THERE IS HOPE IF YOU SUCK AT DRAWING!
Pick up a copy of Advanced Photoshop every once in a while. Learn from websites like PSDtuts. Think of what you want to create and don’t stop researching until you have all the techniques and tips you’ll need to pull it off. Get a digital camera, snap a few images and learn how to manipulate them.
The golden rule of learning how to use Photoshop is this:
The more you learn. The harder it is to stop!
This applies directly to independent filmmakers who are just getting started. Pick up a copy of Photoshop and try making posters and promotional artwork yourself. If anything it’s a cheaper way to go and you’ll learn a new skill. There are countless ways to promote your projects online and Photoshop is a great way to help your film stand out.
I’ve been working with Photoshop for about 3 years or so now and it’s safe to say I’m addicted… That is until a few months ago when my PC died. I lost Photoshop. That day and the subsequent months sucked.
For months, I stopped reading magazines and websites because I didn’t want to see techniques I couldn’t even try. Regardless of my efforts, there were still moments when I took pictures of TV ads, fonts and logos to prepare for Photoshop’s return. I ended up keeping a list of images I wanted to create when Photoshop returned.
Within a week, I had already created a couple ‘posters’ for some screenplays I’ve been working over the last few months. I’ve always found it interesting to try and visualize a screenplay during the writing process. It gives me extra material to look at when I’m developing a new story and inspiration if I get stuck.
There are so many different reasons I love Photoshop. Whether it’s a new screenplay, a poster for my short film, a board game or a new graphic for this blog, I’m always looking to improve my skills and create something unique. What I love the most about Photoshop is the limitless knowledge I have yet to attain. There are billions of ways to use the software and I’m probably at #152 ish.
It’s a hobby that will never get boring because there is always something new to learn. I can’t wait to see what I’ll be able to create 10 years from now or next week for that matter.
XTRA | Here are a couple more Photoshop posts covering screenwriting, short films and more…
Finally, this is an image I created the other day by completing a tutorial from The Artist’s Guide To Photoshop. It’s nothing special and definitely not an official Athletic Nerd logo but it’s decent and it was fun to create.
Remember, if you can ignore the fact that you aren’t an artist and just try the millions of tutorials out there you will get better.
Photoshop fuels my love of screenwriting and making movies.
6 months ago, my ‘nerderie’ was comprised of a Mac with Final Cut Studio 2 and a PC with a ton of software including Final Draft, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Office, After Effects and more…
While all of my video and film related work was done on my Mac, pretty much everything else was done on my PC. I’ve always been a PC guy at heart. On a daily basis I wrote screenplays, designed graphics, worked on a couple upcoming eBooks, created animations and maintained all of my websites.
So you can imagine how heartbreaking it was when my PC died in February…
I was genuinely sad about it. I had suddenly lost 80% of the creative software I adored. Final Draft hurt the most. What was I going to do without my screenwriting software? I wasn’t in a position to buy a new computer so I was forced to upgrade to a Mac version.
That was the good news. I could write screenplays again but my websites all went dark with the exception of this WordPress hosted blog. I was still able to update it, I just couldn’t create any new ads or graphics. That’s how I’ve been working for the last few months. However, I did manage to back up enough of my files to function until the day I could replace my beloved PC.
That day came this week!
After 3 days of transferring files, installing and activating software and customizing my new system, I’m officially back up and running! The amount of tasks that needed to be done was insane. When you factor in things like transferring custom Photoshop brushes, 17 West’s movies and archives of all my work it adds up quickly. Especially when I figured out that I would have to take apart my old computer, buy an adapter and transfer some extremely important backups manually.
It’s been a nerdy couple of days and I’m surrounded by cables, boxes and hard drives but I’m finally done. My writing, filmmaking, graphic and web design work is now back and better than ever! So please forgive the lack of in depth posts this week. I’ve been extremely busy solving tons of logistical issues as I moved into my new PC.
I can’t wait to get started on some new graphics, updates to 17west.ca and a couple new projects I had to put on hold because I simply didn’t have the software to do it. First up is the planned graphics I’m hoping to use as the opening credit sequence for The Climb.
Updating websites with new content and graphics is easy when it’s built on a platform like WordPress. However, it’s extremely difficult when you’ve built the site yourself using Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Office available only on a PC that has been dead since January.
A new computer is on the horizon and there are updates coming but it will be a while yet. That’s why pretty much all of 17 West’s updates have been exclusively published here on The Athletic Nerd. Still, the important thing is that we are still very much developing new projects for the future and hopefully we will be able to announce something soon. Instead of keeping a secret I’ve decided to spill a little bit today.
Sometime around September, I’m hoping to lock The Climb and release a trailer. The film is on track to be completed by the end of 2011. We are also developing a couple projects (Specifically Strings) with announcements coming VERY soon. Playing Through will be released in it’s entirety online at some point as well with a special bonus I’m hoping to finish next year.
Since I’m addicted to Photoshop and such you can expect an updated look sometime in the near future as well. The redesign will fully integrate this blog and our entire network of websites along with our various social media accounts. In short, updates are indeed on the way with several new projects on the horizon.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t content up now! If you have yet to visit our site, check out www.17west.ca for information on our films including trailers, posters and more.
I’ve written about how much product announcements and big reveals have inspired me in the past. Every time I watch an Apple keynote address or a Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo press conference at E3 I feel charged and creative. I’m addicted to learning more about new products, games and technology.
These last few days have been absolutely packed with new announcements and once again, I was inspired to take action but this time, it was different.
I’m not sure how interesting these ‘here is what I did with my day’ posts can be but I felt fantastic as I checked big items off my to-do list. My mornings began with my usual routine of news, blogging and blog promotion. I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few weeks planning where to take The Athletic Nerd in the future and some exciting things are on the way. I just have to finish everything.
Once that was done I usually give myself the choice of editing The Climb or screenwriting. For the last few days, it’s been a combination of both as I’ve wanted to try some new things with The Climb but I also have an exciting rewrite to finish. Lets just say an old project has come back in a big way and I’m extremely excited to get things moving.
Then I remembered the press conferences. It started with Microsoft’s E3 show which was live as websites were live-blogging from Apple’s Keynote at WWDC 2011. That’s a lot of information to take in at once. Especially when I was buried in some new advertising ideas I’ve been kicking around here.
Eventually, I left my productive morning behind and sat back and enjoyed a nerdy afternoon getting up to date on the latest iOS, Lion, Xbox 360 and iCloud news. Like I’ve said before, watching these big reveals has always led to creative outbursts of my own.
This day was no different.
I decided to reorganize my entire workflow for the remainder of 2011 and start planning my goals for 2012. This new operation was going to be big because I wanted to unite 17 West, Screenwriting, The Athletic Nerd, two eBooks and a brand new website under one schedule.
This was not easy but before I knew it, I was scribbling down notes while these conferences were happening.
Halo 4… No big deal…
By the time the press conferences ended, I had mapped out the next 18 months of my creative life.
The Climb now has a clear completion timeline including a final release date.
I have development and writing time set aside for 2 feature screenplays as well as at least 4 more shorts.
I figured out where I want my traffic to be on The Athletic Nerd as well as 2 big new features I’m hoping launch this fall.
I’ve set rough timelines for a couple of eBooks I’ve been working on. This is more of a side project but it’s still fun.
My new web project is a pretty big idea and I have no clue how to pull it off so I’ve mapped out a plan to hopefully get it done by next summer.
That wasn’t all. I also wanted a plan for the films and screenplays that are already finished. What’s next for Playing Through? Will I finally get enough courage to send out some short screenplays to competitions and contacts? Not to mention 17west.ca, jaymckinnon.com and ericgamache.com. There’s a plan for those websites as well.
I wasn’t finished there either. 17 West Productions won’t be making a film in 2011. There are many reasons why we’ve skipped this year but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been developing new projects. 2012 should see the announcement of 2 new short films and we’ve begun to talk more about how to pull them off.
Everything was thought out and a shiny Word document was the result of my nerdy afternoon. Basically, there is a lot of work to do. 2011 is now about setting the stage for a huge 2012 for us. I can’t wait to get to work.
I switched gears again in the evening and switched between the Stanley Cup Final and Blue Jays baseball. It was a great way to end an inspiring day.
The new strategy began this morning. I woke up with a full list of things to do. It begins with another productive morning full of short film editing, screenwriting and blogging. The nerdy afternoon takes over again as Nintendo will be announcing a brand new console. I’m definitely all over that. Tonight it’s the NBA Finals.
