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Movie Blogging: Behind The Scenes

November 26th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Design | Technology | Web - (0 Comments)

I’ve been blogging long enough to proudly call myself a blogger. It’s a strange statement to make but think of how many people start blogging with the best intentions and then stop after a short period of time.

People lose interest.
People get bored.
People run out of things to write about.

I haven’t. I’m still interested and I definitely have more to write about. This blog won’t be slowing down any time soon.

There is a difference between someone who blogs and a blogger.

It takes a lot of effort, planning and dedication to build a site into a place people actually visit. I’ve seen my traffic increase from 23 unique visitors in an entire month to more than 10,000 and rising within a year.

It’s not enough. This site can be so much better. I have to work harder.

I use WordPress and I couldn’t be happier with it. Writing is easy and I can do it anywhere thanks to the iPhone app. Yet what amazes me is how much time I spend working on my blog without typing a word.

Content comes first as always but there is a lot more to blogging than some people realize.

Each day, I wake up and post my daily article. Usually, I’m about one week ahead so I never have to worry about writing the day of. I don’t like rushing posts.

Most posts then get linked to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (Through Twitter), Stumbleupon, Digg, Zimbio and a few others.

I try to spend as much time as possible promoting my daily posts. I do this at different times throughout the day.

Next up there are a wide variety of sites I visit to stay up to date on my site’s performance and such:

I check both my personal and 17 West email accounts.
Comments and updates in WordPress
Stats on Google Analytics
Clicks on Goo.gl
RSS Subscribers on Feedburner
Authority changes on Technorati
Google Webmaster Tools
Google Keyword Generator Research

I don’t even have a mailing list yet. Not sure I’m going to soon but that would be another one that’s highly recommended by Probloggers out there. (I’m certainly not a pro. I still consider myself new at this.)

The next step is all about social networking. I like to spend at least 30 minutes a day reading other posts and interacting with other blogs, twitter etc…

For the last few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with ADs on the site so I’m also checking:

Google Adsense
Google Affiliate Network
Amazon Associates
Other Affiliate Sites and Promotions

Each of these site requires a certain level of analysis and maintenance. I do this before breakfast.

Next on my list of daily activities is to complete any Photoshop graphics I have on my list. I like to create new banners for each type of post I create. I think it’s vital to have a unique visual style especially because I’m using an unmodified default WordPress Theme.

Finally, I pull up my post schedule and update it with new post ideas and get a sense of what I have to catch up on for that day.

Now it’s time to really think about the CONTENT.

Every single site on I mentioned means nothing if you aren’t producing interesting content.

I set aside time 2-3 times a week to write new posts and usually write a few at once.

It depends on what I have written for that particular week but you have to plan ahead.

This is the number ONE thing I’ve learned as a blogger.

You’ll sink very quickly if you don’t plan ahead and stay on top of the work load. It’s a lot easier to take a day off when you have 6-7 posts banked.

Likewise, you never want to be in a position where you rush to upload a sub par post.

Writing posts, performing maintenance and promoting your blog is a lot of work. The Athletic Nerd would have died long ago had I not found a routine that worked for me.

Luckily, I find blogging to be a fantastic way to be creative on a daily basis. I love being able to write about movies, screenwriting and independent film.

But there is still a lot of work to be done.

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Nerds & The Social Network

October 17th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Featured Posts | Movies | Reviews - (0 Comments)

I take great pride in being a nerd.

It’s been amazing to see how nerds have evolved on the silver screen over the years. Old school geeks were always lovable characters who spent their time in front of computer screens instead of talking to women or playing sports.

The world of nerds was filled video gamers, programmers and hackers.

Thanks to The Social Network, you can now add game changing entrepreneur to that list.

Entrepreneurs that continue to shape the world every single day from the comforts of their desktops and smart phones.

The nerds have risen. The age of social media has arrived and site’s like Facebook and Twitter have vaulted nerds to the top of the mountain.

Nerds are cool now.

I found the film absolutely fascinating.

It truly is an interesting story. I’m not sure how much of it was true but I couldn’t help but relate to each and every person on that screen.

The truth is, nerds are cool because we are all nerds now.

It’s normal to spend hours in front of a computer screen. People who have never played a video game in their life spend hours dominating with Wii remotes in their hands.

On the other hand, it’s now acceptable to be a nerd and jog everyday. Hitting the gym is no longer against the stereotype.

Athletic Nerds.

The war is over!

The Social Network captures the last decade perfectly. It’s all about the fast paced, hurry up or get left behind era that saw the creation of a website that would one day have more than 500 million members.

Unbelievable.

This wonderful film is about our evolution into a new and amazingly SOCIAL world.

1 in every 14 people on the planet have a Facebook page!

What’s fascinating to me is how it all started in a college dorm room.

It took me back to the days when I carried around Qbasic for Dummies everywhere trying to learn how to create my own basketball game.

Note: I’m not kidding either. It had full rosters, trades, salary caps and more. This site isn’t called The Athletic Nerd for nothing.

I found myself trying to read the code that they were typing in the film. There’s really little chance that I would have understood it but I love the fact that we live in a time that you can create whatever you want at any time.

If it’s a good idea you can make millions. Some people would call that living the dream. I think the real dream is creating something you can be proud of.

To me, that’s what resonated about The Social Network.

The creators of Facebook had an idea (or didn’t depending on who you believe) and were passionate about it. In the end, their hard work and dedication paid off.

I may not have come up with that million dollar idea or film yet but that’s not the point.

What’s important is that I keep staring at my computer screen working on my newest idea. That I keep working with passionately and commit to a dream that anything is possible.

You just have to believe in yourself.

XTRA | The Social Network and a Brand New Blog

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Movie Blogging: One Year Later…

September 15th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Design | Technology | Web - (0 Comments)

Before I begin, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the following websites:

Problogger - Awesome website with thousands of incredible articles.
Blogging Tips - Another great site to help enhance your blogging skills.
PSDtuts - Photoshop inspiration
Smashing Magazine - Design
Abduzeedo - Design

For more read: 36 Websites I Visit Everyday

When I began this blog, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. One year later, I still have a lot to learn but it’s thanks to websites like Problogger that I’ve continued to improve.

The Athletic Nerdinstantly became an obsession of mine once I launched the site. WordPress made it so easy to update every day. All I had to do was write which is exactly what I love to do.

However, simply writing a blog post everyday isn’t nearly enough. This was the first lesson I learned.

Here are a few more things I’ve learned during my first year of movie blogging:

Lesson 1: You HAVE to have a clear focus!

It sounds simple enough but I almost fell into that trap right away. I wanted to write about everything. Sports, movies, television and more…

People have to know what to expect when they visit your site.

Movies, Screenwriting and Independent Film

I realize there are three of them but each of them relate directly to my main focus. I write about my own filmmaking experiences as well as the movies that inspire.

I also write about the technology, marketing and web work needed to continue to push my company, 17 West Productions, higher.

This blog finally gave me a place to write about my number 1 passion in life: Screenwriting.

Writing will always be my favorite aspect of filmmaking and I share my addiction on this blog regularly.

Lesson 2: Graphics Help A Lot

I’m still not a genius when it comes to customizing my WordPress Theme but that doesn’t mean my posts can’t be kicked up a notch.

Each type of post I write has a custom graphic attached to it. This allows people to scroll down and instantly recognize the types of posts they like on my blog.

If you don’t know how to use Photoshop, I recommend either learning or asking a friend that does nicely.

It gives your blog a personality.

Lesson 3: Write Often

I normally post 6 articles a week with Saturdays being my ‘off’ day. When I first started, I would get up each morning and write the post for the day.

It sounds like a good system at first glance but this quickly became a flawed way to blog.

So I started setting aside larger chunks of writing time per week to write multiple posts. After a while, I was 10-15 posts ahead.

You don’t necessarily have to post everything you write right away. Banking a bunch of posts helped me a ton in the long run.

You never know when you will be too busy and unable to complete the days post.

Writing in advance keeps me on top of the work load.

Lesson 4: Promote, Promote, Promote

When you first start a blog, you can’t rely on Google and other major search engines to drive traffic to your site.

You have to get the word out somehow.

Social media is the obvious answer and it’s helped me quite a bit. Each post I write is then promoted across different combinations of Twitter, Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon, Zimbio and more depending on the topic.

At the same time you have to engage other people online. Take an interest in other people’s work and grow your network.

Which brings me to my final lesson:

Lesson 5: Read Blogs

Seek out other blogs in your niche and comment.

Truthfully, I don’t do this anywhere near enough.

It’s the easiest way to reach your target audience. Find others and contribute emails, comments or guest posts if they are looking for content.

This is probably the NUMBER ONE thing I plan to change in my second year of movie blogging.

I began this new approach already with Filmmakers/Fans where I interview other indie filmmakers out there. I have a lot more planned for year two!

It takes a lot of work to get noticed in a blogosphere populated by millions.

I still have a lot to learn but I’m willing to put in the effort.

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Preview: Indie Horror Film ‘SPARROW’

August 12th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Filmmaking | Interviews | Movies | Producing - (0 Comments)

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Thomas James Longley, one of the stars of the upcoming indie horror film Sparrow.

The low budget feature was shot in Poland and is set for release this Halloween. It was directed by Shaun Troke and written by Matthew Mosley.

Here is the synopsis from the IMDB page:

Six teenage friends take a camping trip to a forest which is the site of a presumed historic murder. But their disbelief in this urban legend is soon changed when strange happenings begin to occur to each of them.

I’ve always been a fan of indie horror films so I was excited to find out how the film intends to stand out.

“It’s simplicity. It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not and I think because of that it can never fall into the trap that so many horrors have done before. It’s just meant to be scary, a bit jumpy…. Hopefully the fans will respond to that.”

I couldn’t agree more. Sometimes, all a horror fan needs is a straight forward thrill ride full of scares and when it comes to low budget features, simplicity is also a great way to keep costs down.

Another great way to keep costs down these days is to use Social Media tools to your advantage. In addition to the usual suspects like Facebook, the filmmakers decided to approach film blogs individually to get the word out. (That’s how this post came to be.) It’s a lot of work but in the end it’s a great way to get the word out.

Longley credits producer Wojciech Stuchlik for the creative approach.

“A Facebook page and official site were set up, and Flickr I think too. Of course these mediums really allow for the film to to get some kind of immediate exposure/interest which naturally helps.”

Years ago, one could never have imagined connecting an independent horror production in Poland with a Toronto based film blog but that’s what makes this an exciting time. Not only can indie filmmakers network easier than ever but you can also generate a lot of buzz for your project for next to nothing.

Speaking personally, it’s great to hear from fellow filmmakers.

Sparrow is currently in post production and Longley says the film’s release is on schedule and hopes to see it accepted into festivals worldwide.

Check out the film’s official site here.

Best of luck Sparrow team!

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Screenwriting: Portable Writing

November 15th, 2009 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Screenwriting | Technology - (2 Comments)

Today, I Googled iPhone tips… I’m always looking for nerdy things to do. I came across a function that lets you take screenshots of your iPhone. So here is my home page.

Immediately, the gears started turning and a blog post was born. A post about a new way for writers to work on their newest projects. Portable Writing.

For the last few months I’ve been writing a lot about my phone and what it’s meant for my writing. I also wrote about finding time to write. It’s seriously getting harder and harder to find excuses NOT to. Look at that gorgeous screenshot. Lets take a closer look.

Smart phones have literally enhanced the writer’s ability to…

Well write. I’m constantly firing up the iPhone to write a blog, scene or outline a new sequence. Needless to say, it’s been a very productive couple of months.

It started with WordPress. An app that allows you to update, edit and publish posts from your phone. These days, every writer has a blog of some type. A quick search of the app store shows dozens of blogging apps to help you get that new article online no matter which platform you use.

The Athletic Nerd has been in existence for just about 3 months and I’d say close to half of the posts began on my phone. Whether it’s killing time on a bus or walking to the store, I always have an outlet to write.

The app that literally blew my mind was Screenplay. My full review of the app can be found HERE. I searched screenwriting in the app store on the odd chance there would be a news app or something similar. I never would have thought a full featured screenwriting app would pop up. I’ve been using it to finish a short film I’ve been picking at over the last few weeks. It’s a great way to write if you can’t find the time at home.

The Outliner App came next. This reasonably priced program allows you to create and update mulitiple lists for any occasion. I have lists for movie ideas, blog topics, story lines, scene ideas, dialogue possibilities and even outlines for future scripts. It’s a must have for any writer.

Having the iPhone has also re-invigorated my interest in social networking. Facebook and Twitter are featured prominantly on my phone. I’m always connected to my friends AND it’s easier for me to post updates on 17 West and my blog.

Finally, my super nerd app of the week, Analytics. An app that logs into Google Analytics and displays your website statistics. I follow these numbers closely and it’s great to be able to check them wherever I go.

Portable writing used to mean pens and notebooks. I’m still a massive fan of hitting the library with nothing but blank pages and hours to kill but when time doesn’t permit itself, I can always use my phone.

XTRA: Check out my review of Celtx for iPhone and iPad

Portable writing. Sweet.

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Movie Blogging: One Year Later…

Lesson 1: You HAVE to have a clear focus!

Movies, Screenwriting and Independent Film

Lesson 2: Graphics Help A Lot

Lesson 3: Write Often

Lesson 4: Promote, Promote, Promote

Lesson 5: Read Blogs

Preview: Indie Horror Film ‘SPARROW’

Check out the film’s official site here.

Screenwriting: Portable Writing

Smart phones have literally enhanced the writer’s ability to…

Portable writing. Sweet.

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