About five years ago, when we first started 17 West Productions, I took it upon myself to learn web design and photoshop. I figured with a little bit of work and a lot of help from tutorials online, I could make something that wouldn’t suck.
Fast forward a few years and I am amazed at how far I’ve come. I’m now confident that my work isn’t horrific and even though there is always room for improvement, I’m proud of the 5 websites I’ve created.
My first site has definitely evolved more than any other. It seemed like every six months I was forced to redesign it from scratch in order to include new techniques I had learned.
Today, 17 West’s home online is full of content and information about our films. However, it’s that time again and work has begun on a redesign that will incorporate new things I’ve learned over the years.
Things like SEO, social media, video, integration and better functionality overall.
I can apply these things to the redesign because of a movie blog called:
Learn more about The Athletic Nerd
My blog about movies, screenwriting and independent film began as a single page on 17west.ca. Of course, this was before I discovered WordPress. I had about 10 posts finished but it wasn’t anywhere near what I had originally envisioned.
I wanted my blog to reach people like me and in turn, direct them to the projects I was working on. I wanted a place to write about my passions wherever I happen to be.
It’s been over two years since I launched The Athletic Nerd and I’ve written over 750 posts. The site received a redesign in celebration of the two year milestone and there are no plans to slow down any time soon. Posting about movies every day has become a part of who I am. I love working on this site.
17 West is a partnership. My partner Eric Gamache is a talented producer/director and we are both obsessed with film. But we also work on other projects and it was decided that portfolio sites would be a welcome addition to our little network. I was pumped because it gave me two more blank canvases to work with. Both sites showcase our individual work but they also connect seamlessly with our other online destinations.
Learn more about People Tales
The newest addition to the team is a blog about the wonderful uniqueness of a perfect stranger. It’s a blog dedicated to writers and the people that inspire their work.
Writing for The Athletic Nerd is a blast but posts in the form of short stories felt out of place. People Tales is essentially a collection of stories I’ve gathered by ‘people watching’ over the years. Each of these stories has a connection to screenwriting choices and so a companion blog was needed. I love finding ways to integrate my two blogs together and I’m extremely excited to explore the possibilities.
All of my sites are connected through one single Twitter account which is associated with my most important brand, 17 West. To date, nearly 1400 people follow me.
Beyond marketing implications, Twitter has also connected me with hundreds of talented artists. People who are passionate and inspiring. Surfing my timeline always provides me with unique and original content I would have never been able to enjoy otherwise. It’s also lead to several fantastic interviews which you read here.
THE NETWORK
When I began teaching myself web design and photoshop years ago, I always wanted to create my own little movie network online. With the launch of People Tales, I feel like I’ve taken another step towards that goal. I’m done adding websites now. This network took five years to develop but now it’s time to refine and enhance. It’s time to make these sites better.
Who knows where these websites will be in five years but I’m still just as committed as I was on day one when CSS was a foreign language to me.
I’ve learned a lot since then…
XTRA | Photoshop Cures Writer’s Block
