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So What’s Up With 17WEST.CA?

June 17th, 2011 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in 17 West | Design | Technology | Web - (0 Comments)

WHY IS 17 WEST PRODUCTIONS DORMANT?

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.

17 West Productions UPDATE

Today, Eric and I sat down for a few hours and had a fantastic talk about the state of our company 17 West Productions.

It’s amazing how quickly time flies when you’re having fun.

First on the list was to go over the latest cut of The Climb and talk about the direction our newest short film is heading. It was really great to see someone else react to the many changes I’ve made over the last few weeks. The film has a different style than even I expected but it’s coming together nicely and I’m really happy with it.

XTRA: How A Dialogue Heavy Script Became A Quiet Movie

I’m fired up more than ever to get the film done. From here, I plan to finish a viewable cut of the film by the end of May with a trailer online in June. Look for more updates as we inch closer to our planned release this fall.

In other ‘Climb’ related news, I’ve started the sound design process as well as testing various music styles. It’s so much fun to bring a movie together and I’m loving it. This will be the first short film I’ve mixed on my own beyond balancing levels and I’m looking forward to the challenge.

Click here for more on The Climb.

Business was next as we talked about all of our projects and the state of our company as a whole. We went through our past projects and planned where to take Playing Through next. The film has completed it’s festival run and is currently being played online (in Canada) as part of the NSI Online Short Film Festival. We talked a lot about what to do with the film next including it’s eventual release online for everyone to see. Stay tuned for more.

Pitching Screenplays

Next up was a discussion about NEW projects! Always the best part of our meetings. I started and pitched him about 3 or 4 ideas. One of which I’m writing now that’s set in 1994 and one of the strangest and unique concepts I’ve come up with lately (I think at least). The other ideas are still in the early stages of development and I’ve learned that I still get nervous when I pitch new ideas.

There was a time when I was too self conscious to talk about any new ideas until they were fully developed. Over the last few years, I’ve grown to love the process. You can’t be afraid. Bouncing ideas of someone is a great way to sort out the ideas with promise and the ones that need more work. Needless to say, I can’t wait to crack open Final Draft and complete the first draft of my new script.

We then moved on to an idea Eric has mentioned several times and really went in depth with the characters and the story. It’s a pretty dark tale and I’m actually pumped to see how it develops in the coming weeks.

Until then, it’s all about writing new screenplays and editing the short film. Lots to look forward to.

17 West Productions in 2010

17 West Productions is about to get a big boost in the coming months.

You might say that things appear to be quiet these days. Today, I’d like to explain why.

Updates have been few throughout the summer but that doesn’t mean we aren’t working hard behind the scenes

Everything will make sense before 2010 wraps up.

Essentially, we are gearing up for a ‘relaunch‘ of sorts this winter with a ton of updates on the way.

It will begin with:

17west.ca

A complete redesign is in the works and construction got underway a few weeks ago. Preliminary designs are looking sweet and I can’t wait to show off our flagship site’s new look. I’m pretty excited as the current design is well over 2 years old.

Those who have been keeping track on this blog have probably noticed that I began migrating all of the articles and features from 17west.ca to The Athletic Nerd. The blog will serve as the central source of information for 17 West’s projects.

The new design incorporates the blog everywhere so you’ll always be up to date on our latest films.

The new look features a brighter and cleaner design with better graphics and a lot more functionality.

However, the redesign doesn’t stop there…

Our Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages are also scheduled for upgrades to reflect the new look of 17west.ca.

One network. One style. Tons of work.

Why the redesign?

New movies!

The new design is due to go live around the same time we announce our next short film. For now, I’ll simply call it Eric Gamache’s dark tale.

We are hard at work developing the script and getting pitch materials together for the impending search for funds. The new film is truly going to raise the bar for us. Eric is a talented director and the material we are working on has us both pumped to move forward.

What else?

I’m also hoping to unleash the first trailer for The Climb, our latest short film we shot back in May. Post production will continue into the winter and I’m hoping to have the film completed and ready to go in Spring 2011. Why so long? I’m handling all the post myself. (Basically what I’m saying is, I have a lot to do.)

However, I still plan to have a trailer and possibly a clip or two ready for the relaunch of the site.

In the mean time, check out the poster we unveiled a few weeks back. Thoughts?

We will also be upping our coverage of Strings. A project we are co-producing in Sudbury, Ontario. Strings has been quiet lately but I assure you it’s on the way and we’re all excited and eager to proceed with the music/love story.

We are also beginning to develop our future projects to keep this momentum going once every thing launches in a few months.

To summarize, we are coming back in a big way!

Looking for updates?

Keep checking The Athletic Nerd for complete coverage on each of these projects. You’ll find all the details here with daily updates and original features. I’m also preparing for the Nerd’s 1 year anniversary with an entire week of posts dedicated to the milestone. I’ll also be previewing what you can expect as the site evolves in the future.