Upcoming Changes

 
Spirit Blade Productions Newsletter, March, 2013
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Blog Format Changes

As we're getting closer to launching the alpha version of Christian Geek Central I wanted to let you know about a few changes I anticipate will be coming as well.

About a year or so ago I stopped publishing the "Paeter's Brain" blog, importing all of my reviews from that blog to The Spirit Blade Underground. I also began posting less often on The Spirit Blade Underground blog about Spirit Blade Productions and updates to various projects I've been tackling. That change was motivated by a desire to build community centered around common geek interests. Little did I realize it was the germ of Christian Geek Central gestating inside me. And now I believe that Christian Geek Central will be the better place to build that community, which is why I have imported all of my previous reviews to Christian Geek Central and will begin posting my reviews there instead of The Spirit Blade Underground blog once the site launches.

"The Spirit Blade Underground" has, to this point, been a community of Christian geeks of all kinds who may or may not care one bit about The Spirit Blade Underground Podcast or the various audio dramas and entertainment produced by Spirit Blade Productions. And that's totally fine with me. But to make that community even more inclusive, we're re-branding it as "Christian Geek Central", and will soon be using "The Spirit Blade Underground" exclusively to refer to the blog and our podcast.

The Spirit Blade Underground Podcast will continue to be published on The Spirit Blade Underground blog and its feed. The content will remain geared toward Christian Geeks of all kinds. Aside from being referred to as "The Official Podcast Of Christian Geek Central" in the introduction each week, very little will change about the show.

One element that may change a little is the types of reviews I write for the show. My data right now is limited, but so far the feedback I've been getting from the recent contest question indicates that retro/home video reviews may be of more interest to podcast listeners than new release movies. I will also be trying to include more reviews of other entertainment types. These two factors combined may noticeably reduce the number of new release movie reviews featured on the show. If you don't like the sound of that, please let me know so I can factor in your feedback. Or, if you ever know of a movie coming to theaters that you'd particularly be curious to hear/read my review for, please let me know and I can try to make it a priority. This show is for the listeners and I want it to only increasingly reflect that.

So to sum up, once Christian Geek Central launches, it will be the place to go to be a part of our existing (and growing!) community and to read reviews by myself and a growing number of contributors. (The podcast will also be included in that feed if you'd like to receive it that way.)

The Spirit Blade Underground blog will continue to be updated, though possibly only one or two times a week. It will feature our weekly podcast, the In Search Of Truth Bible study, and updates on the various projects that Spirit Blade Productions is involved in as a company. This will include announcements regarding our audio dramas, podcast and Christian Geek Central.

For now you can still plan on getting our reviews at The Spirit Blade Underground and I'll be sure to make an announcement when the site and feed for Christian Geek Central are ready for your use. In the meantime, I welcome your feedback as I aim to make what we're doing more useful and enjoyable.



Upcoming "Off-Grid" Periods

Going "off-grid" is how I describe my life when I make myself unavailable for contact via the internet for a period of time. I almost always go off-grid for my vacation times and a couple of times I've experimented with going off-grid to spend some intensely focused and dedicated time working on a particular project.

To be completely transparent, I hate the fact that A World Of Shadows will release (AT BEST) 6 years after the release of Spirit Blade: Dark Ritual. My plan was to keep these installments 2-4 years apart, maximum. And knowing that a number of listeners are itching to have the trilogy complete also weighs on me quite a lot. The moment I started referring to Spirit Blade as a trilogy, I effectively made a promise to listeners that a third part would be released. And there are certain expectations on the timing of a trilogy that I feel I've fallen far short of. It feels as though I am breaking my promise to listeners, or at least not making that promise a priority.

That said, I think the time I took to launch our Pilgrim's Progress series, remix Spirit Blade and help give the podcast and community a makeover was well-spent and vital to our long-term goals. And in the coming months there are a few more things I want to do to get Christian Geek Central off the ground that, while not as time-intensive as what has been required up until now, will still prove a distraction from work on A World Of Shadows.

For all of these reasons, I'm running a "work experiment" this summer, beginning a little over a week from now. Between now and the end of August I've identified six non-consecutive weeks which, because they will not require a time sensitive review or podcast content, are eligible for me to go "off-grid".

The podcast will still be published each of these weeks, but it will be created in advance, probably without an "In Search Of Truth Segment". (If possible I will find a suitable thematic substitute that does not require the time consuming prep work that In Search Of Truth normally demands of me.) In addition, during each of these weeks I will not be checking my e-mail (aside from filling orders) or visiting our forums, but spending nearly every moment of my work day on post-production work for A World Of Shadows.

During these weeks, or when the end of August comes, I would welcome your feedback. It's very important to me that our community not stagnate in my absence during these weeks off-grid and that no one feels as though I am not interested in the great online relationships I've developed and continue to develop with those in our community. Community is a huge priority for me, and a central part of what Spirit Blade Productions is about. So if this experiment has a significant effect on that I want to find a workaround or take a different approach. So PLEASE let me know if you feel as though I become "distant" during this experimental period.

Whether having some "off-grid" weeks now and then is the solution or not, my goal is to better leverage my time so that I can make good on the promise of A World Of Shadows, while still making our podcast, community and online presence the best they can all be.

If you have any thoughts about any of that, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for your support!



Auditions For Spirit Blade: A World Of Shadows!

I'm thrilled to announce the beginning of open, online auditions for "Spirit Blade: A World Of Shadows"! A number of roles have already been cast and recorded, but there are still plenty left that need enthusiastic and talented voice actors!

All the information you need to audition can be found in our audition document, which can be downloaded at- http://www.spiritblade.net/downloads/Spirit_Blade_AWOS_Online_Auditions_Doc.rtf

If you or someone you know might be interested in being a part of the climactic conclusion of the Spirit Blade Trilogy, don't miss this chance to get in on the action!

WARNING! The audition materials do not necessarily reflect the final script, as some lines have been modified to serve audition purposes. However the audition materials do contain some minor spoilers. So if you wish to avoid spoilers of any kind, you may wish to avoid reading our audition materials. However if you like that sort of thing and want some fuel for speculation, you're welcome to download them even if you have no plans to audition. Enjoy!

The deadline for audition submissions is Sunday April 14th, so don't delay!




Thanks for your continued support! As always, there's a TON more to explore at spiritblade.net!

-Paeter Frandsen

 
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