With my new portfolio site launching in just a few weeks, changes are being made all the way down the line to create the best possible online experience for those who want to watch, read, and explore my content.
The new site, part portfolio/part personal scrapbook, is going to act as a hub for all my online material. This blog, my YouTube channel, my complete works, Contact info, and much more will all be linked together for the first time on a single page. Accessing any video will be as simple as clicking my portfolio and scrolling the posters, sending me a personal email can be done directly through the new site, and the latest updates on this very blog will be automatically streaming on the main page so you can see if you've already read my latest post. Aside from being more efficient, this entire process is about representing myself to the fullest. I want people to take interest in my videos and I want to make it easier and more enjoyable to find them. This is also about creating a cohesive look and brand for everything I do - a personal stamp - both literally and figuratively.
Editing Luke (the blog) will be getting a swanky new look along with an overhaul of some of the links and photos. This blog will become slightly more casual in the presence of a site that can adapt to my need for promotion - though don't kid yourself, blogs are meant to be self indulgent and I'll still be updating, haha.
I haven't even organized my YouTube account in months. With over 100 videos uploaded I think a re-design of my channel is likely to happen also.
It's exciting to feel like after several years of utilizing the Internet for my videos, I'm at a point where everything feels new again. I've done my trial run and had some mid-level successes, but this is a step up to the next plateau. If for nothing else, the feeling of consolidating everything I do creatively online makes this seem worth all the effort.
Watch for some big changes across the board as we countdown to the new decade, and be sure to comeback to see the brand new home site unveiled on January 1, 2010! Until then, consider everything to be under construction.
With the holiday season upon us, my latest short, We Two Kings, marks the first time in several years that I've really gone out of my way to make a Christmas special. It's also the first time since Buick to the Future: Episode 4 (over a year and a half ago) that my friend Tyler and I have worked together on a project. Milestones aside though, what makes this short so memorable and exciting in my mind is how quickly the idea, shoot, and finished movie came together.
Tyler had talked about coming to Medicine Hat from Regina at the end of November for a visit and I suppose that's what sparked the idea for a Christmas short. I started writing out a rough script and thinking about locations which eventually had me focused on a simple comedic spin on the 'We Three Kings' Christmas carol.
As if on cue, the day that Tyler arrived we got snow. That Saturday morning you couldn't have asked for a better Christmas setting. The temperature was cool, but not cold, the snow was untouched and sticking to the trees, and the wind was almost non-existent. Armed with our winter gear and our hastily constructed gold crowns, we headed down to Police Point, a giant natural park on the outskirts of the city to film.
The long and short of the story is that things continued without a hitch. Just as we were losing sunlight, we shot our final scenes. Our crowns held up as did our feet after an entire afternoon of walking around in brush and snow. With a few curious people looking on from their walks from time to time, the short came together relatively quickly, and surprisingly exactly how I'd written it.
As part of promoting this new project I cut together a teaser trailer. Thanks to my account on YobiFilm that trailer (at the time of this post) has already been viewed over 37,000 times on that site. To say that I've been excited about sharing this project is an understatement. I think it's turned out really well and I hope it helps to get you in the Christmas spirit. Also, I'd like to thank my friend Tyler for helping me out once again in not only bringing my rough idea to life, but for getting just as energized about the project and injecting his own energy into the mix. I think the fun we had making this shows, and when you have no budget, enthusiasm is the best currency. So, without further delay, enjoy a short that we're sure to talk about for many Christmas' to come. We Two Kings (2009) We Two Kings - YouTube Version
A single a day keeps your creativity in play. Join me as I share some of my fav tunes in an effort to pay the inspiration forward. Ladies and Gents, this is the Holiday Edition of: Inspired Singles: Issue 04 by Luke Fandrich
Winter Skin by Jars of Clay This haunting and mellow tune from Jars of Clay inspires images of people bundled up, walking in a winter haze. The whimsical chimes and simple piano chords add that Christmas sound which suggests that through the cold, there really is something incredible, magical even, about this time of year.
With telling lyrics and a low key arrangement that grows with the song, this single reflects that building excitement (or perhaps acceptance) of the holidays. A nice transition towards the end of the song suggests that everything isn't really that bad, it's Christmas after all.
Made popular by Lindsay Buckingham for the Vacation series of movies, this cover by Matt Pond has a lot of charm. Ideal for those winter road trips and getaways to see family and friends, it'll be tough not to sing the chorus - and make the comparison that singing 'road' in the song is just as long as the road ahead.
