Top 3 of Yobi Film Finals!

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First of all, thank you to everyone who voted (and who will hopefully cast a vote again)! I can't tell you how happy I am to find myself with so much support in this film competition! It really is amazing!

The voting for the Yobi Film Competition has been going for two months now, and after making the Top 40 - here I am after all those weeks and rounds - 1 of 3 filmmakers in the running for Filmmaker of the Year!

I know I've been promoting my short The Geology Student throughout the contest, but as a finalist you're actually voting for my entire Yobi Film profile. This includes numerous short films that I've uploaded and my promotion within Yobi itself. This really is a huge deal for me - potentially opening a lot of new doors and helping me make a lot of contacts.

By taking a couple minutes and voting with your email address (no understatement here) you could absolutely change my life. If I were to win I'd get a trip to the Toronto International Film Festival and a chunk of cash that I could put towards bigger and better projects. Not too mention all of the promotion and exposure I'd continue to receive.

There are now only two voting rounds left before a winner is declared. It's so close that I'm really going to try and pull out all the stops.

Please help me spread the word, use your email address, post my link on facebook, tell your roommate, send an email, tell a coworker, etc. Any little bit can help and if any of you ever need a vote I'm there, haha.

Check out my profile and vote here.

The 500th Post

Here I am nearly 3 years into an online project titled Editing Luke, now writing my 500th post. While the anniversary celebrating will have to wait until the end of this month when this site officially turns 3, I'll use this milestone as an excuse to list 50 reasons (one for every 10 posts) why it's been so important to me to keep Editing Luke alive - effectively, 50 reasons why I blog.

1. You never know who could be reading/watching.
2. It's helped me create more of a name for myself.
3. It makes my work relatable.
4. It makes my work easy to identify.
5. Writing my thoughts keeps me motivated.
6. My entries have become time capsules.
7. It stimulates creative feedback.
8. It looks great to potential employers.
9. It looks great to other artists.
10. It gives my videos a one of a kind showcase.
11. I've been able to map my growth.
12. It contextualizes my film experiences.
13. It's helped me get work.
14. It's been essential for promoting my videos.
15. It's been essential for campaigning during festivals.
16. It makes me want to share more.
17. It's inspired me to find other like-minded filmmakers.
18. It makes me more observant.
19. It's made me a stronger graphic designer.
20. It's a place to vent.
21. It helped me transition out of film school.
22. It shows how serious I am about what I do.
23. It's made me easier to find.
24. It's given me creative discipline.
25. It keeps me forward thinking.
26. It's made my mistakes relevant lessons.
27. It's amplified my successes.
28. It gives me clout with other video-makers.
29. It shows consistency and stability.
30. It's allowed me to help other artists.
31. It's allowed me to receive help.
32. It connects me with complete strangers.
33. It gets me honest reactions.
34. It keeps my creative standards high.
35. It's a reason to keep my work diverse.
36. It keeps me organized.
37. It's expanded my professional network.
38. It keeps me engaged between projects.
39. It keeps me competitive.
40. It makes me a better writer.
41. It makes me a better editor.
42. It's an excuse to test my ideas.
43. It gives me ownership of all my content.
44. It helps me reflect.
45. It makes me think about how I present myself.
46. It makes me an example for others to follow.
47. It makes me efficient.
48. It allows me to reinvent myself regularly.
49. As a filmmaker, it keeps me original.
50. And above all, it's fun to do.

Universal Studios Singapore

And with this footage comes the final edit of my Singapore trip last month.

Universal Studios Singapore was never something Stephanie and I had planned prior to going. This was a business trip after all, and with only one full day off we weren't sure there'd be time for a theme park. Luckily, there was.

On the good word of some of the people we had been working with, on our Wednesday off we took a taxi and then the monorail out to Sentosa Island. Sentosa is nicknamed 'Resort World' because the entire place is undergoing a massive tourist overhaul. Fancy resorts, beaches, and attractions are popping up all over this island on the southern end of Singapore. Universal Studios itself only opened in March, so it was only a month old.

Not as big as the park in Hollywood (see my edit of that here) it doesn't incorporate a tram ride element, and instead is all theme park. It was actually just the right size to see comfortably in a single afternoon, which was nice because it didn't feel like we had to rush.  From a Madagascar section to a Shrek themed 'Far Far Away' to a popular Jurrassic Park zone, Stephanie and I actually enjoyed the Revenge of the Mummy Ride in Ancient Egypt the best. We ran on twice in a row, and all I have to compare it to is the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.

The Revenge of the Mummy ride is part tour of movie scenes, part storyline, and part surprise coaster. What was best about it was that it was a really good mix. Fire explosions, cracking walls, sounds of bugs swarming all over you, quick starts and stops, and then finally a thrilling coaster ride in the dark to finish it off! On the second time around I knew where the on-ride camera was and made devil horns at Stephanie. It made for a good souvenir photograph that I bought to take home.

All and all it was a fun afternoon, but the day was far from over. We followed up Universal Studios Singapore with a ride on the Singapore Flyer, and later that evening, with a cruise on the Singapore River Experience.