After all that has happened over the last four years during my time with Stream Media, the decision to close the Stream office downtown was one that hit me harder than I expected it to. Stream itself isn't closing, and I still have a few edits on the books with them this summer, but it's pretty clear now that things won't ever be quite the same as they were. On May 31, after showcasing the Citadel Building in a photo set just a few weeks ago, I said a final goodbye to a place that had been the hub of a variety of corporate productions I'd been a part of, and mused about what's next for the company and how I'll continue to be a part of it.
As a contract editor, I can't blame Barb for making what was a very practical decision. With both of us working full time hours outside of the building, it no longer made sense for her to pay rent on an office that was almost never used anymore. In fact, the most regular hours I ever spent in the office were back in 2008 when I worked for Stream full time, and even then, the office wasn't really my workspace.
What makes losing the office so difficult then is the feeling that I've lost something symbolic. As long as the office was there it was clear that Stream still held some priority and that there'd be more work as a result of it. I guess there was always a part of me that believed my role would continue to grow there, and that somehow that would fuel more of the kinds of projects we all really wanted to work on. It's not even clear that there won't still be editing projects coming my way, but Stream may simply be working in a different capacity to facilitate them now. As we'd discussed just a few weeks ago, things are changing, we're changing, and sometimes growth means trying new avenues. I'm just a bit anxious about the unknown.
When it comes down to it, this is the end of a chapter. I've always loved the variety of work that I've been able to do as a result of Stream's position in the community, and whether it was flying over the city to collect b-roll or directing a promo video, a lot of the challenges were noteworthy experiences. I'd hate to think that we've moved on from that completely, because individually, I haven't.
On one hand it's just saying goodbye to an office right now. On the other, it's a pretty clear step into uncharted territory. I can't help but be a bit sad about it. I can't help but feel unresolved about the whole thing. And then again, I realize that a big part of me is clinging to a reality that has existed since 2008. It's easy to be nostalgic for that feeling I had when I was fresh out a film school and started working here in June of that year. We've all grown a lot since then though, and I probably play it up for more than it was sometimes because I was so ready for the change back then and I'm feeling more uncertain about what I want next these days.
I'll miss this place and the creative discussions we had here. I'll miss coming here late at night to drop something off and finding a random note. I'll miss popping in to chat with Barb on my way home or between projects. And really, as a nod to how much I've enjoyed the work, I'll just miss this place being at the centre of it.
I've never been much of a comic book guy, but I've always appreciated the style. Because of that I've accumulated a small and fairly random collection of graphic novels and comics, like these ones from Star Wars from 1983. These must have belonged to my brother, and I either took them or he gave them to me when I was a kid and they were releasing the special editions of the movies.
While the artwork features some classic Star Wars imagery, like lightsabers and lasers, the stories are kind of bogus if I'm honest. These two random issues (#83 and #94) don't make a whole lot of sense to me as to where they fit into the whole Star Wars plot line, but the artwork is nice. I also love the vintage ads for Atari that were in both books. The accompanying artwork for the games was often more elaborate than what any of them could offer at the time.
Now to the real question though, how much are these Star Wars comics worth? Well, they have appreciated from their 65 and 75 cent cover prices, but from what I've seen they're only worth about $5-$10 each in their good condition. At best (in near perfect / mint condition) they could maybe fetch $30 each. But hey, when you get them (or take them) from your brother, it's all profit.
I can say with certainty that there are few creative ventures in my life that I've been as dedicated to, that have provided such consistent motivation, and that have made me reflect on my choices as regularly as the site you're currently viewing. After reaching 1000 posts earlier this year I couldn't help but take time to reflect on just what that meant. Now here I am thinking about it again, wondering how 5 years of my life have translated into a series of images, words, videos, and expressions.
After one year of writing this blog (in 2008) it had been viewed a mere 15,854 times and my video views had just surpassed 50,000. That was huge, and it was (and still is) pretty flattering when you consider that one of my favorite topics to write about is myself. It wasn't even the numbers that had me hooked though, it was the feeling that I was writing to an anonymous audience that was somehow keeping me accountable to the things I said I wanted to achieve. In film school at the time, I was just on the cusp of transitioning into the real world, completely blind about what my options were and in some ways, what I even wanted.
Five years into constructing Editing Luke, and while the motivations have evolved, the sense of accountability and goal of fostering my creativity have made the project even more engrossing than when it began. Now on the cusp of 180,000 hits and over 1.2 million video views, I feel there's something to be said for nurturing a passion and finding new ways to connect with people who share it.
I suppose I had big goals for this site when I started out, but I think I neglected to realize how substantial it would influence my view of time. A year doesn't go by without a recap now. I don't go a month without sharing something I've created, shot, or edited. The upkeep of this project has resulted in a personal obligation to live by my words, to dream out-loud, and to build some form of context while doing so. Frankly, five years into the game, that's kind of amazing to look back on.
Who knows what the future holds or how long this will continue, but I will say that for what this site began as and the goals that it was meant to help me achieve, it's been a success, a joy, and even a comfort. To twist Eleanor Roosevelt's famous quote to "do something everyday that scares you", I'd instead like to suggest doing something everyday that inspires you. In the end, the sentiment may be similar, but inspiration seems to resonate with others more than your own fear does.
Stats After 5 Years - 1080 Blog Posts - 178,148 Blog Views - 1.21 Million Video Views
