Hey there, YouTube friends,
In the past few days my business, Firewerks Studio, has started to pick up momentum. I've partnered as a subcontractor with a new company called Effective Executive to get more business coming my way. I've also started discussions with a musician by the name of Eric Herman, who is a musician for children. Very cool stuff.
But, with the surge of new business comes the lack of time (and creative energy) to work on Various videos. I don't know for sure when I'll have new videos up, but I'm going to try doing the weekly movie news like I mentioned in my last video, "First Contest, New Segment".
As always, leave a comment or suggestion here or on any of the social media sites that I'm on. Thanks for your support and encouragement.
30.10.11
They Are Medic
Meet one of my new favorite independent bands: Medic.
I discovered the Colorado-based band through a comment they made via Twitter about my "September Picks" post. Since I am always on the look-out for new music, I decided to find out what they had to offer for myself. What I found was an incredible EP entitled Grace and Gravity. Throughout the entire time I listened to this album, all I could think of was just how much emotion was packed into each and every song. It's astounding. I would even go so far as to put their musicianship skills up against some of the more well-known artists out there. (And I'm not talking about Lady Gag-Me, either...) All in all, I am very pleased to have had a chance to hear Medic. They have a lot of potential and I could see them getting bigger if that's what they decided to do.
In addition to discovering Medic's music, I am also pleased to say that they will be giving me some music to use for Various! They are currently working on getting an instrumental song produced for me and I'm very excited. What am I doing in return? Coming up with some cool shirt ideas for them. Gonna be great!
Please take a minute or more to listen to Grace and Gravity at medic.bandcamp.com and support this awesome band!
I discovered the Colorado-based band through a comment they made via Twitter about my "September Picks" post. Since I am always on the look-out for new music, I decided to find out what they had to offer for myself. What I found was an incredible EP entitled Grace and Gravity. Throughout the entire time I listened to this album, all I could think of was just how much emotion was packed into each and every song. It's astounding. I would even go so far as to put their musicianship skills up against some of the more well-known artists out there. (And I'm not talking about Lady Gag-Me, either...) All in all, I am very pleased to have had a chance to hear Medic. They have a lot of potential and I could see them getting bigger if that's what they decided to do.
In addition to discovering Medic's music, I am also pleased to say that they will be giving me some music to use for Various! They are currently working on getting an instrumental song produced for me and I'm very excited. What am I doing in return? Coming up with some cool shirt ideas for them. Gonna be great!
Please take a minute or more to listen to Grace and Gravity at medic.bandcamp.com and support this awesome band!
24.10.11
Movie Review: Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids (2011)
IMDB.com Synopsis: Competition between the maid of honor (Kristen Wiig) and a bridesmaid (Rose Byrne), over who is the bride's (Mia Rudolph) best friend, threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef.
Today I went to a Redbox and picked up Bridesmaids. I don't think I heard a bad thing about this movie while it was in theaters and when I saw it was out on DVD everything about it said, "Hilarious" and "Comedy of the Year". Yes, it was funny, but I wouldn't call it either of those two things.
To quickly run through the movie: Mia Rudolph's character, Lillian, announces to her best friend, Annie (played by Kristen Wiig). At the engagement party, Annie meets her nemesis, Helen (played by Rose Byrne). Helen is Lillian's "other best friend". Immediately the two start their feuding, which is actually pretty funny. Throughout the movie you see that Annie is pretty down and out. She has no money, lives with a really weird pair of British siblings who want her to move out, has meaningless sex with Jon Hamm's jerky character, Ted, and is a baker who lost her business.
As Annie and Helen fight it out to see who is the best bridesmaid for Lillian, comedy shows up in most of the places you'd expect them (and some that you might not). Since Kristen Wiig was one of the writers, the whole is a tribute to her style of humor, which I have always enjoy
Overall it was a funny movie, but I wouldn't say it was hilarious. Kristen Wiig was one of the writers and shows some of her signature brand of comedy and Mia Rudolph reminds us why we loved SNL back when she was a part of the cast. That, I enjoyed. The reason I found it not as funny as it could be was the over-use of sexual innuendos. I'm not a prude. Sometimes those kind of jokes are funny, I admit that, but this was way too much. The fact that the movie opened up with Annie and Ted having sex set (for me) and uncomfortable tone to the movie from the get-go. The language in the movie bothered me, too. I've watched a lot of movies that have the F-bomb in it, but for being as funny as this movie was supposed to be, the language just ruined the comedy.
In the end, Bridesmaid was a movie that I won't watch again. If I had a star system, I'd give it 2 out of 5.
What are your thoughts on this movie? Do you agree or disagree with me? Leave a comment for me.
IMDB.com Synopsis: Competition between the maid of honor (Kristen Wiig) and a bridesmaid (Rose Byrne), over who is the bride's (Mia Rudolph) best friend, threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef.
Today I went to a Redbox and picked up Bridesmaids. I don't think I heard a bad thing about this movie while it was in theaters and when I saw it was out on DVD everything about it said, "Hilarious" and "Comedy of the Year". Yes, it was funny, but I wouldn't call it either of those two things.
To quickly run through the movie: Mia Rudolph's character, Lillian, announces to her best friend, Annie (played by Kristen Wiig). At the engagement party, Annie meets her nemesis, Helen (played by Rose Byrne). Helen is Lillian's "other best friend". Immediately the two start their feuding, which is actually pretty funny. Throughout the movie you see that Annie is pretty down and out. She has no money, lives with a really weird pair of British siblings who want her to move out, has meaningless sex with Jon Hamm's jerky character, Ted, and is a baker who lost her business.
As Annie and Helen fight it out to see who is the best bridesmaid for Lillian, comedy shows up in most of the places you'd expect them (and some that you might not). Since Kristen Wiig was one of the writers, the whole is a tribute to her style of humor, which I have always enjoy
Overall it was a funny movie, but I wouldn't say it was hilarious. Kristen Wiig was one of the writers and shows some of her signature brand of comedy and Mia Rudolph reminds us why we loved SNL back when she was a part of the cast. That, I enjoyed. The reason I found it not as funny as it could be was the over-use of sexual innuendos. I'm not a prude. Sometimes those kind of jokes are funny, I admit that, but this was way too much. The fact that the movie opened up with Annie and Ted having sex set (for me) and uncomfortable tone to the movie from the get-go. The language in the movie bothered me, too. I've watched a lot of movies that have the F-bomb in it, but for being as funny as this movie was supposed to be, the language just ruined the comedy.
In the end, Bridesmaid was a movie that I won't watch again. If I had a star system, I'd give it 2 out of 5.
What are your thoughts on this movie? Do you agree or disagree with me? Leave a comment for me.
20.10.11
Album Picks - September 2011
I know that September is long gone now, but there are three albums that were released that I really want to share with all of you. Here we go:
1. SWITCHFOOT - VICE VERSES
I've been a fan of the San Diego band since their Beautiful Letdown record and this is a very different Switchfoot. The first song I heard from Vice Verses was the mellow track, "Restless". It seemed like the run of the mill single and, although I've not yet been disappointed by Switchfoot yet, I questioned just how different the album would be... and then I got to hear all of it.
Switchfoot's style seems to have changed for this album, but in all actuality I think that the band has pulled the best elements from their previous records and come up with a "new" sound. Almost every song on this album reminds you of a different album, but as a whole, Vice Verses keeps its identity. Featuring the heavy-hitting tracks like "Afterlife" and "The War Inside" to songs of a more mellow, introspective tone, like "Restless" and "Vice Verses", Switchfoot has poured every ounce of passion into creating what I will say is my favorite album of the year. You can get Vice Verses on iTunes or at Switchfoot.com and then give your opinion. I'd love to here it.
2. NEEDTOBREATHE - THE RECKONING
Throughout the years, I've become a big fan of Southern rock and roll. The infatuation with this style of music was born in me, I think, but really didn't start to mature until I started listening to Third Day. Somewhere along the line, though, I discovered NEEDTOBREATHE. And I am very glad that I did.
In September, they released their fourth studio album, The Reckoning. Much like their previous release, The Outsiders, this one bleeds Southern blood. The sound is gritty, but filled with acoustic guitars, banjos, and some very crunchy electric guitars. I'll just say that if you don't appreciate this style of music, I don't know how you can appreciate any kind of music. This is the backbone of American music. (The feeling I have right now is so hard to express!) On top of the Southern goodness that The Reckoning has to offer, some of the songs are haunting, not only in sound, but how they really stick with you when you're not listening to them. They make you think and reflect on life. That's what I love about NEEDTOBREATHE's music. It has so many layers that you find something new every time you listen to it.
You can find it (as always) on iTunes and at NEEDTOBREATHE.net.
03. 7EVENTH TIME DOWN - ALIVE IN YOU
This past summer, my church had a free concert featuring Rapture Ruckus, a hip-hop/rap group from New Zealand, and 7eventhTimeDown, a rock band from Kentucky. While Rapture Ruckus was the headlining band at this particular show, I personally thought that 7eventh Time Down was the best part of the show. (Then again, I'm not real big into rap.) It wasn't until later that I found out a potential design client of mine (Scotty Wilbanks) was the producer of their upcoming album. I knew then that I just had to buy it whenever it came out. Scotty is an amazing musician and a great producer. With his talent combined with the talent I saw on that stage, I knew the record would be fantastic. And it is.
The band is one of the newest groups to sign with BEC Recordings (Jeremy Camp, Seventh Day Slumber, Kutless, Hawk Nelson) and is quickly proving to be one of their best-selling and fastest-rising bands. With and album like Alive In You, it's easy to see why. I don't even know how to start describing this record. The title track leads the set of 12 tracks that just rock. Mikey Howard's vocals remind you of the intensity that Chris Daughtry brings to all of his records, while the music is raw, pounding, and unique in it's own way. The lyrics are very honest, God-honoring, and all-around transparent. I read a quote from Mikey that really describes the lyrics to a "T":
Thanks so much for reading these reviews and please buy the albums. I'm not making any money from it if you do, but I believe these artists have created some amazing music that needs to be enjoyed. If you've listened to any of these records, please leave a comment below and tell me what you think.
1. SWITCHFOOT - VICE VERSES
I've been a fan of the San Diego band since their Beautiful Letdown record and this is a very different Switchfoot. The first song I heard from Vice Verses was the mellow track, "Restless". It seemed like the run of the mill single and, although I've not yet been disappointed by Switchfoot yet, I questioned just how different the album would be... and then I got to hear all of it.
Switchfoot's style seems to have changed for this album, but in all actuality I think that the band has pulled the best elements from their previous records and come up with a "new" sound. Almost every song on this album reminds you of a different album, but as a whole, Vice Verses keeps its identity. Featuring the heavy-hitting tracks like "Afterlife" and "The War Inside" to songs of a more mellow, introspective tone, like "Restless" and "Vice Verses", Switchfoot has poured every ounce of passion into creating what I will say is my favorite album of the year. You can get Vice Verses on iTunes or at Switchfoot.com and then give your opinion. I'd love to here it.
2. NEEDTOBREATHE - THE RECKONING
Throughout the years, I've become a big fan of Southern rock and roll. The infatuation with this style of music was born in me, I think, but really didn't start to mature until I started listening to Third Day. Somewhere along the line, though, I discovered NEEDTOBREATHE. And I am very glad that I did.
In September, they released their fourth studio album, The Reckoning. Much like their previous release, The Outsiders, this one bleeds Southern blood. The sound is gritty, but filled with acoustic guitars, banjos, and some very crunchy electric guitars. I'll just say that if you don't appreciate this style of music, I don't know how you can appreciate any kind of music. This is the backbone of American music. (The feeling I have right now is so hard to express!) On top of the Southern goodness that The Reckoning has to offer, some of the songs are haunting, not only in sound, but how they really stick with you when you're not listening to them. They make you think and reflect on life. That's what I love about NEEDTOBREATHE's music. It has so many layers that you find something new every time you listen to it.
You can find it (as always) on iTunes and at NEEDTOBREATHE.net.
03. 7EVENTH TIME DOWN - ALIVE IN YOU
This past summer, my church had a free concert featuring Rapture Ruckus, a hip-hop/rap group from New Zealand, and 7eventhTimeDown, a rock band from Kentucky. While Rapture Ruckus was the headlining band at this particular show, I personally thought that 7eventh Time Down was the best part of the show. (Then again, I'm not real big into rap.) It wasn't until later that I found out a potential design client of mine (Scotty Wilbanks) was the producer of their upcoming album. I knew then that I just had to buy it whenever it came out. Scotty is an amazing musician and a great producer. With his talent combined with the talent I saw on that stage, I knew the record would be fantastic. And it is.
The band is one of the newest groups to sign with BEC Recordings (Jeremy Camp, Seventh Day Slumber, Kutless, Hawk Nelson) and is quickly proving to be one of their best-selling and fastest-rising bands. With and album like Alive In You, it's easy to see why. I don't even know how to start describing this record. The title track leads the set of 12 tracks that just rock. Mikey Howard's vocals remind you of the intensity that Chris Daughtry brings to all of his records, while the music is raw, pounding, and unique in it's own way. The lyrics are very honest, God-honoring, and all-around transparent. I read a quote from Mikey that really describes the lyrics to a "T":
“When it gets right down to it, I’ve just tried to be who I am. I can’t be anybody but me. Nothing hidden, we’re an “on the surface” band and that comes out in our lyrics.”It's going to be really hard to follow up an album this great, but I think if these guys from Mount Vernon, KY, keep doing what they're doing, they might be one of the biggest bands to hit the music industry, Christian or mainstream markets. Support this great rising band by picking up their new record on iTunes.
Thanks so much for reading these reviews and please buy the albums. I'm not making any money from it if you do, but I believe these artists have created some amazing music that needs to be enjoyed. If you've listened to any of these records, please leave a comment below and tell me what you think.
New Segment
Last night I was thinking a lot about what I wanted to bring to the table with my videos. The idea of Various is to share information on what I find interesting in the entertainment industry, as well as my own experiences. Since I don't really hit the movie theater as often as I would like, I don't get to review new movies. Most of the movies that I'll review are the one's that everyone else saw four months ago on the big screen.
With that being the case, I've decided to start a (fingers crossed) weekly video blog featuring the movie news that I find interesting. I'll be sharing movies that are on their way to theaters and all of the bits of information that go along with those movies. I know this is nothing new, but it seems like something that will bring more viewers to Various.
Thanks for reading.
Leave any comments or suggestions below.
With that being the case, I've decided to start a (fingers crossed) weekly video blog featuring the movie news that I find interesting. I'll be sharing movies that are on their way to theaters and all of the bits of information that go along with those movies. I know this is nothing new, but it seems like something that will bring more viewers to Various.
Thanks for reading.
Leave any comments or suggestions below.
17.10.11
New T-Shirt Contest
If you'll take a peek below, you'll see a link about giving away a free t-shirt or two via my independent design company, Firewerks Studio. If you don't feel like opening a new tab or window in your browser to read that post, I can sum it up here.
Basically, I wanted to give away a shirt, but had now contest ideas. I decided that whoever could give me the best idea would win a shirt (being a contest in and of itself) and whoever won the winner's contest would get a shirt as well. (I know, very complicated, but it seemed good at the time.)
Well... I've thought it over and whenever Various hits 20 subscribers, I'm going to randomly give away a shirt. What does it look like, you ask? To be honest, I've designed quite a few ideas and haven't chosen my favorite yet. When I do, though, I'll be posting the design here on the blog and on YouTube.
I am very excited to be giving away a shirt that I've designed!
Oh! Once I have a winner, I'll leave a link to my upcoming online store. It's still in development until I get a few more products designed, but I plan on making shirts for Firewerks, Various, and maybe even doing some fan shirts for my favorite YouTubers. If you wanna be a favorite, just shoot me an email with your channel link and an idea for your design. I'll email you back ASAP.
As always, leave any comments in the comment section or send me an email for suggestions for Various! Thanks again for reading. I can't wait to hit 20 subs so I can give away a shirt!
Critiquing Various
I've been hosting Various for a little over a month and a half or so and I've noticed a few flaws in them (as I'm sure you have, too). If you'll bear with me, I'd like to go over some of those things.
I've heard it said that after something like ten videos you're more comfortable with the camera. I really hope this is true because I feel totally strange talking to a camera lens. I can't see a reaction or fully connect with my audience and that makes things difficult for me. Now, I'm not the most extroverted guy in the world... in fact, I'm a pretty quiet guy around people I don't know.
My voice isn't something that I can change very easily. Or even at all. I wish I had a voice that was more like Mike. It's just the right tone and pitch. I don't think anyone will ever leave him a comment saying, "I unsubscribed to your channel because your voice sucks." Unfortunately, I see that happening to me one day...
With that said, though, I think the issue with my voice stems directly from not being comfortable in front of the camera yet.
The biggest issue with my Various in general is that I don't have a signature look or feel to each of my videos. If you look at most of the YouTubers that I subscribe to, they have a gimick or flare or something that makes their videos theirs. One of the channels I really like is KipKay. This guy makes some of the coolest things from household items and some electronics parts that you can pick up pretty cheap. Not only does he have a theme to his videos, but he has a simple pattern to the way his videos are produced. I like that and am trying to find my own look.
While I have been picking at my videos, I must say that I'm happy with most of them. I think right now I just want to be more comfortable with who I am in front of the camera and then things can just grow from there.
If you have any comments, suggestions, or tips for Various, leave it in the comments section, email me, or leave a comment over at my YouTube channel. Hope to hear from you! Thanks for reading.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)