An Update

Well, well, well. I guess these typing fingers have had enough rest to last a little while. I think it's time this blog made a comeback (he says with a slight hesitation). Before I crack on with business as usual, I suppose I should probably do one of those clichéd update posts where I explain what's happened while I've been away and what to expect in the future.

My last review on this blog was back in July for the Dwayne Johnson blockbuster; Skyscraper. Whilst writing that review, I wasn't putting as much effort into it and felt like I was having to post for the sake of it. At that point, I had been running, writing and managing that blog for over two years without much of a break. It may not seem like it but a significant amount of effort went into those blogs. I'd have to watch the film (sometimes more than once), make a comprehensive set of notes, transfer those notes into a critical review (which would usually average out at 1500 words), proof-read it multiple times, edit it on Blogger which often caused a lot of frustration when pictures decided to be a nuisance and then share the review on all available social media platforms I could think of. On top of all of that, I was having to manage my schoolwork, job and eventually my life at university.

And so, after posting Skyscraper, I took some well-earned time off. I still saw heaps and heaps of movies and posted short and sweet reviews on my Facebook page and I also started to share news stories within the realm of filmmaking. This 'hiatus' lasted over the summer and whilst I missed writing and reviewing, I still needed something else. A change. So, a few weeks into my second year at university, I announced that my review blog would be signing off for the final time. In my head, I knew that, for now, the blog had run its course and that I needed to find a new challenge. I had a few ideas buzzing around in my head of what those challenges could be. For example, in my first year at university, my friend, Alex, and I joined the university-run radio station in which we launched our show, 'The Movie Rundown'. Despite the horrendously generic name, it became a new and entertaining way to take our passion and distribute it in a way we hadn't before. Eventually, that show reached its end but it gave me a massive confidence boost that I was able to put myself out there in a physical sense rather than solely behind paragraphs and occasionally funny GIFS.

That's when I came to the decision on what my next venture could be. A platform for me to put out new content that will test me and my capabilities, but also provide a rewarding experience. YouTube. Even before the inception of the blog, I would, after watching any film, jump onto YouTube and see if anyone else shared the thoughts I had. Creators like Jeremy Jahns, Chris Stuckmann, Schmoes Know and so many more were a huge inspiration to me. If you aren't aware of these channels, I implore you to have a look when you can. And yes, nowadays, YouTube is covered with criticism and complaints when it comes to copyright and monetisation, but knowing that if I were to tread down this road, my channel was never going to blow up and become a viral sensation overnight. I knew that it was going to be a hard and painstakingly slow journey. But hey, everyone has got to start from somewhere.

After getting the necessary (basic) equipment, I sat down in front of a bookshelf full of Blu-Rays and one bizarrely placed healthy eating cookbook for students, with a camcorder pointing directly at my face as I prepared to review the newest Halloween movie. And as soon as I pushed that record button, it quickly became one of the single most terrifying experiences of my entire life. Now, this is not to discourage anyone from starting up a YouTube channel. But the most important advice I could give to you now (not that I am by any means an all-knowing deity) is to ensure that you are prepared for your first video to suck, and I mean be truly TRULY terrible. Unless you've had significant experience working on content like this, it's very rare for someone to strike gold on their first go. For me, I had a background in acting. However, I don't find it necessarily challenging to play a character. It's difficult to portray yourself. Not only that, but I had zero experience when it came to editing. I tried making a practice channel trailer for the sole purpose of playing around with the software and it made Birdemic look like The Shawshank Redemption. The review itself is now private but instead of instantly hitting the give up button and tossing my equipment out the window, I stuck with it and now, nearly three months later, I'd like to think that the quality of my videos and general confidence on-camera has vastly improved. The channel itself is still well into its developmental stage and I know that I'm very lucky if I even get close to 100 views on a video but I am loving every single minute of it and I hope you are too.

However, shooting, editing, rendering and posting these videos take an obscene amount of time. I also have to contend with the small matter of coursework that I'm required to complete in order for me to graduate so understandably, that takes precedence over a video. Therefore, it goes without saying, that I'm not able to produce a review for every film I see. Initially, I thought I could but I ended up burning myself out especially when I'm making other videos such as trailer reactions, thought-pieces and hopefully, some fun and new ideas that will arrive in the New Year. So I decided that, for now, my YouTube channel will review what I consider to be big movies that have everyone talking. This doesn't just restrict itself to the giant blockbusters and franchise films but any film that I know can lend itself well to a more relaxed, entertaining review approach. I then thought that the smaller, lesser-known films could simply be reviewed through one of my 'Mini Movie Reviews' on my Facebook page. But it was as I was attempting to summarise my verdict on Alfonso Cuarón's newest film, Roma, that I soon began to realise that there was no way I was able to appropriately convey my opinion of Roma within the confines of two or three sentences.

And thus the resurrection of this blog came to be. I have now written my review for Roma and if I'm being totally honest with myself and you, I did find it to be a tad rusty to begin with. Nevertheless, it felt amazing to write again and especially to write about a film you adore so much. So to keep it plain and simple, reviews will feature across both my YouTube channel and this blog. If a film lends itself more to a video review, I'll film and edit one. If a film seems more appropriate for a blog review, I'll write it up. How long this will go on for, I cannot say but I know that I am willing to give it a try.

Now comes for the sappy part because it wouldn't be an update post if I didn't have some people to thank. I've tried to feature as many names as I'm able to but if I have forgotten anyone, apologies in advance and you have my permission to constantly remind me of how bad of a friend I am... . Also, I haven't included their surnames just in case they'd rather not have it featured but the messages themselves should seem fairly self-explanatory.

My first thanks goes to two people who will never know just how much they inspired me to start up a YouTube channel. Louie (LouieRC) and Matt (MattyMcDoodle) were very kind enough to allow me to feature in their videos and were always suggesting taking my blogs into a video format. They gave me incredible advice on how to start everything up and continue to be amazing supporters. Also, I want to thank Jack (Nasherboi). We teamed up together to review Baby Driver on his channel nearly a year ago and despite us both rambling on for 25 minutes, it gave me my first experience of a video review. Maybe someday Nasherboi will return...

Thanks to my housemates and friends at university who support the content I put out. Whether it be viewing, liking or sharing the posts even if it is just to stop me hounding at you to do so, it honestly means the world. Thanks to Alex for teaming with me to host the radio show and I promise I'll get you in a video eventually. Thanks to Philip for always being up to star in a video even if you did punch me in the head. And to Elin as well for creating some of the most bizarre bloopers and outtakes as you play music by CupcakKe outside my door. If you haven't heard CupcakKe before, I suggest you play it when alone.

Thanks to Alex and Matt. I know you guys make constant reference to clicking on my reviews and immediately scrolling down to see the final mark but it actually does mean a lot to me that you are at least making that small effort to click on the link and give the post a view, albeit a very brief one. And if the two of you have actually decided to read this one and are confused about the lack of a final mark at the end...tough.

Thank you to everyone I work with (past and present). The job itself may have its ups and downs but I could not ask for a better group of people to work alongside. I can't name you all because this post is already long enough and at least half have probably tuned out by now, but I'll name a select few. Megan and Sean have become two of my closest friends inside and outside of work and Megan, to this day, never lets me forget that I gave the most recent Pirates of the Caribbean film an 8.5 out of 10. Jake, you have been one of my biggest supporters as I've started the channel and I promise when we do another video together, I'll make sure you have a couple more things to say. To James, Molly, Kelvin, Joe, Ellis, George, Kendall and everyone else, thank you.

To Chelsea, even though you may strongly disagree with me when I dislike a film you hold near and dear to your heart and when you find yourself disappointed that I'm months behind on TV shows, you're still one of my closest friends and my movie buddy for life.

Thank you to James. We've been friends since we could barely walk and when I started on the blog, you helped me so much in getting it off the ground.

Thank you to my English and Drama teachers. You all have helped me develop my skills for both writing and performing that have aided me in both the blog and now my channel, even if my grammar sometimes isn't 100% perfect. Also, I'd like to apologise to Mr. Stevens once again for writing a 4000 word review of Batman V Superman rather than working on the draft for my Extended Essay.

Thanks to my Nans and Grandads and all my other family who will read and watch my reviews no matter what it's on. I know that half of the time you haven't got a clue what I'm talking about but thank you anyway.

To my sister, Hannah. When I started the blog, you made it quite well known that you probably weren't going to read any because it just wasn't your cup of tea. And to be fair, you stayed true to that fact. However, I must have been doing something right as your brother, as it was only a few weeks ago that we were having an in-depth conversation about possible theories after watching the Avengers: Endgame trailer so thank you.

Thank you to my Dad. At times, your taste in films is a little questionable (*ahem* Interstellar *ahem* La La Land) but then again, you introduced me to films such as Terminator, Star Wars, Star Trek and heaps of other content that I love and made me who I am today.

And a thank you to my Mum. You've always been a huge supporter of my blog and I remember when I told you that I was going to be starting a YouTube channel, your reaction was as if I had told you that I was emigrating to Timbuktu and was soon to be a father of five. However, you stuck by me and always supported me in all that I do. And I really hope that you and Dad are proud of me. And I also really hope that you cried at some point reading this because it is so damn easy to make you cry.

Finally, I want to thank each and every person that has ever clicked on a link to either a blog post or YouTube video. I know it must seem like it's the only thing I ever post or share but your continued support means so much to me.

If you've made it to this part of the post, congratulations, I'm glad you're still here. My review for Roma should hopefully be dropping soon and my review for Mary Poppins Returns should be up just after Christmas. Once again, thanks to everyone and I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

All the best,
Luke

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