2010 was an extremely satisfying year for me, primarily due to the release of "Spirit Blade: Special Edition", which now allows me to confidently put our best foot forward as I aim to introduce more people to what we're doing at Spirit Blade Productions.
If you read between the lines there, you may be able to guess that I plan to spend more time "marketing" Spirit Blade Productions to a wider audience this year.
If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know that marketing is my groan-tastically LEAST favorite thing to do. It tends to be extremely boring and repetitive. It's also very difficult for me personally to feel like I'm "selling myself" to people. And yet there's no getting around it. If we're going to impact people’s lives, people have to know about us and engage with what we're doing.
Still, if I have to tackle this necessary evil, I'm going to make it as freakin' fun as I possibly can. Especially for YOU guys!
So what's in store for 2011? Here’s a taste:
The Spirit Blade Audio book-
Okay, there may be some confusion at this point for some of you. Some may be thinking, "Didn't you already release this as the second Archive Disc atspiritblade.net/archives?" Others of you may be thinking, "Didn't you say you were going to release this for free?" The answer to both questions is "yes". Though unfortunately I didn't have time to release the free version in the way I wanted before the end of 2010.
One of my first agenda items this year is to make the Spirit Blade Enhanced Audio book available for free in as many places around the web as possible, hopefully drawing new attention to what we're doing at spiritblade.net. Audio fidelity purists and those who want the commentary for the audio book will still want to get the Archive Disc at spiritblade.net. But those who aren't interested in the commentary and don't mind listening to the audio book in lower fidelity audio will soon be able to find it in what I hope will be a wide variety of locations around the web.
The timing on that isn't set yet. My plan is to find as many sites as I can to submit the audio book to and then run an interactive promotional event with all of you guys that will end with the release of the audio book in multiple places at once. More news on that in the next few weeks!
Newsletter (more exciting than it sounds!)-
If you haven't subscribed to our newsletter yet, this is the year to do it! While continuing to be the place to get all of the biggest announcements from Spirit Blade Productions, in 2011 the newsletter will also be the VIP access portal for giveaways and secret sales that won't be advertised or available anywhere else!
You can subscribe right now at www.spiritblade.net by scrolling to the bottom of the page and entering your e-mail in the field provided! The newsletter typically goes out only once a month(if that) and we don't use or let others use your e-mail address for ANYTHING else.
I've already got at least one CRAZY sale in mind that only newsletter subscribers will know about, so don't miss out!
The Spirit Blade Underground Alliance-
In the last two years, this innovative volunteer community has produced four audio projects that we've made available as free downloads and the response to them has been great! Currently, the next episode in our vampire crime drama, “Of The Night”, is in development, along with the first episodes of a new sci-fi space adventure series and a futuristic, supernatural, “cop drama”. We also plan to return to the fantasy/sci-fi world of “Untold” soon. The outline looks great and the scripts are in development! And I’m very excited about a dark, stand-alone, post-pandemic murder mystery that we will be holding auditions for soon!
This year, I'll be looking for ways to expand the number of people involved in making audio fiction, particularly in the mixing/directing department. I'll also be looking for ways to coordinate the production of entertainment in other media formats for the SBUA. So no matter what kind of creative type you are, I'll be looking for ways to plug you and your skills into this fun, unique and growing creative community! For more information, go to www.spiritblade.net/alliance!
Free Downloads and Special Features-
Although things slowed down a bit in this department in November and December, I will begin releasing a new special feature every month, starting with this month! Now that the initial promotion for "Spirit Blade: Special Edition" is over, I will be going back and releasing the remaining audio and video "behind the scenes" features for "Pilgrim's Progress: Similitude Of A Dream". I had a great time recording this project with the cast, and for the first time you'll have the chance to see video of recurring Spirit Blade Productions actors Randy Hesson(Vincent Craft, Vanger) and Michael E. Bryce(Isaiah Daniels, William Goodblade) as they record for the first episode of this ongoing series. You'll also get to see revealing video on how the Dread-gloom Swamp sequence, one of the most complicated in the project, was recorded.
I'm also excited to announce the future production of "Interactive Audio Commentaries" for both "Pilgrim's Progress: Similitude Of A Dream" and "Spirit Blade: Special Edition"! I had so much fun using your written and called-in questions on the commentary for "Dark Ritual" that I plan to continue the tradition as long as there is interest in it.
Live Chats-
Although the turnout for the "Spirit Blade: Special Edition" live chat was less than I had hoped, I had a great time doing it and will be looking for an excuse to do it again! I also know that not everyone who wanted to was able to participate. So hopefully I'll do better at organizing and promoting the next one! Next on the agenda will be live chats for "Pilgrim's Progress" and "Dark Ritual"! Stay tuned!
Growing Community-
If you haven't noticed the pattern so far, this year is about growing the number of people in the Spirit Blade Community and the number of ways they are involved in the various things we have happening. I'll be exploring ways to attract more people to the podcast and forums and will be looking for your ideas! My goal is that this year the Spirit Blade Community will feel more like YOUR community! My vision for Spirit Blade Productions has always been to develop content and community that is exciting, interesting and spiritually beneficial to the genre-geek community. So if you have any ideas, please send them my way! More than ever before I'll be looking for opportunities to make the community experience the best it's ever been!
Development Of Spirit Blade 3 AND Pilgrim's Progress, Episode 2-
My plan is to record both of these projects at the same time, using a few of the same cast members in both. I will then produce "Spirit Blade 3" first, followed quickly by Episode 2 of "Pilgrim's Progress".
Most of the first draft for "Pilgrim, Ep. 2" is finished and the main outlining for "Spirit Blade 3" is done as well. In the midst of developing the Spirit Blade Community this year, I will be writing the script and songs for "Spirit Blade 3" and finishing/polishing the next "Pilgrim's Progress" script in hopes of recording in late 2011 or early 2012.
TBA-
Some of the most exciting stuff this year is still "To Be Announced"! There are a few other things simmering on the back burner that I’m DYING to tell you about, but I have to iron out some details before I can officially announce them. One is the addition of one or two Archive Discs featuring new and exclusive content. Another is apodcast interview I’m scheduling with a New York Times best-selling mainstream fantasy author. (He’s already agreed, but until we actually schedule the interview and record it, I’ll have to keep you guessing!)
When it comes to what God has planned, your guess is as good as mine. But the ride is sure to be an interesting one!
Thank you so much for your support and involvement here! I'm pulling out all the stops to make this a year where new people take notice and faithful fans are reminded why this is the place to go for exciting, unsterilized Christian Sci-fi and Fantasy!
-Paeter Frandsen
