It's been a great week for writing and I am currently more than halfway through writing the first draft of Spirit Blade 3!
This is exciting because my side-gig substitute teaching could unpredictably kick into high gear at any time.
Although I've timed one or two scenes, I haven't done a read through yet, and don't plan to until the first draft is complete. But I told my wife today that she should prepare to set an evening aside in 2-4 weeks so I can read the entire script to her. (I'm DYING to share this story with SOMEBODY!)
Unlike previous entries in the series, I am waiting until the script is finished before I even conceptualize any of the songs. I have some guesses about how this different approach will effect the final product and I think it will be all good!
I'll keep you up to date and hope to report a finished first draft very soon!
-Paeter Frandsen
I'm planning something fun for the Spirit Blade Underground community to do together. At the end of August, I'll be selecting one or two clips from Spirit Blade and Spirit Blade: Dark Ritual to put online for people to download and use to create a video. The idea is to create a video that looks ridiculous, driving home the point that "some things are better left to the imagination". You can use puppets, action figures, or real people using the audio track like "dubbed kung fu movie" audio. Or whatever other crazy idea comes to mind.
I'll give more specific instructions when the event is launched from our Official Newsletter. For now, I need your scene suggestions. What scene from either “Spirit Blades” do you think would be the most interesting/ridiculous to make movies from using puppets, action figures, actors mouthing along like dubbed kung fu movies, or something else equally ridiculous?
Respond to this post before the end of August and make your voice heard!
Thanks!
-Paeter Frandsen
While I never seem to have quite as much time for scripting as I'd like, this has been a "tortoise week", where the progress has been slow but consistently plodding along. I'm getting pretty close to the halfway point as I write my way through my outline. I continue to feel like the script will be too long, but I'm not letting that stifle my creativity at this point.
Have I ever mentioned that action sequences are tough to design for audio drama? I've been writing one today, and as usual it plays out very different from what a film version would look like. I take a lot of inspiration from film as opposed to other audio dramas, which I think gives my work a specific and unique flavor, especially concerning how I handle action.
I rely on the fact that my audience is made up of movie-goers like me and can "fill in the gaps" in action scenes with the help of movies they've seen, music and sound effects I provide, and their imaginations. If I rely on this too heavily, it becomes too difficult to tell what's happening. If I don't rely on it enough, then I've got characters describing out loud everything they're doing. (Lame. Who does that?)
So my challenge today has involved scrapping two attempts at an action sequence and taking it in a very different direction than I had planned because of the limitations of the medium. Although very different from what I've been imagining for this scene until today, I think the direction I'm going now plays up the strengths, rather than weaknesses, of audio drama.
-Paeter Frandsen
The Spirit Blade Underground Alliance will soon be releasing two new audio dramas that we need some cool images for.
The first audio drama is called "Jealousy", a murder mystery set in a post-pandemic future. A small town in the desolate remains of the U.S. is distraught after a shocking murder. But without any formal law enforcement structure, they are struggling to solve the mystery and keep their town safe.
The second is a space adventure series (think "Star Trek: The Next Generation") called "Voyages Of The USS Sasquatch".
If you're "graphically inclined" and would like to create something we can use, shoot me an e-mail at paeter(at)spiritblade(dot)net for details and scripts (if you'd like to read them).
Thanks so much!
-Paeter Frandsen
We need your voice!
Recently an actor in a project for The Spirit Blade Underground Alliance decided to drop out of the mini-series he had been cast in. We were really bummed to hear this, and now we are scrambling to replace him! The Director/Mixer for this project is about 3/4 finished, but needs to be able to plug in some lines from a new actor for this role before we can release the first episode!
We've already posted a re-casting call for this role, but haven't received a single audition! Which means that if you're interested in auditioning, your chances of being cast are extremely good!
Here are the details-
Project Title: "Voyages Of The USS Sasquatch"
This is a limited, four episode mini-series with a Star Trek/Stargate TV series feel to it.
Premise: On the far distant border of our known universe and the frontier, Brianna Summers’ life and direction will be forever changed by what she faces and how she copes.
Episode 1-
Midshipman Brianna Summers reluctantly signs on the crew of the USS Sasquatch, a Patrol cutter. Although she has been expecting a practicum placement on a Fleet cruiser, this was not available to her. As she acclimates to being on a much smaller vessel, she finds that her crew mates are interesting people, not the “second stringers” as portrayed by the Admiralty. Sasquatch is then called to rescue an Arghian science ship from an artificial black hole. This leads to a showdown with two Path cruisers and a critical decision being made by Captain Jessup in order to save lives.
CHARACTER: "Moose". Late twenties. Male. RECURRING ROLE
Moose will be involved in all four episodes of the series. Please only audition if you are willing to commit to all episodes of the series.
Alton Mosberg or Moose” is a hulking Marine. This puts him in charge of the squad of Marines which makes up most of the Sasquatch’s crew. Moose can come across as an “aw shucks” type of southern boy. But he is all business "when the visor comes down."
Audition Lines:
Yeah. Park it and be neighborly.
The Admiralty (snort). Babe, the Admiralty is only interested in building big fancy cruise ships that just happen to be armed. Did you know that everybody over the rank of lieutenant has an assigned valet? A valet…On a war ship.
Please record your audition at 128kbps or higher in mp3, or use wav file format.
All auditions should be sent via Yousendit (www.yousendit.com) to:
paeter(at)spiritblade(dot)net
***Yousendit is a FREE online file transfer service. Please remember to make use of it. Do not send your file directly to the e-mail listed.***
Please use the following format when naming your audition file:
YourName_CharacterName_SasquatchAUD.mp3
Please only audition for this role if you are interested in recording for all episodes in this series.
***Auditions are due by Sunday, August 14th.***
Thanks and good luck!
-Paeter Frandsen
As many of you know, I'm not very tech-savvy. Very ironic given how I spend my days sometimes.
This week I've been taking some time out to adjust point sizes on our website in response to a comment I received that the words were too small to read. I checked and it did, in fact, look like the point size was too small. An unintended side effect of me being the guy who monkeys with and updates the site, instead of somebody who knows what they're doing..
So I've been trying to go for a larger size that isn't too big. During that process I discovered that Lo And Behold there is a "zoom" function in my browser that lets me zoom an entire page or just the text. (I'm not being sarcastic. I really didn't know about this function.) And other people can use this function, too!
When I put the topic up on the forums, someone pointed this out. But I'm guessing there will be plenty of folks who don't know about that browser function. (Not to downplay my computer illiteracy.)
So I'm kinda "feeling my way" to a point size that will be a happy medium. If you'd like to help you can visit our website and let me know what you think of the point size, or any other issues related to functionality. (As far as visual design preferences, you're welcome to include those comments as well, but it won't be in my budget to do anything in that regard for quite awhile.)
Hopefully if you've been running into difficulties or glitches we can get them fixed soon! Thanks!
-Paeter Frandsen
If you're not connected to our Facebook Page, you're missing out on a great way to stay connected and interact with me and other fans over the latest happenings atSpirit Blade Productions!
And this week, if you visit our wall, you'll see a video of Randy Hesson, the voice of Spirit Blade's "Vincent Craft", in a commercial he filmed for ABC Nissan!
Randy recently won an audition/contest to become the local spokesperson for ABC Nissan and will be filming a series of commercials this year as part of his new role.
Michael E. Bryce, Spirit Blade's "Isaiah", is featured in the new behind the scenes video on our Youtube Channel!
Backwards musicals, vocal fatigue, and my answer to the most commonly asked question during recording sessions!
Check out the video below!
If I'm going just off of my outline, I'd estimate that I'm about 1/4th of the way through the first draft of Spirit Blade 3. That's a rough estimate because some scenes take more time to write then others and some scenes also end up longer or shorter on the page than I thought they would be.
At this point I've set up the problems that the Liberation has to face, and the issues each character is struggling with, which means that going forward from here, crap will start hitting the fan and the action will really start ramping up!
Although I'm still concerned the script may end up too long, I'm just writing unrestrained at this point and I'll figure out later what I need to whittle down. But I'll be saving the longest version of the script to make available later so you guys can see all that might have been.
At this rate I feel like I'm "on track" to be finished with the first draft in September or October(hopefully sooner!), at which point I'll turn my attention to working on the songs as well as writing the second draft of "Pilgrim's Progress, Episode 2".
That's all I can think to update you on for now. I better get back to it!
-Paeter Frandsen
This week has been one of my most productive in terms of writing lately. And once again I can only guess at how long the final product will be.
At the moment, it risks being longer than "Dark Ritual", because I'm trying to spend some more time on character relationships than I have previously. This week, most of my focus has been on the friendship shared by Merikk and Raan. Some of the best storytelling is only made possible when you believe that characters really care for each other. But developing that in a script takes time and a finesse that I'm not sure I've developed yet as a writer.
Now don't get me wrong, the action will be more epic than ever in Spirit Blade 3. But special effects are only as dramatic as the writing and performances that motivate them and that they have an effect on. To end this trilogy well, I feel like I need to tap into some emotional kinds of storytelling that I didn't have in Spirit Blade and only began to introduce to Dark Ritual.
While Dark Ritual represented a jump forward in technical production for me, I'm hoping that Spirit Blade 3 will be a jump forward in writing. There's a sense in which I feel confident now about the technical production side of things. But I know I have a lot to learn as a writer. I'm hoping to learn some of those things right now so I can give this story the strongest ending possible.
-Paeter Frandsen
RickyJuly 18, 2011 at 11:40 AM
Do you have any idea on what the subtitle will be yet?
Paeter FrandsenJuly 18, 2011 at 12:45 PM
Not yet. "Dark Ritual" came fairly early during outlining. But it may be that I have to finish the script on this one first to see what pops out at me.
Our big summer sale might be over, but you can still save money on the Spirit Blade Productions Archive Discs!
I've just dropped the regular price for each of them to $4.99! This isn't a sale, but a permanent price drop!
The Archive Discs are loaded with hours and hours of audio content, along with tons of documents and behind the scenes goodies!
For more info you can check out the Archives Page!
-Paeter Frandsen
As is always the case after I take some time off, I've come back to a mountain of "to dos" that must be done before I get back into my normal routine.
First off, I want to thank all of you who took advantage of the massive 50% off sale we ran for the last several weeks. I was really happy with how it went and was honored and excited by the number of people who bought audio dramas from us for the first time ever! Thanks for taking that leap of faith and trying us out! I hope you like what you hear and enjoy exploring the hours of behind the scenes content on our Media Page, as well as the forums and other stuff going on at spiritblade.net.
If you want to hear about more opportunities for HUGE savings, be sure to sign up for our monthly Newsletter, which not only keeps you posted on our normal sales, but also offers exclusive opportunities for discounts not advertised anywhere else!
Speaking of which, it won't be much longer before I launch the next "Demented Dollar Download"! This sale involves me temporarily (a few days or a few hours) dropping the price of one of our downloadable products to $1. But the only way to know when and which product is by reading about it in the Newsletter. So don't miss out! Sign up now!
Apologies to anyone who still got my auto-respond message yesterday. I WAS in my office, but got my day off to a very late start and neglected to turn off my auto-respond message until last night. (Oops!)
"In Search Of Truth" will still be posted this week, but not until Friday so I have the chance to catch up on e-mails first.
Thanks again for all of your support! I couldn't be doing this without you!
-Paeter Frandsen
Scripting for Spirit Blade 3 has been going very well this week! All the outlining is done and now I get to sit down and let these characters talk to each other.
One of the first scenes is a very "explosive" one that launches right after the opening credits, featuring Vincent Craft. I'll leave it at that for now.
The following scene introduces a new plot thread I'm referring to as "Falcore's Legacy", which complicates things a little for the Sheida and has major significance by the end of the story.
And the scene I'm working on now develops some of the relationships between characters in the main cast. These people have all been around each other for long enough now to have clear opinions and feelings about each other, and that will be coming out more strongly in this story than ever before.
On a totally different note, I wanted to remind everyone that the last day of our big 50% off sale is July 4th!! Whether for you or someone you know, this is the best chance yet to get your hands on our intense and groundbreaking audio dramas! For all the details, visit our online store!
Lastly, although there will be a podcast this weekend, there won't be next weekend, as I will be out of town visiting family on vacation. (In fact on that particular day I think I'll be hanging on for dear life amidst white-water rapids in Alaska.) There also won't be any new blog posts next week. All physical product orders will be processed on July 5th and I'll be answering e-mails again then as well.
As always, thanks for your support! Have a great week!
-Paeter Frandsen
(Note: "In Search Of Truth" will be posted on Wednesday.)
Free standard shipping on International T-Shirt Day!
June 21st is International T-Shirt Day, so Spreadshirt is offering free standard shipping on all orders, for one day only! No minimum basket required.Maximum $9.50 off of shipping.
Visit the Spirit Blade Spreadhirt Store and use the coupon code below to get FREE SHIPPING!
Valid only on June 21, 2011, so don't miss out!
Coupon Code: T-DAY2011
Part 3 (of 3) of the Pilgrim's Progress: Similitude Of A Dream Interactive Audio Commentary is available for download now on the Media Page!
Hear what it was like to work with Mickey Bryce (Spirit Blade, Isaiah Daniels) again and how God seemed to orchestrate a "happy accident" in the scripting process!
-Paeter Frandsen
I think the worst is over today, but yesterday I was hit with some kind of stomach flu and it left me only able to basically copy and paste an already written review on my other blog and get on here to let you know that "In Search Of Truth" will be delayed until Wednesday.
See you here then!
-Paeter Frandsen
Boy, taking time off really hits me hard when I come back!
I had the usual massive number of e-mails to check and answer. That took about two days. (I usually spend over an hour each day doing e-mail related work.) I had an extra movie to watch and review this week, which took a massive bite out of my Tuesday. I had a huge sale to launch, which involves adjusting prices and creating notices. I launched a Facebook ad for my interview with Brent Weeks. (BTW, as a personal favor, please don't click on it if you see it. I'm charged by the click and I'm hoping to steer some new folks to the blog and podcast this way. Thanks!) And I also squeezed in watching coverage of E3 on G4 and some online videos.
So all the things I would have normally hoped to do this week, like writing some of Spirit Blade 3, got completely pushed aside. Bummer.
But it was still a great week, I'm stoked about the massive sale at our store and the other stuff I checked out to share with you guys this week on the podcast! I'm also gearing up for a big Green Lantern themed podcast and blog posts at Paeter's Brain next week!
Yeah, that's been real painful work to do... ;-)
-Paeter Frandsen
I must have lost my mind!
Now through July 4th, all in-store physical products in our online store are a massive 50% OFF! And tax and shipping are still FREE!
Get the CD sets for "Spirit Blade: Special Edition" or "Spirit Blade: Dark Ritual" for just $6.49 each! Or get the CD/Download combos for just $7.99!
Archive Discs 1 & 2 are just $2.99 each!
And get the limited "Spirit Blade: Special Edition Collector's Set" (featuring a signed copy of the Classic Edition, the Special Edition CD set and Archive Disc 1) for just $11.99!
To take advantage of these insane deals and more like them, visit our online store!
And tell all of your friends! This is a GREAT opportunity to jump into the world of Spirit Blade!
You can still plan on this weekend's podcast going up sometime later today, but I will be out of town all next week and there will be no podcast next weekend.
Even though I'll miss the chance to continue building steam on the Spirit Blade 3 script, I'm looking forward to a week of guilt-free relaxation and hanging out with family. (The guys always schedule a "game night" involving multiple TVs and game consoles in one room. It's awesome!)
In the meantime, stop by the Spirit Blade Forums if you haven't been there in awhile! Some great conversation you've been missing, and I'll continue to pop in when I can this week!
I hope your summer is off to a great start! Catcha later!
-Paeter Frandsen
