BrokenProjector.com

BP Update: Back from the Dead (Hiatus)

December 10th, 2007 | by Gautam |

Greetings to all readers of BP! As you have noticed, I have been off the blogosphere for a while now, channelling more of my time to my “other” pursuits in life. I’m still without a job and gloriously so out of choice. I find this period of my life somewhat a revelation. So to those of you who are curious to know more about what’s been happening and what’s coming up on BP, I have this very special update for you. To the others: kindly bear with us.

1. Hiatus and Attempted Re-design

I went on an unofficial hiatus right after the closing of the Double Bill-a-thon in late October. I had strategically taken this time out to devote myself to some immediate and more important projects that were coming up in November.

I had initially set myself to return to blogging on a regular basis once again in the last two weeks of November but something unexpected happened. My three weeks away from the blog had resulted in a writer’s block and a certain laziness to return to a regular schedule. It took my about 4 hours to write my entry to the Akira Kurosawa blogathon, an effort that probably would’ve taken me about 45 minutes pre-hiatus.

On the other hand, I had started redesigning the blog layout. So far I’ve been using free templates from other developers and I had finally decided to take up designing my own layout for the blog. I spent over a week painstakingly coding each and every part of the blog by hand and in the end I felt it wasn’t good enough. I’ve switched back to the marvellous template by Derek Punsalan and I’ve decided to do a complete re-design probably early next year.

2. I made a film

This is where we get to what I previously referred to as my “other” pusuits. I made a short film! I wrote, photographed, produced, directed and edited my first cinematic effort titled “Windows of the Sunset”. It is about a couple of reporters from opposite ends of the society set in my hometown of Hyderabad (India) and how they work on a story together. The film runs 25 minutes long and is currently sent out to some festivals for selection. I will setup the film’s website once I get it out in the festivals.

3. Film School

I’ve decided to attend film school and earn my masters in filmmaking. I’m currently doing research and comparisons on some film schools and I hope to attend one of them around post-May next year.

4. New Experiments and Ideas for BP

I have several ideas and experiments for the blog. I’m planning to expand it into a full blown website but keep the focus very much on the blog. I’d like it to be more interactive and provide more value.

My first experiment is with Adsense. You must’ve already noticed the ad box on the sidebar. Broken Projector has always been ad-free since the beginning and this is something I’d like to test and see if it fits with the whole feel of BP. It costs me $10 (~INR 400) every month to keep the blog running and it would be nice if the blog paid for itself. So, I’ve decided to give adsense a try till February 2008 and then I will see if I want to continue with it.

My second experiment is with Podcasts. I’m working on two separate podcasts that I will present by the end of this week and I’d like to see if this idea works. I’m very excited about this idea in particular and it might be just the thing that I’m looking for in terms of providing more value in content.

Thirdly, I have set up the new Broken Projector Newsletter. By signing up for the newsletter, you will receive one email every month about what’s happening at BP. I guarantee you won’t be spammed. Once again, I’m curious to see as to how this idea works out.

5. Daneeta Loretta Saft

I’ve been speaking with this really cool independent filmmaker and I’m in the process of doing an interview with her. She’s a graduate of the London Film School and is currently co-running a phenomenon called ‘The Elektrik Zoo’. You can learn more about her here, here and here.

6. Recommended Posts from the Blogosphere

The Blogosphere has been chugging along without me this past month or so but I’ve managed to keep up with my favourite blogs. Here is some recommended reading: