It's time for a long-awaited update, don't you think? It's not that I'm avoiding you guys, it's just that there isn't much to say sometimes, despite me loving to write in the blog... know what I mean? Well I have some good stuff for you today, and I'd like to talk to you about them! Since the beginning of the year, we've had one blog post (although it was a flashback post), and a new video, and some subtle changes, as well as some not-so-subtle changes. Let me walk you through them so you don't get confused (much like the people watching that automatic toilet)! ;) If this post becomes too long, I will spill it over into another one, because I don't want you to leave because it's too many words... yikes! First off, let me just thank you all for your continued support. If you're on the site right now reading this, that means you. I can't thank you enough. While unfortunately our site community here has remained stagnant, we continue to grow on a website that people actually go to, facebook! As of writing, we have 169 fans on our fan page. Although sometimes the number goes up & down (who removes themselves as a fan, I mean really?), we have a strong fan base. I'll admit that probably 90% are people I know, but hey, you got to start somewhere right? It's nice to know that 169 people like what you do. It's what lets me sleep soundly at night, haha! In the quest of trying to get our own community sparked with life again, I have re-vamped the forums, renamed it "Discussions," and cleaned up the place in general with some re-organizing! I'm also looking to add more categories to appeal to a wider audience, so if you have any ideas, please let me know! The Discussions area is just one of several planned updates to grow our community again. So def keep on the lookout for new stuff... because if you think about it, this site is actually very awesome. Not being self-centered or anything, but I honestly think we have quite a snazzy online home right here. So why let it be covered it cobwebs? I can't think of a reason.
Next item of business, is iTunes. Wait, what's that? You didn't know we were on iTunes? Well we are! I don't advertise as much as I should, and really, I don't know how many people actually download the episodes because Apple won't let you see stats and insights for your podcast. So this could be a great success or a huge disaster. I mean, no, it doesn't cost money to actually do, but in order to make it happen, I do spend money on space to host the videos on my server so I can provide it to you, and the whole process takes time, and we all know time is money. Obviously what I'm hoping to get at is that people have another outlet to see the project and may check out our stuff if they like what they see. Almost everyone has an iPod of some sort, and if not, at least iTunes, and so there is no way you can't see our stuff, whether it's on YouTube, Facebook, or even on your iPod! SO. OKAY. That was too long of intro, so let me cut to the chase. Up until about a week ago, the episodes on our podcast were at low "converted for podcast .mov" files, and yet they were still a little chunky in size. I'm pleased to say that I have found a better solution, in which I render the movie project in .mov instead of converting it, then adding it to iTunes and then from there "create iPod / iPhone Version," which results in a beautiful, much clearer HD video (in a .m4v format... iTunes-specific!) to have on the go! And what's the best part? The size is actually down a few MBs! So it's a win-win, and after playing around with all this stuff and making sure it works, I updated & re-uploaded all of the HD videos on the podcast (except for The End) so now you should do the same! I'm telling you, there is a huge difference to what it was before, so if you are currently subscribed to the podcast and you click update, all your files will probably have an error sign next to it (since they have been all replaced). I know it's a bit of work, but I recommend clearing and deleting the podcast entirely (or at least just from Hiatus and above... ie all the HD videos) and re-subscribing so you can get all the new files. And if you're new to the program, just go ahead and subscribe for free and you will have the new high definition videos! YOU'RE WELCOME. Haha just kidding, but really, though... I'm happy to do this and glad improvements are always being made, no?
ALRIGHT ALRIGHT. So I realize this blog post is getting rather lengthy, so let me just wrap it really quick. There are some other things that need to be said, but I will continue it in a later blog post as mentioned at the beginning of this entry. I wanted to officially announce the newest video, Board Games. I never had a chance to make a post about it, but here's a quick nod. Yes, it is a bit late and you have probably seen it already, but if not, you definitely need to! There is MUCH to say about this video, and I will save it for the next blog post, so stay tuned... thanks for reading this far and listening to me ramble! (: