Wednesday, June 18, 2008 "Silence"

That's the name of the song I'm currently developing for "Dark Ritual". And no, it's not 3 minutes of nothing.

It's actually a departure from anything I've ever done before. The entire song will be made up almost entirely of vocal sounds. Most will be layers that are clearly voices, but a few will be "instrumental" material created by disguising vocal material with a multitude of effects until it sounds nothing like a human voice.

I've just arranged to have a Cello player record some material for an instrumental bridge, but that will likely be the only non-vocal sound in the song.

The composition is a different process as well. Usually, I create the melody first, inventing the chord structure after the melody has been completely established. Then I record once I have the chord structure figured out. But now I'm recording and mixing the melody before I know what the chord structure will be.

I'm also recording some vocal loops in the same key as the song, but without knowing yet where I may use them. So the recording process is very different for me since I'm basically needing to create all of my "loops" and "synth pads" with my own voice.

So it all feels just a little backward, but it's an enjoyable change of method for me. Speaking of which, I'd better get back to work. See ya!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, June 13, 2008 "Spirit Blade" Begins This Weekend!

Later today we'll be playing the first chapter of "Spirit Blade" on our podcast! Paeter will also have a few other brief items to bring up, so be sure to tune in even if you've already listened to our first audio production.

And if you know someone that would enjoy listening to Spirit Blade, but doesn't quite have the change available to purchase the download, this is a great opportunity for them to check it out! We'll be alternating between our normal podcast format and chapters of "Spirit Bade" for the rest of the summer in anticipation of releasing "Spirit Blade: Dark Ritual", so this is a great time to jump on board!

As always, you can buy the complete "Spirit Blade" audio drama in high quality audio in either CD format ($7.99 w/ free shipping in the US) or the digital download for $5.99! That's 2 hours and 25 minutes of high quality audio-cinematic action for an unbelievable price!

And once again, if you'd like to play one or all chapters of "Spirit Blade" on your podcast, send an e-mail request to Paeter Frandsen, at paeter@spiritblade.net

Thanks for continuing to help us spread the word about "Spirit Blade" all over the web!

We can't move forward without your prayer and involvement, and your support is never taken for granted!

Have a great weekend!

Friday, June 6, 2008 Spirit Blade On YOUR Podcast!!

This week, Paeter began work on the climactic scenes of "Spirit Blade: Dark Ritual". From here it's a roller coaster to the finish!

Also, the final part of Paeter's commentary for "Spirit Blade" is available for free download at www.spiritblade.net. So if you've been waiting for the entire commentary to be done before listening, wait no longer!

Finally, we're announcing a special summer event as we count down to the release of Dark Ritual. Paeter has re-edited "Spirit Blade" into an episodic format so that it can be more easily broadcast or used on podcasts. (If you'd like to play all six chapters of "Spirit Blade" on YOUR podcast, just let us know!)  After this weekend, we will be using the podcast every other week to play a chapter from "Spirit Blade", while continuing our normal podcast format on the alternating weeks until the last chapter has been played.

So if you know someone that might enjoy listening to "Spirit Blade" for free, tell them to start checking out our podcast starting on June 13th!

Paeter has also been preparing notes for a philosophical and biblical discussion of "Spirit Blade" that he will be sharing here on the weblog for the "In Search Of Truth" segemnts on the weeks leading up to an episode of "Spirit Blade". So have no fear. Whether we're having a normal podcast episode or a "Spirit Blade" episode this summer, we'll be in the Bible and applying it to our lives together!

Have a great weekend!

Friday, May 30, 2008 Back In The Mix

This week, Paeter has gone back to mixing scenes and is now just 18(out of 66) pages from the end!

You may have also noticed that parts 8 and 9 of Paeter's audio commentary for "Spirit Blade" are available for free download on the "Media" page of www.spiritblade.net ! The commentary will finish with Part 10, which is in the can and will be released in the next week or so. If you think you know the world of "Spirit Blade", think again! In this detailed commentary, Paeter talks about the philosophy AND mistakes behind the making of "Spirit Blade". He also periodically highlights the seeds of "Dark Ritual" planted throughout "Spirit Blade" and even drops hints now and then of where we're going with that story!

We've also got a big event coming this summer on our podcast leading up to the release of "Dark Ritual", but you'll have to wait for the details to be spelled out here another time.

Have a great weekend!

Friday, May 23, 2008 Songs, Commentary and Comics!

This week has seen a lot of progress made on the music of "Dark Ritual". The final, climactic song is now finished and Paeter is polishing up another that will likely be finished today.

After that, two songs remain that haven't even been started yet. However, both songs are by nature more "vacant" or "empty" sounding, requiring much less in the mixing process.

Paeter has also nearly finished work on the remaining 3 commentary tracks for "Spirit Blade". Part 8 should be posted on the "media" page this weekend with the others soon to follow!

Lastly, you don't want to miss the podcast this weekend. Paeter interviews J.S. Earls, the Christian comic book creator behind the official adaptations of some of Ted Dekker's work, as well as the creator behind a great looking series called "Pistolfist", which will be released this summer! So be sure to check out part one of this interview!

Have a great weekend!

Friday, May 16, 2008 Duel Of The Wizards!

"Dark Ritual" has a group of characters that have a few things in common with "wizards". They don't use "magic" in the traditional sense, but what they are capable of amounts to about the same.

This week, Paeter has arrived at a scene where two powerful "wizards" take each other on in an all out fight to the finish! Scenes like these contain multiple layers of sound effects. They take longer to mix than most other scenes and the work can be tedious at times. We're confidant, however, that everyone will be pleased with the action packed results.

We're kickin' it into high gear as the summer takes off, so stay with us for the ride!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Picking Up Speed

As I anticipated, I'm picking up speed and momentum with the mixing for "Dark Ritual". I've now passed a major turning point in the story that I've been so used to looking forward to. Now that I've passed it, it feels like the end is just around the corner. It's not really that simple, but it still feels pretty cool.

I've noticed that "Dark Ritual" has a different pace from "Spirit Blade". Before, the characters were on the run in some way for nearly the entire story. This time, there's very little running, but a lot of confrontation.

"Dark Ritual" is also considerably more dark than "Spirit Blade" was. Characters get put through the ringer and the theme of "torture/pain" becomes a significant plot element. Thematically, I'm representing a truth about becoming a Christian: The next life is promised to us, but tomorrow is not. Life isn't magically "fixed" when we trust in Jesus. A few things even get harder! For much of the story, things do not look good at all for the heroes, and not everything is rosy by the end, either.

I anticipate this being about as dark as we go here at SBP. At least in a project being marketed as "sci-fi/fantasy/action" and not "horror/suspense". It's been a good opportunity for me to decide where I want to draw our lines.

Well, that's it for now. Vincent Craft is getting a little ticked off with me. He wants to start the fight scene I'm working on, but I told him to wait while I post today's blog. Better get back to his scene before he becomes... impatient with me.

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, May 9, 2008 Dark Ritual, Act 3

This week, mixing began on the third and final act of Dark Ritual. If you're tracking along at home, we are on pages 43-45 out of 66 pages.

We're sneaking up on the final climactic scenes of Dark Ritual and can't wait to get there! But Paeter is also determined to make each individual scene special, so we're not rushing in our excitement.

Paeter spent two days this week sifting through music, trying to find just the right pieces to include in our musical score. Although Paeter did alot of the scoring for "Spirit Blade" we're purchasing most of the score this time, resulting in a shorter production time and higher quality product. If you liked the music near the end of our trailer, we think you'll be pleased with the results in "Dark Ritual" as well!

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 Plans For The Pilgrim's Progress

I had a lengthy conversation with my wife the other night about our plans for "The Pilgrim's Progress". For those of you who don't know, after "Dark Ritual" is released I will immediately begin development on what we are currently calling "Similitude Of A Dream", based on The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.

What I'm struggling with is deciding who my audience is for this project. Of course, we're still trying to find much of our audience for "Spirit Blade", too!

As a small company trying to be noticed, producing an adaptation of The Pilgrim's Progress has several advantages.

1. It's public domain material, so I can basically do whatever I want with it and don't have to pay anyone a dime.

2. The outline for the story is already in place, so I don't have to create an entirely new work from scratch.

3. The material presents truth that is scriptural and potentially life-altering.

4. It's a recognizable name. Christians who may not be so sure about this weird "Spirit Blade" stuff might be willing to try a cinematically produced audio version of The Pilgrim's Progress.

The main question in front of me is: How close should I stick to the source material?

In the realm of fandom, straying from the source material can be close to blasphemy. We've seen plenty of comic book movies fail for their lack of fidelity to the source material. But in this case, the source material is archaic sounding and only vaguely lends itself to the fantasy genre.

It's written in the literary style of allegory. Every character is overtly symbolic of something. They have names like Obstinate and Pliable and behave in direct accordance with their names. "Progress" is meant to be read with an openness to learning life lessons and morality. But I'm not interested in beating people over the head with super-obvious lessons. So my inclination is to change the names but keep most of the story. I may even go so far as to split the single character, Christian(and yes, I'll change his name, too.), into a a group of people. A sort "adventuring party" for the fantasy epic I hope to create. However, once I do that, the potential for change becomes dramatic and while telling a really cool fantasy story I may stray so far from the source material that it would be misleading to advertise it as "based on The Pilgrim's Progress". It may be better to devise my own "party based" fantasy later on and keep this a mostly "solo" adventure. (That's where I'm currently leaning.)

The conflict ultimately comes from wanting to attract two very different groups to this project: (a)The sci-fi/fantasy/action geek, like me, and (b) the person who isn't a die hard fantasy fan or audio drama listener, but who would be willing to take a risk if they saw that the project is based on trusted Christian material.

My hope is that people will be willing to check us out based on our adaptation of "Progress" and then stick around for all the original material we will continue to produce in the future. But while I'm doing that, I want to be sure I'm also utilizing my creative strengths and still creating a story with "Progress" that you, our faithful supporters, will love and be excited about.

I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on this topic, and your prayer support would be very appreciated as I look at making a decision on this sometime in July or August.

That's all for now, folks!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, May 2, 2008 Necromantic Progress

This week, Paeter finished work on a lengthy, tense and dark scene that pushes "Dark Ritual" into the third and final act with the song "Necromancy" and the scene following it.

We've made this song available for download in the past, but Paeter has enjoyed adding a few layers and putting the final touches on it. It will likely be one of the most memorable sequences in "Dark Ritual" and it represents a landmark for us in the mixing process.

Paeter will now begin work on scene 21 and by early next week, he'll be plugging away at the third and final Act.

As Paeter increases the amount of continuous time spent on mixing, we'd very much value your prayers. As many of you artists know, creative burnout is always a danger best avoided through careful budgeting of time. Paeter is optomistic and excited, but will be the first to tell you that if God isn't a part of the creative process, this will be a waste of everyone's time.

As always, thanks for your continued prayer support, readership (and listenership for you fans of the podcast) and encouraging words.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Wednesday

Well, it's Wednesday. That means the garbage gets picked up, new comics come out and I have to find something to say in this post. The first two happen automatically. It's number three I've got nothing for today.

I've been so driven to mix Dark Ritual that I haven't spent much time being philosophical. Maybe that's a bad thing. My wife would probably say it's okay. (She's not into philosophy much.) My son would probably just say, "Uuurrp!" and then make a mess.

Oooh! Maybe I should do a review of Blueletterbible.org ! It's this great website I've been using for awhile, mainly for it's handy search engine, but I haven't mentioned it here yet.

Well what do you know? This makes my fourth paragraph. Guess I've written enough to constitute a "post" for now, and that website review will have to wait for another day.

Back to mixing!

-Paeter Frandsen

Monday, April 28, 2008 The Dark Ritual Trailer Is Here!!

At long last, the exciting trailer for "Spirit Blade: Dark Ritual" has arrived!

Help us spread the word! The darkness is coming, and "no one is safe..."

Friday, April 25, 2008 Two Songs, Twenty-three Pages

That's all that's left! It may seem like a lot (sometimes it does to us, too!) but with April passing, Paeter will soon be giving every hour of labor to the completion of "Dark Ritual". We haven't done the math and don't like to give premature release dates (been there, done that), but here are the numbers in case you'd like to make your own guesses:

"Dark Ritual" has 64 pages and seven songs. Paeter started mixing in September 2007. He had already finished primary mixing for one song. From September through April, Paeter has spent roughly 10-12 days per month on mixing. Completing scenes in chronological order, Paeter has finished primary mixing on pages 1-41. Paeter has two songs left to mix.

Beginning the first of May, Paeter will spend 18-20 days per month mixing for "Dark Ritual". After Primary Mixing is complete, Paeter will take about two weeks to master the project, after which it will be available for download purchase, and soon after for CD purchase.

We're still projecting a summer release, but we'll keep you posted on our progress.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 Recovery

I'm enjoying recovery on two different levels right now.

First, I got slammed with another nasty cold bug this week. That makes two in three months for me, which is unheard of! But I'm doped up with good stuff and making a quick comeback.

Second, I've been busy with other work for a few weeks that has kept me from "Dark Ritual". Not completely, but enough to make it hard to build momentum. However, once April has passed I anticipate a completely free calendar until "Dark Ritual" is finished and in your hands, ears and minds!

I also got an e-mail from Ryan today saying that the CD cover is nearing completion and he'll have something to me soon!

That's all for now!

- Paeter Frandsen

Friday, April 18, 2008 Torture Revisited

This week, after finishing work on the "Dark Ritual" trailer, Paeter finally made time to re-record some lines. The recording was for an intense scene involving Merikk and the chief antagonist of our upcoming sequel to "Spirit Blade".

Also this week, we added another actor to the project. Preston Hancock, the Executive Pastor of Red Mountain Community Church, came and recorded some supporting character lines for "Dark Ritual" that will help diversify the ethnicity of our character line-up. Thanks, Preston!

As always, we hope you join us on the weekends for "The Spirit Blade Underground Podcast"!

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Trailer Done... but wait...

Hey Guys,

I just finished the trailer for Dark Ritual yesterday. Only three people in the world other than myself have heard it.

I know you're gonna hate me for this, but I'm gonna hang onto it until the end of the month, when Ryan should have the CD graphic finished. Then we can launch this marketing campaign shooting from both barrels!

The monumental burden of launching the trailer rests on the shoulders of my graphic designer. So in the meantime, everybody join the chant... "Go Ryan, go! Go Ryan, go!"

Yep. I'll bet Ryan hates me now.

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Trailer and Turning 30!

Hey folks!

I've finished selecting the dialogue and FX cues that will go in the Dark Ritual Trailer. I've also determined what "snippets" of songs you'll get to hear (for the first time!!) near the beginning of the trailer.

Now I'll need to edit the cuts together, add some cool production music, and give you all a taste of what's coming! I can't wait!

Also, just FYI, I'll be shutting things down over the next few days to celebrate my 30th birthday! (I turn 30 on the 11th. Can anyone count how many times I snuck my birth date into "Spirit Blade" in one form or another? It's in there, go listen!) It's gonna be an awesome marathon weekend of gaming and geekiness. Visit "Paeter's Brain" next week for the details!

Regular posting will resume again on Monday with "In Search Of Truth" and the next chapter of Galatians.

Have a great weekend!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, April 4, 2008 Song-a-thon!

This week has been a music week for Paeter. He's wrapped up work on Raan's song entitled "Death Come Quickly" (hmm, I wonder why Raan would be singing those words...) and is now finishing a song between Vincent and Merikk called "Used".

In general, the songs of "Dark Ritual" have an added "Epic" flavor that wasn't present in "Spirit Blade". It's a blend of electronic, orchestral and rock stylings that we think is representative of the story and its primary backdrop.

Next week Paeter will begin systematically looking through the script and determining which lines and moments are vital for our trailer.

See you on Monday!

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 Dark Ritual Trailer Coming!!

Since I've hit a scene that I want to re-record some lines for, but don't feel super energized about doing that yet, I'm alternating back to work on some songs for Dark Ritual. I've got a duet with Randy (Vincent) that I'm adding his vocals to it now. The process is an exciting one. I'm using some effects to bring a darkness and hardness to his sound that will add to the tone of the song, contrasting epic orchestral/choral material with electronic production values.

And yes, you read that post title right, there is a trailer for Dark Ritual coming. Expect to see it around the end of April. I'll start deciding what clips and lines I want to use in it next week and then begin the mixing process the week after. Part of me is bummed that I'll have to stop work on Dark Ritual to get the trailer done, but it will be a fun little project to work on and a valuable marketing tool as we approach the release of Dark Ritual. Naturally you'll be the first to know when the trailer is completed and available for download!

That's all for now!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, March 28, 2008 One Song Killed, A New One Born

This week Paeter tossed one song concept for "Dark Ritual" into the trash and found a new one to start over with. The original song was a re-work of a little-known ancient hymn. The idea had been on the back-burner for awhile, but as Paeter began to unwrap it for use in "Dark Ritual", it seemed to be out of place in the context of the greater story.

Thankfully, another idea quickly presented itself and Paeter is already fleshing out the new song.

Have a great weekend!