Wednesday, April 14, 2010 Out for a week

Well, the trial is now over and it was a very interesting experience serving on the jury. I found a great deal of relevance to my desire to seek out truth in scripture and in the details of my everyday life. I may blog about it sometime, though I don't have the time for it today.

Unfortunately, even though I am now returning to my normal schedule as of this week, I will already be going out of town this Friday and will be gone all of next week. There will be a podcast this week which I will release sometime on Thursday, but there will be no podcast the following weekend. I will also not be posting on either of my blogs next week or checking my e-mail very much, if at all. So my HUGE thanks for your enduring patience with me!

The good news is, when I get back, it will only be a week or two before the school semester is finished, which means I will soon be able to take a three month break from my side gig (substitute teaching) and give all of my time to finishing these remixes and heading full throttle into the Secret Project!

You can plan on an announcement of what the Secret Project is on the same day that I release the song bundles for Spirit Blade and Dark Ritual. So stay tuned! It won't be too long!

-Paeter

Friday, April 2, 2010 T-Shirt Contest!

Hey Folks,

I've been brewing up an idea for some "Spirit Blade Productions" t-shirts that I think would be cool, though my graphic designer has his hands full right now. But if you're handy with graphic images, you might get yours for free!

Those participating in this contest have until the end of April to send me their submissions. Here's the deal:

I know conceptually what I want, but need someone else to bring it to life. The concept is simple, quirky and attention getting. The image I'm looking for is a stacked addition math problem. It has a "Christian Fish" symbol at the top, a retro 1930's-1950's space ship or flying saucer below that and a dragon at the bottom. Then of course you've got the long horizontal line dividing the problem and the solution and a plus sign off to the left indicating an addition problem. Below the line, as the answer to our math problem, is "spiritblade.net". (no "www")

So when someone looks at this unusual shirt, the idea is that they will put together the following in their mind:

"Christian + science fiction + fantasy = spiritblade.net"

All images should be simple "clip art" type symbols. Nothing complicated. Just enough to be indentifiable. And the complete design should be using only the color white. My plan is to put this on a dark blue shirt.

I will take my three favorite submissions and test them out on several online t-shirt printing websites, so it may be handy to test it on two or three yourself(not actually printing any of course) before submitting to me so that you can see if it is compatible with the formats typically requested by these sites.

I'll use the winning design to make our t-shirts and the top three submitting designers will get one sent to them free!

Submissions (and any questions) can be sent to- paeter(at)spiritblade(dot)net. (Please note that all submissions become the sole property of Spirit Blade Productions.)

I could really use your help! You've got until the end of April to be a part of Spirit Blade Productions history, and get our first T-shirt before anyone else! For free!

Thanks and good luck!

-Paeter

Thursday, April 1, 2010 Spirit Blade: The Musical Comedy!

Well, I've been dropping hints about the "Secret Project" coming from Spirit Blade Productions for several months now and I'm finally ready to let the cat out of the bag!

I have long been a fan of classic musical comedies like "Hello Dolly" and "The Music Man". What makes them so great is that everyone is always smiling! And even when they are sad or angry, it's all in good clean fun.

Over the years I've seen a tremendous shortage of family-friendly Christian entertainment. There just doesn't seem to be anything safe for me and my loved ones to enjoy together. So for the last several months I have been secretly toiling away at developing "Spirit Blade: The Musical Comedy"!

The story will pick up where "Spirit Blade: Dark Ritual" left off and involve several hilarious rag-time numbers at the beginning to get things started. In the second act, Raan will be cured of his cyberneticism and Ebony will become an emotionally healthy Christian just in time for the two of them to be married. Vincent and Merikk will have hot cocoa and talk over their differences and then share a very warm hug with Saolos. Best of all, everyone will stop using all those offensive fictional cuss-words that I'm pretty sure the Bible speaks out against.

The nice folks we thought were dead turn out to be alive and the bad people all say they are sorry and humbly go to jail. The bad news is that the Sheida are still bad. But the good news is at the very end, Merikk wakes up and finds out it was all a dream. He is actually not in the future and instead lives in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where he teaches children's Sunday school using a flannel graph.

Well, I better get back to work! I can't wait to share this with all of you!

-Paeter

Friday, March 26, 2010 My "Legal" Search For Truth

As I mentioned earlier this week on "Paeter's Brain", (spiritblade.net/paeter) I was summoned for jury duty this week and was selected out of more than 60 people to be on a much smaller jury. I've never served in this way before and I'm looking forward to "searching for the truth" as the trial continues.

Naturally, I can't say anything about the case until it is over, but I wanted to let you all know that the trial is expected to run for three days a week for the next two weeks. Add to this my average of 1 day of subbing each week and there's a good chance I won't have much to blog about for the next two weeks.

My notes are prepared in advance for "In Search Of Truth", which should continue without interruption. And I will be seeing "Clash Of The Titans" next week and so will have content to put a podcast together at least next weekend. (And yes, there will be a podcast this weekend as well.) But I may not have any progress to report for Spirit Blade Productions for the next two weeks, for which I am bummed.

In the meantime when you think of me, you can pray that my eye and ear for the truth will be sharpened and I will be able to process information well in order to come to an accurate, God-honoring verdict.

Thanks!

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 Pilgrim's Progress Video Journals!

I'm happy to announce the launch of the Spirit Blade Productions Youtube channel! 
(Username: spiritbladevideos)

I've updated the "Media" page of spiritblade.net to include a link to the Youtube page where you can check out the first "video journal" for production on "Pilgrim's Progress: Similitude Of A Dream". You might also notice that I've changed the layout just a little bit on the "Media" page. (I've shifted a few things from the right column to the left.) Please check it out and let me know if you have any thoughts about "user friendliness".

http://www.youtube.com/user/spiritbladevideos

Enjoy!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, March 19, 2010 Taking A Breather

I'm really pleased with the amount of progress I've made this week, but I decided to take a little time off for the rest of the weekend. My wife is out of town so I'm a single dad for a few days. I've also had some family in town and some others with time off that I've been taking advantage of.

I can't imagine that I won't finish "Soldiers" sometime next week. I'm just polishing at this point and the sound won't change much from here.

Have a great weekend!

-Paeter

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 Soldiers Almost Done!

Progress is moving almost faster than expected for a change! It feels really good to love listening to this song. Something I was never quite able to do with the original version.

 Although the melody is largely the same, I made a few minor changes using pitch correction and a vocoder to give the melody a slightly darker feel now and then. The harmonic structure has undergone the greater amount of change, giving the song a strange quality while not taking things so far that it becomes "experimental" music.

Now I'm basically adjusting the mix and then adding a bit of "seasoning" to the existing mix with fills and effects. It's looking very possible that I'll be finished with "Soldiers" by the end of the week!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, March 12, 2010 Momentum For Soldiers

It's been a great week for building momentum on the remix of "Soldiers". The first half of the week was spent finding a new free vocoder (my old one broke when I updated it). After two frustrating days I found one that I like and spent most of yesterday recording the phrases of Soldiers that I will use the vocoder for.

For those in the dark, you might remember that I used a vocoder in the song "Necromancy" (from "Dark Ritual") to create that low robotic sounding voice. I will be using a similar effect in the remix for Soldiers and I'm very excited about how things are sounding so far!

The bulk of tough creative work seems to be finished on this song, and so I'm excited at this point to be mixing the song together from start to finish with no further troubleshooting anticipated. It's possible that I could finish sometime next week, but we'll have to wait and see!

-Paeter Frandsen

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 Do You Want A Spirit Blade Forum?

I’m currently considering the idea of hosting an online
forum at spiritblade.net for anyone to come and talk about the goings on of
Spirit Blade Productions, The Underground Alliance, the Podcast or the Blogs.

It would also be a place where Geeks who are Christians or
who are open to Christian thought can talk about all the things they “geek out”
over and share ideas with each other. In modern Christian culture, the geek is not always
made welcome. And although a forum would in no way be a substitute for involvement
in a local church, it would be a place where geeks can feel free to let their
faith and fanaticism interact.

It would also be a place where I will be able to interact
with listeners/readers in a unique way, since I would be very active on the
forum.

However, the creation and upkeep of a forum is a significant
undertaking. Although I would aim to organize it in a way that will not
significantly effect my other efforts for Spirit Blade Productions, the
additional workload will still be enough that I won’t enter into it lightly.

So this is the part where I need your feedback. And it’s as
easy as a few clicks of your mouse! I’ve set up a poll you can reach by
visiting:

http://www.spiritblade.net/blog   (That’s the blog in case you’ve never
visited before.)

Scroll down a little and you’ll find the poll in the
left-hand column.

Just one quick vote (and only one, please) will help me get
an accurate read on how useful a forum would be. If the timing isn’t right for
a forum, I’m more than happy to wait until it is. But if the timing is right,
it’s certainly something we can do!

If you have any questions or thoughts about the idea, please
don’t hesitate to let me hear them. And no matter where you stand on the idea,
I need your vote on the poll!

Thanks for your help!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, March 5, 2010 Rebuilding "Soldiers"

This week I began work on my remix of "Soldiers" from Spirit Blade. At first, I was fairly discouraged. I feel as though there is almost nothing I can salvage from the original mix and I realized I will need to rebuild this song from the ground up.

I also hurried through the recording process with Michael Tully back in 2004 when he recorded this song, and so have only a few takes to work with from that session. (Tully now lives in Texas and it would be impractical to fly him out just to re-record this song. Long distance coaching and recording is impractical as well.)

But soon I began to see obstacles as exciting creative challenges and after playing with Tully's files and testing some options with my mixing software, I'm very much looking forward to the possibilities open to me in that department! I've also found some beats and loops that already sound fantastic just dropping them down together without any polishing.

I believe that this time around I will be able to come so much closer to the creative vision I had for this song than I was able to the first time. And at the same time, I'll be able to inject new ideas and sounds that I've come to enjoy and gravitate toward since then. Can't wait!

That's all for now!

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, March 3, 2010 Next Song... Soldiers!

I finally finished the re-mix on "Destiny" yesterday and then listened to every other song from Spirit Blade to make my choice about which one to re-mix next. I ended up choosing "Soldiers" and I anticipate this re-mix will be a challenge, or at least very involving.

Of all the songs in Spirit Blade, this was one that never felt "finished" to my ear. As both my tastes and mixing skills have changed or improved over the last four years, it's very hard for me to enjoy listening to this song on several levels. At this point, I anticipate that the remix will involve a complete overhaul of the percussion and a completely different approach to the mix on Michael Tully's (Raan) vocals.

So my first step today will be to sift through the loops and beats I have in my collection for appropriate sounds and then begin a search online for loop and beat collections of the kind of sound I'm looking for. As it stands now, I'll be looking for a more industrial, possibly glitchy sound. But it all depends on what resources I'm able to make use of.

Hopefully, when all is said and done, I'll have a song that we can all enjoy a whole lot more!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, February 26, 2010 Next Song, Please!

Well, I think I've spent about as much time on "Destiny" as I can for awhile. The re-mix is effectively finished. At this point, the only remaining question is whether or not I want to add a layer of guitar somewhere. The "holes" I thought I was hearing earlier this week seem to have vanished mysteriously, so I'm not sure now if I still want guitar or not.

This is an indication to me that I've probably been listening to the same song for a little too long and need to gain some distance from it before I make that call. So beginning next week I will instead start work on...

I don't know yet.

But it will be SOME song from Spirit Blade. Hmm... Any suggestions?

-Paeter Frandsen

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 Side Gig Taking Center This Week

Some of you may remember that I keep a "side gig" doing some substitute teaching. Usually it averages about five days a month (or once a week) but this month has been way above average and I'm subbing 4 out of 5 days this week! Nice for the family budget, but it tends to slow down everything else.

Blog posts and the podcast will run as usual and I'll answer e-mails as I'm able, but if you don't hear from me this week, don't worry. I'm not ignoring you.

I'm using what little time I have remaining to mix "Destiny" because I'm VERY close to finishing my work with it! (At least for now. I'm fairly sure I'll want to ask a guitar player to "fill in the gaps", after which I'll complete the final mix.)

Thanks for your patience everybody!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, February 19, 2010 Setback!

Well,
I hit a setback this week in my goals. After dropping my vocals into
the mix and fiddling with EQs and effects, I realized that the sound I
was using for the primary arpeggiation in "Destiny" was not working. It had a
flanger effect on it that shifted it from having lots of low tones to
lots of high tones and and everywhere in between. Sounds cool by
itself, but building an entire song around it would mean that I would
have to constantly shift the EQs in every other sound to counterbalance
it! Not something I want to take the time to do!



So I'm now developing a new sound for that track that is in keeping
with the original feel, but that will be much more consistent and
easier to mix around. (Big sigh...)



As I finish up this week, I'm hoping to finish developing the sound for
this track so that I can get back to mixing the entire song next week!

-Paeter Frandsen

Monday, February 15, 2010 Day Off?

Hey Folks,

In Search Of Truth will be here on Wednesday. I've decided to take the day off. Of course, if I were REALLY taking the day off, I suppose I wouldn't be writing this post right now. Better run! Bye!

-Paeter

Friday, February 12, 2010 Destiny Almost Done!

With my vocals recorded and laid into the track, all I have left to do on "Destiny" is fine tune how I want the effects to sound and adjust EQ and volumes for each track!

It's been a very productive week and I'm anticipating finishing Destiny next week and getting started on the next song! Any suggestions on which song I should remix next? I'm not feeling drawn to any particular order at the moment. I'd love to get your feedback on the song you most enjoy or look forward to hearing the remix on from the original "Spirit Blade"!

Have a great weekend and don't forget to show someone you love them this Sunday!

-Paeter Frandsen

Thursday, February 4, 2010 "Destined" to Finish Soon!

The basic track for "Destiny" is finished and I've been working on re-mastering the vocal tracks for "Destiny" this week. Joyce's vocal track is currently being "cleaned up". This means that I am balancing out volume levels for the entire track (something I didn't do the first time) and correcting pitch here and there, trying to decide how much I want to do for practical reasons and how much I want to do as an effect. The jury's still out.

I haven't touched my own vocals yet, because I'm thinking I may just re-record them. It would probably take less time than cleaning up the original, and I'm thinking I might make some subtle changes to my performance that will add a little intensity to the song.

Once the vocals are laid down, it will mainly be a matter of balancing levels for each track element and the song will be done!

That's all for now! Have a great weekend!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, January 29, 2010 Creative Momentum!

Well, this has been a great week for getting creative work done! I'm basically finished with the track layout for "Destiny" and am now going back to re-mix the vocals for Joyce Smith (White) and myself.

I'm so happy with the pace I've been keeping and hopefully the momentum will continue into next week!

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 Destiny

In preparation for the "song bundles" I will be releasing a few months from now, I'm currently working on the re-mix for "Destiny"! It's coming together well and I'm able to create some sounds this time around that I couldn't before.

The lead synth has been given a harder edge by de-tuning it slightly and adding distortion and octaves. I'm also adding an "epic men's chorus" that helps to give the song a paradoxical sound when contrasted with the harder electronic textures.

I'm having a ton of fun and feel like I'm finally starting to gain some creative momentum! Woohoo!

-Paeter

Friday, January 15, 2010 Spirit Blade Productions 2010 Plans

2010 will be a very important year for Spirit Blade Productions! Here are a few things you can look forward to and in their planned order of execution!

1. Music! Currently, I'm making plans to release "song bundles" or "soundtracks" (not sure which I'll call them yet) for both "Spirit Blade" and "Spirit Blade: Dark Ritual". I'll also be creating some remixes of these songs for inclusion in the bundles. Some will be minor re-mixes and some will be complete overhauls.

2. More Cool Goodies! During the production of "Pilgrim's Progress: Similitude Of A Dream" I made some video recordings of dialogue recording sessions and some screen capture video with commentary as I created and mixed some of the unique sound effects and scenes of the project. I'm not sure of the specific method of delivery for these videos (Youtube or downloads on the "Media" page) but I'm looking forward to editing the footage and putting it together for you all very soon!I'll also be making some cool T-shirts available this year and some other goodies you'll be able to get at the site. As always, I plan to keep up with my schedule of releasing one new free special feature on the Media Page every month. So keep checking back! (spiritblade.net/freestuff)

3. The Secret Project! It's... well it's a secret. I should be able to announce it in full about three months from now (that's the current plan anyway, but you know how that goes). I can tell you that Spirit Blade fans will dig it, though! And although it is third on the list, this project is actually my highest priority project for 2010 and I hope to release it before or during the summer, or at least before the end of the year.

4. The Spirit Blade Audiobook! I released the first part of this project on the podcast in December. I have finished recording it all and only need to mix and release it. It will be made available for free and released all at once, rather than in "chapters". The project is be read by me and enhanced with music and sound effects. This book is the basis for "Spirit Blade" and "Dark Ritual" and although the story has some very noticeable differences, it will hopefully provide an interesting look into where the "Spirit Blade" universe began and where it might have gone.

5. Relaunch Of Spirit Blade Productions! Although 2006 marks the first year of our existence, 2010 will be the year that this little company becomes re-established. I believe it will be looked back on as the year we hit our stride. The reasons for this will become clear as the year unfolds, but I hope you'll stick around and be a part of the celebration!

6. Spirit Blade 3 Begins Pre-production! (Or should it be "Pilgrim's Progress"?) At this point, my
plan is to begin writing "Spirit Blade 3" later this year. I would
estimate that pre-production work on SB3 will take 6-12 months. The
script for "Pilgrim Ep. 2" is nearly finished. But in order to save
money on production costs, I will be recording both SB3 and Pilgrim
Ep.2 at the same time. SB3 will be produced and released first, and
then Pilgrim Ep. 2 will immediately begin production afterward. SB3
will probably take about 12 months to produce after recording with the
actors. Pilgrim Ep. 2 will probably take around 4 months. 



So a very rough estimate (given all of these other estimates) would put
the release of Spirit Blade 3 at around April 2012 and Pilgrim Ep. 2 at
around July 2012. Thereafter, I will focus all of my efforts on
finishing the rest of the Pilgrim's Progress series, releasing them
much closer together than previous projects. Should Pilgrim's Progress
gain a larger response than our Spirit Blade series, I would reverse
production order, resulting in a roughly August 2011 release for
Pilgrim Ep 2 and an August 2012 release for Spirit Blade 3.

I say all of this because I'm actually ready to give you all a voice in my production schedule! If you'd rather hear the next part of "Pilgrim" before the final chapter of "Spirit Blade", make yourself heard! Comment here or send me an e-mail. If I get enough interest in "Pilgrim" coming first, I'll set up a poll and give everyone a chance to vote on my future production schedule!Otherwise it's full speed ahead to the climax of the Spirit Blade Trilogy!

Thanks so much for your involvement with all I've been juggling over the last 3 1/2 years! I hope you'll join me as I continue to enjoy geek culture and search for truth both here and on the podcast. I also hope you'll consider joining the creative fun as Spirit Blade Productions continues to sponsor the online volunteer community, The Spirit Blade Underground Alliance! You don't need to be an expert. This is a place to learn how to pool your creativity with others to create fun and exciting Christian Sci-fi, Fantasy and Horror that engages both the imagination and the critical mind! Check it out at spiritblade.net/alliance

Drop me a line any time. I love to interact with you guys and hear what you're thinking about these announcements, the blog posts in general anytime, the podcast or whatever randomly pops into your head!

Hope to talk to you soon!

-Paeter Frandsen