Filmstalker's first birthday!
It's a year today that Filmstalker began. A whole year, and it's flown by.
When I first started this site all on my own, I was wanting to fill a void that had been created. I wanted to keep doing something I was so enjoying, writing and watching films and then engaging with other people all over the world about them.
Now, I'm still doing it all on my own, and it is almost a full time occupation, every spare moment I seem to be doing something related to Filmstalker. Yet it's been one hell of a year, and one I wouldn't change for anything.
I actually have a real job, oh yes, and it's been hard doing both Filmstalker and working for a living. During the year I've dropped my working week from five to four days to try and accommodate the screenings in Edinburgh, screenings which have since curtailed and found me working more on the site.
The last year has been made harder by some people. I've lost people who might have become friends, been let down badly and bitterly disappointed by a few (particularly in the last few months), I've been surprised by how geniune and kind a few people have been, I've found out how supportive real friends are and how amazing my fiancée really is. At the same time I've discovered just how much I love writing.
I'd just like to take a moment to say thank you to some people who have shown particular kindness and helped me while I was ill earlier in the year. There's no need to mention names, you'll hopefully know already.
The site has been going from strength to strength. Someone once told me that there was a threshold figure for a site, Filmstalker broke that on the first month, and every month since it has grown. Actually that's not true, the month that we were mentioned on AICN meant a fall in visitors after an incredible spike in readers, so apart from that every month has been up. We're up again this month with another sigificant rise in visitors, I do hope it continues!
Over the year there have been some great mentions on the way. Various filmmakers have carried Filmstalker quotes, from the makers of Holly (Filmstalker review), The Treatment (Filmstalker review) and The Flying Scotsman (Filmstalker review) to Kevin Smith and Joe Carnahan. Then, just last week, the UK paper The Guardian featured Filmstalker in its entertainment section The Guide.
There's been the press screenings and festivals, and the most recent thrill, the trailer mention. I review everything I see honestly, I review the films the way they make me feel, there's nothing else to them. I could play them up and make sellable quotes, but I don't. So that makes it all the more sweeter that the excellent Air Guitar Nation (Filmstalker review) picked up my review and dropped a quote in their trailer. That made me so happy you can't believe.
All that said Filmstalker is still running in the red. Currently it's over GB£500 down, most notably for the travelling to see the early screening of 300 (Filmstalker review), but mostly because of the continued growth of the amount of visitors to the site and the need to upgrade the bandwidth.
I hope to find a day where it breaks even, and perhaps can pay for more visits to early screenings, but to be honest right now I don't mind. The best bit is being read and getting into the discussions, and that's where you come in, the reader.
You are the reason that Filmstalker is doing so well and that I'm here every morning, lunchtime and evening, writing away and frantically trying to get caught up on emails. For that I extend a huge thank you and a big plea to keep coming back and get involved with the comments.
Here is probably a great time to say particular thanks to regular readers from the beginning, there are quite a few of you, but Simone and Peter deserve a mention for getting to the heart of Filmstalker from day one, as well as long time visitors Meli, Vic, the list goes on.
I know there are many, many more of you who keep reading, keep commenting, and really do get involved. Give yourselves a namecheck in the comments, I can't go through you all here!
There's also the FoB's, Louise (who helped out on the site during the EIFF), Pablo, Lee, Dave and Martin who all deserve a thanks, and the great Kevin who has done so much work behind the scenes. Not to mention the friendly site admins and writers who have been giving advice, helping out, and linking to Filmstalker. Many warm and genuine thanks to all.
To celebrate I'm planning two big events. The first annual Filmstalker Hotdog Awards, and a nice competition for UK only residents - since all the competitions we get from marketing companies are US based, I thought it only fair.
Did you know that on the 9th of March last year, these were the first stories written:
Find Me Guilty trailer, Eli Roth directing Kings Cell, V for Vendetta reviews, Pink Panther remake sequel, Balboa teaser shows new Rocky
Then the following day the official announcement was made, Grand opening of Filmstalker, along with...
Craig didn't want Bond, Channel 4 buys Fox films, First Bond Footage, Crouching Tiger prequels, Sandra Bullock goes serious
So Happy First Birthday Filmstalker, and long may they continue. Here's to your health welcome reader, I'll have a dram for you tonight.
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