One of the ideas we’ve been kicking around for quite some time is to publish a series of interviews with the good bloggers that have been kind enough to help us out as we develop our product. The start of a new year seems like a fitting occasion to start this tradition.
Yesterday I had the great pleasure of Skyping one of our staunchest and earliest supporters, blogger Marc Eastman, the man responsible for the excellent AreYouScreening film blog. In all honesty I’d be hard pressed to think of anyone I’d rather honor with the first interview in this series.
Marc Eastman - the blogger behind film review blog AreYouScreening.com
Headup:
Hi Marc!
It’s great talking to you again.
How are things out in Bangor Maine?
Marc:
Things are great. Cold and snowy, but the internet works.
Headup:
AreYouScreening seems like a huge undertaking – what’s your motivation for doing this?
Marc:
A few years back I found myself a stay-at-home dad and I think I drifted into writing originally to fend off the boredom, keep myself busy.
I didn’t start off initially writing for my own blog.
When I first began writing it was on Epinions, after which came a few other stations en- route .
I would ghost write for a few sites here and there, and for others where I actually got credit.
Slowly I came to the realization that I had enough of a following to quit writing for others and begin focusing on enjoying the fruits of my own labors. I also decided that if I was putting in the effort on what was basically just something to do for the fun of it, I wasn’t going to be edited. That was when AreYouScreening was born.
Headup:
So you’re in it for the money?
Marc: (laughter) I wish, but this hasn’t been the case so far. Blogging is a great pastime, one that I’m passionate about and provides me with little monthly fun-money, but I’m afraid AreYouScreening still has a fair way to go before I can kick back and subsist exclusively from the income it generates.
As far as material gains go it’s the perks that come with being a film blogger that have the real allure for me. Its nice getting invited to see all the newest releases before they become available to the public, getting to giveaway DVDs, and trips to set visits for television shows. The conventions are cool too.
Headup:
Speaking of conventions. It seems like bloggers do tend to gravitate into little rings, networks, covens and whatnot. Do you have a bunch of film-blogging cronies you hang out with on a regular basis or are you more of the lone-wolf type?
Marc:
It’s true, bloggers tend to be so niche that naturally alliances are formed, friendships are forged and occasionally, even animosities flourish…
I know groups of film bloggers that are really tight with each other.
They’ll all go to the same conventions and share hotel rooms and what have you.
Personally I’m not really into that scene that much.
I don’t think it’s intentional – more like simply the way things have turned out so far.
I do have a blogroll of sorts on AreYouScreening – it’s called “What I Read”*, and some of the bloggers there are acquaintances, but not much beyond.
Headup:
As I’m sure you noticed the new dashboard we just released allows you to select your own sources for the related articles your widget shows. Have you included any one of these guys in your widget?
Marc:
Nope, I only use my own blog and the default sources you guys provide in my widget. I’m sure I’ll get around to that though.
I think as a rule I make very limited use of what your widget allows. For me it’s just a cool easy way to give my readers extra tidbits of information and content about the actors, directors and films I review. Since the widget identifies these things automatically, using it is even easier for me than having to link back to IMDB not to mention that I get to keep my readers on my site, as opposed to sending them off via a hyperlink.
Headup:
I actually really like the definition you just gave for what we do.
I might start using it in our own materials in future. I guess that’ll be another thing we owe you Marc.
Marc:
My pleasure
Headup:
I’d like to thank you again for all the support you’ve shown us and for this interview. For a guy that spends way too many hours with a bunch of geeks, speaking to you has been a rare and special treat : )
* What Marc reads: /Film | CinemaBlend | Collider | Film.com | Filmstalker | Geeks Are Sexy | Lair of the Green Knight | SciFiWire | ScreenRant | The Bloggess | The Fien Print
