It’s been a whirlwind for this author these past few weeks. Now that things are starting to slow in my life (in part due to a certain pandemic that’s sweeping the globe), I thought it time to address some pressing questions that many of this blog’s followers may have in mind and care to be answered.
So, what’s with the new cover image?
I created One Large Popcorn, Please! in July 2016, and since then had been using the very same image to headline the blog. That is until very recently, when I decided it was time to change the image to something fresher, as can be seen on the home page and (assuming you’re viewing this on the blog itself) at the top of this page.
This change was made so that I could provide a more accurate reflection of the sort of films covered on the blog – the original image was meant for this exact purpose too, but many of the films and genres seen were seldom covered, if ever. I believe the new cover image fulfils that mission, since every photo is from a film that has been discussed, either briefly or in-full, by yours truly.
Will you be continuing your Best of the Decade series?
This string of articles took far, far longer than anticipated to both write and deliver, which proved quite taxing. As a consequence there are no immediate plans to continue with the Best of the Decade series, but given its popularity I am keen on revisiting the series at some point in the near future. I already have a couple of articles in mind, so keep your eyes peeled!
Is it true that you were recently promoted by WordPress?
Yes it is. Back in January, One Large Popcorn, Please! was featured on WordPress’ front-page and promoted by a senior staff member at Automattic. Here are the pictures for proof:
I first learned of this news after receiving a bevvy of e-mail notifications early one morning. Curious as to why I had a sudden surge in subscribers – believed to be a result of spamming – I logged-in to my WordPress account to discover that my work had been shared. Given that I had been posting articles consistently for three years with little to no recognition, the sharing of my blog came as a genuine and welcome surprise.
I am incredibly thankful to the team at WordPress for doing so – without them, I would not be blessed with as many subscribers as I have now.
Outside of blogging, what do you do with your life?
Quite a lot, as it happens. Much of my time is spent contributing to SYN Media, an organisation that has been mentioned several times previously on this blog. At present, I’m one of three Radio Managers responsible for scheduling programmes on our FM and Digital stations, am co-hosting The Sports Desk on Wednesday mornings and participating in the Film 101 and Right on Track podcasts. I’ve also been part of two other SYN programmes in the past, those being the breakfast show Get Cereal (as a presenter) and Art Smitten (as producer).
Another project I am presently working on is a story for All The Best, a nationwide radio show based in Sydney, Australia. Said story is reflecting on my experiences as a part-time librarian – specifically, being a male employee in a largely female-dominated industry –and has me interviewing male colleagues about their own experiences. It’s something I’ve been chipping away at for the past few months but am still in process of completing, owing to my radio commitments, work, and other such things that have left me little to no time for being creative.
As of such, I feel it best to ease back on blogging for now and direct my priorities elsewhere, particularly the All The Best story.
Wait, does that mean you won’t be posting stuff on your blog?
Not at all! I’m still keen on keeping One Large Popcorn, Please! active and have plenty of articles prepared for the weeks and months ahead; I just won’t be posting to the same frequency as before. Besides, given that many studios are opting to postpone their blockbuster releases, it might be wiser for me to stay indoors and catch-up on all the reviews I’m yet to write of films that were released months ago.
That’s pretty much all the information I have for now. Once more, I want to thank everybody for their support of my blog – whether that be since the beginning, or just recently – and urge you to keep following, commenting on and reading whatever material is thrown your way.
Finally, be sure to take care of yourself and, especially, take care of those around you. 🙂
– Tom.
