And if you’d like a breakdown of how and why we made it and why we’re finishing up with it, read on.

We started Video Free Skaro because we figured with a built-in audience listening to Radio Free Skaro week after week we would have an advantage over someone starting from scratch with a Youtube show. That didn’t turn out to be the case, which I’ll get into later.

We also didn’t want to (and couldn’t) duplicate the audio podcast, because there’s no point in watching three people talking into webcams when you can just listen to them. Instead, we (by which I mean myself and @freyburg_media, not Steven and Chris) created a sort of magazine format targeted to those interested in the subjects covered by RFS.

We realized from the get-go that we couldn’t exclusively rely on Doctor Who for content, as it airs 13 episodes (at best) in a given year and also raised questions about copyright infringement. We were also more-or-less stuck in Vancouver, so we had to work with what we had available. I tried to diversify as much as I could within the range of “will this appeal to Doctor Who fans and nerds generally,” and for the most part I think I succeeded. We covered fantasy web series, cosplayers, lo-fi sci-fi movies, live Dungeons and Dragons, and Vancouver’s 2012 Fan Expo, where we interviewed Spider Robinson and Jeremy Bulloch (both lovely fellows.)

Making the show wasn’t without some pain….it was one hell of a lot of work to put together a show a week, and gradually as time wore on that goal slipped further and further. The other source of grief was the need for an on-air host. I have some on-air experience from The Lab with Leo Laporte, so I put myself in front of the camera, but I hated every second of it. I’m far more comfortable behind the scenes than yakking at a lens, and I eventually replaced myself with a Tom Baker action figure.

As a side note the Tom Baker figure stuff was a lot of fun, and I plan to do a little more with him and his little plastic buddies in the future.

At any rate, we cranked out more than a dozen episodes of Video Free Skaro, crossing our fingers that Youtube would be a new, enthused audience for our semi-slick, niche-focused production.

It wasn’t.

We occasionally broke 1,000 viewers but generally our views hovered in the low hundreds and even lower. Whatever people want to see on Youtube, our brand of whimsy wasn’t it. So we decided about a month ago to wind down production of the show and concentrate on what we’ve always wanted to do, narrative shorts. Development will take some time so you won’t see a lot coming out of us for the next little while, but hopefully we’ll have a few things to show for our efforts in the near future.

Ever woken up and said “wow, I’d love to see the lowest and dirtiest cinematic offerings Canada had to offer in the 1970s and 80s?” Well, probably not, but here it is anyway. Enjoy!

And if you like this sampler of Canada’s filthiest Z-grade trash, be sure to check out Canuxploitation, the definitive resource for exploitation film north of the U.S. border.

But where film denies me, comic books provide. The budget of a story in a comic book is essentially limitless, but there is one problem…it requires art. And I am no artist, at least not when it comes to drawing anything past a stick man. So I’ve tried to concentrate on writing, which I can actually do with a modicum of skill.

Of course the best thing about writing is avoiding writing by reading books in a serious, chin-stroking manner, so I’ve tackled Write or Wrong by Dirk Manning, The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics and How to Make Webcomics, as well as Writers on Comics Scriptwriting, Volume 2.

The most practical advice is found within the pages of Write or Wrong, where author Dirk Manning advises newbies to concentrate not on multi-part sagas but 5 to 10 page, self-contained stories. Make it in black and white, and for the love of all that’s holy…avoid superheroes. He’s right about all these things, and I hope to explore all of these limitations/creative kicks in the pants in the next little while.

Of course, I’ll still need to find an artist, otherwise it’s just all words on a page. So first comes the writing and the agonizing and the giving up and the starting all over again….and then I have to find someone who can draw. Any volunteers?

That fine piece of work above is Gallifrey Academy, my latest short Doctor Who film. Every year I try to make a short film in advance of Gallifrey One, the biggest Doctor Who convention in North America (more on that later.) This year I was lucky enough to run it ahead of our Radio Free Skaro live show in front of a big crowd, and it got a pretty decent reception. Kyle Anderson, a friend and writer for The Nerdist, also featured the short in his Gallifrey One wrap up.

The film featured the talents of Eric Fell, Joanna Gaskell and Shaun Stewart in front of the camera, as well as a certain Time Lord whose identity I’m not at liberty to disclose. All those named can be seen here in Vancouver at the Critical Hit Show, a hilarious live Dungeons and Dragons improv that happens every month at the Rio Theatre. Laurel Brown, Vanessa Driveness (who also played an apathetic Shobogan) and Mel Siermaczeski also helped out behind the scenes.

And how was Gallifrey One (or Gally, as its know to its many fans)? Simply amazing. I’ve been for five years running now, and the sheer amount of Whocentric content never ceases to amaze me. Shaun Lyon and the other hard-working people who have been putting on the convention for a quarter-century(!) pour their heart and souls into this yearly event, and it shows. Now matter what you’re into in the Whoniverse, there’s someone else at the convention who digs what you dig.

What’s next? Well, it’s a guarantee I’ll be at Gallifrey One next year, and I’ve got a few ideas for the next short film. I try to be more ambitious with each film, so next year, expect ILM quality visuals and a 6 hour running time. No pressure.

I’ve always had a certain fondness for fan films. Done right, they can be a great new way to enjoy a familiar universe. Done poorly, they can make you wish you’d never been born. Evidently my love for these homemade homages is shared, as seen by Backyard Blockbusters, a documentary about the people behind some famous and infamous fan films both old and new.

And if you’re in the mood for some fan film fun, why not indulge in Blue Meanie and Skaromantic Comedy?

A very special guest host takes the reigns on this week’s Video Free Skaro, and we’re sure you’ll enjoy his sardonic take on all things Whovian. But the main event is the Critical Hit show, a blending of improv and Dungeons and Dragons hosted by the inestimable Eric Fell, star of Blue Meanie and Skaromantic Comedy. Join Eric as he and his merry band of comedians vanquish monsters and concoct shenanigans under the lights of the Rio Theatre in Vancouver!

Spielberg’s latest historical epic, Lincoln, hits theatres on November. With Daniel Day Lewis as Abraham Lincoln, Spielberg behind the camera and the weighty historical subject matter, not to mention the fact that it’s based on “Team of Rivals,” this one is likely a slam dunk.

Plus I’ll be seeing a re-release of Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen (third time) only days later!

I haven’t seem Adam Chaplin, so it could be total crap for all I know, but I give props to any film that takes new VFX technology and does something new, different with it, especially in the low-budget realm.

Any other cool and underexposed horror flicks out there using CG and other techniques to up their game? Tell me in the comments!

Side by Side is all about film, the medium of choice for crafters of cinema over the last 100 years, is slowly but surely being usurped by high-resolution digital cameras. The film is ably hosted by Keanu Reeves, who goes through a bevy of Hollywood heavy hitters both for and against digital. It’s worth it just to hear David Fincher’s epic rant about the Panavision Genesis.

http://youtu.be/j7DzpCqi4Js

Not Quite Hollywood is a loving tribute to Australian exploitation films, ranging from the sex comedies of the early Seventies that put Ozploitation on the map to gore-soaked horror romps and the uniquely Australian genre of post-apocalyptic car films best exemplified by Mad Max. The entire film is viewable on Youtube (surprisingly) so check it out before it gets pulled.

These Amazing Shadows is a documentary about film preservation, and it goes into pretty serious detail about the importance of preserving film along with just how much work it takes to keep cinematic treasures alive for generations to come.

Other than Side by Side, all these films are on Netflix. Even though Netflix doesn’t have the latest and greatest hits, it does have a lot of hidden gems, especially for film nerds. Have you found any great obscure documentaries (or otherwise) via Netflix? Let me know in the comments!

This week Video Free Skaro visits Cos and Effect, Vancouver’s big cosplay convention where you’re likely to run into Batman, Link, Ringo Starr and trolls from Homestuck, often all at once. Warren interviews Heather Wilkinson, one of the organizers of Cos and Effect, and she gives him the lowdown on what cosplay is all about and how those interested can join in the fun.

All this and the (somewhat late) news! On Video! Free! Skaro!