Site re-design coming soon and got a DSLR with mega wide lens

A couple of weeks ago a guy called Piotr Godek from Poland contacted me after watching my Alone in Tokyo short asking if he could make a new website for me.
So after a few designs, he sent me the below one and he is now contracted to do it. The blog and forum will be completely housed within the website instead of being on .mac and a free forum as they are now. It will happen in two phases. Phase one is the main site and blog and should be ready in 3-4 weeks. Phase two is the forum, slightly trickier but it will be migrated to the new site with the content intact. Users may have to re-register but that is all.

Presentation is as important to me as content and it was important that the look felt like it was me and not either too corporate or too flashy. Simple, clean but contemporary design (well I am simple and occasionally clean) with the same content as before but easier to navigate and captures my personality which I think it does!

Piotr delivered with this design and I can’t wait until it is ready! Check out his company Odd Web Things here: http://oddwebthings.com/en/43.html

One other slight note of interest, with all my Nikon 35mm lenses I finally decided to buy a DSLR. I got the D300. Wow! What a camera. It is quite superb. The picture quality is outstanding. Thoroughly recommended! I had forgotten what using a proper stills camera was like. It is so fast! I also got two new lenses a SIgma 12-24mm and a Nikon 18-200mm. Both very high quality lenses. Both don’t have manual apertures so on the Letus it will be a little bit of a broken match to keep the iris fully open. Man that 12mm is crazy wide with minimal distortion. Wonder if it will work well with the Ultimate. Will keep you posted!

19 comments

  1. Thanks Scott. Be great when it is done. As easy as iweb is to create sites I have pushed it as far as it can go and it does make the pages larger in size than they need to be, so my new site will be faster than me in bed…hang on, maybe faster than a whippet. That’s better!

  2. that’s a bit harsh. I am really quite proud of the site! Sure it could be better and that is why I have hired a pro! But as it stands am very pleased with I have done with it.

  3. Yes, maybe a bit harsh, but that’s how tough love works. :O)

    But Philip, you can’t tell me that you would ever consider presenting a video to a client in a mashed up state as your website. Can you imagine Kew Gardens with 42 different focal points per shot on screen at one time? Video, print or web, its all about tastefulnosity.

    I do commend you that you’ve taken the site as far as you have. It’s not easy to multi-task like that. Now onto the new and improved! That will attract new viewers, and most definitely, it will keep them here longer.

    And my comments go down in history marking me a twat.

  4. Maybe you should go to the slightly older version of that lens philip! I know the previous one which is apparently around $700 cheaper… it has manual aperture. Might be worth looking into

  5. Hi Joseph,

    The lens was about $600. Haven’t seen an older version for sale anywhere.

    It is amazing on the stills camera.

    With regards to blunt comments. Some people say it like they see it, (others are more diplomatic! There is a comments page for a reason so everyone is entitled to their opinion.

    Personally, I have worked very very hard on the site over the past year, to hear it called it dog’s breakfast is a real shame, I have put everything into it. Honestly Andrew it is a bit rude saying it and using phrases like that and “mashed up state”. I realise it needs streamlining hence Piotr coming on board. But you take a look at it just 3 months ago and see how much it has improved

    I understand you work professionally in design (your site is very clean and minimalistic) and I value your opinion, but I would really prefer people’s opinions on what they think of the re-design and maybe even request. Am trying to make it better but I stand by what I have achieved with it up till now!

    Best,

    Phil

  6. To show the evolution of the site. Here is a link to how it was in Feb this year. The top menu seems to have vanished now but it was a link for every single video all in a clump at the top!

    With the new design in August it will be a new beginning and I plan to have a huge amount more content with regards to tutorials, reviews etc…
    http://www.philipbloom.co.uk/old/Home.html

  7. Re: site evolution… personally I believe that your old sites were better. But that’s just one twat’s opinion. And that’s the last I will say on it.

    Now, this new Piotr design, is markedly better. I like the clean, fun look about it, and IMO won’t step on the toes of the awesome content within. The pixelated background is sweet, and I think the section title “they trusted me’ is great.

    Requests in the form of questions:

    Will the groovy little icons (house, film, etc) be repeated on the left hand side next to the links?

    Is there a flash animation element to it? Animated icons perhaps?

    Is the “i’ve been making movies for the past 20 years” line a lead in to a hiring you page?

    Will the url change?

    I apologize if my blunt comments were offensive. That wasn’t my intention.

    – One Rude American

  8. main URL will stay the same. Don’t know about little details yet. I will retain a flash slideshow but other than that doubt.

    Can’t believe you clicked that link and thought it was better!

    Anyone called andrew is now banned from this blog!

  9. Phil,
    I have watched your work over the past twelve months and I have been inspired by your passion. As you know, I really don’t care about the look of the site because you are a filmmaker, not a web guy.

    Here is all I want from the Bloom site:

    A site that loads fast so that I can get to your films and enjoy them in HD. I also want a place that I can find answers to my questions by searching forums or asking you directly. I thank you for taking the time to type all this stuff.

    All you have to do is streamline this process and I will be happy.

    Good luck to you.

    TomG

  10. I log onto your site ALL the time… ever since I met you at the Broadcast Live in Jan. I love your work, love your site as much as 370,000 + people do.

    As Tom said… you’re a filmmaker first and foremost and as far as I’m concerned EVERYONE that comes here should realise that.
    You give tons of free information… You’re my inspiration!!

    I have not met anyone like Phil so Mr Andrew please don’t make such remarks about his site… instead, as a professional, you should have, yonks ago when you thought the site layout became crap, offered to hekp him build a better one for FREE.

    I never post stuff, so I apologise for my rant… I will always be defensive when it comes to Phil because I think super-super highly of him.

  11. Excellent site design. It works very well for what you’ll be posting on here. The navigation icons are excellent and quite simple.

    Glad to see you bought a Nikon. I have the D3 and love it. The best thing is the ability to use all the lenses from my 35mm adapter. However, using manual lenses is quite challenging once you have experienced the 52 Point AF system of the Nikon D3 and D300. Did you hear about the D700? It is 3,000 USD, full frame, and coming out in July.

  12. Anonymous.

    I DO sweat the web details, hence it is being designed professionally. That is why I have posted this preview and getting ideas fro people. Don’t forget this where a lot of my work comes from so it needs to be right.

    Do use names if possible by the way, makes it better for replies!

    Josh, yeah was initially gutted as only had camera a week then saw the price was double the D300 so didn’t mind so muchj.
    The AF system is like it is reading your mind, incredibl!

  13. Cheese and crackers, I have to say that I find “Dog’s Breakfast ” in poor taste, literally.

    Actually I thought since I hadn’t been to Phil’s site in quite a while, that it was the new version, which I have to say is really damn good,I mean I really like it!

    I also have a site in progress using my .mac account and commend the work involved to get iWeb to heel and obey commands.

    So to reiterate, I like the site very much, shows Mr. Blooms style and efforts.
    Haven’t you gents heard of not biting the hand that feeds you?

  14. Oh by the way, I am getting the D700 Nikon quite soon, really looking forward to it.
    With a Nikon 50mm 1.4 and few others. To be used with the Letus once I decide on Extreme or Ultimate.

    Happy to hear that you are enjoying the D300, heard it was fab.

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