Journal

On Seeing Star Wars as an Eight Year Old Kid in 1977

Today is a huge day for anyone that’s, A) a Star Wars fan and, B) about the same age as me (anywhere between 40-50 years old).

After a false start with the prequels between 1999 and 2005, Star Wars returns with the global release of The Force Awakens.

Fuck yeah!!! (sorry mum)

So why’s today such a big day? After all, it’s just the seventh movie in a line of great to good to bad movies, right, depending on who you speak to?

Well, if you’re asking that, you probably didn’t see Star Wars as an eight year old kid (or thereabouts) in the theatre when it originally came out in 1977.

And that can make a difference.

Unabashed Fun in a Cinematic World of Grey

When Star Wars came out in the summer of ’77, the movies preceding it had a very different tone.

Classics like Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Easy Rider, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Deer Hunter and The Godfather were all dark, sombre affairs.

They had a tone that reflected the time – the Vietnam War and the Nixon scandal being just two that threw America a curve ball.

So it was understandable that movies reflected the nation’s mood. Given that so much of America’s cinematic output drove global audiences, the world of movies was a serious place.

And then Star Wars dropped, and everything changed.

Made by director George Lucas as an homage to both classic Westerns and Japanese historical movies, Star Wars was loud, action-packed, optimistic and – most of all – fun!

Instead of the multiple layers of who were the good guys and who were the bad guys in the likes of The Godfather and Taxi Driver, Star Wars made a clear distinction.

Bad guys wore dark colours (black and grey) except for the Stormtroopers, who wore white armour.

Good guys were cavalier, ready to take on the world, and not afraid of what lay ahead.

Okay, maybe Han Solo kind of didn’t meet the exact good guy criteria – he shot first! – but you knew his heart was in the right place, he just needed to realize that.

Star Wars was also unlike anything we’d ever seen before.

Prior to Star Wars, the two big sci-fi movies were 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

The former was dramatic, with long sweeping space views and slow, lumbering space ships; the latter was a spectacle of what could be if humans and aliens met.

Star Wars was neither.

Instead, it was a glorious, good guy versus bad guy space battle with robots and lightsabers and blasters and, man, did these space ships move!

The TIE fighters versus the X-Wings. The Millennium Falcon versus Star Destroyers. Rebels versus the Empire.

The special effects that George Lucas and his team of whizkids created from scratch made a movie like no other – because Star Wars moved like no other space movie.

As an eight year old kid, you knew you were in the presence of something amazing the moment you get your first glimpse of a Star Destroyer.

Sitting in the movie theatre, and watching in awe as the biggest space ship you’ve ever seen rumbled over your head for what seemed like forever. How big is this thing??

From that moment, you were hooked, and cinema was never the same for you again.

A Trilogy of Broken Hopes

Star Wars was followed by The Empire Strikes Back (the best of all six so far), and the original trilogy closed with Return of the Jedi.

Almost fifteen years went by, when there were rumblings of a new trilogy (based on the reception of the digitally-remastered versions of the originals, released cinematically in 1997).

And so, fans got their hopes up. Finally, we’d see how Darth Vader came to be, we’d see the Clone Wars alluded to in the original trilogy, and we’d see the rise of the Empire/Emperor.

On May 19, 1999, The Phantom Menace was released – and it was?as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.

This wasn’t the Star Wars we were looking for.

For a start, it was too clean, too pristine. The beauty of the original movie was that it looked like a lived-in universe: beat up ships,?aliens that spoke alien languages, and technology that wasn’t guaranteed to work.

The new movie was the opposite, and actually looked more futuristic than the movies it was set 20-30 years before.

Then there were the cardboard characters that no-one cared about, the plot that was all over the place, and the ridiculous use of CGI for special effects and sets.

Cue major disappointment and the realization that maybe Star Wars no longer held its magic.

Except it does – and the new movie looks like it’s about to validate that belief, and then some.

There Has Been an Awakening

In 2012, Disney bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion. As a result of that deal, Disney announced it would be bringing Star Wars back to the cinema, to close out the story arc that began way back in 1977.

While fans like myself were wary, we were also excited. Finally we’d see what happens to Luke, Leia and Han after Return of the Jedi closed.

When it was announced JJ Abrams would be directing, hope grew.

Responsible for some of the best TV shows in recent history (Lost, Alias) as well as new spins on old genres (Cloverfield, a hand-cam take on monster movies), this was someone that had pedigree.

The fact he was an unabashed Star Wars fan (he was born in 1966) didn’t hurt. Nor did his successful reboot of the Star Trek franchise.

Then the first teaser trailer hit, and it didn’t do much to quench original fears, to be honest.

Some snippets of familiar imagery, but nothing more, really (and I’m still torn over that new cross-shaped lightsaber).

And then the first full-length trailer hit, and it was magical.

There has been an awakening – have you felt it?

That music! The Millennium Falcon! TIE fighters! Han Solo and Chewbacca, dammit!

Then the new trailers hit, and we finally see all of what we hoped Abrams would bring, and more. Simply put, this is Star Wars.

It looks like Star Wars. It sounds like Star Wars. It feels like Star Wars. Most of all, it makes this 47-year old guy feel like an eight year old kid again.

It may disappoint, it may be the magic has gone.

But until I find out this evening, when I go see an advance screening, I’ll be pinning my hopes on that it’s going to be the Star Wars I remember.

May the Force be with it.

Make It Your Mission To…

Click through the URLs of your commenters to find a new blog, leave a comment, and share a new person with your community.

Thank 10 followers on each social network you?re on for being there with you.

Cull the networks you?re told you should be on to only the ones you need to be on.

Praise a work colleague or team you lead for the awesome work they?re doing.

Leave that last report at the office until the next day and spend time with those that really matter.

Buy a coffee a day for a homeless person.

Speak up for someone you know won?t speak up for themselves but deserve to be heard.

Call someone up you?ve let slip off your radar and make them feel remembered.

Instead of talking about how we?d like to change the world, let?s start by changing us?first.

The Old Man And The Boy

The old man and the boy spent a lifetime sharing tales
Of days when the man was not so old and he’d ride on the backs of?whales

The boy listened closely, held in awe, to the stories that he?heard
And when he saw the glint in the old man’s eyes the boy didn’t doubt a?word

On a sandy beach the two would walk, the man’s dog by their side
Throwing pebbles out to the sea, racing against the tide
Like guardians the two would stand with their winter coats drawn?tight
And in the summertime round an old campfire they’d share stories in the?night

There was love in his eyes when the old man smiled
And the love it was returned
And the boy would pray there’d never be a time
When the fire no longer burned

For it’s a friendship no-one can understand
And far stronger than you and I
It’s a love between two generations
And it’s far too strong to die
For the stories passed between a grandfather
And the grandson he so loves
Builds a wall so strong you could only pass
If you flew in the skies above

These carefree days would pass so slow, each day held something?new
Days spent fishing in the downstream flow ‘neath a summer sky so?blue
The tales of the one that got away made the young boy’s mother?laugh
And when the old man argued handsomely she’d cry “Away and don’t be?daft!”

Yet life is just a short-lived thing and all things must surely?end
For death awaits us one and all around each turn and bend
The old man passed away in wintertime, so gentle in his sleep
And though the boy cries so painfully, there are memories to keep.

This is a chapter from The Little Book of Inspiration, available now from Morning Rain Publishing for just $2.99.

It’s a collection of inspirational stories, poems and personal thoughts about our place in the world.

You can learn more about the book, including where to purchase it, here.

Why You Don’t Need to be Christian to Celebrate Christmas

In less than two weeks, it’ll be Christmas Day.

For many, it’s the day that Jesus Christ was born, and a hugely important religious occasion.

After all, the name Christ is right there, front and centre, in the name of the day itself.

And for my Christian friends and Christians around the world, it’s a day that defines the message of God, and all that means.

But I don’t think you need to be a Christian, or believe the story of Christ, to celebrate Christmas.

I don’t mean that as dismissive – I fundamentally believe everyone has a right to their beliefs, and religious direction.

But if you look at what many share as “the true meaning of Christmas”, it’s a wider meaning unhindered by one religion.

The Religion of Humanity

While I’m not a religious person by nature, I’m aware of the Bible and its teachings from my time at Religious Education studies in the Scottish schools I went to.

If we look back at the description of Jesus’s birth (if you take that as historical fact), then the birth was seen as something for all mankind.

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ~ Luke 2:10 (NIV)

The last part of that quote is why I don’t feel you need to specifically be a Christian to celebrate December 25th.

Yes, it’s the birth of someone that defines Christianity (and if I’m offering too simplistic an overview, I sincerely apologize).

Yes, it’s clear that the event isn’t for “all the people”, as evidenced by the ongoing wars and disputes over religious beliefs.

But if we step outside the religious connotation of this particular day, and look at it from a more personal yet still global perspective, maybe – just maybe – there’s hope for us all.

During the writing process for his book The Purpose of Christmas, Rick Warren surveyed some shoppers buying Christmas gifts. He asked what Christmas meant to them. Some of their answers included:

“I’m celebrating that I made it through another year.”
“I’m celebrating being home with my family.”
“My son is home from Iraq.”

There were many more, each a different answer, yet none referring directly to Jesus Christ. That’s not to say they weren’t relatable – but it does show a bigger picture mindset around this time of year.

The Mindset of a Non-Christian Celebration

I’ve spoken before with friends who ask me how I can celebrate Christmas yet not be a Christian. The answer is simple: love for all isn’t restricted to one religion.

Instead, love for all is a celebration of life and all that can mean. It’s a celebration of who we can be as opposed to who defines who we are based on religion.

For me personally, Christmas is about the smiles on my kids’ faces as they unwrap gifts. Yet it’s also the smile on my son’s face as he donates gifts to our local Toys For Tots to bring some joy to needy kids this Christmas.

It’s about families, neighbours, and old friends coming together in a circle of warmth and love.

It’s about giving to others less fortunate.

It’s about looking at the world and knowing where it’s going wrong, and working together to fix it, with religion and cultural differences put aside to be one world.

That’s not a Christian message. That’s a human message, and one we can all support.

Merry Christmas to you, from a non-Christian. 🙂

An Experiment in Removing Share Buttons Altogether

Unless you’ve been hiding under a social media rock recently, you probably know about Twitter removing their share counts.

This meant that, as of November 20, any blog posts that had some form of Twitter sharing button (native or third-party) would no longer be able to show how many times that post had been shared on Twitter.

Cue content marketers and social media sharing companies decrying the move, with dramatic quotes about it “being the death of Twitter”.

#SaveOurShareCounts Tweets

Because, yes, Twitter has nothing more serious to worry about than whether or not it shows share counts…

For the rest of us, it didn’t mean as big a deal. At the end of the day, a share count is simply one metric of a blog post’s “success”.

Given there are enough shady companies and scripts out there that can artificially inflate these numbers, it’s not even a great metric.

Personally, I’d rather go by engagement, reactions (as in discussions and thoughts elsewhere), and growth (either subscribers, readers or share of voice) as metrics that matter.

But it made me wonder – with so many people getting up in arms about a little number, what would they actually feel like if you removed the option to share via on-site buttons altogether?

And so I’m going to find out.

To Quickly Share or Not to Share

Last year, I read a post from a few other bloggers who were discussing the value of social sharing buttons, and whether they helped or hindered sites.

One of the best articles I read was from Sam Solomon, called Why I’m Done With Social Media Buttons.

Sam’s main premise was from a designer’s angle, and how sharing buttons could ruin the user experience.

Yet he also shared a couple of case studies that looked at on-page sharing, and the results weren’t great.

While he admits that he didn’t do any real conversion tracking on his own site before switching off, his points around the topic are very valid, and worth the read.

His closing argument has remained with me since reading his post:

If people really love your content, they?ll share it.

And it’s true.

Yes, having on-page buttons may make it easier – but then do they take away from other calls to action that you’re trying to achieve (comments, subscriptions, etc)?

For example, this company saw conversions increase when they removed their share buttons, which is clearly a more important metric than how many tweets they got.

But perhaps that shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise – it’s simply following the golden rule of marketing: that you have one main CTA and that’s your primary KPI (key performance indicator).

You then set secondary CTAs and KPIs based on the key one – but only if they don’t jeopardize your main one.

If you take this to your blog, your core CTA might be to get a comment. Or it might be to get a subscriber. Or to download an ebook, or something similar.

I’m going to hazard a guess that these will come before social sharing. So are we diluting our goals by the [apparent] importance on social sharing buttons?

Time to find out.

Setting 30 Days Comparable Metrics

If I look at my Google Analytics, I can see how much social traffic means to my blog.

In the last 30 days, my breakdown has been as follows:

Organic search – 58%
Direct – 22.3%
Social – 9.5%
Referral – 9%
Other and email – 1%

Just looking at that simple pie chart, I can see that – in the grand scheme of things – social isn’t a huge part of this blog’s traffic.

While 10% might mean X amount of visits, I tend to find the bounce rate (how soon someone leaves a page) higher for social traffic than search or direct.

Additionally, if I look deeper into my social analytics, I can see that both Facebook and Twitter are the key social drivers – Twitter accounts for 31% of social traffic, Facebook accounts for 29%.

That’s almost 2/3 of all my social traffic coming from just two networks.

So, truth be told, for this particular blog, maybe social isn’t a key driver of visits, even though I’ve continuously made it easier to share with ever-improved social sharing options.

Of course, the argument could be made that perhaps the content just wasn’t shareworthy. In which case, get off my lawn! 😉

One thing I do find interesting (and another reason for this experiment) is that when I look at both my Google Analytics as well as Share Tally, I can see there are a solid number of shares from Buffer and Pocket.

These are two platforms that my current social sharing solution doesn’t support – which suggests that readers are still happy to cut and paste a blog post’s URL onto their preferred platform of choice.

Well, I guess I’m about to find out.

For the next 30 days, I’m not going to enable on-page sharing for the posts I publish.

Instead, whenever a reader enjoys a post and wants to share it, they’ll need to grab the URL and paste it directly into Twitter, or Facebook, etc.

If they do, great. If they don’t, well, maybe great, maybe not – I guess we’ll see based on traffic comparisons as well as network activity.

Either way, I’m interested to see how removing share buttons impacts the shareability of this blog.

Let the fun begin!