A Goodbye and Thank You

By now, you’ve likely heard the news. Yes, Giant Bomb has been bought by CBS Interactive, and yes, I’m going with them.

To be completely honest with all of you, this is mostly a happy thing for me. I’m excited about the possibilities this deal brings for Giant Bomb in terms of resources and direction, and it provides a level of stability that I’m extremely grateful for. And yet, this situation is still bittersweet, because it means giving up something else I love in order to make it happen. And that something is Screened.

Undoubtedly you’ve noticed my decreased presence on the site, especially in the last month. That wasn’t accidental. I will be taking my permanent leave of Screened, the site I helped found nearly two years ago, effective immediately.

It’s a sad occasion, because truth be told, I love writing for Screened. I love writing film reviews, I love participating in discussions with the community, and I’ve definitely loved doing these silly, stunty projects for the site, like 30 Days of Hate and now Year of the Cage. It’s been a blast, and I am extremely reluctant to let it go.

But situationally, this made the most sense for me. An offer I couldn’t refuse, so to speak.

Still, I can’t help but feel a bit like Daniel Plainview in the video posted above. I felt for a long time like Screened was my child, an extension of me and what I’d want to see out of a film/television focused website. It’s been frustrating at times, anxiety-fueling, and even down right horrible in spots, but I wouldn’t trade any of what I learned and experienced during these last couple of years for anything.

I won’t stand here and pretend that the site ever became the complete realization of what I’d hoped it to be. The last couple of years have been a real rollercoaster ride for me, both physically and emotionally. I’ve been through a lot, made a number of tough decisions, and made some significant changes in my life. One of those changes included stepping back from the directorial role I initially assumed at Screened, due to both my need to return to the east coast and, quite frankly, my level of discomfort with managing an entire site. I am not a manager by trade. I’m a writer, a content producer, and whatever else that doesn’t involve company management. I realized this a long time ago, but put those fears aside initially when this opportunity came up, because it was too awesome of one to turn down. I do not regret making that decision, just as I do not regret making the change in role that I did. Things change, and you have to adjust accordingly.

I owe a great deal to Matt Rorie, who picked up the torch that I put down and managed Screened as well, if not better than could possibly be expected, under the circumstances. The dude may seem like a crank sometimes, but he’s loved this site as much, if not more so than I over the last year and a half, and the content he’s produced has been tremendous. I owe him big time for what he’s accomplished here.

I also owe thanks to the likes of Shelby Bonnie, who went far out of his way to recruit me for the gig in the early goings, and Mike Tatum, who helped get my feet planted in this unfamiliar undertaking. And of course, I owe thanks to the entire Whiskey Media family, past and present, for their friendship, professionalism (our version of it anyway) and kindness in the time I spent with the company. I am eternally grateful to you all.

Of course, I won’t be saying goodbye to everyone in the Whiskey family, as the team from Giant Bomb makes its way toward this new stage of existence, but saying goodbye to any of these people I’ve worked with is still a sad thing. Nobody wants to break up the party, after all, but the party can’t go on the way it has forever. People will leave, new people will come in, and the dynamic will always be changing shape. Thankfully, we managed to avoid the cops being called on us this time around.

For those wondering about any loose ends, know that Year of the Cage will continue. I’ve set up a blog at http://Yearofthecage.tumblr.com, which will house all past entries (which I'll be posting soon-ish) and future entries in the series (unless someone comes along and decides to pay me to put them somewhere else--I’m not betting the farm on that). I may also be reaching out to a few contacts of mine to do some film writing freelance elsewhere. I got the greenlight from our new overlords to do so, and I intend to go for it, as I don’t want to just stop writing about film altogether. I enjoy it far too much.

To all of you, those who have taken the time to read my work, listen to our podcasts, and watch our videos, I offer my sincerest thank you. Without all of you, this silly movie website project never would have continued on beyond its initial stages. You came here, and you kept coming here, presumably because you found something here you liked. I am eternally grateful for that fact, and will always remember what it was like to be a part of this site’s community.

Lastly, I just want you to remember that this is not goodbye. This is see you later.

See you later,

--A