Sid hasn't used the Wordpress website component very much in the past, but more and more lately it has helped make rapid deployment of user-friendly websites very easy.  If you have a simple website idea that needs regular updates or posts, then Wordpress has a quick learning curve and is quite "widget-friendly."

Recently, Sid launched a website for Black Market Comedy utilizing Wordpress. The first reason was that it was *free.  That is, the Wordpress blogging engine  is free to download and install on nearly any decent web server; you only need to worry about paying for the server space and the time to develop and update your website. If you are happy with a simple theme (and there are many free themes available, too) and have some webspace available, then you can plug in Wordpress and start adding content in just a few minutes.

And what if you want a really simple website, easy to manage, but you want to start selling merchandise or downloads?  Sid initially would pursuade a client to look towards a more focused eCommerce software, like X-Cart, or if the budget was tight, then another Open-Source alternative that ties into Joomla might be the way to go (Sid's faves are VirtueMart and Maian Media). But just recently, a customer who is already familiar with Wordpress, and already has quite a bit of content on a Wordpress blog, was looking to monetize some of their content, already available as downloads.

Some of you know, some may not, but SidFilmz attempted to upgrade our website at the end of April, and hit a snag. Unfortunately, Sid was so backed up with other projects (also know as "paying gigs"), that the team really hasn't had the chance to step up to finish rebuilding the website structure.  You will notice, our header and side modules look a little bare, and we are slowly bringing some new content back into the blog.  

In the meantime, Sid and the others are making tons of progress on other people's websites.  For example, check out http://charlesguymusic.com, a new website launch for musician, Charles Guy. This was a fairly simple website set up for a local artist. Sid added some preview audio tracks for some of Charles Guy's albums, which are available to purchase via PayPal. 

Another clean and simple website launch was completed recently for Dorris Construction (http://dorrisconstruction.com).  This company focuses on environmentally conscious home and commercial building. The company owner, Gary Dorris, has received a number of awards for his excellence in the field. 

The third new website for 2010 is a light-duty brochure website for Wheat Springs Bakery (http://wheatspringsbakery.com). This company belongs to a small, family owned wheat ranch in Gilliam County, Oregon. One of the owners was looking for a new way to market their staple crop, and came up with the great idea for Popped Wheat Berries. 

Aside from all the website work, Sid is thrilled to be near the finish line of producing the 8-DVD Series for Tom Kane's 3-Day Film Workshop.  This 12hrs+ of instruction on how to break down a film script into shootable days and build a budget that is accurate and in the limits of the studio's pocketbook, is a great resource for the aspiring filmmaker.  SidFilmz took on the duties of editing this monstrous project, and has just completed DVD Authoring for all 7 video discs (there will also be 1 CD/DVD Manual). They are now in a studio being color-corrected and mastered for duplication. Look for them to be online and shipping by July 20.