The Expanding Universe of Jonathan Leiter

If you haven’t looked at my About page in a while, my name is Jonathan Leiter: just in case you didn’t know who’s been writing all of these entries. lol

I chose to name this place “FilmmakerJ’s Cinema Warehouse” in order to set it apart, and so that others looking for other things that I do could find my other works and web pages; since that’s the name I’ve gone by online for the past 7 or so years. But since I’ll be transferring this entire blog to a BlueHost server with it’s own domain name, I’ve decided to take off the FilmmakerJ part and just call it “The Cinema Warehouse,” since thankfully that domain name has not yet been taken.

I think FilmmakerJ will still remain an alternate web-based nick-name for me, but to what extent I am not sure. These days I feel more inclined to simply market my own name for a change, since I’m no longer a kid trying to protect his identity, and because I think my name is a relatively unique one in the world of film. I even once thought I’d change my name a bit from Jonathan to John, since there are quite a few Directors from history who have been Johns. But even that I don’t think is really necessary anymore.

Might sound a bit odd to contemplate all of that stuff, but marketing one’s self the best that you can is neither narcissistic, nor vain, and is simply a part of the job when you want to get into any field involved with art. But even in fields that don’t directly involve art, you have to learn how to market yourself in order to land the jobs that you want most.

Anyway, beyond the name of this blog eventually changing and changing places, I just started a new blog, which will mainly focus on broad, and more thought-provoking topics that I often find myself interested in and contemplating about. It’s more of a personal idea blog that will allow me to give my two cents on interesting, confusing, or even hot-button issues in our modern Public-Conscious and Politically-Correct world today.

I’ve decided to call it “Essays of an Artist,” as “An Artist’s Journal” had already been taken, but I wanted something that would be a little more involved than just a simple journal. And I figured I should hint at the fact that I am an artist of sorts, primarily a filmmaker and storyteller. Because when I get to talking, I can talk for a while, often because many of the concepts I tend to delve into take far more than a 5 paragraph essay in order to make clear or bring to a point.

Admittedly, a blog like this will not be for everyone. But I’d like it to be a place where people can clear their heads, discover new concepts, and learn to look at things with a more unbiased vision.

Some of the topics I’d like to go into include the importance of empathy, my personal thoughts on the depiction of women in media, the freedom of expression, the science of the paranormal (again, please keep an open mind), and even my thoughts and feelings about raising children.

It’s fairly obvious, considering some of things I will eventually talk about, that I’m bound to offend somebody. But the entire point of this new blog is to be as reasonably inoffensive, and as fair to both sides of any argument as possible. Because above all else, I believe in fair treatment and equal rights. But at the same time, I think some people also take their rights a bit too literally, and end up abusing them, to the point that they make things more awkward for themselves and the people around them than they really should. I’m sure my point there might not have come across as intended, so you’ll simply have to read my new blog if you want to understand where I’m really coming from.

I would also like to ask that you please not comment on or insult my ideas until you’ve heard them in full. I know it can be hard to not criticize other people when their points of view so greatly oppose your own. But if each of us wants to have Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression, than it’s only fair that all of us get a chance to use that freedom. And it might even benefit you to listen to an opposing view point once in a while, in case it might make your life better for it. It certainly can’t hurt you.

I also felt it was important to start a new blog like this one, because I didn’t want to start piling on more philosophical and social-political ideas onto this movie blog than were necessary (considering the focus here is specific pieces of media), and because I wanted to expand on many of the concepts that I have already said my piece about in entries like “The Profoundness of Alone Together” and “Alyx Vance: The Best Thing About Half Life 2,” which have slowly become my two most popular entries. Now I’m no fool, and I’m aware that those entries are only half as popular as they are because of the subject matter: that being Steven Universe and Half Life 2. So I plan to also make very specific references and allusions to popular media and beloved characters within my new blog, not just because I know it will bring in an audience, but because it might broaden the knowledge of those who have no idea who the characters, films, video games, or books are that I might reference from time to time.

I’m definitely not looking to write an endless series of essays with no pictures and no pop-culture. That just wouldn’t be fun.

If, by chance, anyone out there has a meaningful or important topic area that they’d like to see me discuss my thoughts on, please leave a comment below. Otherwise, my first entry should appear on the new blog within the next few weeks. And I will be sure to post links to certain entries back to this blog as well.

Alright. Take care guys.

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