Favorite Websites

One of my favorite websites that I visit daily is Indiewire. The content of this site focuses on news in the film industry. I absolutely love movies and following movie news so this website is great for me because I can get all of the latest about the entire process a film goes through and also learn more about the director or cast members from interviews. I also have a special interest in independent filmmaking, and this site has a focus on independent films so it is a good resource. It is very easy to navigate and something I find most helpful when I want to just see the latest news is the bar toward the top of the screen where you can click through the latest news articles (accompanied by photos to make it more visually appealing).  There is also a bar on the side which shows what film is coming out soon, and also the specialty box office, which shows how much money the latest independent films are making.  There are different sections listed at the top of the page so you can navigate through news, movies, festivals, television and so on. There is also an easily located search bar where you can type in the name of a movie or actor if you're looking for specific information. Overall, the site provides great content regarding independent filmmaking and film news in general and displays it in a way that is very reader friendly. There are also blogs within the website, so I can read both the news updates and specific blogger's opinions regarding anything in the realm of film. I am also most interested in awards shows and keeping up with Oscar predictions and the films that may be contenders, and Indiewire updates predictions and thoughts regarding awards nominations continuously throughout the year.  They also keep updates on the best indies of the year, and if you click on the updated list, it gives you brief information about each film as well as links to reviews of those films on the site. This is common with other articles on Indiewire -- they link you to other related content so it is more interactive because a reader can read through one article and also fully immerse themselves into what they're reading about by clicking through related articles and getting the rest of the story. Indiewire also has a very user friendly iPhone app that is great for getting the latest news and reviews, so I can read up on things on my computer and can also quickly look at a review on my phone for a movie I may want to see while I'm out. Overall, there is well-written, interesting and unique content on Indiewire and the site is very interactive and user friendly and provides almost a database for independent films that is great for those interested. The site holds a lot of different kinds of articles and media but presents it in a way that is not overwhelming and draws you in.

Another website I read daily and think is a good example of a well laid out site with good content is Rolling Stone.  I'm interested in music news and reading album reviews and interviews with musicians so I find the content of the site to be very interesting. The site itself is very easy to navigate and there are headers at the top of the page that can direct a reader to whatever topic they are looking for.  In addition, there are bars on either side of the page with news and lists. There are also flashbacks, photos, and videos sections on the front page which I always am intrigued by because it's interesting to not only see the latest news but also flashbacks from past performances or videos I can watch from my favorite artists back in the day. The lists on Rolling Stone are, in my opinion, one of their strongest sections in terms of being interactive and fun to go through. I love looking through the lists such as "Top 100 Beatles Songs" or "Best Albums of the 2000s," for example. They not only give you some new suggestions if you hadn't heard of those songs or albums yet, but they also give you more information about each album they chose as one of the best, for example, and why. It's interesting to compare the lists they provide with what your own opinions and going through the lists doesn't seem overwhelming because the slideshow-type format makes it easy to navigate and there isn't too much writing about any given part of the list, just enough to learn a bit about each song or album and then move on and see what the next best one is. Overall, the site has a good mix of news, reviews, blogs, and media such as photos and videos so it has a diverse amount of interesting content for readers. It is very easy to use and fun to read because of the way the articles and lists are set up, so the interactivity of the site makes it a lot more enjoyable and keeps me coming back.

An example of an article I think is great on Indiewire is the list of updated Oscar predictions for the current year.
This is an example of how the site is interactive, because readers can find and click on the categories they are most interested in, and from there see what the predictions are. If you click best picture, for example, you're led to a page with an introduction into the thought process behind the predictions and then the predictions listed with all of the possible outcomes. From there, you can click on each movie title to be taken to the page for that film on Indiewire and see reviews and news on that film. Therefore, this is a very comprehensive but also not at all overwhelming to look at.

Also, they have a full awards calendar so that awards show obsessed people like myself can be sure they know all the dates for every awards show in the season. This is a great idea for those who don't want to look across many sites to find the dates for each show, and also some people may not have known about certain awards shows until they see the list. It is easily presented and informative and great for its niche audience.

An example of a good article from Rolling Stone is one of their lists, the best albums of the 2000s.
This is a good example of online content because it is formatted in a way that is easy to navigate because you can just click through and see whatever number you want, and each number has a photo of the album cover above it so you can easily see which album it is without even having to click on it. Once you click on a number, it gives you some brief information about the album and leaves you wanting to go look into that album yourself. Though it is a list of 100 albums, it doesn't seem overwhelming at all because it is so well organized and not too much information or writing is present, just enough to satisfy readers.