Reel Kernels: a film essay blog built with Ghost

On Reel Kernels, a new reader can begin a film essay on the homepage. A returning reader can choose a particular piece from a separate index.

The site uses Hakone, a Ghost theme that displays complete posts in its homepage feed. Reel Kernels adds a custom archive with a small set of article links. It gives readers another route into the same work.

Reel Kernels

The opening essay examines Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The title gives the writer’s view of the film. A short introduction sets out the argument before the first still. Paragraphs and section headings continue below it. Readers can follow the essay without opening a post card first.

That makes the homepage a place to read, rather than only a menu of recent work. Images sit within the argument with captions and credits. The next essay, about Interstellar, follows in the same feed. Visitors can keep reading the essays in sequence.

Theme: Hakone.

The Vault

Reading a complete essay is useful when its subject catches your attention. Someone returning for a particular piece needs a different route. The homepage links to The Vault in its navigation. This separate page links to the Ferris Bueller and Interstellar essays.

Each entry pairs a numbered title with a short description. The film name identifies the subject, while the description gives a reason to open that essay. Reel Kernels presents the numbered index on a separate page.

The homepage decision

Do visitors need to compare reviews before choosing one? A homepage of titles and excerpts may suit that task better. If the writing itself introduces your site, try the Hakone demo. Read through several complete posts before deciding.