Automattic’s latest Blockbase child theme landed in the WordPress.org directory today. Videomaker is aimed at film directors and video creators. I have put it through its paces in the last week as it waited for approval in the review system.
At first glance, there is not much that separates Videomaker from any other plain ol’ block theme. Aside from a different color scheme, it looks and feels like its parent, Blockbase. It takes some digging to figure out what this theme brings to the table. Once you find its block patterns, it is evident that it would work well for indie filmmakers.
WordPress block themes have a pattern-discoverability issue. I have been noticing it for a while. So many often seem lackluster until you begin tinkering with their patterns, applying them to pages, and seeing what you can build. Custom patterns are where block themes will shine the most, and these need to be front and center when a user activates one.
The most straightforward solution is for themes to bundle a custom front page template out of the box, giving users a small taste of the included patterns. Starter content could also help, but the ticket for making this compatible with block themes is still open.
I almost bypassed Videomaker because I could not see its potential. After some time with it, I enjoyed how much thought the design team put into its patterns. While the theme can be used for anything, its block patterns are specifically geared toward film directors and creators in the indie space.
The theme focuses on two areas. The first is the creator. It includes a few layouts that allow the site owner to show who they are, such as the About pattern:
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