withoutabox - lets hear your experience?

WideShot

WideShot

At first glance this service seems terrific, they will digitally do mostly everything you need to get your movie to festivals. AND, festivals seem to love it (some going so far as to prefer ONLY wab submissions) because it uncomplicates their screening and press lives.

So, before I start really using this service, I was wondering of those who have used it, what is your opinion of the service? Are there things not covered by wab I should know about? Has wab simplified your life as a filmmaker and how so?

Thanks in advance!
 
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Yes, their site sucks big time, but I still use it as basically my only tool for festival submission. It's all right there. I don't have to find the festivals online, mail in forms and press kits, etc... Submit, pay, mail screeners, you're done. I NEVER use their online screeners, and won't sublit to festivals that only accept them. I always mailer screeners to the fest.
 
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About couch fest films
@esophagus,

First, I have no experience in this area, so please, by gosh please dont be offended at my comments.. I offer them in the spirit of wanting you to be successful!


I have seen your festivals come up on my WAB searches and announcements. I think your problem is with the concept in general. Also your entry in WAB (I just checked it again) is very repetitive, you keep saying "Couch Fest Films is not an online event nor a broadcast event. We are a one-day film festival that replaces traditional theater venues with cozy residential venues." I got it after the first time, no need to keep saying it.

That said, the idea is not very attractive. It "feels" like a scam. More so than other festivals.lol.. here is my inner dialogue .... I may be WRONG in the facts but you should HEAR what Im saying to improve your messaging..

"...
hey and internet film festival..cool, but.. that means every body and his mom will submit...
oh? ten bucks to submit? What might I win? $1000, ok, but I mean if anyone can submit thats like 1 in a million odds of my winning.. ok.. well putting it on the internet is cool..
wait.. its only online for one day?... and not just anyone can watch it.. what the heck.. ?
never mind, this feels like a scam..
..."

thats where I turn off...

good luck.
 
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an alternative ..... possibly

Hi Guys,

Very interesting read .... this thread. We have designed a platform which is an alternative to WAB - purely because we also had the same probs and as a network of filmmakers, producers and the like, we all decided to get together and create something we wanted. Now it is in the new phase ... but would like you guys to have a look if you have some time?

Anyway let me know and will send you login details and you can have a really good look around !

Hopefully we might get it right lol - otherwise I'll be reading a thread like this about us wahahahhaha

Gail ;)
 
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We submit our films 50/50 to WAB and non-WAB festivals. We prefer WAB because we
only have to submit the paperwork once (when we register our film), and there is no
chance of our money being "lost", because you pay immediately by credit card. (We've had
both cash and money "lost" to non-WAB festivals).

Most importantly, when you submit your film to a WAB festival, you automatically quality
for an IMDB page!!!

http://etheridgeproductions.scriptmania.com
 
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Question for those of you who've submitted short films through withoutabox:

So, when you fill out your project info, it asked you to do a short, medium, and long synopsis. The short film I'm submitting has a very minimal narrative, it's practically experimental. I have trouble describing what happens in 50 words, let alone the 250 or 1000 it asks for with the medium and long synopsis.

So my question is, does it really matter if I just have a very short synopsis or even the same exact wording for each of those fields? I just can't believe that they wouldn't accept things just because you couldn't write 1000 words about your short film...
 
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Dreadylocks said:
Question for those of you who've submitted short films through withoutabox:

So, when you fill out your project info, it asked you to do a short, medium, and long synopsis. The short film I'm submitting has a very minimal narrative, it's practically experimental. I have trouble describing what happens in 50 words, let alone the 250 or 1000 it asks for with the medium and long synopsis.

So my question is, does it really matter if I just have a very short synopsis or even the same exact wording for each of those fields? I just can't believe that they wouldn't accept things just because you couldn't write 1000 words about your short film...
Click to expand...

That's what I did Dready, I'd maybe expand a little for the longer ones, but basically the same thing in all of them.
 
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Quick question.

That Scamfest individual stated that once you click submit (using withoutabox), you lose all the rights to your film.

Is this remotely true? I just read the fine print on WAB and from what I could understand, it's not even close to being true.
 
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DeJager said:
Quick question.

That Scamfest individual stated that once you click submit (using withoutabox), you lose all the rights to your film.

Is this remotely true? I just read the fine print on WAB and from what I could understand, it's not even close to being true.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think he overstated it. Each submission comes with a "Terms and Conditions" for that festival where you give them CERTAIN rights.
 
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great tread!

i readed and maybe miss something:

1. do anyone have finaly get a festival selection with WAB ? (i mea really, not hear about that)

2. have we some details about : "once you click submit (using withoutabox), you lose all the rights to your film. "??

thank you :)
 
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Wish the WAB message boards hadn't been taken down so I had a place to bitch...

Fresno Film Festival, notify date was 3/15, no notification, no response to emails. This is why I have bagged the festival circuit for shorts and am moving to the web. The number of festivals run really badly outnumbers the ones run well.

They still have a place if you have a feature you're trying to get distributed, but I've done my festival circuit time thanks.
 
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I have to be honest, my experience of WAB hasn't been great.

I've only entered 3 festivals via the site, and my entries just dissappeared into a black hole! No comments, no emails, nothing.... I just see it as money down the drain!

I've entered lots of festivals around the world, and have had plenty of successes. But going through WAB has done nothing for me. I may try it one more time, and if the experience doesn't improve then i'll probably never use it again. :(
 
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Fraught said:
I have to be honest, my experience of WAB hasn't been great.

I've only entered 3 festivals via the site, and my entries just dissappeared into a black hole! No comments, no emails, nothing.... I just see it as money down the drain!

I've entered lots of festivals around the world, and have had plenty of successes. But going through WAB has done nothing for me. I may try it one more time, and if the experience doesn't improve then i'll probably never use it again. :(
Click to expand...

I think that's the festival more than WAB. Some fests are awesome with communication, some you don't know whether you got in or not until they release the program on their website. I have gotten IN a fest before and didn't know until I saw my film listed in the program.
 
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True. But i think maybe WAB needs to ensure that any festival that uses them to provide them with entries must insist on good correspondance. It's only polite at the end of the day, and when you spend your £30 (or whatever the cost of entry is), you want atleast something back at the end of the day... even if it is just a thanks but you weren't successful this time and here is the reason why... etc.

I enter festivals that charge nothing to enter, and get better responses from those that charge a small fortune...
 
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