For several weeks, I am learning by doing the challenging tasks required for festival placement. I expect marketing work will follow. I am doing so because I value working for a dear friend who is a pioneer in a unique genre. And hey, when I have to go on the road there I have no personal expenses! I am taking the risk at the moment of working, unlike before, for no per diem and no wage -- just for a financial reward at the end - 'if I get you in festivals you pay me according to this schedule, XYZ.' Plus, of course, assuring myself a role in the next film.
My role is everywhere outside of Europe, Africa and Latin America - viz. USA/Canada and Asia Pacific
Um, I think I low-balled it. I had no idea it would be so time-consuming. I feel like the character in 'Catch Me If You Can' studying surgery books before operating the net day. Or when I was teaching medieval history - cramming new material to create Powerpoint presentations for my students. And this is not the 1980s with just a few dozen festivals. It is both exciting and terrifying.
What I am still looking for, is an accurate, frank and up to date guidebook to festivals that lists such things as typical audience/program selection committee by gender, political stripes and age. Ron Gann's 'Behind the Scenes' does this to a small degree. I haven't finished his book yet. Maybe he has a directory at the end. And perhaps his website does answer these questions. It is *very* time consuming reading all the festival websites, watching sample films, reading qualifiers, etc.
Sources of other brief facts would be useful also, such as ...
- attendees
- ratio / % of films actually accepted (more important than number)
- how well they treat filmmakers in terms of attitude, travel expenses and accommodation
- standard or unusual genres
- % of foreign versus sme nation
- city/state/regional/national/continental premiere policy
- screening levels, how many
- is every film actually watched?
- awards/prizes versus non-competitive
- a few word description of the 'vibe'
I see an encyclopedia resource here of 'at a glance' facts. Otherwise it feels like I am entering an esoteric, complicated, constantly changing and *very* competitive world at which i have the disadvantage of total ignorance and inexperience. i am reading everything i can get my hands on and pouring over websites, blogs and forums. In fact, I spend more time preparing than stuffing envelopes. Ever submission I send out has had a lot of thought put into its choice.
Tip: Submitting very early means festival staff will be more likely to be able to accept telephone calls and answer emails.
Observation: The festival season seems to be heavily weighted, to winter and early spring then Autumn to early winter. Summer is dead. Or is this just my choice of festivals? We are starting late, having missed all the most prestigious late winter festivals (February to March).
My role is everywhere outside of Europe, Africa and Latin America - viz. USA/Canada and Asia Pacific
Um, I think I low-balled it. I had no idea it would be so time-consuming. I feel like the character in 'Catch Me If You Can' studying surgery books before operating the net day. Or when I was teaching medieval history - cramming new material to create Powerpoint presentations for my students. And this is not the 1980s with just a few dozen festivals. It is both exciting and terrifying.
What I am still looking for, is an accurate, frank and up to date guidebook to festivals that lists such things as typical audience/program selection committee by gender, political stripes and age. Ron Gann's 'Behind the Scenes' does this to a small degree. I haven't finished his book yet. Maybe he has a directory at the end. And perhaps his website does answer these questions. It is *very* time consuming reading all the festival websites, watching sample films, reading qualifiers, etc.
Sources of other brief facts would be useful also, such as ...
- attendees
- ratio / % of films actually accepted (more important than number)
- how well they treat filmmakers in terms of attitude, travel expenses and accommodation
- standard or unusual genres
- % of foreign versus sme nation
- city/state/regional/national/continental premiere policy
- screening levels, how many
- is every film actually watched?
- awards/prizes versus non-competitive
- a few word description of the 'vibe'
I see an encyclopedia resource here of 'at a glance' facts. Otherwise it feels like I am entering an esoteric, complicated, constantly changing and *very* competitive world at which i have the disadvantage of total ignorance and inexperience. i am reading everything i can get my hands on and pouring over websites, blogs and forums. In fact, I spend more time preparing than stuffing envelopes. Ever submission I send out has had a lot of thought put into its choice.
Tip: Submitting very early means festival staff will be more likely to be able to accept telephone calls and answer emails.
Observation: The festival season seems to be heavily weighted, to winter and early spring then Autumn to early winter. Summer is dead. Or is this just my choice of festivals? We are starting late, having missed all the most prestigious late winter festivals (February to March).