Monday, December 1st: ~Debated on how to fix Indiegogo, get more attention to donors (create class mandatory assignment? reach out to people myself, etc. )-2 hrs. ~Emailed several people regarding donating to a good cause (along w/that)
~Development Manual Update-1 hr.
Tuesday, December 2nd: ~Department meeting- 1hr. (Discussed the 80s Pajamakka party, decorations needed, shifts going to be covered
~Picked up decorations w/Luqi around town-1 hr.
~80s Pajammaka Party -5 hrs. 30 min. (Including set up, tear down and during party)
~In class, discussed Indiegogo and what we were changing to help raise
money. Mandatory assignment given to class (each person must raise
$100 from family and friends), If they do not by the deadline a 10%
deduction will be put on their class grade, if they go over the amount
required a 5% extra credit will be given to their grade. Created
spreadsheet to keep track of staff member's contacts of who they reached out to and asked, also how much money made. -30min
Wednesday, December 3rd: ~Checked Indiegogo Book Fee Schedule and made an update on the
site-15 min.
Thursday, December 4th: ~Crew Evaluations, emailed more potential friends/family for Indiegogo-
30 min
~Contacted Rika to be sure of social media updates coming through
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Coming down to the wire
Monday, November 24th: Check Indiegogo pages and Book Fee Schedule-4o min
Wednesday, November 26th: Check Indiegogo pages and Book Fee Schdeule-40 min
Saturday, November 29th: Update Indiegogo website-40min
Sunday, November 30th: Emailed and spread word about Indiegogo to find ways to raise money, met with Ally and discussed upcoming Pajamaka event-1 hr.
On Sunday, I also began working on my department manual and what to say for updates. Another thing I did was think of ways to brainstorm how to get more awareness for Indiegogo. A lot of people seem to not be focused on the Facebook notifications and updates. We have only had one person who was not a part of the class donate out of the seven funders, thus far. That worries me as a director of this project, so I want to make sure we reach our goal.
Wednesday, November 26th: Check Indiegogo pages and Book Fee Schdeule-40 min
Saturday, November 29th: Update Indiegogo website-40min
Sunday, November 30th: Emailed and spread word about Indiegogo to find ways to raise money, met with Ally and discussed upcoming Pajamaka event-1 hr.
On Sunday, I also began working on my department manual and what to say for updates. Another thing I did was think of ways to brainstorm how to get more awareness for Indiegogo. A lot of people seem to not be focused on the Facebook notifications and updates. We have only had one person who was not a part of the class donate out of the seven funders, thus far. That worries me as a director of this project, so I want to make sure we reach our goal.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Gobble Gobble
- Monday, November 17th: Edit video, Post video to Facebook page for class reviews-1 hr. 30 min
- Tuesday, November 18th: Present in class-30 min, Go over Book Fee Schedule w/Ally and other important Indiegogo information: Website content, perks, etc. -2 hrs., add finishing touches to Indiegogo video-1 hr
- Wednesday, November 19th: Launched Indiegogo, made announcement on Facebook page
- Thursday, November 20th: Keep track of Book Fee and whose paying
- Friday, November 21st: Brainstormed potential updates that can be used for Indiegogo page-1hr
- Saturday, November 22nd: Department Meeting -1hr (upcoming events: After Party/Pajamaka, help with planning and setting up next week and when event is held)
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Week 12
Response to Shona's presentation:
First of all, I thought it was awesome that Shona was from Scotland and has done work across the world and then here in Wilmington with Cucalorus. That concept I guess gave me a perspective that there is so many opportunities outside of just Wilmington and North Carolina, as a state. She worked her way to get where she is at today: she programmed as a volunteer for the Edinburgh Film Festival then became a doc and music video programmer then to filmmakers liaison. Overtime she became the event producer and curator. Sometimes we forget that there are several roles and positions we can fill as individuals and networking is huge. By networking that is how she met Dave and landed Artists in Residence with Cucalorus. I love that she had a huge interest in silent cinema and she wanted to find archive for the event, The Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema, that would get audiences talking. Also, the fact they had live music for the film makes it even more lively and I would LOVE to attend a festival like this someday. One of the best suggestions she gave the class is to check and pay attention to is the previous year's box office tickets and evaluations. What sold during the event? What got attention? What attracted the audience? What worked and what didn't? Because those statistics and factors will play a role and part in what will be done differently for the current year. Her main goals are very similar to Visions own goals which is to build community and inclusivity. Another cool aspect that she covered, which makes her stand out on her own as an event producer, is her formula. She has gotten to learn her community and audience and formulated a figuration that will mostly determine the audience flow in and out of the doors over the course of the five days the festival is held. To be able to figure that out is extremely important because it shows you are attentive to the target audience and you're trying to reach your goal of cohesiveness. Overall I think she gave a great speech and she was highly motivational and inspirational. She provided Visions with ideas to consider this year as we continue to put together the festival.
Week 12:
First of all, I thought it was awesome that Shona was from Scotland and has done work across the world and then here in Wilmington with Cucalorus. That concept I guess gave me a perspective that there is so many opportunities outside of just Wilmington and North Carolina, as a state. She worked her way to get where she is at today: she programmed as a volunteer for the Edinburgh Film Festival then became a doc and music video programmer then to filmmakers liaison. Overtime she became the event producer and curator. Sometimes we forget that there are several roles and positions we can fill as individuals and networking is huge. By networking that is how she met Dave and landed Artists in Residence with Cucalorus. I love that she had a huge interest in silent cinema and she wanted to find archive for the event, The Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema, that would get audiences talking. Also, the fact they had live music for the film makes it even more lively and I would LOVE to attend a festival like this someday. One of the best suggestions she gave the class is to check and pay attention to is the previous year's box office tickets and evaluations. What sold during the event? What got attention? What attracted the audience? What worked and what didn't? Because those statistics and factors will play a role and part in what will be done differently for the current year. Her main goals are very similar to Visions own goals which is to build community and inclusivity. Another cool aspect that she covered, which makes her stand out on her own as an event producer, is her formula. She has gotten to learn her community and audience and formulated a figuration that will mostly determine the audience flow in and out of the doors over the course of the five days the festival is held. To be able to figure that out is extremely important because it shows you are attentive to the target audience and you're trying to reach your goal of cohesiveness. Overall I think she gave a great speech and she was highly motivational and inspirational. She provided Visions with ideas to consider this year as we continue to put together the festival.
Week 12:
- Monday, Nov. 10th: Checked out equipment for pick-ups, met with J'aime and Luqi to discuss edit ideas-1 hr. 30 min.
- Tuesday, Nov. 11th: Recorded everyone's VO-40 min , met with J'aime to go over pick-up shots-1 hr. 30 min.
- Wednesday, Nov. 12th: Meeting w/Rika and Hillary-40 min, Jonathan's pick ups-1 hr., Kyle's pick-ups-2 hrs (had to figure out lighting)
- Thursday, Nov. 13th: Flying V and Adrienne's pick-up scenes -4 hours
- Friday, Nov. 14th: Edit lab w/Luqi-2 hours Cucalorus-4 hours (Children of Salt and Hide and Seek)
- Saturday, Nov. 15th: Cucalorus (Orloff Shorts and Wyandotte Shorts)-3 hours, Ally's scene-1 hr and 30 min., edit lab - 4 hours
- Sunday, Nov. 16th: Cucalorus-2 hours, Hillary's scene-1 hour and 30 min, edit lab 5 hours
Monday, November 10, 2014
The semester is almost over (insert shocked face)
Week 10/11: (The days are blurring together)
- Tuesday, Nov 4th: Create Cucalorus Raffle Box to put in King -30 min
- Wednesday, Nov. 5th: Create new idea/concept for Ally's scene -1 hr
- Wednesday, Nov. 5th: Contact Hillary and Rika to schedule meeting about Social Media updates/Indiegogo, contact Ally about directors VO and availablility, contact Kyle about Art meeting-30 min.
- Thursday, Nov. 6th: Meet with Luqi to go over footage-1 hr.
- Thursday, Nov. 6th: Figure out possible pick up shooting dates- 1 hr.
- Friday, Nov. 7th: Meet with Josh for Department meeting-1 hr.
- Friday, Nov. 7th: Pick up Cucalorus Raffle box, contact Rika and Dave Monahan about the winners
- Sunday, Nov. 8th: Work on the content of the Indiegogo webpage- 1 hr.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Week 10
Week 10:
-Tuesday, Oct. 28th-M presents Indiegogo update in class-30 min.
M posted Director Document for them to fill out-30 min
Baked goodies and put together stuff for the Bake Sale-1 hr.
-Wednesday, Oct. 29th-M wrote up updated storyboards for the 'teaser' and worked out the
script/concept-2 hrs.
Bake Sale-4 hrs. 30 min. (working table, setting up, tearing down)
-Thursday, Oct. 30th-Meeting w/JAM and Luqi about shot lists, props, call sheets, and the concept of
the vision of the video-2 hrs. 30 min.
-Friday, Oct. 31st-Got props and such together for video-1 hr.
-Sunday, Nov. 2nd-Shot Indiegogo video scenes (most of them 5/7)-7hrs.
-Tuesday, Oct. 28th-M presents Indiegogo update in class-30 min.
M posted Director Document for them to fill out-30 min
Baked goodies and put together stuff for the Bake Sale-1 hr.
-Wednesday, Oct. 29th-M wrote up updated storyboards for the 'teaser' and worked out the
script/concept-2 hrs.
Bake Sale-4 hrs. 30 min. (working table, setting up, tearing down)
-Thursday, Oct. 30th-Meeting w/JAM and Luqi about shot lists, props, call sheets, and the concept of
the vision of the video-2 hrs. 30 min.
-Friday, Oct. 31st-Got props and such together for video-1 hr.
-Sunday, Nov. 2nd-Shot Indiegogo video scenes (most of them 5/7)-7hrs.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
CRAZYYYYY
Week 9:
-Monday, Oct. 20th-Posted Indiegogo info for comments
-Tuesday, Oct. 21st-Presenting Indiegogo to the class woohh!-30/45 min
-Wednesday, Oct. 22nd-Changed Perks addressed in class for Indiegogo-10 min
-Thursday, Oct. 23rd-JAM meeting with J'aime and Luqi about Indiegogo video-1 hr.
-We talked about Bake Sale logistics and Indiegogo updates. As well as what's
coming up for the next few months and next semester.
-Saturday, Oct. 25th-Posted facebook vote for class-5 min
-Sunday, Oct. 26th-Met with Luqi, J'aime, and Josh for a new idea and update on the Indiegogo
video-1 hr. and 30 min.
-Monday, Oct. 20th-Posted Indiegogo info for comments
-Tuesday, Oct. 21st-Presenting Indiegogo to the class woohh!-30/45 min
-Wednesday, Oct. 22nd-Changed Perks addressed in class for Indiegogo-10 min
-Thursday, Oct. 23rd-JAM meeting with J'aime and Luqi about Indiegogo video-1 hr.
-We talked about Bake Sale logistics and Indiegogo updates. As well as what's
coming up for the next few months and next semester.
-Saturday, Oct. 25th-Posted facebook vote for class-5 min
-Sunday, Oct. 26th-Met with Luqi, J'aime, and Josh for a new idea and update on the Indiegogo
video-1 hr. and 30 min.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Indiegogo , go go, GOOOOO
Week 8:
-Tuesday, Oct. 14th- Crew Evaluations and Blog-45 min.
-Wednesday, Oct. 15th-Meeting with Shannon -5 min (rescheduled)
-Thursday, Oct. 16th-Commented on Josh's documents, made suggestions/looked over (schedule and budget)-1 hr.
-Thursday, Oct. 16th-Comment on Every document in Fall Break Folder-1 1/2 hr.
-Friday, Oct. 17th-Meeting with Shannon -10 min
-Friday, Oct. 17th-JAM meeting-1 hr.
-went over Indiegogo schedule and video concepts. Also brainstormed ideas with Joshua for the
Spring
-Sunday, Oct. 19th-Worked on Indiegogo schedule, budget, video campaign drafts-3 hrs.
-thought of concepts, equipment needed, went through potential dates, etc. Put together
powerpoint
-Tuesday, Oct. 14th- Crew Evaluations and Blog-45 min.
-Wednesday, Oct. 15th-Meeting with Shannon -5 min (rescheduled)
-Thursday, Oct. 16th-Commented on Josh's documents, made suggestions/looked over (schedule and budget)-1 hr.
-Thursday, Oct. 16th-Comment on Every document in Fall Break Folder-1 1/2 hr.
-Friday, Oct. 17th-Meeting with Shannon -10 min
-Friday, Oct. 17th-JAM meeting-1 hr.
-went over Indiegogo schedule and video concepts. Also brainstormed ideas with Joshua for the
Spring
-Sunday, Oct. 19th-Worked on Indiegogo schedule, budget, video campaign drafts-3 hrs.
-thought of concepts, equipment needed, went through potential dates, etc. Put together
powerpoint
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Fall Break but it Feels Like Summer Outside :)
Week 7:
~(10/7)-Talked with Josh about meeting with Shannon next week for reserving a table(s) and fine details-2o min
~(10/8)-Made appt. to meet w/Shannon next Wed. (10/15)
~(10/10)-Went through last years Indiegogo information and started brainstorming-2 hrs.
~(10/10)-Took notes and went through the manual on Awards Info- 2 hrs.
~(10/10) Went back through powerpoint we made for Oct. 21st presentation (took notes and refreshed)-1 1/2 hr.
~(10/13)Looked over Josh's budget and schedule and made suggestions/edits-3o min
~(10/7)-Talked with Josh about meeting with Shannon next week for reserving a table(s) and fine details-2o min
~(10/8)-Made appt. to meet w/Shannon next Wed. (10/15)
~(10/10)-Went through last years Indiegogo information and started brainstorming-2 hrs.
~(10/10)-Took notes and went through the manual on Awards Info- 2 hrs.
~(10/10) Went back through powerpoint we made for Oct. 21st presentation (took notes and refreshed)-1 1/2 hr.
~(10/13)Looked over Josh's budget and schedule and made suggestions/edits-3o min
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Woah..it's Fall
Week 6:
Tues, Sept. 30th- Went back through and reviewed our group's presentation on the latest news of what we've been up to. -45 min.
Thurs, Oct. 2nd-Began reading through half of the class's blogs-1 1/2 hours
Fri, Oct. 3rd-Department Meeting. We discussed what will be coming up for the next couple of weeks! Next week, Josh will present his bake sale presentation and then after fall break I will be discussing Indiegogo. The reasons we chose it, the important dates to be aware of, and more. We also discussed our event that occurred this weekend-the class social. -1 hour
Sun, Oct. 5th- Social event! Instead of the scavenger hunt (which we hope to make up) we went and enjoyed the Riverfest downtown. They had neat tents set up and the food smelt amazing! -1 1/2 hour
I also blogged today and commented on everyone's post that wrote about their interview with their film festival-1 hour
The most important and interesting thing I read from all the blogs, I think, that will contribute to Visions, was Kyle's advice from his director that we need to make a film festival and conference, not just be a film festival. It's important to put in effort and passion into the work. It's a lot of work just to piece the puzzle together, but I know in the end it will pay off, if we stick too and push through. So far the ideas presented in class are paving that way for us. We have several bright minds in the class that are bursting with new perspectives and creativity that will contribute as a whole. And that is what keeps me motivated and more excited for the event.
This next week coming up, I will start looking more and reviewing over Indiegogo information, as well as thinking of an Indiegogo final event when it ends. I plan on going back into the drive and reviewing what was done last year and creating my spin on it. Keep up the good work everybody!
Tues, Sept. 30th- Went back through and reviewed our group's presentation on the latest news of what we've been up to. -45 min.
Thurs, Oct. 2nd-Began reading through half of the class's blogs-1 1/2 hours
Fri, Oct. 3rd-Department Meeting. We discussed what will be coming up for the next couple of weeks! Next week, Josh will present his bake sale presentation and then after fall break I will be discussing Indiegogo. The reasons we chose it, the important dates to be aware of, and more. We also discussed our event that occurred this weekend-the class social. -1 hour
Sun, Oct. 5th- Social event! Instead of the scavenger hunt (which we hope to make up) we went and enjoyed the Riverfest downtown. They had neat tents set up and the food smelt amazing! -1 1/2 hour
I also blogged today and commented on everyone's post that wrote about their interview with their film festival-1 hour
The most important and interesting thing I read from all the blogs, I think, that will contribute to Visions, was Kyle's advice from his director that we need to make a film festival and conference, not just be a film festival. It's important to put in effort and passion into the work. It's a lot of work just to piece the puzzle together, but I know in the end it will pay off, if we stick too and push through. So far the ideas presented in class are paving that way for us. We have several bright minds in the class that are bursting with new perspectives and creativity that will contribute as a whole. And that is what keeps me motivated and more excited for the event.
This next week coming up, I will start looking more and reviewing over Indiegogo information, as well as thinking of an Indiegogo final event when it ends. I plan on going back into the drive and reviewing what was done last year and creating my spin on it. Keep up the good work everybody!
Today is Oct. 5th...Visions 5...V is a Roman numeral...Superheros have 5 fingers..I'm just saying..5's a good number. :P
Monday, September 29, 2014
My small piece to the puzzle :P
12 Steps for Success: Events and Fundraising
1. Objectives: Create and host events (such as a kickoff party) to incorporate a sense of community within Wilmington and encourage individuals to attend or donate to the success of Visions.
2. Customers: Members of the community, including, but not limited to :undergraduate students, adults, faculty/staff, locals
3. Results: Raising enough money and awareness to put on a grand film festival and conference
4. Budget: Depending on the event/party being held there will be a budget that is to be determined. For example, for a kickoff party, I’m exploring new ideas to get a head start, but the budget my go towards decorations, location, and various necessities, if needed
5. How Long: All semester. There will be small events (at least 2-4) held; mainly in this first semester.
6. Skills: Knowledge about how to budget, schedule, and plan
7. Resources needed: Teammates to help setup, spread word about event. Also members to help run event. Computer and access to last years events held to brainstorm/create new and innovating ideas for this years events.
8. Team: Ally and Joshua
9. Schedule: Need to hear back from May about mixer to determine a kickoff party or not, then figure out dates after Josh’s bake sale and the figures to see if another event should be held.
10. Risks: No one shows up to the event or not enough money was raised at the event to help provide for funds.
11. Communication: Effectively communicate with several of the departments to get the word out about the event, to invite several people to come. As well as communicating with my team of what I want and how the event will take place.
12. Success: Having successful events that raise tons of money to provide funding for the
film festival and conference!
THIS CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON MY DRIVE, ALONG WITH MY RESUME
Procrastination ...Aint Nobody Got Time For Dat
Week 5:
~Tuesday (9/23)-Read back over the procrastination tips and also read the budgets lesson readings.
Then afterwards I reflected down below. -1 hour
~Friday (9/26)-Department Meeting-1.5 hours
We got our department titles-I'm Event (Party) Coordinator. Then we discussed the
upcoming scavenger hunt that we are planning for the social this weekend.We picked
a date to go and scout locations and discussed the best times to have the event occur
to fit everyone's schedule. Josh discussed his Bake Sale and vision for what he
wanted. We talked about the different things and people he would need to talk to for
when it does take place. As a department, we discussed fundraising and decided to
stick to Indiegogo. We went ahead and set the perks and have some really creative
ideas for people who donate. I'm excited! As well as we talked about making little
villains to put around campus in King and Kenan for people to donate if they wish.
They'll be decorated and say Feed Me on it. Ally also talked with me about if I
wanted to create a kick start event for when we announce Visions and it's takeoff.
~Saturday (9/27)-Found resume and updated as much as I could. May have to go in and flesh it
out more. Also wrote thank you to interviewee and found address-1 hour
~Sunday (9/27)-Blogs, Resume, Dirty Dozen for Potential Kickstart Event/Events and my role this
year. I plan on brainstorming ideas this week for potential event ideas!
Reading Response:
Procrastination..that one thing we all try to avoid. Even when we don't want to procrastinate, it just sometimes happens. After looking over the link in class and at home, I definitely am overextended. I have a tendency to say yes to several people because I love the idea of several different projects and taking on those challenges. Plus it's nice when people ask for your help or want your input/advice on something. But that being said, sometimes I get too overwhelmed by taking on too much. There will be times where I know I should say no because my schedule and plate can't possibly pencil that in. I need to work on this because sometimes it will affect my attitude towards projects, it pushes back other deadlines, and I'm usually sleep deprived by the end. Haha, I've done better though, by only agreeing to certain projects that I know can fit in my schedule-so lesson learned: it's okay to say no.
Secondly, I procrastinate things because I like perfection and I tied it into faulty assumptions/fear of evaluation. I want to make sure the work and effort I put into a project is perfect. Sometimes my best work as crazy as it sounds is when I do it a couple days before (not going to do that for Visions), but everything is fresh in my head and I know a deadline is coming up. Over those days though, I will spend time going over and over every detail to make sure I didn't forget anything. Especially in group scenarios because I don't want to let other people down since they are relying on me to do my part.
The budget reading was really helpful since our department will be focused on the Visions' budget as a whole. Budgets can help you translate your goals and objectives and also help you make key decisions about your events. And if I plan to throw events this year to raise money, I have to keep an eye on the budget and what will suit/fit or work with what we got. Stick to the budget! That is key.
~Tuesday (9/23)-Read back over the procrastination tips and also read the budgets lesson readings.
Then afterwards I reflected down below. -1 hour
~Friday (9/26)-Department Meeting-1.5 hours
We got our department titles-I'm Event (Party) Coordinator. Then we discussed the
upcoming scavenger hunt that we are planning for the social this weekend.We picked
a date to go and scout locations and discussed the best times to have the event occur
to fit everyone's schedule. Josh discussed his Bake Sale and vision for what he
wanted. We talked about the different things and people he would need to talk to for
when it does take place. As a department, we discussed fundraising and decided to
stick to Indiegogo. We went ahead and set the perks and have some really creative
ideas for people who donate. I'm excited! As well as we talked about making little
villains to put around campus in King and Kenan for people to donate if they wish.
They'll be decorated and say Feed Me on it. Ally also talked with me about if I
wanted to create a kick start event for when we announce Visions and it's takeoff.
~Saturday (9/27)-Found resume and updated as much as I could. May have to go in and flesh it
out more. Also wrote thank you to interviewee and found address-1 hour
~Sunday (9/27)-Blogs, Resume, Dirty Dozen for Potential Kickstart Event/Events and my role this
year. I plan on brainstorming ideas this week for potential event ideas!
Reading Response:
Procrastination..that one thing we all try to avoid. Even when we don't want to procrastinate, it just sometimes happens. After looking over the link in class and at home, I definitely am overextended. I have a tendency to say yes to several people because I love the idea of several different projects and taking on those challenges. Plus it's nice when people ask for your help or want your input/advice on something. But that being said, sometimes I get too overwhelmed by taking on too much. There will be times where I know I should say no because my schedule and plate can't possibly pencil that in. I need to work on this because sometimes it will affect my attitude towards projects, it pushes back other deadlines, and I'm usually sleep deprived by the end. Haha, I've done better though, by only agreeing to certain projects that I know can fit in my schedule-so lesson learned: it's okay to say no.
Secondly, I procrastinate things because I like perfection and I tied it into faulty assumptions/fear of evaluation. I want to make sure the work and effort I put into a project is perfect. Sometimes my best work as crazy as it sounds is when I do it a couple days before (not going to do that for Visions), but everything is fresh in my head and I know a deadline is coming up. Over those days though, I will spend time going over and over every detail to make sure I didn't forget anything. Especially in group scenarios because I don't want to let other people down since they are relying on me to do my part.
The budget reading was really helpful since our department will be focused on the Visions' budget as a whole. Budgets can help you translate your goals and objectives and also help you make key decisions about your events. And if I plan to throw events this year to raise money, I have to keep an eye on the budget and what will suit/fit or work with what we got. Stick to the budget! That is key.
Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday. ~Don Marquis
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Fourth Week Septiembre
WEEK 4:
~ Wednesday (9/17)-Transcribing and reflecting. Went back through and organized for Part
2 information from interview -2 hours
~Thursday (9/18)- Department meeting-1 hour
We went over updates such as reapply for Visions ASAP-due Oct. 17th,
make a calendar for development, and we made our dirty 12 for our
Scavenger Hunt social. This helped us recognized what we wanted to
accomplish, the risks, the results, how long, resources, skills, etc. We
also picked dates as well for the Bake Sale and when Outreach is
having their mixer. Next Sunday, Sept. 28th, we will have our
Smavenger Hunt downtown with the class, which we will go over.
~Sun (9/21)-Blogs -went over mine and read over others-1 hour
~ Wednesday (9/17)-Transcribing and reflecting. Went back through and organized for Part
2 information from interview -2 hours
~Thursday (9/18)- Department meeting-1 hour
We went over updates such as reapply for Visions ASAP-due Oct. 17th,
make a calendar for development, and we made our dirty 12 for our
Scavenger Hunt social. This helped us recognized what we wanted to
accomplish, the risks, the results, how long, resources, skills, etc. We
also picked dates as well for the Bake Sale and when Outreach is
having their mixer. Next Sunday, Sept. 28th, we will have our
Smavenger Hunt downtown with the class, which we will go over.
~Sun (9/21)-Blogs -went over mine and read over others-1 hour
"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world"
-Robin Williams
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Seattle Shorts Part 2
Interview
To start off the interview I had Daniel Hoyos tell me a little about himself.
Daniel Hoyos is 30 years old and graduated from the University of Washington. He has been involved in a number of internships including PBS and volunteered at several film events and festivals. He's been interning, volunteering and working/submitting to films for the past 10 years. His films have been screened at numerous festivals such as the National Film Festival in Washington. This is his first year as a film festival director. He attended as a screener last year at the Seattle Shorts Film Festival and was approached by the director who founded the organization, Monica McGee, who asked if he would like to take over her position. He is excited to be working and taking on the challenge as head of the festival. Mr. Hoyos also wants to adapt and add his own twist to the festival in these upcoming years. As well as the festival, he works for I Am Entertainment magazine, which I will talk more about later.
1. How many entries did you get this year?
We received over 1,000 entries this year.
2. How many films do you usually aim to screen each year? Have you considered a screenwriting/presentations block in your festival?
Because the festival is only 1 day, we usually aim to screen about 17 films. Next year I hope to maybe go back to a 2
day festival and maybe add a screenwriting competition. I have discussed with a friend of mine who has suggested
one in the past and it is a high possibility in the works.
3. What is the festival's pre-screening process?
Well we use WithoutABox and FilmFreeway for filmmakers to submit their work. Usually we have about 10-15
screeners who come in and watch them, they rate the films, review and then give them to the programmers as well as
myself. Then the 12-15 programmers and directors we have for that year pick films that the audience will like. We aim
for universal and far reached films, as well as trying to get local shorts. This year we have even looked for films that
have big names in them to get more awareness-that can be big names in general, but also big names locally.
4. So do you usually have about 10-15 screeners each year? And how do you select who will screen the shorts (whose typically chosen as a pre-screener)?
Yeah, it can vary each year, but usually about 10-15 screeners. We usually pick people we know that will give good
feedback; and they're all volunteering. There is a long chair listing on the websites and they fill out film forums. They
will volunteer for usually 6 months screening the films. And of course screeners will be in and out because of their
schedules or the timing of how many screenings they have to do, so next year we are trying to secure screeners for that
period of time.
Yeah, it can vary each year, but usually about 10-15 screeners. We usually pick people we know that will give good
feedback; and they're all volunteering. There is a long chair listing on the websites and they fill out film forums. They
will volunteer for usually 6 months screening the films. And of course screeners will be in and out because of their
schedules or the timing of how many screenings they have to do, so next year we are trying to secure screeners for that
period of time.
5. How do they score entries? Do they use a scoring template/rubric? Are there scoring guidelines?
The scoring is built into the submission platform based on a star system. Five stars means it was perfect such as
perfect cinematography, the acting, story, etc. If it's 5 stars they pass it along to me, as well as 4 stars. Some of the 3
stars we will consider, depending on what the jury decided.
The scoring is built into the submission platform based on a star system. Five stars means it was perfect such as
perfect cinematography, the acting, story, etc. If it's 5 stars they pass it along to me, as well as 4 stars. Some of the 3
stars we will consider, depending on what the jury decided.
6. Do you have a jury after the pre-screening process has ended?
Yes, we have a celebrity jury, which we just started this year. The celebrities we select have international backgrounds,
we didn't want them to just be local. We selected 5-6 jury members and they just happened to be all women this year.
They vote through private Youtube/vimeo links and fill out the same criteria. So we email them the links, they watch,
and they have 2 weeks to decide and email me back. The filmmakers get excited this way and especially when we send
out and announce the award nominations of who was selected. We send these out months in advance to get the
filmmakers aware they were nominated and excited.
Yes, we have a celebrity jury, which we just started this year. The celebrities we select have international backgrounds,
we didn't want them to just be local. We selected 5-6 jury members and they just happened to be all women this year.
They vote through private Youtube/vimeo links and fill out the same criteria. So we email them the links, they watch,
and they have 2 weeks to decide and email me back. The filmmakers get excited this way and especially when we send
out and announce the award nominations of who was selected. We send these out months in advance to get the
filmmakers aware they were nominated and excited.
7. How far in advance do you send out your call for entries? How do entries typically roll in? Early? Late? In waves?
Well submissions opens in January and lasts till June. This year they started off slow, then 3-4 weeks in they picked up
real quick. We have 4 deadlines that filmmakers can submit to. The last one which is the WAB extended deadline was
added because we were getting so many submissions.
Well submissions opens in January and lasts till June. This year they started off slow, then 3-4 weeks in they picked up
real quick. We have 4 deadlines that filmmakers can submit to. The last one which is the WAB extended deadline was
added because we were getting so many submissions.
8. How many paid employees do you have each year? How many volunteers?
There is only 2 paid employees-myself and my intern. Everyone else is a volunteer or gets pre-paid for their programs
that they're involved with.
There is only 2 paid employees-myself and my intern. Everyone else is a volunteer or gets pre-paid for their programs
that they're involved with.
9. Do you use specific programming, trafficking, budgeting software? Do you like it?
We use Google docs a lot! It's convenient and easy to manage. For budgeting, a great software to use is Minp.com. I
recommend it, it makes budgeting simple. We don't crowd source because we've expanded through submissions.
We use Google docs a lot! It's convenient and easy to manage. For budgeting, a great software to use is Minp.com. I
recommend it, it makes budgeting simple. We don't crowd source because we've expanded through submissions.
11. What community outreach do you do outside of your festival season to keep your event on the public's radar and/or to raise funds?
One of our sponsors, MarQueen Hotel, where some of the filmmakers stay, they screen past films in Oct. which is
another way to raise awareness. We do outreach through postings on our website and Facebook as well.
One of our sponsors, MarQueen Hotel, where some of the filmmakers stay, they screen past films in Oct. which is
another way to raise awareness. We do outreach through postings on our website and Facebook as well.
12. Do presenters/filmmakers pay registration to attend?
No, there is no registration fee for them, they get free badges. For others, a single day pass is $10 and a day pass is
about $30-$50 depending on how many screenings they want to go to because each screening $10.
13. Do you give out swag bags to visiting filmmakers? Presenters? Guests? If so, what type of items do you include in those bags?
Yes, swag bags, but we call them informational packets. Every filmmaker can get an interview as well, which is a 2
page spread in the magazine, I Am Entertainment. It is published in print and digital and I conduct the interview. It's
a press opportunity for the filmmakers and it's something new I decided to do this year because I work with the
company as well.
No, there is no registration fee for them, they get free badges. For others, a single day pass is $10 and a day pass is
about $30-$50 depending on how many screenings they want to go to because each screening $10.
13. Do you give out swag bags to visiting filmmakers? Presenters? Guests? If so, what type of items do you include in those bags?
Yes, swag bags, but we call them informational packets. Every filmmaker can get an interview as well, which is a 2
page spread in the magazine, I Am Entertainment. It is published in print and digital and I conduct the interview. It's
a press opportunity for the filmmakers and it's something new I decided to do this year because I work with the
company as well.
14. Are you able to provide presenters/filmmakers with funds to cover travel or lodging?
Unfortunately not. Filmmakers have to cover travel and lodging themselves, because we are on a budget. There is a
couple of exceptions, like this year, I had one filmmaker reach out to me and describe their situation. They needed
help with lodging and I did it out of pocket because after talking with them I wanted to make sure they had the
opportunity to come, but usually we have a budget and it's important to stick to it.
Unfortunately not. Filmmakers have to cover travel and lodging themselves, because we are on a budget. There is a
couple of exceptions, like this year, I had one filmmaker reach out to me and describe their situation. They needed
help with lodging and I did it out of pocket because after talking with them I wanted to make sure they had the
opportunity to come, but usually we have a budget and it's important to stick to it.
15. What "perks" do your filmmakers/scholars enjoy at your festival/conference? What else do you encourage them to do while they're in town?
Well we have a special guest speaker each year. They have a chance to network at our party held at The Lounge. I
encourage them to go to the Seattle Center and the Space Needle. Then of course, next year if we go back to 2 days,
which we plan to, there will be more films, more guest speakers and screenwriting.
Well we have a special guest speaker each year. They have a chance to network at our party held at The Lounge. I
encourage them to go to the Seattle Center and the Space Needle. Then of course, next year if we go back to 2 days,
which we plan to, there will be more films, more guest speakers and screenwriting.
16. Do you have special donor perks during the event? Or how do you thank them?
There's no donors, but we have sponsors. They are listed on our website and we thank them. We have advertisements
shown before films play. We even add them to all of our posters and personally thank them.
There's no donors, but we have sponsors. They are listed on our website and we thank them. We have advertisements
shown before films play. We even add them to all of our posters and personally thank them.
17. What do you wish you had done differently or better then when you were first starting out? What do you wish you knew then that you know now?
I would definitely get more screeners then less because there are a ton of submissions. I recommend NOT hiring
friends and double the amount of screeners because you can never not have enough.
18. How did you decide on shorts?
There's never been a festival for just short films here. The big film festivals show some, but we were like why not have
all shorts.
19. In a previous year, we had a student submit a film from here and it was a min long, but it was disqualified. My question is what determines the time frame of your submissions?
Well I wasn't here when that student submitted, but if I had to guess it was because there is a minimum on the time
frame. The minimum runtime has to be 5 min and the maximum is 30 min. I know in the past it's been hard to find that
information and it was probably in the fine print, but were working on making that noticeable. The reason we do that (
have a minimum time frame) is it's hard to program into festivals with just short shorts.
I would definitely get more screeners then less because there are a ton of submissions. I recommend NOT hiring
friends and double the amount of screeners because you can never not have enough.
18. How did you decide on shorts?
There's never been a festival for just short films here. The big film festivals show some, but we were like why not have
all shorts.
19. In a previous year, we had a student submit a film from here and it was a min long, but it was disqualified. My question is what determines the time frame of your submissions?
Well I wasn't here when that student submitted, but if I had to guess it was because there is a minimum on the time
frame. The minimum runtime has to be 5 min and the maximum is 30 min. I know in the past it's been hard to find that
information and it was probably in the fine print, but were working on making that noticeable. The reason we do that (
have a minimum time frame) is it's hard to program into festivals with just short shorts.
18. Any other ideas or advice that we haven't thought to ask about?
Always remember that hard works takes a whole team, have a good marketing plan (if the festival gets marketed out,
around 99% of filmmakers will find you), also use WithoutaBox and FilmFreeway (which is free for festivals). To all the
filmmakers, we give out glass awards that have their information on it and a good website that we go to for the awards
is Crownawards.com. They give discounts and they have awards specifically for film festivals.
Reflection: My interview with Daniel Hoyos was awesome and we talked for awhile. Not only did we talk about the festival we discussed good avenues and opportunities to take and consider when leaving college and pursuing positions in the film industry, such as a film festival director. His journey led him to the position that he holds today and he has always dreamed of fulfilling that role. It was interesting to talk to him because he is in a similar situation to us where he is trying to rebrand the Seattle Shorts festival to make it his own and decide what to do to make it the best for this year. He's changing the slogan, updating the website, and giving the festival a completely different look. We, in Visions, are making decisions and putting together the festival and conference that we feel suits best. We're testing ideas, taking chances and exploring to better understand how a film festival runs, but also how to work cohesively to create an outstanding event for potential filmmakers. He gave me great advice and useful resources to use if we consider doing similar things that their film festival does. For example, I thought it was cool the glass awards that they give out and he gave me the website they use to order them. Specifically for my position this year, as Assistant Director to Development, I will be helping with fundraising and reaching out to sponsors. Talking to Mr. Hoyos, he made a good point to reach out and spread word as much as you can to everyone, so they are aware the festival. He said just by doing that, 99% of the filmmakers will find you because they will find it interesting if you incorporate interest in your outreach. Work alongside and with your sponsors to help promote the event, but also creating good relationships with them for future references. It's important to maintain budget. We are going to be working with different departments and certain departments will ask for money for projects they may have. It is okay to say no or limit amounts because you have to maintain budget. Mr. Hoyos learned the hard way to start saying no. He mentioned how you can get caught up with ideas and you have to be practical and realize when to cut off certain things. Talking to him, helped me understand my role better as AD and how I will be working with everyone in the class. Each role is crucial, and if everyone does their part then it'll be a huge success.
Always remember that hard works takes a whole team, have a good marketing plan (if the festival gets marketed out,
around 99% of filmmakers will find you), also use WithoutaBox and FilmFreeway (which is free for festivals). To all the
filmmakers, we give out glass awards that have their information on it and a good website that we go to for the awards
is Crownawards.com. They give discounts and they have awards specifically for film festivals.
Reflection: My interview with Daniel Hoyos was awesome and we talked for awhile. Not only did we talk about the festival we discussed good avenues and opportunities to take and consider when leaving college and pursuing positions in the film industry, such as a film festival director. His journey led him to the position that he holds today and he has always dreamed of fulfilling that role. It was interesting to talk to him because he is in a similar situation to us where he is trying to rebrand the Seattle Shorts festival to make it his own and decide what to do to make it the best for this year. He's changing the slogan, updating the website, and giving the festival a completely different look. We, in Visions, are making decisions and putting together the festival and conference that we feel suits best. We're testing ideas, taking chances and exploring to better understand how a film festival runs, but also how to work cohesively to create an outstanding event for potential filmmakers. He gave me great advice and useful resources to use if we consider doing similar things that their film festival does. For example, I thought it was cool the glass awards that they give out and he gave me the website they use to order them. Specifically for my position this year, as Assistant Director to Development, I will be helping with fundraising and reaching out to sponsors. Talking to Mr. Hoyos, he made a good point to reach out and spread word as much as you can to everyone, so they are aware the festival. He said just by doing that, 99% of the filmmakers will find you because they will find it interesting if you incorporate interest in your outreach. Work alongside and with your sponsors to help promote the event, but also creating good relationships with them for future references. It's important to maintain budget. We are going to be working with different departments and certain departments will ask for money for projects they may have. It is okay to say no or limit amounts because you have to maintain budget. Mr. Hoyos learned the hard way to start saying no. He mentioned how you can get caught up with ideas and you have to be practical and realize when to cut off certain things. Talking to him, helped me understand my role better as AD and how I will be working with everyone in the class. Each role is crucial, and if everyone does their part then it'll be a huge success.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Week Tres!
Week 3:
~Tuesday (9/9): Research for film festival- 1 hour
~Wednesday (9/10): Blog for Research part 1-1 hour
~Friday (9/12): Interview with Film Festival Director-1 hour
~Sunday (9/14): Meeting with Group Workflow-1 hour
I had my interview with the Seattle Shorts Film Festival Director, Daniel Hoyos Friday (9/12) at 3:30pm. It was awesome! I can't wait to share all the information and advice he gave me with the class! Super nice guy and it got me even more stoked for our festival this year! Wooohhh! Also met up with my group for Workflow/Assignment 1 this weekend. So stay tuned for that in class.
~Tuesday (9/9): Research for film festival- 1 hour
~Wednesday (9/10): Blog for Research part 1-1 hour
~Friday (9/12): Interview with Film Festival Director-1 hour
~Sunday (9/14): Meeting with Group Workflow-1 hour
I had my interview with the Seattle Shorts Film Festival Director, Daniel Hoyos Friday (9/12) at 3:30pm. It was awesome! I can't wait to share all the information and advice he gave me with the class! Super nice guy and it got me even more stoked for our festival this year! Wooohhh! Also met up with my group for Workflow/Assignment 1 this weekend. So stay tuned for that in class.
Be determined. Instead of intending to just try, do it.
"Do, or do not. There is no “try”. "- Yoda, from Star Wars
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
The Festival for Film Lovers with Short Attention Spans
Festival Research Part 1
Seattle Shorts Film Festival
1. Time of the interview: Friday, September 12th, 2014 at 12:30pm his time!
Who will you be talking with: Daniel Hoyos
Who will you be talking with: Daniel Hoyos
2. Who started it: It started 4 years ago in 2011.
Who runs it: Daniel Hoyos is the new festival director this year
3. What is the mission of the festival/conference?
Our goal was and is to bring Seattle film lovers the very best of short films from around the
globe. At the Seattle Shorts we have just one criteria in mind, finding brilliant short films and
bringing them to Seattle audiences.
Our focus is featuring the artistry of independent film making by searching for the
most extraordinary short films.
4. How does this compare with their actual programming choices from the past two years?
4. How does this compare with their actual programming choices from the past two years?
They have 4 different categories including their newest this year: College Student Shorts
Their other categories include: Narrative shorts, documentary shorts, and animation shorts.
This includes local, national and international filmmakers. There's not a big category difference
each year, and they accept all genres from thriller, horror, comedy to drama. Fun fact: They
previously screened 2 Oscar qualifying shorts, Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? (2013)
and Curfew (2012), which won the Academy Award for best live action picture.
each year, and they accept all genres from thriller, horror, comedy to drama. Fun fact: They
previously screened 2 Oscar qualifying shorts, Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? (2013)
and Curfew (2012), which won the Academy Award for best live action picture.
5. Where is the event: SIFF Film Center located in Seattle Center
6. When is the event: November 15th, 2014
7. How do you submit: Either with FilmFreeway or Withoutabox with entry form, fee and DVD
8. When are the deadlines to enter?
Early: March 15th, 2014
Regular: April 30th, 2014
Late: May 30th, 2014
WAB Extended Deadline: June 30th, 2014
9. How much does it cost to enter?
Animation, Documentary, and Narrative College Student Shorts
Early- $20 Entry fee: $10
Regular: $25
Late: $30
WAB Extended: $35
10. Who's eligible, what are the guidelines to enter?
Everyone is eligible to enter.
General Rules and Guidelines to enter:
1. Films must not exceed 30 minutes in length, including credits.
2. All non-English language films must have English subtitles or no dialogue.
3. A separate entry fee is required for each submission.
4. Preview DVDs must be labeled with the WAB#, title, running time and contact information.
5. Preview DVDs will not be returned.
6. Submissions may NOT be withdrawn from the Festival once they have been entered, except at the sole
discretion of the Festival.
7. All selected films may be excerpted (up to 2 minutes) for publicity purposes.
8. After selection, notification letters will be sent electronically: all acceptance letters will be accompanied by a
telephone call: please provide an email address, and telephone number.
9. Do not send DVDs via special delivery such as Fed Ex. Only regular U.S. mail please.
Also, if you are a student submitting, you must have proof the film was shot wile attending college or university.
Must be included with submission: emailed photocopy of Student ID as well as the University the filmmaker was
attending
11. Is there a Student Category?
Yes it's a brand new category this year!
12. What formats do they except for jurying? DVD, Vimeo, Flash drives?
DVD
13. What formats do they except for exhibition/screening?
DVD
14. How many films screened at the festival last year?
18 films out of over 800 submitted
15. How long is a typical shorts block or paper presentation block at their event?
Each block is about an hour and ten mins long.
16. How many films or papers do they program per block?
Each block showing at least 5-7 movies. Three blocks. Followed by an awards ceremony.\
17. How do people register to attend? Is there a cost to attend as a guest?
To register to attend, individuals have to buy tickets from the SIFF Film Center or you can buy
online at the Seattle Shorts website when searching and selecting which shorts you would like to
watch. Unfortunately, the links to see the prices on the actual website don't work, but they can
purchase online at www.siff.net. All costs can be found online at this website.
18. Look at the sponsorship page and see what businesses. Grants and private entities give money to the event. Figure out how many of each kind and note any leads that might be useful to us.
They have 4 big sponsors:
-I Am Entertainment: a leading Film TV, and Music magazine. Interviews of top actors,
musicians, filmmakers and record labels.
-MarQueen Hotel
-The Tin Lizzie Lounge
-Find Festival Jobs : connects job seekers, interns and volunteers with employers in the Festival
and Event Industry
I don't think any of their sponsors would be useful to us because they are mostly in-state. But the Find Festival Jobs sounded interesting.
19. What are their sponsorship levels and incentives for each level?
The sponsorships are broken up into the type of sponsorship they're providing such as the
MarQueen Hotel sponsors them and the filmmakers stay there during the festival.
20. Did they have a Kickstarter or Indiegogo? What incentives did they have for each level of donor?
Not that I can see and I didn't see any incentives located on the website.
21. What kind of non-traditional film/video events have they had before? Things like Installations, 'Visual Soundwalls,'VJing, etc.
I didn't see any non-traditional video events listed or located on the website. What I did find is that the director from each selected film will have the opportunity to be interviewed by the Festival director, Daniel Hoyos in I Am Entertainment Magazine. It gives them press opportunities. They also have pre-festival meet and greets and a film night before the festival is held.
22. Are there ways in which they have expanded the typical film screening event? How have they branched out from sitting in a dark room in front of a screen?
They've added like I said before new opportunities to help filmmakers branch out and have more networking opportunities. Their jury consists of celebrities that have made a name and done a multitude of different work. That gives the filmmakers a chance to interact and asks questions not only amongst other filmmakers, but also with the jury, the press/magazine and more!
23. Is the layout easy to navigate? What makes it easy?
The layout is easy to navigate because it is short and simple. They have everything linked to the necessary websites and locations for the most part.
24. Is the layout difficult to navigate? What makes it difficult?
The only difficulty I had with the layout was that some of the links didn't work and I think it is just because they are getting ready to put on the actual event. For example, to buy tickets it didn't have the page linked up to the prices or anything.
25. Can you find the information you are looking for on the homepage or via a link on the homepage?
For the most part yes, but some of the information does not go into any depth. For example, the about page is extremely short. I didn't find information on who founded or created the film festival. I searched through the websites Facebook page to find some of my information. I couldn't figure out if they used Kickstarter or not and small things like that.
26. Aesthetically, what catches your eye? What's cool about it?
I like the color scheme and the phrases are catchy and memorable. Something that caught my eyes was how they added pictures for each of the films featured and linked up the actual directors and crew to their IMDb page which was awesome.
27. Aesthetically, what doesn't fit in? What makes it look bad?
On the homepage, I didn't like how the words and pictures were laid out. I got a little confused thinking they were films that were being featured, when actually they were updates and lastest news from the organization. I think if they had put the information under the pictures or put the date before to clarify that they were weekly/monthly updates.
28. Should there be more information? Is the page too bare?
I think there should be a little more information, regarding the about and how to purchase tickets better.
29. Should there be less information? Is there page too busy?
No it seemed a little bare; there was more information on the jury, in my opinion, then some of the films or the event.
30.What would you do differently if you were to redesign this website?
Go in and add more information to try to persuade more filmmakers to submit and come. You want to make sure that the website is easier to search and has all the information you need. I think it is frustrating having to find or search information from other sites. For example, I sat and searched through the SIFF website for tickets and they don't have anything for festivals.
31.What would you keep the same if you were to redesign this website?
The overall layout and pictures are good and most of the links are reliable. They also have the IMDb link which I love!
Animation, Documentary, and Narrative College Student Shorts
Early- $20 Entry fee: $10
Regular: $25
Late: $30
WAB Extended: $35
10. Who's eligible, what are the guidelines to enter?
Everyone is eligible to enter.
General Rules and Guidelines to enter:
1. Films must not exceed 30 minutes in length, including credits.
2. All non-English language films must have English subtitles or no dialogue.
3. A separate entry fee is required for each submission.
4. Preview DVDs must be labeled with the WAB#, title, running time and contact information.
5. Preview DVDs will not be returned.
6. Submissions may NOT be withdrawn from the Festival once they have been entered, except at the sole
discretion of the Festival.
7. All selected films may be excerpted (up to 2 minutes) for publicity purposes.
8. After selection, notification letters will be sent electronically: all acceptance letters will be accompanied by a
telephone call: please provide an email address, and telephone number.
9. Do not send DVDs via special delivery such as Fed Ex. Only regular U.S. mail please.
Also, if you are a student submitting, you must have proof the film was shot wile attending college or university.
Must be included with submission: emailed photocopy of Student ID as well as the University the filmmaker was
attending
11. Is there a Student Category?
Yes it's a brand new category this year!
12. What formats do they except for jurying? DVD, Vimeo, Flash drives?
DVD
13. What formats do they except for exhibition/screening?
DVD
14. How many films screened at the festival last year?
18 films out of over 800 submitted
15. How long is a typical shorts block or paper presentation block at their event?
Each block is about an hour and ten mins long.
16. How many films or papers do they program per block?
Each block showing at least 5-7 movies. Three blocks. Followed by an awards ceremony.\
17. How do people register to attend? Is there a cost to attend as a guest?
To register to attend, individuals have to buy tickets from the SIFF Film Center or you can buy
online at the Seattle Shorts website when searching and selecting which shorts you would like to
watch. Unfortunately, the links to see the prices on the actual website don't work, but they can
purchase online at www.siff.net. All costs can be found online at this website.
18. Look at the sponsorship page and see what businesses. Grants and private entities give money to the event. Figure out how many of each kind and note any leads that might be useful to us.
They have 4 big sponsors:
-I Am Entertainment: a leading Film TV, and Music magazine. Interviews of top actors,
musicians, filmmakers and record labels.
-MarQueen Hotel
-The Tin Lizzie Lounge
-Find Festival Jobs : connects job seekers, interns and volunteers with employers in the Festival
and Event Industry
I don't think any of their sponsors would be useful to us because they are mostly in-state. But the Find Festival Jobs sounded interesting.
19. What are their sponsorship levels and incentives for each level?
The sponsorships are broken up into the type of sponsorship they're providing such as the
MarQueen Hotel sponsors them and the filmmakers stay there during the festival.
20. Did they have a Kickstarter or Indiegogo? What incentives did they have for each level of donor?
Not that I can see and I didn't see any incentives located on the website.
21. What kind of non-traditional film/video events have they had before? Things like Installations, 'Visual Soundwalls,'VJing, etc.
I didn't see any non-traditional video events listed or located on the website. What I did find is that the director from each selected film will have the opportunity to be interviewed by the Festival director, Daniel Hoyos in I Am Entertainment Magazine. It gives them press opportunities. They also have pre-festival meet and greets and a film night before the festival is held.
22. Are there ways in which they have expanded the typical film screening event? How have they branched out from sitting in a dark room in front of a screen?
They've added like I said before new opportunities to help filmmakers branch out and have more networking opportunities. Their jury consists of celebrities that have made a name and done a multitude of different work. That gives the filmmakers a chance to interact and asks questions not only amongst other filmmakers, but also with the jury, the press/magazine and more!
23. Is the layout easy to navigate? What makes it easy?
The layout is easy to navigate because it is short and simple. They have everything linked to the necessary websites and locations for the most part.
24. Is the layout difficult to navigate? What makes it difficult?
The only difficulty I had with the layout was that some of the links didn't work and I think it is just because they are getting ready to put on the actual event. For example, to buy tickets it didn't have the page linked up to the prices or anything.
25. Can you find the information you are looking for on the homepage or via a link on the homepage?
For the most part yes, but some of the information does not go into any depth. For example, the about page is extremely short. I didn't find information on who founded or created the film festival. I searched through the websites Facebook page to find some of my information. I couldn't figure out if they used Kickstarter or not and small things like that.
26. Aesthetically, what catches your eye? What's cool about it?
I like the color scheme and the phrases are catchy and memorable. Something that caught my eyes was how they added pictures for each of the films featured and linked up the actual directors and crew to their IMDb page which was awesome.
27. Aesthetically, what doesn't fit in? What makes it look bad?
On the homepage, I didn't like how the words and pictures were laid out. I got a little confused thinking they were films that were being featured, when actually they were updates and lastest news from the organization. I think if they had put the information under the pictures or put the date before to clarify that they were weekly/monthly updates.
28. Should there be more information? Is the page too bare?
I think there should be a little more information, regarding the about and how to purchase tickets better.
29. Should there be less information? Is there page too busy?
No it seemed a little bare; there was more information on the jury, in my opinion, then some of the films or the event.
30.What would you do differently if you were to redesign this website?
Go in and add more information to try to persuade more filmmakers to submit and come. You want to make sure that the website is easier to search and has all the information you need. I think it is frustrating having to find or search information from other sites. For example, I sat and searched through the SIFF website for tickets and they don't have anything for festivals.
31.What would you keep the same if you were to redesign this website?
The overall layout and pictures are good and most of the links are reliable. They also have the IMDb link which I love!
Confirmation 54
I will be interviewing Daniel Hoyos, the director of the Seattle Shorts Film Festival, on Friday, Sept. 12th, at 12:30pm.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Meet ends, meetings, times and tymes
Week 1:
~Department meeting: 1 hour (Thurs. Aug. 28th, Port City Java, 8pm)
Met and discussed what each department would be doing, focusing on for the fall and spring semesters. How
we will be working together with Hospitality and began thinking of how we want this year's Visions to be.
-Adrienne mentioned bringing in high schoolers to the event (idea up for thought)
~Department handbook: 1 1/2 hours (Fri Aug. 29th, Home, 7pm)
Spent time reading through the Development handbook to get a better idea of what to get prepared for. Familiarized
myself with the department responsibilities. Went through and highlighted important information regarding ways
to fundraise, keeping track of budget, awards information, and contacting potential sponsors. Keeping in mind any
questions I may have for next meeting. Began looking through various documents on Google drive as well.
Week 2:
~Film Festival Assignment (Tues. Sept. 2nd, in class)
Received interviewee and sent email to confirm date and time for interview. My interviewee
responded and gave me contact information of the Director of the Festival. So, I emailed the
director Tues. afternoon.
~Department Meeting: 1 hour (Thurs. Sept. 4th, Port City Java, 8 pm)
Talked over last years fundraisers and how we could incorporate the same events this year and/or add new fundraiser
ideas that the team may have. Also talked of what's to come-the budget. We discussed the importance of fundraising
and what it means to Visions. As a department, we decided what we wanted to do for the class's monthly shindigs.
(Each month a department will host a shindig as a class social) Development is in charge of the month of September,
so we decided to do a Scavenger Hunt downtown.
~Fundraising Ideas/Brainstorming: 2 1/2 hours (Friday, Sept. 5th, Home, 4 pm)
Researched and brainstormed ideas for fundraising.
-Bake Sales: easy to do, can raise a decent amount of money, cookies, brownies, etc.
-Party: discussed in the meeting a masquerade party
Researched different party ideas, those that are unique, not common like Tacky Christmas Party
-Scavenger Hunt: similar to the one we put together for the class social. But maybe have teams of 3-5 sign up
for a team fee of $10 to do a scavenger hunt (related to film and Visions). Winner gets a prize-maybe free
badge to Visions?
-Car Wash: can host our own or team up with a company that washes cars like the one located off of College
and New Centre.
-Movie Night: maybe team up with Lumina and get a highly praised movie to campus-help with concessions? Or
rent out Lumina for a night to invite and show students on campus of past Visions work, film studies students
work, or a highly praised movie.
-Restaurant fundraisers
-Sponsors
-Reaching out/Class pledge: I think this is a great way to raise money! If each student in class agrees to raise at
least $25 from family and friends.
-Raffles
-Wine and Design: (just an idea) Get together a group or groups to have classes for the Wine and Design team.
Paint something related to film (camera, film strip, etc). Maybe work together with Wine and Design and get
agreement to 5-10% of profit. (Looking more into this).
-Crowdsourcing: I have a list from this past summer of crowdsourcing websites that can help.
(Kickstarter, GoFundMe, CrowdRise )
~Group Projects-Assignment 1: 1 hour (Sun, Sept. 7th, Library, 5:30pm)
Met with group to discuss Lynda tutorials and begin working on Powerpoint project
~Blog/Assignment 2-Part 1: 1 hour (Sun, Sept. 7th, Library, 8pm)
Began going through festival's website and answering part 1 questions
~Department meeting: 1 hour (Thurs. Aug. 28th, Port City Java, 8pm)
Met and discussed what each department would be doing, focusing on for the fall and spring semesters. How
we will be working together with Hospitality and began thinking of how we want this year's Visions to be.
-Adrienne mentioned bringing in high schoolers to the event (idea up for thought)
~Department handbook: 1 1/2 hours (Fri Aug. 29th, Home, 7pm)
Spent time reading through the Development handbook to get a better idea of what to get prepared for. Familiarized
myself with the department responsibilities. Went through and highlighted important information regarding ways
to fundraise, keeping track of budget, awards information, and contacting potential sponsors. Keeping in mind any
questions I may have for next meeting. Began looking through various documents on Google drive as well.
Week 2:
~Film Festival Assignment (Tues. Sept. 2nd, in class)
Received interviewee and sent email to confirm date and time for interview. My interviewee
responded and gave me contact information of the Director of the Festival. So, I emailed the
director Tues. afternoon.
~Department Meeting: 1 hour (Thurs. Sept. 4th, Port City Java, 8 pm)
Talked over last years fundraisers and how we could incorporate the same events this year and/or add new fundraiser
ideas that the team may have. Also talked of what's to come-the budget. We discussed the importance of fundraising
and what it means to Visions. As a department, we decided what we wanted to do for the class's monthly shindigs.
(Each month a department will host a shindig as a class social) Development is in charge of the month of September,
so we decided to do a Scavenger Hunt downtown.
~Fundraising Ideas/Brainstorming: 2 1/2 hours (Friday, Sept. 5th, Home, 4 pm)
Researched and brainstormed ideas for fundraising.
-Bake Sales: easy to do, can raise a decent amount of money, cookies, brownies, etc.
-Party: discussed in the meeting a masquerade party
Researched different party ideas, those that are unique, not common like Tacky Christmas Party
-Scavenger Hunt: similar to the one we put together for the class social. But maybe have teams of 3-5 sign up
for a team fee of $10 to do a scavenger hunt (related to film and Visions). Winner gets a prize-maybe free
badge to Visions?
-Car Wash: can host our own or team up with a company that washes cars like the one located off of College
and New Centre.
-Movie Night: maybe team up with Lumina and get a highly praised movie to campus-help with concessions? Or
rent out Lumina for a night to invite and show students on campus of past Visions work, film studies students
work, or a highly praised movie.
-Restaurant fundraisers
-Sponsors
-Reaching out/Class pledge: I think this is a great way to raise money! If each student in class agrees to raise at
least $25 from family and friends.
-Raffles
-Wine and Design: (just an idea) Get together a group or groups to have classes for the Wine and Design team.
Paint something related to film (camera, film strip, etc). Maybe work together with Wine and Design and get
agreement to 5-10% of profit. (Looking more into this).
-Crowdsourcing: I have a list from this past summer of crowdsourcing websites that can help.
(Kickstarter, GoFundMe, CrowdRise )
~Group Projects-Assignment 1: 1 hour (Sun, Sept. 7th, Library, 5:30pm)
Met with group to discuss Lynda tutorials and begin working on Powerpoint project
~Blog/Assignment 2-Part 1: 1 hour (Sun, Sept. 7th, Library, 8pm)
Began going through festival's website and answering part 1 questions
Festival Assignment 2: Haven't confirmed time of interview because I am still waiting on a response from the film director. I sent a follow-up email on Friday, Sept. 5th, around 5pm.
“There are two ‘i’s’ in Fundraising – they should stand for inspiration and innovation, not imitation and irritation.”
"It always seems impossible, until it’s done." - Nelson Mandela.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Introduction
Hey everyone! My name is Melissa Williams. I am a senior here at UNCW, double majoring in Communication and Film Studies. I am from Clayton, North Carolina. It's a small town right near Raleigh, but I love the beach! I enjoy meeting new people, traveling, and playing sports. After graduation, I hope to pursue my career in the film industry as a Production Assistant or working on sets and building my way up. I would love to work at Screen Gems and stay in the Wilmington area because I love the environment and atmosphere. In communication I study broadcasting and video production; so working on air or for radio/television stations is something also of interest to me. I am extremely excited to be a part of the Visions team this year and can't wait to put together an awesome film festival. After attending Visions last year, I was blown away. From Visions, I hope to learn team-building, leadership, and making networking opportunities. I like how we have to treat Visions as a job because it will help us grow and learn how to make decisions on our own; and that's a huge skill and quality employers look for today. It's going to be a challenge which I'm ready for and who doesn't like a good challenge! I also hope to encourage future filmmakers to be a part of the film festival community; whether that be as a submitter or an audience member. I think it is a great opportunity to get involved and learn how we can share others' artwork and ideas. It's going to be an unforgettable experience!
From the readings, I learned that film festivals aren't just showcasing filmmakers work, but they can also be a stepping stone, encourage potential filmmakers to submit and get involved, and also create a network for individuals. This past summer for my Direct Independent Study class, one of my assignments was to research film festivals that someone can apply to (locally, nationally and internationally). It was an extensive research project and I learned a lot about the submission process, types of genres each festival offers for filmmakers to enter into, involvement and much more! It was really cool to see Cucalorus, located here in Wilmington, as one of the top festivals on the Underground Film Festival Scene list in the article we had to read. It shows that film festivals are located everywhere around the world, and even if your film doesn't quite fit in the requirements of one festival, there are several more you can enter into. After the readings and the research, I can only encourage people to take part in a film festival. The rewards you get out of going, are beyond what most people would think. Some festivals offer incredible prizes, but the most rewarding in my opinion is that sense of pride you get to feel apart of the film community. As filmmakers, we know our work is constantly critiqued and viewed; it can be hard to make a mark so quick in the industry. Film festivals remind us, or at least myself, why we continue to strive for what we all love to do. We get to express our thoughts, voices, interests in an event that combines artists from all over in a meet-and-greet discussion and viewings of films. And I am extremely grateful that I get to be a part of the team that puts together that wonderful opportunity for others!
From the readings, I learned that film festivals aren't just showcasing filmmakers work, but they can also be a stepping stone, encourage potential filmmakers to submit and get involved, and also create a network for individuals. This past summer for my Direct Independent Study class, one of my assignments was to research film festivals that someone can apply to (locally, nationally and internationally). It was an extensive research project and I learned a lot about the submission process, types of genres each festival offers for filmmakers to enter into, involvement and much more! It was really cool to see Cucalorus, located here in Wilmington, as one of the top festivals on the Underground Film Festival Scene list in the article we had to read. It shows that film festivals are located everywhere around the world, and even if your film doesn't quite fit in the requirements of one festival, there are several more you can enter into. After the readings and the research, I can only encourage people to take part in a film festival. The rewards you get out of going, are beyond what most people would think. Some festivals offer incredible prizes, but the most rewarding in my opinion is that sense of pride you get to feel apart of the film community. As filmmakers, we know our work is constantly critiqued and viewed; it can be hard to make a mark so quick in the industry. Film festivals remind us, or at least myself, why we continue to strive for what we all love to do. We get to express our thoughts, voices, interests in an event that combines artists from all over in a meet-and-greet discussion and viewings of films. And I am extremely grateful that I get to be a part of the team that puts together that wonderful opportunity for others!
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