The Pre-Interview

After contacting just about everybody at the SIFF office, I finally heard back from Jason Dittmer, the director of marketing and communications. I will be interviewing him sometime early this week, though we're still working on a time. This is what I could gather from outside research in terms of the interview questions:

1. How many entries did they get this year? For films make sure to ask them to distinguish between features and shorts. 
• They receive over 3500 films each year.
2. How many films do they aim to screen each year? How many papers/presentations do they accept? Again, for films make sure to ask them to distinguish between features and shorts. 
• This year, SIFF screened 447 films: 272 features (plus 4 secret films) and 175 shorts.
3. What is their pre-screening process? 
4. How many pre-screeners do they have each year? 
5. Who is typically chosen as a pre-screener? 
6. How do they score entries? Do they use a scoring template/rubric? Are there scoring guidelines? 
7. Do you have a jury after the pre-screening process has ended? 
8. How far in advance do they send out their call for entries? How do entries typically roll in? Early?
   Late? In waves? 
9. How many paid employees do they have each year? How many volunteers? 
• Over 800 volunteers per year. Unable to find precise number of paid employees, though there are 22 positions listed, and then a board of 23. (Not including honorary board)
10. Do you use specific programming, trafficking, budgeting software? Do you like it? 
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? (Workshops, mini-festivals, fundraiser dinners, etc.) 
• Now that SIFF is more than just a festival, there are plenty of year-round ways to get involved. SIFF cinema screens cult favorites and new films daily, as well as hosting many mini festivals and events. On October 4th, they are launching a 9 day "Seattle South Asian Film Festival, " while also screening other films. On Tuesdays, they host "Totally 80s Tuesdays," and many other film series. They are currently doing a Fritz Lang Classic Restored series. They offer numerous options for film fanatics every night of the week! For the month of October, they're hosting a "psychotronic cinema" series, for instance. The lists go on. They also host screenplay swap dinners (where you get a chance at having your screenplay read aloud by professional actors, and can receive feedback by professionals.) They also have education programs and events for every age. Kids programs have them moving from a film concept to a film screening within a day, but the adult programs really move away from "summer camp" ideas and welcome one to the professional world. They offer "first draft" which similar to the screenplay swap, allows beginning screenwriters to have their work read and acted by professionals who then give feedback. There is a method acting class taught by David Lee Strasberg, a digital cinema course, and a monthly film and lecture series. There's a bit of everything for everyone at SIFF! They also offer fundraising galas throughout the year.
12. Do you give out swag bags to visiting filmmakers? Presenters? Guests? If so, what type of items
    do you include in those bags? 
• Everything that I can find about gift bags have to do with their galas and parties. There seems to be a range of gift bags, based on tickets purchased and who is expected to attend different events. This is the pitch for their premium ticket for the opening night gala of the festival: "With the Red Carpet Experience, your SIFF 2013 Opening Night includes valet parking, a walk on the Red Capet, a private pre-film reception at the Red Carpet Lounge, reserved seating for our Gala screening of Much Ado About Nothing, a premium gift bag, and open bar at Seattle's biggest party!"
13. Do presenter/filmmaker pay registration to attend? 
14. Are you able to provide presenters/filmmakers with funds to cover travel or lodging? 
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? m(Free dinners, tours, exclusive activities...in Wilm, we'd try to take them to the beach, Screen Gems tour, etc.)                                SIFF is typically known as an "audience festival," and from what I can find, focuses more on the audience experience. However, I will ask more about treatment of filmmakers in my interview. I'd say the main pull for filmmakers to play their films at SIFF is the large volume of films that play at SIFF that are then picked up for distribution.
16. Do you have special donor perks during the event? Or how do you thank them? Their donor perks are connected to the individual memberships, which I mentioned earlier. 
17. What do they wish they had done differently or better when they were first starting out? What do
    you wish you knew then that you know now? 
18. If it’s a festival or conference that no longer is in existence...why did it end? 
19. Any other ideas or advice that we haven’t thought to ask about? 

Festival Quiz

1. What I found most interesting while comparing the festival research was the range of focus they all had. I believe it was the Dallas Video Fest that focused on the medium itself, rather than its simple story-telling abilities. I thought that was really cool and experimental. Comparing that to a more conventional film festival like SIFF was really interesting. It really showed how endless the possibilities of film festivals are, and gets me more inspired to start coming up with ideas for Visions, rather than just following the typical mold.

2. I thought most people sort of dealt with the Sponsor Question in the same way. Not many specific leads, but there was a big emphasis on staying local. I know I emphasized that point in my own blog, but also remember Zoe saying something a long those lines, and I think it was Steven who proposed news organizations? I think that would be a good direction to go in, as it might also help with PR!

SIFF Website evaluation

23. Is the layout easy to navigate? What makes it easy?
      I found the SIFF website very easy to navigate. They have an aesthetically pleasing menu at the top of the webpage, with categories based on your intended purpose. For instance, they have: Box office, Membership, Donate, Sponsor, Volunteer, Shop, Press, About SIFF, and Getting Here. This made it very easy to find information, and was visitor-oriented, as the festival is itself. If I was looking for sponsorship information, I'd obviously click "sponsor", or if I wanted the mission statement, I would go to "about SIFF."
24. Is the layout difficult to navigate? What makes it difficult?
I didn't find it all that difficult to navigate, though the one aspect that made it a little confusing at times was the fact that SIFF has now become more than a film festival, but a whole organization, or company. There is SIFF Cinema, as well as their education efforts. This got a little confusing when I just wanted to find film festival info, but it wasn't too hard. They have links for "festival" "cinema" and "education," so I would just have to make sure I clicked "festival."
25. Can you find the information you are looking for on the homepage or via a link on the homepage? 
Yes :)
26. Aesthetically, what catches your eye? What's cool about it?
The SIFF website reminds me of a local news site. They have a looped 'top stories' type deal taking up a large part of the home page, telling you about cool films they're playing at SIFF cinema currently, or they also have a SIFF suggests story that pops up, as well as a SIFF education story, letting you know about a featured class offering, etc,.  I really liked this approach--it gave me a taste of SIFF before even venturing further into their website.
27. Aesthetically, what doesn't fit in? What makes it look bad?
There are a lot of different colors in individual boxes, but just a white background to encompass all of it, which I think clashes. I get that they're going after a news-type site, and it does have that appeal and aesthetic, but I think some of the colors could work in better groupings. I would also consider a colored background, but I would experiment with it--it may look too busy.
28. Should there be more information? Is the page too bare?
No
29. Should there be less information? Is the page too busy?
I like the way the information is organized, though they do have a few weekly events on the right hand side that I think could just be another link, "weekly events." only because they take up too much space. I would appreciate not having to scroll down so much on the home page, and this would reduce the volume.
30. What would you do differently if you were to redesign this website?
I would try to find what I think is absolutely essential, and try to fit it on a home page that doesn't have to scroll down to see essential information. I would also re-organize so the "siff essentials" i.e. twitter, facebook, etc,. links are closer to the top, and some of the sponsor/weekly events info could be nearer the bottom, if not separate links all together.
31. What would you keep the same if you were to redesign this website? 
Most definitely the Menu on the top. I am actually in awe of that organization. It's so user-friendly, and organized based on visitor identity. I also really like the "top stories" emphasis.

SIFF questions

1. What time is your interview scheduled and who will you be talking with when you call/skype?
   I do not yet have a scheduled interview time. I have contacted Carl, Mary, Jessica Marx (head of the press office) and the SIFF press office. Carl has been in Toronto, though he also apparently has a reputation for rarely responding to emails and voicemail. This is why I decided to go through his press office, though I have still heard nothing. My plans are to call on Monday when the SIFF office is open, and to ask who may answer some questions I have. I get the feeling that asking Carl some of these questions may be similar to asking President Obama how the electoral college works, and I think I can get these answers from someone a little lower on the totem pole. I have also found 2 other local Seattle film festivals that may be more beneficial to Visions, as one of them is a youth festival, and the other is very local and edgy. They are NFFTY and Local Sightings. 
2. Who started it and who runs it?
     SIFF was co-founded by Dan Ireland and Darryl MacDonald in 1976, and it's now run by Carl    Spence and Mary Barcarella (co-directors.)
   

   
   

3. What is the mission of the festival/conference? (copy and paste the first paragraph)
   
   

   SIFF's mission is to create experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world. It is through the art of cinema that we foster a community that is more informed, aware, and alive.

   
   
4. How does this compare with their actual programming choices from the past two years? Be specific in describing what they program (mode, categories within mode, niche, Political? Global? Local? Gender? Sexuality? Race? Any themes that you see? etc...)
   
   

   SIFF offeres a wide array of films, whether they differ by country, topic, medium, etc,. which is true to their mission. It truly is an international festival, with last year's festival showing numerous films from 6 continents. (Antarctica really needs to get their shit together.) While the website lists many 'genres' that within themselves include social issues, there is a social issues genre that reaches 100 films--tackling just about anything. (The first film listed deals with the possible suicide of over 100 women in the Iraqi Kurdistan if they are not presented with eligible suitors) I think in this sense, their mission statement is well-informed and accurate. Though I do think SIFF has a definite tendency to only focus on 'slick' films from around the world, and could be missing the freshness and perspective that may come from graduate-level student films.

   
   
5. Where is the event?
   In Seattle, hosted in theaters around the city. More recently, they have started reaching out to a few theaters in some of the surrounding suburbs, as well.
   
6. When is the event? (Give dates from last year if not current)
   May 15th- June 8th, 2014.
   
7. How do you submit? Snail mail, online, withoutabox, through their site, etc...
   Snail Mail or withoutabox. 
8. When are the deadlines to enter? Early? Reg? Late?
   

   Early: October 7th, 2013

   Regular: November 4th, 2013.

   Final: January 6th, 2014. 

9. How much does it cost to enter?
      The entry fees vary by date of submission, and film duration. Entry fees start at $30 for shorts   submitted early, and go up to $95 for a feature film submitted late. The submission fee is waived for films that have 50% or more of their film footage shot in Washington state.
10. Who’s eligible, what are the guidelines to enter?
    As far as I can find, everyone is eligible to enter. Some of the guidelines are as follows:
    

    Completion Date:Films must have been completed no earlier than January 2013.

    Presentation:

    Selected films must be made available for Festival presentation in DCP, 35mm, or HDCAM. Filmmakers whose films are selected must deliver their film in an acceptable final presentation format, please let us know if you do not have one of these formats. Failure to provide the film in an acceptable format may result in the film being dropped from the Festival. No exceptions.Language:Foreign language films must be made available with the original language soundtrack and English subtitles. 

    Prior Screenings:Entries may not publicly screen in Washington State or be televised anywhere in the US before June 30, 2014. Theatrical runs following presentation at SIFF may be excepted from this.

    
    

    Prior Submissions:If you wish to resubmit a film previously submitted to SIFF, you must reapply paying the full fee.FutureWave Submissions:The FutureWave Youth Shorts competition accepts short films made by youth 18 years of age or younger at the time of submission.

    
    

    A different entry form is required. 

    Submission Regulations: 

    Deadline:

    All film submissions must be shipped prepaid and packed in proper containers to arrive at the SIFF offices by the posted deadlines.

    Format:

    All films must be submitted on DVD (NTSC preferred, PAL accepted), or via a secure online link, such as Vimeo. Do not put multiple works on the same DVD.

    Premieres:

    Please be aware that in all categories, World, North American and US Premieres are preferred. However, a Washington State Premiere is required; films must not have previously screened in Washington State.

    DVD Labeling & Shipping:

    Preview DVDs must be clearly labeled with the film title, running

    time, and contact information (including name, address, and phone number). International shipments must be accompanied by a commercial invoice (containing the film’s title, running time, format [color or b&w], value of shipment, and sender’s name and address). SIFF will not handle any customs clearances. All preview DVDs shipping from outside the U.S. must be sent with the following declaration: “Free entry claimed under #724.12 (960.60). U.S. Tariff Act. No commercial value, for Festival use only.”  

11. Is there a Student category?
    SIFF offers what they call FutureWave which features films by youths under the age of 19.
12. What formats do they except for jurying? DVD, Vimeo, Flash drives?
    DVD or vimeo.
13. What formats do they except for exhibition/screening?
    DCP, 35mm, or HDCAM
14. How many films screened at the festival last year?
    455 (74 countries represented)
15. How long is a typical shorts block or paper presentation block at their event?
    ~90 mins
16. How many films or papers do they program per block?
    It depends on the duration of the films, but it ranges from around 7 to 14.
17. How do people register to attend? Is there a cost to attend as a guest?
    There are numerous membership opportunities that provide you with a certain number of free tickets, but the biggest emphasis is on passes much like Cucalorus. The biggest pass (at full price) is $2850 (discounted down to 1700 if you buy before January!) They also offer ticket packages (Cinematic 6-pack), as well as day of tickets (though they tend to sell out.)
18. Look at 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.
    SIFF has hundreds of sponsors that they break into categories like hospitality, media, community, etc,. Some of these include Starbucks, HBO, CityArts, Scarecrow Video, the Stranger, Seattle Times, etc,. They definitely focus on local organizations, which we can take into consideration for Visions. I don't think there are many leads we can get from these SIFF sponsors, though I do think their emphasis on local companies will lead us in the right direction here in Wilmington.
19. What are their sponsorship levels and incentives for each level? 
    Title Sponsor (350,000+ with 3 year commitment)
    Presenting Sponsor ($100,000+)
    Premiere Sponsor ($50,000+)
    Producing Sponsor (25,000+)
    Supporting Sponsor (15,000+)
     The incentives are endless, ranging from different levels of on-site promotion, media&online, exclusive access to events, etc,. The incentives even include a dedicated facebook mention for all but the supporting sponsors. The Title Sponsor has a 30 second pre-film brand advertisement, and is the exclusive special event and festival award sponsor, as well as has logo inclusion in SIFF television advertisements.
    
20. Did they have a kickstarter or indiegogo? What incentives did they have for each level of donor?
    SIFF does not have a kickstarter or indiegogo that I could find, though numerous films hoping to play at SIFF do. SIFF offers "memberships," which work similarly to donors. The levels range from "Enthusiast" ($55) to to Premiere ($10,000+) Benefits for premiere include:

    • Two Platinum Festival passes OR one Platinum Plus Pass
    • Two year-round passes to SIFF Cinema 
    • Lifetime membership to IndieFlix 
    • Invitation for two to the SIFF Awards Brunch
    • Access to the Festival Hospitality Suite for one evening
    • Private tour of SIFF Cinema
    • Invitations to private receptions
    • Upgrades to Platinum Plus Festival Pass ($500)                                                         Benefits for an Advocate membership (in the middle, at $500) include:

    • Two three month SIFF Cinema Passes 
    • Six Festival tickets
    • Priority invitations to free screenings
    • Discounted tickets at SIFF Cinema and the Festival
    • Recognition in the Festival catalog
    • Complimentary Festival catalog
    • Complimentary Festival poster
    • Popcorn punch card
    • One Year subscription to Seattle Met

21. What kind of non-traditional film/video events have they had before? Things like Installations,
    'Visual Soundwalls,' VJing etc.
    SIFF offeres a range of events in which they expand film screenings, panels, and presentations, though there isn't much that I can find in terms of instillations and VJing. 
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? 
    This is where SIFF really excels. They often mix screenings with galas and after parties, they have musical tributes, a "secret film festival" where you pay for a ticket without knowing what you're going to see (and you can't tell anyone about it after,) they play silent films with an accompanying band to play, they even have a flyfilm event, which is similar to our video race, though it's specifically for filmmakers, and they have a week instead of an hour. They also offer numerous panels on different topics.

Time Management and Public Speaking

The time management tutorial was the one that spoke to me on a personal level the most, as I have always struggled not with the concept itself, but with the execution. As quite the procrastinator, I often state the anthem of the lazy––"I work my best under pressure, and there's no pressure yet." Often I feel overwhelmed by everything I have to do, and therefore just put it off until I'm pulling multiple all nighters in a row. Clearly in need of some time management. What helps me the most is breaking things down into smaller sections. This makes everything a more manageable bite, and I'm less overwhelmed. It's also very important to write everything down so I can visually see everything that needs to get done. These two concepts work simultaneously to create a useful time management system for me. What the tutorial focused on that I thought was useful was the 80/20 theory. This seemed like another way of prioritizing. Often I get bogged down with the "80%" and therefore don't do the best I can do on the "20%," only fueling my hatred of busy work. So I thought what the speaker said about prioritizing was useful. I also liked the idea of the red/yellow/green marking. It pseudo-inspired me to walk around with a red square on my forehead whenever I'm up and walking before 10 in the morning. I also like what he said about one's "einstein hour." I definitely think mine is in the evening, between 7 and 9pm.

The biggest thing I took away from the public speaking tutorial was the array of cold openings she used. For some reason public speaking (as long as I'm the one giving the presentation) has never been a major issue for me, but I do tend to start it a little awkwardly. What started as a tool to make me seem relatable and laid-back, has now become a hindrance because I can't stop it. I always start sort of awkwardly--I never learned another way! I like the options she teaches, as they do seem casual (in a good way) yet bold, and confident. 

Festivals of Their Own

I found the history of film festivals to be really interesting. I had never thought about their origins, and even the differences among them. Growing up with SIFF as the biggest influence in terms of what I thought a film festival was, anything smaller felt like a mere imitation. However, I thought this article did a great job at highlighting some of the blessings that come with smaller film festivals. For one, the sense of community. I thought the idea of giving audience feedback on index cards to some of the winning filmmakers was great, and added such a personal touch. Also in terms of programming, while festivals such as Sundance are now focusing more on the mainstream, I love that other festivals are showcasing films that may otherwise never be seen. I love that Visions does this for shorts. It is our job to make them feel special and showcase their work, where at some other festivals they may be slighted as there is more attention on feature-length films. What I have also always loved about film festivals besides the great array of films you're exposed to, is the social aspect of it. Like I mentioned earlier, the sense of community. Before I was able to fully appreciate it, I was attending opening night galas, after parties, Q&A's with directors, etc, with my dad at SIFF. I think those are half the festival--bringing filmmakers and film fanatics together in a pseudo-casual setting, where we can all learn from one another. And I think that is the true spirit that transcends all film festivals.

About Me

Hey everyone, I'm Maddi, or Madeleine. I know the former sort of looks like a stripper spelling of the name, but alas, it was my attempt at being 'different' in the 7th grade, and now I'm more or less stuck with it. You can call me whichever name you like, I really do go by both. I've been writing so many 'about me''s lately, that it feels hard to maintain any originality (I really only do have a few standard jokes), but here are some of the basics about me that I guess you should know. My sense of humor is very deadpan-sarcastic, and I think I'm much funnier than I probably am. I also tend to over-analyze everything. Like seriously, everything. I'm pretty much a textbook introvert, though with a strong narcissist streak that makes my inner monologue resemble a Woody Allen film much too often. I'm double majoring in film and creative writing because as you can tell, I love to be practical. I'm still not sure what I want to do with either, but right now art direction has my biggest interest. As long as I have a career that lets me travel, I'll be okay. I spent my last semester studying abroad in South Africa and as cliche as it sounds it was possibly the best 6 months of my life. I got to combine my love of travel with my love of community service by tutoring at a township, and it was amazing. If we're doing favorites a couple of my favorite directors would be Sofia Coppola and Baz Luhrmann. I am so excited to be a part of the Visions team this year, as I have always loved a good film festival. After graduating, I would love to intern at the Seattle International Film Festival, so I'm excited for the experience this will give me. And when times get tough, which I know they're bound to, we can all turn to what is perhaps the most inspiring clip in cinematic history:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joA1dZ2_5Zs