Festival Update (July 20, 2009)

Another day, another filmmaker sends in exactly the opposite of what we requested. It's not like we sent out an "Official Selection" notice and said, "you know, I'm not exactly sure what we need to move things along." Quite the contrary. We give detailed instructions and it's like no one reads past "Congratulations!"

I believe if you're thinking about the film industry as a career, perhaps you should learn to adhere to industry standards. Hell, if you would like to do it as a hobby and get a favorable response for your film, you should adhere to industry standards. That's why they're called standards. Everyone's supposed to do it! Perhaps marketing your film isn't covered in film school but you must have seen other Independent features or looked at a poster while waiting in the lobby. We're not the only festival who requests trailers, posters, one sheets and even some stills to help promote your film. Hard copies! No festival wants to download a video file and go through the process to place a trailer in a movie theater. The movie theater demands quality. It's a reflection of their product. Plus, Festivals are too busy creating their own posters, advertising campaigns and itineraries to take time creating what you're supposed to do. The festival promotes the festival and the filmmakers promote the film.

POVERTY? RECESSION? BAD TIMES? Come on, please, in twenty-five years, I've never met a filmmaker with enough money. When you budget you should set aside funds for your entry fees and your delivery items. Think about where and what film festival you'd like to enter and then do some research to see if the festival is a good fit for your film. What films have won in the past? How much is the prize money (if any) and will "Official Entry" to this festival look good on my poster? These are just a few questions you need to ask yourself when selecting a festival. Begging for a waiver doesn't help either but I've covered that in a previous blog. Find out how many days the festival runs? The Central Florida Film Festival runs over the Labor Day weekend (September 4-6, 2009), a total of three days. However, there are other festivals that run ten days to two weeks. If your film has excellent production value, a good script, some creative camera moves, good sound quality, an editor who knows when to delete or shorten a scene, some music, and you used SAG actors and not Grandma or your sweetie as you main star, and you don't run credits using your name over, and, over and, over, and over again, you probably have a good shot any any second tier festival. A two week festival will need more films for programing than a three day.

Sundance and the other 'top notch' festivals receive thousand of entries and it's a numbers game. I read Sundance receives almost five thousand entries for eighty-five slots. Remember, Sundance isn't the only game in town. Smaller festivals want good product and energetic and talented filmmakers who take their craft seriously. Help them to help you! Promoting your film is your responsibility and promoting the festival is theirs. Festivals that have been around for a few years are hungry for good films. It's our fourth annual event and we've increased in size every year. This year we've selected fifteen features, twelve documentaries, and almost seventy shorts and we're still looking at LATE ENTRIES. We're already thinking about plans to increase for next year's 5th annual event.

When you become a 'real live' filmmaker and your film is hopefully sought for distribution, the distribution company is going to ask you for delivery items. These items can include; Transparencies of your credits, posters (artwork), one sheets (a smaller poster), production stills and perhaps a press or media kit with reviews or coverage worth mentioning. If you don't have them, the distributor will gladly get them for you and charge you 'Top Dollar." It's called a "Charge Back." If you can deliver your own there will be less "Charge Backs" to your account and you film can get to profit sooner (creative accounting is for another blog). Be an educated filmmaker. Everyone and his brother has written a book about film making, distribution and business plans, buy one and read it. I've recently read a book, written by a person who was on the selection committee at Sundance. I wanted to make sure I wasn't out of line when I requested certain tools from the filmmakers. She mentioned they don't even want to see credits unless there's a name star they should know about. Why make them sit through your credits to only see you produced, executive produced, directed, wrote, edited, worked the camera, and served coffee on the set. They are only interested in the film. Is it good? or is it bad? Is it in? or is it out?

Film Festivals are a marketing tool in themselves. Those Laurels you can place on your poster, mean something when it comes time for distribution. Learn to be a better filmmaker. We're NEVER done learning. There are many things NOT covered in film school. Attend seminars, workshops and panel discussions. Pick every one's brain. Watch other films and discuss with the other filmmakers how and why certain choices were made. There may come a time when it will work for you too.

If you haven't checked out our website (www.CentralFloridaFilmFestival.com) tickets are on sale NOW! Save on an "All Access" pass and there's also a movie watchers pass too. Our itinerary and screening schedule will be posted by August 2, 2009. Email us with questions and we'll be glad to respond. We want to make you better filmmakers!

....and cut!