A Filmmaker's Festival Screening Woes

While film festivals are a great place for filmmakers to exhibit their films, there is always a chance of technical difficulties that may follow. Many filmmakers become upset while viewing their independent film during a festival screening. Their distress occurs from not being able to hear the audio properly, the image of the film is distorted and many other factors that come into play during a film festival screening. Instead of getting upset, filmmakers should accept technical problems for what they are. Let's face it, there are always going to be technical problems at film festivals.

This is due to many reasons that may include various exhibition formats for different films, poor venue maintenance, or lack of funding for the festival. Some film festivals that do not have a lot of funding usually use old projection equipment that can have a significant impact on the way a film plays. Filmmakers should expect technical difficulties, embrace them and move on to the joys of watching hundreds of strangers react to their masterpiece.

Make sure that your exhibition prints work before sending them off. This is one way to minimize the chances of a terrible looking film. If you are screening on DVD, make sure that it plays all the way through. I can already hear myself screaming when my movie stops playing because there is a glitch in the DVD. Imagine if the same thing happened while you're sitting next to Roger Ebert at Sundance. Make sure your DVDs play before sending it off to a film festival. The same applies if you are screening on mini-dv, cd-r or another form of video. Play them eight times if you have to. By doing so, you are one step closer to a better film festival screening experience.

Make sure that the audio works. I remember when I was in college studying video production. Before graduation, my school held a video screening with popcorn, beverages and many guests. When I played my video, it looked like a silent film. There was no audio at all. Luckily, one of my instructors switched a cable or button and my audio came back. This was after I had to rewind my tape and play the video again. I found out that the audio was not mixed properly. From here on out, I do what I can to avoid such an embarrassing moment. All filmmakers should follow suit. The good thing about screening on video is that you can check everything on your won multiple times, before sending it off. You can check it up until the festival itself, and it most likely will not cost a thing. Film on the other hand, is much costly to prepare and do multiple test viewings. If you are screening on film, make sure that you get a good film print and hope for the best.

Offer assistance to the festival technical staff. There is nothing more assuring than having a hands-on method for your film's festival screening. By assisting the film festival's technical staff, independent filmmakers can decrease their chances of a headache and embarrassment later on. This scenario is a win-win situation. The filmmaker is minimizing the work load of film festival volunteers who are usually performing too may tasks to focus on one specific area. At the same time, the filmmaker is also making sure that his or her film plays well on screen. Assisting the technical staff is a great way to secure the image of your film. Such an offering may not be allowed at some film festivals. However, it does not hurt to ask.

Verify that your exhibition print is compatible with the projection system where your movie will be screened. Independent filmmakers can save themselves a lot of grief by simply finding out the details of a film festival's projection setup. By knowing what the projection system entails, filmmakers can decide on the best exhibition format to send to the film festival. Some small film festivals may not be able to provide technical information regarding the projection setup. Many well-known film festivals will usually be able to give filmmakers information on their screening abilities.

Have a backup exhibition print while attending the festival. After exhausting numerous tactics to secure a pleasurable screening experience, filmmakers should always have a backup of their film. While I have yet to come to a film festival with a second exhibition print, I strongly encourage fellow independent filmmakers to do so. I have been lucky to have a film festivals screening without technical glitches. However, a filmmaker can never know what may go wrong. . Even if you have to stop your film in the middle of a screening and you're your backup from the beginning, it may be well worth it. It may be better to make an audience watch a better looking film from the beginning, than make them sit through a crappy one. Backup exhibition prints are security cushions for filmmakers. Make sure to have one when attending a film festival screening.

We can never control all of the technical issues that may arise during our film festival screenings. As independent filmmakers, we can only try to make the best of the situation. This includes making sure that our film is in order in the areas that we are able to control. By following these suggestions, independent filmmakers can put themselves on the fast track to an pleasing film festival screening.