This entry outlines my involvement within specific areas of pre-production and how they both added and detracted from festival operations and thus festival outcome. I would also like to address my involvement with the establishment of the festival back-end including; website, design & asset management, search engine optimisation, drive management and email. As this was my last studio for the course; I actively tried to take on a facilitatory role within the group. Listening to Sowata’s talk I realised quickly that functional groups were going to be necessary for the festival to move forward. I wanted to use the opportunity … Continue reading Assignment 3 | Reflections on Festival Production (WK11)

The following reflection is based on the “criticism session” with Rohan Spong and Erin Rosenberg on May 9th. I presented information surrounding the fundraiser event which also occurred on May 9th. This included pre-production, screening licensing, choice of films, location, catering, technical production and logistics. Due to the limited timeframe prior to the critic session; the capacity at which I could gather and collate information to present to the industry professionals was limited. The importance of pre-production meetings, event risk assessments and location reconnaissance were well received. These procedures have been consistent for the entirety of the planning process for … Continue reading Assignment 3 | Reflections on Festival Production (WK9)

The following article will highlight the learnings gained from staging the collaborative fundraiser event on the 9th of May and how it influenced decisions for the final festival. This includes understanding the importance of recognising succeedings and drawbacks and how they will ultimately change future decisions. For this event, I found myself within a general production technical role. This included acquiring the content, creating  a deck, setting up the screen, projector and sound system. I had little to any doubt in my competency to complete these tasks, thus I found that I gained little benefits from partaking. Some things which … Continue reading Assignment 2 | Reflections on Preliminary Event Production (WK10)

This entry outlines the guidelines for film classifications as determined by the Federal Register of Legislation website. It also highlights the new classification arrangements for film festivals, computer games expos and cultural institutions who wish to screen unclassified content. The Guidelines for the Classification of Films 2012: Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 was developed in order for explain the various classifications and the scope and materials of each category. The latest version was developed in 2012 and is constantly revised though community input. It is based off legislation and the cooperative effort of federal, state and territory … Continue reading Assignment 2 | Reflections on Preliminary Event Production (WK8)

Since the establishment of film festivals; academics, journalists and cinephiles have found themselves in a state of contention surrounding the intent and direction in which film festivals must operate, and ultimately their purpose in defending film. Like all aspects of the developing globalised world, film festivals cannot operate in a cultural or economic vacuum independent from the rest of society. They must operate within the constraints of a broader process. “in the 1930s, Mussolini launched the world’s first film festival, Venice, to celebrate fascist ideas and aesthetics. To counter this, two alternative festivals were launched, one in a former fishing … Continue reading Assignment 2 | Reflections on Preliminary Event Production (WK7)

This article will be highlighting the key takeaways from Mia Falstein-Rush’s presentation surrounding the festival experience, especially the first half of her presentation. With Mia’s extensive involvement in areas of operations and programming, her perspective was invaluable in aiding with the processes in which we are currently undertaking as a team for our festival. Furthermore, her personal narrative allowed me to critically examine my own professional brand and how I will be proceeding with my career. From the outset you could see that her approach to engaging with festivals was wide reaching. She attested to the opportunities available to those … Continue reading Assignment 2 | Reflections on Preliminary Event Production (WK6)

The following article will be highlighting key methodologies used by Jong and Carrión (2015) in order to secure funding for a film festival. These methodologies were used in the context of human rights film festivals and NFPs (Non-for-profits) however could also be extended out to other festivals and screening activities. Due to my current role within the partners and sponsorships department, this reading was of interest to me. I will critically analyse our current processes against it and where possible make rectifications for future strategy. The authors highlighted the importance of developing a strategy and writing down a project plan … Continue reading Assignment 2 | Reflections on Preliminary Event Production (WK5)

The following article will be highlighting key topics raised within the Kuhn (2015) reading. Especially surrounding the prevalence of production team members and venue selection. This reading was focused on Human Rights Film Festivals and NFP (Non-For-Profit) models however could be easily adapted and re-contextualised to suit other screening and festival activities.   Kuhn (2015) establishes the importance of acquiring production team members (initially through volunteer pathways) in order to participate in generalist festival duties. This includes tasks such as becoming the ‘face’ of the festival through client servicing and liaison, developing the overall form and function of the festival, … Continue reading Assignment 2 | Reflections on Preliminary Event Production (WK4)