There were numerous noteworthy shortcomings and imperfections that arose before, during, and after the highly anticipated ‘Debut International Film Festival’ (DIFF). As the team of twenty dedicated students embarked on the journey of preparing for this momentous film festival, they were driven by the inspiring quote that had been shared among them, “Everyone remembers their first time.” However, despite their best efforts, certain areas fell short of expectations, leaving room for improvement and valuable lessons to be learned.

One significant shortcoming that emerged during the festival was the number of attendees who graced the opening night. While the turnout was indeed greater than anticipated, there was still a lingering feeling that it could have been even more successful. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge the immense support received from the students’ friends and family, who wholeheartedly showed up to lend their encouragement. Their presence undoubtedly bolstered the team’s spirits and contributed to the overall positive atmosphere surrounding the event. As Ranvaud (1985) mentions that a key function of the film festival has always been its ties to tourism, as the festival attracts both local audiences and tourists and visitors who are drawn to the city for the opportunity to see and experience films in a way that is not available elsewhere. Following this, our festival should have attempted to attract local audiences more to increase our attendance by having our brand relating more to the city of Melbourne and what attracts tourists to the area. 

Among the imperfections that emerged, one notable area was the lack of collaboration with other media stations. In retrospect, it became evident that reaching out to personal contacts, journalists, and media partners could have significantly enhanced the festival’s visibility. As Rambousková, (2015) mentions that establishing cooperation with prominent media outlets not only would have ensured widespread media coverage but also served as an effective means of promoting the festival to a larger audience. This oversight highlighted the importance of forging strategic alliances and leveraging existing networks to maximise the event’s exposure and success.

Another point of imperfection surfaced as the festival approached its opening night. The team encountered a great deal of stress during the final stages of preparation and throughout the event itself. While working diligently on-site, it became apparent that the sales of festival merchandise were lacking, resulting in a surplus of unsold stock. This unforeseen circumstance not only posed a financial setback but also highlighted the need for a more effective sales strategy and market research. Moreover, the lack of captivating decorations in the foyer detracted from the desired festive ambiance. This aspect, although seemingly minor, had the potential to greatly enhance the overall experience for attendees, creating a more immersive and memorable atmosphere. By addressing the areas of improvement highlighted, such as attendee turnout, collaboration with media outlets, sales and marketing, and event aesthetics, future iterations of the festival can undoubtedly achieve greater success. The dedication and resilience of the student team, whose first time in producing a film festival, coupled with a comprehensive improvement plan, will undoubtedly pave the way for an unforgettable and triumphant festival in the years to come. 

‘The Power of the cut’ boasts an impressive array of captivating and awe-inspiring projects, all crafted by the talented students within the esteemed finished media studio. Within this creative space, students were tasked with producing narrative films, documentaries, and commercials, each project offering its own unique artistic expression and creative vision. Amongst the diverse range of works, two standout pieces, ‘Every Little Line’ by Tallulah Gunn and ‘The Return’ by Boyu Chen, have particularly caught my attention.

These narrative works have shown great experimentation towards genre, colour, sound design, transitions, shots and many more. Though the narrative videos do not have much dialogue, they still manage to produce such an emotional short film and tell a great story with the use of film theory and camera work. For example, with just showing shots of the hands of the main subject, Tallulah Gunn is able to show us how the character goes through the stages of grief from the death of a loved one. 

I had also found interest in the commercials they have produced. Similar to just sticking with narrative, the commercial has no dialogue at all. Similarly devoid of dialogue, these commercials rely on the strategic use of texts and logos to convey their intended messages effectively. It’s fascinating to witness how these commercials transform into powerful marketing tools, akin to promotional videos for online festivals. It is creative in narrative hence being able to tell a story to the audience in just a few seconds, which is what every successful commercial/promotional video has achieved.

‘The Power of the cut’ boasts an impressive array of captivating and awe-inspiring projects, all crafted by the talented students within the esteemed finished media studio. Within this creative space, students were tasked with producing narrative films, documentaries, and commercials, each project offering its own unique artistic expression and creative vision. Amongst the diverse range of works, two standout pieces, ‘Every Little Line’ by Tallulah Gunn and ‘The Return’ by Boyu Chen, have particularly captivated my attention.

References: 

1. Bohdana Rambousková, “How to Successfully Promote Your Festival” in Setting Up a Human Rights Film FestivalLinks to an external site., vol. 2, Human Rights Film Network, Prague, 2015.
2. “A Festival for Every Occasion: Niche Programming, Event Culture, and Vertically Integrated Film FestivalsLinks to an external site.” in Kirsten Stevens, Australian Film Festivals: Audience, Place, and Exhibition Culture, Palgrave Macmillan US, New York, 2016.
3. Tallulah Gunn, 2023, ‘Every Little Line’, ‘Chez Riley’, ‘Google Kingdom’ https://www.mediafactory.org.au/2023-the-power-of-the-cut/2023/05/16/tallulah-gunn/ 
4. Boyu Chen,2023, ‘The Return’, Commercial and Documentary https://www.mediafactory.org.au/2023-the-power-of-the-cut/2023/05/16/boyu-chen/

My duty at DIFF was to edit and produce teasers, trailers, Tiktok content and be in charge of posting on our Tiktok page (@debutfilmfestival) . I used premiere pro to edit the videos and find sounds from trending music on Tiktok. The videos were used on our website, at the foyer of The Capitol Theater and social media pages like Instagram and Tiktok.  I focused on promoting our film festival online to gain more attraction, generate buzz and build anticipation to engage with our target audience. Some teasers and trailers that were used were used to help announce the feature films we were showing, the film festival’s showing schedule, the short films and announcements for the film festival’s important dates like opening of film submissions, tickets going on sale, promoting merch and location reveal. I created the teasers and trailers from as long as a 5 minute video to as short at 30 second videos. I had also created some quick short videos to follow trending sounds and memes on Tiktok, also creating unique captions and using hashtags to attract more viewers.  I also followed content creators on Tiktok that follow our demographic, for example, influencers in Melbourne and film lovers/creators. 

Tiktok Page Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@debutfilmfestival