The entire process of creating the And Scene Festival has been incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. I had little idea what to expect from the Media Studios Festival Experience class, but I knew it would be hands-on, which I was especially excited about! The production of our festival was much more complex at the beginning than I initially expected. I knew that there would be important roles and tasks necessary to produce a successful festival, but I didn’t realize all of the work required individually to pull it off, particularly in the areas of promotion and sponsorships. When we were given the task of choosing our roles and skills in the development of the festival, I was overwhelmed by the number of roles listed and put my name down for a good handful, including Decorator, UX, Promotion/Advertisement, Studio Liaison, Fundraising, and Catering Management. I chose roles that I thought matched my skillsets, such as decorating, or simply chose roles that I had little experience in but thought I would enjoy, like catering management. It was especially interesting to see how the need for certain roles I volunteered for proved to be less critical or were covered by other roles. For instance, I initially showed interest in UX design, despite having limited knowledge, recognizing its importance for a smooth festival experience. Although I didn’t contribute significantly to UX design, other roles, such as curation and graphic design, incorporated its aspects, ensuring its necessity was still met.
I dedicated most of my time and attention to publicity, which entailed creating two press releases, a mailing list, and outreach efforts. Although I was familiar with the importance of press releases, I lacked knowledge on their format and essential content. Fortunately, Cerise provided valuable guidance by sharing press releases from other film festivals, which helped me craft our first release. I drew inspiration from the KVIFF press releases, which were informative and extensive, yet surprisingly lengthy. This contrasted with Adrian George’s advice in The Curator’s Handbook, emphasising the importance of concise press releases with only crucial details. To balance these approaches, our initial press release was a couple of pages long, accompanied by a brief summary in the email body when sent to mailing list contacts. Unfortunately, we didn’t receive any responses, which was discouraging, but securing Plakkit posters was a rewarding accomplishment and great coverage!
Regarding catering and hospitality for our festival, I was keen on providing free food and drinks, as I believed these are essential aspects of a film festival, alongside great entertainment. I think food and drinks bring people together, and offering them for free would create a welcoming environment for engaging conversations and a great marketing opportunity. Initially, I was discouraged to learn that our opening night catering was limited to the Mahoney Group at the Capitol, mainly due to concerns about budget constraints and the uncertainty of a third festival day. However, we successfully raised funds to cover catering costs with the Mahoney Group for our opening night and even added a third day for our closing ceremony, allowing us to organize our own catering. I reached out to nearby bakeries and delis via email, requesting food donations to make our closing ceremony more memorable and abundant with delicious food. Fortunately, Tabet’s Bakery generously offered to donate their baked goods, which I’m thrilled to have as part of our closing ceremony.
In retrospect, I wish I had opted to work on social media tasks. Initially, I thought promotion and publicity would naturally overlap with social media, but I struggled to understand the task guidelines for each. Hindsight shows me that I could have been more involved in social media marketing and tasks, even if just proposing content management assistance to the social media team for our Instagram. Fear of overstepping boundaries and creative space held me back from pursuing festival promotion ideas like filming vox pop videos for Instagram or creating promotional content. I’ve learned that our festival development is a team effort, and contributing to tasks outside of our assigned roles doesn’t necessarily mean micromanaging or overstepping. In fact, occasional contributions can enhance our collective success.
One aspect of our festival development I contributed to was studio liaison, particularly for the Together in Electric Dreams class. Sitting in on their presentations was truly inspiring, providing a deeper understanding of the complexity and captivating nature of our festival through their showcased work. The groups’ creative and engaging presentations, coupled with their passion and enthusiasm, motivated me to ensure our festival’s success and secure the attention and engagement their work deserves.
Overall, I am incredibly proud of the team behind The And Scene Festival. We have each worked tirelessly, dedicating significant time, energy, and creativity to our festival production. I’m eager to experience the magic of our Opening Night, witnessing our collective efforts come to life as people gather in the vibrant environment we’ve created!
And-Scene-Festival-Press-Release-1.pdf
References
George, A 2015, The Curator’s Handbook : Museums, Commercial Galleries, Independent Spaces, Thames & Hudson, Limited, London. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [3 June 2024].