The Lights! The Crowds! The White Sheets...

kjones

kjones

So my first film got into a local festival last summer, we were quite happy.

Arrived at the theatre, we're in the program, cool, cool, house was about 25. My film was shown first... on sewn-together white sheets. I left the theatre, shall we say, humbled.

Anyone else had such an "auspicious" first festival screening?

(if you want to watch, go here, would love any comments)
http://vimeo.com/17494577
pwd: HHill03
 
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Nothing quite that bad, but my producer went to a festival my new film was in about a month ago, and the Friday night screenling had about 6 people in the audience (7 if you include him). The Sunday screening was much improved, maybe 30 people.

My first film's festival screenings had audiences varying from over 200 to about 50, never heard of one that bad (6 people).

I hope you didn't pay TOO much to enter.
 
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You're right, Papertwinprodco, I was and am grateful to have gotten in. --I've been rejected by about 8 festivals since.

Hey, and my skin is a bit thicker too!
 
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Thanks, everyone, for your comments.

Gonzo-- the sewing was indeed rough, as it went through the middle of the screen AND my lead actor's face in a number of shots (he went out of the theatre so fast I had to tackle him- don't think he expected the sheets either).
 
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And I hope I didn't come off the wrong way. ANYBODY that wants to show my film to someone who hasn't seen it, I'm in. However, if I paid (even just $15 or $20 bucks) to enter I think my exhibition expectations would have been a bit higher.
 
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I've been all over the spectrum. I did the Short Film Corner in Cannes, tiny festivals, and some of the mid-tear stuff like the Big Apple Film Festival. I love anyone showing my film to a crowd of any size.

I'd say, stick around and meet some people, you might be surprised by who is in attendance or what is playing. Sometimes at the tiny shows you'll catch one good film, or meet someone in the know who's willing to look at your future work and give you feed back.
 
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It's hard to get butts in seats, and innovation is delivering new audiences to films. Ferndale, MI had a great festival in early November. In addition to traditional screenings in movie houses, they held some in small, 100 seat comedy clubs and 50 seat bars. They even played a couple of microshorts in the lobbies of a local pizzeria and deli, on demand: you'd place your order and they'd start the film and you watched it while your food was cooking. Someone's short played a hundred times to a hundred different people this way.
 
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Gonzo_Entertainment said:
... However, if I paid (even just $15 or $20 bucks) to enter I think my exhibition expectations would have been a bit higher.
Click to expand...

Mine were higher indeed, Gonzo; if memory serves the entry was $25. The documentary mine showed with was okay, kind of a Native American mysticism piece.

Also noticed the films that won were made by production companies with often 5+ years of experience. Some longer, and after winning wanted to kiss everybody! Not that I blame them. :)
 
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