Reading Response: Event Planning and Budgets

After reading about event budgets, I could see how it relates to our department quite a bit. I personally haven't had a lot of experience in the past with professional event budgeting so it was good to get an example of what steps to take in order to make one successfully. It really just comes down to understanding spreadsheets, knowing your math, and being realistic in your budgeting. It is something I will definitely carry through to my department and use in any way necessary.

Event planning is right up my alley. It helped remind me to keep several factors in mind while working on the bake sale. Thankfully I have been planning well ahead of time and it helps keep the unknown factors that could come into play from being serious issues. It is a great tool for those that haven't done much with event planning and every step can easily be carried through to whatever event you might be in charge of. The class is a big part of the event, so delegating roles to help as well as bringing in baked goods is how the event is even going to be possible. But the article mostly reinforced the idea that I am doing a good job so far but also helps me to keep in mind what I should be doing going forward.

Week Four: A Work in Progress

Things have started to pick up! This week I was finally able to start working on the bake sale. It has been great to finally have something to do for the festival and just getting the ball rolling has been fantastic. Most of the week had me spending my time either in the Campus Life office or corresponding back and forth with Justin and Tina via email. I got final verification and secured the table in front of Randall for between 9-5pm. I am still waiting to hear back from Tina but will stop by her office on Monday to attempt to secure the other space.

Aside from that, we had another productive development meeting in which we all talked about where to go next with our events. I was updated on our day for the bake sale moving it up from Wednesday to Tuesday the 27th. I have started to put together ideas for bake sale items as well as things that we need for decorations. I am continuing to prep to give out information for the event in front of the class.

As far as the assignment is concerned, I put together a Dirty Dozen for the bake sale. It helped me think through everything that I need to concern myself about with the event. I got to work through what might go wrong with the event as well as seeing the good I have already done with it to this point. But overall, it was a simple exercise to let me see what value there is in my job in putting it together. Also, it shows what value the event is to Visions in general.

Dirty Dozen: Bake Sale

1. What is the project supposed to achieve?
The project is meant to achieve a successful increase in revenue for Visions Film Festival. We are meant to market ourselves to the campus through selling baked goods. It not only gives us the opportunity to make money but also gives us the chance to advertise and get our name out there early for the festival in general.

2. Who is this supposed to reach?
Our target would have to be anyone traveling on the UNCW campus. Specifically it would be UNCW students, faculty, as well as Wilmington residents who walk by our tables. We are attempting to reach people interested in donating to the festival as well as people interested in attending.

3. What are the deliverables of the project?
Most specifically it would be the baked goods at the sale itself. We would also have sign up sheets for volunteers possibly as well as information about the festival itself. So things that aren't physical products would be our knowledge of the festival and simply delivering an image of what the festival will be by interacting with people who stop at the tables.

4. The budget?
There is no budget. All goods will be donated by members of the class as well as the donation of time to help man the tables.

5. How long will the project take?
The planning stages have already begun. The event itself will last from 9am to 5pm on October 27th.

6. What skills are needed?
The primary skill needed is good baking! We want good product as well as creative product. Good people skills would be another skill necessary to a successful bake sale, and just good salesmanship. We want to sell the baked goods as well as Visions itself.

7. What resources are needed?
We need food! We specifically will need deserts and other baked goods that we can use for sale at the event itself. We will need people as well! The mandatory volunteers as who will man the tables and make the event happen. There will be various decorations as well as just items that will adorn the tables to make the theme fit as well as make it all look good.

8. Who is working on the job?
James is spearheading the event overall. He will primarily plan, follow-through, as well as execute the event on the day it happens. He will secure the locations, work through all the red tape, as well as make sure the scheduling all comes together. In the end, it is his project though he will need the help of his department and class when necessary.

9. What is the schedule?
The event is planned to happen on the week of Halloween. The date is October 27th and there are two locations for the event. The first is in front of Randall Library and the second is in front of Cameron Hall. The times will be from 9am to 5pm which includes time to set up as well as clean up after. The event itself will take place from 10am to 4pm.

10. What are the risks?
One of the primary risks of the event starts with the food that we cook. Armark has strict standards for what we are meant to bake and we have to ensure that we cater to all sorts of eating habits be it vegetarians or gluten free diets. Also there is the risk of rain on the day of the event which could lower the success of the event considering less people will naturally walk by. There is the chance we may not be successful in making the amount of money we are meant to make. We may lose our reservations for the tables that we have set for the day of the event. It just means to stay on top of the schedule set forth for the event overall.

11. How will I communicate with my team?
The primary way to communicate is through the weekly meetings we hold. That is the point where we can work through the weekly progress of the event as well as giving time to work through any challenges that have come up. Outside of that, there is social media primarily through Facebook. We also have class time to communicate before and after which ensures we have plenty of chances to keep up with everything up to the day of the event.

12. How will I determine if the project is successful?
The main way to determine success is through the money we make. Through past years, there has been an established average of what the bake sales have brought in so it helps us gauge how well we might have done. We can also see the success long term by people coming back to our other events. The word of mouth of the things we bake and the compliments we may get. Also we can determine success through seeing the same faces at the festival itself.

Reflection: Week of Sept 7th

The departmental meeting was very informative because most of what we did was revolved around trying to start both the party and bake sale. I mostly absorbed information on what I needed to do first to get the bake sale rolling which meant that I needed to do sign up sheets for the bake sale items, decorations, as well as time slots for the day of the sale. Aside from that we talked about themes and came up with the idea of using Star Wars as the theme, focusing on the light and dark side for the booths. We want to reserve tables at both Randall as well as Cameron in order to get good locations.

As far as the week's assignment, I finally got in touch with Monte Yazzie to set up our interview which happened at 7:30pm on Friday. He was very helpful and even though I was a bit anxious he was very eager to be interviewed. He helped me understand a lot more specifically about his festival as well as giving me tips to help keep me grounded as I learned more about how to be effective with Visions. I was impressed by the end of the interview when he also let me know to get in touch with him if I needed any more help over the year. The assignment as a whole was very helpful to me.

When reading the Developmental manual as well as my specific duties as the development assistant and bake sale coordinator. I felt a bit overwhelmed by everything I might have to do over the course of the semester but felt as though everything was self-explanatory. It was good to know exactly what was in my job description as well as having a manual with examples of what will work for future use. I am glad that I was able to see what was beneficial to past Visions fundraising as it really does help me not feel as though I am working from scratch.

Festival Assignment Pt. 2: THE INTERVIEW!

Monte Yazzie: Festival Director of the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival

1.  I’ve read your mission, and researched your website/news articles, but how would you personally describe the mission/goals of your festival?

This is my fifth year with the festival. I started as a program manager. After some time I was offered the position as festival director which this is my first year. I want to give fans something to root for. I try to cater more to the film makers and people behind the scenes while pushing the focus away from just the actors on the screen.

2. What drew you to want to work here or to start this festival?

I started out in the audience. I was a fan. After 4 or 5 years in the stands I threw my name in the ring and was offered a position with the festival. I had my own blog and website that I used for film review. I started as a pre-screener and saw my potential where I started to move up. I transitioned to a judge and then got into the festival management as a program manager and finally became the festival coordinator for the IHSFF Festival.

3. What is your absolutely favorite thing about your festival?

My favorite part? That would have to be the volunteers. I love seeing passionate people within the community. The literary and creative types and just being in the same room during meetings while trying to pick the best films for the festivals. Almost everyone involved with the festival is a volunteer. But beyond that would be PASSION! It all comes down to passion and the people in the community who exhibit it.

4. What is most challenging?

It would have to be trying to create a program that is very diverse. There are a lot of genres to go through just within horror and sci-fi. Questions come up like how to scare people or where the line is? Is a film too scary or lacking the horror effect? Also contacting major studios for screening. We are a non-profit working for money to make the festival possible. Thankfully we have been a big success in the past several years.

5. What do you wish they had done differently or better when they were first starting out? What do you wish you knew then that you know now?

What I really wished I knew was the understanding that just because you don’t get a phone call doesn’t mean the end of the world. Not to take things personally. You should have perseverance. We are a community of people here to help. Also, I wished I had taken more time to support Arizona while we had our benefits. To help preserve the industry while it was at its strongest.

6. How many entries did you get this year? Make sure to ask them to distinguish between features and shorts.

For both horror short films we get about 150 entries and have to narrow it down to 20. When working with sci-fi shorts, we get roughly 80-100 and also have to narrow it down to 20. Features in both horror and sci-fi get about 25-40 entries and get narrowed down to 5 or 6. Then there are the showcase selections which we reach out to about 8 total films. They are chosen and are actively sought out to be a part of the festival.

7. How many films do you aim to screen each year? Again, make sure to ask them to distinguish between features and shorts.

We aim to screen about 20 of both sci-fi and horror shorts and about 5-6 feature length films of each genre. We also have showcase selections which total out to 8 films.

8. What is your pre­-screening process?

The pre-screening process consists of the films being given to about 4-5 people within the festival’s trusted circle who go through and watch the films to weed through them.

9. How many pre­screeners do you have each year?

We have about 4 to 5 people that we have selected especially to screen the films. The festival director, film organizer, short film sci-fi, horror, and independent viewers of which go through the films and then cumulatively we select who moves on beyond there.

10. Who is typically chosen as a pre­screener? How do you find them?

People through the festival who are involved in the Arizona community. They tend to have experience in horror and sci-fi. They are authors, podcasters and people who have interest in sci-fi or horror. They have some sort of experience in film.

11. How do you score entries? Do you use a scoring template/rubric? Are there scoring guidelines?

We have a very basic rating system that go from 1-5. It is very general. We tally all the scores and take all 4 or 5s and move them up to weed through for final entries. We try to be very lenient considering that the quality of film that we get nowadays is very high.

12. Do you have a jury after the pre­screening process has ended?

Our feature films have a jury process, other programs do not. They do have a competition. We do have awards for best actor, films, and other awards. Film reviewers, people in town, press tend to be the ones that act as judges. We have a group called the Phoenix critics circle who tend to be jury.

13. How far in advance do you send out your call for entries?

As the festival ends we let people know about the following years program and to submit again. Call to entries went out in July and get submitted through our film platform website.

14. When do most entries come in? Early? Late? In waves?

Most entries come out between late November and early December.

15. How many paid employees does the festival employ each year? How many volunteers?

Everything within the program is volunteer based. The only employed position within the festival is the Executive Director.

16. Do you use specific programming, trafficking, budgeting software? Do you like it?

The budgeting software we specifically are templates created by company sponsors. We used withoutabox as well as IMDB for our festival uses to keep track of programming and trafficking.

17. What community outreach do you do outside of your festival season to keep your event on the public's radar and/or to raise funds? (Workshops, mini­festivals, fundraiser dinners, etc.)

We have a 48 hour film challenge which is our biggest form of community outreach. We get a lot of funding and advertising through general sponsorship. We also have a showcase that we do with 3 films that we circulate 5 times before the festival which gives us some press. Finally we have independent workshops that we do for writing, actors, and film itself that we do to keep awareness. We do general charity awareness for other companies and set up booths at the events to advertise as well as sell a few tickets for the festival.

18. Do you give out swag bags to visiting filmmakers? Presenters? Guests? If so, what type of items do you include in those bags?

We have swag bags that people look forward to. We get something from all of our sponsors, movies, and materials that are used for marketing. We also tend to get t-shirts, vouchers, and other items that we get complimented over the year from people who get the bags. They are pretty cool bags.

19. Do you have local sponsors and, if so, how did you get them on board? Any advice for us?

To get local sponsors we say to have passion!!! We put a pamphlet together of films, experiences, and past festivals as an example. We try to look serious and professional while showing our passion to those that aren’t involved.

20. Do filmmakers pay registration to attend?

There is no paid registration for filmmakers to attend. The only thing they have to pay is the fee for submitting their actual film.

21. Are you able to provide filmmakers with funds to cover travel or lodging?

We try to cover everything within their experience once accepted. We cover lodging and travel. We also give them vouchers for the festival as well as 2 meal passes while here.

22. What "perks" do your filmmakers enjoy at your festival? What else do you encourage them to do while they're in town? (Free dinners, tours, exclusive activities...in Wilm, we'd try to take them to the beach, Screen Gems tour, etc.)

We try to create an environment to market themselves. We have an Arizona film industry night. All local production company, studio houses, visual special effects, etc get to come to man a booth with food and alcohol to meet and greet. Filmmakers that are a part of our festival tend end up working together. They come back having collaborated over a new film. What we try to do is help them get jobs post festival! A direct line to a job or a connection to change a path for the future!

23. Do you have special donor perks during the event? Or how do you thank them?

We have a Phoenix film society donor system. Sign up for membership. Early access and screening feature films. Early access to big films!

24. Any other ideas or advice that we haven’t thought to ask about?

Never lose your love for film! Give people a sense of community. Foster that community and give a wonderful place where people love the same thing! Never lose sight of the process of filmmaking. Focus on the creatives. THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES!

Festival Interview Update

I have been in contact with the IHSFF Festival and first got in contact with Jason Carney via email. He got me in touch with Monte Yazzie who I then corresponded with and have so far gotten a date for the interview. It is hopefully set to happen on the 11th of September at either 11am or 2pm. I am hoping that because it is a long weekend that he has been to busy to respond. I will wait and see if he responds and go forward from there otherwise.

International Horror and Sci-Fi Film / Phoenix Film Festival Findings

1. What time is your interview scheduled and who will you be talking with when you call/skype?

Monte Yazzie and we will skype on September 11th at between 11am and 1pm.

2. Who started it and who runs it?

The Phoenix Film Festival was started in 2000 by independent filmmakers and the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival started in 2004. The festival's Executive Director is Jason Carney and the IHSFF Festival Director is Monte Yazzie.

3. What is the mission of the Festival/Conference?

The Phoenix Film Foundation is a 501c3 Non-profit Organization whose mission is to support and develop the artistic appreciation, educational opportunities and growth of independent film within Arizona. The Foundation’s primary functions through its programs are to promote the exhibition of independent films and conduct educational programs that teach the art of independent filmmaking.

4. How does this compare with their actual programming choices from the past two years?

From the programming they had previous years, the films they chose to premiere and show follow in the vein of the festival. All the films listed are of either horror and sci-fi in genre as well as formatted to fit their specific category. They are either short films or feature and none seem to stray from that theme.

5. Where is the event?

Phoenix, AZ

6. When is the event?

April 7-14th 2016

7. How do you submit?

You submit online via FilmFreeway.

8. When are the deadlines to enter? Early? Reg? Late?

Early Registration: August 27th, 2015

Regular Registration: October 29th, 2015

Late Registration: November 25th, 2015

Extended Registration: December 17th, 2015

9. How much does it cost to enter?

Horror Feature: Earlybird: $45, Regular: $50, Late: $60, Extended: $70

Horror Short: Earlybird: $30, Regular: $35, Late: $45, Extended: $55

Sci-Fi Feature: Earlybird $45, Regular: $50, Late: $60, Extended: $70

Horror Short: Earlybird: $30, Regular: $35, Late: $45, Extended: $55

10. Who's eligible, what are the guidelines to enter?

Entry in the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival is open to professional and non-professional filmmakers working in all the genre of horror and sci-fi. Feature films and shorts of all styles and lengths are eligible for consideration.

Short films are considered to be all films under sixty (30) minutes in length.

Feature films are considered to be all films sixty (60) minutes or more in length.

11. Is there a student category?

There are no student categories in the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival but there is one for the Phoenix Film Festival.

12. What formats do they accept for jurying?

Submissions are accepted via upload on FilmFreeway.

13. What formats do they accept for exhibition/screening?

Digital upload.

14. How many films screened at the festival last year?

59

15. How long is a typical shorts block or paper presentation at their event?

Anywhere from 85 to 115 mins

16. How many films or papers do they program per block?

An average of 7 per block.

17. How do people register to attend? Does it cost to attend as a guest?

People register to attend via Brown Paper Tickets.

The costs are as follow:

Single: General: $13 - Student/Senior: $13

Flex: General: $40 - Student/Senior: $35

Festival: General: $120 - Student/Senior: $100

VIP: $250 - Student/Senior: $225

Platinum: General: $300 - Student/Senior: $265

18. Look at the sponsorship page and see what businesses, grants and private entities give money to the event. Figure out how many of each kind and note any leads might be useful to us.

Presenting: Cox, Stars

Premiere: Lexus, AARP

Venue: Harkins Theatres, Macerich

Media: The Arizona Republic, InMedia

Official Festival: FXM

Supporting Foundations: City of Phoenix: Office of Arts and Culture

Producing: Skygate Pictures, King of Horror

Restaurant: The Hub Grill and Bar

Supporting: Flor, Desperado

19. What are their sponsorship levels and incentives for each level?

A form of sponsorship I could find was the "Reel Friend" partnership. Levels include:

Tarantino Circle: $100

20% off passes and merchandise

Recognition on the Website, Festival program, and Walk of Fame

Invitation to a special preview screening with the filmmaker before 2016 Festival

Scorsese Circle: $250

All the benefits above

Invitations to two special screenings

Early notification of films selected to play at the Phoenix Film Festival

Early access to screening tickets

Competition Film Supporter, your name will be announced during desired films

Spielberg Circle: $500

All the benefits above

On-screen slide recognition at festival

Invitation for 2 to film festival kick off event

Showcase Film supporter: your name will be in program listed as showcase film supporter and announced during desired films

Kubrick Circle: $750

All the benefits above

Two passes to Opening night premiere event

Hitchcock Circle: $1000

All the benefits above

Invitation to VIP Filmmaker Meet & Greet dinner

Ticket Concierge to personally process your ticket

Prime Showcase Film Supporter recognized during prime showcase film and throughout desired films 

20. Did they have a kickstarter/indiegogo? What incentives did they have for each level of donor?

N/A

21. What kind of non-traditional film/video events have they had before? 

"Attendees can catch premieres of short and feature horror and sci-fi films from all over the world, along with eclectic programming of older films, special guests and cult classics"

22. Are there ways in which they have expanded the typical film screening event? How have they branched out from sitting in a dark room in front of a screen?

Aside from film screenings, there are several events they hold such as zombie walks, scavenger hunts as well as horror-themed beauty pageants.

My Website Experience:

After taking the time to look through the entirety of the festival website, I found the overall experience to be easily accessible. There didn't seem to be anything embedded into the website and most general questions and inquiries could be answered by navigation through the tabs on the homepage. Some of the information was a bit vague, and I felt as though it could have been a bit more specific on donor options as well as their festival sponsorship. I could see at the bottom of the page who was involved with keeping the festival going but I didn't really understand how to sponsor the festival if I was a potential investor, outside of calling of course. The banner of the homepage grabbed me considering it fit the theme of the festival, as well as giving the most important information relevant to the running of the festival. If I were to redesign the webpage, I would try to make the website stand out a bit more from the overall Phoenix Film Festival Website. A few of the links just jumped back to the overall webpage and strayed away from the focus of this specific festival. I just wanted it to feel a bit more unique to the theme the festival was going for.