Are film festivals worth the time and effort when we have the internet?

S

Scott W

Member
Instead of going and spending X amount of dollars on a short are they worth doing anymore to get out to festivals? Isn't the internet here for the purpose of discovering these videos?

I want to create a short film of which I will lose lots of money on equipment, a team and everything else it includes. Is paying for festivals even matter? I suppose it would look ok for resume.

I've won a total of 6 awards in 48 hour festivals which doesn't mean much of anything to me but it occasionally impressive some very small clients.
 
It depends. I'm glad I did it (put 3 films through the festival circuit). If you're a networking kind of guy it can be very beneficial because it's certainly possible to make a lot of good connections with other filmmakers.

That being said, I'm a bit over it at this point. I'll do it again when (if) I have a feature I'm trying to sell, but for shorts I'm pretty much done.
 
The internet is definitely a great tool for emerging filmmakers, but it is kind of a crap-shoot. Honestly unless your video goes "viral", the chance of someone with the power to build your career seeing it is extremely low.

Festivals on the other hand are less random. The films are chosen by merit, thus already bringing your film out of the shadows if it's good enough. And then, the people you meet at festivals can be invaluable. Not only does it allow you to make a face-to-face connection (which will ALWAYS be more powerful than an email) but the people that are there can be important.

In the end, I would say why not both, but I know a lot of festivals will not allow you to place your video online so you do basically have to pick. My opinion, if you have the money, play the festival circuit. The chance for connections and being "discovered" is still much greater. Plus you can always put the film on the web later.
 
jghenderson said:
The internet is definitely a great tool for emerging filmmakers, but it is kind of a crap-shoot. Honestly unless your video goes "viral", the chance of someone with the power to build your career seeing it is extremely low.

Festivals on the other hand are less random. The films are chosen by merit, thus already bringing your film out of the shadows if it's good enough. And then, the people you meet at festivals can be invaluable. Not only does it allow you to make a face-to-face connection (which will ALWAYS be more powerful than an email) but the people that are there can be important.

In the end, I would say why not both, but I know a lot of festivals will not allow you to place your video online so you do basically have to pick. My opinion, if you have the money, play the festival circuit. The chance for connections and being "discovered" is still much greater. Plus you can always put the film on the web later.
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There aren't any film festivals in my area, I was going to submit them across the country to random festivals. That's my only issue with it...
 
I had to travel to the one's I attended (so if you get accepted there is another $500 to $1000 in cost per festival if you attend). Again, it's worth it to a degree to at least experience it, but long range, for shorts, it's too expensive for the benefit IMO.
 
Scott W said:
There aren't any film festivals in my area, I was going to submit them across the country to random festivals. That's my only issue with it...
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For 'modest priced' fests, that have at least some IMDB credit capability, submitting to a fest will benefit everyone who participates, especially if one is in an 'out of the way place'. No it won't grease the skids of Hollywood entry, but it will allow people to build a resume of work, if ever they should audition or go for a bigger project, in a more well known place...

If it is just for 'fun and games' and never will be more... there's Youtube...

I'm registered with withoutabox.com, and usually filter the fests by 'IMDB credit' because that's about the only 'good and valuable consideration' I can offer people who participate in films I make at this time...

And I must add... I live about 90 miles from Downtown Hollywood... and have just about the same ability as someone living in Bugtussel in terms of 'meeting' movers and shakers in the industry... (and I'm very much beyond the age where casting couch opportunities would be forthcoming...)
 
Anyone can be on the internet, in fact almost "everyone" already is so getting your film into a festivals can give you some added credibility and if you know how to market and leverage that then it can benefit you. It all depends on what your goals are.

My work has been in a lot of festivals and in fact I have one project screening this weekend at a local film festival. I'd have to admit that the only benefit for me has been the networking opportunities and free booze. Remember also that there are many people attending will be just like you, so on the other hand meeting other filmmakers may not exactly benefit you since in reality you are directly competing with each other if you look at it that way. One of the best things you can do is just leach as much information from the people you meet on how they did it, where they are going, what they are doing next, etc.. and who knows if you're lucky and they like your work maybe you can get a future project out of it.

Like I said it all really depends on your goals...
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