How best to run festivals in the electronic age?

[Dave Watterson]

It looks as if more and more festivals will have all-electronic entry soon. Many have e-judging too. The very few which give written comments will send them by email. Much of this will apply even if the actual festival and judging does still take place live. (Often there are no written comments for participants, but ther jury may give spoken comments.)

Which is fine when it all works.

At the last couple of BIAFFs a few people did not receive their comments. At least one person claims to have sent an entry and heard nothing about it.

How can we do better?

[Roger Fowles]

From my perspective, as a first time entrant, things went pretty smoothly.

I receive confirmation of receipt for each of my films ( did the person who heard nothing have that confirmation? ) Perhaps a clear timescale.." if you haven't received confirmation within x days please contact us.."

The other thing I'd say is that, while I appreciate that depending on the number and length of films it might not be possible in the early stages of submissions to give a definitive date for receiving comments, I didn't really know what was happening during March and whether I should have expected to have heard. Perhaps regular updates here during those final weeks to set expectations?

As I say, from my point of view, and given the work involved in organising and dispatching the reviews of films, it all worked well.

[Dave Watterson]

Good points, Roger.

We are all learning in this process.

[John Simpson]

Yes the possibilities are huge, but, the mix of Zoom and YouTube is not wonderful. I think with a good film or film festival it is nice just to sit back and relax, preferably with friends. With online festivals the saving in cost of transport and greenhouse gas, will be large, and so very worthwhile. Things are going to be different in many ways, and the past is history, and as they say "History is a foreign land". There may be no going back.

[TimStannard]

Perhaps regular updates here during those final weeks to set expectations?

I'm not sure "here" is the best place as so very few people visit. However, I do think you're right and one central definitive place (presumably a page on the BIAFF website) should be the official place for news on how the entries/judging/results/comments are progressing.

We live in an age where there are many means of communication. And we use one, some or all of them to announce things. No doubt some sort of etiquette will develop were it becomes obvious by what means announcements will be made, but for now, we humanoids are learning.

[Richard Scarsbrook]

The BIAFF entries/results system works well for me. All electronic, card payments accepted, email communications - as good as any other entry system I've used, and far better than some.

I think communication with entrants, including updates on delays in judging etc, is best done by email (as now), not by posting on a website (although announcements should be posted there as well).

[Dave Watterson]

Nice to hear, Richard. Look forward to seeing you in Birmingham.

[TimStannard]

I think communication with entrants, including updates on delays in judging etc, is best done by email (as now),

Different strokes...

From my point of view whilst I agree important stuff (like confirmation of entry, results and significant announcements such as a major change to what had previously been announced) should be via email, I really don't want my inbox further filled with the minutiae of details. If, for example, results are going to be late March rather than early March, when the expectation was "sometime in March, hopefully in the first couple of weeks". I don't feel I need (or even want) to be informed. If I'm that anxious, I will look it up (hence my preference for it being on ta website).
In *my* case, if I started receiving blow by blow accounts of the progress being made, I'd soon start ignoring emails from that sourcewith the risk I'll miss something important.

... for different folks.

Can't please all the people all the time