I learned about WINNEBAGO MAN Jack Rebney about a week before the festival. I saw the documentary about him yesterday, and then the director Ben Steinbauer won the Sarasota Film Festival's award for Best Documentary Feature at the Filmmaker's Tribute last night.
It's nice how things work out like that.
I'm not much of a big party person, but I was determined to go to the Late Night Wrap Party and have fun. And I did - I had excellent time. Ceviche was a fun maze of people and stairs and good food and drinks and elevators and stars. And I got what I wanted at the very end of the night - I talked for a few minutes with Richard Schiff (of The West Wing among other things) before he left, and got a photo with him.
It's nice how things work out like that.
Today was just a chill relaxed day - no 9am staff meeting, no events to run around and help set up... I sat in on the documentary D TOUR and was treated to an amazing film with good music and a good story and message. A great last day of the festival; a great 10 days really...
It's nice how things worked out.
Wendy
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Trust Territory
Absolutely blown away.
I mentioned the performance by TJ and Dave on Tuesday. Today I saw the documentary about them, TRUST US, THIS IS ALL MADE UP.
Improv has never looked so good. (On film, at any rate.)
There are so may angles that make this film interesting: from a film audience perspective, from a live performance audience perspective (in trying to recreate that feel but through film), from a viewer who is familiar with improv, to a viewer who has never seen any kind of improv before...
And then there's the performer perspective. I did improv on stage before audience for almost 3 years. And maybe that's why I am so impressed by the 83 minutes of film I saw today.
For me (and for a lot of performers, I would wager) it's just not an easy thing to explain why you keep performing improv - there's a rush, but it's more than that. This film is absolutely what I know and FEEL and remember from all the performances I ever did with Theatre Strike Force in Gainesville - I got nerves in anticipation of TJ and Dave going on stage in the film; It felt like I was there with them.
The camera-work and editing just give this first-person view of what's going on stage; you see every little nuance: the stuff you're looking for from your partner when you're an improviser - the stuff that a live audience rarely sees all of, because they're too far away too separated from the stage.
There's always the possibility that filming something live and spontaneous will absolutely ruin that thing (by making it no longer live or spontaneous). With improv it may be more difficult to convey that, since some people seem to have a hard time anyway in grasping/believing that it is entirely made up, right on the spot even in a live performance (let alone for a movie, albeit a documentary).
But Alex Karpovsky does it. And it's brilliant. And it's funny. And it's real. He uses an entire near-hour-long performance, without mincing any of the slight lulls or what might be thought of as 'mistakes' in the performance (there are no real mistakes in improv, trust me).
It's funny. It's good. You want to see this even if you have no idea what I've been saying at all. Really, you do.
Wendy
I mentioned the performance by TJ and Dave on Tuesday. Today I saw the documentary about them, TRUST US, THIS IS ALL MADE UP.
Improv has never looked so good. (On film, at any rate.)
There are so may angles that make this film interesting: from a film audience perspective, from a live performance audience perspective (in trying to recreate that feel but through film), from a viewer who is familiar with improv, to a viewer who has never seen any kind of improv before...
And then there's the performer perspective. I did improv on stage before audience for almost 3 years. And maybe that's why I am so impressed by the 83 minutes of film I saw today.
For me (and for a lot of performers, I would wager) it's just not an easy thing to explain why you keep performing improv - there's a rush, but it's more than that. This film is absolutely what I know and FEEL and remember from all the performances I ever did with Theatre Strike Force in Gainesville - I got nerves in anticipation of TJ and Dave going on stage in the film; It felt like I was there with them.
The camera-work and editing just give this first-person view of what's going on stage; you see every little nuance: the stuff you're looking for from your partner when you're an improviser - the stuff that a live audience rarely sees all of, because they're too far away too separated from the stage.
There's always the possibility that filming something live and spontaneous will absolutely ruin that thing (by making it no longer live or spontaneous). With improv it may be more difficult to convey that, since some people seem to have a hard time anyway in grasping/believing that it is entirely made up, right on the spot even in a live performance (let alone for a movie, albeit a documentary).
But Alex Karpovsky does it. And it's brilliant. And it's funny. And it's real. He uses an entire near-hour-long performance, without mincing any of the slight lulls or what might be thought of as 'mistakes' in the performance (there are no real mistakes in improv, trust me).
It's funny. It's good. You want to see this even if you have no idea what I've been saying at all. Really, you do.
Wendy
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Things to Celebrate
The World Cinema Celebration started out for me as an hour or more of filling and moving sandbags (that then weren't actually needed) and a resultant sunburn (because I really needed an alluring farmer's tan)... Nothing too worldly, cinematic, or celebratory there.
But the event was awesome - and packed - and delicious - and entertaining. You start to wonder if it's possible to hear too many good things. So an amazing job well done by our Events department and crew. (I'm still thinking about that pineapple ice cream...)
Wendy
But the event was awesome - and packed - and delicious - and entertaining. You start to wonder if it's possible to hear too many good things. So an amazing job well done by our Events department and crew. (I'm still thinking about that pineapple ice cream...)
Wendy
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Making it up as we go along...
I graduated from the University of Florida in August 2008. That was the last time I performed improv - the last time I had seen any as well. I performed with Theatre Strike Force (TSF) for two and a half years (and also spent a semester with Vic Improv in Wellington, New Zealand) - then graduated - then moved back to Sarasota from Gainesville... then nothing.
The last show I performed (our troupe was called 'Murph!') was absolutely the best show I had been in and the most fun I've ever had doing improv. So it's strange to go from that absolute high in performance and involvement to absolute zero.
Needless to say, as soon as I found out that two of the best improvisers from Chicago (or anywhere) would be in Sarasota to perform, I was absolutely going to be there. And I wanted to share the love.
Fourteen members of TSF drove 3 hours (each way) to see TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi here in Sarasota tonight. It was awesome on all accounts. The performance was - well, they're TJ and Dave! It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing; which is the amazing part of improv (and often hard for people to understand).
TSF took up almost two full rows in the Historic Asolo; they came not just to watch and laugh and enjoy the show, but also to learn (but mostly to watch and laugh and enjoy the show). It wouldn't surprise me to see any of my friends on that stage; maybe they caught a glimpse of their future tonight.
The festival is offering so much this year that extends through all the arts - it's not just about movies and filmmaking - it's about artistry. And that's a powerful thing.
Wendy
The last show I performed (our troupe was called 'Murph!') was absolutely the best show I had been in and the most fun I've ever had doing improv. So it's strange to go from that absolute high in performance and involvement to absolute zero.
Needless to say, as soon as I found out that two of the best improvisers from Chicago (or anywhere) would be in Sarasota to perform, I was absolutely going to be there. And I wanted to share the love.
Fourteen members of TSF drove 3 hours (each way) to see TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi here in Sarasota tonight. It was awesome on all accounts. The performance was - well, they're TJ and Dave! It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing; which is the amazing part of improv (and often hard for people to understand).
TSF took up almost two full rows in the Historic Asolo; they came not just to watch and laugh and enjoy the show, but also to learn (but mostly to watch and laugh and enjoy the show). It wouldn't surprise me to see any of my friends on that stage; maybe they caught a glimpse of their future tonight.
The festival is offering so much this year that extends through all the arts - it's not just about movies and filmmaking - it's about artistry. And that's a powerful thing.
Wendy
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Nothing like a Twin Paradox
Funny story:
At the festival kick-off party, this couple started chatting with me and my (twin) sister, as we were all standing near each other waiting for some announcements. We learned the wife was pregnant with - you guessed it - twins.
Funnier story:
A few minutes later there were some announcements, including mention that the director of one of the films in the festival was in attendance at the party for his film Moon. He was - you guessed it - the husband we were talking to (I had no idea who he was; assumed he was 'just some guy' involved with sponsoring the festival).
Funniest story:
I went to see the (only!) screening of Moon - both because I wanted to and because I kind of felt like I should since I hadn't had a clue that I was talking to the director. Then, during the quick introduction to the film, I learned that the director, Duncan Jones, also went by the name Zowie Bowie for a time.
Oh.
David Bowie's son.
(Yes, THAT David Bowie.)
I was talking to him. With NO idea who he was.
Brilliant.
Anyway, the film was good - I enjoyed it as I don't often seek out science fiction in my cinematic diet. I don't want to give anything away, but the fact that Jones and his wife are expecting twins adds an interesting dynamic to thinking about the film.
Wendy
At the festival kick-off party, this couple started chatting with me and my (twin) sister, as we were all standing near each other waiting for some announcements. We learned the wife was pregnant with - you guessed it - twins.
Funnier story:
A few minutes later there were some announcements, including mention that the director of one of the films in the festival was in attendance at the party for his film Moon. He was - you guessed it - the husband we were talking to (I had no idea who he was; assumed he was 'just some guy' involved with sponsoring the festival).
Funniest story:
I went to see the (only!) screening of Moon - both because I wanted to and because I kind of felt like I should since I hadn't had a clue that I was talking to the director. Then, during the quick introduction to the film, I learned that the director, Duncan Jones, also went by the name Zowie Bowie for a time.
Oh.
David Bowie's son.
(Yes, THAT David Bowie.)
I was talking to him. With NO idea who he was.
Brilliant.
Anyway, the film was good - I enjoyed it as I don't often seek out science fiction in my cinematic diet. I don't want to give anything away, but the fact that Jones and his wife are expecting twins adds an interesting dynamic to thinking about the film.
Wendy
Saturday, March 28, 2009
28 Days Later
Imagine if you opened the newspaper (you do remember what those are, right?) and turned to the movie reviews and read:
"Oren Moverman's THE MESSENGER is a powerful military drama that had the audience laughing in their seats and rolling in the aisles."
That would be weird, right?
But that's kind of how I felt. It was a good film; it covered heavy, serious subject matter. But it didn't wear you down and make you weep for the tragedy of existence. It said: this is life and this is how we live in the face of death; this is how we cope.
And it was also funny. (As the film went on, I started to pay just as much attention to audience reaction as to the movie itself.) Perhaps that's inevitable with an actor like Woody Harrelson in one of the starring roles... but maybe that's what made it real for me - my life isn't a comedy, nor is it a sad, stony drama. Humor is a classic coping mechanism; as many times as I teared up during the screening, there were just as many (and probably more) things to laugh about. The balance was incredible.
The Q&A with the cast and filmmakers after the film was a nice bonus. The most amazing things - that the film was done in 28 days; that Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson didn't know who was on the other side of the door, or what exactly would happen until they knocked - really translated into intensity and focus and creating the 'reality' of the film.
If you missed it, I hate to say it, but you kind of missed out. Fortunately, the 2009 Sarasota Film Festival is off to a great start - and there will be a lot more amazing films and events to catch over the next week.
See you there!
Wendy
"Oren Moverman's THE MESSENGER is a powerful military drama that had the audience laughing in their seats and rolling in the aisles."
That would be weird, right?
But that's kind of how I felt. It was a good film; it covered heavy, serious subject matter. But it didn't wear you down and make you weep for the tragedy of existence. It said: this is life and this is how we live in the face of death; this is how we cope.
And it was also funny. (As the film went on, I started to pay just as much attention to audience reaction as to the movie itself.) Perhaps that's inevitable with an actor like Woody Harrelson in one of the starring roles... but maybe that's what made it real for me - my life isn't a comedy, nor is it a sad, stony drama. Humor is a classic coping mechanism; as many times as I teared up during the screening, there were just as many (and probably more) things to laugh about. The balance was incredible.
The Q&A with the cast and filmmakers after the film was a nice bonus. The most amazing things - that the film was done in 28 days; that Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson didn't know who was on the other side of the door, or what exactly would happen until they knocked - really translated into intensity and focus and creating the 'reality' of the film.
If you missed it, I hate to say it, but you kind of missed out. Fortunately, the 2009 Sarasota Film Festival is off to a great start - and there will be a lot more amazing films and events to catch over the next week.
See you there!
Wendy
Friday, March 27, 2009
Ready, set... SFF!
I was up at 4am - I've been up to Tampa airport and back - already had a power nap, and waiting on a staff meeting to begin.
Yes, it's 9am. Good morning!
The 11th Annual Sarasota Film Festival kicks off today.
(As if you didn't know!)
Hope to see you at THE MESSENGER - screening at the Van Wezel tonight at 7pm. You can still get tickets - online at www.sarasotafilmfestival.com, by phone at 941.366.6200 or in person at the Box Office, 1991 Main Street, Main Plaza, Sarasota.
Alright, you'll get more later. Yeesh. It's only 9am.
Yes, it's 9am. Good morning!
The 11th Annual Sarasota Film Festival kicks off today.
(As if you didn't know!)
Hope to see you at THE MESSENGER - screening at the Van Wezel tonight at 7pm. You can still get tickets - online at www.sarasotafilmfestival.com, by phone at 941.366.6200 or in person at the Box Office, 1991 Main Street, Main Plaza, Sarasota.
Alright, you'll get more later. Yeesh. It's only 9am.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Long Days Bring 'Hollywood Nights'
If you haven't assumed by now, the NINE DAYS (which is LESS THAN
TWO WEEKS) leading up to the Festival can be... let's just say, 'quite
involved'. There aren't too many figurative chickens running around
with their figurative heads cut off yet - after all, we try to save that kind
of spectacle for the main event, right? - but there is still lots to be done.
That said, there is lots BEING done!
I'm usually stuffed in a room working on Marketing this and Marketing
that until my blinking has coordinated with the clicking of my mouse
button (she says, somewhat prone to exaggeration at times), but I do
hear tales of the 'outside world' on occasion.
So today (tonight?), I bring you an exciting preview of... the FUTURE!
Do you know where you - and your children! - will be on Sunday,
March 29th at 5pm? Here's a hint:
Thank Allison and George in the Outreach and Education department
for the video! Looks like an awesome event - so don't miss out!
To learn more about youthFEST this year and purchase tickets, please
visit: http://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com/2009/festival/youthfest/
TWO WEEKS) leading up to the Festival can be... let's just say, 'quite
involved'. There aren't too many figurative chickens running around
with their figurative heads cut off yet - after all, we try to save that kind
of spectacle for the main event, right? - but there is still lots to be done.
That said, there is lots BEING done!
I'm usually stuffed in a room working on Marketing this and Marketing
that until my blinking has coordinated with the clicking of my mouse
button (she says, somewhat prone to exaggeration at times), but I do
hear tales of the 'outside world' on occasion.
So today (tonight?), I bring you an exciting preview of... the FUTURE!
Do you know where you - and your children! - will be on Sunday,
March 29th at 5pm? Here's a hint:
Thank Allison and George in the Outreach and Education department
for the video! Looks like an awesome event - so don't miss out!
To learn more about youthFEST this year and purchase tickets, please
visit: http://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com/2009/festival/youthfest/
Monday, March 16, 2009
I'm thinking of a word that starts with 'V' and ends in 'olunteer'
Wow, it's Monday morning again. I need to go to sleep so that it's... later on Monday morning.
We had a decent turn out for a Sunday volunteer orientation. I wasn't sure if I was expecting much more than crickets chirping in the corners of the room. (And let's just say I would NOT recommend the use of crickets as film festival volunteers... I won't say they'd be a bit lacking in interpersonal skills or a horrible nuisance in a darkened theatre or create an awkward situation when you have to fill out a form explaining how your volunteers have been fatally stepped on...)
But we have volunteers - and more volunteers! But we would still love to have more volunteers! More volunteers!
Volunteers!
Non-cricket volunteers!
That's all.
You should volunteer.
-Wendy
We had a decent turn out for a Sunday volunteer orientation. I wasn't sure if I was expecting much more than crickets chirping in the corners of the room. (And let's just say I would NOT recommend the use of crickets as film festival volunteers... I won't say they'd be a bit lacking in interpersonal skills or a horrible nuisance in a darkened theatre or create an awkward situation when you have to fill out a form explaining how your volunteers have been fatally stepped on...)
But we have volunteers - and more volunteers! But we would still love to have more volunteers! More volunteers!
Volunteers!
Non-cricket volunteers!
That's all.
You should volunteer.
-Wendy
Friday, March 13, 2009
Artist's Oaf Is Mall Fave*
The cat's out of the bag. The jig is up. Uh... All's well that ends well...?
What I mean to say is - the Sarasota Film Festival announced it's line-up last week. So now everyone knows everything that they absolutely can't miss (160+ films! Parties! Tributes! 160+ films! Events! Special Guests! Let's not forget the 160+ films!) - and it was all wrapped up in a neat little press release. (You can read all eleven neat little pages of it here: http://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com/2009/news/latest-news/ )
Now I'm no journalism expert, but where's the fun in that? Who on earth wants to just SIT and READ all the information they want at precisely the moment they want to know it? After all, the suspense is in the waiting! (Am I right or am I right? You can tell me I'm right; it's okay, I can handle it.)
So what would I do? Why, release all the information in a press release of course.
Except.
In aggravating anagram form!
You don't really want to know all the stars who are coming... because once you do know, it just ruins the surprise of not-knowing. But a press release full of anagrams that you have to tediously solve keeps the surprise alive longer - at least, for a few infuriating increments of precious time!
I mean, what if I told you that the Sarasota Film Festival special guests would include Known Acids, Honorary Dowels, or even Newsroom Ninja?
I can tell you're excited.
'Who are these people?!' you would say.
You would wrack your brain. 'Who? Who!'
You would lose sleep.
(And I'd be really sorry about that. You really should get a decent night's sleep.)
And you would get to the Festival and say, 'Ohmygoodness! Nick Dawson! Woody Harrelson! Norman Jewison! I should have known!'
But like I said, I'm no journalism expert. So you go ahead and look forward to seeing Steve Buscemi, Illeana Douglas, Bill Paxton, Richard Schiff, Jon Voight and all the rest. You know they're coming. How exciting.
(No, seriously. That's pretty exciting.)
-Wendy
*Let's see you come up with a better anagram of 'Sarasota Film Festival'.
What I mean to say is - the Sarasota Film Festival announced it's line-up last week. So now everyone knows everything that they absolutely can't miss (160+ films! Parties! Tributes! 160+ films! Events! Special Guests! Let's not forget the 160+ films!) - and it was all wrapped up in a neat little press release. (You can read all eleven neat little pages of it here: http://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com/2009/news/latest-news/ )
Now I'm no journalism expert, but where's the fun in that? Who on earth wants to just SIT and READ all the information they want at precisely the moment they want to know it? After all, the suspense is in the waiting! (Am I right or am I right? You can tell me I'm right; it's okay, I can handle it.)
So what would I do? Why, release all the information in a press release of course.
Except.
In aggravating anagram form!
You don't really want to know all the stars who are coming... because once you do know, it just ruins the surprise of not-knowing. But a press release full of anagrams that you have to tediously solve keeps the surprise alive longer - at least, for a few infuriating increments of precious time!
I mean, what if I told you that the Sarasota Film Festival special guests would include Known Acids, Honorary Dowels, or even Newsroom Ninja?
I can tell you're excited.
'Who are these people?!' you would say.
You would wrack your brain. 'Who? Who!'
You would lose sleep.
(And I'd be really sorry about that. You really should get a decent night's sleep.)
And you would get to the Festival and say, 'Ohmygoodness! Nick Dawson! Woody Harrelson! Norman Jewison! I should have known!'
But like I said, I'm no journalism expert. So you go ahead and look forward to seeing Steve Buscemi, Illeana Douglas, Bill Paxton, Richard Schiff, Jon Voight and all the rest. You know they're coming. How exciting.
(No, seriously. That's pretty exciting.)
-Wendy
*Let's see you come up with a better anagram of 'Sarasota Film Festival'.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Box Office is Open!
The Sarasota Film Festival Box Office opened on March 2nd. Visit in person* at 1991 Main Street (Main Plaza), adjacent to the Regal Hollywood 20 Theatre. Or - buy your advance passes and tickets to events online at www.SarasotaFilmFestival.com !
*Please note that the Box Office is currently open from 11am to 6pm (weekdays) and 12noon to 5pm (weekends).
Thanks for your support!
*Please note that the Box Office is currently open from 11am to 6pm (weekdays) and 12noon to 5pm (weekends).
Thanks for your support!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Magic of Thinking SFF
The most glorious thing in the world is to have an email inbox page entirely of messages from one day of work. On a Friday. ALL about work-related things (nothing frivolous here!). And to wake up to more on both Saturday and Sunday.
I don't mean that facetiously (or sarcastically, or...) - Honest. If you think I do mean it that way (which I know can be difficult to tell over the internet), then read it and reread it - again and again - until it sounds sincere. I'll wait.
Finished?
Good.
You know what's exciting about all those emails? They mean that people are getting things done, working hard, making progress - not settling for a 9-5/Mon-Fri to make this film festival thing happen. People doing their best to create the best ten days of entertainment that they can. How cool is that?
I'm impressed.
And as much as I try to live away from my computer on the weekends, I felt compelled to check my inbox a few times - because I knew the energy was there (and thus, emails would follow). I knew there were things to be done and the SFF staff never seems to stop!
("Magic 8-Ball, do they ever sleep?"
"My sources say No."
"Never?"
"Very Doubtful."
"Never ever?"
"Are you kidding? It's only 26 days until the festival!
...I Mean... Outlook Not So Good.")
So, all I can do is keep in it, keep up with it, and keep checking if there's something in my inbox that I can help out with...
And I was right. Something's there.
It just keeps gaining momentum.
Wendy
I don't mean that facetiously (or sarcastically, or...) - Honest. If you think I do mean it that way (which I know can be difficult to tell over the internet), then read it and reread it - again and again - until it sounds sincere. I'll wait.
Finished?
Good.
You know what's exciting about all those emails? They mean that people are getting things done, working hard, making progress - not settling for a 9-5/Mon-Fri to make this film festival thing happen. People doing their best to create the best ten days of entertainment that they can. How cool is that?
I'm impressed.
And as much as I try to live away from my computer on the weekends, I felt compelled to check my inbox a few times - because I knew the energy was there (and thus, emails would follow). I knew there were things to be done and the SFF staff never seems to stop!
("Magic 8-Ball, do they ever sleep?"
"My sources say No."
"Never?"
"Very Doubtful."
"Never ever?"
"Are you kidding? It's only 26 days until the festival!
...I Mean... Outlook Not So Good.")
So, all I can do is keep in it, keep up with it, and keep checking if there's something in my inbox that I can help out with...
And I was right. Something's there.
It just keeps gaining momentum.
Wendy
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The Trouble With Time Travel
Dropped the ball on this blog thing for a couple weeks it seems ("Seventeen days, to be exact," says the snooty voice of my blogging subconscious) - Whoops.
Well, imagine a flurried-hurried montage with fast-forwarding noises for a soundtrack, and the past few/several/many/lots of days that I haven't blogged about look something like this:
Fight with myspace. Fight with myspace. Hate myspace and profess love of facebook. Re-learn some html and CSS and fix myspace. Tolerate myspace again. Make random updates to social sites (EXCEPT the blog, mind you). Read over website copy. Read other marketing copy. Write copy for the SFF marketing department. Rewrite copy. REWRITE copy. Website training. Skip off to Cape Canaveral for a few days (just me, not the rest of SFF). Valentine's Day (a whole other crazy story). Staff meeting that doesn't last eight hours. Marketing copy. Copy. Copy copy copy.
So... What's new with the Festival, you ask fervently.
Tons!
And I still can't tell you about it just yet.
(I might just be being mean at this point. You'll never know.)
Instead, I will tell you one of my goals for this year's Festival. By which I mean to say, the goal my sister wants me to have. Which is: high-five William H. Macy. Which is a problem. Because Mr. W.H. Macy was a guest last year. So that means my goal for the 2009 Sarasota Film Festival is actually to build a time machine - which is a bit time consuming on top of all this proofing and copy-writing.* So we'll see how it goes.
Wendy
(*Secretly, I succeeded with the time machine goal - and I'm actually getting all the completed marketing copy and proofing from my future self.** I would turn it in sooner, except I usually talk to my future self for a few hours,*** trying to weasel information about the festival's success this year. Unfortunately, I'm much better at keeping secrets than weaseling out information.)
(**Don't tell Michele. She thinks I've been working hard!)
(***I can talk to my future self without disrupting the space-time continuum since I've had years of preparation - due to my aforementioned twin sister. I don't recommend anyone else take the risk - not without consulting Back to the Future, at any rate.)
Well, imagine a flurried-hurried montage with fast-forwarding noises for a soundtrack, and the past few/several/many/lots of days that I haven't blogged about look something like this:
Fight with myspace. Fight with myspace. Hate myspace and profess love of facebook. Re-learn some html and CSS and fix myspace. Tolerate myspace again. Make random updates to social sites (EXCEPT the blog, mind you). Read over website copy. Read other marketing copy. Write copy for the SFF marketing department. Rewrite copy. REWRITE copy. Website training. Skip off to Cape Canaveral for a few days (just me, not the rest of SFF). Valentine's Day (a whole other crazy story). Staff meeting that doesn't last eight hours. Marketing copy. Copy. Copy copy copy.
So... What's new with the Festival, you ask fervently.
Tons!
And I still can't tell you about it just yet.
(I might just be being mean at this point. You'll never know.)
Instead, I will tell you one of my goals for this year's Festival. By which I mean to say, the goal my sister wants me to have. Which is: high-five William H. Macy. Which is a problem. Because Mr. W.H. Macy was a guest last year. So that means my goal for the 2009 Sarasota Film Festival is actually to build a time machine - which is a bit time consuming on top of all this proofing and copy-writing.* So we'll see how it goes.
Wendy
(*Secretly, I succeeded with the time machine goal - and I'm actually getting all the completed marketing copy and proofing from my future self.** I would turn it in sooner, except I usually talk to my future self for a few hours,*** trying to weasel information about the festival's success this year. Unfortunately, I'm much better at keeping secrets than weaseling out information.)
(**Don't tell Michele. She thinks I've been working hard!)
(***I can talk to my future self without disrupting the space-time continuum since I've had years of preparation - due to my aforementioned twin sister. I don't recommend anyone else take the risk - not without consulting Back to the Future, at any rate.)
Monday, February 2, 2009
Waving the White Flag of Retreat
The white flag of 'Staff Retreat', that is.
I have been in a staff meeting all day. And I mean that literally - well, very nearly quite literally... just about. Essentially. The SFF Staff Retreat (held very conveniently at the SFF Staff Office) was scheduled from 10am to 4pm today. A few people had to leave earlier in the day - but the rest of us soldiered on. And then some. I didn't get out until 6pm - and even then, the rest of my fellow SFF compatriots were still in the thick of it. (They said to me, 'Go, Wendy! Be free! Let us live vicariously through you!')
But it was a good meeting - plenty of interesting, useful things going on. (No, that's not code for "boring". It was just more of a 'sitting-in-chairs' kind of adventure, rather than the obvious moment-to-moment, day-to-day, thrilling-action-adventure that you might expect from the SFF.) We went over (very nearly quite literally) everything that would be happening or needed to happen from now through to the end of the festival.
You know what that means? I now know what EVERYONE is doing - and WHEN and HOW and WHY. Did they not realize they were giving a mere intern that kind of power? ("Knowledge is power!" Because the inspirational posters in my fifth grade classroom told me so!) The SFF secrets are mine! All mine! [insert diabolical laugh here] But I can't tell you all about it yet, dear readers... But not because "then I'd have to kill you!" or anything. No, more because they'd probably kill me - cement blocks on my feet, conveniently falling off a yacht into Sarasota Bay, that kind of thing. So the most diabolical thing I'll do... is blog about it some more! [insert slightly-less-diabolical laugh here] You know, when they tell me I can.
Until then.
Wendy
I have been in a staff meeting all day. And I mean that literally - well, very nearly quite literally... just about. Essentially. The SFF Staff Retreat (held very conveniently at the SFF Staff Office) was scheduled from 10am to 4pm today. A few people had to leave earlier in the day - but the rest of us soldiered on. And then some. I didn't get out until 6pm - and even then, the rest of my fellow SFF compatriots were still in the thick of it. (They said to me, 'Go, Wendy! Be free! Let us live vicariously through you!')
But it was a good meeting - plenty of interesting, useful things going on. (No, that's not code for "boring". It was just more of a 'sitting-in-chairs' kind of adventure, rather than the obvious moment-to-moment, day-to-day, thrilling-action-adventure that you might expect from the SFF.) We went over (very nearly quite literally) everything that would be happening or needed to happen from now through to the end of the festival.
You know what that means? I now know what EVERYONE is doing - and WHEN and HOW and WHY. Did they not realize they were giving a mere intern that kind of power? ("Knowledge is power!" Because the inspirational posters in my fifth grade classroom told me so!) The SFF secrets are mine! All mine! [insert diabolical laugh here] But I can't tell you all about it yet, dear readers... But not because "then I'd have to kill you!" or anything. No, more because they'd probably kill me - cement blocks on my feet, conveniently falling off a yacht into Sarasota Bay, that kind of thing. So the most diabolical thing I'll do... is blog about it some more! [insert slightly-less-diabolical laugh here] You know, when they tell me I can.
Until then.
Wendy
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Counting Down... 57 days to go!
Less than two months to go, and it's only my first day on the job! But at least I'm not the only new person running around, it seems. I'm already off and running trying to update, regulate, renovate, circumnavigate, and coordinate the Sarasota Film Festival's web presence. You know what that means... We're blogging (right here! right now! you're reading it!), facebooking, myspacing, twittering, and all sorts of other silly verbs that have yet to make their way into the Oxford English Dictionary. But don't worry, I'm not getting paid to be playing on the internet all day (wouldn't that be a lucky break) - I'm just your average film-loving still-job-hunting university-graduate volunteer intern!
Right now, phone calls are flying through the air, films are being finalized, schedules are being set, and everything is just generally progressing towards providing an excellent year of cinema in sunny Sarasota, Florida. (Seriously - it's like 75 degrees outside. Yes, in winter.) So check out the links (the main page for the 2009 festival will be launching soon) and keep yourself in the loop about the Sarasota Film Festival's goings-on - and let us know what you think!
Wendy
Right now, phone calls are flying through the air, films are being finalized, schedules are being set, and everything is just generally progressing towards providing an excellent year of cinema in sunny Sarasota, Florida. (Seriously - it's like 75 degrees outside. Yes, in winter.) So check out the links (the main page for the 2009 festival will be launching soon) and keep yourself in the loop about the Sarasota Film Festival's goings-on - and let us know what you think!
Wendy
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