NW Animation Festival

review: Best of the NW Animation Festival 2012

sven — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 22:01:04 +0000

Here’s an in-depth review of the Best of the NW Animation Fest show that took place on Sept 8, 2012. (Originally posted by fest director Sven Bonnichsen on the Scarlet Star Studios blog.)

1. Hollywood Theatre

This past Sunday’s “Best of the Fest” show went quite well.

I work hard to make sure every show is better than the last. Here’s how we grew this time around:

attendance
By my count, we filled 196 seats. I believe this is the largest turn-out we’ve had to date. That’s 171 paid tickets, 14 guests, 10 event staff, and 1 theater representative. I’ve estimated our NWAF12 shows in May at roughly 200 attendees each night. However, the exact numbers are uncertain. Friday and Saturday ticket sales were 129 and 140 — but we had much better guest turn-out than this past weekend. An improved guest book system means that that the head count this time around is much more accurate.

blu-ray projection
This was our first time projecting from Blu-ray. Whereas a pro-level computer-driven playlist introduced minor static between films at NWAF12, using consumer-grade discs on a lowest-common-denominator technology provided a seamless stream. The Hollywood Theatre’s digital projector has a maximum resolution of 1280×1024, which means anything larger than a 1280×720 Blu-ray is overkill, anyway. After much research, I believe I’ve also found the best solution for converting 25fps films to a 24fps standard. From a technical standpoint, this was our most flawless presentation of films yet.

2. Hollywood Theatre marquee

community partners
In an effort to reach new audiences, I made cross-promotional deals with 11 arts organizations and 4 film festivals. I provided screen ads in exchange for mentions in newsletters and social media. The number of attendees garnered from any one deal was in the single digits. Yet, based on the size of these mailing lists, we probably reached more than 10,000 people who hadn’t previously heard of NWAF.

Hollywood Theatre collaboration
This summer Justen Harn from the Hollywood Theatre approached me with a proposal to form a closer relationship with the venue. Instead of paying 100% of rent up front, we get the space for free and split ticket sales 50/50. Given that 2hours in the main auditorium now costs $800, not having to worry about breaking even was a huge relief. (The new relationship also paves the way for a much bigger event in 2013).

3. Event staff: (front, L to R) Carly J. Cais, Temris Ridge, Sven Bonnichsen, Gretchin Lair, Becky Steele; (back row) Danie West, Nick Doggerpuss Nall, Brad Bolchunos, Christina Beard, Bill Womack

Ten people were on the event staff: Christina Beard, Brad Bolchunos, Carly J. Cais, Gretchin Lair, Nick Nall, Temris Ridge, Becky Steele, Danie West, Bill Womack and myself. It’s a large team — but I’ve learned that simultaneously losing three people to personal emergencies is a very real possibility — so I lean on the side of safety.

We gathered at Magnolia’s Corner immediately across from the theatre at 5:30pm. I should have allowed more time. The wine bar is typically staffed by the owner, and only has one stove. We needed more time to get everyone fed and get bills paid. We wound up heading over to the theatre at 6:15, and had very little time to get oriented before the audience started arriving.

Awkwardly, I had to be watching through the window at Magnolia’s to see when info table staff from other organizations arrived. I needed to leave my food and cross the street to welcome them and help set up. Next time around I either need to keep someone posted at the theatre from 5:30 on — or I need to dictate that tablers have a specific time window in which to set up.

4. event staff clipboards

At NWAF12 I started giving everyone on the event staff a clipboard of their own. Everyone needs a “reserved” sign for their seat, a schedule and a program of films. Certain roles (Lobby Leader, Guest List, Front Door) get additional handouts. The clipboards are a good way to bind all these papers together — and help make the staff feel like they’ve got authority.

I improved on the clipboard concept this time by also giving each volunteer a written description of their responsibilities. I think this is going to be important at NWAF 2013, when I have to find volunteers to cover three days. It’s very likely that I’ll accidentally neglect to give someone an orientation. The written description should help get people up to speed if I’m absent.

The one hitch was that people didn’t have enough time to read the descriptions thoroughly when we got to the theatre. I should have handed them out when we were still at Magnolia’s Corner, and done Q&A while people ate.

Another tweak was that I gave each volunteer a sign with their name on it for claiming their seat (rather than just a “reserved” sign). This made it much easier to give each person the appropriate clipboard. However, it would have been smart to also label the clipboard itself, since there were a number of times when one was left lying on a table and it wasn’t obvious who it belonged to.

It would have been nice to provide “reserved” signs for the info table folk as well. Telling them how many seats are reserved for each organization might be a diplomatic way to clearly limit how many volunteers each brings along.

5. the line to get into the theatre

At Best of the Fest 2011, we had a long line waiting to get into the show and had to start 15 minutes late. That hasn’t been a problem since. Why? Were the doors locked last year until a certain time? Were people just exceptionally tardy, arriving at the last minute? I’m not sure. Whatever the case, we had no troubles with lines this time, and started only 5 minutes past showtime, allowing for stragglers.

6. Christina Beard welcomes attendees

At NWAF 2012 we had two volunteers staffing the door… Unfortunately it felt a little like they were guarding the doors rather than welcoming people in. This time we only had one person out front, and that was plenty.

7. purchasing tickets at the box office

At NWAF 2012, spare volunteers had a tendency to clump in the lobby, talking to each other. It impeded traffic and didn’t look professional. So this time I specifically asked people to avoid doing this, and to seat themselves out of the main flow if they didn’t have anything to do. That problem was largely solved.

There was still more wandering than I would have liked, though. Back in January — when we were having a technical crisis at Portland Animation Now! — I physically walked volunteers to their post and told them to be “locked down” there. If we have adequate orientation time next year, it would probably be a good idea to do a similar “locking” process again.

8. lobby as people are arriving – concessions

My back-up people were most likely to come out from the auditorium to check if they were needed. I should define their station better. Temris needed to abandon her post with the guest list in order to help ASIFA bring in T-shirts. That revealed a flaw in the “written responsibilities” plan: Gretchin hadn’t been briefed about the Guest List position and was unclear about how to take over. Someone from the Hollywood Staff told Christina she should come inside — probably because they were trying to be kind, not because she was doing anything wrong — and I wound up sending her back outside again.

I want to be very clear that my staff are in no way at fault for moving around! My goal is simply to record these movements, so I can find ways to further minimize chaos as the event grows larger.

9. lobby as people are arriving – info table

Since moving to the Hollywood Theatre, I’ve invited ASIFA-Portland to have an info table at each event, hoping to help independent animators connect to an organized community. Having just one organization in the hallway between the auditorium doors seemed a little… sad. This year, with so many more community organizations involved, I was able to squeeze five groups in: ASIFA-Portland, Cascade ACM SIGGRAPH, the Oregon Cartoon Institute, Portland Open Studios, and Schools and Arts Together. I haven’t had a chance to debrief with the people who tabled, but it certainly presented a more lively impression.

10. Anne Richardson and Carye Bye representing Oregon Cartoon Institute

11. Wendy Robinson of Portland Open Studios

One thing I didn’t foresee was that info table folk would want to be handing out flyers for their own events. One of my staff alerted me that another org’s volunteer was blocking attendees’ path, handing them flyers as soon as they’d purchased their tickets. I can’t fault his zeal — but asked the fellow to move back to the hallway so people could move through freely. Now I know to set clearer boundaries about where tablers are allowed to interact with attendees.

12. Temris Ridge laying out programs at the guest list table

We had one door marked for people with advance tickets or buying tickets, and another door for folks on the guest list. At previous events, guests would say their name aloud and our volunteer would cross their name off a list. It was awkward, because you can’t always intuit how a name is spelled — and if the line is busy, it’s easy to miss crossing someone off. So this time I simply had the guest list laid out on the table and told Temris that the job was to make sure everyone coming through signed their name. I think this worked out much better. It also made it easy for me to pop over to the guest list table to see who was in the audience that I might have missed coming through.

The one problem that needs to be solved here is that a surprising number of people show up after the show starts. If my volunteers are in the auditorium watching films, there’s no one to collect signatures, and I don’t get an accurate head count. I don’t really like the idea of keeping someone out in the lobby. I might be able to coordinate with the Hollywood Theatre staff at the box office, asking them to collect signatures. (I give them a spare copy of the list anyway.)

Previously I’ve only put people on the guest list if they sent a RSVP. Having discovered that many folks can’t commit until the last minute, this time I said RSVPs were appreciated but not required. About a third of invitees RSVP’d “no” (due to other obligations), a third said yes, and a third didn’t reply. Much to my surprise, only half of those who said yes actually showed up. We didn’t see anyone showing up who hadn’t RSVP’d. What I take from this is that I can afford to be pretty generous with sending out invitations; it spreads a lot of good will without necessarily eating up a lot of seats.

13. Gretchin Lair, Temris Ridge, Nick Nall — and popcorn!

Gretchin had a great idea that I’ll be repeating at future events. It occurred to her that event staff never have a chance to go through the concessions line to get popcorn. Our runner, Nick, didn’t have anything to do just then, so she sent him around to take orders. Brilliant! It was a lovely treat this time around… Having a “Food Runner” who can go out to grab food at the nearby fast food restaurants will be even more important in 2013, when volunteers are hunkered down for 3 days.

14. Demetra Arnett (SIGGRAPH) and Danie West (NWAF) at the doors to the auditorium

At NWAF12 we had gorgeous programs printed by Morel Ink. This time around, my timeline was too tight to work with a professional printer, so I reverted to using the color laser printer in our office. I habitually print too many programs. I intended to only print 200 this time, figuring that people tend to share. At the last minute I lost my resolve and printed 275, just to be safe. I shouldn’t have second guessed myself!

After the cost of space, programs are one of the biggest expenses associated with running the show. Trying to figure out what I’m spending on ink cartridges, internet research suggests we’re looking at at least 15¢ per page. So it seems that programs cost at least 60¢ apiece (probably more, given how many photos I include) — $165+ in all. At this point in NWAF’s development, that’s not small change.

Even so, I feel it’s important to have some sort of archival document of the program… Much like a museum catalog when you go to an exhibition. Larger festivals sell book-like programs separately; I don’t think we’ve reached that point yet.

15. the audience beginning to fill the auditorium

In the auditorium, we had a pre-show reel of ads from our sponsors and community partners playing on repeat. The theatre has a separate, smaller projector that they use for just this purpose, which makes it easy to start the film program without switching settings. However, after the show I realized that it’s entirely possible to have both the films and the ads formatted at 1280×720 — so next year I could perhaps offer advertisers higher resolution.

Some of the artwork I received went right up to the edges of the screen. It didn’t occur to me that most people have never heard of TV-safe areas. I suspected (and had my fingers crossed) that projectors don’t have the same issue as televisions. Happily I was right — none of the artwork got cut off.

To keep things interesting for the audience, for every five advertisements I included a still image from one of the films. Thinking that people would be more likely to look at the screen when a picture was up, I privileged sponsors by making sure they were the next thing to come on screen each time.

16. welcoming the audience

Event staff spent 50 minutes in the lobby greeting and helping audience members as they arrived. Then, at last, it was time to start the show. I warn our projectionist, Matthew Combs, then stride down to the front of the house. He brings up the lights on the stage…

At this point I’m reasonably comfortable with talking to 200 people. What works for me is to think of them as all being friends, with whom I’m having a casual conversation about something we’re mutually interested in. At the same time, I also enjoy throwing in a bit of showmanship, starting with “Welcome to the Best of the Northwest Animation Festival!” in my most resonant voice.

My main agenda is to shape expectations for the evening by walking through the schedule of events. Chronology is the mneumonic for my speaking points. I try to keep it short and sweet — but inevitably someone opines in the post-show survey that the talking should be even shorter. I think no matter how tight I keep it, some would prefer that I simply not exist, and that this experience be identical to attending the cineplex.

17. introductory comments

I’ll skip transcribing my utilitarian introductory remarks… Instead, here’s the text I wrote for my “from the director” statement in the program.

Welcome to the Best of the 2012 Northwest Animation Festival!

Tonight you are going to see sixteen amazing films from around the world. Out of this year’s 177 submissions, we screened 57 at our big festival in May. Through filling out surveys, you the audience told us which ones were your absolute favorites.

This will be our first show projected from Blu-ray. There are significant challenges in compiling films that were created with different specifications in mind. After a great deal of research and testing, I am pleased to say that we now have the very best picture quality that can be produced using the Hollywood’s current technologies.

The Hollywood is a very special theatre, with a staff committed to preserving and restoring this historic building — while also hosting innovative and original film programs. I want to personally thank Justen Harn and the Hollywood staff for offering the NW Animation Fest special support. I encourage you to help them in return by becoming a theatre member or donating to the current marquee upgrade project.

Because of our new relationship with the theatre, I am excited to announce that the festival will enjoy a major expansion in this upcoming year. Please join us on May 17-19, 2013, for three nights and two days of animated films!

Anticipating a program of more than 125 shorts, we believe this will be the largest animation showcase west of the Mississippi, and the second largest in the nation. At the same time, we’re casting a wider net than ever before to make sure that our selections remain the very best the animation world has offer.

Much exciting stuff to come… Now, let’s watch some films!

Sven Bonnichsen
NW Animation Festival

18. Keith Daly from Schools and Arts Together!

Several of the community partners in the screen ads are groups that I’ve connected with through the new Portland Emerging Arts Leaders group. One of these connections is Keith Daly from the Schools and Arts Together! campaign. I like the cause, and Keith is a good public speaker, so I decided the right thing to do would be to give him 2 minutes before the show to address our audience.

19. explaining the need for Ballot Measure 26-146

In a nutshell, here’s the issue: Portland is renowned as a community for creatives. However, in recent years we’ve lost a startling number of arts teachers. Whereas 94% of elementary schools in the US have music education, Portland is now down to 58%. Whereas 83% of US schools have visual arts education, Portland is now down to 18%. Schools and Arts Together is promoting Ballot Measure 26-146, a limited tax (~$35 per adult resident) that would help hire arts and music teachers for Portland Public Schools.

I very much think of animation as an art form. And I see all art forms as being interrelated with one another. So while this is not specifically about animation, where I should stand on Ballot Measure 26-146 is a no-brainer. Beyond the issue itself, though, giving Keith the stage is in sync with my goals for what the festival should be. I want NWAF to be understood as a community gathering. Using this opportunity to talk about an issue that’s taking place outside the four walls of the theatre helps create that feeling.

20. audience as seen from the stage

By my watch, it was 8 minutes from when I first strode toward the stage to when the films were on screen at 7:13pm. Not bad, I think.

Here’s the line-up of films we screened:

The Maker
by Christopher Kezelos

A Morning Stroll
by Studio AKA

Bottle
by Kirsten Lepore

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
by Moonbot Studios

How to eat your Apple
by Erick Oh

L’Animateur (The Animator)
by Nick Hilligoss

Luna
by Rainmaker Entertainment

The Tannery
by Iain Gardner

Pushkin
by Trevor Hardy

Orange Ô Désespoir
by John Banana

The Machine
by Rob Shaw / Bent Image Lab

Death Buy Lemonade
by Kyu-bum Lee

The Girl and the Fox
by Tyler J. Kupferer

Enrique Wrecks the World
by David Chai

LUMINARIS
by Juan Pablo Zaramella

Paths of Hate
by Damian Nenow

21. after the films

After the first film was under way, Gretchin joined me in the auditorium and whispered that she’d seen filmmaker Rob Shaw come in. Up until I knew he was there, I wasn’t certain how I wanted to end the evening. (Kind of surprising, given the level of detail with which I plan out everything else!) Knowing that a filmmaker was present, I felt an obligation to give him a moment on stage.

22. interviewing filmmaker Rob Shaw

Rob spoke onstage at NWAF 2012. By his own admission, it was a bit rough. This time around I tried to make sure I had questions he’d have ready answers for, and tried to keep our interaction taut.

I asked him to talk about using a down-shooter and paper puppets and any technical challenges involved. Knowing that he has a lot of professional work directing ads, music videos and such at Bent Image Lab, I asked him to talk about why he chose to take on this particular personal project in his copious spare time — what was its genesis? I asked him to say something about what it is that he particularly likes about stop-motion, that keeps him working in this medium.

23. everyone wants to know what’s in Rob’s hand

It would have been nice to take questions from the audience. If there’s adequate time, it’s certainly my preference to have actual dialogue between the audience and filmmakers. However, I was cognizant that the auditorium needed to get cleared in time for a 9:30pm show — whose organizers had accidentally publicized a 9:00 start time — so I kept things brief.

24. audience exiting to lobby

As has become standard practice, we offered free buttons to the first 50 audience members to turn in surveys. With this incentive, we consistently get a ~50% response rate. In all, 81 people turned in surveys — which is pretty amazing!

For the buttons, I had hoped to use an image from this year’s Oscar winner for Best Animated Short: “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.” I got permission to do so… But then was unable to find any still shots that looked really good on a little pin. Instead I went with Plan B, using a still from Iain Gardner’s film “The Tannery” — easily one of the most beautifully rendered images in the show.

25. buttons in exchange for surveys

I’m still processing surveys — but here are a few initial results:

I asked “How did you like the show?” People were given a 5 point scale running from 1 (“hated it”) to 5 (“loved it”). The stats: 55% gave the show a 5, 40% gave it a 4, and 5% gave it a 3. That’s a lot of love! (Those nonplussed 3s still break my heart, though.)

67% of respondents said this was their first NW Animation Fest event.

54% said they went to a film festival this year other than the NW Animation Fest. This validates my hypothesis that some of the people most likely to attend a festival are people who attend other festivals. It strengthens my call for film fests to cross-promote with one another.

90% said they went to an art gallery, play, or dance in the past year. This is powerful proof that my audience is part of the “Arts & Culture” set, who aren’t merely looking for blockbuster cineplex fare.

80% said they create art several times a year (drawing, writing, music, etc.). To me, that’s a surprisingly high number of people essentially self-identifying as artists.

43% said they have purchased animation-related software before. I wouldn’t go so far as to say these people are necessarily animators — but the result does put me in a better position to seek software sponsorships.

26. heading over to the Moon & Sixpence

Everyone in the audience was invited to head over to the Moon & Sixpence (an English Pub) for an informal post-show gathering. The H.P.Lovecraft Film Fest has been using this venue for afterparties for years — but it took me a long time to get there myself. Even though it’s just 3 blocks away, I didn’t feel confident that I knew where I was going. Learning from this, I’ve made sure to always give my audiences walking maps in their programs.

27. afterparty at the Moon & Sixpence

By my count, 19 people came to the pub with us. We were seated in the middle of the room and couldn’t all be at the same table, which was awkward. There is another area just to the right of the main entrance that worked better at NWAF 2012, but it probably wasn’t available. We’ve yet to try the open air courtyard in back.

While most people were ordering drinks and food, Carly and Gretchin dealt with downloading photos to my laptop computer. Reusing a great idea Gretchin had at the last fest, once the photos were downloaded we set them running on loop as a screen saver. That way everyone could share the experience immediately.

28. debriefing with event staff

It’s my habit after each show to ask event staff what we’ve learned and what we can do better. I got a few ideas back, but not as many as usual. It may be that my team has become used to running shows and are less attuned to details. Or it may be that the pub environment wasn’t conducive to discussion. Or it may be that things really are going smoothly, and there just wasn’t much most people could say.

The day after the show I let myself sleep in. I was feeling low — but fortunately nothing like the post-partum depression I had after the 2011 Best of Fest show. Gretchin and I spent a long afternoon debriefing at our leisure, and that made me feel better. I haven’t really articulated it as such previously, but I guess that after hundreds of hours spent producing an event like this, I have a strong personal need to review and digest what just happened before moving on.

Maybe you already guessed that.

29. poster on Hollywood Theatre door

When a non-profit org does a review of their last event, the first sentence usually exclaims it was “a success!” I could honestly say the same thing about Best of the Fest 2012 — but it’s also true that this was probably my least favorite NWAF event.

Simply showing films is not enough. My goal is to build a community of animation lovers. In facilitating this event, I didn’t feel like I did as well at creating a feeling of shared experience among audience members. A few contributing factors…

few local filmmakers
Because NWAF 2012 was much more international in nature, there were fewer local filmmakers in the program this year. That number decreased even further when the selections got boiled down for Best of the Fest. Rob Shaw was the one and only filmmaker I could call up to the stage. Without much local representation, I had a moment of panic at the end of the first film, not knowing if the audience would bother to clap. Fortunately they did. If they hadn’t, then there really wouldn’t be much difference between this show and anonymously attending a big budget film at the cineplex.

brevity
The Best of the Fest show is specifically designed to appeal to people who’d be intimidated attending a multi-day marathon. There’s less of a time commitment — but there’s also less of an emotional commitment and less bonding between the audience members. If you’re a jogger in a marathon, you may be running solo — but you’re running in parallel with everyone else in the race… At the end of it, you’re able to make eye contact with a complete stranger and know that you’ve shared something, even though you don’t know each other’s names. I think that same experience is a subtle yet important social aspect of film festivals — and something that’s lacking when the program’s a mere 90 minutes.

setting the tone
My standard welcome speech is organized chronologically. I say something about the process that brought the show into being, mention if there are intermissions, ask people to turn in surveys on their way out, then join us at the after-party — and please save the date for our next big event several months in the future! I feel like I still need to do a better job at shaping people’s expectations about the content, so that they’re judging what they see by appropriate criteria.

I think I’ve maybe come up with the magic words to put people in the right frame of mind: “If this is your first time at the NW Animation Fest, there are two important things to understand. First, this is a variety show. You might not like every film you see tonight — but it is my hope that you will find at least a few you truly love. Second, this is a celebration of creativity. Some of our selections rough around the edges; they’ve been included because in each case there’s something remarkable about them that transcends the flaws.”

Without these caveats, there are personalities who feel compelled to point out which films “sucked” or were “too bleak” and didn’t deserve to get screened… Even if those very films were Academy Award nominees or winners! Part of my job has to be putting people into a generous, positive state of mind, where they’re able to see in good in things as well as the imperfections.

30. Hollywood Theatre coming attractions poster

Some people’s feedback is misdirected, frivolous, or mean-spirited:

“The seats are so uncomfortable.” (survey. )
(Note: not only do we have no control over the seats — the Hollywood also just installed plush new seats in January.)

[Q: What could be improved?] “Free Booze.” (survey)

“Some of the stories were lame!” (worst survey comment)

Most people’s feedback has been marvelously positive:

“Fantastic and so inspiring to see the snowballing of your event into something bigger and better. After the show I enjoyed reliving favorite scenes with hubby and daughter. Thanks!!” (Shawn D., Facebook)

“Love indie films, love film fests! So glad there’s an animation festival in Portland.” (survey)

“Great selection — good pacing. Loved nearly all — but all good quality choices.” (survey)

“This is a great festival and animated shorts a great medium. I’m a convert.” (Miriam F., Facebook)

“The show was great! I’m going to see them all now!” (Keith D., in conversation)

All told, I know that Best of the NW Animation Fest 2012 was an excellent showcase. …Still, with love and attention I know it can be done even better.

31. coming attractions – closeup

teaser for Best of the Fest 2012

sven — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 07:23:22 +0000

We’ve just posted a new teaser video for the Sept 8 Best of the Fest show! …Please share!

Sept 8: Best of the NW Animation Festival

sven — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 04:33:54 +0000

If you missed the big fest in May, here’s your chance to sample the cream of the crop!

Saturday Sept. 8 at the Hollywood Theatre

Best of the NW Animation Festival
16 audience favorites, one night only

Date: Saturday Sept 8 @ 7pm
Runtime: 92min
Venue: Hollywood Theatre
Address: 4122 NE Sandy Blvd
Tickets: $10 general admission

CLICK HERE to buy tickets

The Northwest Animation Festival proudly presents this year’s audience favorites. See 16 films from around the world at this special one-night-only event. Highlights include Oscar contenders and the 2012 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Short.

A debonair caterpillar woos his lady moth with flamenco guitar. Demon pilots fight a desperate aerial duel to the death…and beyond. A strange creature races against time to make the most important and beautiful creation of his life. A chicken cheerfully strolls the streets of New York—despite mad men, hipsters, and hungry mutant zombies.

Hilarious, dramatic and inspiring, this memorable variety show offers delights for every taste.

more info

review: Portland Animation Now! @ Cinema Pacific

sven — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:00:31 +0000

Here’s an in-depth review of the April 20 Portland Animation Now! show at Cinema Pacific. (Originally posted by fest director Sven Bonnichsen on the Scarlet Star Studios blog.)

Portland Animation Now! – April 20, 2012

We’ve just finished showing Portland Animation Now! at the Cinema Pacific festival. It was exciting to take a NW Animation Fest show out to another city for the first time.

As its website says, Cinema Pacific is “an annual film festival based at the University of Oregon in Eugene that is devoted to discovering and fostering the creativity of international films and new media from Pacific-bordering countries, including the U.S.” After seeing the original PAN! show back in January, Cinema Pacific director Richard Herskowitz contacted me with a proposal to screen it at his festival on April 20. How could I refuse?

1. Bijou Art Cinemas

Our show took place at the much loved Bijou Art Cinemas. The historic building began as a church, then was used as a mortuary for a number of years, before finally becoming a movie theater. Great place!

2. Bijou marquee

Since Cinema Pacific was hosting the show, a lot of the advance work I usually do was unnecessary. I didn’t have to do press releases, invitations, and publicity. I didn’t have to organize event staff, coordinate with the theater beforehand, or host an after-party.

Even so, there was still much to do. I needed to get permission from each of the 20 filmmakers involved. One declined, so I scrambled and managed to get master animators Joan Gratz and Jim Blashfield to share two of their films instead. The projection DVD had to be painstakingly remastered. I also put together a batch of fancy new programs for the audience.

There’s a temptation to slack off when doing a repeat show under someone else’s banner. I remind myself: every show is someone’s first impression of the festival — it’s important to present the best possible show every time.

3. Edward Schiessl, Bijou owner-operator

The long-time owner of the Bijou passed away about two years ago. Edward Schiessl has since taken over, and seems to be doing a really great job putting in new equipment and programming films that connect with his audiences. He was warm, down-to-earth, and a pleasure to work with.

4. auditorium 1 – rear

As it turned out, we had our pick as to which auditorium PAN! would screen in. Auditorium 1 was very impressive, with high vaulted ceilings, a 27-foot screen and capacity for 105 people.

5. auditorium 1 – front

However, talking it over with Gretchin, we decided that if I was running Q&A after the show then auditorium 2 — which has a more intimate feel — would be the better choice.

6. Bijou lobby

So we trundled over from auditorium 1 through the lobby…

7. door to auditorium 2

Passing through the theater’s beautiful enclosed courtyard…

8. auditorium 2 – rear

Auditorium 2 has a slightly subterranean feel to it. In a good way, though! Like the cinematic equivalent of a hobbit hole.

Low ceilings help amplify sound when you’re speaking from the front of the room. There’s more of an incline to the seating than in auditorium 1. Seats, screen and carpets are all in good condition; capacity is 97 people.

9. auditorium 2 – front

Edward obliged a tech check. Everything seemed good: picture was in focus, aspect ratio correct, sound level neither too loud nor too soft, and we got a small portable amp set up with two microphones.

Gulp. Looks like we’re good to go!

10. Cinema Pacific ticket table

Separate from the Bijou’s box office, Cinema Pacific had a table in the lobby for anyone buying tickets on the night of the show. I checked and made sure that the comp tickets promised for my animators were ready and waiting for their arrival.

11. Cinema Pacific volunteers hand out programs

I had put together a short survey for audience members, which was slipped into the PAN! program. As it turned out, Cinema Pacific was also doing surveys. Oops. After conferring, we all decided to slip the Cinema Pacific surveys into the PAN! programs, so as not to bombard attendees with too many loose papers. Even so, it felt a bit embarrassing to ask the audience to fill out two separate questionnaires. Next time, it would be wise to check with the host organization first.

12. audience arriving

People didn’t really start arriving until 10 minutes before the film, with a majority showing up in the last 5 minutes. It was a bit nerve-wracking, pacing the courtyard, reviewing my introductory notes, wondering if anyone was going to come. But this is also sort of what happened when we did our Best of the Fest event at the Hollywood Theatre. A lot of people aim to arrive at the last minute — we have to plan for that.

13. welcome address

After a brief introduction from one of the Cinema Pacific event coordinators, I gave a little welcome speech. I knew from previous experience: keep it short — get to the films.

14. The Box Game on screen

The lights went down, and the films began. To my surprise, there was a much different feel in the house from when we’ve done our other events. Previously, I’ve always made a big deal about the makers of the films being in the audience. There’s a sense of excitement in the air. People applaud after each short. This time, though, it felt like the audience wasn’t prepared to be socially engaged; they were simply there to watch a film, just like any other.

After the first short ended, Gretchin and I started to applaud. There was NO similar response from anyone else, so we stopped that immediately.

15. volume control knob

Despite the general lack of excitement, I was very relieved to hear the audience having audible emotional responses to the film. All the funny shorts got chuckles. There was a little gasp when we briefly see the main character in Ursula 1000 – Rocket topless. And once again, someone exclaimed “YEAH!” when the second Ruby Rocket short comes on.

Everything was going pretty well until Chef Antonio came on. The sound was was distorted due to being too loud. I rushed over to the projection booth…

The projection booths that I’ve encountered so far are universally a bizarre mix of super-new digital technology and old film canisters that have likely been hanging around since the 70s. This one was no different. It has a nice feature, though, which I’d been introduced to earlier: a master volume knob positioned at the door, so you can quickly adjust volume on the fly. Very handy, since folks in the projection booth seldom have an accurate sense of how loud a film is in the auditorium.

16. auditorium sound system

I started fussing with the volume when suddenly crisis struck: the sound cut out entirely!

I ran to the lobby as fast as I could and got Edward. He came and quickly fixed the problem, while the film was still in motion. The sound cut out once more during the Chef Antonio— but was then fine for the rest of the program.

What was the problem? It seems that this particular sound system has a “feature” that causes it to cut out if there’s clipping on the film’s audio track — supposedly to protect the speakers from damage. After it cuts out, you have to hit the on/off switch to reboot.

I’ve tried to be very careful about eliminating clipping in the films I receive, adjusting levels during the DVD mastering process to avoid this problem. I never expected, though, that there would be such a horrifying punishment if I missed an overly-loud spot in a soundtrack!

The same film has been fine in the other theaters where it’s played… But now I know that some equipment will bring the entire show to the stop if I make this mistake again. Painful lesson!

17. Q&A with the audience

A few Portland animators thought that they’d be able to make it down to Eugene for the show. In the end, only Matthew Dan (Chef Antonio) and Cassandra Worthington (Button Song) could be on hand. Not a problem… Taking a suggestion from Gretchin, I shifted the focus of the talk away from interviewing the artists, and made it more of an “art appreciation 101″ spiel.

18. Matthew Dan, maker of Chef Antonio

After the film ended, the first thing I did was welcome the animators down to the stage with me. I asked the audience to give Matthew a very special round of applause, since he’d driven all the way from Portland and then had the bad luck of seeing his film suffer technical difficulties.

19. Cassandra Worthington, maker of Button Song

It was an awkward situation, but I’m pleased with how I spun it. I could have been apologetic about the technical failure — instead, this was an opportunity for the audience to extend some empathy to the filmmaker. Finding a way to bridge the emotional distance between the stage and everyone seated in the audience is a delicate art… This improvised solution seemed to work pretty well.

20. projection palimpsest

Something I only learned after the Q&A was over: the PAN! menu screen had been projecting across my face the entire time. It looks pretty strange in a lot of the photographs — and was distracting enough that someone actually mentioned it on their survey. Live and learn…

21. night in the Bijou’s courtyard

After it was all over, we emerged into a beautiful warm night in the Bijou’s courtyard. Venus beamed down from her perch in the wide cerulean sky.

22. Cinema Pacific poster

Thank you to Richard Herskowitz and Larissa Ennis at Cinema Pacific for setting us up with this screening opportunity; to all of the kind Cinema Pacific volunteers overseeing the event; to Edward Schiessl for his grace under pressure and a good conversation; to all the filmmakers who contributed their fine work to the show; to Matthew Dan and Cassandra Worthington for joining me onstage; and to Gretchin Lair for help preparing the programs, driving us to Eugene, managing lobby matters, and tremendous support in every aspect of the NW Animation Fest..

Next up: The 2012 Northwest Animation Festival — with nearly 60 films from 15 countries — will play on May 18-19 at the Hollywood Theatre here in Portland. Tickets on sale now!

2012 official selections announced

sven — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Official selections for the 2012 Northwest Animation Festival have just been announced!

(Baby) It’s You! – David Cowles, Jeremy Galante, Brad Pattullo
7th – Sara Pocock
A Morning Stroll – Studio AKA
Ámár – Isabel Herguera
At the Opera – Juan Pablo Zaramella
Birdboy – Pedro Rivero & Alberto Vazquez
Bottle – Kirsten Lepore
Bunnyheads – Jim Blashfield with sculptor Christine Bourdette
Captain Hu – Basil Vogt
Cellular Circuitry – Benjamin Ridgway
Chief Serenbe – Evan Curtis
Clearance – Lee Daniels
Cold Country – Chris Palmer & Travis Overstreet
Create – Dan MacKenzie
Death Buy Lemonade – Kyu-bum Lee
Defective Detective – Avner Geller & Stevie Lewis
Dolly’s First Flight – Steve Boot
Enrique Wrecks the World – David Chai
Fisher – Yoram Benz
Floyd the Android – Dim Bulb – Jonathan Lyons
Floyd the Android – Teleporter – Jonathan Lyons
Hamster Choccies – Lee Daniels
How to eat your Apple – Erick Oh
Icaria – Yuliya Boublikova
L’Animateur (The Animator) – Nick Hilligoss
LAIKA presents: The making of the handcrafted stop-motion features Coraline and ParaNorman (in theaters August 17, 2012) – with Mark Shapiro
Little Theatres: Homage to the Mineral of Cabbage – Stephanie Dudley
Live Outside the Box – Shu-Hsuan Lin
Lose This Child – Yuval & Merav Nathan, song by Eatliz
LUMINARIS – Juan Pablo Zaramella
Luna – Rainmaker Entertainment
Mummy Business – The Art Institute of Portland
My Hometown – Jerry Levitan & Terry Tompkins
Old Harry’s Game – writer/creator Andy Hamilton, animation director Joel Simon
One Leg Canyon – Shigeru Okada
Orange Ô Désespoir – John Banana
Pages of Fear – Dina Velikovskaya
Paths of Hate – Damian Nenow
Playing Ghost – Bianca Ansems
Pushkin – Trevor Hardy
Scrap Metal – Anthony Straus
Snow – Corrie Francis Parks
SODA – Norma V. Toraya
Tchaikovsky – an elegy – Barry J.C. Purves, based on Tchaikovsky’s Letters by Irina Margolina
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore – Moonbot Studios
The Girl and the Fox – Tyler J. Kupferer
The Gravity of Being – Beau Burrows
The Machine – Rob Shaw / Bent Image Lab
The Maker – Christopher Kezelos
The Pocket Watch – Greg Doble
The Renter – Jason Carpenter
The Story of a Nice Girl – Jean Yi
The Tannery – Iain Gardner
The Thought Experiment – Matthew Smith
The Wanna-Be Oddie – Jun Bin Lam
This is Not Real – Gergely Wootsch
Three Fragments of a Lost Tale – John Frame
Thumb Snatchers from the Moon Cocoon – Brad Schaffer

April 20: Portland Animation Now! @ Cinema Pacific

sven — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:40:17 +0000

We’re proud to bring you a special encore presentation of Portland Animation Now!—this weekend at the Cinema Pacific film festival in Eugene, Oregon.

April 20 @ Bijou Art Cinemas

Portland Animation Now!
short films from 20+ Portland animators

Date: April 20 @ 7pm
Runtime: 95min
Venue: Bijou Art Cinemas
Address: 492 East 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
Tickets: $8 general public, $6 students/seniors
CLICK HERE to buy advance tickets

Amazing short films from Portland’s powerhouse animation scene! Highlights include…

Kubla Khan by Oscar-winner Joan Gratz: An interpretation of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous opium-inspired poem—claypainted by the animator in a drug-free state. Ursula 1000 – Rocket by Eric Kilkenny: A love story told as a fever dream involving stolen works of art, dualistic robot terminators, and a giant floating head who seriously needs his moustache trimmed. Ruby Rocket, Private Detective by Sam Niemann & Stacey Hallal: It had been a long night and Ruby Rocket, Private Detective needed a stiff one—then HE walked in. Missionary by Mike A. Smith: Geopolitical allegory as cartoon slapstick, featuring eggs and fearsome hand-on-stick technology. Old-Time Film by Barbara Tetenbaum & Marilyn Zornado: Handset type, printer’s ornaments and antique engraving come to life in the first film created entirely through letterpress printing. Operation: Fish by Jeff Riley: After a series of goldfish abductions, a secret agent is dispatched to bring the fishnappers to justice, and possibly save the world!

CLICK HERE for more info

review: Portland Animation Now! 2012

sven — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:07:56 +0000

Here’s an in-depth review of the Jan 27-28 Portland Animation Now! show. (Originally posted by fest director Sven Bonnichsen on the Scarlet Star Studios blog.)

Portland Animation Now! – Jan 27-28, 2012

This past weekend I produced Portland Animation Now! — my third major film event. This was my favorite yet. Not because it ran smoothly… But because there was a crisis and we emerged triumphant.

1. line to the ticket table

FRIDAY NIGHT

Our first night we were running a little behind schedule.

The doors to the theatre were unlocked at 6:00pm. We arrived not more than 5 minutes after six, but discovered one ticket-buyer already waiting — and another taking a nap on the bench where we needed to set up the ticket table. Advance tickets were sold via BoxOfficeTickets.com, which included a notice that our box office wouldn’t open until 6:30. Even so, everyone’s instinct was to purchase tickets as soon as they walked in the front door — even though we obviously weren’t ready for sales yet.

2. Gretchin runs our box office

While Gretchin held back the increasingly impatient throng, the rest of us worked furiously to get our auditorium ready.

Auditorium 2 at 5th Avenue Cinema doubles as a classroom during the week. We need to go through and put seat tables down, move furniture around, sweep the floor, and set up our own microphone, speaker, and CD player for pre-show music. We need to check sound levels and make sure there are no surprise problems with the DVD. As emcee, I need to get each volunteer to their station, reviewing how the projection system works, the lighting setup and light cues. I have to make sure each one knows what to do at the end of the show: who’s handing out surveys and who’s going to go save us a table for the after-show party.

When told, “we’re still getting set up,” one irritable patron exclaimed, “what’s there to set up?!” …Well, now you know.

3. super volunteers: Brad Bolchunos, Nicklas Nall, Dielle Alexandre, Carly J. Cais, Gretchin Lair, Kate Belden

I always plan to have at least one spare volunteer on hand — in case we need to send someone out to deal with an emergency, or if someone gets sick, or simply flakes. On Friday night, I found myself three volunteers short. Each for very good reasons: sickness, a job interview, friends from out of town. I had some advance warning and we managed… Still, lesson learned: always plan to have at least THREE backup volunteers on hand!

In a 100-seat theater, you might think having 8-10 people for event staff cuts into ticket sales. Don’t be miserly. Having the show run smoothly is far more important than giving up a few seats.

4. audience on Friday night

We filled the exact same number of seats each night: 82. While we didn’t sell out, the room felt full. It seems to me that a room feels full at 50% capacity. Most people don’t like to sit next to strangers unless they have to, so there’s a tendency to spread out — and the eye simply skips over the empty seats.

Looking back at my records, I see that the average number of seats filled during last year’s June 3-5 event was also 82. I wonder how to interpret this consistency?

The numbers of seats filled last summer were 97, 87, and 62. (I make no distinction in those numbers between paying audience members and filmmakers who attend free — but don’t include event staff, since we sit in a special area at the back of the room.) NWAF11 was a completely different show each day, whereas PAN! was the same program on both nights. Maybe I can infer that the house would have sold out if there were only one screening this time?

Whatever the case, I think the experiment in showing one program on multiple nights was quite successful. If I can get enough good material to do a PAN! show again next January, I may have it run for three nights, just to see what happens.

5. Ruby Rocket pins and tickets

I go to a great deal of trouble to make the event’s ephemera look pleasing. This was the last time I’ll be showing audience favorite Ruby Rocket, Private Detective for a while, so I worked the character’s image into all of the graphic design. Her image appeared on the ticket stubs, the pre-show slideshow, the programs, and button pins.

I made improvements to the program this time around. One of the surveys from September’s “Best of the Fest” mentioned that the text was too small to read in dim light. So I came up with a new multi-page layout that uses bigger type and includes a small color photo from each film. Stapling all the pages together adds further labor — but this new format will be absolutely essential when I get around to selling ad space.

6. surprising Nicole Lane with award

The PAN! show came about because I saw the chance to do something that hadn’t been done before. This year was my second year producing live stage plays for the group PDX Playwrights at the Fertile Ground festival of new works. While reading through fine print, I noticed that the fest is intended to include live theatre, dance, visual arts, and film.

“Odd,” I though to myself. “I’ve never seen film at Fertile Ground.” Then: “Wait a sec! I show films now! I’ve got lots of films that I could show!”

So I wrote to festival director Nicole Lane to discuss the idea. She loved it. She’s been wanting to include film for some time, but hadn’t known how to reach the right people.

There was some initial concern about the films needing to be world premieres. I pointed out differences between live theatre and animation: how long it takes to produce animation, the economic pressure to premiere in places where there are film markets, and the need to present shorts in anthologies. For film to work at FG, a modest compromise would need to be made.

I proposed the following criteria: (a) films in the program should be “recent” (new if possible), (b) they should all come from Portland, and (c) the program taken as a whole should be substantially different from previous compilations. That sounded fine to folks, and I got the OK.

I’m very proud, in Fertile Ground’s fourth year, to have now produced the festival’s first-ever film program.

7. Nicole receives Fertile Ground award

Working with Nicole Lane over the past six months, I have a pretty good sense of how much effort she’s put into Fertile Ground — a 10-day city-wide festival encompassing more than 100 performances. Making lunch one day, just before the fest was about to begin, it occurred to me: “Nicole totally deserves a medal for this.” Then my next thought: “Oh, that’s totally doable!”

So I emailed all 70+ Fertile Ground producers, and asked them all to chip in for an award. It didn’t take too long to get enough pledges. I went ahead and ordered a hefty yet elegant crystal thing from Bardy Trophy. A lot of the donors were my PDXP playwrights, who were able to just hand me cash. For the rest, I set up a private online payment system via the NW Animation Fest site.

Gretchin has another way of telling this story: “So, Sven was organizing 19 plays and a film festival. And he thought, I don’t have enough to do…”

8. “From your garden, our art blossoms”

I could see from my BoxOfficeTickets.com Will Call reports that Nicole had reservations to see Portland Animation Now! on Friday. Perfect!

After making my opening speech, I announced that we had someone very special in the audience tonight — and sprung the surprise. Nicole was taken totally unaware, and was deeply moved by the gesture. Later, after she got home, she wrote this to me:

“Well, I’m pretty much still blown away. What a huge surprise! I was completely taken aback. I’m not much one for lime-light, more a behind the scenes/keyboard kind of gal and being recognized and thanked by you so publicly leaves me a little discombobulated…and pretty much at loss for words. I teared up in front of a room of strangers — geez!

I’m, honestly, so very touched by your thoughtfulness. That you thought, acted and contacted the other producers….well, that is just so very kind of you. I actually went to three events tonight, and at the one I ran to after yours, I mentioned the award and they all just laughed and said they knew about it and were all in on it. That you went to those lengths, I truly appreciate. Deeply.

You must know I work on Fertile Ground because I love what it is…what it is to artists, first and foremost, and what it can be for audiences in their growth process as well. I feel blessed that I GET to do this and I have skills I can share to help everyone.

I’m still thinking on how I’m going to thank, talk about this, publicly. My first impulse was to FB immediately, of course. And yet, I need to sit with it. I really does mean a lot to me.”

THANK YOU NICOLE! You deserve this and so much more!

9. 5th Ave Cinema – Auditorium 2

Then, we watched a 90-minute program of 22 films:

Ursula 1000 – Rocket
by Eric Kilkenny
Timber
by Adam Fisher
The Box Game
by The Box Game Collective
Ruby Rocket, Private Detective
by Sam Niemann & Stacey Hallal
Missionary
by Mike A. Smith
Mashed
by Adam Fisher
Colorless
by Michael Graham
Old-Time Film
by Marilyn Zornado & Barbara Tetenbaum
The Old Man and the Butterfly
by Andrew Brown
Coffee Critics
by Jesse Brennan
Chicxulub
by Christopher Purdin
Chef Antonio
by Matthew Dan
Phlush PSA
by FashionBuddha
Ruby Rocket, Private Detective Web Series
by Sam Niemann & Stacey Hallal
Button Song
by Cassandra Worthington
Inritus
by Troy Hileman
Pop Goes The Weasel
by Joel Brinkerhoff
Marauder’s Mistake
by Christina Beard
Eyeliner
by Joanna Priestley
Landscape with Duck
by Patrick Neary
Operation: Fish
by Jeff Riley
Old-Time Film: behind the scenes
by Marilyn Zornado & Barbara Tetenbaum

10. Q&A with filmmakers: Eric Kilkenny, Joanna Priestley, Becky Steele, Christina Beard, Christopher Purdin, Marilyn Zornado

As with all the events I’ve run, after the films ended I asked all the animators in the show to come to the front for another round of applause and to take questions from the audience.

There are important things to remember for this part of the show. People are shy at first about asking questions, so it helps for the emcee to start things off with a question that allows each filmmaker to introduce themselves. (My opening has been: “Tell us either about what inspired your film, or an amusing anecdote about the process of making it.) People never talk loud enough for the whole room to hear — so be sure to put a microphone in the animators’ hands — and also to repeat each audience member’s question back after its been asked.

11. Joanna Priestley speaks about her love for animation

I was particularly pleased that Joanna Priestley was able to make it to the Friday night show. Saturday night she was premiering 3 new animated shorts at the NW Film Center — so it wasn’t until Friday afternoon that she discovered there was time in her schedule. Joanna has made more than 20 films, and is widely known as “the queen of indie animation” (a title given to her by the king, Bill Plympton). It was quite an honor to have her with us.

12. Marilyn Zornado & Barbara Tetenbaum talk about letterpress animation

I’m still searching for what questions I want to pose to filmmakers. This weekend I finally got the inkling of an insight. I think I’m looking for questions that help educate the audience about animation in general. On Friday night, I came up with a pretty good one: “Many people assume that you’ve got to be a bit crazy to spend so much time creating up to 24 separate images for every second of film. Help us understand what it is that you love about animation that keeps you going.”

Saturday night, an audience member asked filmmakers to explain what the main methods of animation are, and which variety each film in the program exemplified. Great question… As a facilitator, I need to think about how I might use a variation on that in the future to help the audience better understand what they’re watching.

13. crowd control for Saturday night

SATURDAY NIGHT

Saturday night things seemed to be running smoothly. We got smarter about crowd control, and technical issues with the DVD were all sorted out.

Gretchin took the initiative to make sure that we were the first ones let into the building, so no would-be patrons could lay claim to our ticketing area. We put up a ribbon at the end of the hall so people would be physically prevented from trying to purchase tickets while we were setting up.

Previously, we’d had a series of signs on the wall asking people to separate into a Will Call line and a Buying Tickets line. That totally failed. Everyone just jumbled together. I think part of the problem is that most people pay no attention to the walls. Intuitively, they make a bee line for the ticket table. So for night two, we put a sign on a microphone stand with arrows pointing toward either side of the hall. I’m not sure it kept folks from being a jumble — but when it was time for the Will Call people to pick up their advance tickets, it was indeed easier to get them separated out and queued up.

There was also another music stand at the entrance to the long hallway with two signs on it. One said “Filmmakers please come directly to the ticket table.” The other said “We are running a little behind schedule. Thank you for your patience.”

I am extremely pleased with this second sign — and intend to have it up at every show I do from now on. See, it’s almost always going to be true. And even if we are running on time, it prompts people to be understanding rather than increasingly impatient. Whether or not the sign is strictly true is less important than the atmosphere it creates.

14. a “postage stamp” projection, black bars on four sides

The preceding weekend, I came in at 11pm and did a late night tech rehearsal at the theatre. I’m very glad that I did. I discovered that the DVD player’s settings were wrong, and the films were being “postage stamped” — black bars on all four sides, making the image unnecessarily small. Fortunately, it was an easy fix. Some people still mentioned in surveys that the image should better fill the screen. What they don’t realize is that we’re screening in 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio — whereas the screen was originally made for celluloid films shot at 2.39:1.

During the tech rehearsal, I also discovered an appalling stutter in the pre-show slideshow. After much research at home, I think I figured out what the problem was: the still images had been compressed more than once, leading to artifacts that looked like interlacing lines — and a “de-interlacing” option may have misinterpreted that, creating the stutter. I had really wanted to have the slideshow cycle through 10 images… But in the interests of certainty (since there was no time for a second tech run), I wound up killing the slideshow in favor of the one static image of Ruby Rocket.

15. line extends into lobby on Saturday night

In general, the second night of an event goes easier than the first. The auditorium had already been put in order, and the event staff had a clear sense of their roles. We’d sorted out crowd control, and the DVD was running smoothly…

So it was a terrible surprise when Dielle and Kate came out and grabbed me from the lobby. Up on the screen, we had the following message in big red letters:

REPLACE LAMP

No matter what, it wouldn’t go away. And already we had a line of attendees extending down the hall and into the lobby.

16. Jason Ross, heroic theater manager

We ran and got that night’s theatre manager, Jason Ross. When he saw the message, he was straight to the point: “This could be bad.”

We raced through options.

Option #1: “Do you have any friends who have a projector we could put in the aisle?” Uh, no. And for the price we’re charging, that’s not an acceptable cinema experience.

Option #2: “Call the Portland State University A/V staff.” Unfortunately, it’s a Saturday and the folks in charge of these $500-$600 bulbs all go home by 5pm.

Option #3: “What if we cannibalize the projector in Auditorium 1?” That was my contribution. But even I saw pretty quickly that it was a terrible idea. The projectors are a good 15+ feet up, and all components are sealed inside a metal enclosure. Too dangerous and foolhardy.

Option #4: “We’re going to cancel the show in Auditorium 1 and give you that space.”

Bless you Jason. That was a solution we could all live with. Only a few people had bought tickets to that night’s other show, The Red Shoes. Still, it’s a terrible thing to get all the way to the theater to see a show, just to get kicked out. So I told Jason and Gretchin that anyone who’d bought tickets for The Red Shoes should get comped in to Portland Animation Now!. Jason made a gutsy move to deal with the crisis we found ourselves in — helping smooth things over with his displaced patrons was a no-brainer.

17. announcing the change of auditoriums

As soon as the idea of switching auditoriums was raised, I told my event staff to quickly and quietly begin setting up the other space. How pleased was I that I’ve made a policy of always having a backup DVD on hand? …So pleased!

Then, with the decision official, it was time to time to address the waiting crowd. I climbed up on a folding chair, and a in my loudest, most charming voice proclaimed:

Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your patience. I’d like to explain to you the predicament that we are in. Right now, we are seeing a message on the screen that says ‘replace lamp,’ and we cannot make it go away. This is not acceptable. However, 5th Avenue Cinema has very generously offered to cancel their other show and let us use Auditorium 1. We are now in the process of moving everything to the other room. If you will wait just a few more minutes, we will begin taking tickets here at this table. I’d like to ask everyone to please move to this side of the hall, so there’s an easy path for volunteers. Thank you!

Or, you know, something very close to that.

18. clearing a path down the hallway

As I said at the start, of all the film shows I’ve run so far, this was my favorite. Here’s why.

At most shows, people arrive singly or in pairs. Everybody’s separate from one another, maybe with even a hint of competition, just wanting to get in and get into the seats. But faced with the threat of the show possibly being canceled, suddenly the people in line all had a sense of shared purpose. They would experience success or failure together. All of them were focused on the hope that our crew would surmount the challenge, and everything would turn out right.

Succeeding in saving the evening — fairly gracefully, no less — provides a vicarious sense of victory for all involved. What would have been a routine outing to the movies instead became something out of the ordinary, a story that could be recounted to friends and family later on.

There was drama. There was heroism. We were all in it together. And we won.

19. 5th Ave Cinema – Auditorium 1

5th Avenue Cinema doesn’t usually rent out Auditorium 1. It’s where they show 35mm prints each weekend. But now having done a show there, I can say: it’s niiiiice. There are lights along the aisle leading to the front of the room. There’s a little stage area. There’s more space at the back of the room, and everything feels just a bit better maintained.

I’m definitely having fantasies about how to negotiate use of this room for future events.

20. audience on Saturday night

As the audience waits for the show to begin, they have an opportunity to read my “director’s statement.” I felt my message this time was a little less inspirational than previous ones, but I’m sure it sufficed. Here’s what it said:

As director of the Northwest Animation Festival, I curate films from around the globe — from cities as far-flung as London, Kraków, and Beijing. Yet, it seems that few people understand what a treasure trove of talent we have right here at home. Tonight I’d like to show you.

Portland birthed the California Raisins. It schooled the voice of Bugs Bunny and the mind behind The Simpsons. It’s home to “the queen of indie animation.” It’s a rising force producing hit feature films such as Coraline. All these cultural icons emerged from our electric, eclectic, eccentric community of creatives.

Portland Animation Now! showcases 22 short films from local independent animators. Encompassing both masters and remarkable amateurs, it’s still only a small sample of our creative wealth.

Tonight’s event is being presented as part of Fertile Ground: an annual ten-day arts festival with over a hundred new Portland-generated performances. Traditionally focused on live theatre and dance, I am very proud to say that this will be the festival’s first-ever program of films.

It is my hope that you will encounter something here that helps broaden your vision of animation and our community’s special talents. After the show ends, please stay for discussion. Attending animators will answer questions, helping to further illuminate their process and this remarkable, magic art form.

Now, let’s watch some films!

Sven Bonnichsen
NW Animation Festival

21. filmmakers coming to the stage

During the introduction to the films, I mentioned that there would be surveys available following the show. As an incentive to fill them out, each night the first ten people to turn in surveys would get Ruby Rocket buttons.

We got a great response. Over the two nights, we received a total of 74 responses — nearly 50% of the audience. Still, I may have made a tactical error. As soon as the filmmakers got up to the stage for Q&A, almost half of the audience filed out. Maybe they just wanted to get home… Or maybe I accidentally encouraged them to bolt with the promise of freebies.

22. Q&A with filmmakers: Matthew Dan, Danie West, Troy Hileman, Andrew Brown, Sam Niemann, Michael Graham, Jesse Holden

A lot of comments in the surveys seem to cancel each other out. Some people wanted fewer student films — others were grateful to see a wide range of skill levels. Some wanted a longer program — some shorter. Some felt there was too much talking — others loved the Q&A. Some expressed a strong preference for traditional narrative stories — others were enthusiastic about abstract and/or darker offerings.

When asked how we could improve, a number pointed to things that we have no control over. Such as turning up the heat in the auditorium. And free beer.

One clear positive did rise to the top, though. “Variety” was repeatedly mentioned as one of the program’s strengths. And lots of people cried for “more!”

As for negatives, it seems we need to work on improving sound quality during the Q&A. (Often a difficulty.)

23. Troy Hileman rocks the mic

Here’s the thing that fascinates me most about the surveys.

Despite the crisis on Saturday night — or perhaps because of it — people had almost nothing negative to say about the second show. On the night when things went more-or-less according to plan, people were more critical… Whereas when things went wrong, enthusiasm and supportiveness was higher.

I certainly have no intent of ever manufacturing a crisis. But this does get me to thinking. The time when people are waiting in line is also an experience unto itself. How can I make what happens before entering the auditorium more interesting and interactive?

What if I could arrange things so people in line could be part of making an animated film — one that would then go on screen during the program proper? The technical challenges are considerable… But how cool would that be?

24. Matthew Dan receives enlightenment

Originally, I had been thinking that Portland Animation Now! would be a more low-key affair than my previous events. I figured I could dispense with having an after-party and doing photography, and just show a simple block of films.

But I changed my mind. My photographer from previous shows was eager to be involved. And one of the filmmakers wrote to ask if an after-party was planned. I realized that while this batch of films may be old news to me, for many people this would be their first-ever exposure to the NW Animation Festival. Perhaps some had already been to the June 3-5 event — but even if so, few could have attended all three days. Why would I treat this event with any less importance and gravity than the original fest?

Every show I do will be somebody’s first show. I owe it to them to always give my best.

25. after-party at McMenamins Market St. Pub

Both nights after the show I invited the audience to congregate at the McMenamins Market St. Pub. I even provided a walking map in the program — a detail I’m particularly proud of.

McMenamins was very accommodating. We reserved a table for twenty. Maybe 7 people attended the first night, 10 the next. It was good to let loose and decompress. Me, I got to chat with Jesse Holden (who stood in for Jesse Brennan during Q&A) who has apparently managed to make it to every event I’ve run so far… Wow!

It was also a good moment to download all the photos that our pro photographer Carly J. Cais had taken. After September’s “Best of the Fest” event, I learned that reviewing what happened can do a lot to help me avoid post-show depression. Seeing photos, it’s less like 2-6 months of my life have suddenly evaporated into nothingness.

Two lessons about event photography that I need to remember for next time: Always get a good group photo of your volunteers! And if you’re shooting in low-light conditions, dial down the camera’s resolution to get better results. Since most of my photo use is online, I seldom need anything bigger than 640×480. No matter how good the camera, 2592×3888 is going to slow down image capture and produce blurrier results.

26. marquee

Huge thanks to 5th Avenue Cinema — and particularly Jason Ross — for dealing with our technical crisis gracefully. Being a student-run theater that (due to bureaucracy) lacks direct control of certain resources, it’s not surprising that there will occassionally be snafus. Yet, the rental price cannot be beat — and there’s a lot to be said for an enthusiastic, accessible staff.

(Gotta get them to take down that “free movies” part on the marquee the next time I run a show, though.)

* * * * *

Next up: The Northwest Animation Festival’s second season begins with our international showcase on May 18-19 at the newly remodeled Hollywood Theatre.

I’m really excited about this one… I’ve been receiving great entries from countries all around the world — including China, Norway, Poland, Ireland, and Brazil. And while I’m not quite ready to make the big announcement yet, it’s fairly certain now that we’ll have a very special keynote speaker this time to kick things off.

Hmmm…. Any guesses?

advance tickets on sale for Portland Animation Now!

sven — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:03:23 +0000

Originally, tickets for Portland Animation Now! were only going to be available at the door. After a helpful training from Fertile Ground founder Trisha Mead, we’ve seen the light and will now be offering advance ticket sales.

Tickets: $8 general admission
CLICK HERE to buy tickets

Thanks to Caitlin Barile at BoxOfficeTickets.com for swift and gracious help getting us set up.

program announced for Portland Animation Now!

sven — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:13:12 +0000

We’ve just released the program for Portland Animation Now!

Ursula 1000 – Rocket

Timber
The Box Game
Ruby Rocket, Private Detective
Missionary
Mashed
Colorless
Old-Time Film
The Old Man and the Butterfly
Coffee Critics
Chicxulub
Chef Antonio
Phlush PSA
Ruby Rocket, Private Detective Web Series
Button Song
Inritus
Pop Goes The Weasel
Marauder’s Mistake
Eyeliner
Landscape with Duck
Operation: Fish
Old-Time Film: Behind the Scenes

For full descriptions and photos from the films, check out the PAN! program page.

Jan 27-28: Portland Animation Now!

sven — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:58:38 +0000

January 27-28 @ 5th Avenue Cinema

Portland Animation Now!
short films from 20+ Portland animators

Dates: Jan 27 and 28 @ 7pm
Runtime: 90min
Venue: 5th Avenue Cinema
Address: 510 SW Hall St, Portland, OR 97201
Tickets: $8 cash or check only

Amazing short films from Portland’s powerhouse animation scene! Highlights include…

Eyeliner by Joanna Priestley (dubbed “the queen of independent animation” by Bill Plympton): A playful exploration of the organic geometry and archetypes of the human face. Ursula 1000 – Rocket by Eric Kilkenny: A love story told as a fever dream involving stolen works of art, dualistic robot terminators, and a giant floating head who seriously needs his moustache trimmed. Ruby Rocket, Private Detective by Sam Niemann & Stacey Hallal: It had been a long night and Ruby Rocket, Private Detective needed a stiff one—then HE walked in. Missionary by Mike A. Smith: Geopolitical allegory as cartoon slapstick, featuring eggs and fearsome hand-on-stick technology. Old-Time Film by Barbara Tetenbaum & Marilyn Zornado: Handset type, printer’s ornaments and antique engraving come to life in the first film created entirely through letterpress printing. Operation: Fish by Jeff Riley: After a series of goldfish abductions, a secret agent is dispatched to bring the fishnappers to justice, and possibly save the world!

Portland Animation Now! is being presented as part of Fertile Ground, a city-wide festival of over 100 new Portland-generated arts events.

Buying a festival pass will get you into ALL Fertile Ground shows for a single, low price of $50. When you check out, you’ll be asked to select the company that should be credited with your pass sale. Please select “NW Animation Festival” from the pull-down menu. That’s the only way we get reimbursed for all-festival passholders.

…See you at the show!