Following the previous post about events leading up to the annual Toronto Film Festival, today was Day One of the 35th annual event. Opening night. Full media attendance. What could possibly go wrong?
• A TV guy shooting B-roll inside the *media* lounge got kicked out of the room. Apparently no one is allowed to shoot video or photograph any part of the film festival’s “inside” areas. Also not allowed to video, photograph or interview anyone who works for the festival. And, get this, you’re not allowed to photograph the *exterior* of any theatre where film festival events are taking place (?!?).
• The film festival’s WiFi system died immediately. It was already down when I tried at 2:30 PM.
Can they fix the WiFi? – “I don’t know.”
Can they call someone to fix it? – I’m not sure.”
Is there a backup plan? – “I don’t know.”
Why does the press office use wired Internet but the media has wireless? – “The WiFi is unreliable.”
• All still photographers were required to e-mail an RSVP for the day’s opening event and then wait a few hours to see if they were accepted, as part of the festival’s new media control program. Upon arrival at the event, the film festival’s people had no RSVP lists and had no idea what to do. Result? Just let everyone in.
• Media were required to be in place by 5:30 PM for an event that started at 7:00 PM. Result? Everyone had to stand around for 1-1/2 hours.
• There were more than triple the number of still photographers than videographers. Yet video was given five times more space. The photo area is only half-covered against rain and it even has a small tree in the middle of it. Video area is fully-covered and carpeted.
• On a few occasions, the film festival’s own photographer steered arriving celebrities away from the photo area so that only he could get pictures.
• When the main celebrity arrived, the film festival’s own photographer and camera crew continually surrounded her, blocking all other photographers.
• After the talent had passed the photographers, the photographers were not allowed to leave until the talent had cleared the red carpet:
It was pointed out that the talent was 65 feet down the carpet doing TV interviews, with their backs to photographers, (not to mention the 16 other PR people who were standing on the carpet blocking any view of the celebrities). But film festival people still refused to let photographers walk the six steps (count-em: 1-2-3-4-5-6) to the exit area.
It was pointed out that other film festival people, PR flaks, security people and some video crews were allowed to walk to the same exit. But film festival people said, sorry, photographers can’t leave because “it’s policy.”
• Last year, for the first time, the film festival brought in some movie lighting guys to (partially) light the arrival area and the red carpet with big daylight-balanced softboxes. One round softbox was helium-filled and it floated above the driveway. Very cool. It was easily possible to shoot available light at night. Made for good stills and good video.
But in earlier years, the major red carpet arrival area of the film festival was lit by two nearby yellow street lights and a handful of hardware store work lamps (no joke). So glamorous.
Sadly this year the festival got rid of the softboxes and brought back – you guessed it – the hardware store work lamps.
(Added Sept. 14: the film festival must have realized that arriving talent couldn’t see where they were walking because a few more lights have been added near the entrance of the red carpet).
• After the opening night’s events finished at 8:00 PM, some media rushed back to the film festival hotel to edit and file. Ha! The film festival’s “media lounge” closed at 6:00 PM. It didn’t really matter though, the WiFi was still down.
The easier it is to make pictures and then transmit them to a newspaper or wire service, the easier it is to send better pictures and more of them. This only benefits the event.
If photographers can transmit pictures from onsite, that would mean getting pictures back to the office sooner. This not only guarantees making deadline but it also means more pictures can be published. This only benefits the event.
