And the hits keep coming.
• Internet access was dead again today. Film festival people had no idea what to do about it.
• A TV videographer wanted to shoot B-roll of still photographers working a red carpet, (i.e. video of cameras clicking, flashes popping, photographers calling to celebrities). He wanted to shoot from an open area behind photographers. Sorry, not allowed.
• Another TV videographer wanted to shoot B-roll of celebrities arriving at a press conference with all the flashing cameras. He wanted to shoot from a far corner completely out of everyone’s way. Sorry, not allowed.
• I wanted to shoot an actor being interviewed by TV, (i.e. a photo of actor surrounded by cameras and microphones), by standing in an open area behind TV. Sorry, not allowed.
• I wanted to do a picture of people walking by film festival posters in the film festival hotel. Sorry, not allowed.
• To further show how out-of-touch the film festival is, and that they have no idea what news photographers do, when its own event photographer failed to show up at an event, film festival people expected either a wire photographer or a newspaper photographer to step in and shoot the event for them (and for free, of course).
• Has anyone had any e-mails or phone calls returned from the press office?
• Why did the film festival just send out everyone’s e-mail address to everyone else? Does it not know how to do group or bulk e-mails?
• Why does the film festival, without permission, give photographers’ contact information to all publicists who then send a steady stream of useless information to the photographers?
• Why doesn’t the film festival do anything about that large rat which runs back and forth alongside the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall?
• Why do “reporters” applaud when actors walk into a press conference?
• At a press conference:
Moderator to “reporter”: “What’s your question?”
“Reporter”: “My question is for Nicole Kidman. I just wanted to say how beautiful you are.”
Years ago, these so-called reporters would ask actors for autographs. Also, one photographer used to hand out business cards to actors, offering to do headshots and publicity pictures.
• Why is it easier to photograph the Queen, (who was in Canada a couple of months ago) than a movie actor at the film festival? Why does the film festival have more stupid photo rules than the recent royal tour?
• Why is it more difficult to get film festival credentials than it was to get credentials to photograph world leaders at the recent G8/G20?
• Why is it easier to properly handle 745 photographers at the Vancouver Olympics than 62 photographers at the Toronto Film Festival?
• Since the film festival is so dependent on media coverage and photography, and since all events are staged photo-ops, why is there no one in charge of photography? Why is there no film festival person with any media or photo experience?
