The Optimal Sundance Festival Experience
The Optimal Sundance Festival Experience
GUEST BLOGGER: JEANETTE ROE (Mesa Community College Media Arts faculty) says, "My first Sundance experience was memorable. The most important thing I learned is how to "Festival"! While one could certainly "drop into" Park City to catch the Sundance Film Festival, that decision would NOT give one the optimal experience. In order to have the optimal festival you have to plan your schedule, pre-register for tickets, dress in layers, know the venues, be ready to talk about your experiences with other festival goers, be patient with the crowds, play it cool when encountering stars and always keep your ears open to the buzz around you!
There was always an interesting conversation to participate in or eavesdrop on ... I heard discussions on finding funding for projects, production woes, deals in the process, and star gossip. For the optimal festival experience, I would also recommend staying for the Q & A sessions. All of them were really interesting and are a big part of the best Sundance experience. There were several films I felt differently about after the Q & A. As a Media Arts instructor, I found that hearing the director talking about what it took to put the film together or listening to methods the actors used to embody their characters informed my future teaching practices.
And, at the end of a full day coming 'home' to a comfortable fire and friends was completely satisfying. For my students, I learned ... they have to use their singular vision to make a movie or an animation ... they have get it done and get it out there. During my Sundance 2006 Festival experience, I noticed that all around me were normal people who had done just that."
