How to run a Micro Movie Marathon

These are notes to myself about running a solid M33M. These are tight tolerance events, forgetting a crucial step could result in disgrace, bone loss and the ascendancy of the anti-christ. So… here’s my first pass at a step by step recipe, starting the day before the show after a slew of regional micro movies have been successfully solicited and submitted.

The day before…

1. Make sure the venue is expecting us, that they haven’t scheduled a cat circus or a fungus cultivation workshop on the same day.  Actually – do this the week before. Actually show up at the venue and write the venue owner a hefty check so that he forms a strong positive association to the date of the planned event, his venue and our organization.
2. Download all the movie entries to a local drive.
3. Scan the entries and get a sense of what order they might go in. Everything over 3 minutes should go first so that they can be easily abbreviated. Try to put a few really intriguing movies in the beginning and sprinkle them through the bulk of the show. The last 10 or so movies should be very watchable.
4. Once a basic order is established, give then even numbers 002, 004…
5. Root around and find the interstitial movie file from the previous M33M and update it. Be sure to follow several dead ends and get slightly frustrated at the disheveled state of the deep archives.
6. Duplicate the interstitial movie and give the dups odd numbers 001, 003…
7. Make a show folder and bring the entries and the interstitials all into a show folder. Sort them by name.
8. Be sure a stable version of VLC is installed on the show laptop.
9. Quality control – select all the movies in the show folder and drag them into VLC. Attempt to watch all the entries in full screen for playback and content check. Lying in the steaming clawfoot with a laptop nearby is a proven strategy.
10. Look around the garage for intriguing junk and forgotten treasures that that might serve as icons for the Major Awards. Identify and describe the Major Awards, place written descriptions in the show folder.

The day of…

1. Bathe. Personal hygiene. Lay out a spiffy show costume.
2. Be sure to grab the laptop’s power and the proper video cable adapter.
3. Charge a camera battery and bring the camera with blank chip, plus tripod for documenting the Major Awards
4. Assemble marbles, cups and index cards for Aussie ballots. Have the marbles blessed by any passing shaman.
5. Label the front of the cards with the movie titles (thick sharpie) and the back with the movie makers name (in pencil or ballpoint)
6. Grab the secret cache of pop and chips that have remained successfully hidden from late night snackers and gaming addicts.
7. Arrange to get to town early to hook it all up, be sure all the connections work – video and sound. Call Joe Carter in a panic if there’s an issue.
8. Arrange to have a helper or two arrive early to prep the theater – seats, tables etc.
9. Have the ability to adjust sound levels remotely in case whispers or booms
10. Frame and point the projector so there’s no overlap onto curtains, check focus.
11. Test run the show to be sure the interstitials are behaving as expected, properly sequenced.
12. If there are any last minute movie deliveries, be sure there’s a card and cup for them

15 minutes before screening…

1. Practice the major award patter
2. Recruit guest presenters for each award
3. Recruit marble distributors
4. Recruit second marble counter
5. Recruit documentarian

Screening…

1. Welcome everyone. Explain what’s about to happen. Work the crowd, make them want it.
2. Explain the Major Awards. Put the Major Awards descriptions up on the big screen, explain them and the marble balloting briefly.
3. Trowel on the glamor and sharpen the edges with dry biting wit. Preen a little, you’ve waited 6 months for an excuse to be the center of attention, make the most of it.
4. Wait an extra 15 minutes over the scheduled screening time to fetch stragglers in from bar next door. Go to the bathroom.
5. Turn off all front lights. Not dim, off.
6. Screen.

Afterwards…

1. Activate documentarian, equip with camera.
2. Put the Major Awards descriptions back up on the big screen, explain them and the marble balloting briefly. Send the marbles out.
3. Initiate marble balloting.
4. Call up second counter, count together, call up guest VIP presenters, awards, hilarity, kibitzing and welcome the audience to stay and mingle, the end.

The next day…

1. Post the Major Award Winners with all entries
2. Gloat

In summary

I (Dan Kelly) am feeling reinvigorated about the entire M3 project after this most recent M33M. The Micro Movie Marathons are my fav deliverable so far.  They seem to making the core group stronger and drawing in new blood at the same time.

We screened 24 entries. It’s odd that over the history of M33M, the number of entries has been fairly consistent, even though only about 1/3 of the movies are from past entrants. The other 15 or so are random new folks. Why not 30 or 40 entries? Why is there always about the same number of new entrants?

A key outcome is taking inventory of the ecosystem, who’s doing what. This is certainly working and the artists I’m getting to know will make ambitious and virtuosic projects possible.

I had some trouble with finding entries this time around, I’ve got to revise the entry instructions to be sure entrants include “M33M” in the subject line of entry emails.

M3 postscript. Thinking about the CTC students and other high school students generally, I wonder if we could organize rides to bring them to meetings from the more remote places. This could be with adults who aren’t even movie buffs, but want to be of service.

Future – We have yet to tap the potential of the community media producers that provide content for UpNorth and TCTV2.