What I Learned Being a Feature Film Screener for a Popular Film Festival

There are a few schools of thought to employ when creating and producing films. I’m not about to discuss how to make a film, nor how to get that film accepted into a festival. I’m simply focusing on what happens when your film is viewed by a screener and some of the thought processes that we screeners go through when advancing or passing a film. 


What’s most important: 

Does the film have a beginning, middle, and end? 

This can certainly be subjective, but I think that’s the point. 

Can anyone watch your film and leave satisfied that they’ve been given the answers they need. Not the answers they want, but the ones they need. You can certainly leave a few plot lines open ended but you cannot provide anything new in the last thirty seconds and expect us to leave satisfied. 

(I’m guilty of this sin myself. I’ve submitted a film that acted more like a giant teaser for a larger project. Of course, that was my design as I was trying to raise interest and funding for a feature film, but when it came down to being accepted into a film festival… I likely raised more questions than answers ) 



Are your characters enthralling? 

By this I mean, do they have unique dialogue among each other, or do they all sound the same? Do they experience growth on screen? Not every character needs to, but the more characters that go through a period of growth the better. The more we see and feel change, the better. 

You can’t have each character cracking the same jokes or making the same mistakes. Look at any ensemble film and notice how no one character acts or sounds like another. 

Leonardo does not sound like Michelangelo, and Donatello does not make the same mistakes Raphael does (I went with the easiest example here)



Is there a through line? 

Essentially, does your story make sense? It does not have to be told in a linear fashion but we need to know that by the end of the film you had an end goal one way or another. It’s not enough to have one compelling scene after another, they need to connect in way that establishes development. 



Is there clear direction? 

This is where most of the films fell apart for me. It is the last section of review for screeners and it pulls from each of the categories that came before it.

Is there a clear understanding that a vision was present when creating this film? It’s not enough to be consistent in your editing, or your shooting style or even your acting. You have to make clear choices and we need to see those choices unfold on screen. 

As an example, if you choose to film an entire scene from only one camera angle rather than many angles - I’m led to believe there was a specific reason behind that choice. It may be that your characters are discussing something that will affect more than just their own lives and so you want to show that visually by including their surroundings. That’s a choice. 

Too many times I’ve watched films that choose to capture a scene from a series of angles and make no distinction as to why we’re seeing any one angle over another. If the camera is behind your protagonist I want to know why it is there, and the answer better not be “because it looked cool” 



What’s not important: 

Budget

I’m asked at one point, did the budget get in the way of the story? I am not asked, was this a low budget film? 

There was a film that I watched and I had advanced that contained almost no lighting, no set design, and sometimes poor acting, but I was so enthralled with its characters and I was so invested in their journey and I was so satisfied with the ending that I was clear when I stated, “No, the budget did not get in the way of this film. Please advance it” 



Timing

For someone programming the event… Sure, maybe the timing is important. But for me, as a screener advancing films into the next round? I did not care about the timing. If you had a boring film that was over two hours long I was still going to finish it till the end. That’s my job and that’s my dedication to giving you the most accurate review. 



What did I learn and what should you take away:



Proper sound design is important

You have to remember that most people are watching these films on their computers at home. Not all of us have a surround system. Nor can we play your films through our high definition televisions. They’re likely on a Vimeo link or Google drive. So making sure we can hear your film properly on those systems is super important. 

Also Google Drive is not conducive to this process. Please pick Vimeo or YouTube. 



There is a legit scoring process

Yes, we score your films based on an evaluation process. It’s not an illusory idea. We’re given a series of categories for which we rate your film and those are tallied up to a score that can either advance you to the next round or pass on you. Rest assured that this is a scientific process designed to make it easy and consistent for screeners so that we are not overwhelmed. Does this film deserve to advance? Well, let’s look at the score. 



More than one screener watches your film for reach round

If I watch your film and I pass on it, that’s not the end of its journey. There will be another person shortly around the bend to watch your film and give it the same consideration I did. 



It’s all about having a compete vision. 

It’s not enough for your film to entertain me. It needs to be complete in all senses of the word. It needs to be something that I know went through the rounds of concept to completion. Even if you fall short in a few categories, if I leave that film feeling like I got a peek into your life or your imagination and it was compelling enough to feel real to me at the time - then you will advance to the next round. 



The competition is near endless. 

I watched nearly 30 hours worth of films in a few weeks. And that’s just me. There are a hundred more screeners just like me watching even more than I did. 

When they start you off they tell you to be more critical than you want to be. They remind you constantly that there are thousands of films at play here and we need to be serious about how we review them. It’s not a pity party for a film that almost makes it. It has to be a cut above the rest. The number of films I watched versus the number of films I passed is of great dissonance. 



A studio-produced film will come across your desk 

It’s no secret that film festivals are a medium for studio-produced projects to garner more attention. Every so often a film would come around that I immediately knew was made with a budget that far exceeds the average independent filmmaker. Not only that, but you’ll see actors you recognize. It does not mean that it is an automatic pass. It must still go through the same process as all the rest. But something to remember is that a film of that caliber often has a resume of experience to build off of. If the budget looks as high as it is there’s usually a reason for that. The script was good enough to attract these actors and/or that director. So you must remember that you are still competing with giants. It may seem unfair, but even if a studio’s name is recognizable, it doesn’t always mean that their exposure is guaranteed. They are still playing the same game you are. 



Overall, what can you take from this that you didn’t already know? 

It’s not like any of us are making a film that isn’t actively trying to exceed these goals.

Well, for one - there are real people watching your work. Remember that. 

I’m a real person. I set aside time out of my day for your work and I gave it the utmost consideration. It’s not a machine-based AI slop job. There will always be a subjective point of view at work here and that is to your benefit as an artist. 



This is and always will be an art form.

Do not creatively settle for your film. You are not a director on contract for Warner Bros where you have the benefit of failing upward. You must create what feels most honest to you, and what speaks volumes for you. Do not be afraid to trust your instincts. The point of me writing this was not to give you a means to be accepted into every festival. The point of me writing this was to remind you that behind all the glamour and special effects, this is all still an art form. We are still watching these films as a search for meaning. I want to leave the screening room (my computer at home) feeling like I was gifted a piece of your unique life experience. Even if that experience centers around a vampire’s diary. 

If it felt real to me, I don’t care that it is a complete work of fiction. 

Make it real. Make it personal. Make it impactful. 



Please keep creating! 

I know we’ll all be here watching! 

Cheers to the upcoming festival circuit and cheers to you as artists!