JCM at Sundance 2017 @jcmatsundance2017 - Tumblr Blog

Sundance Culture

If I had to describe the culture of Sundance Film Festival in one word, it would be talkative. No one is ‘too big’ to talk to, if you decide to approach them. Some of the best conversations I had were with working producers or screenwriters who were not just willing but excited to talk to me. This made me excited every time I got on a bus or shuttle, because it meant I could meet, and talk to, someone new. Because of this, I got great advice about my dream career that I’ll be sure to take with me. This culture of talking to anyone and everyone seems to foster a spirit of cooperation which is necessary in filmmaking. It didn’t seem like anyone was closed off and competitive, but rather helpful, and intrigued just to be there. This really makes Sundance a place of it’s own. When I got back to school, and saw nearly everyone on their phones, and no one talking to each other, it made me wish I was back in park city, and that speaks wonders to the culture of Sundance.

#nickstellon

The Hit or Miss: Trumped

One of the films that I had no clue even existed, and I ended up getting a ticket for was Trumped, one of the first documentary features about the 2016 election. The reason I had a ticket to the showing was because I had picked a TBA ticket, which turned out to be showing the doc. The film turned out to be a massive hit, at least in my opinion, with great storytelling and access to the new President. It was interesting viewing it in the overwhelmingly liberal setting of Sundance, especially just days after the historic “Women’s March” led in Park City by Chelsea Handler. It was also interesting sitting directly behind some of the filmmakers for the documentary and actually having a conversation with them. Overall, the opportunity to see such a timely film, not to mention one that was so well made was a massive hit in my book, and if I ever get the opportunity to attend Sundance Film Festival again, I’ll be sure to pick some more TBA’s.

#nickstellon

The Biggest Buzz

The overwhelming “biggest buzz” I heard at Sundance had to be “Mudbound.” The film has now been purchased by Netflix for 12.5 Million dollars, and based on the hype it had, seemed worth every penny. The buzz started with 2 standing ovations, and after that it was impossible to not hear its name in conversation. In one conversation I had, a man was #1 on the waitlist for the film, in a theatre holding over a thousand, and did not get a seat. After luckily getting a ticket to the film and watching with awe, I couldn’t help but become part of the buzz, raving to everyone I talked to about it. The movie was definitely my favorite I saw, and according to the buzz of Sundance, was the favorite of many others.

#nickstellon

The TV Invasion

The screening of television shows at Sundance has been growing drastically over the past few years. I think that this change is mainly going to make Sundance a more well-rounded brand. Instead of being a platform for independent films, it may also become a launchpad for new television shows to gain hype and feedback as well as a place to showcase the newest inventions within virtual reality. I could realistically see Sundance becoming like a modern day World’s Fair with time, where the newest and greatest inventions in technology are premiered to the public. The mission of Sundance is to strive to always be ahead of the curve, and with the new additions to the festival outside of just independent films, I feel as though the mission and brand are only strengthened, not changed.

#rachelmazur

Technology at Sundance

Sundance is a festival which thrives on the overall positivity and happiness of all of its festival goers above anything else. No matter the weather or circumstance, people at Sundance are supportive of the festival almost without end. The same reigns true for the festival’s use of technology. Sundance in the past few years has become interested in the use of virtual reality, and in general, the concept has had a great response from the public. In addition, the entire ticket process is all done online and through the app. Although both platforms are far from perfect, including the app frequently glitching and the website getting compromised by hackers, people remain positive about the contributions technology can bring to overall better the festival.

#rachelmazur

Sundance Culture

Sundance takes place right near the world capital of Mormonism, which causes the festival’s predominantly liberal voice to be even louder when geographically surrounded by a sea of conservatism. Although this could lead to Sundance being an institution that’s frowned upon, it instead leads to two weeks of kindness from almost anyone in Park City. It’s typical for strangers to start conversations while on the bus, in lines, or just standing near one another. In addition, it’s not uncommon for festival goers to do favors for one another and expect absolutely nothing in return. I experienced people giving away tickets for free and giving me something to get autographed by celebrities for no reason other than people enjoying the conversations they were having with me. Sundance goers also are known for being a wildly positive audience who support their filmmakers to no end. Overall, I think Sundance is a festival that brings out the best in people while they are in Park City.

#rachelmazur

Common Traits of Sundance Films

In my opinion, the most common theme of a Sundance film is an ambiguous ending. Although a lot of Sundance movies have endings that are clear and traditional, a higher percentage of films at the festival have an ending that leaves the viewer still asking questions than films generally do. In addition, any good Sundance film will take some risks in order to stand out from the crowd. Finally, I think that a lot of films at the festival have very similar soundtracks to them that include indie music, which goes hand in hand with an independent film festival. I think this ends up creating even more of a brand for Sundance because the viewers will have a better idea of what to expect when watching a Sundance film.

#rachelmazur

Biggest Buzz

Anywhere you go in Park City during Sundance, you’ll find yourself having conversations with strangers about the festival. Without a doubt, the film I kept hearing about the most during my time in Park City was Mudbound. The film deals with the reality of life after war in the South. I wasn’t able to see the film myself because of all of the buzz and the difficult task that finding tickets posed, but I know that the film was a huge success because of how it was received. Mudbound sold to Netflix for a whopping $12.5 million, and I can’t wait to see the film myself.

#rachelmazur

Hit or Miss

When I got near the end of my “ideal films” list, I started just picking almost anything that would fit into my schedule. As a result, about 25% of my list of films were things I knew almost nothing about. When I got a ticket to Gook, I naturally had no idea what to expect. The plot seemed too small to stretch out into a full length movie, but instead of selling my ticket I decided to give the film a chance. I’m so glad that I did, because Gook admittedly ended up being one of my favorite films at Sundance. The actors were incredibly talented, and the film dealt with personal issues within the schism of two large groups of people. In addition, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the entire film being in black and white, but I ultimately think it was a powerful choice made by the filmmaker that elevated the story.

#rachelmazur

“Sundance Culture” CULTURE

The community of Sundance in a Mormon Park City was very different from what I am accustomed too in Home Sweet Home, Alabama. I learned many things about not only the city but about the state and there strict laws because of the Mormon control. Becca, told me that when she was in Salt Lake the Sunday before we got there that everything was closed because it was a holy day and as I met locals they talked about how there was no separation of church and state which made things difficult within the community. The people within Sundance were very chipper and even though it was freezing were thrilled to be in the snow. I met so many genuinely nice people that wanted to help me find my way to the next theatre or suggest a Sundance event I should try going to or even a movie that they recommended. I enjoyed the culture/community very much, I just wish they would have had sweet tea!

#brookelowery

what are common traits of sundance films? INDUSTRY

Common traits that I noticed while at Sundance within each film was the style and variety. Each film was very ‘raw’ and deep from an art stance. There were several different genres and styles of shooting and story lines but they were all based on real issues, true issues that happen. Majority of films I saw had a true meaning about the new generations and the future or even past issues that are somewhat unresolved and filmmakers would like to draw more attention too. Such as Crown Heights about the justice system and its cruelty, Burning Sand about fraternity hazing which as always been an issue. Even My Happy Family, which was a world dramatic (in a different language), was about a family’s real issues within another country and how they try to overcome that.

#brookelowery

The Business - “The Biggest Buzz”

During Sundance a variety of independent films were positively talked and raved about. One of the films that I believe had the “Biggest Buzz,” was the film, “To the Bone,” directed by Marti Noxon. “To the Bone” is a film that accurately describes what people who suffer from Anorexia, Bulimia and other eating disorders go through. The film hit close to home for a lot of the people in the audience and gave an understanding to those who have eating disorders. This film was bought for $8 million by Netflix, and should be out for viewing very soon.

#charlee

The Business of Sundance - “Deal of the Day”

Many of the films at the Sundance Film Festival were applauded for their creative plots, and how they truly captivated the audience. I would have to say one of the Films that would have been the “Deal of the day” would of had to been “Mudbound,” directed by Dee Rees. “Mudbound” was bought by Netflix for $12.5 million. This deal from Netflix was the largest offer made in the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. It felt like everywhere you went people were raving about this incredible film. From the Shuttles to small coffee shops, people could not stop talking about it.

#charlee

The Industry of Sundance - What Sundance is All About

During the week at the Sundance FIlm Festival there was a reoccurring topic about what the festival truly was all about. The festival gives creators, who are not yet fully established, the opportunity to make something of themselves. The Independent Film industry is becoming larger than what it use to be in Sundance’s earlier years. Sundance is all about giving something that is so different a chance to make it big and actually become something. The festival’s goal is to have the film’s that are showcased, bought and sold to big time companies in order for them to become successful.

#charlee

Industry of Sundance - Films that Represent Sundance

After attending the panel, “The Inside Scoop of Sundance,” I learned quite a lot about the films that are chosen to participate in the festival. Programmer, Charlie Reff, described the films as “unique to the personal eye.” In other words, the films that are chosen all have one thing in common, they are unique to each individual. The programmers choose the films that have different plots than what we, as society would normally expect. The best advice he gave about how one would get their film accepted into Sundance, was to “create something out of the ordinary.” Anyone can create a basic plot line and make a film out of it, but it’s the films that aren’t so normal that are given the chance to take part in the festival.

#charlee

The Culture of Sundance - Being a “Normal” Person at Sundance

Before I arrived at the Sundance Film Festival, I thought there was going to be an obvious difference between those who are “normal” and those who have the bigger credentials. I was very wrong in thinking this. Sundance has a comfortable feeling where everyone feels accepted. One time standing in line, I didn’t realize I was having a good conversation with the producer of the independent film, “L.A Times” until after he told me so. This situation not only occurred once, but multiple times. Sometimes you didn’t realize who a person was until you looked at their credentials. Everyone was so welcoming and inviting that it is almost impossible to feel out of place. As a normal person, I definitely felt as though I belonged.

#charlee

The Culture of Sundance - Technology

Technology plays a huge role when it comes to the Sundance Film Festival. Not only can the Sundance app be used easily to see the times that films are being shown, but it is used for the “e-waitlist.” The E-waitlist is a powerful tool used in order to ensure you can use all the vouchers and view films you originally could not get tickets for. The virtual reality is a new upcoming technology that many programmers believe will take off very soon. At the Filmmaker Lodge the use of virtual reality was very prominent. Technology is advancing rapidly in the film world. Programmer, Charlie Reff, referred to Steven Soderbergh's upcoming film in 2018 and the advanced technology that will be pictured as the “future.” Stating that “while Soderbergh's film will be advance for 2017, the technology will be relevant to 2018.” This promises strong advances in technology for the future of the film world.

#Charlee

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JCM at Sundance 2017