Downloading Sundance (Part 1)

I am just emerging from my digital detox.  Just like after the in-real-life Sundance, I needed a minute to myself to process everything that just happened.  While this may be the first Sundance in recent memory where the festival didn’t release its own mini viral epidemic - the post festival fatigue is real.

Grounded in invocations about our connectivity through shared land and Universe - the festival kicked off like a phoenix gently rising from ashes of the still burning cultural disruption of COVID.  Social and environmental justice themes and visceral storytelling were exploding through its digital veins. Virtual communal and IRL experiences seduced the daring, while most had their world’s opened still nestled in the comfort and safety of their desks, couches, beds, decks and parks. It was another deep breath (after the inauguration) on our journey towards our new normal.  

My friend Eric Kohn at IndieWire did an excellent job recapping the festival experience in his article Sundance 2021 Proved That a Virtual Film Festival Can Be Real.  

For more color from my own experience - read on . . . 

Sundance’s custom built virtual platform with integrations from Shift72, Zoom, Youtube, Active Theory’s New Frontier build and OhYay (courtesy of IDFA) was impressive - especially considering non-profit budgets, timelines and of course their pioneership. Sure it’s only a hint of what we all dream it can one day be - but it was surprisingly engaging if you leaned into it - giving the clearest sniff of what’s to come.  In the spirit of the solidarity we experienced between festivals through 2020, I wonder if Sundance would consider licensing their proprietary platforms out to others to skin for themselves and iterate. Or some forward thinking granting institution might consider funding an open-source platform that each festival can improve upon and plug their own favorite partners into.

Aside from my favorite films and New Frontier experiences (which I’ll share in a separate post), the best part of the fest experience was the live Q&A’s.  Stripped of the rosy frozen faces, harried energy and red carpet glam we normally engage from the distant stage - the filmmakers and talent were up close and personal and in many cases we experienced them all reunited for the first time since the movie was made creating hilarity and touching moments.  A Q&A “hangout” is the best kind of virtual Q&A. Also every audience question had a platform to be seen, even if not every one was voted up or asked by the moderator.

At times I looked behind the curtain at view numbers on Youtube and the live Q&A’s I attended were trafficking numbers between 150 and 500 people - which tracks well against most of the IRL festival venues.  Most films did not reach their ticket inventory limits (apparently set between 2000 and 5000) until the festival was underway (some not at all) which alleviated the biggest stress point of attending the fest and gave access to those who learned about the festival as it unfolded. I’m hopeful that Sundance still met their ticket/pass revenue goals.

Sorely missing was the pre-show chatter (the chat room needed stoking) -  the synchronized gasps, guffaws and sniffles in the dark and the roars and buzz as the lights came up (I have seen platforms use emojis tied to audio cues which is surprisingly effective while we wait for 5g and real time audience audio feedback).  Instead, passholders were invited to teleport to my second favorite experience of the fest - the browser-accessible virtual “Film Party” where they could don avatars and trade reactions to movies.  Once you grew comfortable navigating the platform and it’s various rooms - it easily became an addictive social hub. Complete with an Inception-like dimension shift to IDFA’s virtual Amsterdam where one could use props, sing karaoke, sit around imagined restaurants or bars. Some films held their own Zoom, Gather.town, Youtube Live hangouts (where chat rooms were lit and DJs could spin).  In true Sundance form, various orgs and individuals hosted their own Zooms, Clubhouses, House Parties etc - I’m sure there was more of this than I was tracking. 

It’s likely Sundance will retain aspects of the online experience moving forward. Some ideas that would have made this year even better (I’m not complaining as I know how hard it was to pull off what they did):

• A calendar view of all activities happening at the fest including sponsor programs. I suspect in part this was challenging as it seemed many sponsors were racing to get their “activations” in place (always a Sundance reality). The festival did try to achieve this through daily blog posts, emails and their morning show. 
• Better social connections.  I support the festival’s decision for the virtual experience to feel as comparable to the IRL fest as possible with real pictures on avatars and no text chat functionality.  That said, in lieu of the serendipity that happens while in restaurants, buses and theaters at the fest I would have liked a directory people could opt into to communicate with old and new friends who were also attending (enabling us to find other creative ways to connect during the fest). Similar to the tool that many IRL conferences use.  
• Additionally I wouldn’t have minded one giant hive chat room for reactions and tips. Sure maybe you’ll just tell me that’s Twitter - but the goal here is less outside world distraction.
• Volunteer virtual docents could help guide newbies through the experience based on interests, pointing to them what spaces to visit, panels to attend, movie tickets and merch to buy - drive more retention and revenue. 
• More live programming.  Anytime I came across something pre-recorded I lost interest or “saved to watch later.” Even one-sided live streams, without even a chat feature lose the allure of a festival. 
• In particular - Live Awards.  I was admittedly let down that the awards show was not somehow live. Though the pre-recorded “live” reactions of winners still were effective.  That said I know the herculean effort that would have taken.  I ran around the “film party” around looking for other people who were also streaming the awards so we could have some communal reactions.  Some fellow avatars were smart enough to share the awards live-stream on the virtual karaoke screen.  

Normally, sponsor activations would deserve their own post but for 2021 the sponsors didn’t overwhelm but rather let the focus remained on the films and filmmakers more so than consumers.  DoorDash had special “screening snack packs” you could order if you were in select cities. Nice gift bags were delivered to filmmakers  while Acura gave cars to select filmmakers to hand-deliver pizzas to cast members for their premieres. This short-term “influencer” strategy is smart to take advantage of the attentive moment but in an ideal world the sponsors would leverage their marketing/comm support to more directly drive eyeballs to the films and support the filmmakers at the time their films are released more publicly.  

Most sponsors provided extra content to get to know the teams behind the movies, but most of that content was pre-recorded making it less of a priority to consume (I never went back to UtahHealth’s video yoga series though I probably could have used it). Longtime supporters Canon and Adobe’s panels focused on the crafts of cinematography and editing continue to be highlights to celebrate some of the artists who don’t tend to get the spotlight otherwise. All in all, with the accessibility of the films this year and the virtual social spots - main street (just like the real one) was pretty quiet this year.

Instead we all gathered around our virtual bonfires, letting the festival unfold around us like the “dance” it is.  The festival ended as it began, honoring the people, the land and the elements that create the foundation for our existence in this world that we seek to understand through the stories we share with one another. 

The inevitable post festival depression has lifted as I slide back into hours spent outdoors and anticipating a 2021 where festivals are no longer caught off guard but actually embracing the innovative spirit that has always been their hallmark for decades.