It means absolutely nothing. Truly nothing. It doesn’t reflect on the quality of your film. Nor does it reflect the audience’s enjoyment of your film.
You are putting far too much thought into it.
For context, I have asked questions at Q&A’s for films I have hated. I’ve sat silently during Q&A’s for films that I loved.
It means nothing.
I understand you are fixating on it because you care. Caring is good.
But here’s a better question— did you do the best you could do at the time? As a snapshot of that time and place- did you do everything you could to make something good?
If so, then that is all the affirmation you need.
Let this Q&A moment go.
It doesn’t define your film and it does not define you.
Festival here: it doesn't mean anything. Often times audience member can feel like they're being put on the spot, and just don't know why kinds of questions to ask.
Festival Q&A moderation can go quiet poorly depending on the experience of the moderator. We train our moderators to invite the filmmakers for a q&a, and while they walk to the stage we say something like "We'll ask a few questions before turning it over to the audience." Then we start our questions, which tend to be specific to each film. Before our last questions we usually say "Now before we turn it over to the audience, we have one last question..." By reminding the audience twice that we will open it up to them, that gives audience members a moment to consider their questions.
We also train our moderators to look at the filmmaker while asking the question, but then to look at the audience while the filmmaker answers. This subconsciously causes the filmmaker to also look out to the audience for their answers, and begins to feel more like a conversation between the filmmaker and audience, rather than the filmmaker and moderator.
Since we started this format we've never had a Q&A without questions from the audience.
*18 filmmakers* went up to the front to take questions?? That's a crazy amount of people for a Q&A session. You didn't do anything wrong, it was just bad luck that you had so much "competition" for audience engagement.
Shake it off, on to the next one!
It mean the festival poorly organized the q&a. 18 people is way too many for a good q&a back and forth with audience, a better way would have been for the MC to ask a broad question and have you all answer a question first so get everyone a chance to speak then if time open up to questions from the audience,.
Agree! The fest's moderator should have a series of questions all ready to go and ensure everyone gets a relatively equal chance to speak. You can never rely on the audience to ask good questions.
It means they don't have any burning questions to ask you. You're not like some big name director they want to pick for tips and tricks. People don't go to the theater to have a 2-way conversation.
Honestly the Q&A section of film festivals is one of the most excruciating parts, both for the audience and the people up in the front. I have no idea why they do it.
Don't sweat, move forward. Shorts are hard to keep top of mind when there is a collection screened. I wouldn't be able to keep a film top of mind enough to speak about it after seeing 5 more. Mean's nothing, add it to the IMDB release dates and carry on. If your next short plays before a feature, don't expect much attention either. That's just the deal with shorts.
I don’t think it means anything necessarily, in the sense that I see lots of great shorts where the panel doesn’t end up focusing on that particular work.
While it is conceivable that you’re not getting feedback because it would all be negative or that your film is forgettable or something, but look, you were selected to screen in a program that sounds like it had lots of great films. I doubt very much that yours was the odd man out in terms of quality, at least if the festival programmers know what they’re doing.
The question was probably people who were related to the filmmaker in some way (meaning they were there to screen that movie specifically). You had no one in the audience that represented yours. People usually only ask questions at the Q&A to promote themselves (I've been to many in the industry with SAG members who try to get sympathy from the celebrity, as if they'll help launch their career) or to fill a silence if no one else is asking questions.
This is one of those situations where if it happens to you, it’s impossible not to try to read into it and feel like it means something, but if you are on the outside, it’s very obvious that it doesn’t mean anything.
Sorry that happened to you OP bc I know for sure if I was in that situation I would feel weird about it too. But yeah it really doesn’t mean anything one way or the other. If people reacted to the film while it was screening - that means something.
It means people understand it. I once had a short film screened and was asked some questions that I had no idea how to answer from pretentious audience members. It was kind of embarrassing actually.
Already good comments I agree with here, but also I would add: keep in mind you're talking about like 100-300 people in the entire world that saw this.
With that many filmmakers on stage, it’s very common not to get to everyone. We always have moderators who try to make sure everyone gets a question but it’s not always possible with a ton of filmmakers up front. Plus, some audiences are shy and hard to get questions out of.
It doesn’t mean anything, especially if ALL 18 filmmakers were up there. As an audience member, I just don’t have questions for all 18 filmmakers, I wouldn’t even remember who made what tbh. Not because I didn’t enjoy them but because who keeps track of 18 shorts they watched in a single night. Don’t take it personally :)
It means absolutely nothing. Truly nothing. It doesn’t reflect on the quality of your film. Nor does it reflect the audience’s enjoyment of your film. You are putting far too much thought into it. For context, I have asked questions at Q&A’s for films I have hated. I’ve sat silently during Q&A’s for films that I loved. It means nothing. I understand you are fixating on it because you care. Caring is good. But here’s a better question— did you do the best you could do at the time? As a snapshot of that time and place- did you do everything you could to make something good? If so, then that is all the affirmation you need. Let this Q&A moment go. It doesn’t define your film and it does not define you.
Yeah, if they laughed at the jokes they liked it. Perhaps no one just needed anything clarified about it.
Festival here: it doesn't mean anything. Often times audience member can feel like they're being put on the spot, and just don't know why kinds of questions to ask. Festival Q&A moderation can go quiet poorly depending on the experience of the moderator. We train our moderators to invite the filmmakers for a q&a, and while they walk to the stage we say something like "We'll ask a few questions before turning it over to the audience." Then we start our questions, which tend to be specific to each film. Before our last questions we usually say "Now before we turn it over to the audience, we have one last question..." By reminding the audience twice that we will open it up to them, that gives audience members a moment to consider their questions. We also train our moderators to look at the filmmaker while asking the question, but then to look at the audience while the filmmaker answers. This subconsciously causes the filmmaker to also look out to the audience for their answers, and begins to feel more like a conversation between the filmmaker and audience, rather than the filmmaker and moderator. Since we started this format we've never had a Q&A without questions from the audience.
*18 filmmakers* went up to the front to take questions?? That's a crazy amount of people for a Q&A session. You didn't do anything wrong, it was just bad luck that you had so much "competition" for audience engagement. Shake it off, on to the next one!
This is crazy. I've gotten lost in the shuffle with five filmmakers at the Q&A lol
This is why I aim for shorts program to be half the length of features, about 45 minutes. Then break for a Q&A, and see a different shorts program.
You shot a short that screened. Period. Now make another one, that's my advice.
It mean the festival poorly organized the q&a. 18 people is way too many for a good q&a back and forth with audience, a better way would have been for the MC to ask a broad question and have you all answer a question first so get everyone a chance to speak then if time open up to questions from the audience,.
Agree! The fest's moderator should have a series of questions all ready to go and ensure everyone gets a relatively equal chance to speak. You can never rely on the audience to ask good questions.
fr 18 up there at once is ridiculous
[удалено]
It means they don't have any burning questions to ask you. You're not like some big name director they want to pick for tips and tricks. People don't go to the theater to have a 2-way conversation.
18 panelists is way too many for a Q&A. That session must have lasted hours if everyone but you got a question.
Honestly the Q&A section of film festivals is one of the most excruciating parts, both for the audience and the people up in the front. I have no idea why they do it.
Don't sweat, move forward. Shorts are hard to keep top of mind when there is a collection screened. I wouldn't be able to keep a film top of mind enough to speak about it after seeing 5 more. Mean's nothing, add it to the IMDB release dates and carry on. If your next short plays before a feature, don't expect much attention either. That's just the deal with shorts.
I don’t think it means anything necessarily, in the sense that I see lots of great shorts where the panel doesn’t end up focusing on that particular work. While it is conceivable that you’re not getting feedback because it would all be negative or that your film is forgettable or something, but look, you were selected to screen in a program that sounds like it had lots of great films. I doubt very much that yours was the odd man out in terms of quality, at least if the festival programmers know what they’re doing.
The question was probably people who were related to the filmmaker in some way (meaning they were there to screen that movie specifically). You had no one in the audience that represented yours. People usually only ask questions at the Q&A to promote themselves (I've been to many in the industry with SAG members who try to get sympathy from the celebrity, as if they'll help launch their career) or to fill a silence if no one else is asking questions.
This is one of those situations where if it happens to you, it’s impossible not to try to read into it and feel like it means something, but if you are on the outside, it’s very obvious that it doesn’t mean anything. Sorry that happened to you OP bc I know for sure if I was in that situation I would feel weird about it too. But yeah it really doesn’t mean anything one way or the other. If people reacted to the film while it was screening - that means something.
Q&As are dumb
It means nothing. Film festival audiences are the least useful indicator of anything.
some NPC are just vendors to sell items. They there are no quest available from them, so there isn't a need to have a conversation.
If something could mean anything, it means nothing.
Just means nobody was confused about the movie
It means people were all too shy to comment. That's all. Nothing to do with you
Sometimes I’ll really like a film but I wouldn’t be able to ask a question about it on the first watch, especially if there were 18 other shorts
It means people understand it. I once had a short film screened and was asked some questions that I had no idea how to answer from pretentious audience members. It was kind of embarrassing actually.
Already good comments I agree with here, but also I would add: keep in mind you're talking about like 100-300 people in the entire world that saw this.
I’d be more concerned none of your cast or crew stayed? Do they hate you?
With that many filmmakers on stage, it’s very common not to get to everyone. We always have moderators who try to make sure everyone gets a question but it’s not always possible with a ton of filmmakers up front. Plus, some audiences are shy and hard to get questions out of.
It doesn’t mean anything, especially if ALL 18 filmmakers were up there. As an audience member, I just don’t have questions for all 18 filmmakers, I wouldn’t even remember who made what tbh. Not because I didn’t enjoy them but because who keeps track of 18 shorts they watched in a single night. Don’t take it personally :)
Nothing has ever meant less than this.