TECHNICAL GUIDELINES WORKSHEET
Ensure that you have a quality projection system (Blu-Ray+R player, sound, projector, screen, etc.). Test the system to be
sure you have a seamless and trouble-free event. Remember, it is a film festival - you can have the best marketing and
the greatest reception, but without a proven technical system you do not have an event.
WHAT COMPRISES YOUR TECHNICAL SYSTEM?
AV Technician
Blu-ray+R Player
Digital Projector
Movie Screen
Sound System
Lighting
The venue you choose determines a lot about your projection system. Factors associated with each kind of venue:
Traditional Movie Theater/ Film House: If you are having the film festival in a traditional movie theater, do not assume
they are completely set up with what you need. Most likely they are, but you still want to review the following
guidelines with the theater’s tech person and complete this worksheet to ensure you adhere to the criteria.
Make sure that their tech person will be there the night of the event, and it will not be a different person. You do
not want them assuming you are bringing your own tech person.
Non-Traditional Film Venue: If you are having your festival at a hall, community center, auditorium, etc., many are not
film ready. You probably need to bring in your own projection, sound, and lighting equipment. You also may need to
black out windows or make quiet closures. Read the guidelines below to ensure you meet the criteria. Ask us questions!
AV TECHNICIAN
Wild & Scenic requires that you have an AV technician handle the sound, lights, and projection equipment. Ideally the
venue you have chosen will have someone who can run all the AV equipment. Whether the venue provides someone or
you hire someone, that person needs to be present the entire run of the show.
Have same tech person for the test as you will have for the event.
Meet with your tech person a month before to review equipment needs based on the venue size.
PROJECTION GUIDELINES
 Do you have to rent projection equipment or does your venue have equipment?
 Does the venue have the correct projector equipment?
 Is the projector appropriate for the size of venue?
 Do they have a Blu-ray+R player? The right Blu-ray+R player? See below.
 Is the screen the appropriate size for the venue?
 How far is the projection site from the screen?
 Are there any line-of-sight issues where the films are being screened?
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Projection Equipment list:
Blu-ray+R player:
Your Blu-ray+R player must be able to read Blu-ray+R disks.
Blu-ray+R means the disks are burned like a music CD. Just like some CD players can’t read a burned CD, some Blu-ray+R
players can’t read burned disks. This has nothing to do with the films or the quality of the disks themselves. The films
and the disks are first quality. It’s the Blu-ray+R player we are concerned about.
Why no computers? Computers often cannot read the disks fast enough and will skip or stop. It won’t hurt the disk but
you won’t get an accurate test.
You must test the player! You will know if a Blu-ray+R player is not compatible if the disk starts to skip or freeze.
That is your red flag to test the disks on a different player.
Preventive Measures…Questions to ask AV Tech about the Blu-ray+R player:
Does your Blu-ray+R player have regular HDMI audio output?
How old is your Blu-ray+R player? It should be newer than 2009.
What is the story of your Blu-ray+R player? Has it been well maintained and cared for?
Is the disk reader clean or does it need to be cleaned?
Does it support burned disks?
1. Digital projector:
Projectors vary for the size of the venues. Make sure you have one appropriate for your venue.
Projector should be at least 1024x768 resolution.
Projector should be a minimum of 2,500 lumens. The higher number of lumens the better: 2,500 = min., 6,000 =
really good, 8,000-10,000 = amazing! Lumens measure brightness. If you have a big venue and a low lumen projector,
the quality will be lessened.
When testing the program disk, see if any films fall off the screen. Use that film to adjust the projector and size the
film to the screen. Projectors cannot always be moved to make the films fit the screen. If the films fall off the screen,
WSFF cannot adjust for this. It must happen at the venue. Films are created in different aspect ratios: 4:3 and 16:9. The
latter is widescreen. Projectors may not automatically adjust for this and it must be done manually.
a. Solution #1 - Move the projector closer to the screen, but you do not want to change the aspect ratio on the
projector to squeeze the wide aspect film (16:9) to a regular aspect image to 4:3.
b. Solution #2 - Use a projector with a long throw lens. The long throw lens is a factor of the projector type,
size of the screen and distance from the screen to the projector. Not all projectors can use a long throw lens.
A chart is usually available in the documentation for each projector.
2.
HDMI plug (connects from Blu-ray+R player to projector)
3.
Screen should be appropriate size for venue. The baseline is a 16-foot wide screen for a 300-seat venue. The
screen must be at an appropriate height based on seating. There are some films that have subtitles – this means the
screen must be high enough for all seats to see the subtitles. For outdoor venues, www.thevisionexperience.com
Projector configuration:
Option 1: Blu-ray+R PLAYER connects to MONITOR connects to PROJECTOR
Option 2: Blu-ray+R PLAYER connects directly to PROJECTOR w/HDMI cable
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SOUND GUIDELINES
How is the sound quality in the theatre?
Is there an adequate sound system in place?
Is it enough sound for the size of the venue?
Is there a microphone available for speakers?
Is there enough power in the venue?
Do you have all the necessary cabling, cords, connectors, adapters and power strips?
Be sure to ask your tech person: What power is available in the venue, i.e., how many 15 or 20 amp circuits
(outlets)? Is the power clean and well-grounded or dirty (prone to hums, buzzes, and overloads)? All of this information
matters in relationship to how all of this gear is put together.
Sound System List:
2-4 speakers (appropriate to the venue)
Amplifier
RCA red/white audio cables (make sure they are long enough), connect from Blu-ray+R player to amplifier.
Cable from amplifier to the speakers (Make sure it is long enough based on how far speakers are from amplifier.)
Adequate microphone
Optional: Mixer
Optional: It would be great to take full advantage of the available enhanced audio: 5-channel surround sound, or
Dolby 5.1. To set this up you would need an audiovisual preamp/amp mixer and the speakers that go with it: 2x front, 1x
center, 2x rear, to reproduce the 5-channels of audio.
Sound configuration: Blu-ray+R PLAYER connects to AMPLIFIER connects to SPEAKER.
Translation: Your Blu-ray+R Player has regular RCA Audio Output. Run the RCA red/white cables
from your Blu-ray+R player to the amplifier. A cable connects the amplifier to the speakers.
LIGHTING GUIDELINES
You need some basic lighting for your emcee on stage. Your tech person needs to know how to turn them off/on.
The tech person must also control the house lights, or assign a capable volunteer to handle house lights - this is
important to control when it is intermission time and at the end/beginning.
PROGRAM GUIDELINES
Create a detailed schedule– include opening trailer, films, speakers, intermission, Q&A/discussion, etc.
Make sure all of your tech crew and necessary volunteers (lighting, emcees, etc.) have a copy.
Be sure your tech director knows how to work the disk and player for incorporating emcee/speakers
between films:
1. Simply hit PAUSE at the conclusion of the last film when the WSFF logo comes up.
2. After the emcee/speaker finishes, hit PLAY. The WSFF logo fades and next film will begin.
3. If you hit STOP, you’ll need to scroll through all previous films to return to where you left off.
DRESS REHEARSAL GUIDELINES
After you’ve tested the program disks 2 weeks ahead, schedule a tech rehearsal the day of event:
Check operations of all projection and sound equipment
Run Blu-ray+R disk to check play and sound
Have tech person review the playing and pausing of disk
Check microphone and review operations with emcee and all speakers
Do a sound check with your emcee and all your guest speakers
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EMCEE GUIDELINES
Assess the needs of your emcee/speakers.
Make sure your emcee/speakers know what time they are on.
Set a time limit for your emcee/speakers and do not let them run too long.
Have a person ready to slip notes to speaker or hold a sign up to let them know how much time they have left
Have a podium and a stool.
Provide water for the emcee. (Avoid single-use plastic.)
Make sure podium or other props have proper lighting and are not in the line-of-sight of the screen.
Advise speakers that you will give the “high sign” if they need to wrap it up!
TESTING GUIDELINES
Your disks will arrive two weeks before your event or earlier.
Be sure you schedule a system check with your venue a minimum of two weeks before your event.
You must test disks on your venue’s Blu-ray+R player. Do not test the disks on a computer or a player that will not
be used at the event - every player is different!
If you can’t get into your venue early to test the disks: Test the disks on your home Blu-ray+R player. If the test goes
well (see test instructions below), bring your home Blu-ray+R player to the venue.
Testing the disks:
1. Put the disk in the player.
2. Watch the opening trailer all the way through. The opening trailer ends after the last sponsor video with a
‘Thank You’ slide to your organization just before it fades to the Wild & Scenic logo.
3. Watch every film all the way through.
4. The Red Flag to look out for during the test is if the disk starts to skip or freeze. If this happens, do not panic. It
won’t harm your disks but it does mean the player cannot read the disks properly and you will need to test the
disks on a different player. Call Tour Manager if this happens!
5. Test both the original and the back-up in the same way.
6. Have your technician calibrate the Blu-ray+R player for brightness, tint, color and contrast using the disks.
7. Adjust the projector so the film projects properly onto the screen and does not bleed off the edges.
8. If you can’t watch the disks in their entirety during the test, take them home and watch at least one on your
home player. If the test goes well bring your home player to the venue as a back-up. If you have problems during
your event, you do not want to say that it played fine on your home player, which is still at home.
Test the the sound system.
Test the lighting system. (Where are the light switches? Who will control these?)
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PLAYING YOUR PROGRAM DISKS:
1. When you put in your program disks, press “PLAY.” The Wild and Scenic Opening Trailer will start automatically.
The disk will continue through each film unless you press pause between each transition.
2. Your show must begin with the Wild & Scenic Opening Trailer. Please be sure to have 3 minutes at the very
beginning of the program for the intro. The intro starts with, followed by National Partner clips, and ends with
thanks to you, our host partner.
3. When you are ready to start the festival, flash the theater lights five minutes before and then bring down the
house lights and start the WSFF Opening Trailer. It settles people and grabs their attention so when the first
speaker begins, people are quiet and facing forward.
4. The WSFF Opening Trailer ends with the Wild & Scenic logo on the screen. At this point, press pause and the first
speaker/emcee should come up to welcome the audience and begin the show.
5. PRESS PAUSE every time the emcee/speaker comes on stage to introduce the next film. Have the AV Tech practice
this. It seems basic, but it is easy to skip over a film or press pause too early or late. The Wild and Scenic On Tour
logo will come up for 6 seconds between each film as a transition signifying the end of one film and the beginning
of the next. Most importantly, this 6-second transition allows the AV Tech time to press pause for the film’s
introduction by the emcee then press play to resume.
6. PRESS PLAY (or PAUSE depending on your player) after an emcee/speaker is finished to continue the program disk.
7. INTERMISSION: It is a good idea to give the Blu-ray+R player a break at intermission by turning it off and letting it
cool down. This step will mitigate the potential of the player getting tired and skipping in the second half.
8. It is also good protocol to not have the player running and queued up before the show starts. Instead, turn on the
player five minutes before the event so it is not starting over-heated.
9. SKIPPING FILMS: If you want to skip a film, PRESS SKIP when the WSFF logo fades out after the last film but before
the film you want to skip starts. Please test this to ensure you get it right.
10. DO NOT PRESS STOP. If you press stop and press play again, the disk will start back at the beginning. In which case,
you will need to SKIP to the movie you left off at. There is no main menu to select your film. The films are indexed
as chapters, but we do not provide a menu. If you need to stop, or if STOP gets pressed accidentally, it’s okay. Just
breathe and follow the above instructions. To prevent your “behind the scenes work” from being projected on to
the screen, simply cover the projector’s lens with a CD cover or something similar. Once you are ready to go,
remove the “cover” and press play. NOTE: For a seamless, higher quality show, it is recommended to follow the
above “PAUSE” instructions.
11. LIGHTS/SOUND: To create a seamless show, you will either want… 1) your house lights and speaker spotlight to be
controlled by your tech director in the projection booth, or 2) controlled by a capable member/volunteer of your
production team. Either one of these people must have a copy of your minute-by-minute schedule. They must
understand when the house lights/speaker spotlight needs to be on and off.
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