SXSW Festival Crowd
Photo by: nan palmero

As promised – here is the second, and final part of the ultimate film festival networking guide.

If you haven’t read the first part of networking for the shy guy then have a quick look and come back.

In truth, all of these tips and techniques work, regardless of whether you see yourself as super confident, or as a retiring wallflower.

In order to get around the “but I don’t know what to say” problem, I’ve tried to be as practical as possible.

This is what works for me, and once you get comfortable, you’ll establish your own method as well.

Here’s what’s next after doing these things from the first part:

  • Bring a friend if you like
  • Look for opportunities to start a conversation
  • Use a pickup line
  • Remembering names
  • Share a story

Include others

Seek to be inclusive rather than exclusive.

If you’re talking to someone and another person joins the group, make sure you introduce your new friend.

Acting as the person who helps people meet each other at a festival or conference is an incredibly useful role. You are doing the festival organizers a massive service.

And here’s the bonus: knowing that you need to introduce people you’ve just met in the next few minutes will help you remember their name.

If you get their name wrong, it doesn’t matter. It just gives them another opportunity to correct you and maybe re-ask for your name.

“Hey Chris have you met Sharyn. Sorry Sharyn, did I get your name right? Oh Sally. Sorry – there’s so many people here. Sally was just saying she’s working on an animated film for her final year student project …”

Not only have you helped connect two people, but you’ve given yourself an option to leave the group politely once the new conversation gets started.

Exchange details

Sometimes the conversation goes extremely well and you will want to exchange contact details.

Instead of just thrusting your business card into their hands, why not just start by asking: “I’d love to see more of your work. Do you have a website or a blog where I can learn more?”

You can always find a way to reach someone through the “about” or “contact” section on their website.

I’ve never been a big fan of business cards. For me, my personal website is my business card.

Always accept a business card if presented with one. If you don’t have one, offer to write your details on the front of one of theirs. If you write on the back, you run the risk of them accidentally giving the card (and your details) away to someone else.

Say goodbye

After a few minutes, when it’s polite to do so, it’s okay to excuse yourself and leave.

Good cues are when you’ve finished your drink, when they start calling people into the next session, if either of your phones ring, or when another person has been introduced into the group.

I normally finish with something like “Well it was good to meet you. Best of luck with your final year project. Enjoy the rest of the festival.”

Making a quick exit not only frees you up to meet other people, but it also lets your new friend know that you’re not going to stalk them for the entire festival.

Follow up

Immediately post-festival, it’s important to drop a quick email to everyone you met.

Three quick sentences is enough to be polite and remind them who you are:

“Hi Mark. It was good to meet you at the festival. Looking forward to hearing how the new project turns out. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

If they’ve been as busy as you in gathering new acquaintences, this is handy reminder for who you are. Plus – now you have an email on file with the person’s details and a few short lines about the project they’re working on.

Meeting celebrities

Do these methods work with “famous people”?

Sure.

I’ve met Oscar winners and movie stars using these methods, so it will definitely work for you.

Honestly, if you spot Quentin Tarantino, David Lynch or Brad Bird by themselves at the bar, you can consider it a sign from above. If they’re on their own, not talking to someone, by all means, go up and say hi.

Just don’t turn it into a nightmare for them.

Here are some extra guidelines for the celebrity guests at your film festival:

  • Don’t be a pest. Don’t ask for a photo or an autograph right off the bat. There might be an oportunity to ask for one at the end of your encounter, but not at the start.
  • Say something complimentary and specific about their work.
  • Instead of saying “I love your movies”, it’s much better to say: “I really liked the opening title sequence where you used shadow puppets to introduce the main characters.”
  • Ask about what projects they’re currently working on.
  • And then leave.
  • No seriously. Leave.

There are a lot of demands put on special guests at festivals. They have interviews, photos, panel discussions, keynote presentations, their own friends they want to catch up with. They need to know that you’re not going to follow them around and make a nuisance of yourself.

Now is the perfect opportunity to say: “Okay – well it certainly was a treat to meet you. I’ll let you enjoy the rest of the festival. Would it be all right if we had a picture taken?”

Simple.

Hopefully that has taken some of the mystery and awkwardness out of meeting people at festivals.

Remember, the next time you’re at an event: watching films is only half of the reason you’re there.

Make enough new friends, and you might have already found the cast and crew for your own next film.

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Networking for the shy guy part one

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