Universiteit van Amsterdam
Faculty of Humanities, Department of Media Studies Dual MA Preservation & Presentation of the Moving Image
#FilmFestivals:
Instagram as a Tool of Cinephlia at European
Audience Film Festivals
Supervisor: Dr. Marijke de Valck
Thesis by: David Gant Lee Hagestraat 1-C 2011CT Haarlem Tel: 06-28506754 Email: dgantlee@gmail.com Student Number: 10618805
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Contents
0. #Introduction ... 3
1. #Framework ... 6
Film Festival Studies ... 6
Audience Studies ... 8 Media Studies ... 11 2. #CPHPIX ... 16 History ... 16 Instagram Use ... 17 Film Screenshot/Still ... 18 Filmmaker/Staff Portrait ... 20 Festival Ambience ... 21 Promotional Objects ... 23 Regrams/Reposts ... 24
Conclusion: The Visual Mood Board ... 26
3. #IFFR ... 28
History ... 28
The Audience’s Use of Instagram ... 29
Logo/Promotional ... 32
Festival Atmosphere ... 33
Selfies and Group Photos ... 34
Miscellaneous ... 35
Conclusion ... 35
4. #Conclusion ... 37
Marketing/Promotion ... 37
Community and Cinephilia ... 39
Advice ... 40
Going Forward ... 42
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0. #Introduction
Film festivals have long been considered a hub for cinephilia. For countless reasons at countless times in countless locations, they have served as alternative gathering points for those seeking a cinematic experience beyond the commercial theaters. With various screenings happening each day of the festival, the truly passionate fans of cinema could meet and mingle with other truly passionate fans of cinema while sometimes avoiding the harsh prices of traditional cinematic experiences. Although originating in Europe, there are film festivals that occur all around the world at multiple times of the year, each one unique in its own way.
Obviously, there is no possible way to attend every film festival that exists, and part of the allure of the film festival is that it is elusive. Multiple international film festivals overlap each other; even those with the financial means to travel across the world at will are unable to attend every festival. Whether a particular film festival has been scheduled to work well with the weather of a region, peak tourism season of a city, or awards season, film festivals are events that will be attended by few and missed by most.
You have missed those festivals. However, you have heard about them. You have missed those world premieres of independent films that went on to make a star of the young lead actor/actress. You have missed those Q&A sessions where the renowned director has crossed the line. You have missed the party where the veteran award-winning producer drank too much and started telling inappropriate stories of how everyone got their way into the business. Although you were not there to witness these events, you have heard these types of stories. These are those stories that start or end with “You should have been there.” You missed it, but you read about it or heard it on the news. The critic/journalist has long reported on festivals and their happenings in order to give the masses a glimpse at what they had been missing. After all, what is a grand event if there is nobody to share it with?
But the traditional method of sharing experiences is rapidly changing. Not only is the platform different, but the people that share it as well. With the rise of the user-driven internet, critics and journalists are no longer the omniscient powers they were once regarded as. In the form of videos, pictures, blogs, lists, and profiles, people all around the globe share their daily lives and experiences online. Users go out into the world and broadcast what they see, hear, and think. Film festivals are not impervious to these sort of users and have therefore received those types of patrons.
Look at Instagram. It is one of the most popular mobile applications for sharing images. Whether it is a company or an individual, the platform has millions of users that share images (and more recently, video) daily. It is the quickest way for people to broadcast or showcase their lives through pictures. Additionally, it turns out to be a useful marketing tool for businesses. Users take square photographs on their smartphones and then apply a stylistic filter that alters the aesthetic. Once the picture has been tailored to a shareable quality, a caption can be added to describe the photograph or give context. In the caption, a hashtag can be used to group the photo with other photos that used the same hashtag. When using “#” before a categorical identifier, that is called a hashtag. The implementation of hashtags encourage users to caption their photos in a way that will make them more visible to others that are trying to curate a certain selection of pictures.
This popular social media platform has made its way into the realm of European film festivals. Even if a particular festival does not have an Instagram account of its own, patrons post their own photographs on user-created hashtags (usually a festival acronym to conserve space). An event that was once visually limited to the people that could travel to the festival is now a little more
4 accessible to those with an Instagram account. The content varies with each festival, but there are certain opportunities and events that occur at film festivals that lend themselves to this sort of subjectivity. Instagram helps festivals and audiences interact amongst each other like never before.
Therein lies the question: How is social media and image sharing on Instagram being used to enhance the experience of the audience at European audience film festivals? Instagram finds its way creeping into many areas of global commerce; as the world continues to use social media to interact with other people, commercial entities look to new platforms to satisfy their interests. But how does it specifically affect audience film festivals in Europe? The answer is not simply that festivals use Instagram because it exists. This paper seeks to find the objective behind an audience film festival’s direct and indirect Instagram use.
In order to answer this, the image and appearance of audience film festivals (and what those even are) in Europe must be examined chronologically. Establishing this foundation is the best way to see how social media and image sharing have impacted the traditional formula of promotion and sharing of information. Then, I will look at how traditional cinephilia has transformed over the past few decades. After a working knowledge of how modern cinephilia fits in with the ideals of the audience film festival, the platform in question (Instagram) will be analyzed. It is best to take a look at image sharing and Web 2.0 as a general cultural practice before trying to fit it into the realm of film festivals. Once a basic understanding of Instagram and social trends is established, two separate audience film festivals will be looked at as case studies and demonstrations of Instagram’s function in the realm of film festivals. The first case study will be CPH PIX that takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark. CPH PIX has an Instagram account that they self-describe as a “visual mood board”. I will use this case study to examine the benefits and potential of a festival that uses Instagram as a reflection of their program and a way to engage the audience. The second case study will be the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, or IFFR. While IFFR also has its own Instagram account, I wish to focus on the audience’s involvement in contributing to the hashtag of IFFR (#iffr). I will use this case study to examine what audiences at audience film festivals like to share and to possibly explore some motivations for why audiences feel led to share their experiences online. My method in researching these two case studies will involve individually sorting through Instagram pictures and categorizing them; then, I will cross-apply the research from the theoretical framework to gain a better understanding of the purpose Instagram serves to these types of festivals.
There appears to be a distinct lack of research on social media and online communities in film festival studies. Most festival research is focused on the history of film festivals and how they fit into a larger cultural history of a particular region. Film festival audiences, regional and international, are also being studied. However, the use of social media tools has gone largely unresearched. The incorporation of social media tools into our lives is seen as a topic that is better suited to be researched in cultural or media studies. I argue that this topic should be researched because these sorts of tools are providing new ways for festivals and their audiences to interact with each other. These tools impact the way information is communicated during a festival, so it is hard to ignore (or accept in broader terms, rather). I hope that this paper will be beneficial to researchers.
Furthermore, I believe that (audience) film festivals stand to gain from this research as well. Seeing as how social media continues to make a larger impact on our lives and the way we connect with others, film festivals that are not currently using Instagram may be looking for a way to enter that realm. This paper will give clear examples of what other film festivals are doing. At the end of the paper, I will give some advice on how festivals can utilize other popular Instagram strategies to gain a larger audience base and increase audience participation. While not every tactic and every piece of information may be useful to the wide array of festivals that may be looking to enter the
5 photo-sharing realm of Instagram, helpful lessons can still be learned by festivals considering
adopting the use of the platform.
To research this topic, I will use traditional academic research methods to properly frame and position my argument in three paradigms: festival studies, audience studies, and social (media) studies. When discussing festival studies, I will use Marijke de Valck’s seminal work on European film festivals, Film Festivals: From European Geopolitics to Global Cinephilia, as a center piece for my research for which other sources can complement. For audience studies, I plan to focus on writings pertaining to cinephilia. I will address Susan Sontag’s The Decay of Cinema and how cinephilia has evolved. Thomas Elsaesser and others have covered the idea of a “new cinephilia” extensively. Lastly, I will utilize writings and studies about social media on-the-go and how it is used as a marketing and promotion tool.
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1. #Framework
In order to understand the connections that I make in my research, it must first be positioned alongside notable works of academia in the involved fields. This chapter will set up the framework in which my research will operate. I will start by establishing the purpose of film festivals in Europe and how they came to fruition over the past century. Then, I will discuss the needs of the audience of audiovisual content and how cinephilia factors into the film festival. Lastly, the most current research on Instagram and social tools will be surveyed. By establishing a solid foundation of theories in these three fields, the results and analysis of the case studies to come later will be clearer.
Film Festival Studies
The first subdiscipline in which my study should be positioned in is the young field of film festival studies. A major publication in this field is Marijke de Valck’s, Film Festivals: From European
Geopolitics to Global Cinephilia. It is considered to be one of the most revered and encompassing
texts on film festivals to date. Although the book itself is focused mainly on festivals in Europe, it is often used as a resource to understand the concepts of film festivals in general. Let me first start by offering a general overview of film festivals and their beginnings, then progressing into the more theoretical arguments that Marijke de Valck makes about the film festival acting as a transnational film network across Europe. Lastly, I will discuss Mark Peranson’s idea of the “audience film festival” since the two festivals I will be talking about are arguably classified as such.
In 1932, the Venice Film Festival became the first film festival. Its motives were emphasized through its screenings of films rather than being a market for film.1 It was not originally the
world-renowned event that it is now. Given its focus in content and geographical location, it was intended to have more meaning to a regional audience that advanced the cause of like-minded people. The idea was to get past what was exported to countries around the world (mainly Hollywood) and present films that incubated a political agenda or the notion of a national cinema. In the earliest instance, Venice Film Festival used their platform to advance the Fascist agenda of the time. It is said that other film festivals were created in response (namely Festival du Cannes) so that there was a more diverse selection of films that reflected a truly international audience (or in this case, opposed the Fascist agenda that did not align with the ideology of a majority of the world).2 While these other
festivals may not have been as specific in their agendas, they still provided outlets to film audiences that yearned for something more than the typical mainstream offerings.
It is hard to separate films from their traditions of representing national interests. As more festivals were created, a network began to grow. Audiences all around Europe were travelling to the big festivals to see festival films. Presently, there are countless festivals on the film festival circuit in Europe. As the film festival network/circuit continued to spread across Europe, Marijke de Valck argues that festivals must be evaluated by their position as a festival that is transnational with multiple interests rather than as organized bodies with a common, singular goal.3 While Hollywood’s
goal appears to be dominate the commercial sphere with high-grossing films that turn profits for big studios, festivals serve various purposes. Festivals can be “cultural canon builders, exhibition sites, market places, meeting points, and city attractions.”4 Marijke de Valck points out that since the
objectives of the film festival are numerous, film festivals can serve a variety of agendas. Festivals
1 Marijke de Valck. "The role of film festivals in the age of YouTube," Boekman 83 Festivals (2010), 54. 2 Marijke de Valck. Film Festivals: From European Geopolitics to Global Cinephilia (2007), 15.
3 Ibid, 121. 4 Ibid, 102.
7 have indeed become somewhat institutionalized, but the interaction between different interests is more present and open than in traditional cinematic experiences. Cannes is used as an example in Marijke de Valck’s book. Although Cannes is highly focused on the economic side of cinema, it goes about it in a different way than Hollywood. The Cannes Film Festival blends the audience,
production, and potential distributers together unlike traditional cinemas, providing a truly
networked experience. Mix that with its geographical position in Europe and the history and prestige of the Cannes Film Festival is a great example of how film festivals serve as a transnational network of alternative cinematic experiences.
In keeping with the use of Marijke de Valck’s case study of the Cannes Film Festival, we can look at the media coverage that was popularized by Cannes. Although Cannes may be geographically accessible to Europeans accredited for entry to the festival, it is still a long ways to travel for most international audiences. However, it is a widely regarded festival internationally. The event is shared and popularized to the rest of the world through media events and romanticized visions of the event and city. Part of that is built into the city itself, a traditionally ritzy and lavish municipality. The mingling of the rich and the famous of Hollywood fit well into the grand lifestyle and opulence of the French Riviera. Everything about the event is extravagant, an easily enviable and desirable
experience. Through the use of red carpets and press junkets, Cannes can manufacture and export a favorable view of an event that hinges on exclusivity. This tactic gives those who were unable to attend the film festival the chance to see and hear the buzz around the festival as well as enhance the appeal of the films that are able to participate in such a fancy and popular film festival. If a film is able to pick up an award (here: the Palm d’Or), it is able to carry that prestige with it wherever its promotion takes it. Furthermore, it paints the city in a positive light, simultaneously encouraging tourism from absent observers and reinforcing the strength of the venue that programmers choose. Cannes is not the only festival that utilizes these methods to elevate its status, but it is probably the most widely known example of heavy media coverage at a film festival. Some festivals simply do not have the “sex appeal” and allure that Cannes has and thus cannot carry out large events such as this, but media coverage still exists at these festivals. There are different ways in which this happens with other film festivals in Europe, one of which is the focus of this paper.
However, Cannes has very different intentions than those of the film festivals that I will use in my case studies. It is important to recognize that CPH PIX and IFFR fall into the realm of what Mark Peranson calls the “audience film festival”. Where “business film festivals” focus more on the
business aspect of the festival, audience film festivals focus more on satisfying the needs of the audience first.5 While the tables that Peranson uses to differentiate business film festivals from
audience film festivals may contain some crossover between categories, the unsurprisingly highest priority or “major concern” is the audience.6 When also looking at the priorities of the business film
festival, it becomes clear that both CPH PIX and IFFR fit into the category of audience film festivals. This will be discussed as each case study is addressed.
The film festival has historically served as an alternative venue for the consumption of audiovisual material. Although festivals can be a platform for nationalist cinema, it has transformed into a platform for a transnational European film network. While some film festivals may not be for everybody, there are enough that vary in content and allow for more general audience so long as they are willing to put in the effort to make it there. Festivals can serve multiple purposes; no matter their purposes, the promotion and publicity of a film festival is crucial to refining and cultivating its
5 Mark Peranson. "First You Get the Power, Then You Get the Money: Two Models of Film Festivals." Film
Festival Yearbook 1: The Festival Circuit, (St Andrews Film Studies with College Gate Press, 2009) 23-37.
8 image for present and future festivals. CPH PIX and IFFR fit in with Peranson’s notion of the audience film festival and therefore serve a different purpose than business festivals like Cannes. Keeping these points in mind when analyzing the case studies will help fit my research into the field.
Audience Studies
The study of film audiences can tell a lot about our consumption of audiovisual content. Since my research will be focused on the virtual interaction on Instagram between the audience and the festival, I believe it is important to establish an understanding of the film festival audience and why they view the film festival as a viable option for their consumption of movies and
entertainment. The texts that stand out to me in particular deal with cinephilia as the motivation of film festival patrons’ attendance. An article by Liz Czach addresses Susan Sontag’s “The Decay of Cinema” head on and contemplates how the replacement of the traditional cinephilia is manifested, particularly among the film festival audience of today. Also, Melis Behlil takes a look at the Internet as a home to online communities of cinephilia. To begin, the origins of cinephilia will be discussed so I can illustrate how it has changed.
If I were to come up with a quick definition of cinephilia, it would suffice to say that cinephilia is the love of cinema. There was a growing community (particularly in France) that was interested in cultivating passionate viewers of quality cinema. After World War II, publications like
Cahiers du Cinéma and the writers/filmmakers it inspired like François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard
helped usher in the French New Wave and a new appreciation of film. Although the most talked about product of the French New Wave is auteur theory, some call it the beginning of cinephilia, the intense passion of cinema.7 There were of course various clubs and organizations in the past that
promoted the finer recognition of cinema, but the French New Wave has undoubtedly become the loudest and most memorable voice in the elevation of cinematic appreciation.8 In Cahiers du
Cinéma, writers were talking about forgotten films of the past and the people that made them. For
such a group of well-spoken individuals that could easily navigate deep theoretical conversations, their focus on the films and filmmakers of Hollywood seem rather ironic. However, it was never about the movies; it was about how whether or not the audience could make the same sort of distinctions that the cinephiles could.9 To the cinephiles and academics, cinema was becoming more
than a novelty and activity; it was starting to be seen more as a form of art.
It must be pointed out that cinephilia in the 1960s and 1970s was shaped by the way audiovisual content was consumed in that period of time.10 The television was not in every
household. The multiplex was on the horizon, but it had not yet taken over the cinematic climate of Europe. Audiences still had to leave their homes to experience film. Cinema was a place in addition to being an object or content. The audiences, whether it was conscious or not, became communities devoted to the advancement of cinema. Attending as often as possible, vying for the best seat, and splurging on the refreshments was just as much a part of the cinematic experience as actually watching the movie. Not to mention, the rooms and auditoriums that displayed this content were unique just for how large they were. The cinema was a place where everybody came to learn something new from the world outside their homes; the black box that held everybody transported them to different lands in different scenarios. It was the portal to escape the happenings of everyday
7 Marijke de Valck and Malte Hagener. “Cinephilia in the New Media Age”, Cinephilia: Movies, Love and
Memory (2005), 11.
8 Ibid, 11-12. 9 Ibid, 12.
10 Thomas Elsaesser. “Cinephilia or the Uses of Disenchantment.” Cinephilia: Movies, Love and Memory (2005),
9 life. The cinema was a shared experience that hinged on its temporality and destination. It was simply an event that you could not miss.
All good things must come to an end, however, and the cinephile slowly migrated back home. The increase of new technologies allowed for the content and communities to exist outside of the theater.11 As the television became a household mainstay, film audiences found that their thirst
for audiovisual content could be quenched by the square box in the living room. The effort that it took to get ready to go out to the theater and claim your spot was no longer necessary. The love of cinema had advanced so far that it really was the content that everybody loved. Everything else that accompanied attending the cinema ended up being one big charade. Television stations could broadcast movies directly into the houses of consumers. Further deepening the dilemma was the advent of VHS. The ability to choose full feature-length films that you could watch from the comfort of your own home made it hard for theaters to compete. The consumption of audiovisual content was no longer restricted temporally or physically; the ease of access changed the user.12 The
audience began to actively reject the context in which they fell in love with movies.
This decline did not go unnoticed. As theater attendance slipped and the cinematic landscape changed over the next few decades, Susan Sontag called into question the existence of traditional cinephilia in her New York Times Magazine article, “The Decay of Cinema”. Sontag reminisces about the past when film had followers that were truly passionate about the medium.13
There is no real research or factual evidence cited in the article to prove the so-called decay of cinema or cinephilia, but her argument seems convincing nonetheless. What good argument can really be put forward that disproves that mainstream cinema culture is focused on cinema as a business rather than cinema as an art? What good argument can disprove that home distribution of films has not disturbed the carefully balanced model of exhibition that dominated the first half of film’s existence? People were abandoning the ideals related to the cinema that they once held so dearly. Sontag points out that it was not so much the technical aspects that people abandoned, but the respect and vulnerability rather.14 One sentence stands out to me in particular in regards to
watching audiovisual content outside the cinema: “To be kidnapped, you have to be in a movie theater, seated in the dark among anonymous strangers.”15 Perhaps it is because it is written so
eloquently that her work is so often cited in a large majority of the academic writing on cinephilia. I believe it is the last sentence where she ponders new forms of “cine-love” that encourages scholars to explore new paths and schemes of cinephilia.16
That does not mean that watching audiovisual content outside of the home is completely dead. Although the traditional form of cinephilia has met its demise, it is manifested in different ways in other events. Many scholars and researchers are exploring how audiences classified as cinephiles are migrating to other avenues of distribution, physical and virtual. Briefly, we will
examine Marijke de Valck’s assertion that cinephilia thrives at film festivals (a view also supported by Liz Czach) and then we will look at Melis Behlil’s observation of online communities of cinephilia.
Marijke de Valck includes a section in the 2005 book which she co-edited Cinephilia: Movies,
Love and Memory that positions the film festival (specifically, the International Film Festival
11 Jenna Ng. "The Myth of Total Cinephilia." Cinema Journal 49:2 (2010), 149. 12 de Valck and Hagener, “Cinephilia”, 13-14.
13 Susan Sontag. "The Decay of Cinema," New York Times Magazine (25 February 1996), 60-61. 14 Ibid, 60-61.
15 Ibid, 60. 16 Ibid, 61.
10 Rotterdam, or IFFR) as a venue that consistently attracts physical visitors in the form of cinephiles. As discussed in the first part of this chapter, film festivals serve as alternative outlets of distribution for films, which in turn leads to alternative films. This leads to an alternative audience, an audience that is different than your typical run-of-the-mill multiplex patron. These alternative audiences can provide the passionate support that is required to support the exhibition of more experimental and eccentric films. These types of audiences and these types of festivals help each other grow.
Of course, that is only a generalization and there are plenty of examples that show how festivals merely serve as a market to pick up films without distribution deals (and even showcase films that have large distribution deals), even in the larger European festivals. Although the Festival du Cannes is often heralded as one of the most important film festivals in the world, it often includes work from well-established filmmakers and actors that populate our multiplexes. The 2013 edition had the newest version of The Great Gatsby (directed by Baz Luhrmann) open the festival, a 3D summer blockbuster that had already secured large distribution deals. The films in competition often benefit from having the eyes and ears of some of the biggest names in the industry, often providing more opportunities for filmmakers to shine in commercial endeavors and awards seasons. The films that are shown at a festival like this stand a chance of being shown outside of the festival circuit. These sort of business festivals concentrate more on the business (or a “professional audience”) and less on the (non-professional) audience of fans, the main bearers of cinephilia.1718
In no way am I trying to take away from Cannes as a film festival. It serves its purpose well as a business film festival and I would love to attend someday, but there are other festivals that are able to harbor a larger community of cinephiles. Take for instance IFFR, the central case study of Marijke de Valck’s paper exploring the connection between cinephilia and (thematic) film festivals. The red carpets are nearly non-existent and the awards season does not hinge on the success of IFFR films. The annual festival in Rotterdam is quite popular for options in programming, focusing
particularly on experimental and new films.19 The spectators at festivals like these attend out of a
desire to see the limits of cinema tested. Even IFFR has its fair share of mainstream films/activities that keep it friendly and inviting to the masses (2014’s opening film was Her, Spike Jonze’s Academy Award-winning love story), but the majority of the content leans to the more artistic and
experimental side. Liz Czach also echoes this sentiment of film festival as a home of a form of cinephilia, claiming that “festivals present a seductive return to classical cinephilia.”20 All in all, since
cinephilia is primarily a sentiment of the audience, film festivals that focus on audiences are more likely to facilitate the desires of cinephiles. Again, the exploration of cinephilia at audience film festivals will be elaborated upon in the case studies.
That audience film festivals are a good home for audiences of cinephiles is not the only point I am trying to make. Yes, technological advances regarding the platform of audiovisual content have dictated how cinephilia has changed, but the communities are also manifested outside of the home and online. In Melis Behlil’s “Ravenous Cinephiles: Cinephilia, Internet, and Online Communities”, the meaning of cinephilia as a term is discussed. It has been stated above that traditional cinephilia was focused on the appreciation of the movie-going experience. Since the consumption of
audiovisual content is no longer physically or virtually limited as it used to be, the focus of the old cinephilia led to what was believed as its dissolution. However, others (like Behlil here) believe that
17 Peranson, “First You Get the Power”, 28.
18 Marijke de Valck. “Drowning in Popcorn at the International Film Festival Rotterdam”, Cinephilia: Movies,
Love and Memory, (2005), 101.
19 de Valck, Film Festivals, 165.
11 the broadening of consumption leads to a broadening of the term cinephilia. Although the Internet is a drastically different realm than the movie theater, there are certain aspects of traditional
cinephilia that are allowed to evolve in an unrestricted territory such as the Internet. Online databases and community-driven forums allow for the deep research of and connection through film.21
Most notable is the Internet’s ability to seamlessly connect users from anywhere in the world. The theater would be the meeting place for cinephiles to discuss the movies that they have seen and discuss the movies they wish to see. Now, various forums and websites serve as meeting places for cinephiles all over the world. Instead of waiting around before or after a film to chat with movie-goers in the lobby of a theater, cinephiles can chat wherever they please so long as they have Internet access.22 There is always the argument that communication over the Internet is different
than communication face-to-face, but the Internet grants an opportunity to connect a number of users that far surpasses the amount that movie theaters provide. The Internet allows for viewing experiences that are virtually and temporally flexible. With the use of targeted Internet searches, users can instantly find the community that they wish to join. Users can talk about whichever movie they want, whenever they want, with whomever they want. A website like IMDB.com (Internet Movie Database) allows users to find the film they are looking for and rate the film by reviewing it or scoring it. The sharing of opinions with millions has become so easy.
The traditional film audience is no longer in the theater. Cinephiles gather online and at film festivals to carry on typical cinephiliac traditions. Film festivals continue to be reliable sources of new and refreshing content that provide unique theatrical and alternative moviegoing experiences. The Internet has opened the virtual space to cinephiliac communities to grow and spread limitlessly, allowing for countless users to converse in ways that are nearly impossible to do physically.
Media Studies
Given its relatively new addition to the (also new) field/landscape of social media studies, there does not appear to be one defining academic work focused on Instagram. However, there are particular articles here and there that illustrate the power and use of Instagram as an image-sharing tool that is currently rising in popularity. I will be focusing on the articles that mention Instagram in regards to its use as an image-sharing tool for sharing experiences. I will discuss a Wired article discussing Instagram’s ease of use and the importance of photo filters. I will also discuss the marketing potential of Instagram as evidenced by the research of Thamwika Bergström & Lisa Bäckman. But in order to understand Instagram as a platform on smartphones and new devices, it will be beneficial to understand why and how these devices got into our hands in the first place.
It is funny to imagine that cellular and mobile telephones were once used just as telephones. The obnoxiously large and oddly-shaped phones were used to connect individuals from one
telephone line to another in the event that they were away from their office or home phones. As is the case with most seminal pieces of technology, it ran the gambit in terms of redesign and change of style. The bag phone no longer came in a bag. The extendable antenna disappeared. It became slimmer and smaller with the introduction of flip-phones and smaller internal technology. A miniature screen was added to the phone that could display the time and the numbers you were dialing. Lastly, the ability to SMS, or text, your contacts seems like the last major development of the
21 Melis Behlil. “Ravenous Cinephiles: Cinephilia, Internet, and Online Film Communities”, Cinephilia: Movies,
Love and Memory (2005), 113.
12 pre-smartphone era. Although cameras on camera-phones predated the smartphone, they were largely underdeveloped.
But with the advent of PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) devices and operating systems like Palm and BlackBerry, the ability to manage and work on the go from a mobile device began to creep into the conscious of the masses. Digital calendars and synced emails were no longer only accessible by desktop and laptop computers. QWERTY keyboards and styluses for (now, underdeveloped) touchscreens allowed for unique interactivity aside from the mobile phone. Yet, it was just another device to carry for the business-savvy user. As in most cases with technology, consolidation usually corresponds with advancement. It was only a matter of time before the PDA merged with the cellular phone to create one device that could facilitate the needs of an evolving user: the smartphone.
Although BlackBerry was an early leader in smartphone technology and operation, the Apple iPhone has arguably become one of the most influential smartphones of the new century. Beyond its game-changing full touchscreen, iPod/Mac integration, and the inclusion of a powerful camera, the ability to download and utilize applications (or “apps”) has fundamentally changed the way we connect with the world through a “mobile internet”.23 This strategy was quickly adopted by
BlackBerry and Google’s Android operating systems. While traditional mobile telephones helped facilitate communication between individuals, applications allow for more diverse interactions. Enhanced email features, touchscreen gaming, productivity tools, and social networking applications led to a more involved mobile user.
The social networking power of smartphones should not go unnoticed. Both Android and iOS operating systems have the ability to download and utilize social networking applications. Even on some Android-powered devices, there is social networking integration into the operating system itself. With the downloading of either a Facebook or Twitter application, your social networking accounts are available for use on the go. So long as you are connected to either a mobile network or a home network (Wi-Fi), these social networking applications allow for browsing content as well as adding content. While Facebook and Twitter (and Myspace before that) were only available by computer before then, these applications subconsciously encouraged users to contribute and share their lives outside of their homes. This entailed providing status updates when out on the town, answering instant messages from followers and friends, and sharing photos from adventures with friends as they happen.
Enter Instagram. Twitter and Facebook are not solely focused on sharing images. Their missions originated on the computer and thus have different primary functions. However, Instagram was born as an application for mobile devices. Its sole purpose as an application is to share photos and videos directly from your phone with others. Simply create an account on your phone and start sharing photos with the world. The application allows you to choose whether you wish to share your profile with strangers or only with people you approve of through a request/acceptance system. You can browse the photos of other users as well. The simplicity of the interface makes sharing photos with others easy and appealing to the masses. Instagram claims that it has 60 million photographs uploaded each day by its 200 million active users per month.24 Take a picture, crop it, apply a filter,
and add a description/caption; you have successfully participated in Instagram.
23 Michael Mace & Joel West. “Browsing as the killer app: Explaining the rapid success of Apple’s iPhone”,
Telecommunications Policy 34 (2010), 279-280.
13 In Wired’s “The Instagram Effect”, the quick escalation of Instagram is noted, but the article focuses more on the application’s ability to apply stylistic filters to the photos that the users take. In what is deemed “filter culture”, users alter their photos in order to see and show the world in a new way. Seemingly normal pictures can be transformed. Wired explains:
“When Instagram launched, it offered 12 settings to augment users' photos in ways that produced lovely and often surprising results. You'd take a picture, put on the Lomo-fi filter, and boom--the popping colors made an otherwise drab party picture emotionally vibrant. Or the Hefe filter--my personal favorite--which boosts contrast while reducing saturation, uncovering subtle details I don't notice with my naked eye.”25
Notable here is the description of a “drab party picture”. Assuming that the point of taking the picture is to record and share the memory of the party you are at, a normal photograph should suffice. However, given the options of filtering the photograph, the party picture suddenly becomes inadequate. The desire to share positive or extraordinary experiences and photographs with others is reflected in Instagram’s filtering system. The normal camera lens on a smartphone no longer accurately portrays the emotion and feeling that Instagram users wish to convey.
Of course, filtering and manipulation of pictures is nothing new in the world of photography. In essence, photography is just a manipulated photochemical reproduction of what we see through a lens. Special lens, film, lighting, and color techniques have helped photographers enhance and tweak their photos before digital technologies. Experienced photographers can easily replicate the
enhancements that can be made using the Instagram application. Users of Instagram have the tools at their fingertips to make themselves creative photographers. The co-founder of Instagram, Kevin Systrom, tells Wired, “All Instagram did was take the creative tools that the pros have been using and put them in the hands of the masses.”26 Wired refers to this as “giving newbies a way to develop
deeper visual literacy.”27 Simon Dumenco of Advertising Age sums up this issue well: “…[E]verything
– landscapes, buildings, people, pets, food – looks better and more compelling filtered through Instagram than it does in real life.”28 As a result of Instagram’s success with its filters, there are many
more applications in app stores/markets that allow photos to be enhanced by filters that are not included in the Instagram application. Those externally enhanced photographs can then be shared on Instagram, bypassing the application’s built-in camera function. Even photographs that are made outside of Instagram are still placed within Instagram. It is indeed a widely accepted platform for this kind of image-sharing.
Beyond Instagram’s inclusion of filters, the grouping of the photos by “hashtagging” allows for a unique and curated experience. Borrowing from the popular Twitter function, users can denote the category of photo by including a “#” before the word they want to hashtag. With a simple click or press, users are shown all of the pictures that are hashtagged in the same way. For instance, somebody that takes a picture of the Rocky Mountains may hashtag the photo “#Colorado” and “#Mountains” so that the picture will show up in the results when those two hashtags are searched. This method of categorizing has become very popular. Certain hashtags such as “#SelfieSunday” where users post pictures of themselves and “#TBT” where users post older pictures for “Throwback
25 Clive Thompson. "Clive Thompson on the Instagram Effect."
http://www.wired.com/2011/12/st_thompson_instagram/, (2011).
26 Ibid. 27 Ibid.
28 Simon Dumenco. “Instagram is OK, but Photoshop is evil? The truth about digital lies”, Advertising Age 11:83
14 Thursday” have become Instagram hashtag mainstays with users contributing weekly without any prompt from Instagram itself. Simply put, hashtagging has become a common way for people to group their photos so that they are more easily shared and even conversational29. In essence, they
are preparing their photos to be part of an internet search result. Some users play with the idea of the hashtag and get creative with their categorizations. For instance, it is sometimes used ironically. If I were to take a mildly embarrassing photo of myself and post it to Instagram and add the hashtag “#IReallyHopeThisGetsLostSoNobodyFindsIt”, I would be conceding that the photo embarrasses me while mocking the fact that any photo can be categorized with any hashtag conceivable. Hashtags are essentially boundless, and it is one of the things that makes Instagram’s image-sharing ability a unique experience.
Instagram’s potential has not gone unrecognized by professional and commercial entities. In the study of Instagram by Thamwika Bergström & Lisa Bäckman called “Marketing and PR in Social Media”, Instagram is evaluated on its performance as a marketing platform. They deduce that although relationships between customers and businesses may not be created through Instagram, the platform maintains and strengthens these relationships.30 Instagram is, in essence, a virtual
portal that goes directly to consumers; companies are able to put their own personal images directly into the hands of Instagram users.31 While users scroll through their Instagram feeds, the pictures
from friends and acquaintances are casually mixed with the images from businesses. Companies can encourage users to engage with their content in a number of ways. Some photos may serve as encouragement for consumers to visit a website. Some photos encourage users to participate and share photos using a certain hashtag. The description area can serve as a space to allow users the space to ask questions. This provides an area in which people can interact with one another and enhance relationships, leading to enhanced loyalty and trust in a company, arguably important traits for any company. A study by Michel Laroche, Mohammad Reza Habibi, and Marie-Odile Richard has provided empirical evidence of this benefit in their study on social media.32 Although they did not
use Instagram in their studies, it is widely agreed upon that Instagram is a social media platform. The principles can thus be cross-applied in this situation.
Today, most users have smartphones; the time when cellular and mobile telephones were used only for talking is now long gone. With the advancement of cellular data networks and improvement of telephone technology, smartphones have led users to be more connected. Social networks (Instagram included) allow users to be connected to friends, family, and strangers at the press of a button. While on the go, Instagram allows users to share pictures with the world so others can see what they are doing in the world. Companies and businesses make their own accounts so that they can publish content that goes directly onto the Instagram feeds of consumers. Instagram is a powerful marketing tool in today’s climate of social networking.
Conclusion
Using the three paradigms put forth above, I will examine the use of Instagram at two different film festivals. Since the events in question are indeed film festivals, it will fall into that paradigm by default. Since Instagram is used as a tool to reach and socially interact with the
29 Wendy Abbott, Jessie Donaghey, Joanna Hare and Peta Hopkins. “An Instagram is worth a thousand words:
an industry panel and audience Q&A”, Library Hi Tech News 30:7 (2013), 3.
30 Thamwika Bergström & Lisa Bäckman. Marketing and PR in Social Media: How the utilization of Instagram
builds and maintains customer relationships, Thesis (2013), 41.
31 Ibid, 12.
32 Michel Laroche, Mohammad Reza Habibi, Marie-Odile Richard. “To be or not to be in social media: How
15 cinephiliac film festival audience, my research will fit into that category. Lastly, my research falls into (social) media studies because it deals with the use of Instagram as a way to connect users together in an online social environment. Using the academic research from these three sections of academia, the case studies can be better evaluated.
16
2. #CPHPIX
My first case study will be over CPH PIX, an annual film festival that occurs in Copenhagen, Denmark. Of particular relevance here is the use of Instagram as a “visual mood board”. I will first discuss the small history of the festival (and why that is important). Then, I will move into a
discussion about the festival’s use of Instagram, delving deep into specific examples of pictures they have posted to their account. Lastly, I will discuss the benefits and impacts of reaching out to an audience in the way that CPH PIX does.
History
CPH PIX is a relatively new festival. In 2009, the first edition of CPH PIX took place. CPH PIX is really the merger of two older festivals in Copenhagen, the NatFilm Festival and the Copenhagen International Film Festival (CIFF). The NatFilm Festival, established in 1990, was considered to be the city’s largest film festival.33 Given the Danish translation of “nat” meaning “night”, this “NightFilm”
festival took place at night in cities throughout Denmark. Although it did not attract a high amount of visitors in its early days, it approached upwards of 40,000 visitors during its 2003 festival34. The
festival specialized in showing a few major motion pictures alongside its high number of niche and short films. Additionally, panels and tributes brought in big names in filmmaking to add to the prestige of a festival in a small country. But in 2003, NatFilm became one of two major film festivals in Copenhagen once the Copenhagen International Film Festival was introduced. The festivals happened at different times of the year (NatFilm in April and Copenhagen International Film Festival in September), so there was no real economic competition or struggle. However, the two festivals decided to conjoin their efforts and form one festival – CPH PIX. The new festival is part of a conglomerate of festivals that cover a broad range of interests throughout the year; those festivals include the BUSTER Film Festival for Children and Youth, CPH: DOX Documentary Film Festival, and the DOXBIO National Documentary Film Distribution. I will be focusing on the CPH PIX Feature Film Festival.
The festival’s recent emergence should not go unnoticed. It takes most festivals decades to develop an image or identity. As such, festivals are more willing to experiment in their
developmental stages with different tools and different ideas to set themselves apart from other festivals. Since this festival was conceived in 2009, there are many opportunities for CPH PIX to set itself apart from other festivals. While it keeps some of the traditions and events that were part of both NatFilm Festival and CIFF (like tributes to filmmakers and specialized categories in
competitions), it is allowed to try new strategies to build a unique festival experience. Since social networking came to prominence a little before the creation of this festival, it is something that could be incorporated into the festival from a very early stage. On 26 March of 2013, CPH PIX posted its first picture to Instagram. I will be focusing on the use of Instagram during its 2013 and 2014 editions, the entirety of the existence of the Instagram account.
It is important to understand where CPH PIX fits into the European festival circuit. A lot can be told by dissecting the lineup and schedule for a festival. The festival enjoys a diverse selection of films from around the world, many of which find their ways to other festivals throughout the year. For instance, The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium, 2012, Felix van Groeningen) was screened at the 2013 festival and won an audience award.35 Although it opened in Belgium and the Netherlands
33 “NatFilm Festival”, http://everything2.com/title/NatFilm%2520Festival, (accessed 17/06/2014). 34 "Admission Record at PIX '14.",
http://www.cphpix.dk/news/703/1?-session=PIX:42F9425907e9e01649qgl284B99C (accessed 10/06/2014).
17 in late 2012, it was one of the first venues to screen the film outside the Benelux region (with the exception of the Berlinale screening it two months before CPH PIX).36 The film went on to be
screened in various European and international film festivals. Eventually, it was nominated for an Academy Award. This is obviously just one example and it would be incorrect to identify the festival as a catalyst for Academy Award nominations, but the festival attracts European talent regularly.
The festival offers two awards: the Audience Award and a New Talent Grand PIX Award. The Audience Award attracts submissions from Europe that can use the momentum to “compete” at other festivals. However, the New Talent Grand PIX Award (what CPH PIX refers to as its main competition) encourages new filmmakers to bring their first films to compete in Copenhagen. This category is just broad enough to encourage filmmakers from various European countries and
languages to submit their films to CPH PIX. The winner of the 2014 New Talent Grand PIX Award was Norwegian director Eskil Vogt for his film Blind. The award is given to the filmmaker, not the film (keeping with the tradition of auterism and cinephilia at the film festival as referenced by de Valck, Elsaesser, and Czach). The awards and categories draw in a fairly diverse selection of films for a “Copenhagen audience [that] demonstrate[s] their interest in alternative fiction films and events.”37
Concerts and retrospectives (2014’s retrospective celebrated William Friedkin; he also attended the festival in Denmark) also enhance the festival’s appeal. The 2014 edition of the festival brought in its highest recorded attendance of 50,064, a 16% increase from the number of patrons in 2013.38
Ultimately, CPH PIX does not play as big a part in the European film festival network as a festival like Berlin or Cannes. Danish distributors do take note of the festival happenings, but that is largely unrepresented in its promotion. The festival will get big name films and a few high-profile filmmakers, but that only represents a small part of the festival. Given its modest 50,064 patrons, it is a festival that serves the public of Copenhagen and is what Mark Peranson would call an audience film festival. Some festivals solidify the position of a filmmaker in the annals of art film history and some festivals live on the Q&A panel featuring famous movie stars, but CPH PIX is not one of those festivals. It could be a festival that attracts visitors from distant countries, but its small size and relatively new origins make for a fringe status. Even with visitors, CPH PIX is a local festival that has not yet risen to the level of being a staple on the transnational European film festival circuit.
Instagram Use
Now that the position of CPH PIX has been pinpointed, it can be kept in mind while thinking about the objective that the festival could have in regards to the use of its Instagram account. This section of the chapter will look closely at the collection of photographs posted on the CPH PIX Instagram account for the last two years and analyze them as a whole. Breaking down the photos into categories will allow for a more detailed look at the motivations for particular photos. I will use a few photos to illustrate the points of each category. But before I discuss the different types of photos in the categories, I wish to talk about the account on the whole in relation to the popularity of the festival.
36 “Release Info.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024519/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_ov_inf (accessed 12/06/2014). 37 "Admission Record at PIX '14.".
18 Although the festival was established a couple of years earlier, the Instagram account for CPH PIX was created in 2013 and has been used for the last two festivals. Currently, the account only has 507 “followers”.39 If the figures that CPH PIX have published about attendance to the festival are
accurate, it can be deduced that roughly 1% of CPH PIX patrons follow the festival’s Instagram account. The content of the Instagram can still be delivered to users of Instagram, but the search function must be used to compensate for the lack of CPH PIX photos on the non-following Instagram user’s “feed”. Although not completely out of the
realm of possibility, it is highly unlikely that 45,000+ patrons casually search for the festival’s Instagram account and then not follow it. Even then, the amount of the audience that CPH PIX reaches with its
Instagram account is significantly lower than its actual attendance. However, the purpose of this research is not to investigate whether or not CPH PIX’s use of Instagram is successful, but rather what they use Instagram for and why.
After sorting through the 143 pictures that CPH PIX has on its account, I separated the
photographs into five different categories. The five categories are as follows: Film Screenshot/Still, Filmmaker/Employee Portrait, Festival Ambience, Promotional Objects, and Regrams/Reposts. In Table 1, I have listed the simple criteria that I used to separate the photographs into these five categories. The amount of times these pictures occur will be mentioned in individual analyses of each category; I will discuss the implications and motivations behind the publishing of the photographs and give an
example of each type of photograph so the criteria for my sorting is even more clear. There is a certain amount of crossover among these categories of pictures; that topic will be discussed towards the end of the case study. Breaking these categories down will help us understand CPH PIX’s motivations with its Instagram account.
Film Screenshot/Still
A film festival must program film; what is programmed is ultimately what the patron wants to see. Programmers decide what will be presented to the audience; programming defines film culture and dictates what an audience evaluates.40 Screenshots or stills have long been used to
advertise and promote movies. One need only look to old movie posters and it is obvious to see that images from a film (sometimes even a drawing or artwork inspired by the film) are often used to promote the release of films. Simply put, it is the first glance that one gets at the programmed selection before actually seeing it. It is a taste of something that could potentially draw in a larger audience. Since newer technologies allow for more sophisticated designs and techniques, images
39 “@cphpix.” http://instagram.com/cphpix (accessed 12/06/2014).
40 Roya Rastegar. “Difference, aesthetics and the curatorial crisis of film festivals”, Screen 53:3 (2012), 311.
Table 1 Criteria for categorizing photographs of the CPH PIX Instagram
19 can now be taken directly from a film and used for promotional purposes. In the case of CPH PIX, this has been done often to raise awareness and preview films that the festival would show. Here are two different types of these photographs. It does not appear that CPH PIX did this type of Instagram photograph during the 2013 edition of the festival, so both of these come from 2014.
Figure 1 is a picture from January 31, 2014 that shows a still image from Wes Anderson’s The Grand
Budapest Hotel. Although
the festival annually happens in April, it is common for any festival to take part in events and collaborate with others outside of the festival timeline. This is the case with The Grand Budapest
Hotel. The screening of
this film happened on February 10, 2014, ten days after the Instagram photo was posted. The picture itself has no indication of when the date of the film is though.
It includes four characters (two of which are arguably very famous) in an elevator. People familiar with Wes Anderson’s style and aesthetic recognize this shot as a quintessential Wes Anderson shot. The caption part of the picture includes a tantalizing quote from the film and a few hashtags. The hashtags give insight to the photograph by listing the title of the film, the director of the film, and the organization that is premiering it. Users looking for pictures related to Wes Anderson by searching the hashtag #wesanderson or #grandbudapesthotel will be taken to this photo letting Instagram users know that there is a “#premiere” of the movie at CPH PIX.
CPH PIX can use the still of the film to show users what will be
screened. Although the details of the event are not specified in the picture, it can lead to users searching the CPH PIX website or something else to find show times for the events. Like a movie poster, these types of images encourage potential patrons to explore and seek more information for an event.
Figure 2 is a similar still from the film Jeune et Jolie; it gives hashtags of the title, festival, and the name of the director. But, the image that is shown is a little more risqué than the still from The
Grand Budapest Hotel, a literal tease if you will. Again, this image does not give a particular date or
Figure 1 A still from The Grand Budapest Hotel with caption; @cphpix 31/01/2014
20 time for a screening (other than the #pix14 suggesting it is a part of the festival program), but it gives a taste of what one can see at the festival. The comment beneath the caption on the picture
accurately sums up the potential of posting photos like this; the Danish translation of the comment from @girlsonfilm_blog is close to “We look forward to it!”
This concept has only been used since this year for CPH PIX. Although it is new for the festival, it is a very popular choice for the content of its Instagram account. There were no pictures like this for its 2013 edition, but there were 51 of this type of photograph during the 2014 edition. This accounted for about 57% of the photographs during 2014. Ultimately, it was the most common way for CPH PIX to convey to its followers and potential patrons what is screening at its events. Rather than posting a picture of an itinerary or schedule to give a full understanding of what is being shown, these screenshot/still images serve as small movie posters that give a taste of a film and encourage the patron to seek out more information.
Filmmaker/Staff Portrait
The subject of the photo on a film festival Instagram account does not necessarily need to be of a film or film-related. Film festivals are big events that require a lot of work and a lot of help to put on. In order to recognize the help given by numerous volunteers and staff members, CPH PIX has used its Instagram to post pictures of certain people that have helped make the festival possible. It gives the audience and Instagram users a more personal understanding of the effort that went into completing the festival.
But, the festival is also incomplete without the films. Thanks to the filmmakers, there is something to exhibit at the festival. In a similar way that the festival elevates a particular staff member, it can elevate a particular filmmaker as well. Furthermore, it lets the audience know that there are renowned filmmakers in attendance at the festival. This is a way of letting (potential) patrons know that they could possibly see these faces of the filmmakers that contributed to the program. Seeing these two types of people at a film festival adds a unique dynamic to the film festival experience.41
Take, for instance, this picture in Figure 3. Three members of the CPH PIX jury are shown. The translation of the caption is as follows: “CPH PIX jury in the city - Ragnar Bragason, Agnés Wildenstein and Kleber Mendonca Filho. Ready, Set, judge!” The caption, which gives the names of the jury members, serves as an informal
introduction to the people that will be judging the New Talent
Grand PIX Award while making a personal, playful tone through its caption. Although a festival like Cannes has a jury comprised of big names in filmmaking, most festivals do not have the ability to
41 Marijke de Valck. “‘Screening’ the Future of Film Festivals?", Film International 6:4 (2008), 21.
21 assemble a jury with a large amount of starpower. Here, CPH PIX has put together a jury that is local and serves the interest of the largely local audience.
This picture both introduces the audience to the jury that would judge CPH PIX 2013 and gives them a face. All three members are smiling and facing the camera in somewhat posed fashion. It is typical of festivals and events to keep the backend of a festival hidden so it does not interfere with the illusion of a fluid event. However, an event like a film festival that is largely based in
community and cinephilia benefits from giving names and faces to the people that are involved with the development of such a passionate event. By posting pictures of these jury members on
Instagram, CPH PIX gives the opportunity for patrons to keep an eye out for the friendly jury. While the festival
organizers deserve their time in public eye, there is no doubt that seeing a filmmaker is a possibility that festival patrons relish. CPH PIX also takes the same tactic of posting portraits by
photographing filmmakers and performers as well. As seen in Figure 4, a portrait of William Friedkin was used to show that he was going to be a special guest at CPH PIX 2014
as a part of the retrospective the festival was producing. Using this strategy on Instagram allows the audience to get a quick view of who they could potentially meet. Again, the caption is just vague enough to encourage users to seek out more information elsewhere.
The Filmmaker/Staff Portrait is conclusively a way for CPH PIX to display the people that a patron could possibly meet by attending the festival. It is still a relatively small part of the festival Instagram account, only representing about 8% of all the pictures (11 pictures over both 2013 and 2014). However, it seems like it will continue to stay around to balance out some of the other categories. Similar to the Film Still/Screenshot, it serves as a tease or sneak peak of what can be seen at the festival.
Festival Ambience
Since film festivals are usually sprawled out over various locations and times, it can be hard for patrons to attend everything a festival has to offer. Sometimes, it is unclear what a film festival has to offer at all. The pictures in this category of Festival Ambience give Instagram users a look at what is happening around the festival. A large portion of the pictures fall in this category. These pictures are general shots of various venues, setups for events, or patrons attending festival activities. Filters and effects can be used to heighten or enhance the allure of the photograph to increase the appeal of the event. These pictures are usually taken right in the middle of the action at the events, a popular strategy for many users of Instagram. As such, photos in this category
experience quite a bit of crossover with other categories. The diversity in these photographs allow for many different objectives.
22 Festival ambience
is often discussed in festival studies when the notion of a physical event is challenged. The parties, the community, the interaction, and the one of a kind events keep people interested in film festivals. The participatory nature of the film festival gives patrons a reason to attend.42 Naturally, an
entity would be wise to showcase the events that
patrons traditionally love. Figure 5 shows a familiar festival activity. Translated, the caption of the photo describes the scene as a “Brunch at the customs house before [they] reveal the winner of the New Talent Grand Pix and Audience Awards”. It is a candid photo that is taken during the event and it appears that nobody was asked to stop what they were doing or pose for this picture. We can assume that the event carried on naturally after this photograph.
Photographs like this do not necessarily serve as advertisements for these specific events because they were already happening and being missed. A quick look at a festival guide or schedule would show when and where these events were happening. However, these types of guides cannot accurately depict what the event will be like. Instagram photos like Figure 5 show these events as a festival vibe or status rather than an invitation to the individual event itself. However, these photos depicting the ambience of certain events at the festival may indirectly encourage people to attend other events at the
festival. Since the festival is spread out of a number days with many events to attend, CPH PIX can use its Instagram to convey an overall mood or vibe across a number of events.
Ambience can be manifested in a number of ways, leading to some crossover among this category and others. This picture in Figure 6
showcases a “Skype-date” with James Franco during a screening session of the Rivers Phoenix tribute film My Own Private River. In the corner of the photo is the moderator of the event,
enhancing the image’s live and exclusive qualities. Also, posting a picture of James Franco is sure to attract some attention by star-power. This picture was “liked” by 37 different users, making it the
42 Marijke de Valck. "The role of film festivals in the age of YouTube," Boekman 83 Festivals (2010), 5.
Figure 5 A photo of an awards brunch; @cphpix 19/04/2014
23 most-liked photo out of all of the previous images I have shared. Festival Ambience photographs like these allow for a festival to tackle multiple objectives with one photo.
The Festival Ambience picture on Instagram is not an invitation to particular events, but rather an invitation to the festival and its atmosphere. Photographs like these were used most often during the CPH PIX of 2013 (29 of 52 photographs) and tapered off during the 2014 edition (22 of 90 photographs). However, these pictures appeared to be used as displaying the festival current and vibe. There were other pictures that had crossover with different categories in similar ways.
Promotional Objects
Since Instagram delivers content right into the hands of consumers/users, it has become a valuable marketing tool. This potential for direct communication with consumers makes for a great opportunity to increase brand awareness. A film festival’s logo is arguably one of its biggest brand builders and the festivals usually tend to spread it where possible. In Thomas Elsaesser’s comparison and contrast of the studio system and the film festival circuit, similarities in promotion are noted.43
Inasmuch as the studios are proud to show off their logos, so, too, are the film festivals. There are instances where festivals create merchandise with logos; these items are usually the subject of these types of photos. Other objects like signs or non-screenshot/still objects that are related to the films showing can be found in this category.
In order to spread the word around town, posters and signs can enhance the visibility of a festival. The picture of the sign in Figure 7 is just that. The image shows a sign that advertises CPH PIX for 2013 as well as the slogan for the festival “Film is…”. In the background is a truck with the CPH PIX logo on it as well. The caption invites people to go out and visit
them at the Gammel Torv for coffee and programs.
When compared to the other categories of pictures, a picture in this category is the most direct form of advertisement through Instagram. While the other pictures lean more towards hinting or indirectly encouraging people to explore what the festival has to offer, the photo in Figure 7 clearly shows the name of the festival and the caption is a literal invitiation to join or visit festival organizers in the middle of one of Copenhagen’s oldest squares. Other pictures can encourage people to seek more information elsewhere or showcase past events. CPH PIX can use its account to cross-apply the brand awareness that is being spread throughout the city.
43 Thomas Elsaesser. “Film Festival Networks: The New Topographies of Cinema in Europe”, European Cinema:
Face to Face with Hollywood (2005), 93-94.
