Welcome to the evolving landscape of audience engagement in film industry events and conferences! The realm of filmmaking and content creation is undergoing a significant evolution. Central to this change is the adoption of cutting-edge tools like Votemo, which transform how industry leaders interact with content and creators.
In this article, we'll explore how three prominent film industry events – Young Horizons Industry, an initiative of the New Horizons International Film Festival, the Cannes Marché du Film, and the European Film Market (EFM) at Berlinale – are utilising audience interactivity tools to revolutionise decision-making processes and enhance industry professional's participation in the film sector.
Young Horizons Industry: Revolutionising Film Industry Decision-Making
At the heart of the New Horizons Association lies Young Horizons, a dynamic platform dedicated to nurturing film and series development for young audiences. This initiative is not just a celebration of youthful creativity but also a hub for professionals who share a passion for crafting stories for younger viewers.
The 7th Young Horizons Industry international co-production forum, held from October 4th to 6th, 2023 in Warsaw, marked a significant milestone. This event welcomed global professionals to engage with pitches using the Votemo ranking system. More than just a voting mechanism, Votemo allowed decision-makers to provide valuable feedback and suggestions through its commenting feature. This interactive tool was a hit, enhancing the experience for both project holders and participants.
Maja Banasiak, the Industry Projects Producer at New Horizons Association | Young Horizons, shared her enthusiasm: "Using Votemo for the first time transformed our event. It fostered a user-friendly and positive environment, energising our guests. The introduction of a new award, influenced by audience feedback, was a highlight. We eagerly anticipate future collaborations with Votemo!"
A highlight of the forum was the innovative approach to award selection. The best project pitch was honoured not just by expert evaluation, but significantly by audience feedback gathered through Votemo. To facilitate this interactive experience, QR codes linked to Votemo's platform were strategically displayed around the pitching venue and integrated into participant badges. This allowed attendees to effortlessly engage with the pitches, providing their insights and votes in real-time. The seamless integration of technology and audience participation not only enriched the decision-making process but also brought a new level of involvement and excitement to the event.
Annually, the Young Horizons Industry forum attracts over 300 industry professionals, including distributors, sales agents, broadcasters, platforms, festivals, film funds, investors, producers, and creators. The introduction of Votemo significantly increased decision-maker participation in the voting process, lending more credibility to the outcomes. Project holders also appreciated the insightful feedback they received, enhancing the value of the film industry event for everyone involved.
EFM Berlinale: Elevating Engagement of the Leading Film Market
At the heart of the Berlin International Film Festival lies the European Film Market (EFM), renowned for its dynamic blend of cinema and discussion. In a groundbreaking move, EFM integrated Votemo's interactivity tools to amplify audience engagement, enabling real-time collection of opinions and feedback during keynotes and panel discussions. The 2023 edition was exceptional for its focus on the Baltic states, notably featuring the Estonian Government's e-Residency Initiative as a sponsor of the film industry event, to attract creative industry entrepreneurs to Estonia.
The Equity & Inclusion Pathways Seminar was a standout session, which witnessed an unprecedented 100% audience participation rate in voting on Film Industry Resolutions. These votes, crucial in shaping future industry goals, were cast securely to ensure authenticity, with Votemo ensuring that only attendees present could vote.
Votemo's versatility extended to the NEFTi Competition. Here, it played a pivotal role in the voting process, amassing 6000 audience votes for screening and leading to Eritrean filmmaker Nahom Abraham clinching the NEFTi Competition win for his short film ‘Home’. This demonstrated Votemo's capacity to handle large-scale voting with ease and efficiency.
“We have utilised Votemo for audience engagement across various setups and have identified the best practices that work for us. The high participation rates we've observed are a clear indicator of the audience's desire to be heard, engaged, and to influence conversations. Votemo gave us a wide range of settings to best gather opinions and engage in interaction with our audience.”—European Film Market team
European Film Market team harnessed Votemo's capabilities to gather comprehensive feedback on various aspects of the film industry event. Votemo's dual ability to capture both qualitative and quantitative feedback, both on-site and online, provided invaluable data, paving the way for continual improvement and success in future editions.
Marché du Film at Cannes: Interactive Sponsorship at Film Industry Events
The Marché du Film, powered by the iconic Cannes Film Festival, stands as a premier event in the global film industry. In 2022, Votemo was instrumental in enhancing audience engagement in two key programs: Cannes NEXT and Festivals Hub.
A standout moment was the Cannes NEXT pitching session, sponsored by Largo.ai. This AI-powered platform transforms the content creation workflow, assisting a wide range of industry professionals in their decision-making. During this session, selected filmmakers had the opportunity to showcase their projects.
Sten Saluveer, Strategic Advisor & Head of Cannes Next, shared his positive experience: “Our collaboration with Votemo was highly beneficial. Their team adeptly guided us in maximising the platform's potential, from setup to data analysis. Votemo's user-friendly platform added a fun, interactive layer to our event, providing invaluable insights for our clients, partners, and us.”
The session featured an engaging comparison: while Largo.ai’s AI analysed the projects' future potential, the audience simultaneously evaluated them using Votemo's Live Polling tools. This comparison between AI predictions and audience opinions not only added a layer of gamification but also highlighted the AI tool's accuracy, creating a more dynamic session.
Furthermore, Votemo facilitated direct audience engagement with Largo.ai, with 15% of participants expressing interest in learning more about the platform. At the Festivals Hub sessions, Votemo's banner module was effectively used to direct attendees to the Festivals Green Charter Initiative landing page, resulting in 20% of participants visiting the sign-up page, underscoring the effective use of interactivity tools in enhancing audience engagement and sponsor visibility. Read more about the case here.
“A tool enabling “hybrid" interactivity enables a better connection with all—onsite and online. As a host and moderator, it makes me guide panel conversations to where present audiences have their sharpest interest. And that's what makes a conference successful!" — AC Coppens, THE CATALYSTS, Moderator of Cannes NEXT
Redefining Engagement: The Transformative Role of Audience Interactivity in Film Industry Events
In summing up, the adoption of interactive technologies like Votemo in film festivals and industry events marks a paradigm shift in enhancing audience engagement and refining decision-making processes. The initiatives at Young Horizons Industry, Cannes' Marché du Film, and EFM at Berlinale underscore a rising trend towards more dynamic and participatory formats within the film sector. These platforms do more than just give a voice to industry representatives in the audience; they offer crucial insights for creators and key players in decision-making.
This shift towards greater audience interaction is a key milestone, heralding a future where audience involvement is integral in shaping the narrative of the entertainment world. As the film industry navigates through its evolving landscape, embracing such technologies is key to fostering more innovative and audience-driven experiences.
For those interested in further case studies or seeking insights on enhancing audience engagement in their ventures, Charlotte Hurni at charlotte.hurni@votemo.eu is available for contact. Alternatively, you can directly schedule a consultation through Calendly here.