Manuals & Protocols

PROGRESSION OF A SCREENING

Please note: you always start your shift by checking sales positions. This way you immediately have a good idea of the hustle and bustle of your day. You can see the occupancy in the scan app (Active Tickets), or you can contact the box office.

45 - 60 minutes before the start

Checks:
- Is the screening sold out?
You can see this in the ticket-app.

- Do you need to reserve extra seats?
If more seats need to be reserved, this is in the callsheet. Please note: if there is a Q&A after a movie or it is a premiere, you must always reserve 3 seats (for moderator and filmmakers) unless it is a Whereby (digital, see also attachment) Q&A, then you only need to reserve 1 seat.
If the show is sold out you need to reserve seats for latecomers and queue

- Is the cinema room tidy?
Between the films, you ensure that theatre crew make the cinema room tidy again.

- Has a starting rehearsal been done?
In a starting rehearsal, you go through the start of the film again, and you watch a short part of the film. It is important to listen to a piece of dialogue and sound here as well. You do this together with the projectionist, before the cinema room opens. It is important to schedule the start rehearsals with the projectionist in advance.

- Are the microphones on and have they been tested?

- Are there other details in the call sheet?
For example, should there be furniture, or will premiere gifts be distributed?

- Are your theatre crew ready with scanners? (45 minutes in advance)
There is always one volunteer in the cinema room during the programme and a volunteer must remain at the door until fifteen minutes after the start. Agree in advance who this will be.

- Is there a walk-in slide on the screen?
In special programs (e.g. Talks) special slides are often shown during the walk-in. If this is the case, this is noted in the callsheet. If you miss this slide at the start rehearsal; first check with the projectionist or technician whether they have received a slide. If they do not have a slide you can approach the event producer of the show, they are responsible for the slides.

30 minutes before the start

Checks:
- Is the moderator present (when a Q&A is scheduled)?
This comes 20 minutes before the start. If not, contact the Q&A coordinator. The moderator is responsible for accommodating the guests.

- Is the filmmaker present?
The filmmakers come 15 minutes before the start. The moderator is responsible for accommodating the guests. If the moderator is present they can contact the filmmaker. If they are not present contact the Q&A coordinator.

- Everything ready?
Then (in consultation with the projectionist) the cinema room can open 30 minutes before the start and the scanning can begin.

1 minute before start
This is when you deal with the queue (see queue and latecomers protocol!). 

Start film

Possible introduction by the moderator or an IDFA employee. Film is started by projectionist.
Stay in the cinema room until the first dialogue, unless dialogue starts late or is not present. You checked this at the start rehearsal.
After about 10 minutes, let latecomers in (during the trailers you can still let people in drop by drop).

One volunteer remains in the theatre during the entire screening.

End of film
Is there an extra program?

Check if there is any extra program after the show, sometimes there's a talk or extended Q&A.
See types of shows 

Walk-out cinema

After the screening
The location or location manager is responsible for completing the reporting form. For each screening, this form keeps track of whether there have been incidents and whether the screening has started on time. Film technique also keeps track of incidents.

At a sold-out screening, seats often remain empty, because people with a ticket do not show up. For this we have the queue system: people with a guest, crew or staff pass are allowed to fill these empty spaces (see pass overview).

Halfway through the walk-in, you keep an eye on whether people are in the queue line in the right order. Guest passes take precedence over crew and staff passes.

When a screening is sold out, you reserve a fixed number of seats near the entrance (you can find the amount in location information at location). One half of this is for latecomers, the other half is for the queue.

Just before the screening starts, you count the number of empty seats in the room. You start with the reserved seats, and add the other empty (and easily accessible) seats. You take half of that number, the other half is for any latecomers.

Just before you close the door to get started, let in the counted number of people from the queue. Make sure you first check whether people with a ticket arrived in the meantime, they have priority. You send the rest of the queue away, they can no longer enter.

Make sure you leave a volunteer at the door for another 10 minutes while you go in. This volunteer can stop stubborn people from the queue and latecomers.

After about 10 minutes, the door opens again for the latecomers.

Please note! There is only queuing at sold-out shows.

There is no queuing at:
Premieres
Closed events
On Stage
Special events where indicated no queueing
Composition programmes like Best of IDFA, Groene Amsterdammer, VPRO, Tomorrow classics etc.

Inform interested pass holders who want to form a queue about this in time.

Latecomers

Once the doors close (for the introduction) visitors arriving at the screening cannot enter. There will be two moments when late-comers can enter: after the trailers (around 3 min after the introduction) you let the first group in. Anyone arriving after that can enter as a group 7 min after that (so in total around 10 min after the screening has started). Anyone arriving later than that will be sent away.

Please make sure you have a volunteer standing in front of the doors after the screening has started to send people away. You can always refer them to the conditions printed on the ticket: “Please be on time. After the start of the event, admission is no longer possible.”

• 60 min before the start of the show – arrival of premiere producer or assistant premiere producer. It's the floor/location managers responsibility to link the filmmaker and the producer if they haven't found eachother yet.
• 45 min before the start of the show – test run with filmmaker and premiere producer, as a location/floormanager you pair them with the cinema operator.

• 30 min before the start of the show – photo opportunity & champagne moment – Make sure there are enough glasses ready to be served, check if the champagne volunteer knows what they need to do.
• After the film – flower moment and thank you, make sure the flowers are already there before the show.

At every premiere the Location or Floor Manager will reserve 3 spots in the front row for the moderator, filmmaker(s) and/or producer. Make sure you block enough seats for all the filmmakers, sometimes it’s more than 2 people, you can see this in the callsheet. 

Champagne Volunteers are flex-volunteers responsible for the champagne moment during premieres (Kriterion, Eye Filmmuseum, Pathe Tuschinski and Pathe de Munt). The champagne moment is always happening where the photocall is happening. There will be a standing table next to the photo wall where you can set up the glasses and the champagne. The call sheet of the premiere will tell you how many glasses you will be needing.  

You can find this in the location crate at location! 

• Moderators need to be at the screening room to present themselves to the (assistant) location manager at least 20 minutes before the show starts as per their schedule

• Filmmakers need to be at the screening room at least 15 minutes before the show starts as per their schedule to meet the moderator and check together with the (assistant) location manager whether the reserved number of seats are correct, and if their placements are ok (1 seat for moderator, 1 seat per guest and 1 seat for interpreter).
• Interpreters are asked to be at the screening room at least 15 minutes before the show starts as per their schedule
• Moderators and location/floor manager need to make sure to set cues together to indicate time e.g., floor/location manager holds hand up once at 5 minutes remaining and once at 2 minutes remaining.

It is very important that your volunteers know where and when they are needed. Depending on the size of the room you always need 1 or 2 people scanning the tickets. After the screening has started there is one of the theatre volunteers inside the screening room making sure that the screening goes well and there are no calamities. Another volunteer waits at the enterance of the cinema untill 15 minutes after the screening has started to let latecomers in (see queue and latecomers) and make sure nobody enters the cinema without a ticket.

After the screening the volunteer in the room makes sure everybody has left and makes a quick round to clean up any trash left. At the end of the day the volunteers also clean up the screening room together.

Set meeting spots and times with your volunteers so you don’t lose them after the screening. Make sure to let volunteers alternate between who is in the screening and who is waiting for the latecomers.

Please make sure you check the schedule to see if any help of volunteer is needed. Sometimes special screenings require volunteers handing out stuff or other forms of extra hands.

CALAMITIES
Calamity with scanners
We strive for a high scanning percentage. When there are problems with scanners, you first warn the scan coordinator or scan subco by phone, who can make the decision not to scan a room. If safety is compromised, the location manager or floormanager can overrule the scan coordinator. The location manager or floormanager and the scan coordinator keep in touch with each other about this.

Technical calamity

There are three types of technical calamities:

1. Solvable problem within five minutes of start of screening. (e.g. sound does not work) Projectionist provides cinema room light while solving problem and location- or floormanager informs room. After troubleshooting issue, movie restarts from start.

2. Solvable problem after five minutes after start screening. (e.g. Image suddenly lingers) As with 1, only the movie restarts from the moment the problem occurred.

3. Problem that is difficult to solve or insoluble.
Location- or floormanager and projectionist inform each other and location- or floormanager informs the public. Projectionist seeks contact with filmtechniek and with the supervisor (at the Pathé locations).

Please note! Be aware that in this situation, the projectionist must be focused on solving the problem. Stay calm in your communication with them and do not cause noise.

Filmtechniek informs and consults with the programme department. Programme department takes decision:

(a) Filmtechniek solves problem and audience waits

(b) Film is played out with defect

(c) Film is cancelled

In the event of technical calamities, there are three phases in which you consult:

Observation of problem

Location- or floormanager or projectionist detects a problem and inform each other. Possible solutions and the duration of the solutions are discussed.

Consultation on location

Is the problem solved quickly? Then location- or floormanager and projectionist only inform afterwards via reporting form. Does solving take longer? Then the supervisor and filmtechniek will be informed as soon as possible and see how long it takes to solve a problem. Location- or floormanager informs the audience.

Consultation with the programme department

Does the problem take longer to resolve or is it unsolvable? Filmtechniek contacts the program department and the route to follow is determined by the program department.

* Please note! Never promise anything about refunds/fees, in case of questions/complaints of long delay or cancellation of film screening, the box office will contact the audience. Because all tickets are purchased online, we know exactly who has been in the room.

General

We follow the rules of our partner locations:

Location managers and volunteers are informed about the operating procedures of the IDFA, volunteers follow the instructions of the location managers and / or Education programme staff member on location. 

Present at locations:

Tuschinski: Education staff member + Education volunteer

Munt: Education staff member + Education volunteer

Eye: Education volunteer, an extra Education volunteer or staff member on busy days

All locations will have an Education staff member or volunteer that will occasionally be present if extra support is needed on that location.

Total overview of all attendees at locations:

Tuschinski: lm + asloca and theatre crew to sit in the hall. Stephanie/Katja and 1 Education volunteer

Munt: lm + asloca and theatre crew to sit in the hall. Marije/Katja and 1 Education volunteer

Eye: lm + theatre crew , 1 Education volunteer, an extra Education volunteer at busy times

Education volunteers

The Education volunteers are informed about their schedule through e-mail. This depends on the start time of the first school programme and differs per location. 30 minutes before the start of the first school programme they are present at the location!

How do we work?

The Education volunteer is there to welcome the schools, moderators and sometimes guests/filmmakers. They wait outside till the school is complete, proactively reach out to teachers and when cokplete, guides the school to the cinema they’re supposed to be in.

• Schools are present no later than 15 minutes before the start.
• The schools are welcomed by the Education person. Make sure to look out for a teacher/supervisor: is everyone complete? Are there still groups of students who have to go to the toilet?
• It is checked whether the school is complete. The school may then, preferably after the moderator has already taken a seat in the room, be accompanied into the room (as whole or) in groups.
• Schools are escorted directly to the hall. Also, when leaving the theatre, they have to go outside as soon as possible; the volunteer / theater employee accompanies them.
• Students who are late can still enter. Ask a teacher to wait outside the location to accompany the student(s).
• Theatre staff and/or Education volunteer/ Education staff accompanies the groups and then guide the groups to the cinema > important to work well together in groups over 100.
• Please note: Education volunteer also ensures timely reception of the moderator and any guest speaker. When school is late: Call the number on the schedule! If a moderator or guest speaker is not on time > Call Katja!
• Afterwards: The students and teachers stay seated until the moderator instructs them to go outside. In small locations it is good if you want to be ready at the hall around the end-time of the programme to keep the doors open and to refer everyone to the exit for a smooth walk-out.

Moderators/guests

• Moderators ensure that they are on location approximately 15 minutes in advance, according to the schedule they receive, for the school programme to be moderated by them. Names will be placed on the script and can report to education volunteer and/or Education staff. Not present? Call Katja!
• Guest speakers ensure that they are present on location no later than 25 minutes before the end of the show / 10 minutes before the Q&A start. Not present? Call Katja!

Agreements per location

Eye:

• 30 min Before the start of the first school programme and you are through the staff entrance. You can get a Porto-phone in the IDFA-corner downstairs.
• 15 min Before the start school programme: Students are allowed to enter
• Schools gather at Eye's main entrance.In case of rain, they can wait above under the roof (outside) or downstairs near the bikes.
• Note: Eye is also hosting school groups itself during IDFA, so please check carefully to make sure the right group is with you and place the IDFA group behind pole and cord.
• Coffee / tea / snack are available for you downstairs, in the IDFA booth. Lunch will be delivered on location after 12:00, if applicable.
• A location manager is present. In the morning we discuss with them what we expect for that specific day and how many theatre staff we’ll need to help us.
• In addition to a location manager / volunteer, there may also be an extra volunteer or a staff member from the Education team for large groups.

Pathe Tuschinski:

• 30 min before the start of the first school programme and you are allowed to enter.
• 15 min Before the start school programme: Students are allowed to enter. / Doors open from 09:00
• IDFA is in charge at Pathé. A location manager is present. In the morning we discuss with them what we expect on that specific day and how many theatre staff we’ll need to help us.
• Coffee / tea / snack / lunch available on location in canteen.
• 1 Porto is available for Education

Pathe de Munt:

• 30 min before the start of the first school programme and you are allowed to enter.
• 15 min before the start of the school programme: Students are allowed to enter; the doors can be opened
• IDFA is in charge at Pathé. A location manager is present. In the morning we discuss with them what we expect on that specific day and how many theatre staff we’ll need to help us.
• Coffee / tea / snack / lunch available on location in canteen. We do not have our own pass for access.
• 1 Porto is available for Education

Information circulated among teachers:

General

• Ask students to stay at home if they have a cold and/or flu symptoms or corona-related complaints. The same applies, of course, to teachers and supervisors.
• Always follow the instructions of the IDFA or theatre staff.
• Toilets can be visited prior to the film, follow the instructions of the IDFA or theatre staff.
• Only leave the room when an IDFA staff member has signalled this, if not, immediately after the end of the film.
• After the programme, the group must leave the theatre quickly.

On arrival

• The meeting points at the various theatres can be found on the next page.
• We ask you to be present and fully complete at the theatre 10 minutes before the start time of the programme. Be on time, but do not come too early.

• You will be met outside at the entrance of the theatre by our Education staff.
• For the complete overview, we ask you to gather as a group at the theatre. Keep track of which students are present and who is still being waited for, and make sure that students do not stray.
• The Education staff member will let you know when the theatre is ready and will guide you there. The students are brought to the hall in groups. For the smooth running in the entrance, it would be nice if you could already group each class.

During the visit

• Do not allow students to bring or buy any food and drink items.
• Mobile phones and all other electronic devices must be turned off. This also applies for teachers.
• The school is a guest in the film theatre. Leave the room as you found it.
• As a teacher/supervisor you are responsible for the students during the festival visit.
• Teachers are advised to spread themselves throughout the cinema, mixed with the students.