Telluride Film Festival

Project File:
1991-2005
In our 14th year with the Telluride Film Festival, we have established a consistent and reliable format for their communications.
	"What does a film festival need with an elaborate communications system?" you might ask. The Press Release... "The Telluride Film Festival, held each Labor Day Weekend since 1974 in a Colorado mountain town, is an international educational event celebrating the art of film. It is a sympathetic gathering of film aficionados (both lovers and creators of cinema) who come together from all over the world and from all walks of life to see and discuss and celebrate the most interesting work of the past, present and future. Telluride is not a series of screenings for the press, nor is it a film market. It is a small, friendly festival, regarded by many as one of the most unique events in the world of film.
The Telluride Film Festival traditionally does not release information about the content of its programming until opening day. Despite this idiosyncrasy, the Festival sells out every year. Over 5,000 people make the trek to Telluride each Labor Day Weekend on the strength of the Festival's reputation for innovative and exciting programming, and many return year after year. The program consists of a minimum of 27 major film events, which include three tributes to individual artists. These events are supplemented by formal and informal conversations and seminars with the filmmakers and artists in attendance, as well as parties, picnics and, of course, popcorn!"
The Line forms where?	Acme Instant Festival - Just add water... In Telluride, 10 days before the start of the Festival, it does not exist. Seven world-class, full Dolby Digital venues are assembled and brought on line for the Festival; one of which is an outdoor venue; One of the venues is on the other side of the mountain from town; one of them is a high-school gym which is transformed into a THX approved 600 seat venue, one of them is an existing town movie theater which is upgraded for the festival, and two other venues are "awakened" for the festival.
An army of 450 staff members and volunteers put the Festival together in that 10 days. There are carpenters, movers, electricians, lighting and sound technicians, food service, hospitality, lodging, transportation, film traffic and technical personnel, and other departments which support the festival and which all have to communicate.	"Walkie Talkies have been shown to be an effective decay preventative dentifrice when used in a consistently applied program of good oral hygiene and regular professional care"
Within each exhibition venue, the ushers, ticket takers, box office, and que line managers all have to communicate with each other, as well as with the projection booths to control the start of the presentations and masking the screen for each feature.
Between exhibition venues, there is a constant stream of communications pertaining to seating availability and updates to the Festival schedule.
Russell Allen of Dolby Labs	An on-call technical response team made up of representatives from Boston Light and Sound, Dolby Labs, and other support companies are immediately available to respond to any technical glitch or equipment failure.
Parties and Patron events take place over the course of the Festival at several outlying locations, some of which are more than 20 miles away from the central kitchen and food prep facility. A constant stream of deliveries keeps the parties stocked with supplies. Communications back to the central kitchen from the party sites is essential.

We provide a complex radio system and "Mother". There is a 1-to-3 ratio of radios to staff, enabling instant and effective communications. The system consists of over 130 portables, 5 repeaters, several base stations, and wireline interconnects. Communications take place on 24 radio frequencies, all of which are mediated by "Mother"; enabling departments to communicate privately and effectively, but also enabling them to communicate horizontally for inter-departmental cooperation.
3rd St. R & D and its exclusive "Mother" service allow the Telluride Film Festival to be the Telluride Film Festival by streamlining and enabling effective communications. Back to Home	"Just one walkie-talkie in my washer and my laundry is minty fresh!"