I had a fantastic time working at the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) this weekend! I was a crew member with Boulder Community Media covering the people, films, parties and workshops for this year’s event, working as photographer and editor. 
Over the four-day festival, I worked about 50 hours running around the various venues, shooting footage and interviews with filmmakers, moviegoers, and celebrities, then editing the pieces into video reports that were posted to youtube and facebook right away. It was a whirlwind event! I really enjoyed working with some of the young Boulder talent – many students getting started in the film and video industry. Plus, the galas and parties were exciting and energetic! I was too busy to watch any films in the festival, but have a list for Netflix so I can see what many folks were talking about when they mentioned their favorites.
Being in the fast-paced “news” environment reminded me how much I love journalism and the art of storytelling with a deadline! I remembered how tasty (and necessary) a midday cup of coffee can be and enjoyed the fast pace, the spontaneous action, and eating on the run. I’ve been away from this type of storytelling, having been immersed in longer form production for many years. But working with students, catching events as they unfold, and working with urgency was a real treat. It reminded me of the KUSA days and the excitement of breaking news – my roots in a long career in video storytelling.
You can check out my BIFF uploads (and all my other videos) at my youtube channel (birdonthewing)!