AFF Conference Diary

As a conference volunteer for the AFF, I had the opportunity to attend a diverse range of panels with some accomplished guests.

From young filmmaker panels to scriptwriting for video games, I watched as film and television titans elaborated on the creative production process.

Some observational highlights include:

Melissa Rosenberg, screenwriter of Twilight and Executive Producer of Dexter, spoke to high school students about keeping a series fresh and adapting a novel with a huge cult following into a film.

Greg Daniels, (left) creator of the office, blew Paul Lieberstein's (Tobey, The Office) cover and announced his presence to a room full of people. This inspired a small frenzy of fans to swarm him after the panel.

Giving directions to the Austin Club to John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride etc.

Phil Rosenthal, creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, joking that the creative process is fueled by a big breakfast.

Austin Film Festival Volunteer Diary #1

I spent my first day as a volunteer for the Austin Film Festival prepping for it's arrival. Along with tasks like filing, sorting, and unloading various materials, I braved the drizzly weather for some miscellaneous tasks at various festival locales.

The coolest job was one that was sprung on me, the task of picking up gift baskets and bottles of wine from Central Market, and delivering them to various downtown hotels to be left in the suites of some festival VIPs.

From tooling up in the valet lane, handing off my heavily-adorned key chain, to attempting to disguise my childish handwriting while crafting notes to accompany the filmmakers' baskets, it was a colorful experience, definitely an atypical day at the office.