Tech Rehearsals That Prevent Disaster at Film Festivals

Imagine a packed cinema at an international film festival – the lights dim, the projector hums to life, and then… nothing happens. Or maybe the sound is garbled, the subtitles are out of sync, or an emergency light suddenly floods the room. Technical mishaps like these can turn a highly anticipated screening into a disaster. Even prestigious events like Cannes and Toronto have suffered embarrassing glitches when technology failed at the wrong moment (www.bbc.co.uk) (www.blogto.com). The good news is that thorough tech rehearsals and preparation can prevent most of these nightmares. Seasoned festival producers have learned through hard experience that “test, test, and test again” is the golden rule. This article shares hands-on advice – from daily full playbacks of films to checking every last subtitle and light bulb – to ensure your film festival runs like a well-oiled projector.

In an engaging, mentor-like tone, we’ll explore how to conduct tech rehearsals that catch problems before they reach your audience. These tips are drawn from real-life successes (and a few failures) at festivals around the world. Whether you’re running a small community film fest or a giant international festival with multiple venues, these practices will help you deliver flawless screenings. Let’s dive into the specifics of venue prep, content testing, and risk management that can save your festival from technical disaster.

Run Daily Full Playbacks in Each Venue

One fundamental practice of disaster-proof festival production is to run at least one full playback per venue each day before the audience arrives. In simple terms, treat your empty theatre to a dress rehearsal of the film (or films) that will be shown that day. This means loading up the exact Digital Cinema Package (DCP) files, trailers, and festival intro reels in the morning (or late night prior) and letting them play through from start to finish.

Why go to this trouble? Because nothing beats a full run-through for catching issues. A file might play fine for 10 minutes and then glitch at the halfway mark due to a corrupt frame. The projector lamp might overheat after an hour. The only way to know is to simulate the real show. Major festivals have learned this the hard way. For example, at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), an early-morning IMAX screening had to be canceled on the spot when the system failed to load the film Sleep (www.blogto.com). Festivalgoers were literally left sitting in the dark because the issue wasn’t caught in time. Had there been a complete test playback in that IMAX theatre before doors opened, the technical fault could have been identified and resolved (or backups readied) without audience frustration.

Daily playbacks are equally valuable for small festivals. If you’re running a boutique indie film showcase at your local theatre, schedule time to test each day’s content. It might be tempting to assume “it worked on my laptop” or “the file played for a minute, so it’s fine,” but a full-length test is much more revealing. At one regional film festival in Australia, the projection team’s early morning test revealed that a short film’s audio was completely missing beyond the opening credits – the DCP had been exported with an empty audio track for most of its duration. They were able to quickly swap in a backup file from the filmmaker before the audience arrived, averting what would have been an awkward, silent screening.

When running these playbacks, include everything that the real audience will experience:
– Festival trailers and sponsor reels: Often the festival’s own promo trailer or sponsor ads play before each film. Make sure these files are tested too. You don’t want the festival trailer to freeze or stutter – that’s your branding on the line! Many festivals learned this after discovering their pre-show advertisement loop had incorrect audio levels or resolution issues only when it was live. Testing them ensures they run smoothly and at appropriate volume.
– Intros and Q&A equipment: If someone will introduce the film on stage, you might not play that during the test, but you should test the microphone, spotlight, or any AV cues associated with the introduction. Similarly, if there’s a post-film Q&A requiring mics or video playback, test those elements in advance (for example, verify that the Skype call for a virtual Q&A guest is working and audible on the big speakers).
– Correct aspect ratios and picture settings: Use the test run to verify that the projector is in the right mode for the film. Many digital projectors have presets for different aspect ratios (e.g. 1.85:1 “Flat” vs 2.39:1 “Scope”). An infamous incident at Cannes in 2017 occurred because the film Okja was projected in the wrong aspect ratio initially, causing part of the image to spill off screen and prompting loud booing from the press audience (www.bbc.co.uk). They had to stop the screening for 10 minutes to fix it. That kind of embarrassment can be avoided by confirming the correct lens/preset during a rehearsal.
– Audio checks at proper levels: Let the test playback run with sound to ensure all speakers are working and calibrated. Walk the venue during the test – is the dialogue clear in the back row? Are the surround sound effects audible? During one horror film festival in Mexico, a tech check revealed that the left surround speaker was completely silent due to a loose cable, and a subwoofer was producing an overpowering rumble. The team fixed these before showtime, sparing the audience from a subpar audio experience. The motto here is test in an empty house so that you won’t disappoint a full house.

Of course, in massive festivals with tight schedules, you might not physically have time to run every single film in every venue daily – there could be hundreds of screenings. In these cases, prioritize and rotate your tests: perhaps do full run-throughs for the first screenings of the day in each venue or the most technically complex presentations (e.g. 3D screenings, films with multipart playlists, or world premieres that haven’t been played on your systems before). Some large festivals also schedule “tech check” slots where filmmakers can come a day early to see their film play on the screen. If your festival can accommodate that, it can be a great reassurance to filmmakers and an extra layer of QA. For example, Sundance Film Festival has an internal content inspection team that rigorously checks each film’s digital file in advance – catching any issues with audio, video, or color space before it ever hits the projector (nofilmschool.com). Even if you don’t have Sundance’s resources, you can emulate that diligence with daily on-site testing of your own.

Verify KDMs and Digital Keys Early

In today’s film festivals, most films arrive as encrypted digital files that require a Key Delivery Message (KDM) to unlock. These KDMs are essentially time-locked passwords that allow the DCP to play on a specific server for a defined window (typically the festival dates). They are a critical piece of the puzzle – if the key isn’t working, the film will not play. Testing KDMs well before showtime is non-negotiable.

Start by ingesting the DCP files and applying the KDMs as soon as you receive them, often days in advance of the screening. The moment a film’s hard drive or download arrives, have your technical staff load it onto the server and use the KDM to decrypt and verify a bit of the content. Don’t wait until an hour before the premiere to find out the key is invalid! There have been cases where a key was mistakenly set to start at noon when the screening was at 10am, meaning it wouldn’t unlock in time. (Time zone mix-ups are a common culprit – a KDM generated for 8:00pm Pacific Time might only start working in your Eastern Time zone after the audience has been waiting.) In 2017, one Cannes Film Festival screening (Goddesses in the Flames of War) was reportedly canceled outright due to a KDM or server issue that prevented the file from playing (www.film-tech.com). Imagine the embarrassment of announcing to a theater full of guests that the movie can’t be shown because “we can’t unlock the file”! Early verification of keys can save you from this fate.

Have a system for tracking KDMs for all your films: know when each key expires and for which server it is valid. Larger festivals often use spreadsheets or specialized software to manage dozens or hundreds of keys. If something looks wrong (e.g. the key’s valid dates don’t cover your entire screening schedule or the content hash doesn’t match), contact the film distributor immediately for a corrected KDM. It’s wise to request keys that start at least a day before your screening and extend a day after, to give breathing room. Also, always request a backup key for a backup server if you have one, so that a secondary playback machine can be used in a pinch.

During your daily tech rehearsal, actually play a segment of each encrypted film with its KDM on the projector that will be used. Some festivals test the first 5 minutes of each film when they load it – if it plays, that’s a good sign the KDM is working. But don’t stop there: scrub through to the middle or near the end and ensure the file doesn’t suddenly stop. A common scenario is that a KDM might unlock the first part of a film but not the second (if the film was split into multiple parts/reels in the DCP). Catch that ahead of time! For instance, a festival in Singapore once found that while Part 1 of a feature film played fine, Part 2 would not play because the second reel’s key was missing. They were able to rush-request the missing KDM from the content provider just hours before the screening – a close call, but fortunately resolved before any audience knew about it.

Lastly, always have a backup plan for KDM failures. This is part of risk management. Ideally, ask filmmakers for an unencrypted backup copy or a Blu-ray as a last resort (some top-tier festivals won’t publicly admit it, but they keep Blu-ray backups of films in case the DCP fails). If a key absolutely refuses to work, you might have a non-encrypted version to fall back on. For example, the Technical Director of Sundance has noted that while they prefer not to use Blu-rays due to quality and reliability concerns, they do accept them as backups and will use one if the primary DCP fails (nofilmschool.com). The audience may forgive a slightly lower quality image if it means the show goes on, whereas they won’t forgive no show at all. The bottom line: verify your keys early and often, and have a contingency if those keys misbehave.

Test Subtitle Timing and Audio/Accessibility

For any festival showing films in multiple languages or serving diverse audiences, subtitles and other accessibility components must be tested meticulously. In fact, veteran projectionists often say that if something is going to go wrong, it’s likely with the subtitles. (Holden Payne, Sundance’s Technical Director of Projection, has pointed out that “the biggest problem is subtitles. It’s always subtitles.” (nofilmschool.com)) Here’s how to ensure your audience can read and hear everything as intended:

1. Check Subtitle Sync and Formatting: If you’re screening foreign-language films with English subtitles (or vice versa), play a portion of each film during tech rehearsal to confirm the subtitles appear in sync with the dialogue. It’s not unheard of for a DCP to have a subtitle file that’s off by a few seconds, especially if it was updated or converted between festivals. Watch for timing during a fast dialogue scene – are subtitles popping up too early or late? Also verify that the subtitle text is fully visible (nothing cut off at the bottom of the screen) and legible (font size and colour should be easy to read against the film’s imagery). In 2011 at Cannes, a film in the Directors’ Fortnight (Apres le Sud) suffered a subtitle glitch that was so bad the festival arranged an extra screening to make up for it – they literally had to re-screen the film because the first showing’s subtitles failed (www.screendaily.com). That kind of scenario is a headache for everyone. A careful subtitle run-through can catch issues with file formatting (for example, some characters not displaying correctly), line breaks, or positioning. If you find a problem (say, subtitles are out-of-sync by 0.5 seconds), you can adjust the timing file or ask the filmmaker for a corrected version before the public ever sees it.

2. Test Closed Captioning Devices: Many festivals now provide closed caption devices or open caption screenings for deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members. If your festival offers these (often a small personal screen or glasses that display captions), test them in advance. At Sundance 2023, a closed-captioning device malfunctioned during a premiere, leaving a deaf juror unable to follow the film – an incident that led the juror (the Academy Award–winning Marlee Matlin) and others to walk out (apnews.com). Sundance organizers had tested the device beforehand and it still malfunctioned under real conditions, prompting them to re-test every unit and apologise for the lapse (apnews.com). The lesson is clear: every device that could impact someone’s experience deserves a rehearsal. Turn on the captioning equipment in an empty auditorium, play the film (or at least a chunk of it), and ensure the captions display correctly on the device for the full duration. Have a staff member use the device as if they were an audience member to confirm it’s working and the range is sufficient.

3. Check Dubs or Alternate Audio Tracks: In some cases, festivals might have multiple audio options (for instance, a film with an original language track and a festival-provided voice-over or simultaneous interpretation in another language). If you’re using any kind of alternate audio setup – maybe a live translator in a booth or an app that streams audio description – be sure to rehearse that as well. Calibrate the microphone and transmitter for live interpreters, and have them do a quick run during a dress rehearsal to confirm their feed is reaching the receivers that audience members use.

4. Verify Audio Channels and Quality: While on the topic of audio, let’s stress the importance of testing the sound thoroughly. In a full playback test (as mentioned earlier), don’t just focus on picture; use that time to ensure all audio channels are present and correctly routed. A common festival snafu is discovering mid-screening that the dialogue (meant to come from the center speaker) is barely audible because the center channel failed, or that a surround channel was accidentally patched wrong and you’re missing part of the soundtrack. Run a audio channel test file if you have one (many cinemas use a short clip that cycles through each speaker: left, center, right, surrounds, subwoofer). This will immediately reveal if, say, the center speaker is out or the subwoofer isn’t firing. Also, play a segment with loud dynamics and one with quiet dialog to adjust volume. You might find you need to tweak the overall volume for a particular film – better to do that when the theatre is empty than to blast out or underwhelm a real audience.

By checking subtitles, captions, and audio in advance, you ensure that every audience member can see and hear the film as intended. Few things anger attendees more than paying for a movie they can’t follow because of technical issues in translation or sound. These are details that truly make or break the festival experience, and they’re a key part of inclusive, professional event production.

Check Lighting, Safety, and Venue Systems

A film might be the star of the show, but the venue itself – the lights, projector, and other systems – plays a critical supporting role. Tech rehearsals should include testing the venue’s lighting and safety systems so that nothing inadvertently disrupts the screening (and so that you’re prepared in case of an emergency).

Emergency Lights and Alarms: Many theatres have automatic emergency light systems that kick on if a fire alarm is triggered or if power is lost. These lights (often along the aisles, exits, or overhead) are vital for safety – but you should verify how they behave. During your prep, coordinate with the venue facility manager to do a quick test of the emergency lighting. For instance, they might simulate a fire alarm so you can see if the house lights come up fully. You’re looking to confirm two things: (1) The emergency lights function properly when needed (nothing worse than a real emergency and the lights failing to guide people out), and (2) They won’t trigger accidentally during your show. There have been cases where a glitchy alarm system turned on the lights mid-film without cause – total mood killer! If your test reveals any odd behavior (say, a backup generator light that flickers erratically), get venue maintenance on it immediately. Also ensure the projector is on a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) or power conditioning if the venue has one, so a brief power dip doesn’t shut down your projector and server. In short, know how the venue will respond to emergencies and have a plan to handle it. It’s part of your duty of care and it also avoids confusion (for example, if an alarm goes off, staff should know to pause the film and make an announcement, and you should know the lights will come on).

House Lights and Dimming: Aside from emergencies, the normal house lighting (the overhead lights in the auditorium) is something to rehearse as well. Work with the venue’s lighting technician or use the control panel to practice dimming the house lights at the correct moment. Typically, you’ll have the house lights at half or full when people are finding seats (often with some walk-in music playing). Then usually a stage manager or projectionist will cue them to fade out when the film is about to start. During a tech run, do a cue-to-cue practice: if you have an emcee who will welcome the audience, decide when the lights should go down – perhaps as the festival sizzle reel begins, or as the emcee says “enjoy the show.” Time it and make sure the person operating the lights knows the cue. Similarly, plan for the end of the film: Will you bring lights up at credits, or only after any post-credit scenes? Communicate this in advance. A well-timed fade to black can create a magic hush before a film, whereas fumbling with the lights can break the spell. (One festival organizer recalls a cringe-worthy moment when an over-eager volunteer flipped the lights on the moment the main film ended, cutting off a poignant post-credit tribute the director had included. The director was not happy. The festival learned to brief all tech staff on exactly when to raise lights.)

If your festival uses special lighting effects – for example, coloured lights on stage, or a spotlight for speakers – test those too. Verify that the spotlight is focused on the podium or wherever the speaker will stand. If using motorised or coloured lights (maybe for a fancy opening/closing night), run the sequence in the venue to ensure it looks right and transitions smoothly. This might seem beyond a normal film screening, but some festivals, especially genre or music-oriented film fests, incorporate a bit of showmanship with lighting. Even projection settings like masking curtains or screen drapes should be tested (some classic theatres have curtains that open/close for the film – if so, do a dry run to make sure they open at the right time and don’t snag).

Temperature and Ventilation: While not exactly “lights,” the comfort systems of the venue are also worth checking. Run the HVAC (air conditioning/heating) during your tech rehearsal at about the same capacity you plan for a full house. Sometimes projectors and full audiences generate a lot of heat. Ensure the theatre can stay cool enough with everything running. An overly hot or cold auditorium can seriously distract viewers and detract from their experience. Plus, electronics like projectors perform better in a controlled climate. So, confirm with the venue that they’ll have adequate cooling, and listen during the test if the A/C is too noisy (nothing worse than a loud blower turning on during a quiet dialogue scene – maybe the venue can set it to a lower, continuous fan instead of an abrupt on/off cycle). These are small details, but they contribute to a seamless festival event.

Confirm Walk-In Music and Cues with Stage Managers

Film festivals are live events with many moving parts – it’s not just pressing play on a movie. Often there are introductions, announcements, or even performances before or after screenings. Coordinating the audiovisual cues with your stage managers and MCs (masters of ceremonies) is crucial. A tech rehearsal isn’t only for the projectionist; it’s also for the front-of-house crew to practice the show flow.

Walk-In Music: Most festival screenings have “walk-in” music, which is the background music playing as the audience enters and finds their seats. This sets the mood and fills the silence. Decide on what music or playlist will be used for each screening or in each venue (it could be a selection of soundtrack pieces, local music, or even a curated list that matches the film theme). Then, during your prep, test playing it over the venue’s PA system. Check the volume: it should be audible and create atmosphere, but not so loud that people can’t chat before the show. Have your stage manager or sound technician practice fading out the music at the right moment. For example, you might fade it out when the host walks on stage to start introductions, or you might do a hard stop right when you’re ready to roll the film. Consistency and communication are key – if one venue is playing music too loud and another forgot to play any, audiences notice the inconsistency. Create a standard: e.g., “house opens 30 minutes before show, walk-in playlist begins then at moderate volume, and fade out when lights dim.” Rehearse that transition. A smooth fade-out of music while lights dim and the projector fires up the festival trailer can give a professional, polished feel to your event.

Emcee and Speaker Cues: If you have an emcee or moderator for a Q&A, do a quick run-through with them, ideally on stage with a microphone, prior to the audience coming in. Many festivals hold a brief “green room” meeting with all speakers and tech crew before a big screening to go over cues. For instance, tell the host: “After you introduce the film and say ‘enjoy’, step off stage. The moment you begin walking off, we will hit the lights down and start the movie.” That way the host knows not to linger awkwardly, and the projectionist knows exactly when to start. If the host is bringing a filmmaker up for a Q&A after the film, plan how that will happen: Will the end credits be allowed to play out fully before lights up? Will you bring house lights to half as credits roll, or wait until they’re done? Will there be a spotlight for the guests during the Q&A? All these should be decided and practiced if possible. Invite the stage manager and projectionist to rehearse communication, perhaps using headsets or clear hand signals. Larger festivals use com systems (walkie-talkies or headset comms) to coordinate – test those devices too, making sure the stage manager’s “GO” cue can be heard by the booth operator.

Cue Sheets and Schedules: A practical tip is to create a simple cue sheet or running order for each screening, especially for special events (opening night, galas, awards ceremonies). This one-pager can list: “7:00pm – doors open (lights at full, walk-in music on). 7:30pm – intro by Festival Director [Name] (fade out music, spotlight on podium, mic live). 7:35pm – intro ends, start festival trailer then feature film (lights to black, music off, projector cue). 9:15pm – film ends, lights to half for Q&A, host returns to stage,” etc. Distribute this to all relevant crew. During tech rehearsal, the team can walk through this timeline to iron out any confusion. It’s much easier to adjust timing or responsibilities in an empty room at 3pm than in front of a live audience!

Real-world example: The Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) is known for its efficient, almost military-precision screenings. They achieve this by thorough planning – before each screening, the venue manager, projectionist, and host quickly huddle to confirm the sequence of events. If there’s a special presentation (say, an award given on stage before the film), they even did a practice of the award handoff with stand-ins to ensure the spotlight and camera were in the right position. The result is that audiences at Berlinale experience seamless transitions: the moment speeches conclude, lights fade and the movie begins without a hitch.

For a smaller festival, your “stage manager” might just be a volunteer or yourself wearing multiple hats. It’s still worth doing this mental rehearsal and communicating the plan clearly to anyone helping. Consistency builds trust – filmmakers and guests will feel taken care of when everything happens comfortably and on cue. And if you do have a slip (perhaps the laptop with walk-in music wasn’t plugged into the sound system initially – it happens), your prior rehearsal means you’ll catch and fix it fast, ideally before the public is aware.

In short, treat the whole event like a performance: you have a script, and everyone should know their part. The projection is one part, the lights and sound are another, and the people on stage are another – tech run-throughs tie it all together.

Log Every Anomaly and Fix Before Doors Open

As you conduct these thorough tech rehearsals and tests, you’ll inevitably encounter some issues – consider that a good thing, because it’s far better to find them early. The final step is to log every anomaly and ensure it’s fixed before the audience walks in. A small notebook or a shared digital log can be used to jot down anything that didn’t work perfectly during the test. Treat this like an airline pilot’s pre-flight checklist: if a warning light comes on, you don’t take off until it’s addressed.

During your playback and checks, scrutinize everything and note even minor oddities. Did the projector lamp flicker at one point? Did the sound distort during a particular loud scene? Was there a weird pop or blank frame in the middle of the film? Was one of the exit signs buzzing or blinking? Write it down. Some issues might seem tiny (“trailer audio 2dB too loud compared to feature”) but these details contribute to the overall quality. Create a punch list of fixes and assign them to your team members or venue staff right away. For example:
– Screen 2: Subtitle for Film X was slightly cut off at bottom — adjust masking/framing before show.
– Screen 1: KDM for Film Y initially didn’t ingest — re-import and verify again with distributor on phone.
– House lights cue timing slow — lighting op to practice a faster fade.
– Projector 3 showing a faint vertical line during bright scenes — swap to backup projector if line remains.

By logging these, you create a clear action plan for the final hours before doors open. Then, fix each item and tick it off. This might involve reloading a file, replacing a cable, restarting a server, or simply communicating a change to a procedure. Make sure to re-test the fix if possible. For instance, if you adjust the subtitles or replace a DCP file, play that segment again to confirm the issue is resolved. Don’t just assume it’s fixed – prove it to yourself.

It’s also important to keep this log not just for the day-of, but for the duration of the festival and even future editions. Over time, you’ll accumulate a record of what went wrong and how it was fixed. This can be invaluable historical data. Maybe you notice a pattern that Screen 5’s projector tends to drop audio once in a while – you can then have an engineer service it or plan extra checks on that screen. Or you learn that a particular distributor’s DCPs often have a certain quirk, so next year you’ll double-check those in advance. Continuous improvement is the name of the game. Veteran festival producers will tell you that each year’s post-mortem meeting includes reviewing the technical logs to ensure next year is even smoother.

Fix Before Doors: This phrase is a mantra to instill in your team. It means no issue is left unresolved when the audience enters. If, heaven forbid, you cannot fix something major in time, then you must have a mitigation plan ready (e.g. “Projector A failed, so we will move the screening to Screen B at a later time, and communicate to attendees on arrival”). But 99% of the time, if you’ve done your thorough rehearsals early enough, you have the window to get things sorted. That could mean calling in a spare projector bulb from across town, downloading a fresh copy of a film via a high-speed link, or simply tightening a loose connector. One festival in New Zealand had a potentially catastrophic issue on opening night: the main cinema’s sound processor died hours before the premiere. Because their tech run that morning caught the issue, they hustled to rent a replacement processor from a local cinema and installed it just in time. The audience never knew – they enjoyed a flawless film with sound, unaware that a crisis was averted by swift action and a good log of “sound processor error – replace.”

By being diligent and fixing everything before the audience steps in, you greatly reduce the chance of any interruptions or failures during the actual event. It’s like removing all the stones from a path so no one trips. And if there are issues that can’t be completely solved (say a minor image quality concern that the audience likely won’t notice), at least you are aware and can monitor it or mention it to the filmmaker if appropriate. Transparency with filmmakers can be important; if, for example, you had to swap to a backup copy of their film due to a file problem, let them know your team handled it and the screening will go on as planned – they’ll appreciate the professionalism.

Scale Your Rehearsals to Festival Size and Venue Type

Every festival is different. You could be running a one-night local short film showcase in a community center, or a two-week international extravaganza spread across a dozen commercial theatres. The principles of tech rehearsals apply universally, but the implementation will scale up or down based on your festival’s scope. Here are some considerations for different scenarios:

Small Festivals & Single-Venue Events: If you have just one screen (say, the town hall or a single cinema) and a relatively small program, leverage that agility. You can potentially test every film in full and involve the filmmakers in the process. Many smaller film festivals actually invite the filmmakers to do a quick tech check a few hours before their screening – a courtesy that both checks the film and gives the filmmaker peace of mind. Use whatever equipment you have thoroughly: if it’s a Blu-ray player or a laptop instead of a DCP server, test the exact playback device with the exact cables and inputs you’ll use. Consumer equipment can be finicky (we’ve seen HDMI cables that supported 1080p but not 4K, or a media player app that crashed on a particular file). So do a realistic simulation. If you’re using a laptop to project files, disable any screensavers or notification pop-ups, and test that the video plays smoothly from start to finish. If streaming is involved (for example, an online festival component or streaming a remote Q&A), do a full dress rehearsal of the stream at the same time of day as the event (network conditions can vary, and you want to know bandwidth is sufficient). Small events often run on tight budgets, but don’t skimp on rehearsal time – it’s your cheapest insurance. Gather a few volunteers to act as audience for tests – fresh eyes and ears might catch something you missed.

Large Festivals & Multi-Venue Events: For a big festival with many venues, it’s about systems and delegation. You’ll want a lead technical manager and a team at each venue who follow a standardized rehearsal routine. For example, instruct every venue’s projection team: “Each morning, play back the longest film file or a test reel on that screen. Run the audio channel test. Check all keys for the day. Report by 9am with a Go/No-Go status.” Create a checklist template and distribute it. Some festivals color-code their screenings by risk level – a world premiere on new equipment might be “high risk” needing extra testing, whereas a repeat screening of a film that’s already played once is “low risk” (but still deserving of at least a quick check). Ensure communication lines are open: a group chat or radio system for tech staff can allow quick alerts (“Server 4 in Venue X had an error, we’re rebooting it now”) so everyone stays ahead of issues. Major international festivals like Berlinale, Venice, or Busan often partner with professional cinema technology companies who handle centralized content management. In those cases, DCPs are ingested in a central server farm and tested before being sent to venues. If you have such a luxury, great – but venues should still spot-check that content upon receipt because a file could get corrupted in transit or due to a local hardware quirk. So even with a centralized system, local venue checks remain vital.

Outdoor and Unconventional Venues: If your “theatre” is not a standard cinema – for instance, an open-air screen in a park, a makeshift projector in a warehouse, or a drive-in style setup – then tech rehearsals are doubly important because there are more variables. Test at the same time of day as your screening if outdoors; you need to know how it looks and sounds in expected conditions (projector brightness at dusk, sound levels with ambient city noise or wind). The Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland conducts extensive nightly tests for its famous Piazza Grande screenings – one of the world’s largest outdoor cinema venues. With over 8,000 seats under the stars, they check that the colossal 4K projector is aligned and that audio carries to the far end of the plaza, and they adapt to weather if needed (e.g., have rain protection and ensure no water can short out equipment). Take a page from their book: if you’re outdoors, secure cables, test generators or power sources (have fuel and spares ready), and ensure you have appropriate lenses for the projection throw distance. Also, bugs – yes, at an outdoor screening, one funny but real issue can be moths or insects attracted to the projector beam. You might need something like a light nearby to draw insects away, which you’d only discover if you set everything up in advance and see what happens.

If the venue is non-traditional (like a museum or a school auditorium), evaluate its quirks: Does the room have windows that need blacking out? Is the screen a portable one that could move or wobble? Does the space meet basic safety (enough exits, etc.)? Test the sightlines from various seating positions during your rehearsal – maybe you realize the first row can’t see subtitles because the screen is too low, so you end up adjusting seating or raising the screen. All of these checks fall under production logistics that a festival producer must handle.

Budgeting and Scheduling for Rehearsals: It’s worth mentioning that all this testing takes time and sometimes money (in staff hours, venue rent, etc.). Make sure to build it into your festival plan. Schedule “dark” hours in venues when no public is present specifically for technical prep. It might be early mornings, overnight, or an off-day between festival sections. Budget for projector bulbs and server maintenance – running full playbacks will use lamp life and resources, but that’s part of the cost of doing it right. As a seasoned producer would advise: the cost of a tech rehearsal is far less than the cost of a failed screening. A single blown show could mean issuing refunds, getting bad press, and losing filmmaker trust, which are far costlier. In 2023, TIFF had to deal with social media criticism on day one due to technical cancellations (www.blogto.com) – nobody wants their festival’s hashtag trending for the wrong reasons! Investing in preventative rehearsal measures is a financial and reputational no-brainer.

Prepare for the Unexpected and Have Backups

No matter how thorough your rehearsals, live events always carry some risk. That’s why in addition to prevention, you need contingency plans. Think of this as the final layer of safety net: if something does slip through, how will you handle it swiftly and keep your audience on board?

Backup Equipment: Identify critical gear and arrange backups. For example, have a second projector on standby if you can (even a smaller portable projector that could be quickly set up to finish a show in case the main one dies). Keep spare cables, spare audio mixers, extra microphones, and definitely extra projector bulbs. If a bulb blows (which can happen without warning after a certain number of hours), you can pause the show, replace it (a trained tech can do this in minutes on many models), and resume. Some festivals also keep a backup DCP server or media player – in a multi-venue fest, maybe one venue is kept dark intentionally so it can be used as a backup room or lend equipment if another fails.

Backup Content: We touched on having Blu-rays or alternate formats as backups for each film. This is highly recommended, even if you never need them. If a DCP won’t play, a Blu-ray or a high-quality ProRes file can rescue the screening. Make sure any backup media is tested too! (No point in having a Blu-ray that turns out to be the wrong region or scratched – test it.) Some festivals ask filmmakers for a password-protected online screener link as an emergency backup; if the DCP has an issue, they could theoretically stream/download that file. It’s a last resort but worth thinking about. Also, if you have multiple screenings of the same film, distribute the drives across different venues in advance. Then if one copy or server has an issue, another is available.

Communication Plan: When something does go wrong in real time, how you communicate with the audience can make a huge difference. Empower your front-of-house staff to give timely, honest updates. It’s wise to prepare a few generic scripts: “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re experiencing a technical delay which we are working to resolve. Please bear with us for a few minutes.” If you know it will take 15 minutes, tell them to stretch their legs but keep their ticket stubs for re-entry. People get far more restless if they’re left in the dark (literally and figuratively). Also, inform your social media/team if a major schedule shuffle happens, so they can post updates. Using an advanced ticketing platform like Ticket Fairy can assist here – you likely have all attendee emails or phone numbers, so you can quickly send out a notification or email about any rescheduled show or important notice. (For example, if you have to move a screening to later in the day due to a projector failure, you could blast an email or text to ticket holders via Ticket Fairy’s system, ensuring nobody misses the memo.) Being proactive and transparent maintains goodwill, even in the face of a hiccup.

Learn from Near-Misses: Finally, adopt a mindset of continuous learning. Encourage your team to treat near-misses as golden opportunities to improve. If, during a rehearsal, an issue was caught, celebrate that win (“Good thing we caught that subtitle error now!”) and document how it was solved. After the festival, conduct a debrief specifically on tech: what went wrong, what was fixed just in time, and what can we do next year to avoid that scenario entirely? The next wave of festival producers (perhaps that’s you) will benefit from this passed-down wisdom. Over years, this is how some festivals develop reputations for flawless screenings – it’s not luck, it’s iterative improvement and not making the same mistake twice.

Key Takeaways

• Always Test in Advance: Run at least one full playback per venue daily. This catches file corruption, AV sync issues, and equipment troubles in an empty room – not in front of your audience.
• Verify Keys and Content Security: Load KDMs early and ensure every film actually opens and plays on the target server. Don’t assume a digital file will work; prove it with a test. Have unencrypted backups or alternate formats ready in case.
• Scrutinize Subtitles and Audio: Subtitles are frequently problematic (nofilmschool.com), so check their timing and visibility on screen. Test closed caption devices and ensure your audio output is crisp on all channels. Everyone in the hall should be able to see and hear the film perfectly.
• Rehearse Venue Logistics: Coordinate house lights, walk-in music, and stage cues through practice. All staff (projectionists, stage managers, MCs) should know the exact sequence for dimming lights and starting/stopping content. No surprises!
• Log Issues and Fix Them: Keep a tech log of every anomaly found during rehearsals. Address each item before you open the doors to the public. Never ignore a warning sign; small glitches have a way of growing if left unattended.
• Adapt to Your Festival’s Scale: Whether you’re a one-screen indie fest or a multi-theatre giant, scale the rehearsal process appropriately. Big festivals should implement systemized checks at each venue, while small fests can take advantage of personal touch (even involving filmmakers in tech checks). Always allocate time and budget for these vital rehearsals.
• Prepare Backups and Plans: Despite best efforts, sometimes things happen. Have backup equipment and media for crucial components (projectors, servers, content) and a plan to communicate and rectify any unexpected issues swiftly. Being prepared turns a potential disaster into a minor delay.
• Professionalism Shows: Audiences and filmmakers may never see all the behind-the-scenes testing, but they will absolutely notice the result – a flawless, immersive festival experience. By rigorously running tech rehearsals, you demonstrate professionalism, instill confidence, and uphold your festival’s reputation on the world stage.

With diligent technical preparations, you can dramatically reduce the risk of show-stopping problems. In the high-stakes world of film festivals – where a single failed screening can make headlines – this isn’t just precaution, it’s essential. By applying the above practices, you ensure that the spotlight stays on the films and talent, not on technical issues. In the end, the goal of any festival producer is to let cinema shine bright for the audience. So roll those tests, double-check everything, and then roll out the red carpet for a smooth, sensational festival showcase!