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Crew: Film Venue Staff
Shift Hours: 10:00am to 5:00pm

Getting There

• Rode the bus from Triangle Park and Ride to downtown Austin. I had seen it on my earlier rides and thought it would be easier and faster to board the bus closer to downtown. It worked out well, though I thought the parking was in a surface lot and it's actually in a garage (free parking).


• A woman got on the bus with a big suitcase and two wooden TV trays. A man got on with a cardboard table and a folding chair.

At the State Theater

• The State Theater is next to the Paramount Theater. Both are on Congress Ave. The former has 280 seats and the latter has 1200 seats.


• My shift starts at 10:00am and I arrived at 9:40am. I found David the crew chief and checked in.

My Assignment

• David put me to work on the "Now Playing" board on the sidewalk. The board displays all the theaters and all the movies. I had to figure out which movies were playing at eight different theaters. As I was working, more volunteers arrived.


• Patrons started waiting in line for the 10:45am showing. I was assigned to watching the line, corraling people, and helping them get in the correct line. Since both theaters are so close to each other it's easy for people to get mixed up and get in the wrong line. We had plenty of signs but we used our voices to make sure they were in the right line.


• At the front of both lines was the "Express" section. This is for people who took the time to wait in another line earlier in the day so they could go to the front of the line.


• After the Express section, we had the "Badges & Day Passes" then people who were going to buy a ticket just for that movie.


• As the lines started to move I stayed outside directing people to the Paramount and State Theater entrances. Once the film started, I was assigned to sit by the door, which we locked, and let people in. Sometimes it was a late arrival, other times it was the director or film production group.


• Some other volunteers went in and watched the movie, Natural Selection


• Around 11:00am, a young woman got in line for the 1:45pm showing of Conan O'Brien's movie, Conan O'Brien Can't Stop I didn't realize he would be here in person but I was wrong. There was such a buzz because Paramount is next door. I could see a red carpet and lots of cameras being set up. I saw a scantily clad woman walking around and I assumed she was a Coco groupie. Later, she and a group of other peple walked into our 1:15pm movie, Fly Away, and it turned out she was Beth Broderick, the leading actress in that movie.


• Conan arrived around 1:15pm I guess. He got out of a black Yukon and stepped onto the sidewalk. I thought he would go right inside but he stayed outside to do interviews with the media. I stood on tip toes to see him. Volunteers aren't supposed to take picture but I really wanted to. The Paramount line started moving to go inside. That young woman at the front of the line was very excited. It's too bad Conan didn't know how long she had been waiting. As the line moved in front of me, I told some people "Conan's still here, look to your right."


• All the line had gone through - almost 600 people - and Conan was still there giving interviews. The crowd dissapated and I thought it would be a good time to take a picture. After some mild hesitation, I took a picture. Then someone said to me, "Move down there and you can get closer." So I did. Then all of a sudden space opened up and I was at the curb right in front of Conan. It was so exciting. Another woman came to that spot and took pictures. Then she asked me to take a picture of her with Conan in the background. I did - three of them! I was really, really excited to have been that close. I could hear him talking to the press. I saw him finish with that person and take one step sideways. Later, I realized there were 8 1/2" x 11" sheets of paper taped to the sidewalk with the press names "AP" "American Statesman" and "People." There were others but those are the ones I could read. When he finished with one he moved to the next. I think he was there at least 30 minutes.


• I went back into the theater and asked Dave if I could go in and watch the movie. He said OK so I did. It was so dark. I sat on the floor right by the door. I recognized the mother in the film. It was that scantily dressed woman I had seen out on the sidewalk! I also recognized another actress from the sidewalk, Denise Dowse.


• The movie, Fly Away, was about a mother and her autistic daughter.


• When the movie was over, I went to the lobby and held the ballot box. I eventually collected the ballots from the film makers, including the "mother." I didn't know the name of the girl who played the girl in the movie but she looked completely different in person. She looked like a pretty, young woman. The girl in the movie never smiled. I think she has quite a career ahead of her. I now know that her name is Ashley Rickards.


• People for the next movie, Futurestates started to line up. This movie is actually a series of short films by multiple directors and screenwriters. The "Director's Friends" as I later learned they are called, also arrived. I was slowly getting the hang of distinguishing regular customers from people associated with the film.


• The crew chief, David, was good about giving people different assignments during the shift. My next task was to collect tickets when people came in for the 3:45pm film, Futurestates. I was to take/collect Express Passes, Q-Cards (given to people in line who had badges) and tear in half the purple guest passes. These were guests of the filmakers. People with "Passes" showed me their pass and photo ID. I sort of scanned the pass and glanced at the ID; most folks were honest and maybe a few snuck by. I also looked at the badge they were wearing around their neck. If if was blue, gold, or platinum, they could walk right in. The others had to buy tickets at $10 each.


• I chose not to go in that movie. It was well underway before I was done checking people's tickets and badges. I went outside and when the line for the Paramount started moving, I stood between the people and the sidewalk to keep people from jumping in line. Also, I watched for food and drink and told them to throw it out, here's the trash can...last chance. I caught most of them but I know there would be people further up the line also looking for food and drinks.


• I went back inside the lobby and sat on the chair by the door. I opened the door for people going out and coming in...including a police officer! I talked with other volunteers about their SXSW experience. Most of them hadn't volunteered before either and we each knew we had learned alot just by volunteering - meaning how to do it better next year.


• Once, when I was at the door and standing inside, a woman walked in with a drink. I told her, "You can't bring that in here." And she said, "I'm running this film fest, I think they'll let me in." I thought, well, at least she'll know I was doing my job.


• While watching the movie, Fly Away, I was glad that food and drink wasn't allowed in the theater so I didn't have to hear slurping, crunching, and food-digging that usually goes on. On a side note, I accidentally left my Film Pocket Guide in the theater and I didn't find it afterwards.


• My shift was over at 5:00pm; me a two others left. David won't be there tomorrow; it will be Tiffany instead.

Time to go home

• I caught the bus back to Triangle Park. That worked out much better than using the Lamar Transit Center.

Thoughts at the end of the day

• Time went by much faster today. Even though there were times with nothing to do, at least there was activity on the sidewalk and street to watch.


• I realized that I worked from 10:00am to 5:00pm without a break - no food at all.


• Oh...last night we started Daylight Saving time. A couple arrive at 11:30am [thinking it was 10:30am] and was dissappointed that they missed the first 45 minutes of the movie, Natural Selection. For me, it was nice to ride the bus home in daylight rather than darkness

The two main theaters on Congress Ave: The State Theater and The Paramount Theater.




This is the "Now Playing" board that was on the sidewalk between the two theaters. Here is one of the SXSW volunteers changing what's on the board. On the left column is the name of the theater. The second column either says "Go" "Hurry" or "Full" This helps patrons know the current status of all the movies.




The marquee above the Paramount Theater. Crowds gather to see the film and get a glimpse of the star.




Crowds gather outside the Paramount Theater on Congress Ave. This photo is facing south. Notice the sidewalk: the red carpet on the left and the white squares. Those white squares are sheets of paper with the names of the media who will be interviewing the star. In this case, it will be Conan O'Brien.




Here's the photo I took of Conan O'Brien. I really did get this close.

Crew: Holding Pool
Shift Hours: 1:00pm to 7:00pm

Preparation

• I worked out my schedule last night and realized that there are some morning panels I could go to before my shift starts at 1:00pm

Getting There

• Rode the 8:00am bus from Lamar Transit Center to 1st and Congress then walked to the Convention Center. I got there with plenty of time to find the room for the first panel I intended to see.

At the Convention Center

• First panel: "How Many Rungs?: Social Change and the Engagement Ladder." Although I haven't used that term, "engagement ladder," it was a concept I learned in the late 1990s at a "Purpose Driven Church" conference conducted by Rick Warren.


• The room was empty when I arrived at 9:00am. I was very early and took a seat in the front row. I pored over my schedule and directory. I saw that the Trade Show closes one hour after my shift ends on Monday through Thursday, so maybe I can make it there for the last 30 minutes. That was very good to find out. I also saw that on Tuesday night at 7:00pm there's an Interactive Awards event so I should go to that. It doesn't look like there's anything for me to do on Sunday either before or after my shift.


• Second panel: "Believe Me or Your Own Eyes: Eye-Tracking Entertainment" During the discussion many audience members Tweeted their questions to the panelists. This was how they discovered two people in the audience from two different eye tracking software/hardware companies.


• Realized I could squeeze in one more panel, or rater, one-half a panel that starts at 12:30pm. I saw a panel with Rainn Wilson from "The Office" and Ellen Page, so I thought I'd go to that. It's on the other side of the Convention Center. Got there and saw a million people in line but couldn't believe it was for the panel I wanted...until I went to the room and saw that it was! The line ran the full width of the Convention Center - from Room 18abcd to the Microsoft Interactive Lounge, which is about two city blocks.


• There's another panel I'd like to see at 12:30pm so I went to that...after walking ALOT. It was back to the exact same room I had been in but by now it was getting full. Since I'd be leaving early I sat in the back. It was called Time Traveling: Interfaces for Geotemporal Visualization.


• Left that panel at 12:50pm and reported to my crew chief at the Holding Pool.

My Assignment

• You can keep reading, but I'll tell you right now that the last exciting thing I did on this day was already over. The rest of the day dragged on like you wouldn't believe.


• There were many people at the Holding Pool today, much more than I ever saw yesterday. I sat down and waited. Little did I know this would be my destiny for the next six hours.


• About 15 minutes after I sat down someone came asking for two to three people. I volunteered and went with her to break down some empty cardboard boxes. It was me and two other people; one was Kaliska, the woman I had met yesterday. Imagine an area about 20' x 20' full of empty cardboard boxes. Our task was to flatten them and put them in the recycling bin. This task took about 30 minutes for us to complete.


• After we were done we went back to the Holding Pool but then decided we wanted to go to lunch.


• Lunch was meat. They called it "Tamale Pie" but it was basically meat. They had run out of salad so I got mine later.


• We returned to the Holding Pool at 2:30pm and sat down, waiting for the next assignment. We waited for somebody to request volunteers but it never came. Well, there were a few requests but only for one or two people.


• I stayed - just sitting there waiting - until they let us go 'early' at 6:40pm. Four hours of sitting and waiting. Couldn't go anywhere. I chatted some, mainly about our volunteer stories and what we've learned. I went and got a cup of Starbucks coffee. Back to the room. I found a newspaper there and started reading it. Then I did the crossword puzzle, Sudoku, and Jumble. Found a SXSW booklet and read that.


• Oh...it was so boring just sitting there. The only excitement happened when the "wall" (the posts and curtain separating us from the receiving area) fell down. We all went to help and felt good about what we had done. It fell down again in a few minutes and this time we were less ready to help, but we did.

Time to go home

• Took the 7:20pm bus home. More young people tonight so that was better. A guy with a sousaphone got on the bus. Very crowded, aisles always full.


• Got home around 8:00pm. Very tired. Washed my volunteer tee shirts. Watched tsunami videos from Japan.

Thoughts at the end of the day

• The huge earthquake that hit Japan Thursday night was discussed in the first panel since many of those panelists had an interest in collecting and managing donations. I saw tweets about it on the huge board in the Coventiona Center, but since I was in the Holding Pool most of the time and didn't have interent access, I didn't see the images until late at night when I returned home.


• The Holding Pool is not so much fun on the second day of the convention. The bags have been stuffed with promotional materials and most of the set up around the Convention Center is complete.

After the huge earthquake hit Japan on Thursday, this board appeared sometime soon afterwards. I don't know exactly when because I was in another part of the Convention Center.




I don't know what the symbols mean. When I took this photo there wasn't anyone around to ask.




This huge Tweet board by Samsung fascinated me.. This photo captured just tweets about the panel schedule, but for the most part, it had tweets from various people at SXSW. It changed every few seconds.




The northwest corner of the Convention Center (4th St and Trinity) was THE hub of activity. The pedicabs were everywhere, whisking people all around downtown Austin. (This pedicab is on Trinity Street) On the left you can see the Austin Metro Rail. (This is 4th Street) The yellow barrier thing between the jeep and the building is the stopping point for the train. The building reflected in the glass wall of the Convention Center is the Hilton Austin.

Crew: Holding Pool
Shift Hours: 1:00pm to 7:00pm

Preparation

• I will need to check in at Volunteer Central to get my tee-shirt and badge. Then I report to the Holding Pool which is at the Convention center in Exhibit Hall 1.


• Working for the Holding Pool means I could be doing anything anywhere and I won't want to have alot of stuff with me because there won't be a safe place to put it. Basically, whatever I bring with me has to stay with me (literally with me on my body). Since I would be receiving two tee shirts today, that means I'll have to carry a shirt around with me.


• I decided to use my Superman fanny pack and blue slip-over purse to hold my license, credit card, bus pass, cash, water bottle, granola bars, pens, cell phone, and kleenex.


• At the last minute, I decided I would try to carry a water bottle with me and tried to figure out a way to attach it to my belt loop or fanny pack. My wonderful husband helped me attach it with a mini bungy-cord.

Getting there

• Rode the bus from Lamar Transit Center (a "park and ride"). Took the 10:45am bus.


• Got off at 1st and Congress, walked about a half-mile to the Convention Center.

At the Convention Center

• In line for the Volunteer checkin. After a small "glitch" in their computers, I got my two tee-shirts and my Gold Badge.


• Had extra time before shift began so I walked around the Convention Center to see what was going on. I wanted my perk bags so I got them. Line was short and moving fast. Walked around some more, took some pictures. .

First Assignment with the Holding Pool

• Went back to "Volunteer Central" and checked in at the Holding Pool at 12:35pm. Told the crew chief I'm ready to begin. He sent me to "Bag and Drag" and said to check in with Soledad.


• Found Soledad. She put me in the bag stuffing assembly line. Crazy system of four people walking around a table and putting stuff in a bag held by two other people. They loaded them onto a cart called the "Queen Mary." I wanted to change the system because walking in circles is crazy pluse one of the people wasn't moving fast enough for me. When a guy came over and said they needed help on another assembly line, I went. There were few of us and I stood at the table collecting and bagging. System worked well. Then another guy came over to re-stock the table and he moved all the stuff where he thought they should go, thereby disrupting the system. We all stopped to help either unload boxes, tear them down, or put them into the huge recycle bin.


• A young woman came to replace me so I could go to lunch. Her name is Kaliska.


• Lunch!Went to Holding Pool first and said I was going to lunch, it was about 2:20pm. I got there eventually at 2:40pm, eating lasagna, salad and bread. Got back to Holding Pool at 3:00pm, went back to Bag and Drag. The crew I left had a good, fast system and I joined them.


• Working the Front Line distributing bags. At 4:20pm, Kaliska and I moved to the "Front Line" where guests were receiving their bags (the same one I had been in as a guest when I received my bags). I was nervous at first, but I got better after the first customer. Many came from outside Austin so I would say, "welcome to Austin." I checked in Thomas Lewis from Microsoft (a panelist), Lila King from CNN.com (another panelist), Jeff Amlin from Facebook, and a panelist who's name I can't recall. from Facebook. Time went by fast doing this and I enjoyed it. At 6:00pm Kaliska and I were told to go back to Bag and Drag. Time passed slowly. Their system was awful, we missed being at the Front Line, and we were tired.


• Kaliska and I left at 6:30pm to go back to the Holding Pool. Kaliska was tired and she's only 20 years old.There were 8 other people at the Holding Pool and we just waited for 7:00pm when our shift would be over.

Time to go home

• I walked to Congress Ave to catch my bus. After being in a high-energy envirornment all day with advanced techy people, it was really odd to get on that bus. It was crowded and many people were drunk, high, or passed out. I young guy moved his bag to make room for me and I was glad to sit down.
     Then he leaned over to me and said:    I have a chain saw in my bag.
  Then he opened his duffle bag and sure enough, there was a chain saw in there. In fact, it was the only thing in that bag. I asked him what he was doing with a chain saw on the bus, and he said he had just gotten it out of the pawn shop. He eventually told me his name is Kuron and he's 24 years old. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked way beyond high. He was actually quite pleasant and we talked most of the ride. I must admit, though, that I was glad when he got off the bus before me (instead of at my bus stop) and didn't try to follow me. The seat in front of us had one passenger and Kuron asked if it would be okay if he put his bag on that seat. The man said okay and I wondered, wow, if that guy knew what was in that bag would he still let him put it next to him?


• Got back to the Lamar Transit Center around 8:00pm. Stopped at Braker Lane HEB then went home.

Thoughts at the end of the day

• Tired, but preparing for tomorrow by reading the Interactive Directory. I realized that I could go to two panels tomorrow, one at 9:30am and another at 11:00am. It looks like this will be my only chance to go to any of the panels.


• I'll be working when the Trade Show is open so I'll probably miss all of that. I later realized that the trade show closes at 6:00pm so I may have a chance to catch the last hour each day.

The Registration line in the Convention Center at SXSW 2011.




People walking around the Convention Center at SXSW 2011. Check out the guy in the lower right - he has an iPad in his left hand and a smart phone in his right hand!




AOL Studios at SXSW 2011



Click to view all the photos I took at SXSW.

I have been poring over the bus schedules, trying to figure out which bus to take. The Cap Metro site was very useful but I started getting frustrated because I want to minimize connections and wait times. I eventually found the route I think will work for me. I'll know tomorrow!

Naturally, I'm anxious about my big day tomorrow. I'm working 1:00pm to 7:00pm in the Holding Pool. This means I'll be at the Convention Center more or less "on call" on an "as-needed" basis. I could be doing just about anything. I have to arrive by noon so I can go to Volunteer Central and pick up my two volunteer tee shirts. So I guess that means that I'll be carrying around two extra shirts (the one I wear down there and the second volunteer shirt). There's no place to safely store my stuff so anything I bring with me stays with me the entire day.

I plan to take the 11:15am bus which should get me to that area at 11:50am. At the end of my shift, I don't know if I'll want to hang around and do more things or if I'll be ready to come home. It looks like my return bus runs every 20 minutes so I should be okay. Right????

I went to my first SXSW party tonight. Well, it's an unofficial SXSW party but that's just a technicality.
The party part was the drinks and band. The social part was the sponsors and their display tables. I have a teacher who designed an app and he was there demonstrating his work. It lets you complete a pdf form right on you iPad. You can learn more about it at the LifeForms Creative website.

I was feeling anxious before the party

I was worried about the neighborhood, the parking, and the fact that I was going alone (with 1800 other people, mind you). It was called Austin's Cohabitat Party

During the 15 mile drive I thought of my "Plan B," which was to not go. If there wasn't enough parking, or if I didn't feel safe in the neighborhood, or if I had any doubts, I was going to turn around and come back home.

I arrived around 7:00pm, which is when the party was supposed to start. I managed to find the building easily and more amazingly, was able to find a parking place less than a block away.

My anxiety decreased as I walked through the gate.

It was all outdoors so there wasn't a door, just a gate. I looked around and saw alot of people congregating towards the back so I headed that way. I spotted my teacher, Michael, and felt a sigh of relief. At least I knew one person here.

I stopped at the bar and bought a non-alcoholic drink (because I hardly ever drink and didn't feel like starting tonight) then visited briefly with Michael. He was busy explaining his product to someone.

Sponsors and their products

There were about ten other sponsors there with their goodies and I visited with each one. Many of them had free stuff sitting out there for us to take so I did take a few pens, lots of business cards, a butterfly sticker, and a 'cup of coffee' which was a coffee cup with a small bag of coffee tucked inside. (If you've seen one of my other Squidoo pages, Confessions of a Pack Rat, you know that I don't need anymore coffee mugs. But I took it anyway.)

The sponsors I remember meeting:

Compuzone - an Apple store downtown. Austin has an Apple store up north and down south but none in the middle, except this one. However, I think it's an unofficial Apple store.
Luna Data Solutions - IT Recruiter. He had a list of several job openings in Austin, mostly for developers with experience.
Instaff - another recruiting firm. She said they recruit people at all levels of experience. She's noticing a trend that companies are willing to hire less experienced people because it's less expensive for them.
NOC Place - a brand new social app for IT professionals. The guy explained it to me by saying it's like Facebook for the IT guys. They can "like" not just a person, but a device or system. They can share information about it, especially any problems they have encountered, and the rest of the community benefits by learning from someone elses mistakes. I've really paraphrased that alot.
AMS Pictures - a creative media company who was launching their latest product, Power On Texas, a digital learning experience. Their company did the media presentation for this push to get more school districts to incorporate digital learning in their schools.
44 Doors - This one was really cool. They developed a watermark symbol (like a UPC label) that is displayed on a web page with a product. The person looking at the website takes their smart phone and scans the watermark and they get information about the product. They might get a coupon, watch a video, or just learn more about the product. Users beware: the company is tracking who scans their watermark so they can target their customers better. 44 Doors is launching their product during SXSW 2011.

Time to leave

After I had visited all the booths, I checked in with Michael to let him know who's who. He couldn't leave his table (and his iPad) so he didn't get to talk to the other sponsors like I did. The sponsors were supposed to give presentations of their products from the stage where the band was, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen anytime soon, so I left. When I got back to my car, it was safe and sound, and 8:45pm. Yes, I was glad I went. I saw some brand new products and apps, some that haven't even been launched yet.

Tonight will be my first in-person experience as a volunteer. I don't know what to expect other than tons of people, lots of lines, and lots of waiting.

I hope to be able to find out what types of things they will let me do and a general schedule. I need to coordinate my schedule with my employer so that will become very important.

I'm excited and nervous at the same time! I wish I was going there with someone else.

They also require a photo of me. It has to be 72dpi, 100px X 100px. It has to be a good picture of my face and head - can't be wearing a hat or sunglasses, can't include a pet or anyone else in the photo. I found a photo of me at the beach and used Photoshop to do the cropping and image re-sizing.

I submitted my application online. There are three sections to it:

• Contact
• Skills
• Schedule

In the Contact section, they asked for my full name, gender, home address, phone numbers, email address, emergency contact, T-shirt size, and employer name. They also require a photo of me and they have some very specific requirements regarding content and size. If I had a passport photo that would be easy, but I don't so I decided to work on that later.

Another question they asked was which Perk I was wanted to earn. The choices are T-shirt (30hrs), Film Badge (50hrs), Music Wristband (50hrs), Interactive Badge (50hrs), Gold Badge (60hrs), or Music Badge (60hrs). I selected "Gold Badge" even though I won't earn it this year, that's the one I'd eventually like to have.

The Skills section has five sub-categories:

• Computer Skills
• Production
• General
• Equipment
• Languages spoken.

The Computer Skills choices are Mac, PC, File Maker, MS Office, Final Cut Pro, Adobe AfterEffects, Cleaner 6, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator CS2, HTML, Flash, and MP3 Encoding. I checked PC, MS Office, InDesign, Photoshop, HTML, and Flash.

The Production choices are Sound Reinforcement, Lighting Engineer, Stage Management, Security, Electrics, Theater Design, Staging Design, Musician, Rigging, and Equipment Technician. I don't have any skills in those areas so I did not check any of those boxes.

The General choices are 35MM Film Revision, 35MM Projection, Digital Projection, Public Speaking Skills, Marketing and Promotions, Event Planning, Creative Writing, Able to lift over 60 lbs, Played High School or College Softball/Baseball, Cashier or Teller, Copy Editing, Graphic Design or Production Art, Sign Making or Print Shop, and Law Experience/Law School. Again, no skills in any of those items so I didn't check any of the boxes.

The Equipment choices are Own DV Camera, Own Sound Recording Equipment, and Own Powerbook or PowerMac. No boxes checked here either.

The Languages spoken choices were stated like this: "I speak the following languages fluently: Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, Korean, German, Norwegian, French, Uzbek, Russian, Swedish, or Other Language." I was tempted to write "English" as the "other language" but I guess they figure if I made it this far, I knew English.

South by Southwest, or SXSW it it's written form, is a huge festival held every March in Austin, Texas, USA. It features three main parts: music, film, and interactive. It starts with a barbeque on a Thursday night, goes into the weekend, the entire next week and weekend, and finishes with a music festival that Sunday.


My memories of SXSW
I have lived in Austin since 1984 and have only vague recollections of the early days of SXSW.

I remember going to several free music events in downtown Austin. They were held next to Town Lake (now called Lady Bird Lake) on the grassy fields known as "Auditorium Shores." My boyfriend (now my husband) and I went to "Aqua Fest" and heard Chaka Khan. Although we loved the music we couldn't help notice all the trash on the ground. There was so much trash and so many people that aluminum cans were flattened like pancakes. Any good feelings we might have had were replaced by disgust. We jokingly referred to it as the "Trash Fest" and swore we would never go again.

Aqua Fest was a huge event in Austin and included fantastic water events on Town Lake. I recall working with about a hundred other architects as we made a huge balloon arch that spanned across the lake. Town Lake is one source of Austin's drinking water and Aqua Fest was the only time motor boats or jet skis were allowed on the water.


Bye-bye Aqua Fest, Hello South by Southwest
At some point and for reasons I'm not sure of, Aqua Fest ceased to exist. From my memory, the musical portion of Aqua Fest continued and was called South by Southwest. I have no idea if the two festivals are related, I'm just telling you how I remember it happening. Since my husband and I didn't have fond memories of the musical part of Aqua Fest, we assumed that South by Southwest would be the same way and we had zero interest in going.


Musicians flying to Austin
The first time I realized how big South by Southwest had become was when I was flying on business from Philadelphia to Austin in March of 1998. I don't remember where the layover was - probably Dallas. At that time, flights to Austin were not always full and the planes were relatively small. On this particular trip, not only was the plane full, but many of the passengers' carry on luggage were musical instruments - guitars mostly, but also some saxophones and trombones. It was really strange to think that musicians actually flew into Austin for this event which I had thought was just a local thing. I had also assumed that a music festival in Austin would be just country music and at the time, that did not appeal to me at all.


Finding out about it after it's over
I don't know where my brain was, but I often missed going to events just because I didn't know they were happening. So many times I'd find out about it after the fact by listening to the local news report it after it was over. "Well, today was the last day of such and such an event. Thousands of people attended and had a great time."


Not a music lover
Now, I know this isn't a popular thing to say, but I'm just not that crazy about music. I listen to it but it doesn't move me like it does for so many other people. I'm listening to classical music right now because I've found it to be great company while I'm writing. In the car, I listen to the local country music station (yes, I know, I said I didn't like country but this is popular country, not twangy country). I'm just not that into going to a music fest to hear new young groups play. Just doesn't interest me at all. There, I said it.


More than just music
What I haven't paid attention too much is the fact that SXSW is not just about music anymore. It includes films, web design, game design, and interactivity. Furthermore, it is not just listening to music or watching films, it includes informative sessions and trade shows. It attracts very influential people from each industry. A year or so ago, the guys who invented Twitter were there - and Tweeted about it. Director Quentin Tarantino and actor Bill Murray were here for the film fest.


The volunteer advantage
Now that I've found out more about it - and realize there are things there that interest me - I want to go! I wanted to go last March but the tickets are just priced too high for me. However, I learned from a friend that if you volunteer during the event, you can earn your way into some of the events. Unfortunately I learned about that too late - volunteers have to sign up in the fall for the event.


Today
So here we are approaching fall (today is July 29, 2010) and I have found out how to become a volunteer and how many hours I must work in order to receive some perks. I have to wait until November 1, 2010 before I can submit my application, but in the mean time I intend to learn a whole lot more about the event and the types of things I will be doing as a volunteer.

Basically, the Interactive part is March 11-15, the Film part is March 11-19, and the Music part is March 16-20.
I looked at the events schedule and was amazed to see how many different events are actually held during the week. Here's the list in alphabetical order:

Austin Music Awards
Barbecue & Softball Tournament
BBQ Crash Course*
Film & Interactive Registration
Film Awards
Film Closing Party
Film Festival
Film Opening Party
Film Talks
Film, Interactive, & Music Registration
Flatstock Poster Show
Gear Alley Expo
Golf Tournament
Interactive & ScreenBurn Talks
Interactive Accelerator
Interactive Accelerator (preliminary round)
Interactive Award
Interactive Closing Party
Interactive Opening Party
Music Festival
Music Registration
Music Talks
Music Welcome Dinner
ScreenBurn Arcade
SXSW Trade Show
Texas Guitar Show

I thought about making a Google map showing the venues, but when I saw how many there are I changed my mind. The SXSW web site doesn't have the listing for the 2011 events, but I looked at the ones from 2010. The numbers are staggering:

35 venues for Film
54 venues for Interactive
99 venues for Music

The official site has the full listing, but just to give you an idea of the cost of the event, look at these early bird prices.

If you purchase before January 14, 2011
Music: $675
Film: $475
Interactive: $600

Combo prices
Film & Interactive: $800
Music, Film, & Interactive: $1050



If you purchase before February 11, 2011
Music: $700
Film: $500
Interactive: $675

Combo prices
Film & Interactive: $875
Music, Film, & Interactive: $1150




Dates already gone by...

if you had purchased tickets before November 14, 2010:
Music: $650
Film: $425
Interactive: $525

Combo prices
Film & Interactive: $725
Music, Film, & Interactive: $995

This was the earliest date for purchasing tickets...September 24, 2010:
Music: $595
Film: $375
Interactive: $450

Combo prices
Film & Interactive: $650
Music, Film, & Interactive: $900

Copy and paste this link     http://sxsw.com/attend     into your browser to see the complete
2011 Registration Rates and Deadlines schedule.

After working 40 hours, volunteers earn perks. The more hours you work, the more perks you earn. New volunteers are limited to working 50 hours. In my example, if I work 40 hours, I can earn a film pass. However, since it will take me a week to work those hours I don't think I'll be able to use the film pass until the following year.

Unofficial perks (in my mind anyway) is a chance to visit the conference behind the scenes for free. I may be able to slip in to some of the panel discussions or film screenings. I would get to know a few more people and finally say I went to SXSW!

As a volunteer, I will have to:

• Work a minimum of 30 hours
• Attend a minimum of one pre-event meeting
• Attend Bag Stuffing

Types of volunteer opportunities
There are two types of volunteers and you have to choose either Conference crew or the Music Production crew. I've looked at both and decided to work on the Conference Crew. Here is a list of the crews that the Conference needs. My comments are in red. The * means that it takes special skills. I have copied this exactly from the Conference Crews web site.



Accelerator
Bag Stuffing Set-Up
Banners
Conference Access
Conference Tech
Day Stage
Directional Signs
Film Mentors
Film Panels
Film Fest Projection
*Film Roadies & Runners
Film Tech Center
Film Venue Staff
Filmmaker & Interactive Lounges
Golf Tournament
*High Beam Special Events
Holding Pool
Hospitality
Information
Interactive Panels
Load-in / Load-out
Music Awards Show
Music Panels
*New Media (Videographers, Editors, Podcast)
*Photographers
Promotional Materials
Press & Publicity
Registration
ScreenBurn Arcade
Softball
Sponsor Help Desk
Sponsor Photography
SXShuttle
SXXpress Pass
Tech Set-up/Teardown
Trade Show
*Transportation
Web Awards
Wristband Handout

I went through the list of Conference crews and came up with 21 that I could perform.


Bag Stuffing Set-Up
Sets up tables and materials for Bag Stuffing. Requires availability all day,
Wednesday, March 9.
I could do this.


Banners
Hangs and removes all SXSW banners. Requires stamina, balance, and ability to carry up to 30 lbs.
Operates March 9-19.
I could do this.


Conference Access
Checks credentials of all attendees for access to panels and trade shows within ACC.
Operates March 11-19.
I could do this.


Day Stage
Located within the Austin Convention Center, the Day Stage hosts various speakers, panels, music performances and other presentations during the days of the event.
It doesn't say what this work is like so I don't know if I could do this.


Directional Signs
Creates and places all directional signs around the ACC. Pre-event availability required. Desktop publishing experience is a plus.
Operates from mid-February through March 19.
I could do this.


Film Mentors
Maintains mentor session schedule; ensures that panelists are available at designated times.
Operates March 11-15.
I could do this.


Film Panels
Maintains film panelist green room and panel rooms; maintains film panel schedule; assists panelists.
Operates March 11-15.
I could do this.


Film Tech Center
Tracks receipt and shipment of all films.
Operates February 23-March 27.
I could do this.


Film Venue Staff
Admits attendees into film venues; introduces films and filmmakers if necessary; ensures that films start on time; clear the theater after screenings.
Operates March 11-19.
I could do this.


Filmmaker & Interactive Lounges
Manages areas reserved for official SXSW filmmakers and Interactive Fest attendees.
I could do this but I bet they'd prefer a beautiful young blonde instead.


Holding Pool
Fills in wherever extra help is needed. Hours on this crew are limited to half of your total hours.
Operates March 11-19.
I could do this.


Hospitality
Manages SXSW staff & volunteer lunch area.
Operates March 10-19.
I could do this.


Interactive Panels
Maintains panelist green room and panel rooms; maintains panel schedule; assists panelists.
Operates March 11-15.
I could do this.


Promotional Materials
Distributes SXSW tote bags and directories to registrants throughout the festival.
Operates March 10-19.
I could do this.


Press & Publicity
Provides appropriate credentials to press registrants. Client management skills required.
Operates March 10-19.
I could do this.


Registration
One of our largest and busiest crews. Confirms and distributes credentials to all SXSW registrants. Patience and good humor is a plus!
Operates March 10-19.
I could do this.


ScreenBurn Arcade
ScreenBurn is the part of the Interactive Festival that focuses on the gaming industry. Various companies will have demonstrations set up for 3 days in the convention center; it is free, and open to the public. Volunteers will monitor the area for exhibitor set-up and open to the public hours, and be available to the exhibitors for questions.
Operates March 10-13.
Gaming isn't my thing but I could do this.


Sponsor Help Desk
Assists official SXSW sponsors at ACC and other venues. Client management skills a plus. Some positions may require heavy lifting, assisting in moving SXSW sponsorship operations inside/outside the ACC and product drops around downtown Austin.
Operates March 10-19.
I could do this.


SXXpress Pass
A new crew this year. Volunteers will be responsible for issuing our express passes for both film and music venues.
Operates March 11-19.
I could do this.


Trade Show
Assists exhibitors loading in to and out of the trade show; checks credentials at trade show entrances; ensures timely communication between exhibitors and SXSW staff.
Operates March 11-19.
I could do some of this.


Wristband Handout
Responsible for distributing wristbands to showcasing artists, general public and badge-holders during the event.
Operates March 15-19.
I could do some of this.

There are 18 crews that are really not for me. Most required some kind of heavy lifting and would be best for strong young men to do. I put my reason in red.

Accelerator
Competition that gives innovative new companies the opportunity to showcase their product or company in front of a panel of professional industry expert judges and a live audience.
Crew will assist with setup, running and breakdown of this event Sunday, March 13 through Tuesday, March 15.
Too much physical work for me.


Conference Tech
Maintains all technical equipment at ACC. Mac experience preferred.
Operates March 11-19.
Probably not. I'm good with a PC and I don't think I'd want to be the person everyone yells at because the presentation isn't working.


Film Fest Projection
Projection of digital video formats. Experience preferred, but not required.
Operates March 11-20.
Too much pressure for me. Again, I don't want to be the one they yell at when the presentation stops working.


*Film Roadies & Runners
Loads Film Tech center equipment in and out; builds screening facilities when necessary; transports films to appropriate venues for screenings. Must be age 25+, with good driving record and valid insurance. Pre-event availability, heavy lifting required.
Operates March 11-19, and March 26.
Too much physical work for me.


Golf Tournament
Works all day at the Wednesday, March 16, charity golf tournament. Sets up sponsor tables in the morning; breaks down tables and packs up supplies after the tournament.
Too much physical work for me. Plus, golf tournaments like pretty young women to greet the golfers.


*High Beam Special Events
Helps staff various parties and special events during the festivals. Must be age 21+.
Operates March 11-19.
Probably not for me. I'm not the partying type.


Information
Provides all sorts of information to SXSW registrants and attendees; maintains computer stations where attendees can check e-mail, preview official SXSW films, or listen to showcasing artists. Requires adequate knowledge of Austin geography and SXSW events.
Operates March 11-20
Probably not for me since I'd be new to SXSW. This sounds like a concierge service.


Load-in / Load-out
Requires heavy lifting. This crew assists in moving SXSW operations from its regular location to the Austin Convention Center.
Availability required all day on March 9, March 15, and March 20.
Too much physical work for me.


Music Awards Show
Assists with production and management of the Austin Music Awards, held on Saturday, March 19.
Music stuff is not for me.


Music Panels
Maintains panelist green room and panel rooms; escorts panelists to panel rooms; maintains panel session schedule; pre-event availability required.
Operates March 16-19.
Music stuff is not for me.


*New Media (Videographers, Editors, Podcast)
Videotapes interviews and panels, edits video for SXSW website and assists with podcasting. Experience and additional training required. HD Digital video camera required for videotaping.
Operates March 11-19.
Requires special skills which I don't have. Not for me.


*Photographers
Assigned to photograph all aspects of the event: keynote addresses, panel sessions, trade shows, parties, film screenings, music venues, showcases, and more. Must be age 21+ (limited exceptions for age 18+); have Digital-SLR camera and portfolio ready to view. Eight-hour shifts; seven shifts required throughout festival, three of which must be evening shifts during the Music Festival.
Operates March 11-20. This crew requires additional application materials.
Requires special skills which I don't have. Not for me.


Softball
Manages set-up and clean up of the SXSW softball tournament at Krieg Fields,
Sunday, March 20.
Too much physical work for me.


Sponsor Photography
Assigned to photograph on-site SXSW sponsorship activation within the festival. Must be 21, have digital SLR camera.
Operates March 11-20.
Requires special skills which I don't have. Not for me.


SXShuttle
Coordinates the film festival and interactive party shuttles. Volunteers will staff shuttle stops and ride shuttles to inform and assist registrants utilizing the service.
Operates March 11-15.
Probably not for me because I'd have to answer random questions about SXSW.


Tech Set-up/Teardown
Responsible for the set-up and teardown of all technical equipment in the ACC before, during and after the conference.
Operates March 8-12, 14 and 19.
Too much physical work for me.


*Transportation
Drives SXSW vans from venue to venue. Drivers must be age 25+, with valid ID and insurance. Dispatchers may be under age 25, but must be able to navigate Austin streets.
Operates March 11-20.
I don't want to drive - too afraid to have an accident.


Web Awards
Manages set-up and breakdown of Web Awards Show, presented on
Sunday, March 13.
Too much physical work for me.

There are three steps to becoming a SXSW Volunteer:

1. Look at the SXSW website and learn about volunteer opportunities and perks.
2. Apply online
3. Attend one of the volunteer calls in January.

November 1, 2010
SXSW begins accepting applications. Apply online. Will need to submit a photo.




January, 2011
Attend one of the Volunteer Calls meetings. Find out my crew assignment and schedule.
SXSW 2011 Volunteer Calls are located at the Hilton Hotel Downtown (500 E. 4th St)
There are two dates to choose from: Sunday, January 23rd, from 3:00-5:00pm OR Wednesday, January 26th, from 6:00-9:00pm.



Attend any Mandatory meetings
The Volunteer Calls is one but there may be others depending on which crew you're on. Go to the Mandatory Meetings page often.



March 9, 2011
Mandatory Bag Stuffing from 6pm to 11pm. Help stuff 25,000 bags. Earn 6 hours credit.

UPDATE from the SXSW website Bag Stuffing is a thing of the past! SXSW continues to work toward becoming a more "green" event. One step was to reduce the amount of paper going into the SXSW Big Bags. SXSW will still be handing out Big Bags for all 3 conferences, however they will not need to be "stuffed." In place of Bag Stuffing, we are instituting new mandatory events to help both organizers and volunteers make SXSW a success. Like Bag Stuffing, volunteers will receive credit toward their perks.



March 9, 2011
Since I want to be part of the Conference Crew, I think this applies to me

From the SXSW website: In place of Bag Stuffing, all Conference Volunteers are required to attend the Conference Crew Walk-thru. The walk-thru will include a brief presentation by one of the volunteer coordinators, a tour of the Austin Convention Center and a chance to meet with crew chiefs.

The Conference Crew Walk-thru is worth 6 hours of credit for Conference Volunteers. Since it is mandatory for local volunteers, those who choose not to attend will be penalized 12 hours and will have to make up those hours during the event.

This event will be an excellent time to familiarize yourself with the layout of the areas you will be working in and around, meet fellow volunteers and crew chiefs and most of all have a great time! More details about this event will be available in January. Until then, mark your calendars!

Conference Crew Walk-thru
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
5PM to 12AM
(staggered meeting times within this time frame TBD)



March 10 - 20, 2011
Music, Film, and Interactive events held day and night.

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