Open Forum

At Lindsay Wildlife Museum we have refurbished a room and installed technology that will enable us to show videos and other digital clips.  We would like to offer some programs for free during a visit to the museum as well as offer programs in the evening at an additional charge.

I am seeking information, policy guidelines, experience (both good and not good), ideas, resources for films, etc. from anyone who is doing this type of programming.  Our subject area is very focused on native California wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, and nature themes.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------
Melissa Strongman
mstrongman@wildlife-museum.org
Director of Education
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
Walnut Creek CA
-------------------------------------------

Out of curiosity.....are you including the Native peoples?
And their relation to or stories about wildlife?

If anybody cultivates California native plants and sells California wildflower honey, I would buy some.

Best wishes,
Laura Miner in NYC
Graduate of UC Berkeley

Sent from my iPad Mini


Original Message------

At Lindsay Wildlife Museum we have refurbished a room and installed technology that will enable us to show videos and other digital clips.  We would like to offer some programs for free during a visit to the museum as well as offer programs in the evening at an additional charge.

I am seeking information, policy guidelines, experience (both good and not good), ideas, resources for films, etc. from anyone who is doing this type of programming.  Our subject area is very focused on native California wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, and nature themes.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------
Melissa Strongman
mstrongman@wildlife-museum.org
Director of Education
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
Walnut Creek CA
-------------------------------------------

Dear Melissa: I can't remember the exact name, but there is a newsletter that features all the wildlife and plants of the Bay Area.  There are different sites around the Bay that host exhibits.  One is south the SFO at Coyote Point and another across the Bay.  they list resources.   If I run acorss it again, I will send it to you.  

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Richard Zimmer
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-07-2014 01:13 AM
From: Melissa Strongman
Subject: Showing short films at your museum

At Lindsay Wildlife Museum we have refurbished a room and installed technology that will enable us to show videos and other digital clips.  We would like to offer some programs for free during a visit to the museum as well as offer programs in the evening at an additional charge.

I am seeking information, policy guidelines, experience (both good and not good), ideas, resources for films, etc. from anyone who is doing this type of programming.  Our subject area is very focused on native California wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, and nature themes.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------
Melissa Strongman
mstrongman@wildlife-museum.org
Director of Education
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
Walnut Creek CA
-------------------------------------------

I kicked this concept around a while back, and never came up with any good way to do it.  At the time (maybe 5-6 years ago), there was a company offering to set us up with the equipment AND the content, if we had a space to show them, which we do.  The problem is that their content was all over the map, and we're a community history museum, AND it was a bit more expensive than I was ready for.

This past summer, during our War of 1812 commemoration, we showed two DVD versions of the same movie, "The Buccaneer," and people loved it.  Our biggest drawback is that our chairs are fine for lectures, but not so great for a movie that's nearly 2 hours long.


-------------------------------------------
James Mackay
Director
The Lyceum
Alexandria VA
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 11-07-2014 01:13 AM
From: Melissa Strongman
Subject: Showing short films at your museum

At Lindsay Wildlife Museum we have refurbished a room and installed technology that will enable us to show videos and other digital clips.  We would like to offer some programs for free during a visit to the museum as well as offer programs in the evening at an additional charge.

I am seeking information, policy guidelines, experience (both good and not good), ideas, resources for films, etc. from anyone who is doing this type of programming.  Our subject area is very focused on native California wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, and nature themes.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------
Melissa Strongman
mstrongman@wildlife-museum.org
Director of Education
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
Walnut Creek CA
-------------------------------------------

The difficulty we have found is finding public performance licensing for a reasonable rate. For feature films, CriterionUSA and Swank Motion Pictures provide licenses, but the average quote for one showing has been $275+. This meant that we have had to stop showing films at our overnight camp-ins because we simply can't afford $275 to show a film to 20 participants.

We have a small "Film Fest" for day care and summer camp groups during the summer. We show 30 minute educational films. These films are very hard to find licensing information for. We finally were able to purchase an umbrella license for the Magic School Bus films from the Motion Picture Licensing Corp., but I had to call the production companies of most of our films (we had a collection of VHS tapes that had been used for years) directly to request permission.

If anyone has found cheaper licensing for feature films or a company selling umbrella licenses for museums, I would love to have that information.

Thanks,
Elizabeth

-------------------------------------------
Elizabeth Bazan
Assistant Curator of Education
Illinois State Museum
Springfield IL
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 11-07-2014 01:13 AM
From: Melissa Strongman
Subject: Showing short films at your museum

At Lindsay Wildlife Museum we have refurbished a room and installed technology that will enable us to show videos and other digital clips.  We would like to offer some programs for free during a visit to the museum as well as offer programs in the evening at an additional charge.

I am seeking information, policy guidelines, experience (both good and not good), ideas, resources for films, etc. from anyone who is doing this type of programming.  Our subject area is very focused on native California wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, and nature themes.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------
Melissa Strongman
mstrongman@wildlife-museum.org
Director of Education
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
Walnut Creek CA
-------------------------------------------

At Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site we've had a monthly film series for a couple of years now.  We usually show hour long documentaries at no charge.  We do ask for a free will donation to cover the costs of coffee and cookies that we provide at these events.  We have a great theater space so it seemed natural to offer this kind of programming.  It has been a series of trial an error, but have earned our selves a dozen loyal guests.  My goal for this program is to diversify the site programming, develop special programming for adult/lifelong learner audience and appeal to a new audience for the site to re-engage the site with the local community.

I have found it easier to choose a theme for the year, then seek out films that go along with that theme.  Our 2014 theme of aviation history was too limited in audience and my number were lower.  I'm hoping that my 2015 theme of Minnesota History will result in a more diverse audience as I was able to choose films that fit the them that were greatly different from each other - from weather disasters to 1st MN at Gettysburg.

Last year we tried Swank for larger blockbuster films to spice things up - but found the cost and marketing limitations make this a poor choice for our free program.  People greatly enjoyed them, but it was hard to get the word out and justify the extra cost.

I have found the most success by reaching out directly to producers for permission to screen documentaries - especially smaller productions.  Most are willing (and excited) to have us screen their productions at no charge because we are not charging our guests  to see them.  I have had producers be willing to come to the site and lead a Q&A after the screening.  It's a lot more legwork than going through a provider.  I usually google the topic I want - "1st Minnesota documentary" and see what pops up.  Then have to sort through the websites to see what looks like a good fit and if I can find producer's contact information.  When making a selection I read the reviews - searching for someone I trust to have endorsed it or worked on the project - has PBS screened it, etc.  When possible I try to screen them ahead of time to make sure there isn't questionable content or overly graphic in nature.  While the series is designed for adults, we do get some youth/teenagers at certain topics.

I have found great success in parting with our local PBS station - Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) does great Minnesota programming in house and they were willing to let us screen some of their documentaries free of charge.

If I am going to purchase something I try to go through http://teacher.shop.pbs.org - they offer many PBS documentaries with an AV option which includes screening rights included with the purchase. 

-------------------------------------------
Melissa Peterson
Site Manager
Minnesota Historical Society
Little Falls MN
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 11-07-2014 01:13 AM
From: Melissa Strongman
Subject: Showing short films at your museum

At Lindsay Wildlife Museum we have refurbished a room and installed technology that will enable us to show videos and other digital clips.  We would like to offer some programs for free during a visit to the museum as well as offer programs in the evening at an additional charge.

I am seeking information, policy guidelines, experience (both good and not good), ideas, resources for films, etc. from anyone who is doing this type of programming.  Our subject area is very focused on native California wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, and nature themes.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------
Melissa Strongman
mstrongman@wildlife-museum.org
Director of Education
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
Walnut Creek CA
-------------------------------------------

Good topic.  We've been picking at this issue, too, but haven't found the magic formula to make it work.  We have a mid-19th-c. lecture hall, with upholstered armchairs, a projection room but no equipment, and a movie screen that drops down from the ceiling.  I'd love to be able to do regular movie nights, maybe viewing and discussing history-based movies or showing films related to exhibit themes, but have no equipment of our own, and the chairs are not that comfortable for 2 hours of sitting.

Maybe a partnership with the local historic theater, who is also trying to find their identity, currently?  Has anyone gone that route?


-------------------------------------------
James Mackay
Director
The Lyceum
Alexandria VA
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 12-17-2014 10:15 AM
From: Melissa Peterson
Subject: Showing short films at your museum

At Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site we've had a monthly film series for a couple of years now.  We usually show hour long documentaries at no charge.  We do ask for a free will donation to cover the costs of coffee and cookies that we provide at these events.  We have a great theater space so it seemed natural to offer this kind of programming.  It has been a series of trial an error, but have earned our selves a dozen loyal guests.  My goal for this program is to diversify the site programming, develop special programming for adult/lifelong learner audience and appeal to a new audience for the site to re-engage the site with the local community.

I have found it easier to choose a theme for the year, then seek out films that go along with that theme.  Our 2014 theme of aviation history was too limited in audience and my number were lower.  I'm hoping that my 2015 theme of Minnesota History will result in a more diverse audience as I was able to choose films that fit the them that were greatly different from each other - from weather disasters to 1st MN at Gettysburg.

Last year we tried Swank for larger blockbuster films to spice things up - but found the cost and marketing limitations make this a poor choice for our free program.  People greatly enjoyed them, but it was hard to get the word out and justify the extra cost.

I have found the most success by reaching out directly to producers for permission to screen documentaries - especially smaller productions.  Most are willing (and excited) to have us screen their productions at no charge because we are not charging our guests  to see them.  I have had producers be willing to come to the site and lead a Q&A after the screening.  It's a lot more legwork than going through a provider.  I usually google the topic I want - "1st Minnesota documentary" and see what pops up.  Then have to sort through the websites to see what looks like a good fit and if I can find producer's contact information.  When making a selection I read the reviews - searching for someone I trust to have endorsed it or worked on the project - has PBS screened it, etc.  When possible I try to screen them ahead of time to make sure there isn't questionable content or overly graphic in nature.  While the series is designed for adults, we do get some youth/teenagers at certain topics.

I have found great success in parting with our local PBS station - Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) does great Minnesota programming in house and they were willing to let us screen some of their documentaries free of charge.

If I am going to purchase something I try to go through http://teacher.shop.pbs.org - they offer many PBS documentaries with an AV option which includes screening rights included with the purchase. 

-------------------------------------------
Melissa Peterson
Site Manager
Minnesota Historical Society
Little Falls MN
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 11-07-2014 01:13 AM
From: Melissa Strongman
Subject: Showing short films at your museum

At Lindsay Wildlife Museum we have refurbished a room and installed technology that will enable us to show videos and other digital clips.  We would like to offer some programs for free during a visit to the museum as well as offer programs in the evening at an additional charge.

I am seeking information, policy guidelines, experience (both good and not good), ideas, resources for films, etc. from anyone who is doing this type of programming.  Our subject area is very focused on native California wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, and nature themes.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------
Melissa Strongman
mstrongman@wildlife-museum.org
Director of Education
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
Walnut Creek CA
-------------------------------------------

The Missouri History Museum has a partnership with the local PBS station to show the Independent Lens series.  This is a wonderful way to add diverse documentaries to your programming schedule.  In addition to the documentaries we also do a community action fair before the screening and then a panel or activity after the screening.  For example, for a documentary about racial turmoil in a small town, we did a community action fair for organizations that worked on issues of race such as the ADL, National Conference for Community and Justice, and YMCA.  For a film that was a little lighter in subject area such as paper folding, we watched the documentary and then brought in the local origami club to teach people how to make simple origami figures.  

As someone else mentioned we also look at the entire list of documentary offerings and sometimes contact directors that are not scheduled for our region.  We can usually get them to screen their film and make an appearance for a small fee plus travel.

In addition to PBS we also screen a lot of local documentaries and even documentaries done by k-12 and college students.  On average we screen about 1 documentary a week.

-------------------------------------------
Melanie Adams PhD
Managing Director
Missouri Historical Society and Museum
Saint Louis MO
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 12-17-2014 11:39 AM
From: James Mackay
Subject: Showing short films at your museum

Good topic.  We've been picking at this issue, too, but haven't found the magic formula to make it work.  We have a mid-19th-c. lecture hall, with upholstered armchairs, a projection room but no equipment, and a movie screen that drops down from the ceiling.  I'd love to be able to do regular movie nights, maybe viewing and discussing history-based movies or showing films related to exhibit themes, but have no equipment of our own, and the chairs are not that comfortable for 2 hours of sitting.

Maybe a partnership with the local historic theater, who is also trying to find their identity, currently?  Has anyone gone that route?


-------------------------------------------
James Mackay
Director
The Lyceum
Alexandria VA
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 12-17-2014 10:15 AM
From: Melissa Peterson
Subject: Showing short films at your museum

At Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site we've had a monthly film series for a couple of years now.  We usually show hour long documentaries at no charge.  We do ask for a free will donation to cover the costs of coffee and cookies that we provide at these events.  We have a great theater space so it seemed natural to offer this kind of programming.  It has been a series of trial an error, but have earned our selves a dozen loyal guests.  My goal for this program is to diversify the site programming, develop special programming for adult/lifelong learner audience and appeal to a new audience for the site to re-engage the site with the local community.

I have found it easier to choose a theme for the year, then seek out films that go along with that theme.  Our 2014 theme of aviation history was too limited in audience and my number were lower.  I'm hoping that my 2015 theme of Minnesota History will result in a more diverse audience as I was able to choose films that fit the them that were greatly different from each other - from weather disasters to 1st MN at Gettysburg.

Last year we tried Swank for larger blockbuster films to spice things up - but found the cost and marketing limitations make this a poor choice for our free program.  People greatly enjoyed them, but it was hard to get the word out and justify the extra cost.

I have found the most success by reaching out directly to producers for permission to screen documentaries - especially smaller productions.  Most are willing (and excited) to have us screen their productions at no charge because we are not charging our guests  to see them.  I have had producers be willing to come to the site and lead a Q&A after the screening.  It's a lot more legwork than going through a provider.  I usually google the topic I want - "1st Minnesota documentary" and see what pops up.  Then have to sort through the websites to see what looks like a good fit and if I can find producer's contact information.  When making a selection I read the reviews - searching for someone I trust to have endorsed it or worked on the project - has PBS screened it, etc.  When possible I try to screen them ahead of time to make sure there isn't questionable content or overly graphic in nature.  While the series is designed for adults, we do get some youth/teenagers at certain topics.

I have found great success in parting with our local PBS station - Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) does great Minnesota programming in house and they were willing to let us screen some of their documentaries free of charge.

If I am going to purchase something I try to go through http://teacher.shop.pbs.org - they offer many PBS documentaries with an AV option which includes screening rights included with the purchase. 

-------------------------------------------
Melissa Peterson
Site Manager
Minnesota Historical Society
Little Falls MN
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 11-07-2014 01:13 AM
From: Melissa Strongman
Subject: Showing short films at your museum

At Lindsay Wildlife Museum we have refurbished a room and installed technology that will enable us to show videos and other digital clips.  We would like to offer some programs for free during a visit to the museum as well as offer programs in the evening at an additional charge.

I am seeking information, policy guidelines, experience (both good and not good), ideas, resources for films, etc. from anyone who is doing this type of programming.  Our subject area is very focused on native California wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, and nature themes.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------
Melissa Strongman
mstrongman@wildlife-museum.org
Director of Education
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
Walnut Creek CA
-------------------------------------------