HOW DO THINGS RAMP UP BEFORE , DURING AND AFTER THE FESTIVAL ?
MICHAEL : During the film festival , Iprepare for off-site logistics — for example , finding asatellite ( extra operating ) space . Wehave 50,000 catalogs , and we have tote bags . We can ’ tkeep it here , sowe ’ ll rent some space . Wealso use The Office , the former restaurant in the building owned by realtor David Placek that we call Dunder Mifflin ; the Faubourg lounge , the Wellmont and the MKA Upper School . We do get pulled in different directions , but Iknow where everything is . I ’ m like Radar in M * A * S * H . Zach sets up laptops , credit card swipe machines , and secures wire on the floor so people don ’ t trip over cables .
ZACH : Imake sure the tech is up , that the bulbs and filters have been changed , software is communicating correctly , and the box office scanners and laptops are working . And since last year , we ’ ve been bringing in a seasonal tech team . Ihad to teach them what Iknow on a live audio the first day ofthe festival at the Clairidge . Alot of things happen at the last minute . It ’ sthe nature ofthe industry .
BRINGING THE BRAND
Monique Cupid , operations manager for the Montclair Film Festival , draws on her 27-year career in merchandising and creating displays for the luxury retail industry to transform local venues into MFF showcases . Like all jobs , it has its highlights — “ seeing a blank canvas transformed into a brand experience is rewarding ,” she says — as well as its challenges . For example , there was the time when she learned at the 11th hour that a festival location where a conversation would take place had no furniture or props set up .
“ It was my first year as operations manager ,” says Cupid . “ It was scary , and I had to act quickly .” Her husband , who had a design studio , let her grab some furniture pieces there . She hurried to the supermarket and got flowers for an arrangement , and grabbed a carpet from storage . “ Was it the best ?” she says . “ Maybe not , but it was decent , and we were good to go .”
Like so many of her colleagues , Cupid first became involved in the film festival as a volunteer , after a Bloomfield Avenue banner advertising it caught her attention . In 2017 , she joined MFF as a seasonal member of the festival staff . The season for her begins by the end of August , when she starts going over venue needs with production director Jennifer Cambras . “ I go through my books and remember what we did last year , go into storage and take inventory of what we have ,” she says . She lets the marketing team know what ’ s needed for signage , phones rental businesses and brings volunteers in on the planning .
The first day of the festival , she says , finds her loading a truck with everything needed for all the venues . At 11 a . m ., she and her team are setting up stanchions , signs , tables and catalogues in the Wellmont foyer . She gets props on-stage , and sets up the red carpet .
For 10 days , “ It starts as a bunch of equipment on the floor , and we get it up ,” says Cupid . “ We go into the MKA Upper School and make sure the red carpet is clean and straight with matching red tape , the banners are strategically placed in the hallway , the stanchions , banners and step and repeat backdrop ( where guests pose ) are in place , and the tables are lined up with clothes and branding . The audience comes in , and what they feel is what they ’ ll get .”
MONIQUE CUPID
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE ?
ZACH : The Clairidge opening and transition was challenging . There were many old , unused cables and wires left over from the previous operators that Ihad to pull and tidy up . Additionally , getting up to speed on how the sixscreened A / V system worked was tricky . It was awonderful opportunity , though , because Igot to reverse engineer and cable manage the projector racks , learning along the way . Now , all the A / V wires and cables are neatly zip-tied to the wall and racks .
MICHAEL : The flooding downstairs caused problems for two years . They ’ re finally solved .
@ montclairmagazine
19