The site is currently under site-wide revision.

Somewhere along the line I have lost (overwritten?) a heap of film reviews from Festivale Online Magazine. I'm making a list, and checking it twice, but if you have a film you love, or hate, encourage people to watch or avoid, or you just want to point out something that no-one else seems to have gotten (is that a word?), please, we would love to post PG-13-ish reviews.
Film Reviews Index"

click here to reindex

The current target for Festivale is to launch the Autumn issue (1-March-2009) with a press mailout confident that the existing pages are as accurate and functional as possible.

Resources needed
Contributors to the guidebook, especially those with digital cameras who can create 'walks' and photostories.

Contributors to the Series Series supplement, to write articles/essays on serialised books and movies.

Contributors to the Bibliography/bookpages, to provide overviews, summaries and suggested reading orders.

Commentators interested in writing op-ed and features for the Bookroom and Reel Life.

Correspondents who are in a position to help get appropriate answers the The Usual Questions.

Nit-pickers who are willing to check uploaded pages for errors.

Geeks who are interested in helping to code the site.

A graphic artist to develop the look of Festivale, maintaining the primary goals of easy of use and fast response times.

Contributing editors interested in specific sections.

artist rising

Photographs from the Festivale site have been used for illustrations in books and magazines, one book cover, and have resulted in commissions for further work.

For more about image requirements for Festivale, see the Festivale Style Book.

Reel Life Films @ Festivale
We try to have two reviewers for each movie. Films awaiting review are handled by e-mail notification. Contact ali @ festivale if you are interested.
Reviews by contributors from their own viewings would be much appreciated.
Reviews are also welcome for movies that have been released in the past but not reviewed.
We are also interested in annotations of existing reviews covering the DVD releases. Commentary and interviews are always welcome.

Tech Bytes
There are no outstanding software titles awaiting review.

Pictorial Guide
There are no outstanding guidebook visits organised and unassigned. Entries, photoessays, maps and images are always welcome.

e.g., http://www.festivale.info/melbourne/dbwesterntrail.htm

This link is an example of one or more people (furry or otherwise) following a tourist-type trail, or
making one of their own.
It is told in first person as if to a friend or tourist, the intent is to give someone the flavour of the experience. In essence,
to give them an idea as to whether or not they would like to do it too.

Include information on travel, how to get there/leave. Public transport is especially important as we make an
effort to include instructions for people who rely on it.

Take photos of anything of special interest (unusual, historic, etc). I take photos of all the signs as I go along
using the camera as a note-taking device. This is where digital cameras are great.

Any facts that are included will need to be fact-checked, for which we usually use brochures and the PR contacts
for various venues. The fact-checking doesn't have to go in the article, just to the editor. We're being cited as
a credible reference so we need to be accurate, and to fix any errors/changes when they are identified.

(This is what I'm doing right now, checking 1300 pages!)

When the bug buttons are working again, everyone is encouraged to point out spelling and outrageous grammar,
layout, anything that makes us look dopey.

Guidebook entries

1. A single page that describes the venue/site.
        includes one or two photos, the logo
        contact details, including website
        opening hours
        address and public transport information
  Most of this information is on the brochures/web sites

e.g, http://www.festivale.info/melbourne/historic/dbrippon.htm

2. One or more pages describing the sites of interest on a walk.
        includes each venue/site
        a thumbnail image
        contact/opening hours/address where available.

http://www.festivale.info/melbourne/historic/dbabwalk.htm

VISITS

Visits follow the same friendly style. We usually contact the venue first and organise permission to enter
and take photos for the site. So far, we have had free entry organised as a result.

Best-practice photos.

Take establishing shots. That is, the outside, and the entry sign(s). A photo of the path leading to Rippon Lea
ended up in a national magazine, so we know people like them.

Photograph what is interesting, attractive, fun. Photograph activities, like frolicking furry friends, swimmers.
Remember to ask permission if photographing people. They usually oblige and are glad to know the URL.
Be careful photographing children, we never use last names or put contact details unless the person has
a good idea of what it involves (viagra, mail-order brides, sex site offers).

If you look at a map of the site (where available), you'll see the important items of interest.
If you have the opportunity, get a map of the site and use that to help plan photos.

There are photographs that are part of the photostory, illustrating your tale.

Photographs can also be accessed from our click-able maps, so even if you don't think a gate
is exciting, it might be something people would like to click to see from a map.

Some images are being used for free wallpapers or calendars. We will contact you if we would like permission to use an image in this way.

Watermarks

If you want to put your copyright notice and/or captions on the image, remember that web images will probably be
resized by the coder/editor.

Look at the images on a couple of pages. Thumbnails are 220 pix across. Illustrations are often 240x330 or so;
or 300x230. That is, they are not large, and they are compressed. If you are unsure, you send the images
with the captions and send a sample of how you would like the watermark/credit.

for example: http://www.alikayn.com/

Selling Photos.

If you take photos you think people would like to buy as prints (8x10, 18x24 etc),

See how the images are documented on http://www.alikayn.com/.

Images need to be of sufficient size, clarity and resolution to be accepted for sale by artist aster_L2.orh rising and they
are a bit painful to deal with, however if you want to make images available for sale in a gallery there and upload
high-quality images to their site, we can make the appropriate links.

More money has been made from selling photographs that appeared on the site than from selling books and dvds.
Most money has been made from commissions for articles or photographs by organisations who have seen Festivale
and contacted the editor.

MAPS

The maps on the site have all been prepared by Ali Kayn. They are gifs and use a specific Festivale palette to
keep them small and make them look alike. They are usually based on brochure maps or similar.

Maps in Festivale are usually clickable.
For example, Map of Victoria, click on Melbourne, Melbourne click on St Kilda Foreshore, then click on Rippon Lea.

Once down to a site level, clicking on the places of interest can display a photograph.

http://www.festivale.info/maps/mrippon.htm

Map pages are also link pages.

Map pages have the following sections:

Heading
If relevant, contact and address details (same as guidebook)
Places of Interest
Related links