I had the opportunity to host the live red carpet pre-show for the 12th Annual Five16 Film Festival at my school The University of Northwestern – St. Paul on April 9, 2018. It was televised locally on CTV and streamed online. Last year I hosted and had a blast (read about that and see photos here), and the previous year I floor directed. It was so much fun to be involved one last time for my senior semester, and I enjoyed working through the crazy action of a live broadcast with this crew.
My TV News class helped put on the show. It takes one heck of a team to pull off a live production and we couldn’t have done it without these guys. We had people working in Knight Hall, backstage and in the CTV truck outside. A lot of hard work goes in behind-the-scenes and I love seeing all the processes that bring a show like this together.
The red carpet portion of the broadcast was 30 minutes. I interviewed an Animation and Illustration student at Northwestern who had a documentary in the festival titled “Streetlight Stories.” I also talk to some students on the red carpet about their expectations and what they were looking forward to at the festival. It was fun to hear from them and share in it the show.
The Five16 Film Festival is an excellent showcase of our talented Communication Department at Northwestern. I have some of the most talented classmates and it was really exciting to see all of their hard work displayed and honored. The event was sold out to 1,200+ attendees, it was a packed night! The community gets to come and witness it all–while being dressed up and ready to enjoy an evening of films.
My family came again this year to the festival and I loved having them there! My cousins were also there and my grandma came too! I love sharing this side of Northwestern with them. It’s a great way for them to see who some of my professors and peers are. It’s definitely my favorite event at Northwestern that I have enjoyed every year during my time there.
I love the chaos of live tv. I love the preparations, rehearsals, stress, unpredictableness, excitement, anxiety, rush of emotions–all of it. It’s such a rewarding experience. I hope to keep pursuing similar adventures in the future. Did I mention we did the whole show without a teleprompter? We had cue-cards, the old-fashioned way. BUT we did it! And it was awesome! HUGE thank you to Northwestern for this experience and opportunity! The media department has truly been the best part of my college experience.
Dress details: found my dress and shoes at Macy’s! It was the first dress I tried on, and the first pair of heels. Such a relief because last year I dress hunted like crazy! Love this classy look, its such a fun addition to my closet. Plus lace and black are so in right now, it was definitely a common design and look seen at the festival.
When the show is archived, it will be available for viewing on this link.
Did you attend the festival or watch the event? Let me know! I’d love to hear from you and what you enjoyed. Let’s connect on social media! @fearlesseyes97 on twitter and instagram.
Five16 Film Festival red carpet photos by Josh Stokes.
ashley j. chiappetta 