Volunteering: It’s not just for lame people anymore Oz Skinner takes on the Sundance Film Festival and returns with a few tips
Oz Skinner flashes a press pass
by Oz Skinner
Like you, I languish over what to do for my Chirstmas, oops I mean holiday, break. Sitting on the couch next to a bowl of chips with mom and an episode of True Blood on the TV can only entertain me for so long. So, why not volunteer, it gets me out of the house, I get to meet new people and, hey, it’s something to do. Now, I hear you say that volunteering is for losers, or people who want to hang out at the old folks home playing backgammon, but I am here to tell you it is a fantastic world of self discovery and enjoyment. You simply have to choose your volunteer location very carefully.
After I first worked for the Sundance film festival two years ago, after I discovered that it is almost entirely run on volunteers — over 1600 volunteers to be exact, and those volunteers are entitled to TONS of free perks. So I figured I’d give it a shot. Low and behold I was hired and off I went to Utah. Once at the festival I worked in the production department, which basically meant I was a glorified paper boy, schlepping copies of Entertainment Weekly into theater venues. But, it did mean that I had an all access pass, and got free tickets to movies. Nothing makes you feel more like a badass than flashing some credentials to get your way into a premier.
Not only did I get to travel and see rad films, but the Sundance Institute (the non-profit that puts on the festival), also put me up in a sweet condo for FREE! Now, you say that you could never get into something like that, but I am here to tell you, you can’t hit a home run without swinging the bat. Not to mention there are TONS of places looking for volunteers, Film festivals, Music festivals, etc. I happen to know that right now Bonaroo, a pretty large and awesome music festival, is looking for volunteers. Perks include free admission, camping, solar showers, and more.
The point is that volunteering can be rad. Not only do you get sweet perks, but the opportunity to travel, to meet other volunteers who are into the same stuff you are, and the opportunity to see behind the scenes. Networking alone can be a he benefit of volunteer gigs. Meeting people is the biggest opportunity at big events. You would never know that the guy washing dishes next to you is actually a film director, or music label owner. Often those connections can serve as contacts in future employment, especially if you rocked the house, going above and beyond as a volunteer. People remember who was a kick-ass volunteer, and who was the lazy guy who slept in the back of the van only to skip out early to see the biggest band or latest premier. Let me tell you, that 14 year old girl with the back stage pass she bought for $500 bucks won’t get to meet all the cool people volunteers do. It’s a community, and it gives back to events and venues that we cherish. I mean to say that the fact that I had a very small hand in making the Sundance film festival a success is way awesome, and it looks totally cool on a resume.
In this current climate of greedy banks and selfish capitalism, its good to remember that volunteering is an awesome way to give back to your community, whether that be locally or culturally. And while playing backgammon with Louise, at the hospice is one form of volunteer work, one that defiantly needs to be done, there is a whole other world out there. I challenge you to look up your favorite festival, event, band, whatever, and see what kind of volunteering gig you can score for the summer. Running into Banksy in Park City or helping Girl Talk set up his sound system is a way better way to spend your free time then working at Mcdonalds or watching reruns of family guy on hulu.
Short URL: http://www.themountaineer.org/?p=1332
Posted by GMC Voices
on Feb 23, 2010 Filed under First-Person.
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