At DIY Days in Philadelphia this weekend I moderated a panel on creative collaboration. Just before heading down I came across this post by filmmaker Zak Forsman on our new message boards entitled “Using Test Screenings to Shape Your Film” and made a note to post it on the blog. Now, Forsman and Sabi partner Kevin Shah, who were both on my panel, have elaborated on the post with an article at The Workbook Project and a video in which they discuss the process of test screening. They have great advice for anyone putting together a feedback screening. One tip — to call people a couple of weeks later and ask them how the film sat with them — is something I’ve never really thought of.

I want to write a bit more about collaboration in the next few days. After the panel I realized I probably should have started by asking everyone to define “collaboration” because each person seemed to interpret it differently. Most filmmaking is inherently collaborative by virtue of its production practices, so what would filmmaking that’s specifically designated as “collaborative” look like. How would its power relationships shift? How would its production practices change? And how would the final project be different? I’m thinking about this, but, in the meantime, consider Sabi’s take on collaboration and their very useful advice on the test screening process.