Blogging Hot Docs: What Happened At My Film's World Premiere

Taking Flight: A scene from Paul Devlin's film "BLAST!"

My film BLAST!, about a group of physicists who travel from the Arctic to the Antarctic to launch a massive telescope into orbit. One of our main characters is Barth Netterfield, an astrophysics professor at the University of Toronto. His department organized a lovely reception for the movie. My brother, Mark Devlin is also a main character and he joined us along with the rest of the BLAST! team to meet the scientists. They were very excited. How many astrophysicists get to be movie stars—especially with a World Premiere in their hometown?!

So we get to the Royal Ontario Museum, and they are already letting the audience in for the 9:15 show. No opportunity to sound check. It looks like we’re SOLD OUT! So now there’s a scramble to get tickets for some of the scientists’ friends who can’t get in.

This is the first time seeing it on the big screen. When it starts the HD shots from Antarctica look gorgeous! The sound at the ROM is not ideal, but the audience doesn’t seem to mind – as long as they can hear what’s being said. I start listening for reactions, laughs, etc. It’s really amazing when you get a laugh that you didn’t expect – where did that come from? And of course disappointing when you don’t get one that was supposed to be sure thing.

I’m sitting near the scientists and they’re giggling and making comments at all the inside stuff. Barth is reacting all the time, and it may be contagious because the audience seems to be getting it! It’s amazing how a big crowd can change the experience of the movie itself.

Afterward I think I remembered to thank everyone who was there, including Nick Fraser, our executive producer who I wrote about in my last posting, and Louise Rosen, our co-producer and agent. I bring up on stage my brother Mark and Barth and his graduate students and we’re relaxed and having fun and the audience seems to be very appreciative with their questions. The Q&A was one of the best I’ve ever had. We’ll put the video of it up as part of our ArtistShare project, where we are documenting the entire process of making BLAST!.

Some locals came out to the bar afterwards and were thrilled with BLAST! and that they got the chance to meet us and hang out. They said that this is exactly the kind of entertaining and informative movie that they want to see get funded. I hope there are many more people out there who share their enthusiasm for the film.

I am reminded that this is why we go through all the ridiculously hard work – finally, to reach our audience. These are the moments that keep filmmakers going.

Related Links:

Watch the BLAST!.

Read Paul Devlin's posting on his executive producer, Nick Fraser of BBC's Storyville.

Read Devlin's posting on the opening day at Hot Docs.

Visit the Hot Docs website.

Visit the BLAST! website.

Read about the process of making the film BLAST! at Artistshare.com.

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