Network Effects
Mapping Impact and Redefining Value in the International Short Film Festival Ecosystem
TRANSFORMING FESTIVAL IMPACT MEASUREMENT
Network Effects is a pioneering research initiative led by Bath Spa University examining how short film festivals support emerging talent. Through comprehensive data collection and analysis, we aim to transform how festival impact is measured, creating new frameworks that better reflect their vital role in filmmaker development..
OUR APPROACH
Network Effects employs a sophisticated mixed-method research strategy combining quantitative analysis of festival data with qualitative examination of filmmaker journeys. By applying Actor-Network Theory methodology, we can track the complex web of relationships and opportunities that emerge through festival participation. Our longitudinal approach to tracking career progression allows us to map how these connections translate into tangible career development.
Through collaboration with international festival partners, we are developing standardised frameworks for collecting and analysing data about filmmaker progression. This systematic approach will enable us to visualize network effects and demonstrate value in ways that better reflect the reality of how festivals support emerging talent.
THE CHALLENGE
Short film festivals face mounting pressure to justify their value through traditional metrics that fail to capture their essential role in the creative industries. While audience numbers and box office revenue provide important insights, they represent only a fraction of festivals' true impact. The real value lies in how festivals create spaces for networking, enable professional development, facilitate industry connections and build creative communities. These crucial aspects of festival activity often go unmeasured and consequently undervalued by current evaluation frameworks.
RESEARCH CONTEXT
Current evaluation approaches for film festivals predominantly focus on audience development and quantitative metrics, creating a fundamental mismatch between how festivals are valued and their actual impact on the creative ecosystem. This narrow focus overlooks the crucial role festivals play in talent development and career progression.
Our research builds upon significant scholarly work in festival studies. Marijke de Valck's innovative application of Actor-Network Theory to festival analysis provides a framework for understanding complex relationships within the festival ecosystem. Skadi Loist's research on festival circulation patterns offers vital insights into how films and filmmakers move through international networks. Mark Peranson's examination of festival business models and Dina Iordanova's studies of festivals as alternative distribution systems further inform our understanding of these vital cultural institutions.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
This research aims to fundamentally transform how festival impact is measured and valued through both immediate and long-term change. By developing new evaluation frameworks and gathering robust evidence of festivals' role in talent development, we will provide policy makers and funders with better tools for understanding festival value. Regular sector analysis and reporting will help build a comprehensive picture of how the festival ecosystem functions, while improved measurement tools will enable festivals to better demonstrate their impact.
Our vision extends to establishing the first dedicated Festival Data Research Centre, creating a permanent home for ongoing research and development of industry standards. Through real-time visualization tools and comprehensive data analysis, we will make visible the complex networks of relationships and opportunities that festivals create. This work will ultimately reshape how cultural funding bodies approach festival evaluation, helping secure more sustainable support for festivals while ensuring they can maintain their crucial role in nurturing emerging creative talent.
RESEARCH TEAM
The project is led by Rich Warren, former CEO/Festival Director of Encounters Film Festival (UK). Drawing on 15 years of industry experience and academic research into festival evaluation methods, this work represents a unique combination of practical insight and theoretical rigour. Based within Bath Spa University's School of Art, Film and Media, the project benefits from both academic expertise and industry connections.
CONTACT
For more information about the project or to discuss potential collaboration, please contact Rich Warren at r.warren@bathspa.ac.uk.
Photography courtesy of Encounters Film Festival ©Matt Whiteley and Jon Craig