VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK 2015 145 Ninth Street, Suite 350, CA 94103 P/ 415.863.0814 F/ 415.863.7428 www.caamedia.org Krystal Tom Volunteer Coordinator volunteeradmin@caamedia.org 415.863.0814 ext. 303
WELCOME, 2015 CAAMFest VOLUNTEERS! Welcome to CAAMFest! If this is your first time volunteering, welcome and consider yourself among the biggest and best volunteer crew you ll meet. For returning volunteers, welcome back! The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) truly appreciates the time and dedication of volunteers who help make the festival run as smoothly as it does. You are the festival s public face and a vital part of the CAAMFest community. Every March, over hundreds of dedicated volunteers from around the Bay Area log almost 2,500 hours to make the CAAMFest a success! CAAMFest volunteers serve in a variety of capacities across the festival- from the galas and receptions, to ticket taking and the box office, to assisting our festival guests. As this year s Volunteer Coordinator, I look forward to meeting all of you and am honored to work with such a great group of people. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you again for donating your time and energy in making CAAMFest amazing. Enjoy the festival and have fun! Sincerely, Krystal Tom Volunteer Coordinator R E C E P T I O N S & E V E N T S OPENING NIGHT GALA Thursday March 12 9:30PM Asian Art Museum 200 Larkin Street, CENTERPIECE RECEPTION Sunday March 15 6:00PM Castro Theatre 429 Castro Street, DIRECTIONS IN SOUND Friday March 13 9:30PM Mercer 255 Rhode Island Street, CLOSING NIGHT RECEPTION Sunday March 22 9:00PM Vessel Gallery 471 25th Street, Oakland CONTACT INFORMATION: Krystal Tom, Volunteer Coordinator 415-863-0814 ext. 303 volunteeradmin@caamedia.org www.caamedia.org NOTE: All contents in this Volunteer Handbook are subject to change without notice. This includes policies, Festival venue and times. Please refer to your Volunteer Coordinator for any updates. We also apologize for any errors in this handbook. 1 18
VENUE LOCATIONS THEATRES Sundance Kabuki Castro Theatre 1881 Post Street 429 Castro Street 415.346.3243 415.621.6120 MUNI: 2, 3, 4, 22, 31, 38, 38L MUNI: K, L, M, F, 24, 33, 35, 37 New People Cinema Great Star Theater 1746 Post Street 636 Jackson Street (Chinatown) 415.525.8631 415.989.9989 *Same as Kabuki The New Parkway Pacific Film Archive Theater 474 24th Street No volunteers needed at this venue Oakland 2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley 510.658.7900 510.642.0808 VENUES Asian Art Museum Mercer 200 Larkin Street 255 Rhode Island Street 415.581.3500 415.691.4850 Civic Center Station ABOUT THE CENTER FOR ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA CAAM envisions a world where Asian Pacific American stories, histories and viewpoints are recognized as fundamental to the American experience. CAAM s mission is to present stories that convey the richness and diversity of the Asian American experience to the broadest audience possible. We fund, produce, distribute and exhibit Asian American films, videos and new media. CAAM was founded in 1980 by Asian American film, video and radio producers and community activists to counter the scarcity of images of Asians in film and television; correct the often-distorted portrayals of them in the mainstream media; and create opportunities for the full participation of Asian American producers in the public media. Once an association of groups around the country, CAAM is now a nationally recognized arts and cultural institution based in, California. CAAM presents CAAMFest every March. CAAMFest is the nation s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 130 works in, Berkeley and Oakland. Since 1982, CAAMFest has been an important launching point for Asian American independent filmmakers as well as a vital source for new Asian cinema. Pa ina Lounge & Restaurant Slate Bar 1865 Post Street 2925 16th Street 415.346.3243 415.558.8521 Vessel Gallery Oakland Museum of California 471 25th Street 1000 Oak Street Oakland Oakland 510.893.8800 510.893.8800 17 2
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE FESTIVAL With over 100 films and digital media projects, this year s CAAMFest offers the best in Asian American and Asian cinema. The Festival, the largest of its kind in North America, offers many new sights and sounds, including cutting edge dramas, unflinching documentaries, innovative short films and videos, and special retrospective and revival programs. 109 Films and Videos 15 Premieres 27 Feature Narrative Films 21 Feature Documentaries 60 Short Films and Videos 11 World Premieres Films come from all points of the globe: Argentina, Cambodia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand,United States, and Vietnam SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FOR DRIVERS As a Festival driver, you will receive special compensation in the form of 2 vouchers per shift, and a per-mile reimbursement of 51 per mile. Mileage reimbursement forms will be provided and must be returned to Priya Gupta immediately after your shift to be processed. Certain driving expenses, such as airport parking and bridge tolls, are also covered. Please save these receipts and turn them in to Priya Gupta by March 23, 2014 to be processed. NOTE: Traffic and parking tickets incurred while you are completing Festival duties are not covered by CAAM. Drivers must adhere to the following rules: No alcohol may be consumed prior to or during your driving shift. If you are picking up directors or other special guests at the airport, please make sure your car is clean and presentable. If you have had more than 3 moving violations in the past two years or have ever been convicted of DUI, you will automatically be dis qualified as a driver. VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION PARTY Tuesday, March 24, 2015 6-8PM Galvanize 44 Tehama Street, The dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers is legendary, and many return year after year to help make CAAMFest one of the best film festivals anywhere. To thank you all for your hard work, we ll be throwing the annual Volunteer Appreciation Party in your honor. 3 16
VOLUNTEER COMPENSATION For appreciation of your volunteering of time to CAAMFest, we offer vouchers as a form of compensation. A voucher can be redeemed for a hard ticket to see a regularly priced CAAMFest program. Below are the restrictions to do this. USING YOUR VOUCHER Volunteers Receive: 1 volunteer voucher per every 3-4 hour long shift. One may not receive multiple vouchers for working a single shift. GUIDELINES: Volunteers must stay for duration of shift to earn a voucher. Vouchers do not guarantee admission to a screening. A voucher must be redeemed for a hard ticket. Vouchers can be redeemed online at caamedia.org/caamfest or in person at the Sundance Kabuki Cinema and New People Cinema. For further information on box office hours, please visit caamfest.com/2014/ticketing/ A voucher can be redeemed for a single ticket to a regularly priced screening. Vouchers may not be redeemed for Opening Night, Closing Night, Centerpiece, Directions in Sound, or any parties. Vouchers may NOT be redeemed in person at the PFA or Castro Theatres. To redeem a voucher for a screening at the PFA or Castro, vouchers must be redeemed 24 hours before the screening of your choice. Vouchers are valid for use in the RUSH line. If no seats remain, the voucher may not be used for entry. Vouchers are transferable. If you like, you may give it to someone else. HOW TO REDEEM YOUR VOUCHER ONLINE Go to caamedia.org/caamfest and find the screening you would like to attend. Click to Buy Tickets and before adding a ticket to your cart, click the button reading Know a Promotion Code? Enter the code printed on your voucher and click Submit. A $0.00 ticket type will appear. Select a quantity of one (1) and add that your cart. This process must be repeated for each voucher. Multiple vouchers may be redeemed in a single order. VOLUNTEERING FOR THE FESTIVAL WHAT TO WEAR/ BRING All volunteers will receive an Official 2014 CAAMFest Volunteer T-shirt at the beginning of their first shift. You must bring your T-shirt to wear at each shift. Please wear your CAAMFest volunteer shirt for the duration of your shift so patrons can easily identify you in a crowd. Wear comfortable shoes. You will be on your feet most of the time. Bring layers of clothing to your shift. You may be outside. There is no secure storage at the volunteer sites. Leave all valuables and bags at home. Special Events Team: Volunteers on the Events Team must wear a Festival T-shirt, along with black pants or skirt. Volunteers work outdoors at some venues (see job description for details), so warm layers and outerwear are appropriate. Theater Operations Team: As we all know, Bay Area weather can be unpredictable. If you are on the Theater Operations Team, wear layers and bring an umbrella or raincoat, if rain is in the forecast. What NOT to Bring: Please do not bring any valuables with you since there are no storage lockers at any of our venues. Leave bags and purses at home when possible. We are not responsible for any lost items. SCHEDULING YOUR VOLUNTEER SHIFTS We ask that all volunteers commit to working at least three (3) shifts. All shifts are approximately 4 hours long. Sign up for shifts using Shiftboard. (See Using Shiftboard on page 7). 15 4
CONDUCT/RESPONSIBILITY We believe in creating a respectful and safe workplace. CAAM does not condone or tolerate any discrimination or harassment of any kind on the job, whether it s based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, color, or national origin. It is our policy to deal with such incidents as quickly as possible. If you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, or if a patron or guest is very upset about an incident, please notify Priya Gupta or another member of the Festival staff and immediate action will be taken. Conversely, please be respectful of your co-workers, the patrons, and the artists. See CAAM s policy against harassment below, which applies to both interns and volunteers. CAAM S POLICY AGAINST HARASSMENT It is the policy of CAAM that there shall be no harassment of any employee or by fellow employees or by any supervisor on account of an employee s gender, race, national origin, religion, physical handicap or sexual preference (or on account of any other protected status). It is against the policy of CAAM for any employee to sexually harass another employee by making submission to or rejection of such conduct the basis for employment decisions concerning the employee, or unreasonably interfering with an employee s work performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile or otherwise offensive work environment by such conduct. ONLINE CALENDAR If you need to double-check your shift schedule, please visit your online calendar at: www.shiftboard.com/caam DURING YOUR SHIFT Please check in when you arrive for your shift and check out at the end of your shift. For shifts at the Sundance Kabuki and New People, check in at the Volunteer Lounge, under the Escalator on the first floor in the lobby. At the Castro, check in with the House Manager. If you are working a special event, go directly to the event location and check in with your shift supervisor. CAAM does not condone and will not permit such harassment of any employee and, in particular, will not tolerate the making of unwelcome sexual advances to any employee, unwelcome physical, verbal or visual behavior that is sexual in nature or the making of remarks or jokes known to be offensive to any employee because of his/her sex, age, race, national origin, religion, physical handicap or sexual preference. If a volunteer believes he/she has been treated in violation of this policy, he/she should immediately report the matter to Priya Gupta or the shift supervisor. CAAM management will seek to promptly investigate all complaints or violations of this policy in as discreet a manner as possible. 5 14
OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS You will be the first point of contact for Festival guests and attendees. As a representative of CAAMFest and CAAM, please become familiar with the mission and vision of CAAM and the Festival (see page 2). Patrons may approach you with questions, and the more you can dazzle them with your knowledge of our organization the better. Expect to answer general questions about Festival show times, auditoriums, venue restrooms, exits, ticketing, and CAAM membership materials. Don t hesitate to ask a Festival/CAAM Staff member if you need help. Please treat all venue staff (Sundance Kabuki, Castro, New People, etc.) with respect. We are guests in their place of business, so please behave graciously. All of our venues are smoke-free. If you smoke, please do so outside and away from building entrances. WORKPLACE CONDUCT Every organization has certain guidelines, which are developed to reflect sound operational practices. CAAM requires discipline, cooperation, efficiency and productivity of its employees, interns and volunteers. CAAM has standards of behavior with which all employees, interns and volunteers are required to comply. Failure to comply with these standards will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Examples of conduct that may require disciplinary action include, but are not limited to: Safety violation(s) Rudeness or discourtesy toward a fellow employee, supervisor, volunteer, supporter or member of the general public Theft, unauthorized possession of CAAM property or personal property of others Personal use, being in the possession of, or being under the influence of alcohol or any illegal drugs during working hours, or reporting to work under such conditions Insubordination, including improper conduct toward a supervisor or refusal to perform tasks assigned by a supervisor Misusing, destroying, or damaging property of CAAM or of host venue Bringing dangerous or unauthorized materials on the premises, such as explosives, firearms, or other similar items Negligence in standard operational procedures that endangers you or other employees Sexual harassment or other unlawful harassment of another employee Smoking in non-smoking areas Violation of any policies, rules or procedures of CAAM 13 6
USING SHIFTBOARD CAAMFest volunteers use an on-line system called Shiftboard to sign up for volunteer shifts and get important information about the Festival and volunteering. REGISTERING WITH SHIFTBOARD To sign up for shifts and become a volunteer, you must first register with Shiftboard. To register: 1. Go to www.shiftboard.com/caam 2. Click Register 3. Fill out required registration information and click Submit Application at the bottom of the page. You will then be sent log-in and password information. ADDING TEAMS When you register with Shiftboard, you are automatically added to the following Teams: General-Festival, Events, Marketing & Outreach and Theater Operations. Certain specialized Teams need to be added manually. If you are interested in joining the Hospitality, Driving, or Publicity Teams, please do the following: 1. Log-on to www.shiftboard.com/caam 2. Click on Find Additional Teams at the top of the page. A list of available teams will appear. (If you have registered with Festivals past, those teams will appear as well). 3. Click on the Team name in which you are interested. 4. On the right-hand side of the page click Get Connected. An email with your request will be sent to the Team Contact. GUEST SERVICES/HOSPITALITY Thuy Tran, Guest Services & Travel Coordinator Preferred: Catering and Production Assistance; Personable Be hospitable to filmmakers and guests relaxing in the Lounge Assist with organizing and distributing tickets Set up and decorate the Lounge and maintain catering Answer phones and take messages Run errands as needed for Guest Services, Filmmakers, and CAAM (i.e. photocopies, etc.) MARKETING & OUTREACH Ashlyn Perri, Marketing Manager Preferred: Knowledge of the Bay Area Help get the word out about the Festival! Deliver posters to designated drop-off sites around the Bay Area Replenish the poster supply at the designated sites as needed Giving out printed information about the Festival fliers, program guides, postcards, etc. Pass out stickers, freebies, etc. A great way to explore the city and talk with your neighbors! PUBLICITY/PRESS TABLE Kevin Lee, Public Relations Coordinator Greet and assist the Press as needed at screenings Distribute appropriate materials (comp tickets, press kits, etc.) Answer questions and take care of requests from the Press Must remain at Press Desk for entirety of shift! All Volunteer shifts are subject to availability. Shift signups will be announced ahead of time through Shiftboard. Priority is generally given to returning volunteers. 7 12
Door Person / Ticket Taker Control and direct traffic flow into and out of auditoriums Check patrons for (or collect when appropriate) Festival tickets, ensuring that patrons are attending appropriate film Ensure that only staff, guests, appropriate parties are allowed entrance prior to general seating Help estimate number of people in auditorium (for Rush Tickets) Relay information to patrons, staff, filmmakers, guests as directed Distribute and collect audience ballots or polls as needed Distribute sponsor giveaways or other materials as needed Rush Line Monitor Direct patrons to the appropriate line for their show or needs (i.e. ticket holders, ticket purchasers, etc.) Direct patrons to appropriate rush line for their show Make announcements to patrons about the status of their show (10 min. prior to show) Under direction of House Managers, allow specified number of patrons to purchase rush tickets and direct them to the appropriate auditorium May be required to work outside! Volunteer Check-in Assist the Volunteer Coordinator, House Managers and Theatre Directors as needed Help check-in and orient volunteers Assemble badges, organize nametags and day-of schedules Collect volunteer badges at the end of each shift Festival Box Office Assistant In charge of distributing will call tickets to all patrons of the festival including filmmakers, major sponsors, paid ticketholders, and staff Must have a pleasant demeanor while interacting with patrons Keep tickets in an orderly fashion Have a clear head under stress Layers of clothing are recommended for when the wind picks up SIGNING UP FOR SHIFTS To find and sign up for Volunteer Shifts: 1. Log-in to your Shiftboard account 2. Click on Calendar 3. Find a date you would like to volunteer 4. Click on the Team name on that day. A list of available shifts for that Team on that day will come up on the right-hand side. 5. Click on your preferred position and time. A description of the job will come up on the right-hand side. 6. If you d like to take this shift, click Take this shift. A page will come up asking you to confirm. Click Yes, Confirm this time. CANCELLING SHIFTS On-line shift cancellation for most teams can be done 5-7 days in advance of the shift via Shiftboard. To remove yourself from a shift: 1. Log-on to www.shiftboard.com/caam 2. Click on Calendar. The shift for which you signed up will appear in green. 3. Click on your shift. A description of the shift will appear on the right-hand side of the page. 4. Click Unconfirm A page will come up asking you to Unconfirm. Click Yes, Unconfirm. If you need to cancel a shift in an unforeseen emergency, you must call Krystal Tom at 415-863-0814 ext. 303 If you fail to show up for your scheduled shift, we reserve the right to excuse you from volunteering for the remainder of the Festival. More THEATER OPERATIONS positions and information will be posted on Shiftboard. 11 8
TEAM DESCRIPTIONS GENERAL FESTIVAL Required: Attention to detail and Office work experience Some correspondence and data entry Work with community partners to coordinate delivery of materials Work with printers and copy shops to duplicate material General administrative work DRIVING (General Festival & Guest Services) Required: Valid driver s license; Current auto insurance; Car or truck (i.e. your own vehicle); Good driving record; Responsible driver Pick up and deliver plants, party supplies, food and beverages Pick up Festival guests from the Airport or the Oakland Airport and drop them off at a designated location Transport filmmakers and guests from their hotels to screenings, seminars, receptions, and special events You may also spend a shift on call in the Guest Services Lounge Additional errands as needed SPECIAL EVENTS JC Rafferty, Girl Friday Event Production THEATER OPERATIONS Richard Ciccarone, Operations Manager Required: Flexibility, Assertiveness, Friendliness, Sense of humor :) TYPES OF VOLUNTEER ROLES: Volunteer House Manager Volunteer check-in Line Monitor Rush Line Monitor Reception Service Reception Clean-up Usher Floater Strike Ticket Taker Exit Usher House Usher Ticket Taker General Operations Volunteer *SOME SHIFTS AT SUNDANCE KABUKI REQUIRE VOLUNTEERS TO BE 21+ AFTER 4:30PM (Details on Shiftboard) Required: Must be 21+; Able to lift/move heavy items; Outgoing Assist with set-up of tables, chairs, and table displays Set out food and arrange plants, flowers and other decorations Assist with ticket tearing/wrist-bands at door Ensure that only authorized people enter the VIP areas Serve appetizers and drinks to guests; bus plates and glasses Strike and general clean-up after events Various other duties as needed 9 10