Being a part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival (HFF) was amazing. When my co-producer and I signed up as a project, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had never produced before. I just figured that my project management skills from various jobs would come in handy. I had no idea what I was really getting into, and that was probably for the best. Production has become something I enjoy. Problem solving, team building, networking, and vision all engage me in a different way. 

Working with the team behind the coordination of the HFF and the various team members of other productions was a great experience. Mixing, networking, and collaborating all seemed to happen pretty quickly. Before the festival had started I realized that Twitter was the best way to connect with all the other productions. If it wasn’t for social media, I doubt I would have felt as positive about the outcomes of the festival as I do.  It was these connections and conversations that made the festival so meaningful to me. 

There remains some criticism of the festival and I think most of that criticism is because those people don’t see the larger intention. Overall I think HFF was a positive experience. Even with some issues with the production,  I’m already looking to bring something to the 2011 fringe.