But how much work?

 

We crunched the numbers.

We received 1,400 submissions for the 2015 series. They’re viewed and vetted by our screening committee. Films are selected, directors are contacted, web sites are updated, programs are designed, and viola, the series runs from June to August.  Hundreds of hours of work.

The 12 screenings and the two finales require 4-5 volunteers to help out. That’s 350 volunteer hours for those keeping track.

Add it all up and we’re realistically looking at approximately 1,100 volunteer hours spread across the year.

That’s close to 29 weeks — over 7 months!! — of voluntary help.

Can you put a dollar amount on this effort? You bet you can. At $15 an hour, we’re looking at $16,500-worth of volunteer work!

Of course, we do it all out of sheer love and commitment for the program. It’s rewarding, fulfilling, and intoxicating work! But…we think it can be instructive to step back and see the scope and breadth of this undertaking, right?

We think so.

If any of this resonates with you…if you think the film series — and everything else we do here at the Library — should continue and is worthy of your support, we’d humbly ask you to consider a supplement to any previous donations made (for which, of course, we’re eternally grateful!)

In fact, you can donate as little as $2 a month here. Trust us — any little bit helps. We can’t do it without you!

And with that, our business presentation comes to an end.

So from all of us at the Library, thanks again for another incredible summer, and we’ll see you on June 9, 2016 — opening night of the 11th annual Big Sur International Short Film Screening Series!