Twitter Inc. is hoping that its live-streaming video service Periscope will be given a boost after being sighted on the red carpet alongside movie star Natalie Portman at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Wednesday.
Portman was seen arriving at a 40th anniversary soiree event on a Periscope stream on Wednesday night, and then fielded a question that was selected earlier in the day from fans tweeting to the #TIFFAsksNatalie hashtag. The festival hosted the content on its @TIFF_Net Twitter account and Periscope account.
Thanks to everyone who participated in #TIFFAsksNatalie! We brought @PetDocHill's thoughtful Q to the red carpet. https://t.co/H9kNv4bn6q
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 9, 2015
“I do feel there’s a lot of conversation right now about why there aren’t female directors right now,” she told TIFF’s interviewer. “It hasn’t quite changed yet, but the conversation is a big important step.”
Twitter’s collaboration with TIFF goes beyond these 15 seconds of fame with Portman. The social network has been working with the festival and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to integrate Periscope throughout some of the week’s most A-list events. There was live broadcasts of the Canadian Screen Awards and the red carpet entrance for a press conference, for example.
Periscope is ideal for capturing these sort of backstage moments that most people wouldn’t normally get to access, says Lindsay Lynch, head of TV, entertainment, and music at Twitter Canada.
TIFF is “an international experience and Periscope allows people from across the country to be part of the action that we in Toronto have known for years,” she says. “It gives people the opportunity to tune in, ask a question… get access they wouldn’t otherwise.”
This serves as an example to others in the entertainment industry, Lynch adds. It’s like extending your invite list to a global reach, and you don’t even need to order extra hors d’ouerves.
“So much work goes into organizing these parties and events,” she says. “You really want to bring awareness to that experience you’re creating.”
For those looking to do some festival stargazing via social media, following the TIFF account will lead to more livestreams throughout the festival, Lynch says. Also you might want to try following some celebrity accounts. Michael Moore is coming to town to promote his documentary, which is being featured on the festival’s opening night for movies.
Here’s a live infographic of the #TIFF conversation occurring on Twitter:
