What we're solving: Info ends up scattered in email threads — then we're manually searching to find it later. We want to capture data early (surveys, shared inboxes) so it's already where we need it.
Our Channels
films@ — Filmmaker communication (assets, scheduling, questions). External-facing.
hosts@ — Host communication (their needs in, our packages out). External-facing.
Team Space — Internal coordination (questions, handoffs, heads-up). Internal only.
Capture Early, Not in Email
When a filmmaker reaches out, point them to the survey before starting a back-and-forth thread. Info nested in emails gets lost. The survey captures it in one place.
"Thanks for reaching out! Please start with our filmmaker survey: [link]"
Why this matters: Every piece of info that lives only in an email thread is invisible to everyone else. The survey creates a record anyone can find.
Respond FROM the Group
We've been forwarding and cc'ing. That creates visibility, but the thread still lives in personal inboxes. Responding FROM the group is what actually shifts the pattern.
- Open the thread in Gmail
- Click reply, then click the From field
- Select films@oneearthfilmfest.org or hosts@
- Send — now the thread is shared
What works vs. what doesn't
| Approach | What happens |
|---|---|
| Reply from personal, cc films@ | Filmmaker hits "reply" → goes to your personal. Thread forks. |
| Reply FROM films@ | Filmmaker hits "reply" → goes to films@. Thread stays shared. |
| BCC the group | Creates a shadow copy nobody can reply to. |
| Forward + reply from group | Pulls existing thread into shared space. |
Transition footer options
You may notice this email is from films@oneearthfilmfest.org — we're using shared team inboxes now so anyone on our team can help.
Sent from OEFF Films — our team inbox. Reply-all to reach us.