Jobs: Interview with Lisa Surganova, editor in chief of "kinopoisk"

"Now," kinopoisk "- much more than just Encyclopedia" - the development and achievements

- Tell me what the chief editor of the popular services on the movie?

- My work can be divided into three parts. First - Work with the editorial board. This editorial strategy, coming up with new formats and areas of work, assigning tasks, monitoring their implementation, set the right people, budgeting. Such creative mad mix and administrative work interspersed with working psychologist.

The second - the interaction with the rest of the team "kinopoisk" (product, design, development, marketing) and alignment tasks amended in accordance with the strategy of the entire service. We're not quite the usual media, as part of a larger resource. And we're constantly thinking about how editors can benefit all services: to attract people's attention to the different films, to encourage them to buy our tickets, or watch a movie in our online movie theater, work on the image "Kinopoisk".

Finally, communication with the film industry, from press releases in the mail to telephone conversations with PR managers and producers, arrangements for interviews and planning joint activities. Even when someone just need to improve your page to "kinopoisk", they are also very often come up to me.

- "kinopoisk" recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. As you noted anniversary?

- 15 years for us a big event, so we celebrated the birthday of twice as much. At first, we had an internal event - the festival for the employees. We were divided into teams, they took a short trailer for the famous film of top 250 "kinopoisk"And then watch them on the big screen. For the best works presented awards. It was very fun and inspiring, because many of us first tried to come up and make their own small cinema.

A week later, we organized a party for our partners and friends: the actors, producers, directors, distributors and other representatives of the film industry. Together with the musician Vasya his sharp we did a concert in the Central House of Architect, where different actors - from Gosha Kutsenko to Yulia Alexandrova - performed their favorite songs from the movie. And yet we awarded the prize best movies, series, actors and directors for 15 years.

- Over 15 years of life has changed dramatically. Tell us what it was in the beginning and what it is today?

- "kinopoisk" began in 2003 as a base for a movie: a site with pages of films and people, a collection of different lists. Now it is much more than just an encyclopedia.

"Kinopoisk" today - the site of the movie, in which you can do anything that you are interested in: find out information about the film in the database, read the news or interview in our media, to buy a ticket cinema, Watch a movie or TV show online, leave a review and / or to put the film score.

- And if we talk about your achievements as chief editor? What has changed over the past two years?

- Probably the most important thing we have done - look wider audience to the fact that "kinopoisk" has its own media. If you already knew about it in the main representatives of the industry, which was important to place some news or interview, or hardcore users of the site, but now I regularly hear feedback from people, not related to the movie. For example: "You got a cool article," "I looked up your cool video," "I did not even know that the site is, the materials on the movie, and now see how a lot of them."

I am not from the world of film, journalism, and for me it was important to draw attention to the service the other, a new audience. Therefore, we constantly tried his hand at various new formats, called the strong authors to write for us - from known film critics to the social and political journalists, agreed on the exchange of materials in social networks with different editions - on the "Medusa" to "Arzamas".

Finally, we have changed the design and navigation in the media. Earlier news were scattered in different parts of the site, stumble on them was not easy. Now they can be found quickly in the header and, very importantly, on the pages of movies and persons. And the design of the materials themselves, we have made more modern and clean, removed from the pages of all unnecessary elements. To the ideal is still far away, but, in my opinion, our article has now become much more enjoyable to read.

Also, I am very proud of our channel on YouTube.

We perepridumali approach to video and make educational and entertainment channel on how to look and understand the cinema.

As a basis we took the popular Western genre videoesse. In small video - typically 5 to 20 minutes - bloggers film critics and cinema dismantled in terms of direction, script, camera work and literally modal explain that the author wanted to say and why this or that film has become so important. Why do we look at the names of heroes from this perspective, as our perception of the film affects installation, why did you choose this color range and so on. Everything is told simply and affordably.

This immersion in the language of cinema, which, it seems to me, is sorely missed today. This is an alternative to many YouTube-critics, the main reception which was the ridicule of the movie. During the time that we do it, the channel has grown from 30 to 160 thousand subscribers, and is growing faster and faster. Of course, this is not millions, but each video is greeted very positively.

You are used to the fact that the Internet is usually "on the middle, half": and many HayterAnd positive reviews. Here, each video is gaining a bunch of likes, some three dizlayka and a lot of laudatory comments.

"I support the idea that employees come up with things and do them" - the work of the team and the qualities of a good journalist

- It can be a little more in the team: how you interact with the staff, what qualities should have a candidate who dreams of becoming part of the "kinopoisk"?

- We have a small edition, a little more than 10 people. Therefore, we are all pretty tight communicate. Well, I regularly meet with individuals discuss their projects, tasks, together we come up with, what can be improved.

In my opinion, one of the most important qualities for those who work in the "kinopoisk" or wants to join us - a love of cinema. And this applies not only to the editorial board.

Professional quality, of course, also important. But we often take people without much experience and help them grow. I myself, in a sense kind of person, because it came to the "kinopoisk" without any experience in managing editorship.

In people I always appreciate the initiative, organization and autonomy. I support the idea that employees come up with things that they want to do, and do them. But only so that they can organize it all, not shifting on someone's shoulders.

I also like to work with people who want to permanently developNot afraid to try something new, not afraid of responsibility. And I try to give their employees opportunities for such development.

- Where did you work before "kinopoisk"?

- After graduation I worked for almost three years in the Lenta.ru and went there with the whole team when fired Galya Timchenko. Then he took up the business of journalism - in Forbes and RBC. Everywhere I wrote about the media, and sometimes a movie.

- Did you study journalism at?

- Not. Honestly, I'm not even going to go into journalism, although it was very common among my friends in the humanities. I went to a translator of English and Spanish at MSU, but after graduation, still somehow ended up in the media. Probably because at that time it was the easiest and most obvious option. And then overcast.

- How do you think you need an academic education to those who want to work in this industry? And in general - is it necessary?

- I've never heard a single positive review for journalism education. At least in the form in which it currently exists in Russia. I have a lot of friends who graduated from journalism, and none of them believed that it was the determining factor in his life and career and without it he could not have become a journalist. On the contrary, I know a lot of very strong journalists who have no journalistic or even any higher education.

- That there should be a talent, a desire to be a journalist?

I generally always for something to work on love. If you want to do something, you will find a way. If you dream of becoming a journalist, you will be interviewing people who come up with topics to write notes and collaborate with different publications, gradually gaining experience. The availability of education here is not so important.

Journalism - a profession. All of the most important skills and knowledge you will still get just starting to work. But the talent, of course, is also important.

- Can you name a few qualities of a good journalist?

- In a broad sense - communicability. Understanding how to find the right people to you, how to achieve them answers to the questions and how to do to make sure that they have begun to talk to you. Often out to build a trusting relationship with the source, it requires a lot of time and patience. You have to be a bit of a psychologist, a little diplomat. And be prepared to speak in different languages.

Second - the ability to search and obstinacy. Do not just look on the internet, but to understand where to find the information inaccessible. Do not give up, if you just can not find it, try different options.

Another important quality - honesty. I really do not like when journalists are represented by someone else in order to get information, or in some manner deceive even their sources.

More journalists can not offend people, they deliberately injure or provoke. Recently I heard the story of how a federal channel reporters brought my mother sick child to tears, to trigger certain emotions in the audience. It should not be.

"Our task - to make an interesting edition of the film to a wider audience" - the difficulties and plans

- Let's go back to the "kinopoisk". Tell us what difficulties they encounter and how to solve?

The main professional difficulties - not only mine, but of the whole team - due to the fact that "kinopoisk" - a great resource with a lot of problems and a long history.

Failed to restart the site in 2015, a strong psychological impact on both users and the staff. After it's all very wary of change.

We certainly learned a lesson from this: now the approach to change smoothly, enabling users to see, what we are doing and why, we communicate regularly with them on our blog, respond to comments, including on the angry.

When we updated the design section of media, of course we were worried how people perceive it. And detail told users, why we do it, offering to test the new design. Yes, many people have taken it with bayonets already familiar to us with the words "Do not change anything!". But there were a lot of comments, "Cool, it's time, we are glad that you are changing, and are ready to take part in this." For us it was a pleasant surprise.

It is obvious that "kinopoisk 'need to change, to become more modern. Just now these changes are occurring much more quietly and smoothly.

- What are your plans for the development of "kinopoisk"?

- We will continue to update the design to the whole service has become more comfortable and modern. The media will experiment with formats and new authors: it is our task - to make a movie about an interesting edition for the general, not kinomanskoy audience.

The online movie theater, we plan to expand the library of movies and TV shows, with special emphasis on the exclusivity that attracts audience. Already, we have "Castle Rock", "The discovery of witches" and "Manifesto" - and such exclusive projects will be more and more. By the way, we recently agreed to cooperate with the "Amediatekoy", which means that in the spring of our users will be able to watch "game of thrones"Right on" kinopoisk ".

If we talk about the more ambitious plans, it is personalization (we want as precisely as possible for people to recommend movies that interest them) and more dense bunch of different parts of life with each other. So, in an updated design, we have added a media card with special buttons: one of our users, reading the article, can be directly placed in the film expected, go to purchase tickets or to watch it online. We want the user to spend as much time with us, without going anywhere else.

"Most of the time I move between meetings with a laptop and a notebook" - about time management, workplace and hobbies

- How do you allocate your time at such and such a number of tasks? Using techniques mendzhementa time?

- With this, I have everything pretty bad. Only serious time management, which appeared in my life - a child.

If before I could sit at work until 10-11 pm, now I often have to leave to let the nurse, which means that in the 7-8 pm I must get out of the office.

work from home too, it does not work: a small child requires care and attention, and sitting at the computer with this little compatible. So I have no methods, but there's a natural limitation (laughs).

- What about free time? How to spend it? Are there any hobbies?

- With this funny happened. When I think about where to go to work after a couple of years in the business press, I realized that I really like everything related to cinema: watch it, discuss, interview people, to create it. And I thought, "That was cool to work in the movies, to a hobby become your job." And so it happened. And now, when the conditional free time (in general, of course, can not ask for such people with small children!) I watch some TV series, can console themselves with the fact that it is necessary for the job. On the other hand, I always feel that I have no time to watch everything that would be necessary.

So now from this hobby I was just football. I play GirlPower - a female football club, which made my friends and who will turn five years old next year.

Why football - fun?

• Firstly, it is a regular sport. Always great to run around in the fresh air even in winter. And it's a team sport, gambling, making it ideal for people who, like me, pretty boring to do in the gym.
• Second, it's a great brain reboot. It is impossible to play and think about work or some problems.
• Third, it's just fun. We have a great team and a great coach. GirlPower very different from football sections or circles with the Soviet spirit, where you train on the result. There are all playing in the fun: you do it badly or well - you are not kicked out of the team.

- How does your workplace?

- Most of the time I move is not particularly tied between meetings with a laptop and a notebook and a desktop. Therefore, it does not have any working pieces, all the most important is always with me.

The rest - for comfort and pleasant memories. Badges with conferences and festivals, tickets to the premier of the Cannes festival, postcards from colleagues, photos of favorite actors, cat, brought from Japan colleague, the dog from "Island Dog", was brought to other colleagues from Berlin and Paddington Bear, presented by the company "Volga" to be released in the second rolling film. Above the table hangs a poster favorite movies: "Hotel" Grand Budapest "" and "Ecstasy".

Layfhakerstvo from Lisa Surganova

Movies

For the 15th anniversary, we have made with the editors material: Every employee has written about the 10 most favorite movies. I think it's superspisok with films for every taste: you can just go for it and see everything that still have not seen. I've decided to give himself a Challenge in the New Year's holidays.

books

The only book I could buy one for yourself, not for my daughter at the last fair «Non / fiction», - «Time crushed ice"Katerina Gordeeva and Chulpan Khamatova. On the one hand, this is a story (sometimes very personal) about the life of our two beautiful contemporaries, presented in the form of the dialogue, monologues. On the other - it is a book about how today feels himself "perestroika generation" that happens to television journalism and acting profession, and finally, most importantly - how to construct the charity in Russia and how did the fund and developed the "Give a life". And what joy, sorrow, sacrifice and compromise are waiting for those who have decided to devote his life charity.

TV series

This autumn generally rich in steep series - both Russian and foreign. With great pleasure I looked for new projects from the "TV-3" and "TNT-Premier»: «Call DiCaprio!" And "ordinary woman". Excellent actors, bold themes - several years in the Russian cinema was not something so fresh.

Of the foreign one of the favorite - "American vandal" mokyumentari from Netflix about two teenagers who are addicted to investigative journalism. In their school place absolutely idiotic and obscene things: unknown draw penises on the cars of teachers, and they are absolutely serious faces trying to find out who did it. Very funny.

Well, simply the best TV series - "The Good Wife" about a law firm in Chicago, as well as its spin-off "good fight." Very witty and topical: the writers are constantly coming up with scenes and jokes about Trump, wiretapping, social networks and the like. More a collection of very interesting professional and ethical case studies: how to negotiate, To convince people of the correctness or make decisions in controversial situations, to play with words and legal precedents or protect guilty man.

Podcasts and online lectures

Podcasts I listen to a little, I'm not a big fan of them. Sometimes I listen to podcasts of my friends from the "Medusa." But most of all I like the lecture "Arzamas". Every time my husband and I were going somewhere far away by car, and include them with great pleasure spend a few hours in the talk about the art, history and literature.