One Producer in the City

Just Want to Say Thanks

So since tomorrow is everyone's favorite Turkey day and since my school is focusing on Gratitude as a theme, I thought I'd take today to say thanks to all of the people who have gathered around the Small Pond table this year and really supported what I do and what my company does. So here is my list of people and organizations I am thankful for

1. The Small Pond Entertainment team- Norah Turnham, Margie Kment, Helene Galek, Aaron Kapner, Elizabeth Hammett, Jessica Mcvea, and Sivan Hadari. Thanks for being a part of the team and making great theatre.

2. The amazing Producers who have shown me incredible support- Ken Davenport, R.K. Greene, and Cheryl Weisenfeld

3. The great organizations I've met- TRU, The Actors Enterprise, CTI, Fractured Atlas, HOME,The Network, and The Actors Project NYC

The list goes on and on but I won't bore you by going through them all. I also want to just say thanks to all of you who read this blog daily and those of you who subscribe. It feels good to know that people out there enjoy reading it.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Excelsior!

If you see something, say something... to the right people.

Seth Godin says in his book Purple Cow that products that are worth talking about get talked about. Your show is a product and you need word of mouth to sell it. You are probably saying to yourselves, "Well thanks, Captain Obvious!" but it's amazing how many people misjudge what it means to spread word of mouth.

First of all, if a show is great, it's not necessarily great to everybody. To some it's so so, to some it's bad. Some folks are just there to slam a show and it wouldn't matter if God himself decided to touch it, so you have to be proactive as a producer about word of mouth. Passionate word of mouth can't be achieved if you never get anyone into the theatre and you are your show's most passionate person so you need to get out there and find the people who will talk.

Who are they?

Depends on the show. If you're a bride-to-be you'll tell everyone about how fun it is to be the "most likely to get married" at the Prom.  If you're a teenager you'll tell all your MySpace and BroadwaySpace pals about 13, and if you're one of those people who has already started decorating for Christmas, you'll tell your friends all about this show.  But what if your show is new, hasn't build a brand, and doesn't have millions of dollars behind it?

Then you have to get much more personal. When trying to build word of mouth, you need to take a second to think about who wants to see the show and who will be the most likely to tell their friends about it. It's all about getting the right people in and getting them talking. If you're trying to do this as a budding producer, the best way to test this is in your hands.

COMPS.

A free ticket to the right person can build word of mouth about your show like you wouldn't believe. There's a reason why Broadway and even Off Broadway shows paper the houses and as a producer, you have a chance at getting that word of mouth crowd in early. Seth Godin refers to these folks as the "sneezers" because they spread the word about your show when no one else has heard about it.

So who are "The Right People?"

Again, you need to really think carefully about the show. Does it have a certain group that's easy to tap into? Does it appeal to certain type of theatre goer? Once you answer these questions, these are the people to comp. Be strategic, test different comp strategies and test the response. If one group seems to be your sneezers, push that group and treat them like gold. There's a reason all of those Bachelorettes come back to the Prom again and again. They feel special. And they continue to spread passionate word of mouth.

As some of you know, I'm doing consulting on a show called ZERO and it's really a great show. So who do I think will love this?

1. Bartenders

2. Those who love to make fun of performance art

3. Members of the military

4. Girls who have dated a jerk

If you fit any of these categories let me know if you'd like to come see the show, I have a few comps left but they're running out pretty fast. Drop me a comment and I'll set you up.

Also feel free to comment about any shows out there that you think are worth talking about and I'll be happy to check them out and feature them.

Remember, we bloggers have quite a bit of power when it comes to word of mouth ;)

Excelsior!

Weighing in on the online ticketing debate

I love getting comments on this blog because it's like Christmas. One reader decided to weigh in on the online ticketing discussion and here is the comment:

"Here's the thing. I'm not opposed to the additional cost of a service fee. What I am opposed to is giving money to a servicing agent (by buying a discounted ticket online) that I could be giving to the theater company I'm supporting (by buying a full price ticket at the door). As a member of AEA, I can attend productions operating under a showcase code for free (space permitting). Instead, I choose to BUY tickets to these productions as a means of supporting the work of that particular company. It's the difference between consumers who would prefer to buy Product (RED) gear (where a portion of the proceeds go to support AIDS in Africa) and consumers (philanthropists?) who give directly to charities where 100% of the proceeds go to the cause in question. For me it's not the cost of the servicing fee on theater tickets that I'm opposed to, it's the concept."

This is a very interesting point. If in fact we could make it so that all of the money went to the company itself, would that change people's view of online ticketing? There are plenty of sites where producers are offered the option to absorb the ticketing fee so the consumer doesn't pay, does this sway people's opinions?

Here's another scenario: For Hold for The Laughs we used a Gmail account that people RSVP'd to as opposed to an online ticketing service. The people who reserved got a cheaper ticket and all of the money went to the event itself. Seems perfect right? Here's the scary side of that scenario:

If someone reserves, they haven't put money down. That means they can change their mind. How many of your friends have put that they are "attending" something on Facebook and then not shown up? So again, I'm throwing it out there.  Why do you use online ticketing? Why would you NOT use a reservation system? You all are the producers of today and tomorrow. What system will you use?

Excelsior!

Showing your teeth

So yesterday, I didn't get to write my blog about how well Hold for the Laughs went (we gave away $400 to HOME!) because I had to deal with a situation in which I was disrespected. That made me think a lot and was the influence for today's blog post. It's a nice long one to make up for yesterday.
Enjoy!

On the eve of the premier of this film, I thought it only appropriate to talk about this element of the

producing world. Whatever field you're in, one thing holds very true:

You get treated how you tell people you want to be treated. If you roll over when you disagree with something, it communicates to the other party that you'll be sure to roll over again; if you stand your ground, it communicates that you're not one to roll over. As a teacher, I had a horrible first year until I learned this lesson.

As producers sometimes you have to show your teeth. If any of you have aspirations of working in the commercial world, it's often a part of the negotiation process. In a perfect world, none of us would argue and we'd all collaborate beautifully, but we live in a world where people disagree and many, including myself, believe that without some resistance in a process, there is no growth. The key is knowing when to show your teeth and how often to bare those fangs. A few of the lessons I learned from the teaching world, also apply very well to the producing world when it comes to this:

1. If you set clear guidelines with clear consequences, there's less argument- When my kids come in on the first day I explain that if they talk during a test, they get a zero. Then if one talks, I follow through. If they ask me why, I ask them what they agreed to at the beginning of the year. If you're raising money for a show and you need to make sure no one goes over budget, communicate very clearly that any non-approved spending won't be reimbursed and if it happens, follow through. Sure some people won't be happy, but your guidelines were clear, and they really haven't got much of an argument if they agreed. Especially if it was on paper.

2. Always remember that people who negotiate play hardball- I can't tell you the number of parents who come up to me at parent teacher night with unreal expectations about what I can do to help their child. They'll start by saying things like, "I want a report every day on his progress" or "Can you check off and sign all of his homeworks so I know he handed them in?" I used to cringe at those statements, until I realized that they were coming in at the high point in the negotiation. They're well aware that I can't do all of these things, but they want to test me to see what I'll agree to. Once I come back with a counter offer, we usually meet somewhere in the middle. If I just accepted what they came to me with, I'd never have enough time to write a blog!

As a producer, you are always going to get a starting offer that sounds scary and your immediate reaction may be to just say yes, and avoid the trouble (like me that first year with parents. God I wasted A LOT of paper) but just remember that this is someone checking to see if you have teeth. Negotiations always start at an unreal place because it's a win win for the person making the offer. If you agree to the ridiculous price right away they get more than they expect, and if you agree to the mid range price it's probably comparable or (if you're really good) lower than what they expected but they still end up with something. So the next time someone comes to you with an offer don't be afraid to flash those fangs for a second.

3. Anger is to be controlled and used at appropriate times- My first year all I did was yell because I was stuck. I thought that I had to be louder than the kids and often came home exhausted with nothing to show for the efforts. By the end of the year, I was facing a burn out. The following year it hit me: if I was always showing my teeth, these kids already knew what I could do and they had me pegged. They knew exactly what I was capable of and they knew they could control me by forcing me to get angry over and over. I decided to use other methods. I took points off. I calmly explained that I'd wait until they were quiet, and then if somebody did something completely unacceptable, I would shout the way I did the year before, but only for a minute or two. Then, I'd go right back to my normal voice. The kids were suddenly running scared. They didn't know what to expect and as a result they were much more tentative in their behavior. The lesson for a producer?

Know when to get mad and show it.

Make sure people know what is and is not acceptable but, just like me, make sure you control it and  only use it if you absolutely have to. There are only certain situations where I need to raise my voice, other times I just do something very direct and deliberate. People are going to test you and your patience and you don't want to be known as the person who flies off the handle at every turn, conversely you also don't want to be known as the person who just accepts everything.

So there you have a few things in the teaching world that have helped me be a better producer. If you have some thoughts on any of these, feel free to comment.

Go on...

I won't bite.

But, I will give you a ZERO ;)

Excelsior!

If you build it, they will come

I'm sure plenty of people saw the title of this blog and said, "Oh he's talking about that movie today" but actually this is in reference to what you need to do with any show that you decide to produce.

In today's market, having a great show is not enough. There are plenty of great shows to see and there's a lot of choice out there for the consumer. So if you want your show to go head to head with any of the big ones, or even if you want your show to be seen by more than 10 people, you need to make sure it's in fighting shape when it enters the ring. As a producer, you are your show's personal trainer.

Think about this. When someone goes to a PT they usually are out of shape and dissatisfied with their current look. They then work with a PT for a number of weeks and eventually, if they stay on track, they see results. Some even go on to exceed the trainer's expectations and become trainers themselves. The same happens with smart producers and shows.

A smart producer takes a look at the show itself first. Where does it need to shed a few pounds, how much mass does it already have, and how long do we have to make some changes? Once this is figured out, a plan is put into place and we try different things to see if we can get that show a little more fit and get some more muscle behind it. The big key here folks is this: No person who starts lifting weights looks like this the next day. It takes a long time and a lot of work and that work is on a CONSISTENT basis.

As producers it's our job to be working on our shows every day. Always look at where the improvements can be made, think about what the audience is saying, think about what people are reacting to, and when something works, keep pushing it. Remember that building a brand for a show takes the same dedication as building a body for competition. If you want to keep your show selling, you can't afford to skip a couple of days when you're sore from the first one. We're now in the third month of Hold For The Laughs, and we have been working every angle and tonight we're looking at potentially a sell-out crowd, but even if we sell out tonight, we won't stop there. We'll be back in the gym tomorrow making sure that show is even better next month.

So if you're currently freaking out about the economy and feeling like you'll end up with ZERO audience members, get into the gym and start working and in a week or two, you just might surprise yourself.

Excelsior!

At your service?

When I put out my post about who's coming to the party, the most common comment was about a little monster lurking under the bed whenever tickets are purchased in advance. What is it?

SERVICE FEES

One of my readers said that they refused to buy in advance and online because there were service fees. There are a lot of questions as to what "service" is really provided with these fees, but that's not the real purpose of this post. The real purpose here is to discuss how big an issue this is in the community.

ZERO currently has no service fees attached if you buy online and if you comment today I can still get you a round of free tix!  The question is: Does this make people buy in advance? Only time will tell.

We decided also to change the dynamic of Hold for the Laughs and have a reservation email so no service fee was involved and we've almost sold out this time around!

My question to you is this:

Is the service fee issue the main deterrent from advance sales? If so would we do well to look for ways of getting rid of it altogether?

So let me know folks. If we turn on the lights on this monster, will more audience members come out from under the covers?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Excelsior!

Stop copying me!

Remember when you were little and your friend said to you "Wanna play shadow?" and you'd reply, "No"  and they'd reply "No", and then you'd say, "Stop it" and they'd repeat "Stop it" until you both ended up in a frenzy? I'll bet you thought you got past that once your childhood was over.

WRONG.

In this industry, we will always find people who have decided to copy the ideas of other people. In fact, post-modernists would argue that everything we think is actually copied from something before. How does this affect you as a producer?

You should of course register your work here, and if you are putting up the money for someone else's work, you should have one of these.

The biggest problem of course is that you can't copyright an idea that you have. So what happens if someone uses the same idea?

I used to get mad.

I used to get frustrated.

But after doing this for awhile, I realize why people are copying it.

It's a good idea. 

If your idea is good people will copy it and that's something you'll have to accept. That doesn't mean you should stop sharing your ideas. We often think that when we come up with any plan, be it to split the door with another company, build a haunted house in an abandoned school, or make producers produce a show in a week that it is the be all and end all and I'd argue that it's just a jumping off point. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, so if you like one of my ideas, I say copy away. I'm bound to come up with something new.

Excelsior!

Listen up!

I remember reading a science book and happening upon that page where they showed you how two cups and a string made a crude telephone. I got such a kick out of that idea and I immediately went and tried it. As I sat there with the can to my ear waiting to hear my friend from across the room, I didn't realize it but i was practicing one of the most important skills in producing and in life in general.

Listening.

It seems ridiculous, right? To talk about listening. I mean, we all do it right?

WRONG.

I always say that communication is one of the first things we learn and yet one of the only things we never quite seem to master. There's always some kind of mix up in communication and often it has to do with not listening. When you are out at any event, there are clues being dropped all the time about what audiences want, who has interest in the shows your doing, who knows somebody who could help you, etc. If you don't listen you'll miss those clues.

As a teacher I battle this all the time. I'm trying to explain a book and then I see a kid that has his head down and, sure enough, he fails. When he comes to me at the end of the marking period to find out why he got such a low grade, I explain to him that he didn't listen in class. The same thing happens with Producers.

So the next time you're out and you're telling someone about your next project, take a second to listen to someone else tell you about their project or their life and listen for the clues. We all drop breadcrumbs. You could be talking to your next investor and not even know it.

If you've been reading this blog and have never clicked on one of the links like my invite yesterday to ZERO, or the info about Ken Davenport's blog, or intros to TRU and CTI, then you're missing out on some great networking opportunities.

I'm on the other end of that tin can.

How hard are you listening?

Excelsior!

I'm gonna give you ZERO!

Hey folks, there's a new play opening in NY this week that got amazing reviews in Chicago and Dallas and is now here with us. You can read more about the show, ZERO at their website. But on to the subject of today's blog post. I'm gonna give you ZERO for ZERO! That's right a show in NY for FREE.  If you're a reader of my blog, leave me a comment and I'll set you up with a pair of comps for one hilarious evening of theatre. Don't miss out on this one or folks'll think you're a ZERO.

Excelsior!

Come see my "ten minutes" of fame!

In a few hours, some very talented actors will read ten minutes of my published play at Drama Bookshop and afterwards we'll have wine and cheese! If you read this blog and we've never met or even if we have met, come and say hi! Info is here

Excelsior!