One Producer in the City

"Never put your own money in a show!" Except.....

By now all of us have seen or heard that line from this show and chuckled to ourselves, but I think it's very important to talk about putting your own money into something and the reasons why it may not be a bad idea:

Investing is a gamble. When you put money in a show, there are no sure bets. Therefore you should decide very carefully what you invest in. Here are my top five reasons for putting money into your own show.

1. Experience. I'm an Associate Producer on this show, because I invested in it when it was getting started. I took a risk. Had it not been well received, it would have not moved Off Broadway and I would not have gotten the chance to raise money for it and find investors. I now know so much more about this process and have proven to myself that I can, in fact, raise a good chunk of money, but had I never put my money down I wouldn't be where I am with it today. Previews start today, by the by. Email me if you want to get in on some good deals!

2. Investor trust. One of the first questions an investor will ask you when you come to them for money is, "How much did you put in?" If you can answer that question, it makes your conversation with a potential investor a lot easier.

3. A piece of the action. If you invest, then you get to be on the receiving end when the show makes a profit. Now you get to see both sides of the business. Just like when we say directors should take an acting class to see what it's like, if you're a producer you should see what an investor goes through.

4. Increased commitment to the project- When your own money's in something, you're going to work even harder to make sure that money comes back. Think of playing the game rather than watching it.

5. Connections- Odds are any show will have a number of other producers attached to it. Once you become part of that team there's a chance to increase your network of potential investors, and producers who may help you with your next project. They'll remember that you went out on a limb for them and put your money in.

So there it is. I'm not saying you should run out and dump your life savings into something, but maybe you want to get involved to a small degree.

Besides, sometimes it just feel good to roll the dice ;)

Excelsior!

Today's a day to do something: 4 questions everyone should ask.

1. What do you want to do today?

2. What's stopping you from doing it?

3. What's your plan?

4. What happens if you don't accomplish your goal?

I'll go first:

1. I want to get my last chunk of investment for a show in before tonight's midnight deadline.

2. I'm under a time crunch and commitment from investors takes time.

3. I'm spending every moment that I'm not teaching reaching out to people.

4. I'll put up my own money, chalk it up, and move on.

What's the answer to your 4 questions?

Leave a comment with them today. It's a great exercise to do and surprisingly cathartic.

See you at the IPA meeting tonight!

Excelsior!

IPA-NY meeting today! Come and be heard!

Jason Schuler, The Operating Theater, will conduct events for the next IPA-NY meeting talking points will include: Unconventional business models for theater production, Continuation of the Space Sharing Discussion, and Alternative Marketing Opportunities. REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED.

Thursday February 26th 5:30 -6:30pm

Small Pond Studios

38 2nd Avenue

New York, NY 10012

Please RSVP to independentproducersallian[email protected]

It's your time

I use the phrase, "it's your time" with my students whenever I need to focus my class. If they're talking when I'm talking, I stop and I utter those three words and wait. Most of the time, they quiet down and we move on.

We spend a lot of valuable time in our business complaining or imagining scenarios and in most cases we need someone to shut us up and remind us that it is OUR time we're using.

Think today about your time.

What do you invest it in? I invest my morning in writing a blog and the rest of my day in reaching out to potential investors. Then I invest it in meetings, lunches, and shows. Some days I get amazing ROI, other days very little happens, but I keep DOING something.

Imagine though if all I did all day was talk about what people might think about this blog post, sit and imagine discussions with potential investors, or complain about the problems in my business. I'd have logged a lot of hours but I wouldn't have anything to show for it.

So now, I'm ending this blog post and going to go and do something, because it's my time.

What are you going to do today with yours?

Excelsior!

IPA-NY meeting tomorrow! Come and be heard!

Jason Schuler, The Operating Theater, will conduct events for the next IPA-NY meeting talking points will include: Unconventional business models for theater production, Continuation of the Space Sharing Discussion, and Alternative Marketing Opportunities. REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED.

Thursday February 26th 5:30 -6:30pm

Small Pond Studios

38 2nd Avenue

New York, NY 10012

Please RSVP to independentproducersallian[email protected]

Something Interesting

Seth Godin reached his 3,000th blog post today and charged all of us blog writers to post something interesting. It's quite a charge. I see this like reading the newspaper and deciding what stands out; there are certain articles I have to read and others I skip. All of the bloggers out there are like those articles. In fact if you think about it, we buy a newspaper because it collects all of the articles and there are a bunch of choices in regards to what we read. If anybody just sold one article, I doubt we'd have any buyers.

Interestingly enough, this is what we do with blogs. Every day I try to convince you that my article is worth reading in your web version of the newspaper and every day you make a choice to continue reading or not. I'm trying to sell you one article at a time. Hmmm.

That's interesting.

So how do we make this work better? Well, what I'd throw out there is that all of us are contributors to the web newspaper you read everyday and you're allowed to customize your paper. If you want, your paper can be entirely the arts section. Thomas Cott is already doing this to a degree with You've Cott Mail. Have you seen it? If not, it's worth checking out.

So here's a chance to build your personal newspaper and your blog hits. Comment today with something interesting. Promote your company's show, promote your blog, mention anything and I'll add it to my blog roll, and I may even blog about it.

Then who knows? Maybe a bunch of folks will be reading who never read before because we'll have wider exposure.

And won't that be interesting?

Excelsior!

P.S. - Hope to meet some of you at NYMF's networking party tonight!

P.P.S. -  Also hope to see you at the next IPA meeting!

Thursday, February 26th
5:30-6:30pm

Small Pond Studios
38 2nd Avenue (the red door just above East 2nd Street)
New York. NY 10012

Please RSVP to independentproducersallian[email protected]

Want to be part of the solution?

There have been a lot of rumblings recently about the current state of small theatres and the plights of individual producers. The overall consensus at these meetings is that producers are frustrated. So for all of you who are frustrated, I'm having a meeting of the Independent Producers Alliance of New York (IPA-NY) this week. Anybody who is involved in the producing world is welcome to come and chat with us about our current situation. Info is below and I hope to see some of my readers there.

Jason Schuler, The Operating Theater, will conduct events for the next IPA-NY meeting. Talking points will include: unconventional business models for theater production, continuation of the space-sharing discussion, and alternative marketing opportunities. REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED.

Thursday, February 26th
5:30-6:30pm

Small Pond Studios
38 2nd Avenue (the red door just above East 2nd Street)
New York. NY 10012

Please RSVP to independentproducersallian[email protected]

Hope to see you there.

Excelsior!

Got a Musical?

Send it to NYMF!

This a great festival for new producers to develop work and see if your show is the next big thing. They're even organizing a meet and greet so you can find out more about the festival. For more info on that, click here!

I've pasted info below about the Next Link Festival submissions for you to peruse as well.

So why am I such a fan of NYMF?

This show was originally produced there. :)

So info is below. See you at the Meet and Greet!

Excelsior!

it’s time to submit!

NYMF is ONLY ACCEPTING NEW MUSICAL SUBMISSIONS THROUGH MARCH 2, 2009!

THERE ARE ONLY TWO MORE WEEKS TO SEND US YOUR FANTASTIC SHOW – SO BE SURE TO SUBMIT NOW!

The award-winning New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) is accepting open submissions for The Next Link Project, through which 12 subsidized production slots in our 2009 Festival are awarded.  ANY WRITER – produced or unproduced, with or without industry representation – can submit a script for consideration.  All scripts are blind-evaluated by 2-5 members of our reading team and GRAND JURY, including Susan Birkenhead, Jason Robert Brown, Robyn Goodman, Bobby Lopez, and Francesca Zambello.

If selected for The Next Link Project, you'll receive the following benefits:

·        Automatic acceptance in NYMF

·        Your production deposit WAIVED

·        Access to the Next Link dramaturg team

·        Access to exclusive industry networking events

·        Substantially discounted technical support

We are committed to presenting the most diverse array of work possible.  Our efforts have resulted in sold-out audiences, the Jujamcyn Theaters Award for “outstanding contribution to the development of creative talent for the theater” and countless post-festival commercial, regional and workshop productions, including [title of show], ALTAR BOYZ, GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL, THE

GREAT

AMERICAN

TRAILER PARK

MUSICAL, NEXT TO

NORMAL

and more!

 

Scripts should be ready for developmental production and the widespread exposure NYMF provides.  The submission process is simple: complete our online form, pay the application fee, upload your script, and mail us your demo by MARCH 2ⁿ). 

 

For more information, or to begin the submission process, visit www.nymf.org.  NYMF ‘09 will run from September 28 – October 18, 2009.

	IT’S NOT A REVIVAL, IT’S A REVOLUTION.

 

Congrats to the winner on the stats!

Congrats to Seth Austin who won our stats game. He guessed 27 and our grand total last night was 33. The show was a lot of fun and thanks to the readers who came out!

I want to take a second to talk about some interesting things I observed last night.

I only personally knew about five of the people who came. The rest were virtually unknown by myself or any member of my company. This got me to thinking about how it is that shows sustain. We have to keep getting more people who have never heard of us to come to this event. Remember, your friends will come once maybe twice but they won't come every single month, which is why you need new blood.

People stuck around after the event to talk to each other. This is also a good sign. If people rush out, there's no chance to follow up with them. If people stick around, you can talk more about their shows and the performances. When working on shows, it's my goal to get more folks to stick around.

The crowd really had a great time. It's always nice to see people just relaxing and enjoying themselves. Our business can be very stressful and when you see folks just having a good time, it makes you feel better about the work.

So my question to you all, what makes you shows grow? How do you sustain? Feel free to comment.

Excelsior!

Test your stats skills!

So Ken Davenport posted some fun statistics yesterday about the TKTS booth and I found it to be very useful. You should check out his blog today and the WILL IT RECOUP game.

That got me thinking that it might be fun to play a game too.

Now I can't afford an iPhone, but I'm willing to find the cash in my couch to give the prize of (drum roll please) . . . . . . . . . .

A $25 Starbucks card!

Ok. Now that you've stopped jumping up and down and praising God you read my blog today, here's how it works.

Tomorrow we are running another Hold for the Laughs. Take a look at all of the statistics below and comment with a guess as to the amount of people you think will come to the event. Whoever gets the closest wins the gift card!

Here are the stats:

1. The event has been running now for 5 months, on a once a month basis

2. We have 4 Theatre companies represented at the event, all inviting their friends

3. We don't have a two drink minimum

4. Our show is in the late evening Networking at 9:30pm and show at 10:00pm

5. We currently have 18 people who have reserved in advance

6. The show has sold out once at 99 seat capacity

7. Capacity has never dropped less than 20 people in the entire run thus far

8. We have $10 as the price for advance reservations and $12 at the door

9. There is a networking packet provided for people to read more about the companies and the people attending

10. We split the door with participating companies, so the more people they bring the more money the could potentially end up with.

So make a guess and take a chance and look forward to seeing you at HFTL!

Info is below.

Excelsior!

Host:	Hold For The Laughs
Type:	Party - Benefit
Network:	Global

Time and Place

Date:	Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Time:	9:30pm - 11:30pm
Location:	The Sage Theatre
Street:	711 Seventh Ave btwn 47th and 48th
City/Town:	New York, NY

Contact Info

Email:

[email protected]

Description

Small Pond Entertainment presents another exciting edition of Hold For The Laughs on February 18 that you don't want to miss! Join us at the Sage Theatre at 9:30pm for the networking event and hang out with comedy and theatre people. Eat my cookies (I'm planning to make twice as many this month), and enjoy the coolest lineup of the funniest comedians.

This month you'll see:

Carolyn Castiglia (VH1, Last Comic Standing, Meat & Potatoes) doing an excerpt from her one-woman show, Brown Ambition

Sean Crespo (ONN, Comedy Central, Shoot the Messenger)

Mike Drucker (Comedy Central's The Watchlist, 23/6)

Erin Judge (Live At Gotham, The Meaning of Wife)

Hosted by Margie Kment

As always, all proceeds from the event go to support indie theatre. This month, you'll have the chance to meet reps from Cross-Eyed Bear Productions, Speranza Theatre Company, Lively Productions, I Ate What? Theatre Company, Small Pond Entertainment, and other great people in the theatre and comedy communities. This event has sold out in the past--Please reserve your spot in advance. Tickets are $10 if you reserve in advance by emailing [email protected] ($12 at the door). No drink minimum, beer and wine available.

If you would like to include your information in the networking packet, reserve in advance by Monday, February 16th.

Thanks so much for supporting indie theatre and live comedy.

Producing basics: Chapter 3- There's a space for us

So you've found the project of your dreams and you've raised a good chunk of money or you're on your way to raising a good chunk of money. Now what?

You book a theatre.

This is one of the tasks that can cause producers all sorts of problems, so I'm going to go over 5 basic tips about renting a space including some lessons I've learned.

1. Location, Location, Location- Where is the theatre located? Are you under a bridge? Inside a coffee shop? On the corner of 42nd st? It will affect your show so you need to think about this. I always look at it from the standpoint of convenience and what's nearby. If it's close to a subway, I feel good about it and if it's in a neighborhood that has a lot going on, chances are people will find it. If it's really tucked away, it doesn't necessarily mean I won't rent it, it just means I'll have to work harder in other areas to promote it. Always take the time to look at your location when choosing a theatre, it can also serve as a great negotiating point. I once got a 4-week rental for the price of two weeks based on the distance the theatre was from the subway.

2. Who's your landlord?- Always check and see who's running the space. Do they know the business? What's their reputation? You can ask around and usually find out how well people get along with the owner or facilities manager of a theatre. Personally, I don't care if the price of the theatre is $50 a night, I hate working with difficult people. If you can't stand the landlord, don't rent the theatre. Just my two cents.

3. What's that noise?- You wouldn't rent an apartment without asking if you're next to a subway tunnel, so why would you rent a theatre without asking what goes on next door? Always ask. Sometimes they have a drumming session above you, a dance club thumping next to you, or a tap dance number with 6 year olds across the hall from you. In one instance I had an entire church service interrupt some of the quietest moments of my show. If there's serious sound bleed, consider renting somehwere else.

4. What's included?- Are they providing insurance? If so what kind? All theatre's require you to have a general liability policy. That policy covers you if any audience member has an accident. Some places have their own policy they put you under, others require you to have your own. Factor that in when figuring out your rental. Do they have extra lights? Some theatres will have such limited lighting packages that your designer will have to spend up to $600 in rentals; that goes to your bottom line so you'll want to know that. Do they have a box office or do you need to provide one? Long story, short. Always ask what a space provides.

5. It costs how much?!- Make sure you find out the TOTAL price. A lot of spaces will quote a rate without addressing the additional expenses. Just remember that there are plenty of spaces out there and that you should never feel like you have to go in on a space that is going to charge you more than it's worth. Always run your numbers. How much can you make back if you sell half your house for the run? If you need to sell all seats at full capacity to make back what you'll spend on the theatre, don't spend it. Find some place else. Remember, it never hurts to ask if someone can go lower on their price.

Hope you found this helpful. if you have other questions on space, feel free to comment!

Excelsior!

Show and Tell

So last night I went and watched another one act festival. This was the case study for the night. I'm not going to talk about the shows I liked or didn't like; I'm just going to discuss producing observations.

1. Venue: The Richmond Shepherd Theatre. This is a space that has a decent size, but is a little hard to find. My initial impression was that on a Wednesday night, a hard to find theatre on 2nd avenue probably wouldn't be very crowded. I was wrong. The show was sold out and bordering on over selling as I took my seat wedged in between a few people. So while location is important, this observation tells me that is still only one factor in a show's success.

2. Number of People involved: This is where I think the show excelled and is my guess for the enormous ticket sales. There were 8 plays, a series of different directors, and each play had a pretty large group of actors. If everyone involved with the production had only gotten two people to come that night, you were already at half your capacity for audience. I think this was one of the keys to its success.

3. Opportunities presented: There were many new actors in this who were performing for the first time in NY. This meant that all of their friends were more likely to come out and support them because they weren't just doing another show: it was their New York debut.

4. Community: The producer produces another show at that theatre on a semi-regular basis meaning that there were many actors from previous versions of her show to invite. I encountered one of those actresses when I was there last night. Many of the people in the audience were there because a pretty strong permission base had already been built.

So there you have it. 4 points of study. What show did you see last night? Try plugging the answers in to each of the above and leave as a comment. The more data we accumulate, the more we'll all know about what works and doesn't and once we have that, we'll all be on the way to better sales.

Excelsior!