From: "Susan" <vanpuppet-AT-mtnisp.com>
To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 19:21:55 -0400
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] FREE SHOWS


Wow Christopher.  Your comments were so well thought out and stated.

One thing I would like to add (a friend mentioned it to me last week).  In 
addition to handing out brochures and/or business cards, have people quickly 
file out a form including their name, e-mail address and maybe their regular 
address.  Then when you get home send them a e-mail and add them to your 
data base.  As most of you know, when a person takes your business card or 
brochure, it is very touch and go if they actually contact you about 
performing at their school, festival, library etc.

I haven't tried this yet but plan on it next week when I do some public 
performance.

Hope you are all very busy for Memorial Day.  My booking got cancelled UGH

Susan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christopher Hudert" <heyhoot-AT-mindspring.com>
To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 2:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] FREE SHOWS


> Seems we are talking about four or so different things when we address
> free shows:
>   1) doing a show for no compensation what so ever ("the exposure" or
> what ever the current line)
>   2) doing a show for an exchange compensation (membership, rehearsal
> space, test the show, etc.)
>   3) doing a show in exchange/in place of money for something you
> support (a charity or function YOU support or want to give back to)
>   4) doing a show that is free for the audience and/or venue but that
> you still get paid for (separate sponsor, grant, etc.)
>
>   I'll share a business axiom that was once shared with me: you are
> only worth as much as the least amount you will accept for pay. Now,
> before you get all up in arms, while I didn't say this, I find it to be
> true to a great extent. The thing is, you also have to remember that to
> be paid may not include money exchanging hands, it may be barter,
> exchange, a charity donation on your part (time is money), and the
> like. If you discount your price there should be a reason other than
> the sponsor "can't afford it" or "it's not in the budget." Yeah, well
> I'd like a big expensive car with a driver, and a big expensive home in
> the country with hot and cold running maids but "it's not in the
> budget" and I "can't afford it."  Remember, discounting includes
> discounting down to less than zero, because when you do a show for free
> you actually pay to do the show in gas, time, not doing a paid show,
> etc. - it costs you money to do a "freebie" above and beyond the price
> of the show. Okay, I'm getting a little side tracked, but this is a pet
> issue for me. Or pet peeve. Sometimes I'm not sure which.
>
> I'm going to break this down into the four "freebies" mentioned above
> and some ways to deal with them.
>
>   #1 - "exposure" compensation - Actually, you CAN do this for the
> exposure, if you do it right, and it could be worth your while. First
> thing you need to ask is "will there be a high number of potential
> clients that will attend this event?" If the answer is "no" because it
> is a plumber's convention and you do a puppet show on manicures for
> manatees, you are extremely unlikely to get any work out of your
> exposure no matter how good it is, because it is not your market. So
> just say no to this "exposure." If the answer is "yes" because it is a
> public festival and the people who attend are your target market, make
> sure that your exposure is more than just the time they see you work or
> that "you can give out your business card." Depending on how much you
> are "giving," (service or product), require equal (or greater) exposure
> compensation. Will they give you billing on some or all of the
> advertising? Will some or all of this include your contact information?
> Will they put your logo on the festival tee shirts along with the other
> sponsors? Will there be a large sign with your name and/or logo on it
> where you are to perform? Will your company name be listed on the hand
> outs, rather than the generic "a puppet show?" Shoot, you can even
> offer to have them book you as a guest on a local morning TV show to
> promote the event. That's TV time you didn't pay for, and of course you
> should promote yourself as a feature of the event. If you can get some
> or all of these things (some of which you should also get if you are
> paid, but that's another issue) AND it is for people who are your
> market, then the "exposure" may be more than enough compensation. It
> costs them little to nothing to do any of these things, but it might
> cost you a good deal more than you would normally get paid for your gig
> if you tried to buy this same level of exposure. Oh, and have it in
> writing what the agreement is - this business, treat it as such.
> Related to this, but not the same, is the "investment" freebie - one
> which you may do for free or at a steep discount (but hopefully with
> some kind of compensation) for a event that you see potential in for
> the future. An event just getting off the ground might need a break,
> and you might see it as paying off bigger in the long run. This is sort
> of exposure to that event's sponsors and organizers.
>
> #2 - exchange compensation -   (membership, rehearsal space, test the
> show, etc.) - In reality, this is barter, one of the oldest forms of
> being paid. You are just trading one service or product for another.
> Rarely is this a straight value exchange, but rarely is that the point.
> So if you do a "free" show to pay your studio rent, or get membership
> in an organization, or get free hair cuts for you and your family for a
> year, "free" in this case means only that no cash changed hands, but
> value has been exchanged and you both feel like you got compensated.
> Not much else to be said about this other than both parties try to get
> the better end of the deal, and feel like they are not losing on the
> deal. It does mean that it usually doesn't costs one party to make the
> exchange. It doesn't work if you give your "landlord" a free show, but
> they have to come up with the rent from somewhere in their budget. It
> only works if, say, they have space that is open and already being paid
> for and they need a product or service that you have (shows or
> workshops, or whatever), and you can provide that product or service
> and can use the space they have in an agreeable manner.
>
> #3 - support in lieu of a donation - time/service/product instead of
> money for something you support (a charity or function YOU support or
> want to give back to). To me, the key here is that it is a charity or
> function YOU support or want to give back to, and usually one you
> select and not every one that selects you by virtue of the fact that
> you are in the phone book or some other directory, or have given your
> product or service to someone else. Yes, if a charity or function that
> you would like to support finds you before you approach them, it is
> still the same as one you select. Your product or service has a dollar
> value. I think you should also get a letter of agreement that states
> what is being given, its value, when, where, and so on. It could be
> your standard contract with the line "Standard fee of $XXX waived as a
> contribution." I don't know if it may have an impact on your taxes or
> if you care, but it is a way to keep things professional and see that
> everyone understands the value of what is being given. Who knows, this
> event might be a freebie for you, but in their "regular job" the person
> booking you may also be involved with someone who would need and pay
> for your services.
>    A bit of an exception is for a theater rather than a touring or
> independent performer. Often a theater will give a certain amount of
> free tickets out. This can be for a number of reasons, from giving back
> to the community, to outreach to underprivileged, to fill the house, to
> public relations, in exchange for tickets to another theater or show,
> to support a charity, and so on. Some theaters allot a set number of
> ticket per show, per season, per year, or whatever. Some do it as
> available, or whatever. Most get something back, even if it's not
> money. Might be a house that is better filled, might be to satisfy a
> tenant of their mission statement, might be publicity or good will.
> Some give a certain number to most any charity that sends a written
> request, which amounts to support in lieu of a donation since the
> charity usually is requesting the tickets for an auction that will
> raise money on their behalf.  Few will give away very many tickets if
> the shows are selling out on a regular basis. It is simple supply and
> demand economics.
>
> #4 - the "free" show that's paid for by someone else. -  free for the
> audience and/or venue but that you still get paid for (separate
> sponsor, grant, etc.) does not make this a FREE show any more than
> someone buying you lunch makes that lunch free. It didn't come out or
> YOUR pocket, but SOMEONE paid for it. If you get paid to do a show,
> whether that money comes from a grant, a separate sponsor, or whatever,
> the show is not free. Yes, perhaps the audience and/or venue may not
> have paid your fee, but you didn't do it for free. If you get "free"
> tickets to see Lion King or Avenue Q on Broadway, even if every seat in
> the house was given away, that show is not a FREE show unless every
> actor, stage hand, prop person, light person, sound person, usher, etc.
> also donated their services. You could go further if you wanted and
> cost out the percentage of the equipment, etc., but the point is
> SOMEONE pays for the "free" show. Either the cost is paid for by the
> audience, or somewhere up the ladder. You are on that ladder somewhere.
> If you are paid by someone (a grant?) to do 50 shows, but you do 60
> shows, doing the extra ones with no additional compensation what so
> ever, 10 of them were free. If the audience or venue didn't pay for any
> of them, it's still the same. 50 were paid for by someone, and 10 were
> free. Actually YOU paid for the other 10, but let's not go there.
>  The fly in the ointment here is that since the audience and/or venue
> has nothing invested in your show (no ticket price, and no fee paid by
> the venue) there is a risk that they may not value your services (and
> may not even know what the value that they are getting is) because it
> didn't cost them anything. Just as they likely would take better care
> of a new car than an old beater - even if they got either car for free
> - because they understand the value of it, they likely would appreciate
> you more and treat you better if they knew your value and what they
> were getting. Unless, of course, they are "entitled" (due to poverty or
> affulence) and used to getting things for little or no cost to them.
> Then they won't have any respect or care for what they are getting,
> regardless of how little or how great its value, because they have no
> investment in it and they're just going to get more given to them
> anyway.
>
>   Finally, one last item. A few years ago I was invited to perform at
> the Vice Presidents house for a function. There were to be many other
> performers including Maya Angelu and, if I remember correctly, an
> appearance by Barbara Striestand (sp? sorry, I'm not a fan). Yep, you
> guessed it, they asked the puppet guy to come in and perform for free.
> After hearing the line up, I quickly accessed that most, if not all of
> the entertainment was being paid (not to mention the catering, and
> other services) and I asked to be paid as well. Somehow I doubted Babs
> was giving her appearance for free, and even if she was, she definitely
> wasn't schlepping her own equipment like I was. In the end I was paid,
> but I did give them a bit of a discount because they booked more than
> one performance, and I waived part of my travel fee because of the
> exposure - or more to the point, having the VP's house performance on
> my list of "prestige" venues/performances. But the Babs thing leads me
> to the final point I wanted to make. There comes a time in our careers
> and/or lives when, hopefully, like Babs, we have "made it" and are no
> longer struggling on a regular basis. I think that it is at this point
> that giving should become easier and more free. Share the wealth, so to
> speak. If you are lucky enough to reach this point, become the one who
> sponsors that "free" puppet show or whatever. Not only can you give
> back, you can do it in such a way that it propagates and rebuilds the
> foundation of what you have built on. (No, I don't think that Babs
> sponsored my show, even indirectly.)
>
>   On one last, last note, if you DO give your show for free, why in the
> world would you allow yourself to be treated like dirt? Here's a
> concept: STAND UP FOR YOURSELF. You don't have to be a jerk to do so,
> but if you don't respect and value what you are doing, why should
> anyone else?  Ask to speak to the highest level person there - a
> supervisor, the principal, the sponsor, whatever. Tell them what the
> problem is and that you are there to do them a service, not the other
> way around. If you are going to be treated with due respect, and as if
> they valued your service, you are more than willing to perform.
> Otherwise you will pack up and go home. And if you do pack up and go
> home, make sure that you send a letter to the highest person in the
> organization that you can find (with a copy to whoever booked you),
> stating in a polite, business like manner what you were giving (both in
> service and $ value), and how you have never been treated with so
> little respect or so unprofessionally. You might even apologize for
> pulling out, but explain how you just couldn't justify donating your
> services if they were not valued. Believe me, it will make a difference
> for future performers and probably you too. At the very least it will
> make a difference in your own self respect.
>   - Then again, even if you ARE getting paid, why would you allow
> yourself to get treated like dirt? Guess the same pretty much applies
> whether there is money exchanged or not.
>
> Your opinions and experiences may differ.
>
> Christopher
>
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