Hi Moonlisters
Some of you know I run gigdirectory.net and also have been producing the Pathways networking events at Studioz in SF. Pathways has been an ongoing experiment and while everyone says they love it and it should continue. BUT it is just not paying for itself, both in time and in $.
The only way I can keep Pathways going is if the door covers pay for crew and pa and something for gigdirectory.net, plus bring in enough folks to buy drinks so the venue rent and staff is covered. I wanted Pathways to be a hang for industry folk with a bit of art and talent to check out while you play on your laptops. (yes the wireless dsl is working and it is free)
The talent has been great but they don't bring in any or near enough people to cover costs. And many of the talent think they should get paid, like really. The most successful show was with Carla King curating Wild Writing Women in a show called Juxtapose, 12 writers doing readings, multi media, and performance art, (thank you muchly Carla), it was a great show, the best yet, but did not cover our costs and the venue only broke even.
I advertise through my own as well as local industry e-mailing lists, but folks don't seem interested in networking. Yet networking is where you find a lot of work. I get all my event work from networking. And though most Pathways crowds have been less than 12, every night there are producers there of one sort or another.
The venue is not so hot, and it is not in the best part of town, but it is central to public transport and scrubs up well with a bit of lighting and decoration. Plus they take the bar and I take the door so I am a lot less out of pocket than if I had to pay venue fees. StudioZ are an ok bunch of folk, and support a lot of arts industry and community events, though their produciton office needs help as they are way understaffed.
I've tried talking to the venue, but they see it as just another show, and me as just another promoter, and tell me to give out free tickets. Which is fair enough I guess as they are only interested in the bar take, but it does not help me keep Pathways going, and I am feeling like I've been left up a creek without a paddle. (studioz approached me about doing events there, I did not approach them, as I know how hard it is to promote shows in SF) I did explain them in the beginning that I also have a business to run, and would need help from them.
Our crew is tiny, me, Carrie who does door and set up and pull down, James who takes care of sound and dj, plus sometimes Kashia when we need a PA. They are all burnt out and now everyone needs to get paid because there is very little work in town in general. I will also be needing a new tech person as James is going to LA for work, and the new person will need to be paid or no show.
StudoZ also make money from the venue being booked and I have already brought at least one confirmed booking for the whole venue, and more will come if we continue. I have lots of ideas for networking with other arts orgs, but don't have the time as I am also busy keeping gigdirectory.net afloat and sorting our bookings for other artists and shows.
Do I:
Give Up?
Teach workshops?
Make all talent subscribe to Gigdirectory.net and use the costs for Pathways?
Give talent the abc's of why a producer would pay them or even give them exposure? (the same abc's as is given to bands)
Pack up and do it in LA where there is more of an industry scene?
Or any other ideas?
I do have a publicist lined up for 2005 shows but I am concerned that it won't be enough. I visted LA recently where a few of our old industry buddies have moved to for work. They are telling me to move to LA as SF has always been like this, but I love my SF tribe.
hugs
deborah
gigdirectory.net | gigslist.org | artintoindustry.net | Deborah Paulino | 1 415 751 8908 | 1621 Haight St. PMB 9 | San Francisco | California | 94117 | USA
Some of you know I run gigdirectory.net and also have been producing the Pathways networking events at Studioz in SF. Pathways has been an ongoing experiment and while everyone says they love it and it should continue. BUT it is just not paying for itself, both in time and in $.
The only way I can keep Pathways going is if the door covers pay for crew and pa and something for gigdirectory.net, plus bring in enough folks to buy drinks so the venue rent and staff is covered. I wanted Pathways to be a hang for industry folk with a bit of art and talent to check out while you play on your laptops. (yes the wireless dsl is working and it is free)
The talent has been great but they don't bring in any or near enough people to cover costs. And many of the talent think they should get paid, like really. The most successful show was with Carla King curating Wild Writing Women in a show called Juxtapose, 12 writers doing readings, multi media, and performance art, (thank you muchly Carla), it was a great show, the best yet, but did not cover our costs and the venue only broke even.
I advertise through my own as well as local industry e-mailing lists, but folks don't seem interested in networking. Yet networking is where you find a lot of work. I get all my event work from networking. And though most Pathways crowds have been less than 12, every night there are producers there of one sort or another.
The venue is not so hot, and it is not in the best part of town, but it is central to public transport and scrubs up well with a bit of lighting and decoration. Plus they take the bar and I take the door so I am a lot less out of pocket than if I had to pay venue fees. StudioZ are an ok bunch of folk, and support a lot of arts industry and community events, though their produciton office needs help as they are way understaffed.
I've tried talking to the venue, but they see it as just another show, and me as just another promoter, and tell me to give out free tickets. Which is fair enough I guess as they are only interested in the bar take, but it does not help me keep Pathways going, and I am feeling like I've been left up a creek without a paddle. (studioz approached me about doing events there, I did not approach them, as I know how hard it is to promote shows in SF) I did explain them in the beginning that I also have a business to run, and would need help from them.
Our crew is tiny, me, Carrie who does door and set up and pull down, James who takes care of sound and dj, plus sometimes Kashia when we need a PA. They are all burnt out and now everyone needs to get paid because there is very little work in town in general. I will also be needing a new tech person as James is going to LA for work, and the new person will need to be paid or no show.
StudoZ also make money from the venue being booked and I have already brought at least one confirmed booking for the whole venue, and more will come if we continue. I have lots of ideas for networking with other arts orgs, but don't have the time as I am also busy keeping gigdirectory.net afloat and sorting our bookings for other artists and shows.
Do I:
Give Up?
Teach workshops?
Make all talent subscribe to Gigdirectory.net and use the costs for Pathways?
Give talent the abc's of why a producer would pay them or even give them exposure? (the same abc's as is given to bands)
Pack up and do it in LA where there is more of an industry scene?
Or any other ideas?
I do have a publicist lined up for 2005 shows but I am concerned that it won't be enough. I visted LA recently where a few of our old industry buddies have moved to for work. They are telling me to move to LA as SF has always been like this, but I love my SF tribe.
hugs
deborah
gigdirectory.net | gigslist.org | artintoindustry.net | Deborah Paulino | 1 415 751 8908 | 1621 Haight St. PMB 9 | San Francisco | California | 94117 | USA
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