Looks like the MOO went down (or I somehow got kicked out). Here are my
thoughts regarding production and Oudeis.
See ya later,
Dan
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hi Karin et. al,
Sorry these general production ideas are late, just finishing up a show of
my own and of course there's always lessons learned for the future. Here are
some thoughts regarding OUDEIS production.
1) For the Fall demo - KEEP IT SIMPLE. Oudeis is a very ambitious project
and so far the ideas and concepts have not been tested yet. It would
probably be wise to just do ONE scene and work with only ONE collaborator
for the demo. This way you will see what technical and artistic issues need
to be addressed. It will make life much easier for you.
If you can't find a remote partner go local. Have two sites located in
Vienna. This may be to your benefit as you can have people travel between
the two sites and see for themselves how things are going. Also 10 minutes
of good material is better than a half hour of material with problems.
2) Buenos Aires - it's a shame that this exhibition won't be later but I
would suggest a repeat of the September Demo. You'll have learned some
things and there probably won't be time to embark on an entirely new aspect
of the project
3) DOCUMENT both demos. Take pictures, screen grabs, and keep all
announcements, performance programs, and all articles on the event. These
documents will be very useful for fundraising. ALSO document all the
personnel time spent (this means tech crew, artistic and production crew
time) and all costs encountered. This will give you an idea of how much time
and personnel will be needed for the big show.
4) AND NOW THE REALLY FUN PART! AGREEMENTS/CONTRACTS - Because everyone
seems to be pretty amicable I don't see the need to bring in lawyers BUT in
order to avoid really bad misunderstandings and regrettable arguments you
will need to draft an agreement for all artistic collaborators and all RL
stages. Just basic concepts as to how people should be credited in the
program (titles, sponors, etc.) and how artistic decisions will be made. I
had a big mess with my current show so these can be very important issues.
Also issues of script ownership, revisions and rewrites, and rights to
music, websites, etc. These agreements don't need to be 100 page exhaustive
legal documents but they can be very simple and they'll provide a way to
anticipate problems before they happen.
5) The September 1998 final performance time sounds good. You will probably
need your complete budgets for the project and all contracts/agreements
together by November or December. You will also need some sort of
promotional/fundraising package together by that time. This would include:
*Budgets for personnel and equipment
*Information about artists and organizations involved
*General concept of the show and the audience(s) it serves
*Documentation of past performances and demos. You may also want to simply
print up your website (a lot of good information there)
WHERE THE STUDIO STANDS
Unfortunately I'm down one staff person and need to recruit some new people.
The Studio also plans to move in with a group called Arts Bridge. This
organization helps small arts organizations survive by providing education,
counseling and contacts to sources for money and support. There is a fee
attached to all this and rent to pay so...we have to do fundraising in the
Fall. This means the Fall is out for any sort of demo participation. I will
be able to effectively make a case for Oudeis before my board and
Northwestern when I have a budget detailing equipment and staffing needed as
well other support information in hand. The Studio season runs from Sept.
to August so Oudeis could definitely be proposed for our 1998-1999 season
which would begin when Oudeis is scheduled to premiere.
The sooner I can get all the info the better.
That's enough for now I think. All the best,
Dan