Gear, Gear, and More Gear - Preparing For Virtual Work In The Fall!

I have been part of touring theatre companies.

Ah yes, I certainly have. 

I spent two summers of high school building, painting, maintaining, and producing props with a cast. I helped construct backdrops and frames.

I was part of erecting those frames, putting up backdrops, and breaking the whole thing down, stowing them, and preparing for the next travel show.

I also did traveling theatre at university.

I even did a couple of shows after graduating. I looked around at the life of being in a small, traveling theatre company and said, "You know, this is not how I want to live my life."

So, I bid adieu to that part of my life and moved on to other things.

Storytelling is light on the gear.

I don't have puppets, a set, props, or costumes.

I don't have backdrops or lights, or anything like that to cart from place to place.

In fact, I have my mat - which is made from recycled coca-cola bottles that I bought in Australia, and my sound system when needed.

That was in the before time.

I have been performing in a little nook in my living room. It took me months to figure out how to light it so I didn't have crazy shadows and I could be seen.

That required lighting that I did not have.

Ultimately, I figured it out.

The David was polite enough about the situation as the summer went on, and then he started making these comments.

TD: "Have you considered a backdrop?

Me: "No."

TD: "You should think about it."

A few weeks later.

TD: "Have you looked at backdrops?"

Me: "No."

TD: I thought you would have looked at some backdrops."

A few days later

TD: "Backdrops?"

Me: Oh, yeah. I'm going to order some."

Every single day after that.

TD: "Backdrops?"

Me: "I'm doing it!"

It took me a lot of searching to find backdrops I liked. I finally settled on these two from an outfit called GladsBuy.

Bookcase from GladsBuy

Brick Wall from GladsBuy

These are not virtual backgrounds, they are actual backdrops made from vinyl. They have grommets in the top of them to hang on a frame. I've used them on a couple of occasions already, and they look great.

After buying these things, I related the whole annoying process to my daughter. She sat down, pulled out a pen, and designed a backdrop for me that incorporated the themes of my business.

I ordered that one from BackdropSource.

without lighting

with bright lighting

Then, a friend of mine who was watching all of this play out online, called me and offered to make me a custom backdrop. I said yes. So, I went from having no backdrops to having three and one on the way in a matter of days.

Well, if you have a backdrop, you have to have something on which to hang it.

Luckily, I know all about backdrops.

So, more gear.

I headed to efavormart, and ordered a frame for my new backdrops.

I put it together a couple of days ago.

It is lightweight, designed to be put together and taken apart. It takes less than five minutes to put it up or stow it. It comes in its own little pouch and fits in a closet. What more could I ask for?

Oh, I know what I could ask for.

I have to figure out how to light this new situation without huge shadows on the canvas.

Sigh.

Well, it isn't like I'm going anywhere...

Happy discovering!

Showcase Trailer

I know, I know.

I'm not officially posting until tomorrow, but I got this done and I couldn't wait.

Here is my virtual trailer.

It is going to go on ARTS COUNCIL Websites.

I'll blog about the ins and outs of this thing tomorrow!

Happy Getting Ready for 2020- 2021!

Waiting For My Artist Card: Negotiating Prices in the Age of COVID-19

I've been waiting for my artist card for years. I'm sure there has to be one. There must be.

How do I know this?

I imagine it is sort of like this but with artist stuff on it

Because negotiating a fee for storytelling, or any art, is tricky. For some organizations or people, when they get into the process of hiring an artist, they are flabbergasted at how much it can cost.

Some organizations want an artist to come, but they are annoyed that they have to pay you at all aside from covering dinner.

Some organizations are shocked to find out that you won't come for free or work for a pittance.

Some organizations think they've offered you plenty of compensation and they don't get why one hundred dollars is not sufficient for your time. You are only going to be telling for an hour!

Some people complain that they are hiring you to do something you love, so why are you charging so much?

Clearly, there is a formula on the artist card that must look something like this -

Artists love their work. +  They are only banging on drums/telling stories/singing for x amount of time. + They are only working with families/children. + They are not traveling far. + They really are having fun. + I am offering them exposure. = They really should be paying me for giving them this opportunity.

I suppose that is why some people approach fee negotiations with an artist like, "I guess I'll toss them a bone. I'm sure that will be sufficient."

Luckily for me, I don't negotiate fees. I leave that to The David. I let him wrangle with people over dollars and cents.

Yes, in the best of times, it is hard to negotiate a fee.

Throw in a global pandemic and you make things even harder.

In the before time -

"We have fifteen libraries. We have this much money, how many of them will you visit if we pay you x amount?"

In the now -

Client: "We want a virtual show and we want to stream it to all fifteen of the libraries for two weeks, and we want to pay you as if you have only visited one branch on one afternoon because you are recording the show. That seems fair.


Artist: "Umm. No. I'm sorry. I can't afford to do it like that. Let's talk about a fee for each library in your system. Certainly not as high as if I was there in person. That way, I am in every library, you have programming for your entire system, and I am compensated for the work I am putting into preparing this program for you.

Client: "What? You want us to compensate you for essentially working every one of our libraries this summer even though your show is pre-recorded?  That is unreasonable. The formula on your artist card says that creating pre-recorded virtual programming is much easier and less expensive to produce!"


I really need to get hold of this artist card.

this is the TIR apartment in Jonesboro!

Since it is being used against me on a regular basis, there must be a way for me to use it to help my situation.

I could take it to my mortgage broker. She'd say, "Wow, I didn't know you had an artist card. Considering this formula, I am going to drop your mortgage payments by forty percent!"

How about grocery shopping? I could present my artist card right before my credit card. "Wow! You're an artist who loves what she does. Your groceries are going to cost fifty percent less than everyone else who has to work for a living!"

Oh, at the bookstore! "Wait! You're an artist? Well, here are all of your books at ten percent of what everyone else has to pay for books!"



Yes! My artist card, the card that makes people assume they don't need to pay me, should also alert the people that I have to pay that I shouldn't be charged full price for anything!

Sadly, my artist card has not come, so, I am still in the position of negotiating a fee.

Here is a blog post I wrote years ago with some tips about setting and negotiating a fee.


I reread it this morning and was surprised to see that it still holds.

We have adjusted our fee structure because of COVID.

My travel expenses are nonexistent, but there are other expenses we have to contend with.

We have a pro Zoom account.

We have a premium Vimeo Account.

I upgraded my laptop.

I bought a camcorder.

I bought an external mic.

I've purchased lights, backdrops, frames on which to hang the backdrop, editing software, upgraded the internet to the fastest speeds allowable in my area, and spent hours rehearsing, recording, re-recording in various parts of my house to find the best place to make solid sound without echoing or feedback. I've invested hours and hours in educating myself about how all of this works. We are combining years of education, brand new skills, and our knowledge of our craft to make art in a new way with an unfamiliar tech world.

What a client is getting on the other end of this process is a high quality, well put together, specifically crafted piece that is designed for this particular medium that displays our artform to the best of our ability.

That is no small accomplishment.
That is not cheap.
That is not easy.
That is not thrown together.
That is not an afterthought.

If we charged what our work and dedication is actually worth every single time we stepped into a venue, nobody could afford it.

The price we quoted is already a steep discount unless it is in the six figures.

You are more than worth the fee you charge.

If we do not fight for the right to be properly compensated for our work, we won't be, and nobody will have any idea we should be.

That was true in the before time.

It is still true now.

Then again, my artist card might come today.

Happy making art work for you!