Royalties
Sun, 2 Dec 2007, 04:25 pmNorma18 posts in thread
Royalties
Sun, 2 Dec 2007, 04:25 pmAm I imagining things or have the costs of rights gone up a 'considerable amount' recently??
We have just got the necessary forms for our first three seasons - 'we' being the Old Mill Theatre in South Perth - (an amateur theatre in case anyone reading this is unaware)
1. The Sum of US - $200 per performance
2. Dangerous Obsession - $190
3. Jakes Women - $250
This equates to a complete row of seats every performance just for the royalties.
We increased our ticket prices last year, partly to cope with rising costs and partly to cope with BOCs charges and hope we don't have to do the same for 2008.
On a related theme - why are people unwilling to pay for a programme?? (not everyone of course)
I have just done a full colour, 8 page A4 programme for a season. Simply to get it printed cost s around $2.20 per programme and that's not taking in to account the time taken to actually design and compose it in the first place - for which as a member of the theatre I don't charge. As anyone who produces theatre programmes will attest it isn't simply a matter of sitting at a computer and tossing them off in a few minutes!! To produce a quality programme takes several hours.
We have tried: a) charging $1 for an A5 B/W and $2 for a colour A4 (the latter recently caused us to have a lot left unsold!!)
and: b) saying "programme by donation please"
I still haven't decided which way is 'best' . The obvious alternative is to build the cost into the ticket, which will cause complaints about "getting too expensive these days"- And yes I have been on the receiving end of many such comments!!
I'm not actually seeking a solution- I don't think there is one- merely voicing thoughts.
Don't lose sight of what..
Sun, 2 Dec 2007, 06:12 pmI agree Don with much of what you say. however I have no intention of actually printing all the programmes myself- I find that our current firm does a good job at a reasonable price - there is absolutely no way that I or anyone else in the theatre is going to do the 'donkey work' we have more than enough to do!!
I prepare the programmes because I LIKE doing it - not that it doesn't cause a degree of stress sometimes!! As I don't pretend to be a graphics designer it obviously takes me a lot longer that it would a professional! It's satisfying to see the finished product (and damned annoying to spot a mistake after going over it a thousand times beforehand)
It's also very satisfying to get the thanks from people involved in the show tho it doesn't happen that often! Notable exception: the one I have just done, the director said" thank you for the programme, it looks terrific" and just sometimes the audience comment on the 'lovely programme', but in general I think that most people just don't think of the work involved.
(Gets off soap-box)