The Promotion Packet
Important: I
have not produced stand-up comedy shows
since Spring 2002; therefore, please:
do NOT send me your materials.
Except as part of a one-on-one, coaching and co-writing appointment.
This information is provided only as an example for:
•would-be comedy
producers
•and stand-up comics auditioning for work from said producers.
This web page will give the comic auditioning for work in their
local area
•an idea what
the comedy producer needs to see in your promo packet.
Note: if you get a color photo printed in the local newspaper,
•you may
very well catch the attention of a Meeting Planner
looking to book a clean
comic for a corporation's annual convention.
•This pays roughly 10 times what you get
for club work.
Never hold back giving relatively inexpensive promotional materials to
the comedy producer.
Why?
Because that producer can get your photo in many local newspapers.
•An ad in that newspaper the size of your photo might cost several hundred dollars.
Hey.
The comedy producer does this
for
you at no cost to
you other than the photo itself.
This is a great deal!
Q: Can't I just sent the producer a digital scan of my photo?
A: Ask the producer what he wants.
But first, ask yourself:
•Are you actually knowledgeable about scanning photos for newspaper and magazine
print quality
which can be different from what you have been printing from your
desktop printer?
•If the producer will accept your digital scan, ask him at what
d.p.i. should you print?
("Dots per inch" or d.p.i. is a carry over from the printing industry
that is oddly still used today to mean
"Pixels per inch" or p.p.i.).
You may be used to printing out photos at 150 ppi at home.
But a professional
newspaper or magazine printer may start at 300 ppi, or higher.
Reason: different newspapers and magazines have varying policies about what they
will accept.
•Many publications prefer to do their own photo scanning from glossy prints.
To be on the super-safe side, go with traditional ("last century")
photography
•and save turnaround time that can mean missed daily newspaper and monthly
magazine deadlines:
Even if the producer will accept a scanned photo sent to him via email,
•still
snail mail glossy hard-copies made from an emulsion negative;
i.e., created
through traditional darkroom "wet" printing.
Here is a forum with some photographers debating the pros and cons of digital
vs. non-digital camera quality:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-95334.html
The great master of "view camera" filters and printing paper was Ansel
Adams.
Click on the image below to check out this interactive explanation of the view
camera used by Adams.
•Flash player is required which is not available on Apple iOS devices like
iPhone, iPodTouch and iPad.
But is available on 98% of Mac and Windows desktop and laptop computers
Note that in the first screen shot, the cursor is over the "Film Plane"
which prompts the definition of Film Plane below the image.
In the second screen shot, the cursor is over the term "Tripod" under "Accessories"
which prompts the Tripod definition and an image of a tripod above Accessories:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/ansel/sfeature/sf_camera_flash.html
In short, expect to plow 20% of your annual comedy
income back into your business . . . on-going.
In the early years, that percentage may well
be 1,000% of your comedy income
which will hopefully pay off in succeeding years.
See: the The Producer's "Audition Requirements" letter I
sent out to comics auditioning for work.
It includes the requirements for laughs-per-minute,
seconds of exit applause and other hints
from the producer's point-of-view which
will put you "in-the-know."
Here's
the Promo Packet letter we sent out to already hired comics:
Jim Richardson, producer
ORGANIZED COMEDY,
P.O. Box 992,
Mill Valley, CA 94942-0992
415-877-4424
jim@JimRichardson.com
REQUEST FOR PHOTOS FROM COMICS
Name:_________________________________________________
Phone number (if changed): (_____)___________________
Cell phone number (if changed): (___)________________________________
Address (if changed):_________________________________
City:_________________State:________Zip:____
I have checked
my files.
Yours is short the number of 8" x
10" black
and white glossy photos I need to adequately promote stand-up comedy shows.
Option: you may also include
color photos.
At this time,
many
of your previously sent photos may still be out to clubs and newspapers.
Some get returned,
some do not.
However, as a comedy producer, I need to continually expand
bookings
at new venues in various cities throughout northern California.
To do so, I must always have on file the following number of photos
for each performer:
1) Headliners: 20
photos.
You currently have only _____ on file.
Please make up the difference
by immediately mailing me _____
more photos.
2) Middle Acts/Feature
Acts/Openers, M.C.'s and Paid Guest Sets: 12 photos.
You currently have only _____ photos on file.
Please make up the difference
by immediately mailing me _____ more photos.
Please send me _____ photos ASAP.
In addition, please enclose one (1) copy for updates on any new:
Newspaper
articles
Quotes
TV and film credits
that you may have received since I last got such information
from you.
If your:
Moniker
Epithet (or epitaph!)
and/or Resume
has changed, please send me an update on
those as well.
One copy of these items is plenty, since I can
copy your original if I need extras.
Thank you for your help with the business part of Show Business.
Sincerely,
Jim Richardson,
comedy producer
encl.: Maps and directions to upcoming bookings you have made through ORGANIZED COMEDY.
If you have any questions about the promotion process,
please feel free
to email or phone me:
jim@JimRichardson.com
415-877-4424
Snail mail:
Jim Richardson
Organized Comedy
PO Box 992
Mill Valley, California 94942-0992
USA
Page last updated: Monday,
November 25, 2013, 3:31 pm PST and Monday, June 9, 2014, 6:54 pm PST.
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