Step Two.
Step Two.
Okay. First idea hit me while I was in the shower. So I’ve been ruminating on that for the past few days. Now, 2:19 in the morning, I’m lying in bed completely unable to turn my mind off. Normally that sucks, yeah? But I’m not gonna let it.
Here’s where we are: This project could be completely, out of this world great. Since March 25 at around 8 pm, so four days, I’ve had over 45 people respond to me. This includes bands, musicians, actors, writers, painters, photographers, Djs, designers and many others. And this is just from that vague mass facebook message.
The plan: Through a great conversation with Scott Hendrickson I’ve managed to formulate a little bit more clear of a plan. Item one for the show is to ‘Raise’. I don’t want to call it fundraising because it goes beyond mere funds. We want to raise capital to produce the project and awareness and excitement about the project.
Mission One: A Level-Headed friends monthly to Bi-monthly concert night. We’re currently investigating Venue as a possible location for these nights. We’ll start in June and feature two to three bands per evening. These bands will be interested parties in the end project. Tickets will be 12-14 dollars with proceeds going to the bands and the project. There will be drink specials. There will hopefully be pieces from our visual artists up and on sale.
Your Directive: Help promote.
These kinds of shows in these kinds of venues live and die on word of mouth. As interested parties, I rely on you to come to these shows and to bring your friends out for a good time. Wednesdays are not the most popular night of the week for concerts. We’re taking a calculated risk that we won’t lose capital for our final project.
Mission Two: The project itself. Another thing that came up with Scott was scope. My plan initially was to have the end result be a three week run involving as many people as possible. The suggestion was made that perhaps this doesn’t need to be a one-shot, full meal deal. Perhaps we can utilize less artists at once and create multiple projects over a longer time span. This seems very wise.
I still would like the first one, the pilot project if you will, to be an event rather than a test. So here’s my basic ideal game plan.
Organize: 3-12 Bands or musicians.
3-4 Writers
1-4 Visual artists
1-3 Theatre designers
1-4 technical consultants
A Producer
A construction team
A cast
A Director
Let me know if I forgot anything
The writers will come up with a detailed plot. The bands will be given specific characters, narrative points, and themes as a prompt to write one-two songs. The writers will then incorporate the songs into a script. The visual artists will conceive of concepts for the set, costumes, and possibly lighting design. The theatrical designers will collaborate with the visual artists to make these designs work. As many of the involved bands as possible will learn the entire music set of 10 to 12 songs. The construction team will build sets and costumes. The technical consultants and producers will figure out how this can all be staged. The cast will rehearse and the director will direct. Each band who has learned the whole musical set will take a turn as the house band for a performance.
A lot to come together, I know, but with each of us becoming one cog, the sum of our parts will be a tiny number compared to our whole.
This is the ultimate cross marketing tool for anyone involved. If you’re a musician, your music will be introduced to hundreds of people who may have never given your songs a chance. If you’re a visual artist, your work will be displayed to an audience who has never entered a gallery in their lives. If you’re a theatre person, your medium will breathe fresh air from the lungs of a crowd never faced with ephemeral storytelling.
All of the artists involved will be given the opportunity to come at their medium from a fresh and exhilarating way. The audience will be able to engage with the art, your art, intimately and memorably.
Submit to: MackenzieRgordon@hotmail.com
If you’re interested in writing send me some of your work (full works or samples, published pieces or fragments of unfinished drafts, I’ll read as much as I can).
If you’re a visual artist or designer send me links to photos of your work.
If you’re a musician send me a list of some of the shows you’ve played as well as links to songs.
If you’re a producer, tech person, or construction worker, let me know asap.
If you’re an actor or director, hold your horses for a bit, I’ll let you know when we’re looking for resumes.
There’s no deadline but please get me your samples asap. The faster we assemble a team the faster we can start doing real work.
It’s 3:24 am now. I hope I don’t have any more good ideas til the morning.
