Audio Drama Co-op?

[AuralStageStudios]

What about an audio play/audio book cooperative?

So here's the idea:
We all live in different areas of the world/country/etc. I personally live in Buffalo, NY. I work with actors in NYC and know people in Vegas. All of these places have local haunts. Local bookstores and coffee shops tend to have owners that are at the register or somewhere in the building. That means you have direct contact with the people who make the decisions and don't have to figure out ways to cut through bureaucratic red-tape. Market locally, market small... but do it in mass.

This is where the cooperative comes in. Say I have a contact for a bookstore in Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and NYC, but instead of hooking him up with just a few of my CDs to sell, I'm also kicking some of your CDs his way. And you're doing the same. Suddenly you've got CDs sold at local stores, but local stores in NYC, Buffalo, Vegas, Vancouver, Toronto, London.. and just about anywhere else we can convince to get in on the act...

I think to get anywhere, you have to find ways to bypass the red tape involved with corporate hoop-jumping, which is usually costly and nearly impossible to navigate as every office has there own "policy" which usually translates into ease of connection for industry people, and a big pain in the butt for independents.

Small businesses, such as bookstores and coffee shops run into the same problem. Can we maybe find a way to use that?

[Bill Hollweg]

The problem for most of us is money.

I myself am 43, work 3 graphic art jobs- am married and raising my 2 granddkiddos on top of mortages et all.

I can find actors from all over the world from New Zealand to the UK to the US and Canada, and we have people from these parts as a part of our BrokenSea Audio Group. All are willing to VA or mix or write or just listen for the sake of fun and art and we have a great time producing "free audio drama art".

BUT...

I and my cohorts have no start up cash <as we all work day jobs just to make ends meat> to pay VA's for their time/talent, musicians involved, artists for CD covers, script writers, et all... Much as I would love to <speaking of original works here>. And yes one could pay a percentage of the sales etc... But then you would need an accountant to keep up with it all- or someone better than I to keep up with the figures-LOL.

Of course what happens if your costs are say $500 and you sell 100$ of CD's or DL's? And yes that's the issue that all start up businesses face- if you build it and they DON'T come- then what?

I agree with your ideas and they are very interesting, and might just work if you have the capitol to start with. I just don't see anyone doing AD for the fun of it so I or my group can make a buck while they simply get a credit if that makes sense.

By all means pursue this thoough! Wish I had a chunk of change to do this myself.

[JulieH]

Not to mention, everything we do is available for free, so why woudl anyone pay? And with the costs involved in producing a CD, the measly hour or so of material that can fit on it is hardly worth the cost to the average person who's never heard of it.

We'd be better off (from a marketing standpoint) to make up a MP3 cd with bits from everyone out here, and send it round to these coffee shops for them to use as a free incentive - give it away with every order of $20 or more, since then we might get some more listeners.

I was just commenting to someone that I'd love to have a clearing house site for audio drama, where each episode woudl cost like 10 cents - a person would pay up front X amount, and then download til he ran out - then it's all accounting again, to split up everyone's share

I know it doens't sound like much, but no one would balk to pay 10 cents, even those "entitled" folks who absolutely don't want to - and no one would take the time to go hunting for a bootleg download, just to avoid paying 10 cents...

[Bill Hollweg]

There's an idear too Julie!
;-)

Though I think that unless the BBC, or Big Finish, or the guys doing Twilight Zome, CBC, or some such other large company wants to back the AD venture and promote etc... It's just not that viable a medium for making cash of any amount. Maybe Sirius or someone would want to back something-or a local radio station- though most local radio is dead and uses DJ's via satillite...

An ART Grant might work- lord knows Obamma's writing checks for evrything else right now, why not AD?
LOL

The other thing is- there is no bottom line when doing it for free, so there is a freedom of artistic expression to do whatever ya want whether listeners DL or not- you can make it and put it out there, expand to your hearts content <POTA by me anyone? Clocking in at 14 epsiodes-LOL>

[Bill Hollweg]

Not to say it can't be done, Colonial and a few others seem to do it. So go for it man!

[Bill Hollweg]

Just some simple math here, as I am at lunch, were someone to pay everyone up front.

lets say <using simple flat figures here> you have 4 VA's.
You pay 4 VA for their talent: 100$ ea. or 400$ total
You pay the mixer: 100$
You pay the musician for a brilliant score: 100$
You pay the writer for the brilliant script: 100$
You pay the artist for the CD art: 100$
and you make 100$ of CD's/cases for CD's: 100$

Right now we are at 900$ and Not a Single CD has been sold.

Mind you- you might pay some people less and others more- but that's just run of the mill simple accounting that even I can understand. LOL

Not to mention the cost for copyrighting your work and/or trademarking etc... And if you have to purchase sfx or hire a foley dude... And printing costs for the CD's...Bandwidth and fees for a website et all...

Mind you some costs may be offset by yourself doing one or more of these roles...

On a side note: most of my productions have casts with a minimum of 10 people and some 25-30 and I use 5 or more musicians usually to get the right feel for a scene.

I hate math..I just wanna make AD and have cash roll in-LOL

And this is all pretty redundant stuff for you and others I am sure- just calling the pink elephant a pink elephant when I see it.
;-)

[AuralStageStudios]

Bill:

I seem to be missing something:

1) I'm under the impression that people on the forum have already created an audio drama

2) and recorded it

3) which insinuates that it has already been written

4) and likely scored, though you can also attain music from http://freemusicarchive.org/ or http://ccmixter.org/... or even use public doamin sources like http://www.archive.org/details/audio (also, a great place to upload your materials, if you are simply looking to get it heard by a large audience)

5) there's a million cheap as free software packages out there to mix your audio, which I'm assuming you do yourself or have someone do anyway.

6) Didn't you say you worked three graphic art jobs? So you could possibly do the label on your own...

7) So that just leaves the CDs which you can either burn yourself, or have professionally duplicated (typically to CD-R anyway, unless you're looking to glass-press, which is simply a choice

The point of a cooperative is that everyone has something to bring to the table. I'd be to throw some audio or music down for someone who is tossing my CD to another bookstore.


Serendipity:
"I was just commenting to someone that I'd love to have a clearing house site for audio drama, where each episode would cost like 10 cents - a person would pay up front X amount, and then download til he ran out - then it's all accounting again, to split up everyone's share"

Not a bad idea either, though I don't share your optimism about people now bootlegging to save $.10 Heh.

[Bill Hollweg]

	Quote:	AuralStageStudios
	Bill: I seem to be missing something: 1) I'm under the impression that people on the forum have already created an audio drama 2) and recorded it 3) which insinuates that it has already been written 4) and likely scored, though you can also attain music from http://freemusicarchive.org/ or http://ccmixter.org/... or even use public doamin sources like http://www.archive.org/details/audio (also, a great place to upload your materials, if you are simply looking to get it heard by a large audience) 5) there's a million cheap as free software packages out there to mix your audio, which I'm assuming you do yourself or have someone do anyway. 6) Didn't you say you worked three graphic art jobs? So you could possibly do the label on your own... 7) So that just leaves the CDs which you can either burn yourself, or have professionally duplicated (typically to CD-R anyway, unless you're looking to glass-press, which is simply a choice The point of a cooperative is that everyone has something to bring to the table. I'd be to throw some audio or music down for someone who is tossing my CD to another bookstore. Serendipity: "I was just commenting to someone that I'd love to have a clearing house site for audio drama, where each episode would cost like 10 cents - a person would pay up front X amount, and then download til he ran out - then it's all accounting again, to split up everyone's share" Not a bad idea either, though I don't share your optimism about people now bootlegging to save $.10 Heh.

Yes I have on all counts amigo. Mind you I release them for free. My point being- if I sold them I would have to pay everyone.

[Bill Hollweg]

	Quote:	Bill Hollweg
	Yes I have on all counts amigo. Mind you I release them for free. My point being- if I sold them I would have to pay everyone.

As is- people do this for love of the medium and understand up front that not a nickle is being made. Myself I have mixed in the neighborhood of 50 + shows over 3 years or so to this point- some fanfic and some original.

And I stated in my post that some areas could be covered by the same person and I do <mix write va and do art> just all for free at present. Honestly-I myself would want to be paid if money is being made. If no money is changing hands then I am all for assisting as time allows.

But no biggie man.

[Bill Hollweg]

Mind you I am not saying your ideas hold no merit, cool ideas amigo!

But what I am stating- are the problems I and other have run into <though I speak for myself on this> when considering making money at thsi artform we all love.