[filk] Re: Filk programming exercise

This is a great way to approach the problem! But of course, there's some information needed to be able to go very far, such as: How big is Klamath? And how noisy / far from whatever else? How much material do these folks have? Is everyone providing their own mics, etc. or do we need to allow for set-up / break down time? How many filk-interested guests does this con usually have? Do we have any kind of a nose-count for this year?
How filk-friendly is your ComCon? Your hotel? (Not very, given that they gave you the sucko bar-noise rooms!)

That being said, I'd look at setting up concerts slots 'uncontested' by open filk from 7 to 10 both nights.

One idea that leapt immediately to mind, even this late (remember, I have a 2-year-old, this IS late to me): Opposite the "prime" concert timeslots, set the other room(s) to "warm-ups, cool downs, CD sales and meet the performers" for the concert folks. Unless your resources are physically across the hotel from each other, having a warm-up/get act together room will make the concert venue run more smoothly. (In addition, if you end up with extra space or low interest in the CD sales, etc. room, a spontaneous filk is likely to erupt among the fans there...consequence of having all those filky folks together.) Ideally, of course, there would be designated sales lackeys who would be able to man a table or such so that *every* concert performer would have some recordings available before/after all the concerts, *in the CD sales room*.

Half an hour is probably enough time for *most* performers, IF that doesn't include set-up time. Your bigger draws with bigger repertoires get an hour, MAX, including set-up. (I'm not saying there aren't folks that can happily play and be listened to for longer, just that you do have time constraints to deal with.) And, as other folks have already noted, it is NOT appropriate to just dole out even amounts of time to, say, a popular group with 4 CDs out that is out to Orycon for the first time and a non-released talent that is local.

And have an assigned nitpicker to move people's acts on and off the stage at their scheduled times!

You don't need to start the major general filking right at 10 pm on Saturday, everybody's going to be Masquerading, dancing, or eating anyway...or recovering from same.

Use that primetime day slot on Saturday for as good a fake filk as you can pull off! Get the better folks (material, performance, science fiction content) to do a prearranged 'bardic circle' with the doors towards the rest of the Con wide open, so to speak. Let people who have never encountered filk see it at its best!!

More on this later, I need to get some more info and some graph paper, Kitt

• Original Message ----- From: "John C. Bunnell" <JCBunnell at sff.net> To: <filk at dragoncat.net> Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2001 1:20 PM Subject: [filk] Filk programming exercise

>
> Let me suggest approaching the present problem from a different direction.
>
> You're running filk at OryCon. You have the following resources:
>
> ROOMS:
> Friday - Klamath, 7pm - 4am
> Santiam, 7pm - 4am
> Wilson, 7pm - 4am
>
> Saturday - Klamath, 2pm - 3pm
> Klamath, 10pm - 4am
> Santiam, 7pm - 4am
> Wilson, 7pm - 4am
> [masquerade halftime]
>
>
> To fill this programming space, you have a Friends of Filk guest (assume a
> solo acoustic performer), and *thirteen* individuals or groups who have
> expressed interest in concert slots. Eight of the thirteen have
recordings
> available for sale; five of those eight are new to OryCon and/or have CDs
> that are new since last year. None of the thirteen are Heather
Alexander --
> for the purposes of the exercise, her Sunday morning concert has been
> scheduled directly by Programming, so you don't have to deal with it. [I
> have left out any names to illustrate that this is in no way a personality
> exercise, but a matter of logistics.]
>
> Remember that Wilson and Santiam are adjacent, separated by a removable
> wall -- and that they're over the bar. (Assume that your hotel liaison
> insists that *this* year, the bar-noise bleed problem is finally being
> solved via new contract terms; assume a 1 in 4 chance that this actually
> comes true.)
>
> Assume you have had, and lost, the argument with Programming about
> scheduling concert slots during daytime programming hours -- but figure
that
> they have built in the usual "Jam in the Key of C" panel somewhere or
other.
> And for purposes of the exercise, assume that everyone who's expressed
> interest will, in fact, show up at the con whether or not they get a
concert
> slot.
>
> So: how do you schedule the available filk & concert space?
>
> --
> = John C. Bunnell
> = JCBunnell at sff.net
> = http://www.sff.net/people/jcbunnell/
>
> "You knew the job was dangerous when you took it!"
> -- Super Chicken
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Received on 11/14/01