[filk] Re: who gets prime time

I have to agree that sliding schedules are just not a good idea for many reasons that folks have mentioned. The MOST important of which is the ability of the fans to see the performers they want to see.. Highly annoying to show up at the scheduled time and find out you were an hour or so too late because they were bumped up.

IMnsHO: the best way to make use of no-shows is

1. get back on schedule if you are currently off.
2. Opportunity for an 'encore' number or two by current performer assuming that they have the material and the audience is into it. (judgement call on behalf of the stage manager)
3. early setup and sound check time for the next act. perhaps an early start using a song not on their set under the auspices of a sound check.
4. 'open mic' or give the time to someone who's signed up for a 'standby' slot..

The last option isn't always that feasible because you are not always going to have someone just sitting around willing to perform on a moment's notice... but if you need to fill time, rather than have a dead stage, it works. If you have half hour slots you are not likely to want #4, and you can fill by letting one act run late, and another act setup early. IMHO you should only resort to 'filler' acts (standby etc) if you have longer slots.

• Original Message ----- From: "Arlene 'Callie' Hills" <callie at twig.com> To: <filk at dragoncat.net> Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2001 2:23 PM Subject: [filk] Re: who gets prime time

>
> > Fine. but not during prime time. Heather doesn't. Neither should Jeff
and
> > Maya.
>
> That only works if (1) there are non-prime-time slots made available,
> and (2) scheduling input provided to concoms, is paid attention to.
> I'm not sure whether the former is possible, but I can speak from
> painful, repeated, personal experience, that the latter, HAS NOT
> BEEN THE CASE.
>
> In a con as heavily multi-tracked as OryCon, I think it is as unfair
> to the performers as to the audience, to try to implement a sliding
> schedule. For the schedule changes that did happen, info was
> available for them, prominently displayed on the door of the Klamath
> room, and in printed placards both at the Friends of Filk dealers
> table and in Hospitality. Giving performers the *option* to
> reshuffle when slots open up, and publicizing such changes, is the
> only reasonable fallback, as far as I'm concerned.
>
> Anne, if you are not willing to be scheduled for a concert slot
> after 9pm, fine. Say so. And refuse what's offered if it doesn't
> meet your criteria. But don't try to reorganize the entire filk
> concert track, just to accomodate your desires. A *LOT* of us put
> up with a lot of shit, and do our best to make the less-than-optimal
> system we have, which is bounded by the constraints that John
> enumerated, work.
>
> Callie
>
>
Received on 11/14/01