For those of you who missed it, a quick tour of my Lego city, plus an actual visual of how everything works from the back!Yay!
(Oh yeah, excuse me if I act stupid… I really hate being on camera. Also, there was quite a delay for me to hear stuff, so there might be delays in the recording itself - live stuff over time zones is weird!)
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7 May 2009Come join me at BlogTV
14 Dec 2007The failure of City Head '08
You may have noticed me writing about producing City Head again for 2008 (my puppetry show that was performed in April this year). Unfortunately, due to a lot of bad planning on my part, and lack of time (actually, that should be the other way around), it’s probably not going to happen.
What were the reasons?
First, an admission of guilt: I’m not sure whether I really wanted to do the show. I’m sure that I wanted to do the show, but knew that because of lack of time, I was about 60 - 70% positive that I wouldn’t have enough time and space to get everything I needed to get done, done. If I wasn’t at my day job, I would have had more energy and space to be organised. Secondly, I, as usual when I want to be more involved in theatre and can’t, overcommit myself with other projects.
Thirdly, a lack of organisation impacted on my ability to get a venue. I had pinned my hopes on getting Trades Hall - similar to a festival-run venue - which we had used earlier this year. My familiarity with the program coordinator was particularly where I got my hopes attached, since she was very keen on our show and sounded interested in booking us for next year. Unfortunately for me, the program coordinator got replaced (for reasons not known by me), and the lack of familiarity with the new one almost surely meant a loss in getting the venue.
Fourth, a lack of organisation meant that no back up venues had been approached until after the announcement of the Trades Hall decision - just two weeks before Comedy Festival registration was due. In these two weeks, I only approached one venue - I had intended on contacting three - simply because I knew the manager and was confident I could get the space (if available) for free.
Fifth, the venue I did contact - Swinburne’s DWT - appeared to be free during our proposed season, but had to wait for confirmation from the course coordinator. The course coordinator being notoriously absent-minded, and the venue manager notoriously busy, I was only able to find out that the venue was free on the day of registration. (Registration means that payment and contracts have to be sent to the festival admin by 5pm. There was no way I was going to get that done on a Monday morning/afternoon, in time for the 5pm deadline) I received the call from the manager at 1.40pm, but wasn’t able to answer at that time. I promptly forgot about the ringing phone, and only remembered when I left work: after 5pm.
Sixth, my move to go to UNIMA 2008 in Perth, which runs halfway through the comedy festival. This no doubt was the clincher for Trades, since they don’t like to give short shows a short season (perhaps no more than 2 - 4 shows).
I am particularly frustrated, as I spent $AU 3000 on creating the show, and wanted to get my money’s worth (yes, I know, I’ve got to put more money in to do it a second time, but it’s still getting my money’s worth) by presenting it again. I knew that this was possibly the last time I would be able to do the show, as after this I have other more important projects to work on, and my interest and patience in reproducing City Head is waning. Add to that a frustrated playwright, who disagrees with me on a number of important artistic issues, and a young cast about to go to uni next year… And you have a play that probably will never see the light of day again.
Despite this, we have a chance of attending the One Van festival next year. Added 12/12/07 - Notifications of successful applications for One Van will be announced in Feb. Hardly enough time to sufficiently plan and coordinate three actors and myself, with transport, accommodation, etc. The cast are all attending uni next year, so it hardly seems fair to ask them to rush last minute into NSW for a weekend of performances. So that won’t be happening either.
…and an offer to use a film maker’s equipment to do a filmed version of the show. Additionally, I can say that City Head ‘07 was a great learning opportunity, which allowed me to self-produce a puppetry performance with no additional assistance, and to create puppets on my own for the first time.
While I’m annoyed that I probably won’t do the show ever again, or most likely not have the time to self-produce a show again, I’m grateful for the opportunity; I got great reviews, enjoyed myself, and discovered a new way of creating theatre.
As a final statement, I am most disappointed at letting down the cast and crew, whom I have only recently met and become friends with; and wanted very much to offer a professional opportunity to be involved in theatre, as they are emerging artists.
It’s been a long journey to here: a slow realisation that I probably will not be able to produce shows on a full-time, or even part-time basis, anymore. While this is giving me other doors and windows to open, my true home is in theatre, and I don’t give it up so easily. Which is why I scratched out my above comment: part of me no longer wishes to try producing shows, as I know the hope to continue being involved is only making myself more frustrated and more likely to overcommit to creative projects. And yet, the more I try to produce a show, the more it fails - the opposite of how my life used to work.
Perhaps things will change: but not likely. It’s been heading this way for several years now. City Head ‘07 was a fluke, in that I quit my temp job in order to work on the show 24/7, seven days a week, for three or four months. It was worth it, and I wish I could do that again. I’m much happier setting my own hours, doing my own tasks, and running my own business, than working for others.
… Anyway, the issue is that there were many points of failure to City Head ‘08, most of which were my fault, some of which was just bad luck or timing.
(This post is more for archival sake than for interest to readers; a recount of my failures in this situation will be important for future performances)
4 Dec 2007Store on the way!!
On Sunday you may have noticed my new icon for my puppet store. You may have even noticed that there is a page already created, ready for the store. Well, it may take another couple of weeks to get it online - longer than expected. It’s not a big deal, it’s just I’ve somewhat changed how I’m going to sell my puppets.
