The content of this course has been taught in multiple colleges and is based on the instructor's experience of over 30 years of touring as Production and Tour Manager throughout North America, Europe and China, as well as Producer & Production and Event Manager of Comedy Festivals, Cultural and Rock Festivals for up to 70,000 people.
If you want to be in the live performance or touring industry as a hobbyist, a semi-professional or a professional, there are certain things that you need to know. This course outlines the Top 4 Things that are the absolute basics you need to know:
#1: The Industry Hierarchy - Who are all those people behind the scenes and what do they do?
What is a tour or production manager? What is the difference between a manager and an agent and what can they do for me? When will I need one of these people? We look at the importance of each role and the order of their importance.
# 2: Contracts and Riders.
It does not matter how big or small the show, you have to have at least a contract and you should have a rider. You will learn what you need and what the big boys use: we will go through a major artist rider, look at some real red flag examples.You will get an idea of what you should start with.
# 3: The Entertainment "Buying" Process.
A lot of people think that buying entertainment is like buying a couch, a car or a house. It is not.
It doesn't matter if you are the artist whose performances are sold or the buyer looking to hire an artist for an event, there is a process that needs to be followed that you need to know. And then, there is also the "Offer", one of the most misunderstood documents in the business that can cause major grief if handled improperly.
# 4: Keeping Track of Your Career Finances
No matter what you think, if you are playing shows that you are getting paid for or you are selling CDs out of the trunk of your car, you are "in business". The cringe factor of that set aside, you need to keep track of some financial stuff. If you are planning to do a little touring, no matter how big or how small, you best figure out how not to lose your shirt in the process. You will learn really simple ways how to do all of this and it will be a lot less painful than you are anticipating.
