How events can cover costs document
From The Star And Shadow Cinema Wiki
fill me in!
Ideas
1. For the situation where a person/organisation involved in the star and shadow wishes to put on an event for which they will be paying for the performance and promotion of that event...
Ask people to present costs at programme meetings (this being particular relevant to new people putting on gigs). This forces the person to be more practical and open with the S&S and will make it fairly obvious at what point the person breaks in to profit. One of the costs included in that budget should be a fixed amount of money for S&S uptake. It will then be agreed that after a certain point (e.g. certain number of people through the door), the S&S will start taking a percentage of the profit. This should be geared to allow organisers/promoters to take a profit (as even the best promoter will sometimes take a loss in putting on an evening, espescially if that person has more integrity than interest in profit) but this mechanism should also stop the S&S feeling put out if a big event occurs and they end up with only a small amount of money from the bar - someone involved in the S&S will surely wish to benefit the cinema as well as themselves?
It is my opinion that a £120 flat fee regardless of bar is a little large as it could break a smaller event and still allow a large event to walk away with a large profit that the S&S never sees.
Suggestion of £50 flat fee to be included in budgeting, first £50 profit is the organisers and then S&S takes 50% there-after.
I imagine that there will be situations where exceptions are required (e.g. A situation where the S&S will benefit monetarily from the bar but there is no door fee and no other event can run etc.), but maybe these exceptions need to be agreed upon by consensus at meetings?
For the situation where the S&S is paying the for the event (such as a film) or possibly when a regular organiser pays for the film, but pays themselves back out of takings and gives the rest to the S&S, then the S&S is taking the risk on profit and loss and should therefore take all door money after costs?
--- I think that everything written above is a really good idea, however, I just wanted to raise a couple of related points that may be worth writing into any future contracts.
Increasingly during live music promotions for touring bands, I'm asked to split profits (usually going 80% in favour of the headline band after costs). I find this an attractive solution as the band is fairly paid relative to audience size, and my risk is minimised.
If the above points (profit share of 50% directed towards Star and Shadow) were to become protocol, we would need to: 1. Decide whether profit splits towards bands were allowed at all, and if they were; 2. Decide at which point to split profit - does the star and shadow split become active after initial costs and the band split taken out of the promoter share, or does the star and shadow split become active after the band split has been taken from the profit. If the former, agents and bands need to be made aware of the policy of the venue prior to contract.
These are relatively minor points as the occasions this will happen at the star and shadow will be relatively infrequent, but it is worth being aware of this possibility and making a clear decision on how this will affect the profit share. Debbora
