Participant Packet 2017

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Welcome 2017 Fringe Participants!

You are now a part of the eighth year of our little festival in
Hollywood. We are so proud to work with such a talented and
diverse pool of artists and producers. Use this time to have fun,
build your craft and challenge yourself with new experiences.
Were always here for you; we believe in your unique voice and
want to assist in this bold endeavor youve begun.
At Fringe, community is king. We are a big tent of artists, en-
trepreneurs and dreamers. Fundamentally, it is your choice to
partake (or abstain) from participating in this jolly band of min-
strels. Our suggestion: dive-in headfirst and dont look back.
The people you meet at Fringe can become lifelong friends and
collaborators as you will always share memories of this special
time.
So how does a smart fringe producer stand apart in this hefty
confederation of shows? Thats where this packet comes into play. Listed herein are tips, tricks and discounts to
lighten the intellectual and financial load of your road ahead. Integrate these into your marketing plan and you
may just stage that breakout Fringe hit.
We know theres a lot of information to wade through during Fringe; hopefully the words below distill that ca-
cophony to a dull roar. Dont forget, you can always email support@hollywoodfringe.org for help!
Just dont forget to have the time of your lifeits only June 2017 once.

Fringe On!

Ben Hill, Festival Director

Important Dates:
April 15th: Guide Ad Deadline June 1st-6th: Previews
April 15th: Guide Listing Lockdown June 7th: Opening Night Party
May 1st: Tickets Go On Sale June 8th-25th: 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival
June 25th: Awards Ceremony & Closing Night Party
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Preparing for a Successful Festival

TOWN HALLS & WORKSHOPS
Weve already conducted two Town Halls and two Workshops
for the 2017 Festival. If you didnt attend, we recommend that
you watch them, especially if this is your first HFF.

Workshop III: Festival Expectations will be held on April 24th

(see link to reserve free seats). The next Town Hall, all about
Ticketing & Festival Prep, will be held on May 1st. The final
Workshop of the season, on May 15th, covers all things tech
for your Fringe production. All the details, including links to
reserve free seats, can be found in this blog post.
We also hosted a set of creative workshops in the off season this year (you can watch them by following the link
in the first paragraph). Unlike the spring workshops that focus primarily on producing a show, these workshops
were all about best practices in the creative process. Join us for this series in autumn to be even more prepared
when #hff18 comes around.

PREVIEWS (June 1st-6th)

Think hard about how you want to use this time! Whether you plan to use previews to get an early review or
simply as a way to provide a soft opening for your production, we recommend you book at least one slot during
this week (pick your slot carefully - the prime time slots can be very competitive). Remember, the Fringe doesnt
sell tickets to performances on June 7th: thats the day of the Opening Night Party!

DISCOUNT TICKETS
Discounts are a great way to get butts in seatsand participant discounts in particular help entice other festival
folks to come see your show. Your projects administrator can add discount codes through your project dash-
board on the Fringe website. Codes are applied per performance, so if you want to use the same code for all
your performances, you will need to apply it to all of them. Your patrons can enter their codes when purchasing
tickets online.

For example: if youre marketing to your college, you can create a special discount code just for them to use
on the Fringe website and mobile apps (IOWA, for example). This is also an excellent way of tracking how
patrons hear about your show. Keep in mind that shorter discount codes are always easier to remember, thereby
more effective.

For a lot more talk about ticketing best practices, make sure to attend our Town Hall on Ticketing & Festival
Prep.
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PARTICIPANT DISCOUNTS
In addition to other discount codes you may work into your
ticketing scheme, you can set special pricing for participants in
your project admin section. One key to success at the Fringe
is luring the right people to see your production, especially the
members of the community that see a lot of shows and talk
about them. More often than not, this group consists of a lot of
participants. One highly publicized night of cheap tickets for
participants can lead to a successful Fringe run.

THE SMALL STUFF

Even the smallest detail can make an impact in your marketing
efforts. If your show is geared toward families and contains no
adult themes or language, you can mark your project as family-
friendly. You can also specify that your show is a solo show, a world premier or whether it has nudity or flashing
lights. You can mark these details on the fringe site by navigating to edit project under the admin tab of your
project and checking the appropriate box (you must be logged in as a project admin). Keep in mind, though,
that misleading your audience by making these specifications and not delivering can backfire.
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All About Flyers

Distributing postcards, posters, and/or other creative market-
ing products is a great way to market your show. Here are
some rules (and tips!) regarding your printed goods.

You MUST...

Print the Hollywood Fringe logo on your materials. You

will need the logo on your flyer if you want placement on a
table in a fringe-run venue. You can download the logo at
hollywoodfringe.org/branding (If you forget to do this, you
can print stickers of the Fringe logo and place them on the
flyers).

You MUST NOT

Leave or adhere your promotional materials anywhere without permission, especially in public places. The
city can issue a fine.

You SHOULD...

Use creativity, or your materials may not stand out from the crowd!
Make sure the main text is legible, even from a few feet away.
Include essential info: What, Where, When and How Much are the most important details. Dont leave this
out, but also dont include so much text that it overwhelms your materials.
Spell check, spell check, spell check!
Offer your materials to people you dont know, but make conversation first. Be engaging!
Place your postcards in other Fringe venues & Hot Spots (make sure to talk with the venue manager first).
Let them know you are part of the Hollywood Fringe and theyll let you know where you can display your
materials if they have space.

You SHOULD NOT...

Move or cover up other peoples postcards with your own. The Fringe staff wont hesitate to remove your fly-
ers if you do this. If youre having trouble finding room for your materials, consult with the venues manager.
Litter!
Hand out postcards to an audience walking out of a show unless you have permission.
Print more flyers than you need - be mindful of the environment.
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Press Relations 101

Part 1: Your Press Release
If you havent already, make a press release and send it to a
targeted list of Los Angeles media outlets that focus on your
topics or your artform (do your research!). We also strongly
recommend posting your press release on the Hollywood
Fringe site (by going to the Press tab on your project page).

Not sure where to start? We have a great list of media outlets

that would be good to contact in our handy Marketing & Press
article. Theres also some good advice about how to post your
press release on the site, among other things.
Keys to a good press release:

A catchy title and first sentence.

A clear message in as few words as possible.
A pitch enticing enough to make someone want to see your show (What is unique about your production?).
The details: time, date, location, ticketing info, and a part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival!
A captivating image to add some visual appeal and break up the monotony of words.

Part 2: Beyond the Press Release

You dont have to hire a professional publicist to get press to come to your show (though some people find that
it helps to delegate this task). Its really all about finding the right journalists and approaching them in the right
way.

You might be tempted to blast your email to everyone who covers the arts in any way. This is not the recom-
mended approach. Do your research and find out who covers your type of production or content. This takes a
little extra time but we assure you, its worth knowing the right people.

Engaging the press is a more complicated process than simply sending off your press release. First, dont send
the same email (or worse, the same copy of your press release copied into the body of the email) over and over
again. Try to strike up a conversation: send an email introducing yourself, pitch your show in a personal and
friendly way, and most importantly, offer comps. Follow-ups are great but dont be a spammer. Nothing is a big-
ger turnoff for journalists and audiences alike!

You also want to make sure that when you approach press, you are prepared to provide them with information
they may need to write about you and your production. Make it as easy as possible for them to write about you.
You should have a production summary, cast and crew listings, relevant biographies (yours, the playwrights, the
directors, etc), and photographs ready to send to press at their request. These are also the perfect materials to
include in your own press kit.
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Part 3: Press Requests

Representatives from the press who have registered with the
Fringe also have the option of requesting free press passes to
your show. If you receive an email that a member of the press
is interested in a ticket, make sure to reserve a comp for him/
her immediately on your project page and notify them that you
have done so. This is one of the reasons why staying on top of
your email account during Fringe is EXTREMELY important.
Keep an eye out for emails from HFF staffthe press will
sometimes go through us with requests for photos, interviews
and other fun opportunities. So please, remember to check the
email you used to set up an HFF account, especially if you are
a project admin.

Fringe Promotional Opportunities

REGISTER EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
If you have already registered for a show during the Festival and have paid your registration fee, then you can
register to hold an educational event (workshop, class, instructional endeavor, etc.) at no additional charge.
Those not already taking part in the festival can register to hold one of these events for only $50. To learn
about the benefits and what to consider before registering please visit this page.

FRINGE ADS
You can purchase ads in the Fringe Guide and on the Hollywood Fringe site with special participant rates (up
to 50% off the normal rate). This is an effective and inexpensive way to draw a wider audience to your show.
Visit www.hollywoodfringe.org/market to check out your options. All guide ads must be reserved by April 15th.
There are no deadlines for online ads.

AUCTION FOR PREMIUM AD PLACEMENT

Weve made it a tradition to auction off the premium ad placements in the Guide: the back cover, the inner front
cover & the two centerfold ads. To participate in the auction you must purchase an ad by April 15th. Well
subtract the cost of your original ad buy from your bid if you win. Keep an eye out for an announcement in our
weekly newsletter about how to participate.

FRINGE TV INTERVIEWS
FringeTV is back and we want to hear from you!
Backstage at Fringe 2017: We want to film a few clips from your live show, and follow you backstage to hear
about your experience and what Fringe means to you. Contact us at fringetv@hollywoodfringe.org by May 10
(include Backstage in the subject line). Slots are very limited.
Participant Lighting Round: We will have an open Cattle Call for participants to come through a theatre
and answer two questions about their show as quickly as possible (choose up to four people from your cast).
This video will be completed at the beginning of the festival at a time and location TBD and it is a great way to
market yourself and be highlighted in Fringe TV 2017. Keep an eye on future newsletters to learn more about
this opportunity.
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SPONSORED DRINKS
Looking for a way to make your show stand out at Fringe
Central? Sponsor a drink at Bryans Bar! For $100.00 we will
provide the alcohol and mixers for a hand-crafted beverage in
celebration of your show! Also included: an official HFF social
media blast, a newsletter shout out & printed signage at the
bar. Details to be announced shortly in an upcoming newslet-
ter.

FRINGE CABARET
The Cabaret Stage is located at Fringe Central and provides
Fringe participants as well as the general public an opportunity
to preview snippets of Fringe shows. There are new shows fea-
tured in every performance, special guest performers, raffles
for show tickets and Fringe swag, and its all FREE! Fringe participants wishing to perform on the cabaret stage
should follow @HFFCabaret and watch for details on how to apply in an upcoming newsletter.
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Get Involved in the Fringe Community

SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is one of the best ways to get noticed by other
Fringers who are often your best audience source. You might
also get the attention of a few bloggers or other members of
the press. Please note that extra effort here should not take the
form of spamming potential followers and friends. Well-thought
out content that tells a story or propels a conversation spread
out over time is always a much more charming way to captivate
your audience than copy-pasting the same message to 100
people. Groups that put effort into this will reap the rewards:
more reviews, stories, and sold out houses.

Twitter is a great place to start: Be sure to follow

@hollywoodfringe and use the official Fringe 2017 hashtag
(#hff17) for all your Fringe news. You can also follow @hollywoodfringe and use the same hashtag on Insta-
gram.

TWITTER CHATS
Join us for a series of Twitter Chats that may help you recruit audiences and meet other Fringers online before
the festival begins. This can be a great way to network and get a jump on word-of-mouth marketing. Just use the
#hff17 hashtag to take part in the conversation at these times:
April 10th (Mon), 2:00pm-3:00pm PDT
April 25th (Tues), 7:00pm-8:00pm PDT
May 8th (Mon), 2:00pm-3:00pm PDT
May 22nd (Mon), 7:00pm-8:00pm PDT

OFFICE HOURS
Join Hollywood Fringe staff and participants every Wednesday from 7pm - 9pm for the return of Office Hours!
Office Hours are casual meet-ups at different bars around Hollywood that offer you a weekly chance to network
and drink with other Fringers! Use #drinkingaboutfringe on Twitter or Instagram for updates on locations, spe-
cials, and more. See the current schedule in this blog post.

NETWORK
It is very important to network with others outside your production. Even if you have the greatest show on earth,
you need to network. Some of the most successful shows during Fringe are put up by participants who see a lot
of other shows, hang out at Fringe Central, or other gathering places, constantly and who arent afraid to strike
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MEDIA DISCOUNTS & OPPORTUNITIES

TodayTix (www.todaytix.com) is proud to partner with
Hollywood Fringe as an official marketing and ticketing plat-
form available to all festival productions. With no-cost market-
ing exposure to the TodayTix global userbase, you can set up
a listing to reach new audiences and join prestigious LA insti-
tutions like Center Theatre Group, LA Opera, The Pasadena
Playhouse, The Wallis and more on TodayTixs curated plat-
form for culture lovers. For more information, see www.hol-
lywoodfringe.org/todaytix and submit your show at go.todaytix.
com/FringeListings.

Backstage offers a variety of free and cost-effective tools to

help you find talent while creating buzz for your projects. And
now you can run notices seeking cast and/or crew for your Fringe projects across Backstages online media net-
work for free. To get started, visit www.Backstage.com/FindTalent and create a free Casting/Employer account.
Click Post a Job to fill in your project details. When prompted for a promotion code, enter the secret Fringe
Fest discount code HFF2017 in the pop-up window.

NoHoartsdistrict.com is San Fernando Valleys #1 source for theatre - averaging 85,000 visitors per
month with 25,000 social media followers. NoHoartsdistrict.com has successfully promoted the Valleys 25+
theatres for 12 years. They have been a media sponsor for the Hollywood Fringe Festival for 6 years. They
bring the San Fernando Valley Theatre-goers to the Fringe! This year they are offering Fringe Theatre compa-
nies an affordable and effective way to publicize their shows and get people in seats. For details about advertis-
ing, social media promotion and show reviews, see hollywoodfringe.org/noho.

Footlights is the leading producer of programs to Los Angeles theatre companies. This year, they are offering
discounted advertising, show listings and programs for your shows. For a full listing of 2017 offerings from
Footlights, check out www.hollywoodfringe.org/footlights. Contact fringe@footlights.click for more info.

Discover Hollywood will take 25% off the 1X rate for ads or listings for Fringe participants. Please see
www.hollywoodfringe.org/discoverhollywood for more details on ad cost and contact information.
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OTHER PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights (ALAP) is
a support and service organization for playwrights in SoCal.
Check out their website (laplaywrights.org) and www.holly-
woodfringe.org/alap for more information on how to get in-
volved with ALAP. And if youre a Fringe participant, join ALAP
and get $10 off your first years membership!

LA STAGE Alliance is offering Fringe participants deep

discounts on rehearsal space and props/costume/set rental as
well as discounted advertising at www.lastagealliance.com/
fringe2017. Pricing and contact information are available at
the link.

One City One Pride Festival Partnership: As an additional promotion to Hollywood Fringe participants,
we are partnering with the City of West Hollywoods One City One Pride Festival. Any participant show with
LGBTQ-themes that books at least one performance in a West Hollywood venue is eligible for a complimentary
HFF registration (valued at $250) courtesy of a grant received from the City of West Hollywood. They will also
be included in the One City One Pride Festival. These scholarships will be made available through a lottery tak-
ing place in April 2017, announced by the City of West Hollywood and administered by the Hollywood Fringe
Festival. For all the details on this partnership visit www.hollywoodfringe.org/weho.

The LA Female Playwrights Initiative (lafpi.com) is interested in partnering with shows written by female
playwrights or helmed by women artists to arrange ad exchange and additional promotion. If youre interested in
this opportunity please contact lafpi.updates@gmail.com, visit their How To page for Fringe Femmes (http://
lafpi.com/events/hff/) & connect with them on facebook.com/LAFPI and @theLAFPI.

Asylum Consulting, offering 20 years of producing experience, including 10 years of fringes (San Fran-
cisco and Los Angeles). Special Fringe Offer: PR blast (300+) and web posting for $125. Asylum offers
additional consulting services. For information on their services, please contact info@AsylumConsultingLA.com
or visit our website at www.AsylumConsultingLA.com.

See It or Skip It LA Seasoned Fringe correspondents will host a curated podcast to connect audiences to
Fringe shows. Contact Creative Producer Cindy Marie Jenkins at seeitorskipitla@gmail.com to be considered
for an interview (put HFF17 in Subject Line). Correspondents may attend your show and determine whether it
fits into their coverage schedule, which includes pre-recorded segments, social media coverage/reviews as well
as live talk-show style podcasts.
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PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO SERVICES

Nathaniel Beaver, Parry-Riposte FIlms
Lets face it, people want to know what your show is about.
With so many options, how do you differentiate yourself? You
need a short video or promo that you can use to publicize
your show! Beav will be returning as the Director/Editor for
FringeTV, so he definitely knows the world of the Hollywood
Fringe. He can film your performance (or selected scenes) and
edit the video for you to use to market your show for the fringe.
Please contact him for rates. Website: www.parry-ripostefilms.
com. Phone: 323-493-7014. Email: info@parry-ripostefilms.
com
Robby DeVillez, Videography
Robby will use his multi-camera set up to record a high definition video for your Fringe performance or rehears-
al for $100. Samples of Robbys previous jobs (plays, concerts, recitals, etc) can be found at https://www.
facebook.com/webreelz/. Contact him at robby.devillez@gmail.com.

Matt Kamimura, Photographer

www.mattkamimura.com
For $150 per item, Matt offers the following services:
60 min photo shoot
60 min HD video
60 min 360 VR
Contact matt@mattkamimura.com

Annie Lesser, Photographer

Check out Annies photos at annielesser.virb.com/photography.
1 Hour Promo Photo Shoot w/ 4 touched up photos: $85 (Normally $150)
Live Performance Shoot (1 hour or less) w/ 4 touched up photos: $65 (Normally $100), add $20 and an
extra touched up photo for each additional 30 minutes of your show.
20 Minute Express Portraits (available only on select days) w/ 1 touched up photo $30 (NORMALLY
$50)
Contact Annie at annie.lesser@gmail.com.

Adam Southard, Photographer

You can view samples of his theatre work, including shots from Fringe last year, here: bestlaheadshots.com/
theatre. Adam will shoot your rehearsals, dress rehearsals or performances for $50 (one-act plays) or $75
(full-length plays). Hell release the rights to all the photos so you can use, print and save them however you
like. Contact Adam at BestLAHeadshots@gmail.com or 310-498-1719.
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PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION SERVICES

Flyer Distribution
For $100, our distribution service will drop up to 1,000 of
your flyers (or $1 per poster) at key locations around the city.
This relieves you of one of the most time-consuming aspects of
marketing your show. Contact Larry Blum at larr8351@aol.
com or 323-376-3616.

Arnold the Printer is offering discounts on his normal pric-

ing for Fringe participants. Contact: arnoldtheprinter@dslex-
treme.com or 818-487-9600. You must mention that its for
your Fringe Festival show. For more information visit www.
hollywoodfringe.org/arnold.
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DURING THE FESTIVAL

The Guide
Well be printing many thousands of beautiful, information-rich
Fringe Guides for distribution throughout Los Angeles. This is
where the guide description you created will appear, so make
sure to check all your info and make any needed changes by
April 15th. The guides are scheduled to drop in mid-May.

Hot Spots
Theyre back! Multiple businesses in Hollywood have opted to
give Fringe participants a discount on the different goods and
services they provide when you show your Fringe Button. You
can check out the Fringe website for more information on the
program at www.hollywoodfringe.org/hotspots (this page will continue to be updated as new businesses are
added). Take a peek at the great deals being offered to you around town!

Buttons
The Hollywood Fringe button program returns! Our square buttons help Fringers identify each other, and help
save you money at the Fringe. Buttons are regularly priced at $5 with a special price of $3 for participants.
Your button entitles you to $1 off every show at the Fringe, low-priced drinks at the Fringe Central bar and
discounts at local businesses who are members of our Hot Spot program. One button is included with every
registration (you can buy additional buttons at www.hollywoodfringe.org/cart or when purchasing tickets on the
site). In addition, your Button purchase will be attached to your account on our website so you can still get your
ticket discounts when you purchase online.

Volunteer
Well need masses of volunteers this year and if you have any additional time to spare, wed love to have your
help! Historically, some of our best volunteers have been participants (and some of our best staff members
were once volunteers!). Volunteers usually get a few perks, too, including free tickets to many Hollywood Fringe
productions. For more information on volunteer opportunities and to sign up, go to www.hollywoodfringe.org/
volunteer and/or contact our Volunteer Director Stina Pederson at stina@hollywoodfringe.org.

Fringe Central
The 2017 Fringe Central social space will be hosted at a new club located in what was formerly known as The
Dragonfly, on Theatre Row at 6510 Santa Monica Blvd. The new club is set to open in June, with Hollywood
Fringe being the first guests.

Fringe Central is the community center of the festival, featuring major Fringe events, concierge staff, and the
festival box office, as well as free programming, a bar, food trucks, and Fringe merchandise. The space serves
not only as a place for Fringe-goers to unwind, but also as a gathering place for those wishing to network,
distribute flyers or hold meetings. For hours and information visit http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/venues/1.
Fringe Central is an 18+ venue.
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Fringe Events
Hollywood Fringe will be hosting a number of events through-
out the festival, including:

The Opening Night Party on June 7th @ Fringe Central

Fringe Runway on June 14th @ Fringe Central
Fringe Prom on June 21st @ Fringe Central
The Fringe Award Ceremony on June 25th @ The Ricardo
Montalban Theatre
The Closing Night Party on June 25th @ Fringe Central

All of these events are free with a button and they are great op-
portunities to meet new people and expand your audience!
Awards
Fringe will host an Awards Ceremony (at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre) on June 25th. The awards ceremony
is a combination of sponsored awards from outside organizations and community awards based on votes from
active members of the Fringe world. The community awards are based on the category you register your show
under (Dance & Physical Theater, Comedy, etc.). Interested in sponsoring an award? Check out this article and
submit your award idea by May 1.

Contacting the Fringe Team

If you need to contact the Hollywood Fringe during the festival, the best and fastest way to get a response is to
email support@hollywoodfringe.org. You can also often find staff members at Fringe Central (we love chatting
with participants) but serious issues should always go through Support.

The Future
The Fringe business plan is designed to ensure that any success we attain this year can be rolled over to the
future, allowing us to begin planning for an even bigger and more innovative festival in 2018. However, we
do need to raise money each year to cover the incredible costs of mounting this event. If youd like to see the
Fringe grow and prosper and you have some cash to spare, we encourage you to donate to the cause at www.
hollywoodfringe.org/donate. All proceeds will help pay for the festival (and they are all tax deductible)!

We hope that your adventures at the Hollywood Fringe Festival are memorable and that you share your experi-
ence with others. As always, we strive to champion the underexposed artist and to bring our performing arts
community closer together.

Its never too early to create a project for next year: www.hollywoodfringe.org/add_project

All Photos in this Packet Courtesy of Matt Kamimura, Fringe Staff Photographer