Month: June 2021

How To Improve Your Live Band’s Engagement With The Audience

Whether you are in a jazz band, a heavy metal band, or a country-rock group, there are certain things that you will need to do in order to have successful live shows both in your hometown and on the road. One of the most important things to do as a music artist is to find ways to engage with the audience. There are a variety of ways that this can be done both on stage and off stage. By following these tips, you can help to ensure that your fans feel more connected with your band.

Engage with the Audience Before and After the Show

Improving your engagement with the audience is a multi-faceted task. It is about more than just presenting an active and engaging onstage show. Many popular brands are well known for doing meet and greet (either formal or informal) before and after their shows. During these, you can talk to audience members, autograph items for them, and invite them to future shows. This is often done at the merch table or directly outside of the venue when weather permits.

Move Around on Stage, Look Out at the Crowd

Having an engaging live show is one of the number one things that you can do to improve your band’s sense of overall audience engagement. An engaging live show does not have to involve full costuming, elaborate props, or pyrotechnics. Doing something as simple as pointing and looking out in the direction of an audience can help to improve engagement. By dancing and having a good time with your bandmates on stage, you can encourage audience members to do the same.

Singer on stage.

Talk to the Crowd Between Songs

Think of the best live shows that you have ever attended. The frontman of the band probably took time between songs to share quick anecdotes and jokes and to thank the audience for coming. They may have made you laugh or even made you cry. You may have learned the story behind one of your favorite songs or found out something new about a band member that you did not know before. These things help to make live shows more engaging and more memorable for the people who attend them.

Bring Audience Members On Stage

Some bands even choose to bring audience members on stage. You can select someone from the front row to join in with guest vocals for a well-known chorus or you can bring someone up to play a fun onstage game while your bandmates switch out instruments or get a drink of water.

Connect with Fans on Social Media While Off Stage

Taking selfies.

Your audience does not only exist in music venues. They also exist in their homes, their cars, their workplaces, and all of the other locations where they enjoy your music. This means that there is always a way to engage with fans, at least on the internet. By replying to comments, liking fan photos, sharing on different social media platforms, and tweeting out at your audience, you can continue engaging with crowds from anywhere in the world.

If you are trying to become more successful as a band, then you need to focus on improving audience engagement. By following these tips, you can make your fans feel more special and sell more records, more merchandise, and more concert tickets through the process as well.

Dogs in Theater: How to Get Them to Play Along

Getting dogs to play along in movies requires the intervention of skilled trainers. Dogs are loyal animals that always seek to serve and make humans happy. Understanding their behavior can make it easy for them to give convincing performances.

Many movies and advertisements have had dogs in the scenes, and they have been impressive.

Being the man’s best friend, acting dogs are proving to be very obedient in films. Building the dog’s confidence requires constant training and treats. Inspiring dedication and expected behavior during movies can be achieved by:

Enhancing Safety Measures

Dog on a play.

The American Humane Association works with directors to ensure dogs’ safety in films. By making them feel safe, the dogs can perform the required tricks for the plot. The use of safety equipment will ensure the dogs trust you as a trainer. Contrary to that, the dogs may misbehave when feeling insecure. It may bark or snap while growling to express fear or nervousness.

Having the owner of the dog during the scene can also enhance trust from the dog. For challenging tricks, the owner can hang around the cast, making the dog comfortable. As a result, the trainer will have an easier time gaining trust from the dog.

Creating a Bond

Man with dog by theatre.

Dogs take relationships seriously like humans. Establishing a bond with the human actors can help the dog to act naturally during the shoot. Introducing the dogs to the actors early enough helps kick-start a relationship.

The actors should also engage the dogs in playful activities, which makes them get used to them. Physical touch should also be a priority since it helps to calm a dog down when around you.

Walking the dog can be very effective, as well as taking hikes. If your production budget allows, a GPS collar can make this easy – especially on a spacious set. This comparison of the Halo Collar and SpotOn Dog Fence shows just how useful a GPS collar can be in this situation. That said, if your budget is a bit on the tighter side then some good old games of fetch can also help create a bond since dogs are very playful.

Talking is also very crucial in creating a bond. Speaking to the dog allows it to read your emotions. It also helps them anticipate your commands, and they will follow instructions easily. It, in turn, creates a bond since they incline to spend more time with the actors.

Training

Conditioned response training is the most important of all factors. You should first ensure that you have experienced trainers. An experienced trainer assures a higher chance of cooperation from the dog.

Most movies have an average of four trainers who will ensure the dog remains focused. These trainers are crucial to ensure that the dog scene unfolds every step of the way.

Secondly, you should practice ensuring that the dog knows what to do. Through guidance on obstacles to encounter, familiarity will be easy in the actual filming. Scenes, where barking takes place, should also receive emphasis at an early stage.

Achieving conditioned training requires:

  • Treats– by giving the dog treats during training, you can motivate them to act accordingly. Treats can also establish trust and signify good performance from the dog.
  • Clicker – this is a device that produces a clicking sound when clicked. They signify good performance when training a dog. You can use them to communicate satisfaction with the dog’s performance.
  • Feed stick- when trying to switch the dog’s attention in the movie, a feed stick is crucial. Usually fitted with treats at the end, the dog can be coaxed to look in different directions.

Step-by-step training– for exceptional results, trainers should use this training method. By teaching the dogs in small chunks, they can catch faster. They also learn how to integrate the different parts leading to better performance.

Dogs are very loyal and intelligent creatures. They help humans get through emotional difficulties. Having dogs as actors will be helpful to the mental health of viewers. They connect to humans on a deeper level and will always have a place in our hearts.

How To Land A Sponsorship To Fund Your Next Theater Event

Whether your next theater event is a play, an opera, a musical, a comedy show, an inspirational speaker, a music concert, or something else, you may find that you are in need of sponsorship in order to make things possible. Event sponsors can help to support the arts by covering fees associated with putting on arts events. Sponsorship dues might help to cover theater space rent, advertising, costumes, staff, and other important associated costs.

Tip No 1: Make It Well Known That You Are Looking for Sponsors

Cast a wide net in your community. Be sure to let people know early and often that your theater is in need of sponsorship for an upcoming event. You may want to create a press release and distribute it to local news outlets like newspapers, radio stations, and local tv networks.

Tip No 2: Personally Ask Businesses and Individuals to Sponsor the Event

Remember, the worst thing that can happen when asking an individual or business to become a sponsor for your theater event is that they would say no. Be fearless in the face of rejection as you await yes answers. If there is a specific individual or business with whom you would love to connect, you should specifically contact them and request sponsorship.

Tip No 3: Throw Fundraising Events

Fundraising events can help you to collect extra funds for your upcoming theater event. At your fundraiser events, you will meet people who are already willing to show support. While mingling and thanking people for their attendance, you can also share information about sponsorship with the attendees.

Cupcakes and cookies.

Tip No 4: Attend Networking Mixers

If you are unable to throw your own mini-events prior to the main theater event for which you require sponsorship, then you can utilize other networking mixers to your benefit. Have a professional and personable representative from your theater organization attend networking events and connect with local art enthusiasts and business owners.

Social media icons.

Tip No 5: Demonstrate the Value of the Sponsorship

The goal of sponsorship is to make it easier and less costly for your theater to put on high-quality shows. Potential sponsors need to understand exactly where their money will be going before they are able to make any donations. Let them know what specifically will be funded by sponsorship – for example, new lighting equipment, the printing of play programs, or costuming. You should also demonstrate the benefit of your theater to the sponsor. Let them know how you will promote their business as a part of the sponsorship. Commonly, this is done by mentioning them on programs where play attendees will see the names of local individuals and businesses with who they may choose to connect in the future. If sponsored by a restaurant or other food and drink venture, you may choose to allow vending at intermission.

Landing a sponsorship for an upcoming theater event can be a challenge. Some of the best theaters in the world have learned to handle the area of sponsorship with finesse and professionalism in order to properly fund extravagant productions. By following some tips and advice from those who have been there before, however, the process of seeking theater sponsors can become just a little bit easier. These tips can provide a good start for anyone looking into theater sponsorship.