Issue 69 Video ——The rise of self-generated video ——The Forever Project ——Using video to reach new audiences ——Random Acts a-m-a.co.uk 1 ——Let’s talk about VR editorial Lights, Camera, Action!
1. Lights, Camera, Action! 12. Shared Ambition — findings and outcomes Video plays a key role in everyday audiences. Dan Watt-Smith shares Bell from the Mayflower Theatre editorial training life — social media, online streaming, the framework that Canvas use when explains how implementing an gaming, how-to training, education, helping arts organisations develop analysis framework has helped The reel life 14. Random Acts and VR/AR experiences. their video strategy. Jamie Harber provide direction to future spotlight case study from the Asian Arts Agency then marketing campaigns. In this issue of JAM we look at how illustrates how this framework was 2. The rise of self-generated video 16. Let’s talk about VR video is being used within the arts, used in the filming of PunjabTronix We catch up with Stagetext on feature feature cultural and heritage sector; from during its UK tour in 2017. the success of their Captioning marketing and engagement through Awareness Week, and AMA’s 5. The Forever Project 18. Caption Heroes to audience and visitor experiences. Oliver Laurenson-Gore from Marketing Officer — Membership case study captioning awareness week Resource Productions explains how Engagement, Matt Ecclestone, The issue opens with Rob Glass Random Acts Network Centres shares his reel life in Spotlight. 8. Using video to reach 19. Looking backwards to move forwards reflecting on the rise and future are helping to support 16-24 year new audiences connect discover inspire of the self-generated video, and old artists to produce their first Jacqueline Haxton feature exploring the importance of broadcast film. Editor — JAM storytelling in video content. 10. PunjabTronix Virtual Reality (VR) is having an case study Sarah Coward from the National impact on audience and visitor Holocaust Centre and Museum experiences. Anna Maloney from the explains how their new 3D interactive Culture Diary explores this impact programme the Forever Project is and how arts, heritage and cultural preserving the voice of Holocaust organisations can use these types of survivors for future generations. digital experiences to develop new partnerships and investment. [email protected] Canvas was launched in 2015 to a-m-a.co.uk help arts organisations reach new In Connect Discover Inspire, Victoria @amadigital
spotlight This edition of JAM was compiled and edited by Jacqueline Haxton. Visit Designed by Jake Young. a-m-a.co.uk The Reel Life Write for JAM Contact If you would like to contribute a case study, feature or have an idea for JAM @amadigital please email [email protected] [email protected] If life could be summed up as a film, space, curatorial interning at a A long and winding route, but one +44 (0) 1223 578 078 mine would be a meandering road contemporary craft gallery, and a that has led me to the door of the Subscribe to JAM trip where the protagonists spend role at a creative consultancy linking AMA — in a role where I can help £39 — one year’s subscription AMA time musing at great lengths. Only brands with creatives. Along the support the arts and meet lots of UK rate 7a Clifton Court for the plot to be resolved with way I met exciting people, immersed dedicated and creative people at the Cambridge a montage of them wearing an myself in the arts and gained same time. That sounds like a pretty £59 — one year’s subscription CB1 7BN assortment of hats to a backdrop of invaluable experience. good ending to me. Overseas rate eighties synth pop. Registered in England 2814725 My internship finished and suddenly Matt Ecclestone £60 +VAT — AMA six-month trial membership The story began when a love I stopped. Stuck at a crossroads Marketing Officer — Membership Including JAM and all other membership benefits. affair with the university gallery and enduring an unsatisfying job Engagement Visit a-m-a.co.uk/membership or contact [email protected] opened my eyes to the rewards of to pay my rent. Enter Norwich Film AMA helping to showcase and promote Festival and the chance to become This publication is available in large print, electronic the artistic endeavours of others. part of their team. From watching This fascination coupled with the short film submissions, I moved into format and on the AMA website. Contact growing realisation that the Tate coordinating their marketing, and [email protected] or call 01223 578078. wasn’t about to purchase my degree helping to programme and organise show piece, prompted me to start events. I’m also on the Board of thinking about alternative career Trustees, getting to make decisions Cover image: H0W CAN I €A$€ ¥0UR MIND WITH0UT L¥ING is an eight part virtual reality installation options in the arts. that have grown the festival from six JAM is published by the AMA developed by transmedia artist CiRCA69. AMA Digital Marketing Day 2017 © Eleanor Howarth screenings in 2015 to 24 events this [email protected] All rights are reserved and reproduction of any parts is not allowed without the written permission of I was on the road — underprepared year with guests including actors a-m-a.co.uk the publishers. Opinions expressed in JAM are not necessarily those of the AMA and no responsibility is but eager and taking up Michael Palin and Jane Horrocks. @amadigital accepted for advertising content. Any material submitted for publication may be edited for reasons of style, content or available space. Meanings will not be altered without permission from the author. opportunities that arrived ISSN 1474-1172 including volunteering at an artist
© Arts Marketing Association 2018 JAM 69 — winter 2018 a-m-a.co.uk 1 feature
Self-generated video has significantly increased with the emergence of video sharing websites and social media. Rob Glass reflects on the rise and future of the self-generated video and explores the importance of storytelling in video.
Was it the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who said in When I started out as a BBC television news presenter around 400 BC: “There is nothing permanent except you needed a team of six to make a video feature. The change”? cameraman’s camera cost the price of a house. By 2003 broadcast quality cameras were a tenth of the price The way we used to communicate certainly changed and laptop PCs were fast enough to edit with too. The dramatically in 1450. Up until then if you wanted a BBC ran a training programme that gave keen staff the book it had to be painstakingly written by a monk in tools to single-handedly produce features for broadcast. a scriptorium. You had to be rich, prepared to wait a So self-generated video had begun. But of course to long time, and it worked in your favour if the book get these features seen, we still needed a career in you wanted was a bible. Then along came Johannes television and a television station to transmit them. Gutenberg with his printing press, the power was handed over and the monks were left to ponder their In 2005 a viewer sent me a link to a video she’d made future. with her Flip camera on a new website called YouTube. She. Sent. Me. A video. The whole hierarchy of viewing I love the idea of self-generated video — had flipped around. From that point on you no longer needed a television station to get your video seen. it’s a communications right as much as Admittedly what she’d sent was a single raw clip — anything. Power to the people. editing was still one step too far. Not for long.
In 2013 I got my first iPad. These brushed aside all the It’s all happening again 567 years later — this time with complexity of editing with brilliantly intuitive apps like video. I’ve been watching the whole thing with great iMovie (free) and more recently the jaw-dropping Luma interest. I love the idea of self-generated video — it’s a Fusion (£20). Luma Fusion is the reason why I still prefer communications right as much as anything. Power to iOS devices over Android with their PowerDirector (£0- the people. 6) and Kinemaster (£50/year) editing solutions. And of
Image courtesy of Rob Glass © 2 JAM 69 — winter 2018 a-m-a.co.uk 3 case study
course these combine seamlessly with stunningly clear another cut here because they haven’t finished speaking cameras. So now anyone who wants to can film, edit yet. The story will finish with a well-crafted ending. and broadcast for pocket money prices. How long is this story? A minute? Maybe a bit more? CEOs delivering fiscal reports and sweeping shots of This is how we tell our stories using video: three trade shows are becoming commonplace on social sites durations of a beginning, middle and an end. like LinkedIn. You’ve probably seen them. In his book Story, the screenwriter Robert McKee But did you watch them all the way through? highlights the universal story ratio of 25% beginning, 60% middle and 15% the end. We use this ratio all the Self-generated video is quickly becoming the victim of time, as McKee puts it: “This is not a rule, just a principal its own success and now there’s a Darwinian element to that has worked through all remembered time”. It’s our the proceedings. framework for telling our stories. Now all we need to do is adopt the three main elements of video: people Cisco are predicting that internet video traffic will chatting; stuff happening and voice over and we are grow fourfold from 2016 to 2021. Live video will grow making a video that people want to watch. And that’s fifteenfold. There is going be a lot of video. An awful saying something. lot. To watch the amount of video that will cross global networks each month in 2021 would take more than five So which stories are we going to tell? The temptation million years. We can’t watch it all. And all this talk about I suspect is to wait for the big ones. But as the poet iPhones and cameras, and lights and microphones and Muriel Rukeyser put it: “The Universe is made up of tripods amounts to naught if nobody watches — if a stories, not atoms” — it’s the little ones that paint the tree falls in a forest and nobody hears it, does it make a picture. That Georgian thunder run being used once sound? again at the Old Vic, Bristol — will it still work? The exhibition at the Baltic Gateshead with that dumper Telling these stories. All the time. Using truck — how will we get it through the door? Or the opening night of every new production — did the video. That will be when we can say self- audience like it? generated video has arrived. Telling these stories. All the time. Using video. That will So is self-generated video destined to implode? No. be when we can say self-generated video has arrived. The National Holocaust Centre and Museum was established 22 years ago to This kind of video is so new and exciting that we’re still wrapped up in the ‘how’. We’ve forgotten about Rob Glass improve the education of the Holocaust in the UK. Sarah Coward spoke to the ‘why’. The answer to this is summed up by Annette Director Jacqueline Haxton about the Forever Project — the Centre’s new 3D interactive Simmons, author of Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins: Flotilla Video Training programme that is preserving the voice of Holocaust survivors for future “The missing ingredient in most failed communication is generations. humanity … All you have to do is tell more stories and bingo — you just showed up.”
We’ve been making video ourselves for what, five years? The National Holocaust Centre and Museum was set to today’s generations. Each year our educators deliver Ten? We’ve been telling stories for 40,000 years. A up by two brothers following a visit they made to Yad learning programmes to approximately 24,000 students good story makes the listener feel good. Stories teach Vashem — the Holocaust memorial in Israel. Although — programmes which have testimony at their core. us who to trust, showcasing values and perhaps most [email protected] Stephen and James Smith had no connection to the important of all, stories make the listener take action. flotillavideotraining.co.uk Holocaust they felt that Holocaust education in the UK We have two main exhibitions; one tailored to primary- How many times have you watched a story on BBC @flotillavideo was inadequate and that not enough was being done to aged children and the other aimed at children and Children in Need and reached for the phone to donate? consider and learn from the events of the late 1930s and adults aged 14-years and above. The primary school early 1940s. exhibition is well-known globally in the Holocaust Happily we all know how to tell stories too. It’s in our education field and focuses on the story of refugees DNA. The Centre has three main aspects to it. Firstly, we’re a fleeing from Nazi Germany in the late 1930s. It is one of museum with a collection of objects, artefacts, evidence only three exhibitions world-wide designed for younger Let your storyteller tell their story and documents related to the Holocaust and the children on this topic. experiences of Holocaust survivors. Most of the objects Whenever someone says: “You’ll never guess what Impactful Video Marketing have been donated by Holocaust survivors who came An audience with… happened to me” take the opportunity to grab your telling stories through engaging content to the UK. phone and film them telling their story — so long as they We normally have two Holocaust survivors speaking to don’t mind. Once you’ve stopped filming open iMovie To learn more about how to produce impactful Secondly, we’re about remembrance. We have school children each day and that’s a really important or the equivalent and import your video clip into the video to tell stories, join Rob on his full day training a Memorial Garden with a thousand white roses, part of the educational experience we offer. It gives that timeline. Click on the clip so that it has a little yellow event at HOME in Manchester on 9 February 2018. planted specifically in memory of individuals who personal story and background to the larger historical border and draw the beginning and end like curtains to were murdered or families that were lost during understanding of the events. correspond the beginning and the end of the story. Using an iPhone or iPad and a basic editing app the Holocaust. It provides a peaceful place for you’ll learn simple techniques and discover how to remembrance and reflection for people who have no Personal stories are a very important way of As you edit the clip you’ll hear about a hero and a make video tell the story you want to tell. graves that they can visit. communicating the human element of history and the situation. When you hear the conflict — what this hero enormity of the Holocaust. It’s very easy for people to wants and what’s stopping them — find the editing razor For more information and to book your place visit And thirdly, we’re very much about Holocaust survivor’s talk about six million people being murdered but each of tool — or ‘split’ in iMovie. There will come a point in the a-m-a.co.uk/impactful-video-marketing testimony and bringing the voice of individuals who those people had a whole life behind them and survivor story when the hero’s predicament is resolved. Make survived the Holocaust — as witnesses and evidence — testimony is a good way of bringing that to the fore.
4 JAM 69 — winter 2018 a-m-a.co.uk 5 We were very conscious that the key part of our There were things that didn’t work or processes that we educational programme was going to be lost because had to go through to develop this project. It took us a the survivors are now very elderly. Each year we lose long time to get to the point where we were happy with survivors either because they’ve passed away or it’s too ‘Steven Frank’ and that everything was working well. challenging for them to travel. We therefore wanted to create something that replicated the experience that What next? young people currently have at the Centre whereby they listen to the survivor give their testimony and then We now have a methodology and approach that works they have the opportunity to ask that person questions. and is easy to replicate elsewhere. We’re therefore actively looking for other organisations to work with on The questions from young people are quite different similar projects. to those from adults. They can range from simple questions such as what’s your favourite colour? Which We chair one of the UK government’s working groups football team do you support? Have you always spoken on testimony and so part of our interest and expertise English? To the most challenging questions such as: is around how you take individual testimonies and work do you ever wish that you hadn’t been born Jewish? with them in a way which enhances the understanding How can you believe in God after what happened to of an audience, whether that’s in a cultural or heritage you? How do you feel about the Nazis? We wanted setting. to capture the responses to those questions from the survivors as they can articulate their answers in a way How do you integrate testimony — either witness that is understandable to the next generation. testimony or personal experience — into an audience experiences in a way which is ethical and appropriate? The Forever Project Working on this project over the last few years The Forever Project has captured 10 Holocaust survivors has given us an insight into that and it will be very each of whom have given their testimony and been interesting to explore some of these themes with other asked between 850 and 1,400 questions. We filmed organisations in different contexts. each survivor over five days using ultra high-definition 3D filming. We then integrated a number of different Sarah Coward technologies to enable an experience whereby you can Deputy CEO now watch a life-size projection of the survivor Steven National Holocaust Centre and Museum Frank sitting on the stage in the Pears Auditorium at the Holocaust Centre. Steven gives his testimony and then you can ask him questions and he responds from the archive of 1,000 answers that he recorded.
We’ve been working on the Forever Project for about four years. We commissioned Bright White Limited, a heritage interpretation design company, to work on the digital aspects of the project. We’re currently in the [email protected] process of completing the remaining 10 survivors that nationalholocaustcentre.net we’ve filmed and their 3D projections will be launched @HolocaustCentUK later this year.
Funding Video
We raised the funds needed for the Forever Project To watch an interview of Sarah Coward talking through a mixture of individual donations, the Heritage about the Forever Project and the National Lottery Fund and the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts. We Holocaust Centre and Museum’s plans to develop a have about 40 survivors who currently speak at the portable version go to the AMA website: Centre and, ideally, we’d love to film them all. Next year a-m-a.co.uk/videos we’re planning to secure additional funding to film a further 10 survivors. There’s an urgency to the filming because over the next couple of years we’re highly likely to lose more survivors given their age.
Key learnings
It’s not until you start doing the work that you realise how ambitious your project is.
I think the key thing that I’ve learnt is that you need to put the research and development work into the project to ensure you have a robust methodology and an approach that works. Although this was a digital project there was so much work that needed to be done that had nothing to do with technology.
The 3D filming of Holocaust survivor Steven Frank as part of the Forever Project. Project. Forever as part of the Frank Steven survivor 3D filming of Holocaust The Blake © Katie Ltd. of Bright White Image courtesy a-m-a.co.uk 7 feature
Funded by the Arts Council of England, Canvas was launched in 2015 with the objective of helping arts organisations reach new audiences on YouTube. AMA member Dan Watt-Smith shares the framework that Canvas use when helping arts organisations develop their video strategy. To mark the 70th anniversary of the Partition of India, Canvas commissioned a music video to accompany PunjabTronix’s track Partitions, which showcases the thriving Punjab community in London’s Southall. Image courtesy of Vivek Vadoliya ©
Since our launch in 2015, our experience of running something, it will be much easier to measure whether it with the likes of Canvas to make videos. Alternatively, Dan Watt-Smith our own cross-platform channels, collaborating with has been effective. they can encourage staff to use smartphones to make Canvas Project Director arts organisations and working with distributors has raw content for platforms like Facebook, and develop Brave Bison given us an invaluable insight into the challenges facing Who are you making it for? relationships with media production courses at local the arts sector if it is to take advantage of the huge universities for more ambitious formats. Whatever opportunities in online video. Depending on your objectives, you might have a very the approach, it’s essential to have clear timelines, clear idea of who you are trying to reach, and it’s deliverables and an agreed approval process. Beyond the large national institutions, very few arts important to keep that front of mind. If you already organisations have the necessary skills, resources, and analyse your audience according to The Audience Where will it be seen? budget to produce professionally-produced content Agency’s Audience Finder, then it’s a good idea to use with the regularity that’s required to build up a large that thinking to underpin any video content that you It’s not enough to upload videos to YouTube and online audience. As a result, much of what we do now produce. This will help everything else fall into place; Facebook. It’s not even enough to promote them on [email protected] focuses on providing training and support to arts from tone of voice, to distribution and formats. your other owned channels like Twitter, Instagram or canvasonline.tv organisations; surgeries, tutorials and webinars covering your website. Most organisations are hoping that online @CanvasArtsUK everything from content strategy, to commissioning, What are you going to make? video will bring them to the attention of new audiences. @danwattsmith metadata and distribution. There are lots of ways of making this happen; from Firstly, what is it about? More stylistic decisions around ensuring that any performers and contributors share The framework we use when helping organisations the format will be easier decisions when you think about the video, developing cross-promotional relationships develop their video strategy is deceptively simple. We your subject matter, objectives and audience. Is it a with other arts organisations, and seeding clips with Key takeaways thought it might be helpful to share that framework here, trailer, an interview, a 360 degree tour, an artist profile, publishers, website, and blogs. Additionally, you can run with an example of what a project looks like in practice; a live stream, a recorded performance, or a feature inexpensive paid campaigns targeted at very specific ——Objectives our collaboration earlier this year with Asian Arts combining lots of different elements? What sort of tone audiences. Devising a distribution strategy across It is essential to have no more than one or two Agency on PunjabTronix (see page 10). We approached would work best for your audience; relaxed, energetic, Owned, Earned and Paid channels is essential if you objectives for each video project. the project by asking the same six questions that we ask informative? It’s also a good idea to think of the sound want people to watch what you’ve worked so hard to of all the partners in the Canvas network. design — is it going to be supported by a music bed or produce. ——Audience a voiceover — and graphics — which should of course Have a clear idea of who you are trying to reach Why are you making online video? match any brand guidelines. When are you going to publish the content? with your video.
Is it to market an event, raise awareness of the How will you make it? The timelines around video production are far longer ——Schedule organisation, attract a new audience, build up your than for print runs, so it’s essential to decide on a Have clear timelines, deliverables and an agreed archive, help raise funds, showcase community work, Some organisations are fortunate enough to have an in- delivery date and then work back from there, factoring approval process. deliver a training programme, or even just to explore house production team. Others have budgets dedicated in development time, shoot dates and post production. creative opportunities. All these objectives are valid, but to video or attached to individual projects, and can use Any publishing plans should fit in with your broader ——Distribution in our experience, it is essential to have no more than these to engage production companies. But the reality editorial calendar, supporting major events, tying into Devise a distribution strategy across Owned, one or two objectives associated with each individual is that most organisations have very limited budget or seasonal opportunities, or helping you keep in touch Earned and Paid channels. project. If you’re clear about why you’re making resources, and must seek commissions or collaborations with audiences during a quiet period.
8 JAM 69 — winter 2018 a-m-a.co.uk 9 case study
Produced and commissioned by Asian Arts Agency, PunjabTronix is an exciting new international collaboration between a British-Indian electronic music producer and traditional Punjabi folk musicians, synchronised with unique live mixed digital projections. Using the Canvas framework for producing videos, AMA member Jamie Harber explains the process involved in filming PunjabTronix during its UK tour in 2017. PunjabTronix UK tour 2017. Image courtesy of Asian Arts Agency ©
PunjabTronix toured the UK in July Who were we hoping to reach? How did we make them? Where did we distribute them? When did we plan to do it? Jamie Harber 2017 receiving rave reviews from Marketing and Communications audiences and promoters around We hoped to excite and engage We had a small two-day window A good distribution strategy is key We had to film while the musicians Manager the country. During the tour, we audiences both in the UK, but also of opportunity to film during the for the success of any online video. were in the country in July. We then Asian Arts Agency spent two days filming digital target markets in India and the USA, busy tour and publicity schedule. For this project, we released on our set a timeline for releasing content, content with Canvas (see page 8) in where PunjabTronix will tour in 2018. Producing the videos during the own channels (Canvas and Asian which required a quick edit and London. The Canvas team were excited by tour enabled us to save costs Arts Agency) and reached out to sign-off process, to capitalise on the project and felt it would appeal (accommodation/ travel), aligning other organisations and individuals the momentum generated from the Why online video? to an 18-35 year old audience in the activities to ensure the filming to help us share content. ‘Earned’ tour and to coincide with activities UK. took place when the musicians media such as the BBC Arts feature for the 70th anniversary of the Online video is a key part of our were already in London for the helped raise the profile of the films. Independence of India in August digital strategy — enabling us to What did we make? performances. ‘Owned’ and ‘earned’ distribution 2017. reach and engage with existing combined with paid advertising [email protected] and new audiences online. We aim We wanted to showcase the We had a number of Skype to reach our target audiences on asianartsagency.co.uk to produce digital content from individual talents of the musicians meetings with the Canvas creative YouTube and Facebook has resulted @AsianArtsAgency all our projects. Working with involved in the project. This resulted team to discuss ideas and the brief. in over 200K views so far, with over Canvas enabled us to produce in the 5 Go Solo films. We also The project involved many different 50K views of the Partitions film high quality content, with access to wanted to shoot a music video creatives with different expectations, within the first week. Video their creative team, studio facilities with the musicians from Punjab so managing this was a challenge. and professional equipment and in an iconic London location. We Having a clear brief and objectives The online response has been Check out the PunjabTronix enabled the project to reach a wider chose London’s Southall market from the outset is key, so everyone amazing so far, engaging audiences videos online: audience through our combined and decided to focus on the track understands what you are trying to in the UK, USA and India, and youtube.com/AsianArtsAgency online channels. Partitions and the story of London’s achieve. encouraging promoters to book tour Southall community, many of whom dates in those markets. emigrated to the area after the partition of India and Pakistan.
10 JAM 69 — winter 2018 a-m-a.co.uk 11 training
AMA Videos training for you — anytime and anywhere
Birmingham AMA videos provide easily accessible online training free to AMA Birmingham Hippodrome members. Stay connected to the latest thinking and freshest insight at 1 February a time and place to suit you.
10.30am — 4.30pm a-m-a.co.uk/videos
£99 + VAT each Group of two — marketer and fundraiser together (at least one is an AMA member)
£119 + VAT AMA members from small organisations (10 staff or less)
£141 + VAT The Logic of Movement — Stephen Mott. Image courtesy of Puppet Theatre Scotland © Andy Caitlin. AMA members
£199 + VAT What would happen if your organisation brought its marketing and Non-members fundraising functions closer together?
In 2017 the AMA launched the flagship programme Shared Ambition, Various speakers in partnership with Baker Richards, as part of the Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy programme, to consider this very question and work with organisations already on this journey. Who is it for? Those who want to create a Following in-depth sector research and a residential programme attended closer working relationship VISUAL ARTS by 12 participating organisations, we will be exploring and sharing the between their marketing and PERFORMING ARTS results at Shared Ambition — findings and outcomes. fundraising departments. MUSIC MUSEUMS Join us for a day of real-life case studies, a chance to network with peers GALLERIES and insightful sessions that will challenge and inspire your marketing and a-m-a.co.uk/ HERITAGE fundraising plans. shared-ambition-day FASHION THE OFFICIAL NETWORK FILM “While there is evidence that marketing and TELEVISION development teams are working more closely VIDEO GAMES FOR UK CULTURE & EXHIBITIONS together, there is a need to understand the FESTIVALS motivations for this, the challenges in achieving this CREATIVE INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL TOUR and the real impacts of this way of working.” UK TOUR CONFERENCE Cath Hume INDUSTRY TALKS CEO Event supported by SIGN UP NOW TO: NETWORKING AMA • Upload your events & news stories FUNDRAISING FOOD AND DRINK “We hope that Shared Ambition will establish some • Showcase your work internationally LITERATURE guidance to share sector-wide about the considerable • Be connected to government opportunities CRAFTS income generation opportunities that can emerge from better collaboration between marketing and fundraising teams.”
Michelle Wright National Opera / Image: Welsh National Opera Welsh ‘Madam Butterfly’ CEO Cause4
12 JAM 69 — winter 2018 a-m-a.co.uk 13 case study feature
AMA member Oliver Laurenson-Gore from Resource Productions explains the work of Random Acts Network Centres. Funded by Arts Council England and Channel 4, these Network Centres are helping to support 16-24 year old artists to produce their first broadcast film. Myriam Raja directing her Random Acts First Act — Khadijah. Image courtesy of Resource Productions © Terry Payman
Channel 4 introduced Random Acts1 Bucking the industry trend creative idea. On these short films, Hoxton which included an online, Oliver Laurenson-Gore in 2011 to showcase films by artists. the director of photography and grade and sound mix. The overall Head of Business / Production Key takeaways Since then it has broadcast over Part of our ethos is to support under- editor had to work with the artist a process from script to completion Manager 500 short films covering art, dance, represented filmmakers and artists lot more than in normal productions can take between 6-12 months but Resource Productions ——Approach broadcast animation, music and opera by from all backgrounds. Currently to understand their art form. the results are incredible. One of initiatives like Random Acts, artists including Ai Weiwei and Kate only 14% of TV drama is directed our filmsPull Tag Knot4 written and The Space and Sky Arts. Tempest. by women3. Of the films produced Plan and use right equipment and directed by Ayesha Ramsay had by Resource Productions 77% have professional services over 4,200 views on the Random ——Work with a professional In 2014 there was a call out to form been written/directed by women. Acts YouTube Channel (one of the production company who ‘Network Centres’ from Arts Council Making these short films can’t be highest First Acts on the channel). understands your art form. England to support 16-24 year olds We have also supported ideas done on in-house equipment and Another director Anna Gray (aged to gain their first broadcast film. that have been around thought- it takes more than two people in a 16) started with us as part of our BFI ——Develop a couple of ideas Arts Council England has invested provoking social change issues. marketing department. Film Academy at Pinewood Studios [email protected] with a small group of artists. £5 million in five Random Acts Ideas have included a poem about and then developed a script within resource-productions.co.uk Network Centres spread across stereotypes of Afro hair, creative Using partners and suppliers a focused session and within a year @ResourceProds ——Don’t cut corners if you’re England between 2015-2018. take on transgender issues within including Pinewood Studios, has made her Random Acts film. looking for films to be the British Asian community and a Movietech, MSB Lighting and broadcast — the standard For the past three years Resource part-animation/live action film about Panalux and involving them in Further distribution opportunities of films is important to Productions, a social enterprise the experience of doing exams. the process helped us to get high for our films have occurred with the broadcasters. based in Slough, has been a production value. ICA leading Playback Exhibition partner for the South East region So how do artists become which is touring 200 short films at led by Screen South called Ignition filmmakers? On average we had around 20 15 locations across England. There is Network2. We have made nine short people on location and over 40 also a new series of curated Random films over that time with one more Turning any art form into a short film people credited as being part of the Acts on Channel 4 which is now on to be produced in early 2018. is challenging. Firstly it is important film. Roles included camera, sound, season 4. that the filmmakers get the lighting, editing and production We work predominately chance to understand the art form. management and we made sure within our region — Berkshire, Filmmakers don’t often connect there was plenty of training Links Buckinghamshire and Surrey, with art forms like spoken word, opportunities for 16-24 year olds. 1. Random Acts: randomacts.channel4.com however we engage with artists dance and visual arts. They are 2. Screen South Ignition Network: screensouth.org/content.aspx?page=34 from as far afield as Brighton and very much focused on their specific We also went through a post- 3. Directors UK article: womenandhollywood.com/directors-uk-women-represent-only-14-of-the-directors-in-uk-tv-2 Bristol. role in productions rather than the production process with Molinare 4. Pull Tag Knot: randomacts.channel4.com/post/149083426411/first-acts-ayesha-ramsay-pull-tag-knot-writer
14 JAM 69 — winter 2018 a-m-a.co.uk 15 feature case study
Virtual Reality (VR) is threading through all art forms, from dance to theatre to museums to orchestras. Anna Maloney from the Culture Diary explores the impact that VR is having on audience and visitor experiences. The Virtual Orchestra by Philharmonia Orchestra. Image courtesy of Philharmonia Orchestra © Marina Vidor
The Culture Diary is a government platform that promises to invite visitors to: “step into early 20th were delighted to showcase our first VR project at Anna Maloney provides a free online tool for the culture, arts and century Paris.” Art lovers will be able to step into British House in Rio during the Olympics in August 2016, Head of The Culture Diary UK/GREAT Britain Campaign creative industry sectors to plan events UK-wide and a recreation of Modigliani’s final studio during the offering us an incredible platform to reach out to major The Culture Diary connect with overseas markets and opportunities. ‘Modigliani VR Experience: The Ochre Atelier’. sponsors and promoters from across Brazil, where the Orchestra had just toured that year. In March 2017, we Originally conceived by the Greater London Authority Although this collaboration is a first for Tate, HTC were invited to showcase our latest VR work at SXSW in as a planning tool for the cultural Olympiad for the Vive has already worked with visual arts at the Venice Austin, Texas. Both events offered new opportunities for London 2012 Games, Culture Diary’s use was extended Biennale, Somerset House and the Royal Academy of partnerships and investment, most recently leading to a to collate UK-wide cultural organisations and events Arts, the latter being a fascinating pop-up exhibition growing technology partnership with Sony, on which we with a particular emphasis on international export from of artworks created in VR being 3D printed into reality. plan to build in 2018 and beyond.” the sector. There are now over 8,000 organisations that Video technology and traditional art forms can be work across the Culture Diary network. perfect partners in the 21st century, whether providing We recently tested out the EnCue technology by [email protected] immersive insights or being the focus of art itself. Octava that unobtrusively explained the stories theculturediary.com Video technology and traditional behind aspects of the Fairies & Myths performance @theculturediary The Science Museum puts you in Tim Peake’s driving by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall. art forms can be perfect partners in seat as you hurtle back towards Earth from the Sent direct to your iPhone and suitable for all age the 21st century, whether providing International Space Station with narration from the ranges, simple pieces of text are live synced with the astronaut himself. This experience goes on tour around performance to add meaning and understanding, and immersive insights or being the focus of the UK in 2018 with the real-life Soyuz capsule that further interpretation. art itself. Peake was sealed inside, and it’s yet another example Key takeaways of how technology can bring us insights to things we’d Music is a constant adopter of technology and VR has traditionally been associated with video games never otherwise feel for ourselves. beatboxer Reeps One, is no different. He’s currently ——Join the Culture Diary network to share your — from the Lawnmower Man-style polygonal 90s to the experimenting with 3D sound, developing art works cultural events and innovations in the UK with recent boost to gamers’ arsenal with VR technology The Philharmonia Orchestra have developed an using photography and film to capture the vibrations your industry peers and government agencies from HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and PlayStation. VR has also experience for audiences to literally step into the shoes of different sounds he emits. The use of voice, tone, around the globe. been made compatible with games like Minecraft, which of a conductor — walking the journey backstage at the technology is a hot topic at Harvard where he’s regularly has proven to help young people with autism through National Theatre, being on stage looking out to the invited to speak on the subject. Catch him at the next ——Connect with other organisations through the creativity and cooperative play. This creative thinking hall tuning up, and then standing in the prime position SXSW in March 2018 where he will be talking about the Culture Diary directory to research potential has led to more unusual synergy between industries. VR conducting a full orchestra with sound enhancements future of play between arts and music. partners and develop collaborations. has been used as a way of raising world issues — placing around you. It’s this piece of VR technology that allowed users in the world of three child refugees for The New me to bring a full orchestral experience to British House The UK’s creative industries are now worth a record ——Digital content is key not only to enhance the York Times’ Google Cardboard collaboration The at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, where we had the best of £91.8 billion to the UK economy and is the fastest- customer experience in situ but develop your Displaced, or WATERisLIFE’s attempt to raise awareness British culture to present to Team GB athletes and the growing sector in the UK, providing 5% more jobs in audiences through marketing channels and of clean water shortages through experiences in world. And all through a simple headset. 2016 than 2015, compared to a 1.2% increase in the providing virtual experience of your product. classrooms around the world. wider UK workforce. Collaboration lets people explore Luke Ritchie, Head of Digital Innovation & Partnerships things as vastly different as art history and scientific ——UK culture and creative industry activity As VR rides this current resurgence, its use in arts at Philharmonia Orchestra, said: endeavour in brand new ways and the Culture Diary is overseas is a major support for the British and culture continues to be stretched to unforeseen here to promote and showcase this rise of UK creativity economy, those who come into contact with audience and visitor experiences. HTC Vive has teamed “The Culture Diary have offered the Philharmonia in response to technological advance. culture are also 30% more likely to invest in the up with Tate Modern for its Modigliani exhibition (23 Orchestra fantastic opportunities to boost our UK. November 2017 to 2 April 2018). The partnership international profile, in particular our digital work. We
16 JAM 69 — winter 2018 a-m-a.co.uk 17 captioning connect awareness discover week inspire
AMA member Victoria Bell explains how implementing an analysis framework at Mayflower Theatre in Southampton has helped provide direction to future campaigns resulting in a constantly evolving marketing strategy.
In Event of Moone Disaster by Theatre 503 performed at Stagetext Open Day 2017. Image courtesy of Stagetext
This year’s Captioning Awareness Week, which is organised and run by Stagetext, wrapped up on 12 November after asking “what makes you a Caption Hero?”
Stagetext works with art venues our advocates, to find out about no intelligible words being said. across the UK to make their work all the work they personally do in accessible to d/Deaf, deafened, and supporting us, and helping us reach “And then along came captions. And hard of hearing audiences and used and benefit the most amount of they saved my life. My quality of this year’s campaign to focus on people. life. My belief in my own intelligence. Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, at night. Image courtesy of Mayflower Theatre © Mayflower Theatre the users and advocates who spend And they gave me back the chance their year supporting events and “What we found so rewarding this to have an amazing time at the campaigning for arts access. year was the stories that came theatre and leave feeling elated, Is a story finished without an ending? Can you draw I have been in post as Marketing Campaigns Manager from our Caption Heroes about educated and included.” conclusions without having done the research first? since December 2014. On starting, the team already had The week focused on the small how access has personally affected So why do a lot of us marketeers not analyse our own ‘analysing campaigns’ on the to-do list and had lots of actions we can all do to help them, and how the work of theatres, The Captioning Awareness Week marketing campaigns? brilliant ideas, but just didn’t have time to put this into promote and supply accessible museums, and galleries ensure campaign reached over one effect. We would complete one-off isolated exercises theatre to anyone who may need it. equality for audiences.” million users on Twitter alone, with More often than not it’s because we are just too busy that didn’t give us the bigger picture which we were Stagetext asked people to become organisation such as the AMA, trying to sell tickets/engage new audiences/get a new striving for, so we needed a new plan. ‘Caption Heroes’, which included The Deafinitely Girly blog used the Barbican, the National Theatre, season brochure done — or all of the above and more. holding and attending events, or event to give a personal view of how and the Royal Academy of Arts all But my argument would be that although you can’t Objectives by telling anyone who may benefit the access supplied by theatres and showing their support. predict the future — learning from the past helps. That about how to book for accessible arts venues affected her life and is why we, at Mayflower Theatre, set aside the time to Starting from scratch, we brainstormed what we theatre. how an accessible venue can offer a analyse our campaigns. wanted to find out, how it would help us reach our new quality of life. Further reading business objectives and develop our knowledge and Melanie Sharpe, Stagetext CEO, Background understanding of our audience for future campaign said: Deafinitely Girly said: To learn more about plans. Stagetext’s work visit Mayflower Theatre is a presenting venue, the largest “We work with venues that are doing “I spent much of my younger years stagetext.org theatre on the south coast and third largest in the We wanted to know even more about our audience, fantastic work supplying captioned — before I found out I was deaf — UK outside of London. With over 2,270 seats to sell build stronger relationships with them through better performances all year round, but falling asleep at the theatre. Feeling The Deafinitely Girly blog per performance, the challenge is on to meet Box targeted communications, and see the real value of we wanted to use Captioning stupid because I couldn't follow can be read in full at Office targets and more recently to raise money for what we do to decide on where to focus our future Awareness Week to speak to our Shakespeare, wondering why people deafinitelygirly.com our £3.95m refurbishment project taking place in the efforts. We are essentially gambling invested budgets users, our undeclared users, and went to see musicals as there were theatre over summer 2018. into these campaigns with a huge vested interest (as a
18 JAM 69 — winter 2018 a-m-a.co.uk 19 high percentage of that budget is our own money) to We generally analyse this in terms of: know whether the marketing that we carried out had worked or not. —— Dates the activity went out and relevant time frames to analyse success of activity (for example we analyse We wanted to know even more mailings three weeks after the drop date and emails one week after sending). about our audience, build stronger ——Target audience the marketing activity went out to. relationships with them through better —— Cost of activity. —— How many tickets were sold. targeted communications, and see the —— How much revenue the activity achieved. real value of what we do to decide on —— Response rates (how many people booked tickets versus recipients of activity). where to focus our future efforts. —— Return on investment (cost versus revenue).
So here are the basics of what we wanted to find out: Outcomes
—— Which activity performed well and at what point in The best thing about finding out all of this information the campaign. is that you are constantly learning from each and every —— Return on investment on what we can measure. campaign. You start to consistently test activity and —— Correlation between different shows to spot patterns instead of falling into routine patterns we try to be more and trends for future growth. creative with the materials and messaging that we use. It also provides direction in what we need to do next — we We know that there’s really great analysis software out are constantly evolving our marketing strategy. When there that does all of the hard work for you, but we you work for a charity, you have to justify every penny really wanted to interrogate the data ourselves to see that you spend and this makes us more confident that what we could do in-house with the tools we have. At we are doing just that. Mayflower, we use the Tessitura Box Office system and T-Stats to uncover the statistics. So it all relies on Victoria Bell training, skills and experience to decode the results. Marketing Campaigns Manager Mayflower Theatre Target audience for our insights
Ourselves mainly — but also our colleagues, board members, producers, our industry, the world — to prove that we know our stuff. The more that we learn and understand our audience, the better the results for the producer and our venue, but also the more of the results that we share with marketing promoters and other venues — the better the impact for the whole arts [email protected] industry. mayflower.org.uk @mayflower Process @Victoria_Kate
First we look at what we can and what we can’t analyse — some of the marketing tools that we use are Key takeaways difficult to track (billboard advertising, print ads, leaflet distribution and radio) unless you add an offer with ——Analysing your campaigns gives direction for a source code or ask the customer at the Box Office future growth when booking tickets, but this is still unreliable as you It leads straight to other projects; for us it is will never accurately know how many people saw this developing our own segmentation system, marketing and booked directly from it. researching and testing Facebook promoted posts and trialling remarketing for shows as soon What we can analyse comes mainly from targeted as they go on sale. marketing within our own database, so we look at: ——You need to make time —— Breakdown of bookers: New, repeat, members. It’s easy to push aside when you have a million —— Breakdown of costs: Final income, final marketing and one other things to do — but schedule it in, budget spend, target vs income, capacity percentage, shut yourself away in another office and really tickets sold, running sales graphs. take time to analyse and interpret the data, ——The audience: Audience crossover reports to see sharing the results with your team. what else they are booking for and maps of booker’s postcode to see what areas people travel from. ——Don’t be scared to make mistakes —— Database targeting: Materials sent to our customer’s Sometimes what you find out is not what you that we can track directly — emails, direct mailings, would like to find out — don’t be scared to take up of offers. challenge this with producers and the leaders in —— Digital: Facebook promoted posts, re-marketing. your organisation.
Theatre. Youth Musical Mayflower Theatre © Mayflower Theatre of Mayflower Image courtesy 20 JAM 69 — winter 2018 a-m-a.co.uk 21 London Proud Camden 21 March 10.00am — 4.30pm a-m-a.co.uk/ copywriting-day-2018
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