Applications Are Due SUNDAY, OCT. 4TH, at 11:59 P.M. ***Please Answer the Following Questions in a Separate Document

Thank you for your interest in A&O Productions!

Applications are due SUNDAY, OCT. 4TH, AT 11:59 P.M. ***Please answer the following questions in a separate document. Save it as a PDF, titled “!rstname_lastname.pdf” and email it to [email protected]***

Step 1: Fill out the General Application.

On the next page you’ll ﬁnd the general app. You must answer these questions, re- gardless of which committee(s) you apply to join.

The next several pages contain applications for each speciﬁc committee — Concerts, Speakers, Films, Productions, Finance, Marketing & Media, and Development. You’ll only answer questions for the committees to which you are applying!

You may apply for up to three committees, though you will only be able to serve on one. Don’t worry — all committee members have ample opportunity to be involved with the many facets of A&O. Don’t be concerned with your experience or academic interests; with our hands-on approach to campus programming, A&O is a great place to learn new skills and to cater to di!erent interests.

Curious about our committees, but not sure where to apply? Browse through each section!

Freshman? Check this out.

While our six general committees are comprised of Sophomores and above, Freshmen are invited to apply to A&O to join as a part of Street Team — A&O’s Freshmen Board. Led by the A&O Co-Chairs, Street Team learns the ins-and-outs of A&O, shadowing one other committee and helping A&O on all fronts. It’s a learning experience, but real stu! — a Street Teamer even booked last year’s Blowout headliner!

Here’s how to join: Apply using the application just like everyone else. It’s that simple. Street Team is the future of A&O, so we want to know your interests, experience and goals. You will apply to speciﬁc committees, but for this year you’ll be placed on Street Team. Before applying to speci!c committees, !ll out this overall application:

General information:

1. Name * 2. Email Address * 3. Phone Number * 4. Are you on campus? * 5. Year * 6. List the committees to which you’re applying, in order of preference. * (3 Committee Maximum)

Application Questions:

1. In a couple sentences, describe why you want to be a part of A&O. What do you ex- pect to gain from being on the board? *

2. What time commitments do you have for the 2020-2021 academic year? What kind of commitment can you devote to being on A&O? *

3. What websites/blogs do you follow to stay up to date with your interests? (i.e. Vul- ture, Pitchfork, The Hollywood Reporter? Are you active on Twitter?) *

4. What skills and experiences can you bring to A&O? How are these applicable? What kinds of skills or experiences do you hope to ﬁnd with A&O? *

5. One last thing! Do you consent to having our advisor, Jake Fields, check to see that you are in good disciplinary standing with Northwestern University? Yes/No *

The next 7 pages hold the Concerts, Speakers, Films, Productions, Development, Marketing & Media, and Finance applications — in that order. Only gotta apply for what interests you, three committees max. The Concerts committee is responsible for planning large-and small-scale concerts on and o" campus. In the past few years, Concerts has booked a variety of talent, including Mick Jenkins, Vince Staples, Jaden Smith, Carly Rae Jepsen, Noname, Major Lazer, and Childish Gambino.

A&O produces concerts for the entire Northwestern community, so it is extremely important that Concerts members listen to a wide range of music and keep their ears to the ground for up-and- coming artists. Members not only help select artists, but are also responsible for negotiating with agents, sending o"ers, and handling contracts. Professionalism is key, as members work directly with industry professionals. However, in turn, members will gain real industry experience through A&O.

***Only answer these questions if you’re applying to Concerts!***

Concerts Application:

1. List your top and least favorite artist this year. Discuss why you think they would be either a good or bad ﬁt for a Northwestern concert.

2. On Concerts, we deal directly with professionals including agents, managers, and university o"cials. It’s extremely valuable to be proactive, ﬂexible, and have leadership with these aforementioned privileges. Discuss how and why you would be well-suited to handle these responsibilities.

3. Thinking of concerts we’ve had in the past (Mick Jenkins, Kehlani, Smino, Vince Staples, Lil Uzi Vert, MØ, Ravyn Lanae, etc.), what more do you think should be done to diversify & cater to the student body and how do you see concerts moving forward amidst COVID restrictions? If you’re a new student, list ways you’d cater to the NU student body/ensure diversity and ideas for concerts amidst COVID.

4. What artist(s) do you see blowing up in 2020? The Speakers Committee is responsible for booking comedy acts, dynamic speakers, and unique special events for A&O. In the past, artists like Pete Davidson, Barry Jenkins, Michael Che, Samantha Bee, Michelle Wolf, Hannibal Buress, and Laverne Cox have entertained students. As a committee member, you become responsible for booking and facilitating each event.

Members speak with agents, negotiate contracts, and learn the ins and outs of the world of professional comedy and speakers events. Creativity, organization, professionalism, and people skills enable members to execute events that make the campus laugh and think throughout.

***Only answer these questions if you’re applying to Speakers!***

Speakers Application:

1. What about you would make you a good member of Speakers? What do you hope to gain from both the Speakers committee and A&O in general?

2. Name four speakers or comedians who would be a good draw at Northwestern and tell us why you would pick them?

3. Timing is everything. Whose popularity do you see exploding in the next year?

4. Who is someone that you think would have an amazing Twitter that doesn’t yet?

5. What is the best show and/or comedian that no one is watching? A&O Films is responsible for screening recently released !lms, with a lineup ranging from blockbusters to small independent !lms. Occasionally, Films will also host free pre-screenings of movies before they are released in theaters or in the absence of a wide theatrical release. For 38 years, A&O Films has produced B-Fest, an annual 24-hour B-movie (another name for a low budget commercial !lm) festival, which attracts returning crowds from all over the world.

More recently, the committee has begun hosting an annual speaker series event meant to bring a prominent member of the !lm industry to campus for a screening and Q&A. In past years this has included Blackkklansman (with inspiration Ron Stallworth and writer Kevin Willmott) and Moonlight (with director Barry Jenkins). Committee members help select the schedule of !lms, run screenings and B-Fest, and plan special events. In addition, they are expected to ful!ll responsibilities to A&O non-exclusive to their committee, such as attending All-Board meetings and crewing for large- scale events.

***Only answer these questions if you’re applying to Films!***

Films Application:

1. Why are you interested in being part of A&O Films? Tell us why you would make a valuable addition to both the Films Committee and A&O as a whole.

2. If you could bring anyone from the ﬁlm industry to Northwestern or curate a ﬁlm lineup, who would you bring/ what movies would you screen and why? What would the event be?

3. Tell us about your favorite movie (or one that you feel very passionately about). What sets it apart? Why do you feel strongly about it?

4. What is one movie that you unironically enjoy despite it having bad ratings and why? What is one movie that you are not a fan of despite it being nearly universally praised and why? Once an A&O event is booked, the Productions committee plans and executes all of the logistics to make the show a reality. Among many other tasks, producers work directly with artist management to attend to the production requirements of the artists and their crew. In addition, producers are responsible for subcontracting staging, lighting, sound, and transportation, as well as organiz- ing A&O members into a production team. We work closely with several other committees and the Northwestern administration to ensure that all shows run smoothly.

Nothing compares to the sense of accomplishment gained from producing an A&O event and the thrill of a successful production. If you are extremely well-organized, motivated, responsible, and capable of making bold decisions on the #y, apply to the Productions committee.

***Only answer these questions if you’re applying to Productions!***

Productions Application:

1. Why do you want to be a producer for A&O?

2. Describe the role of a producer for A&O as you envision it. Discuss the di!erent qualities that a producer must possess and how you ﬁt that role. Point to speciﬁc examples if possible. (Maximum 250 words).

3. Please list your previous production experience, if any.

4. Production is all about dealing with unexpected problems, stepping up as a leader, and creating a speedy but e!ective solution. Describe a situation where you dealt with a sudden problem and made quick, informed decisions. Discuss how this particular experience speaks to your leadership skills.

5. Think outside of the box to come up with a creative, COVID-friendly event. How would you produce it? Development works to broaden A&O’s reach on campus through co-sponsored events with other student groups, expand A&O’s inclusion and accessibility e"orts through community engagement, and enrich the A&O member experience through social events and wellness!

Development is responsible for internal, external, and alumni a"airs. Development members love learning about new student groups and co-sponsorship opportunities and have a passion for making A&O a more inclusive, engaged, and social organization. In addition, members are expected to ful!ll responsibilities to A&O non-exclusive to Development, such as attending All-Board meetings and crewing for large-scale events.

If you’re interested in shaping A&O’s internal culture and/or being A&O’s face to other campus groups and alumni, Development is the committee for you!

***Only answer these questions if you’re applying to Development!***

1. What creative ideas do you have for group bonding activities? Party ideas? Keep in mind that the A&O board is around 80 people and some of our programming may have to be in a virtual setting.

2. A&O has a fantastic network of alumni that work in entertainment, business, law, and more. What are some ways that you would engage these Alumni with our members and the organization itself?

3. What is one strategy that you think A&O should implement to diversify our audience and/or increase our footprint on campus? How would you implement this strategy?

4. What is your favorite group bonding event you have ever attended and what drove you to attend? What set that event apart from any other you have attended and what would you change about it? M&M works with every committee on A&O, making sure all concerts, comedians, speakers, and !lms are promoted; working through technical details with Productions; and !guring out budgets with Finance.

We use many tools to connect A&O with the student body to let people know who we are, what we do, and how we do it. We are looking for committee members who are articulate, design-savvy, innovative, organized, enthusiastic, dedicated, creative, or any combination of the above.

***Only answer these questions if you’re applying to M&M!***

M&M Application:

1. What interests you about M&M?

2. Check out our Facebook and Instagram. What do we do well and what can we improve? What should the voice of A&O sound like?

3. If you are a returning student, what do you think of A&O’s brand among the North- western community? Be honest. If you are a new student, what are your ﬁrst impres- sions of the A&O brand? Talk about what could be done to improve our image and brand on campus.

4. Please select 2 of the 5 M&M roles, then follow the instructions below that corre- spond to each of your selected positions. ***send all materials requested to ao.mmde- [email protected], separate from your general app. — Designer/Illustrator — Web Coder — Social Media Manager — Campaign Planner — Photographer/Video Editor

For designers and illustrators… • Create a poster advertising one of the following: Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, Aminé, Harry Styles or another artist of your choice. JPG or PDF, please. • Attach your design portfolio if you have one.

For web coders... • If you have coding experience, visit https://www.ao-northwestern.com/welcome to get a feel for our style. Design a splash page for a speaker show in Cahn Audito- rium featuring Trevor Noah. If you have any previous examples of web pages you have worked on, please attach as well.

continued on next page... • If you were to work on the website, outside of updating the content, what would you restructure or add?

For social media managers... • How would you use Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter di!erently? • Send us 1-3 links to your favorite people to follow on Instagram, whether you love their voice, their aesthetic, or their product(s). This does not have to relate to A&O’s work.

For campaign planners... • You have a week to promote a concert featuring Tyler the Creator at the Riviera Theatre downtown. Create a mock campaign plan that includes what you would need designed, ordered, posted, etc and when. Include at least one wild idea!

For photographers and video editors... • Detail your experience with editing/creating videos, event photography, and por- trait/people. • Share with us your portfolio/past work, this can be a portfolio, photography handle, or select ﬁles. The Finance committee develops, manages, and audits budgets for all A&O events to ensure that all transactions are within university guidelines. Furthermore, the Finance committee works with corporate sponsors to secure outside funding for our events and develops our artist poll.

Our role involves extensive collaboration with the Student Organization Finance O$ce (SOFO), account management through software such as QuickBooks, and critical thinking through data analytics. If you’re not one for fancy formulaic words and phrases, here’s the simpler version: the university has numerous guidelines as to how student organizations can use their money.

Our primary duty is to be resourceful and work with the other committees to meet the university’s rules so that our events can happen. This involves paperwork from the university side, ensuring other A&O committee members are aware of these policies, and communicating with ASG re- garding funding. You’d be a great !t for !nance if you have e"ective communication skills (never underestimate how much of an asset this is), are well-organized, responsible, passionate, and most of all, are able to say no.

***Only answer these questions if you’re applying to Finance!***

Finance Application:

1. Why are you interested in Finance?

2. What experience, if any, do you have with accounting? (Excel, Quickbooks, etc.)

3. What experience, if any, do you have with data, data analytics, or studying groups of people?

4. Do you have any prior experience with SOFO or ASG?

5. If you could choose one company to be a corporate sponsor of one of our events, what would you choose?

6. What is your all time favorite music artist, tv show, and comedian? (Mandatory but this does not a!ect your acceptance chances)