pirating

[art chantry]

xxoo

[uncle charlie]

I've always tried to go through the promoter only. On a larger level the bands are not responsible for advertising the show. They contract a deal with the promoter to advertise the show and I'm contracted by the promoter only. Some people have done posters for the same shows I did posters for. I was asked to produce such poster by the promoter who then took them and used them to legitamitally advertise the show. I'm talking about Clear Channel level here not some small indipendent band playing in a 300 person venue.. Then when I saw another poster for the same show by another artist, come to find out that they supposidly were asked by band management.. I discovered this was a lie.. Not only was it a lie but in my view even if it was true that the manger of the band asked this person to produce a poster, it should have been run through the promoter because the promoter pays the kids to run these posters all over town for advertisment.. Saying a band manger asked you to produce a poster falls short of reality because band managers don't handle flyer distribution. So when I get that story from any artist I usually don't buy it..

Now on the level of the smaller 300 person venue, or indi band, I think it falls on the club owner who acts as the promoter in that case.. Club ower is responsible for advertising the show, not the touring band..The band may help by providing posters, but ist the club owner who ultimatly flyers the town. I think staying with these two avenues is legit, legal, and proper.. Believe me I've seen a lot of posters, and I'm not naming names, that have popped up out of nowhere unknown by the promoter, and for shows I was already commissioned to do.. I hate it when things like that happen, its horribly improper and wrong..

[Finch]

who is it ok to screw, and who is not ok to screw?

perhaps I'm just naive, but I, personally, try not to screw anyone when it comes to doing posters.

I'm relatively new at this, so take my comments with that in mind, but here are a few of my comments as it relates to who it is or isn't appropriate to do a poster for...
1) Only do a poster if it has been requested by and/or approved by someone related to the show (be it the headlining band, club, or promoter)
2) If I'm aware of a poster already existing for a show, I won't do another one (why be redundant? there are plenty of shows out there...)

In some of the scenarios that have been posed on here recently, I'd say that some folks are walking a fine line - and it all comes down to intent.
If a poster had already been commissioned by the promoter for a show and I knew about it, I'd decline working on a poster for the same show if one of the bands or other relevant parties approached me. Of course, if I wasn't aware of the other poster being done, then I consider it fair game.

On the scenario of "what if a small local band was opening for Pearl Jam and they wanted a poster done"...I'd decline that one based on the fear of PJ's attorneys. It wouldn't be worth the potential trouble....

[art chantry]

xxoo

[jasoncross]

Pirating itself is the making of diect copies of a valid product and reselling them as an original, like say software.

Your loose use of the word again shows your defensiveness over your own personal battles art...its an attempt to belittle those which you have a grudge with...doesnt help make the argument.

Charlie's situation is much more sticky in its details which I will leave for others to wrangle with.

[art chantry]

xxoo

[philaarts.com]

charlie by nature leaves all things sticky

[jasoncross]

Not sure art, its not my argument or debate...just wanted to offer that semantics have alot of weight in these discussions. Maybe non-promoter supported artwork?

We (f27) did a Stereolab poster for the venue here in Austin and when I met the band backstage there was 3 more posters...I thought immediatly, thats so cool that other people like this band so much as to want to do a poster for them...I am in support of people making Art...not making the process of making art an logistical and legal nightmare.

but thats just me.

[DWITT]

I'm not working with the kind of clients you guys and gals are, but the more i'm thinking about it, I say let there be 5 posters for a show. Why not, doesn't that theoretically increase the chances of more people attending, which is the point of posters in the first place.

I'm flipping my stance. Especially if you're getting paid by someone in the show, whether a band or promoter, than the poster is legit. Permission from any of the involved parties is the green light.

[jimbo]

Now on the level of the smaller 300 person venue, or indi band, I think it falls on the club owner who acts as the promoter in that case.. Club ower is responsible for advertising the show, not the touring band..The band may help by providing posters, but ist the club owner who ultimatly flyers the town. I think staying with these two avenues is legit, legal, and proper.. Believe me I've seen a lot of posters, and I'm not naming names, that have popped up out of nowhere unknown by the promoter, and for shows I was already commissioned to do.. I hate it when things like that happen, its horribly improper and wrong..

There is another level. I'm not a professional poster guy. I make my living doing 16mm exploitation feature films, HD S&M/B&D films, and commercial print ads for Japanese companies. I find posters to be a fun break from this other shit.

I get asked by the venue (usually a friend who owns the club) or the act (usually a friend) to do a local poster. In Atlanta, the smaller clubs only advertise with their weekly ad in the local music newspapers. They just don't have the cash or time to get into silkscreened posters or to even hang Laserprinted flyers. Some venues do, but 9 out of 10 times it's the guy booking making the thing, and he is ripping off a Kozik , the CD cover, or just grabbing a familiar image and tacking the date on it. There are many signed bands (Reverend Horton Heat and Hank III for Example) who don't even send out promotional material to the venue. This may be due to gurantees, I'm not sure, but now I'll ask.

I would never step on an artist who had been commisioned to do a show. There would be no need for me to do a poster. I'm just in this for fun, a free ticket, free beer, and to help my friends out. I don't try to sell posters, nor do I have any interest in such a thing.