The official "Not" FNM series discussion.

[naduval]

What if "Touring Band X" wanted a traditional "no-pay series" poster series, but instead of the "we get x%, you get x%, then end" it was more like, "we sell x# of posters at the show, you get 50% of the profit, we get 50% of the profit."

So, "Touring Band X" need only ask someone to arrange the series, (and this would work best if you did posters for a show you would actually be at) the sales are made at the show (poster artist could help with that if the band needed it...yeah?), and money is split evenly. So, let's say 50 posters get sold at $10 a pop..."Touring Band X" get's $250 extra at every stop, and each poster maker covers expenses, etc...

Just an idea, and a way to make those "no-pay series" a little cooler.

This is how Built to Spill Runs their series, or at least the last one that they did.

[JustinHelton]

and thats a good way to go about it I think....its the way that TV on the Radio has had me do a number of their posters....if you are making money, and have the opportunity to have posters to sell down the line...I think thats a good deal. Especially when the bands are extremely cool with designs and are not giving art direction. If they are doing things like that, they need to be paying for that.

[steve w]

pretty much the only posters I've done this year have been for serieses

[steve w]

Especially when the bands are extremely cool with designs and are not giving art direction. If they are doing things like that, they need to be paying for that.

HUGE point

[stinkbait]

My point is there are still thousands of bands that will need/want posters outside of these series so to get worked up that these series are hurting the scene is weird to me. They actually can help artists who may not have the ability to make that jump from local friends bands up to a major touring act. Now they get some work in their portfolio that can bring them additional larger jobs.

[bdix]

who says poster artists are special? or different? my answer is that i don't see anyone here saying that.

Damn, Luba quick on the defensive.

I didn't mean for it to sound like poster artists are coming across as "holier-than-thou" folks. I'm just bringing up a relevant question. Why shouldn't a band apply this particular business model to poster art considering it's their identity? If we can get a fair enough, and relevant answer to the question, that's ammo for the fight against no-pay work.

As far as this business model becoming THE business model... has/will that happen? Honestly. If these tour series make up, at best, 1% of the bands touring throughout a year, is it really screwing all of us over? But let's say for argument's sake 100% of bands use this business model... how would you deal with it? would you continue making gigposters?

however, that doesn't mean that i can't care about what we as a community might be inadvertently doing to our industry. if you care, great. if you don't, bummer and best of luck with that.

I hope you're not assuming that just because I'm bringing up a different side of the argument that I don't care. Quite the contrary. I'm against spec work also, but a band has every right to use this business model, and quite frankly I don't have a good reply to THEM as to why they shouldn't.

As of now, all I'm hearing from us is we don't get paid enough. Selling our artist copies isn't enough. We want to get paid not only to make a product, but then turnaround and sell the same product in direct competition with the band who licensed the product to us.

I don't know, am I coming across as against the poster community, or am I making any sense? Where the fuxx is Geoff with my KFC Snackers?!

[ZOMIC]

Basically most people in the music industry are looking for someone one step below them on the ladder to take advantage of.

sooo true

[andydiesel]

bobby hates puppys and doesn't care about the poster scene.

[andydiesel]

As of now, all I'm hearing from us is we don't get paid enough. Selling our artist copies isn't enough. We want to get paid not only to make a product, but then turnaround and sell the same product in direct competition with the band who licensed the product to us.

my thought on this is that if the band pays for the art and printing the artist should only get a few prints for their portfolio.

[Tenebrini]

I share opinions so I'll throw this down...

I've been in on series that pay and that kicks ass. I've been in on series that I foot the bill for and that's worked out well enough too. Granted I'm less and less willing to do these. And when I do them I'm doing much shorter runs. It costs less so I have to recoup less.

I think if you go into these series offers with eyes wide open and realistic business sense , then your are fine.

Ive been part of both free posters series and paying poster series. All of the series I've been asked to be a part of I was happy with the results for different reasons, both financial and personal.

Also, at this point

I definitely regard poster work as akin to producing oversized business cards...I tend to very slowly recoup costs in most cases, but get a lot of work inquiries through clients seeing them.

I also have a day job that kicks ass so poster work is filler for me. I don't consider it a hobby though. It's part of the work that I do as a commercial aritst and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be working on Halrey-Davidson had I not been doing rock posters for 4 yrs prior to that.

I still do posters for local bands, sometimes for nothing. Because I'm a fan and I want to and they dig my/our work and it helps them. I love music and helping. Sue me.

If a band/promoter would prefer to get free mediocre posters, then that's what they want. If they want the cream of the crop- something to really turn peoples' heads, then they will pay for it.

This statement isn't all that fair. That is, inferring that all posters done for free are mediocre. I'm sure that's probably not exactly what you meant but fuck that noise.

here's the thing...let's not forget that individual poster artists talking to bands individually is also legit...and something that happens every day too.

I recently had permission to do a poster from all the legit sources i.e venue AND band mgmt for a band only later to have it taken away from me AFTER the poster series was established. It would have been me footing the bill and recouping after, but I know I'd have come out fine. Fortunately I hadn't printed it yet. I was annoyed and dissapointed. But whatevs... I agree with Richie here in that it's just ink on paper so, not going to lose alot of sleep over it.

I like making posters. I like getting paid. When they both happen at the same time.... I like that too.