New Awards Strategy

I mentioned in my last update that we are executing a mid-course correction in how we handle awards. If you are a participant and have stopped by the ye olde Fringe Central, I am sure you have heard me talk your ear off about this. Thanks to Mr. Gedaly Guberek for helping me do the original brainstorm on how to make these more fair and balanced.

Here’s how we used to do it…

We were using the reviews system to determine awards in all categories – so panelists interested in reviewing shows for the Fringe would rate a show over 4 dimensions: overall, quality, effectiveness, and relevance. I still think this system is good for community reviews and we are keeping it pretty much untouched. Of course you will have the occasional company member, mother, slighted ex-boyfriend, and props master skewing the reviews to further some agenda that doesn’t serve the primary function of community reviews: Serving the patrons and helping them make informed choices.

I’d just like to say to all of you who are doing this deliberately: I am very cross with you. Let’s not make the Fringe site YouTube (those of you who read YouTube comments know that of which I speak).

Here’s the problem…

While acceptable in the context of online star ratings (there isn’t a perfect way to build a cheat-proof system), it is unacceptable in the context of awards. Even the act of rating and jurying the panelists requires the Fringe organizers to make subjective decisions on who does and does not deserve to become a panelist. Subjective decisions are something I would like the Fringe team to avoid. A single theatre company can simply tell all its social circle to vote 5 stars across the board for their production, rendering the awards ceremony, for lack of a better term, a joke.

Our idea, our mistake, here’s a new plan that’s evolving…

The simplest way to handle the awards is to leverage a controlled environment with a panel that is fixed and does not require any subjective judgements from the Fringe team. As it so happens, we already have one: Our 180+ participant productions. Each production receives a single ballot (you won’t be able to vote for yourself). Add to that a fixed ballot with each including the opportunity to select your favorite show from each category. The total points will inform the recipients of the awards in each category and include an overall winner, a favorite in international shows, and a favorite in world premieres. It also allows the possibility for “nominees” – which can also be taken away from the Fringe as a win for future marketing.

The award ceremony is to be held in Fringe Central on June 27 at 6:30pm and is to be hosted by Mr. Jim Smallman.

Indulge me for a moment to thank our panelists thus far who have done an amazing job at providing coverage of the festival from a community level – assisting patrons in making tough decisions on how to schedule their days. Just because the panelist plan doesn’t inform the awards, it in NO WAY diminishes their importance in making this Fringe a success. Indeed, their input has served volumes in doing so…and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for taking their continuing role so seriously. Read panelist reviews here

As this is the first year, there will be further revolutions/evolutions in the progress of awards (and just about everything else) as the theoretical meets the real…which is just one of the things that makes all this so very exciting.

Thanks for reading and please stop by Fringe Central (because our support inbox is already full enough) to discuss your thoughts on this matter. As always, we are always open to your observations.

Ben