And now a few words from our publicity director Stacy Jones….

Hey Fringey People,

The second Fringe approaches! I hope you’re all as excited as I am for another summer on the streets of Hollywood. I’m looking forward to all the things that made me fall in love with Fringe: the huge (and often extreme) spectrum of artistic expression, the inspiring range of personalities and opinions, and watching everyone celebrate all their hard work! And did I mention the sangria?

For those of you returning to the fest, you might know me as the lady with the flip camera. Last year, my fabulous volunteer James and I interviewed over 60 different participant groups, and this year I’ll have even more volunteers helping me to hit the streets and get to know the participants up close.

I wish coordinating and conducting interviews was the only part of my job, but as Publicity Director, it’s also my job to make sure press knows about our event. I help to secure media sponsorships, write press releases, and broker comp tickets for press (so if you get an email from me during Fringe, you’d better respond quickly to insure coverage of your show!).

A lot of people try to hit me up for advice about successfully promoting a Fringe show, so I thought I’d outline a few basic things you can do to maximize the impact of your show:

• Write a press release and post it on the Fringe site as well as sending it to press contacts that you think would enjoy your show (think big: LA Times, LA Weekly & Backstage all came out for Fringe last year, among many others)
• Invest time in building up social media like Twitter & Facebook
• Networking is the most simple (and often most effective) tactic you can adopt. Do it.
• Read our Participant Packet, which outlines lots of promotional ideas

It was only a few years ago that a group of us sat around an apartment in Hollywood talking about the local arts and theater scene and somehow developed the idea of a festival. For a long time, even as we developed branding and applied for our nonprofit status, the Fringe felt like a dream. Finally, after years of hard work, we were able to see our ideas come to life. What a fulfilling moment.

But it’s not just about us… I know all of you have worked extremely hard to get your shows to the Hollywood Fringe, and I’m proud of each and every one of you, even those I haven’t yet met. Without you, our dream of a thriving artistic community in Hollywood would still be just a dream. So thanks! I know you guys are going to rock it out this summer, and I can’t wait.

Fringe on!
Stacy Jones, Publicity Director

Tickets are now available for all productions participating in the Hollywood Fringe Festival, celebrating its second year this June. Close to 200 artistic groups will present over 800 performances, workshops, exhibitions, and events throughout central Hollywood as a part of the celebratory multi-arts festival. Tickets are available online starting today and will also be available at Fringe Central (Art/Works Theatre at 6567 Santa Monica Blvd.) starting June 9.

This year the Fringe has implemented a custom ticketing system into its website which already has many interactive features. Those wishing to buy tickets can either browse all Fringe projects at once, view performances by day or by venue, or utilize a tag cloud with words describing Fringe events. Ticket prices range from free to $25 with an average cost of $11.

In addition to the online and Fringe Central box offices, venue-specific tickets will be available at the box offices of over thirty theatres, bars, and galleries participating in this years fest. Some venues include: Elephant Theatre, iO West, Theatre Asylum, Theatre of NOTE, The Complex, The Lounge Theatre and The Open Fist Theatre. Fringe [Film] tickets will be available in early June.

Key Festival Dates

May 20: Printed Fringe Guide Available
June 1: Fringe [Film] Application Deadline
June 9-14: Fringe Previews
June 15: Fringe Opening Night Party
June 16-26: The Hollywood Fringe Festival
June 26: Fringe Award Ceremony & Closing Night Party

About Hollywood Fringe

The Hollywood Fringe Festival (www.hollywoodfringe.org) is an annual celebration of the emerging arts.

Environments for the Fringe include both traditional and unorthodox venues; fully equipped theatres, street corners, clubs, bars, and places unexpected. Performances are self-produced by local, national, and international arts companies and independent performers. In the spirit of most Fringes, participation is open and uncensored.

In June 2010, over 175 different artistic groups representing all genres of performing and visual art participated in the inaugural Hollywood Fringe Festival, filling 17,000 seats in 30 different venues throughout central Hollywood. The event was called “an artful feast” by the LA Times, “a roaring success” by Backstage, and “a triumph” by LA Weekly.

Those seeking more information can contact the festival at [email protected].

Follow @hollywoodfringe on Twitter or use the #hff11 hashtag. You may also become a fan of our facebook page.

Last call to be listed in the printed guide under Fringe Family. This is a special free promotion that connects your show to family audiences. Signing up is easy and did we mention…free. If you have a family friendly show, there is absolutely no reason not to take advantage of this promotion.

To sign up…

1. Login to the website and visit your project dashboard
2. Click “Programs”
3. Click “signup” under Fringe Family
4. Read and accept the terms of service.

That’s it! To make the printed guide under this program, please make sure to sign up by Wednesday, April 27.

Ben

Greetings, Fringers-

In our quest for ultimate fairness, we are auctioning off our premium ad space this year so everyone has equal opportunity to nab one. This includes the lauded Back Cover, Inner Cover, and Centerfolds. We’re using independent online auction house 32Auctions.com this time around. Submit your bid today!

The premium ads are all full pagers (5.5″ width × 8.5″ height). If you have already purchased an ad and want to upgrade, we will credit you the cost of whatever you have already paid. All bids start at the discounted cost of a full page ad: $500.

The auction is now open and closes this Wednesday, April 27 at 9pm pacific.

These are some pretty prime locations, so strongly consider bidding. If you already have a full page ad, bidding on premium space is a no-brainer.

Ben

We are proud to announce a sponsorship with famed theatrical lighting purveyor ETC. Read on to learn more about the partnership…

ETC Presents Selador:
The Next Generation of Theatrical Lighting

Ever get tired of changing gels between shows? Do you think it’s a pain to have to change expensive lamps every few weeks in your fixtures? Do you cringe at your venue’s power bills at the end of the month – or have clients complain that you don’t have enough dimmers? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then ETC’s Selador is the fixture for you!

Building off the latest exciting, low-energy LED technology, Selador is an LED product designed specifically for the theatrical designer. It can change colors instantly. The LEDs last for an estimated 50,000 hours. Each fixture only consumes 125 watts. All fixtures can be controlled independently – even if they are plugged into the same circuit!

As an official sponsor of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, ETC has provided this colorful, energy- saving solution at the ArtWorks Theatre, this year’s Fringe Central venue, and we want to show you firsthand how we did it! Please come for a special presentation on Thursday, June 23 at 10:00 a.m. and let us show you how this technology is reshaping the way theatre is being lit!

Selador Lighting & Control Presentation by ETC:

Thursday, June 23 at 10:00 a.m.
ArtWorks Theatre
6567 Santa Monica Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90038

Check out their project on the Fringe site.

To reserve your spot or for information on ETC products, sales or rentals, please call Catherine Brewter at 323-203-3296 or e-mail [email protected]:mailto:[email protected].

Check out our website: www.etcconnect.com