How to sell out your Fringe show and make money
Part 2: Artwork
After concept, artwork is the most important step to selling out your show and making money. It’s the first thing people see in guides, advertisements, and on the street. You need something that captures the eye and stands out from the thousands of posters, and competition is brutal (see above).
I’m not going to give you a lesson in graphic design but there are a few do’s and don’ts that you should be aware of before you start.
Get those eyeballs
You need to base your poster around a great image — something that hasn’t been done a thousand times (a comedian shrugging like they don’t understand this crazy world). Whether it’s hilarious, vulgar, quirky or provocative you need to make an impact and get their attention! A good photographer can help with this.
Clutter is the enemy
Where possible, keep your design simple and streamlined. People don’t have time to read big chunks of text; they need the information to leap off the page and into their brain with minimal effort.
Awards & quotes
If you have amassed any number of 4 or 5 star reviews, or if you have received quotes from notable personalities, put them on your artwork! It’s not lame to tell the public that people like you. Punters only have a certain amount of cash to spend on Fringe shows and if you have positive reviews on your artwork it adds a sense of security when it comes to buying tickets to your show.
Bullshit reviews: Under no circumstances should you make up a 5 star review or badly edit a quote to make you look amazing. You might fool a few people, but you’ll end up destroying your credibility. If you are going to use fake reviews make sure they are very obviously fake so there is no confusion. For example:
***** “This article is absolutely amazing” — My mum who loves me.
Anti-awards: a one star review may be as good as a 5 star review depending on your audience. Say you have a show with a dark Satanic theme and you receive a one star review from a religious 62 year old ex-priest reporter saying “I was outraged” and “I hope the performers go to hell.” This may be the one star ticket to sell out your show!
However if you’re clever you can do whatever you want. Check out this cheeky 2 star review hidden amongst a sea of 4/5 stars.
Colour
After deciding on your eye-grabbing image, the next step is selecting a bold colour theme to help separate your artwork from the masses.
Typography
Your typography (the writing on your poster) needs to be impressive, cohesive and in-line with the rest of your design. Don’t be too boring or too crazy. It needs to be eye-catching but most importantly legible from a distance. Certain bands and big events can get away with crazy typography, however until you’re bringing in a cool mill per show it’s best to make sure people can actually read the text on your poster.
Balance
Keep your artwork balanced. Again, this is something your designer should know, but if you’re pinching pennies and getting a friend/amateur designer to help you it’s good to have this knowledge up your sleeve. Do not over load one part of the poster with all the information and keep your typography consistent. If you think your poster looks weird and out of balance, it probably is.
Be consistent
As a performer you need to establish your “personal brand” (more on that later). You don’t see Coke changing their logo and colours every year and neither should you. Sure they make a few small alterations but everyone can spot a can of Coke from a mile away.
If you are consistent with your artwork on a yearly basis not only will people remember your artwork/brand from previous festivals, it might also save you some cash on designing radical new posters every year.
Be unique
Did you know you can print your posters on paper that isn’t white? Mind blown! There are many different colours and textures you can print on and if you make this part of your overall design it can have an amazing impact.
The future is now
You can actually buy posters with built in microchips and press pads so people can interact and actually hear a clip of your stand up/music/performance. How cool is that! The below example is in the early stages of development. It’s not as cheap as a regular poster but if I was looking at a wall full of Fringe posters and one was talking to me I know where my attention would be!
Check out what this UK company is doing: http://www.novalia.co.uk
Lastly, try something that no one else has done. Feel free to go against all the above advice and create your own masterpiece. Just don’t fuck it up!
