====== propose to direct at pw! ====== *We are soon accepting proposals for Fall Season! Proposals are due Wednesday, April 29th at 12:00am. Contact [[mailto:maxeliposner@gmail.com|Max]] for more info.* As always, please PLEASE feel free to contact any board members if you have any questions or would like more information. ===== ABOUT THE PROPOSAL PROCESS ===== The proposal process is designed so that the board can get to know your project and vision as best as possible. We encourage you to be specific, thorough, and start early.\\ \\ Starting Spring 2009, proposals will be accepted on a seasonal, rather than a per-slot, basis. So next semester’s first and second slots will now be incorporated into a single round of proposals for the “Fall at PW” season. Third slot in November, along with first and second slots in January/February, will embody “Winter at PW,” and third and commencement slots become “Spring at PW.” Each season will have a season coordinator, who is a member of the PW board (Fall Season's mentor is [[mailto:maxeliposner@gmail.com|Max]]).\\ Contact the season coordinator as soon as you have any inkling that you might want to propose. The season coordinator will put you in contact with your own personal Proposal Buddy who guide you through the proposal process. They will happily provide feedback on drafts of your proposal. Also, this way we can start looking into rights for your project. \\ \\ ==== The Proposal Process ==== 1. By the due date (usually a Wednesday at 5pm, check our calendar for specific seasons), please send the season coordinator 2 copies of the __proposal__ via email (including application cover page), and put 2 paper copies of the proposal and 2 copies of the __script__ in the PW Box Office. If the script is electronic, it can be emailed to the season coordinator. If the work is unscripted, please provide a reasonably detailed description of the performance piece. === The Proposal === Please ATTACH the APPLICATION COVER PAGE, found {{:downspace_application.doc|here}}\\ Your proposal should include the following: * **Title, author, director, director’s phone number.**\\ * It is suggested that you **address the following questions**:\\ - Please explain the piece/concept and your approach to it.\\ - What is the story of this piece?\\ - What are you trying to communicate with this piece?\\ - Why is it important to do this play at Brown, at PW and now?\\ - What specific plans do you have for the rehearsal process and for working with the actors?\\ - What is your role as leader of this project, and what does that mean?\\ - How do you foresee working with designers? Share with us some of the ideas you plan to bring to the designers. How will you present these ideas and what do you expect from these discussions? What does this project offer that is enticing for designers?\\ * **Staff** The new proposal system does not require you to have your entire staff on the proposal. That said, we DO require you to have a design staff on the proposal, meaning a Set Designer, Lighting Designer, Costume Designer, and Sound Designer. We don’t require a full staff because it can be so hard to track down enough people, but we’ve found that proposals are be much better when directors have had a chance to discuss the show with designers they will be working with. The basic positions are usually the following (this of course will vary based on the project at hand): Management – Stage Manager, Production Manager\\ Designers – Lighting, Set, Costumes, Sound\\ Other – Technical Director\\ Learn more about the responsibilities of the different positions [[show_positions|here]]. If you are having trouble finding staff members, check out our [[people:greenbook|green book]] and feel free to contact the board for additional ideas. ASSISTANTS: We highly encourage you to find assistants to each of your staff positions. We at PW firmly believe that assistantship is essential to fostering a growing community of talent. Not to mention they can be great helping hands! This is not essential at the time of proposing, but will be a great asset to your proposal. * **Budget** The Downstairs Space shows are given a budget of $650. It is suggested that you provide some sort of budget breakdown. We understand that these are early days, so there is no need to be overly detailed (these numbers can and will change), but a basic idea of distribution is extremely helpful. There are resources to get additional funding if necessary; check out the [[http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Creative_Arts_Council/|Creative Arts Council]] for information on student arts grants. * **Rights** Rights should be secured to produce your show before you propose to PW. Please do not attempt to secure rights yourself – talk to the season coordinator first. The board will take care of securing rights for your proposal. Rights do not come out of your $650 budget. *Note: Musicals can be very expensive, so please contact the board about whether or not your rights are affordable for our organization. * **Appendix / Additional Materials** Feel free to provide us with anything that helps the board better understand your approach to your project. Examples: Inspirational images, preliminary set designs, tentative rehearsal schedules, etc. === The Interview === The season coordinator will schedule a half-hour interview with you for the Saturday after your proposal is due. The interview gives the board a chance to discuss the proposal with you. These interviews are not grill sessions. You should feel free to bring your own specific ideas, elaborations and corrections (if any) to this interview. ===== HELPFUL LINKS! ===== For a list of dates for each slot, check our [[calendar|calendar]].\\ Logistical information about our Downstairs Space is [[downstairs_space|here]].\\ Take a look at the [[@/showpacketspring08.pdf|show packet]], which includes a ton of really useful information about producing a show at pw. This will be distributed to the entire staff upon entering the space.\\ Here are some recent proposals to take a look at: {{:dan_s_soot_proposal.pdf|The Skin of Our Teeth, 1st Slot Fall 2006}}\\ {{:the_verge_proposal.doc|The Verge, 2nd Slot Fall 2007}}\\ {{:big_love_proposal_for_2nd_slot_2008.pdf|Big Love, 2nd Slot Spring 2008}}\\ {{:mousetrap.doc|The Mousetrap, 2nd Slot Fall 2005}}\\ {{:harrington_proposal.doc|The Music of Erich Zann in the Penal Colony, 1st Slot Spring 2008}}\\ {{:the_thing_about_air_travel_3rd_slot_proposal_pw.pdf|The Thing About Air Travel, 3rd Slot Fall 2008}}\\ {{:stone_cold_dead_serious_proposal.doc|Stone Cold Dead Serious, 3rd Slot Fall 2007}}\\ {{:syringa.doc|The Syringa Tree, Commencement 2005}}\\ {{:tiol.doc|The Invention of Love, 1st Slot Fall 2005}}\\ {{:arcadia_final.doc|Arcadia, 2nd Slot Fall 2008}}\\ Flashback! Old proposals from shows we have produced are available for you to read online [[@/oldproposals/|here]], but you should keep in mind that all of these were written before we switched to the new proposal system; the questions we ask are different now. ===== FINAL NOTES & REPROPOSING ===== If you are not selected, do not be discouraged! Many proposals take a few tries to get passed. If you would like help crafting a second draft, please contact any [[contacts|board member]] and we can help you prepare further. We //strongly// encourage re-proposing. Also, remember that Production Workshop is not the only space for student projects on the Brown campus, nor is it the only place with financial resources for such artistic endeavors. Student theatre has been enjoyed everywhere from our own "Upstairs Space" to the French House courtyard; check out our other theatre page for other groups on campus, and check out our [[grants|grants page]] for more information on funding. ===== WANT TO START SMALLER? ===== Assistant directing is a great way to learn the ropes; talk to a [[contacts|board member]] about how to get involved with our current and upcoming productions. For that matter, working on one of our shows in any capacity will help you learn what it’s like to direct at PW, so get involved! We also have a spring Directing Festival of short pieces, open to directors old and new. Find out how you can get involved [[directing_festival|here]].