what some people told me about the arts
DESCRIPTION
Lessons about the reality of the internet's impact on the arts and culture sector.TRANSCRIPT
How can digital help the arts market thrive…?
Some things I’ve learnt about the arts...
This talk seems easy at first…
But things get complicated very quickly
People I spoke to:
Independent visual artistsGallery represented visual artists
GalleristsIndependent musicians
Signed musicians (big and small labels) Managers
Agents Film & TV actors
TV actors Bookers
Producers
“Things people told me when I rang them up”
1/
It’s a bunch of villages, not a world
I learned this lesson first hand…
Just a few villages...• Architecture• Carpentry• Sound engineering• Electronic arts• Directing• Photography• Animation• Live action• Lighting• Acting• Set design• Poetry• Novel writing• Painting• Printmaking• Voice overs
• Sculpture• Modelling• Graphic design• Fashion design• Textiles• Publishing• Classical music• Rock music• Graffiti• Games• Conceptual art• Dance• Culinary arts• Composition• Conducting• Arts promotion
The different portions of the arts sector couldn’t be more different.
No ‘one size fits all’.
Marketing varies wildly across villages.
There are no silver bullets here.
Know your village, don’t try to take over the world.
2/
Democratisation dominates the discussion
The story of democratisation:
• The labels and galleries had complete control
• Artists had no control over their marketing, sales, and destiny
• The internet puts artists in charge• Allows you to build, and sell directly to
an audience• Distribution is no longer a problem
“The internet has revolutionised the arts world, power has shifted
to the artists and their audiences”
This story is inspiring…
It’s why many of us are here.
Here’s a story about Alex meeting ‘one of the big guys’…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjB_dtebaRQ
3/
The revolution is far from over
Yes, distribution is no longer a problem
Yes, you can have your art seen by millions, with a single click
Yes, you can go direct to the audience…
But…
There is a discrepancy between this story, and how many artists really feel about making a living…
In reality ‘Alex Day’s are few and far between…
Why?
It’s still tough out there…
Competing with free…
Overwhelming competition for attention…everyone has an outlet to the public
People aren’t ‘amazing at everything'
The cost of success can be prohibitive
Audience vs Time
Audience vs Time
Tour?Exhibition?
You’ll need...
Lawyers Promoters Producers Musicians
Technicians Management
Agents Booker
Tour managerPublicistPR firm
Without VC backing, success can be a massive problem…
What’s the result of this?
In 2013 not a single album in the top 10 was released by an independent label
The exhibition calendars of major galleries dominated
by established, gallery represented
artists
The film industry becoming
dominated by franchises and
sequels
Often it starts to look like a binary
choice…
What would happen if you just used the
internet?
£0-£200/month
‘I’d have to go back to waiting tables’
“Without the big players backing
me… I couldn’t do what I do.”
“Of course it’s the future… but I don’t
know how yet.”
4/ ‘Good stuff rises (eventually), even by accident’
Zuckerberg principle
“The internet rewards relentless generosity. The less you worry about being paid, the more you get paid”
– Seth Godin
“The apparatus of success will assemble around those people who are relentlessly amazing at what they do.”
“They’ve all got a team behind them.
No one is amazing at everything”