06.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

LIVE ONLINE GIGS

People who perform music for a living, or those who just do it for a hobby are all providing so much content for their friends and fans during this time.  They really don't have a lot else to do and it's very important for them to stay busy and do the things they love.  Here is an example of a guy doing his own online gig.  He received a lot of positive feedback in the live comment section and he would occasionally reply to these.  This engaged his audience and got him a decent amount of subscribers.  Subscribing to a twitch streamer is a form of monetisation.  Monetisation is a tricky and sensitive topic during these times as it can be very tough to figure out a way to do it.  Anyone can watch a twitch stream for free but if the viewer really likes their content, they can pay to subscribe to them.

There is a very informative article on how to do an online gig and the ways monetisation could still happen.  Here are the key points:

• Run an online free gig
• Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Zoom
• Run a paid gig
• The link to a stream with Paypal
• It's easier with a dedicated fan base
• The tip jar approach
• Charge for recorded performances
• Get the production values right
• Market the gig

I want to specifically look at a really big and successful online concert tomorrow like the BTS live online concert.

05.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

TOURS CANCELLED

The music industry has been hit very hard by the global pandemic.  Live performances are the biggest form of revenue, so having tours cancelled, it has caused a drastic loss.  The 6-month shut down is estimated to have caused more than $10bn in sponsorships. (Source)  Another issue with this is that no one really knows when tours would be back on track again.  Even after having the regulations lifted, people would be extremely cautious and careful about going to events like this as it could be the perfect place for the virus to spread.

Some tours that are cancelled include:

• My Chemical Romance
• Harry Styles
• The Weeknd
• Bob Dylan
• Guns N' Roses
• BTS
• Bon Jovi
• Taylor Swift
• Justin Bieber
• Camilla Cabello
• The Rolling Stones
• Doja Cat
• Steve Aoki
• The Foo Fighters

And many others. 

This is how Justin Bieber broke the news to his fans:

Next I want to look at how any musicians and artists are still performing during the COVID-19 crisis.

04.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

INSTAGRAM LIVES

Instagram is a great way to connect with people whether they are friends or fans.  Some performers have been using the platform to live stream their talent.  The first example I will look at is Dianne Buswell, a dancer on Strictly Come Dancing.  She often does Instagram lives which she turns into 'IGTV' videos so people who missed the live can watch it afterwards.
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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dianne Buswell (@diannebuswell) on Apr 2, 2020 at 8:20am PDT

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Here is an example of one of her lives.  She does dance tutorials and performances and has created over 10 of these already.

Here is an example of an artist, Shawn Mendes, doing an IGTV:
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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shawn Mendes (@shawnmendes) on Apr 30, 2020 at 4:28pm PDT

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Famous faces including singers Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Justin Bieber, John Legend and his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, rapper Cardi B, actor Hilary Duff and others have flocked to Instagram Live to entertain fans while they isolate themselves from crowds amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Performers like Legend, Coldplay's Chris Martin and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard have even used the hashtag #TogetherAtHome to promote their streams meant to entertain millions stuck at home.

Celebrity streaming shows on the platform something that will become more frequent in the coming days and weeks, according to Charles Porch, Instagram's head of global partnerships.

"I think in times like this, and when times get tough, [celebrities are] turning to Instagram to connect with fans to, first, help get out really good information like washing your hands and staying home and the next phase now, which is coming together with the community," Porch told NBC News.

Singer Miley Cyrus hosted a livestream in which she highlights what she calls “bright minded stories” and shares feel-good news with fans. On Tuesday, Cyrus was joined by singer Demi Lovato, and the stream was viewed by as many as 50 million people on the platform, according to screen captures of the video shared to Twitter by fans.

Fans will be seeing much more of Cyrus on Instagram Live, according to Porch, who said Cyrus will be streaming on Instagram Live Monday through Friday while the nation practices social distancing. Cyrus will be joined by a host of other celebrities who will also be streaming to their fans as the country battles COVID-19.

"We're going to see more series where people will do regularly scheduled programing," Porch said. "It's going to be interesting to watch this going forward and watch people at home create their own television networks."

While Cyrus and Lovato asked each other questions and chatted during their shared livestream, Legend and Teigen performed songs and broadcast some of their daily activities at home, like cooking.

Legend sang Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Beauty and the Beast," among others.

(Source)

Next I want to look at the different musician's tours that have been cancelled and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected that aspect of performance. 

03.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

ACTORS DURING LOCKDOWN

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I watched this video to see how COVID has affected actors.  This specific video is on a woman who coaches, so it shows how she has combatted not being able to see her students in person.  What's great about technology nowadays is that we have the ability to be able to see and talk to people from across the world.  In the video, the coach uses the application Zoom for her classes which I have done for some of mine.  Although there are some complications from using methods like this, like a delay or bad wifi, it's still better than nothing.  I really struggled to find any other information on how actors are coping with this global pandemic.

Next I want to look at the nature of Instagram lives and how actors, dancers and musicians are using these to help express their talent.

02.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

BROADWAY/WEST END

Broadway and the West End rely on the box office that comes from tickets as a main form of revenue.  As coronavirus has put everything to a halt, the industry is under a lot of pressure.  These are some of the shows that have been cancelled or delayed:

Many theatre performances have been cancelled or delayed. All Broadway theatres in New York have been closed until 6 September 2020, while West End theatres in London are closed until 1 August 2020. Waitress on West End and Frozen on Broadway announced they are closed permanently, despite at the time of their announcements, they would be able to reopen after the shut down. 9 to 5: The Musical on West End, Beetlejuice, The Inheritance, and Thriller – Live on Broadway and the Endgame and Rough for Theatre II double bill at The Old Vic were already scheduled to end, but were forced to close earlier than expected. Both Hangmen and revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on Broadway cancelled their entire run, though they had a few preview performances prior to the Broadway shut down. Sabrina Carpenter's limited run on Broadway's Mean Girls was cut short, though she intends to return to the show. Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel, who were performing at Waitress in London, returned to the United States a week before their scheduled departure due to international travel restrictions imposed. 
(source)

On the Official London Theatre website, there have been many questions asked by the general public on what is going on with the COVID pandemic and how it will affect their shows.  These questions include:

• When will theatres reopen?
• The decisions to reopen theatres will be made based on government and scientific advice on gatherings and events.
• How do I find out whether a performance has been cancelled?
• If a performance was due to take place before or on 2 August, it has unfortunately been cancelled. Performances for some shows after this date have also been cancelled.

And many others.

They also provide some information on how to support the industry through these difficult times.  Here are a few suggestions:

• If you have tickets for a cancelled performance, choose a credit note or exchange rather than a refund, or rebook tickets for a later date.
• Rather than receiving a refund, you can donate the cost of your ticket to the theatre.
• Many theatres have information about how to donate on their website.  You can find links to donate to SOLT member theatres here.
• Give to a theatrical charity such as Acting For Others or Make A Difference Trust, which will distribute funds where they are most needed in the industry.
• Buy Theatre Tokens for yourself or as a gift for someone else to use once theatres reopen, as a commitment to supporting theatre, or book your Autumn/Winter theatre trips now.
• Check out our page about how to get your theatre fix online here; many of the productions listed are available to watch online in return for a donation to the theatre or to theatre charities.

Next I want to look into the affect that the global pandemic has had on actors wellbeing and their daily lives.

01.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

THE MADNESS OF GEORGE III

Today, I watched the National Theatre show of The Madness of George III (the video has since been deleted from their YouTube channel).  It gave me a feel into the difference between seeing a show in person versus seeing it on screen.  Here are a few pointers on my experience (not on the actual performance).

• The show wasn't live streamed so what was happening wasn't in real time (due to social distancing)
• Although it wasn't happening in real time, the show was premiered on YouTube (this means that it was shown at a specific time, but people could still watch it if they came later)
• It didn't ever feel awkward as the audience was present at the time of the recording so there was still some aspect of an atmosphere
• It was free to watch which would make a lot of people happy as some people wouldn't be able to afford to see real shows
• There was still a fundraiser which had a generous amount of donations - shows the tight and supportive performing arts community
• The camera quality was HD and I could see more than when I actually watch plays in real life
• I could pause whenever if I needed to
• I was in the comfortable environment of my house 
• Although those last three comments were positive, I still do really miss the vibe of being in a theatre and the excitement live performance brings

Luckily, these performances were recorded before lockdown started due to NT Live.  NT Live is when the National Theatre's performances being streamed around the world in cinemas, live.  The technology to make this happen is incredible and this just so happened to come in handy in a time like this.  I watched this video which gave me a grasp on the complexities behind this.

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Next I want to look into the effect that coronavirus has had on Broadway and the West End as these are a massive part of the performing arts which has had to come to a complete halt.

31.05.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

NATIONAL THEATRE

After exploring some views on performance online during lockdown, I'm now going to look at some examples.  I'm looking at National Theatre to find some examples on online performance.

Immediately on the National Theatre home page, it says, Watch The Madness of George III on YouTube, for free.  As the National Theatre is closed until the end of August, no productions are being held in the building.  The three different theatres, Olivier Theatre, Lyttelton Theatre and Dorfman Theatre, have a combined capacity of almost 2,500 seats.  Here are some of their key facts and figures:

Even through quarantine, they're still providing entertainment to the public, with fundraisers on their videos in hopes of continuing.  Their YouTube channel has over 600k subscribers and is providing free full-length plays every Thursday.  So far, they have only premiered The Madness of George III which got almost 300k views and 3k likes.  Before the play starts, they kindly ask people to consider donating, which is a good way of monetisation through this time.

They have currently raised over $13k.

Tomorrow I want to watch The Madness of George III and comment on my thoughts and feelings of watching a performance over a screen rather than in person.