AEPlatform

We did it!

We finally arrived at our site name for AEP!  The site name is…. GoSeeDo!

I never though of naming as a difficult task. I have named kids. Pets. Dance moves. It has never been a problem. But coming up with a name for the public facing brand of AEP… that was a challenge.

We had been looking for a  name that would be easy for the public to remember and inspire a sense of action and involvement among people coming to have new experiences with the arts. There are two ways that the public interested with the platform, either through a direct relationship with a particular artists, or to the central site’s public discovery interface where people can find new ways to engage with artists. The name needed to work for both.

I don’t know exactly how many hours were spent on domain search sites or how many names we discussed, evaluated, and dismissed. Some were too adventurous. Others too meek. Some were too forward. Others too elusive.  Needless to say, when we finally emerged with a name that most everyone on the team and of the 20+ people we surveyed liked, I was thrilled.

We’re now phasing in the branding to reflect the name. This starts working on the visual identity, and the first step is deciding on a logo. I had expected the logo process to be harder than the naming process. But so far it is an incredibly fun and fluid experience.

I’d like to share the initial set of logo designs that we looked at. Take a look. See what you think. And let us know which one you would pick or any feedback you have.

Oh yeah – let us know what you think of the name as well

Mahalos,

Rob

Sep. 1, 2011, Filed under category Announcements, blog

Aloha,

Hold on to your seats! For the past few months we have been working with you to create a platform that you can use to increase your offerings and your audience engagement. We have learned a great deal in that time, and based on that, we are ready to take the platform to the next level.

If we haven’t met yet, let me start by introducing myself. My name is Rob. I am the product manager for AEP. Along with the rest of the team, I have been working feverishly for the past few months to make the platform great. And I feel like that hard work has finally paid off.

We have a bunch of new and exciting ideas we would like to share with you. So, starting next week, we will be posting them to the site in order to get your feedback. You will see:

      – Beautiful Logo Designs
     - New and Wonderful User Interfaces
      – Streamlined Processes
      – And more

We want you to take a look at these ideas and let us know what you think. If you love them, tell us what you love about them. If you hate them, let us know why. See something we missed? We want to know.

Your feedback has been invaluable up to this point, and it is an essential ingredient in order to make a truly valuable platform that can help artists succeed.To that end, we will be increasing the transparency of our processes across the board. Posting the proposed new designs will be our first step.

Having said that, I want to take a moment to thank you. Thank you for participating in this project. Thank you for you helping us improve the platform. But most importantly, thank you for being an artist and for creating art.

There is an excess of many things in this world. Art is not one of them.

Mahalos,

Rob

Aug. 22, 2011, Filed under category blog

Broadway Producer, Ken Davenport posted a blog that relates directly to one of AEP’s goals: to help artists use their art to support and produce more art. You can read his full post here, but below is an excerpt that is right up the same alley as what we’re helping you do through AEP.

If you’ve got a product that already has market interest, another way to boost that interest is to create supporting products that might appeal to either a new demographic, or more importantly, your core demo. That group is desperate to consume as much information as they can about who you are, what you do, and where you come from.

So once you have a show that has some traction, take some time to supplement that traction with a history book, a mini doc, or something else that might make money on its own . . . and that supports your primary product.

How does this relate to your work? You can build on your show before it even opens by creating offerings that lead up to your major performance. Take a look at some of the ways AEP artists are building momentum for their shows by creating a Project around it, or supporting performances by giving sneak-peeks or follow-ups.

Aug. 2, 2011, Filed under category blog, Program info

In 1967, media theorist Marshall McLuhan wrote, “All media are extensions of some human faculty – psychic or physical” meaning that all technology is an extension of man’s natural capabilities. The car is an extension of the foot, tools an extension of the hands, language an extension of expression. Technologies don’t create “new” possibilities, they simply do what we could already do, but better, faster and more efficiently. Now through internet communication tools like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Skype and Livestream, our options for interaction – especially audience engagement – have increased exponentially.

The Mapping Home series by Kinesis Project has begun incorporating virtual experiences into their creative process, expanding personal interactions. Soon fans will be able to participate in this project through live performances, behind the scenes, and long-distance attendance.

What other types of events and interactions would you like to be a part of? Explore the engagements offered by AEP artists to see how you can expand the horizon of possibilities.

The Audience Engagement Platform

Jun. 25, 2011, Filed under category blog

Come see what’s sizzling with AEP artists in NYC this weekend!

Australian-born Musician Alex Carpenter is a versatile artist playing the guitar, keyboard, and electric zither. He is performing tonight, Friday June 17th, with Ella Joyce Buckley, supporting PRONTO (featuring Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco). Carpenter will play a short solo guitar set of his Live Audio Delay System, which envelops the audience with accumulating and resonating sound, then another set accompanying Buckley. Visit his AEP page for more info.

Also performing tonight is Convergences Theatre Collective, a group of artists dedicated to creating original work. Acting Out: Desire provides a unique opportunity to step inside the artistic process of CTC as they prepare their upcoming work, The Desirous Project. The evening will be a presentation of early material, revealing how they are exploring and crafting a deeply sensual conversation, giving a layered insight into the creative processes of CTC. Take a look at this project on AEP.

NYC welcomes back Boston-based company Rebecca Rice Dance after a four year hiatus. They will present a program at the Merce Cunningham Theater tonight and Saturday June 18th. Reviving three works and premiering two more, the evening will present a visual and musical feast with music varying from Bach to the blues. With a prolific blend of modernism and musicality, the performances will both defy gravity and celebrate it. Check out details on their AEP page.

LEIMAY is comprised of both the individual work, and collaborations between Ximena Garnica and Shige Moriya. Their current project, Uncovering, is an exploration into the struggle between societal values and self discovery, bringing to light the nature of life. Performed in two installments at The LAB, the audience is invited to watch the unraveling of a struggle between individual self-conception and social pressures from the sidewalk. Performances will be held through June 25th. Find more info on AEP .

The Audience Engagement Platform. More Art. More Often.

Jun. 17, 2011, Filed under category blog

AEP aims to help artist offer “more art, more often” in ways that are unique to them and increase their sustainability. In advance of the public launch, an early team of Case-Study Artists have published an inspiring mix of “On-Demand” experiences, where their fans can engage with their work in new ways.  As the name implies, these experiences will happen when a fan books it, making opportunities available that they never knew were possible.  No need to wait for your favorite artist’s next live show any more!

These artists have created unique experiences, customized for their fans to provide a personalized entrance into what makes their work distinctive. The suite of experience types, designs and features for the artists to use will keep growing alongside the community of artists. Current On-Demand Experiences include: performance parties, original choreography, custom designs, private coaching, and many others!

So come take a look at what they have to offer!

Mar. 21, 2011, Filed under category blog

A core goal of AEP is to make it easier for artists to provide a more frequent and broader range of experiences for their fans to enjoy. One inspiration driving this strategy is an essay by Kevin Kelly titled “1000 True Fans”. In it, he says…

“A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author – in other words, anyone producing works of art – needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.

Assume conservatively that your True Fans will each spend one day’s wages per year in support of what you do. That “one-day-wage” is an average, because of course your truest fans will spend a lot more than that.  Let’s peg that per diem each True Fan spends at $100 per year. If you have 1,000 fans that sums up to $100,000 per year, which minus some modest expenses, is a living for most folks.

A few caveats. This formula – one thousand direct True Fans —  is crafted for one person, the solo artist. What happens in a duet, or quartet, or movie crew? Obviously, you’ll need more fans. But the additional fans you’ll need are in direct geometric proportion to the increase of your creative group.

A more important caution: Not every artist is cut out, or willing, to be a nurturer of fans. Many musicians just want to play music, or photographers just want to shoot, or painters paint, and they temperamentally don’t want to deal with fans, especially True Fans. For these creatives, they need a mediator, a manager, a handler, an agent, a galleryist — someone to manage their fans.  Nonetheless, they can still aim for the same middle destination of 1,000 True Fans. They are just working in a duet.”

Great idea!  But how does this work? AEP is working toward a process and toolset to make this easier.

We aim to facilitate your process, and to provide resources to a community of practitioners leveraging each others knowledge to create and offer “More Art, More Often” through sustainable practices.

Mar. 18, 2011, Filed under category blog

Technology in the Arts did a feature interview with AEP founder Chris Elam.  Listen to the podcast here to learn more about how AEP can serve you and your audience: Podcast Episode #79.

Feb. 2, 2011, Filed under category blog

We are delighted to announce the selection of seven entrepreneurial dance artists and companies who will begin to use AEP with their audiences this February:

Christopher Williams Dances (New York, NY)

DanceWorks Chicago (Chicago, IL)

Gibney Dance (New York, NY)

Leah Stein Dance Company (Philadelphia, PA)

Malashock Dance (San Diego, CA)

Melissa Riker/Kinesis Project (New York, NY)

Rebecca Rice Dance (Boston, MA)

These pioneers will start the year off by designing and launching their first events through AEP in the upcoming weeks.  Keep up with the fun by following their progress and check out the innovative events headed your way soon!

Jan. 24, 2011, Filed under category blog

A key role in our coming Case Study and beta process will be the Community Manager. We’ve found a great person to fill that role – Jeremy Williams. Jeremy has been a dancer, choreographer, producer, and artistic director, so he has a good idea of the challenges faced by performing artists. In many of those roles he has pushed his group to reach outward both to the audience and to other groups (artists, community groups, schools, etc.) in the community.

He’s only been at work here a couple weeks, but I’m already sleeping better at night!

He’s hard at work preparing for our kick-off Workshop later in January. If you’ve had any communication with us about the beta program, you’ll be hearing from him directly within a few days.

Jan. 4, 2011, Filed under category blog

Dear Dance Artists,

As we gear-up for a special case-study Beta launch for the Audience Engagement Platform (AEP) starting on January 21st, we are reaching out to extend an open invitation especially for Dance artists to see if you may be a match as an early participant.

Case Study participants will have early access to the service and hands-on engagement with the AEP team. Not only will you be using the system to create new and interesting experiences of your own, you will also be shaping and defining the types of experiences that other artists will be able to create when the system goes live for others to use. As part of the documentation of the case-study process, your group’s early adoption and co-creation of new experience types would be shared with the national dance community.

Therefore, it is important that you understand not only our goals, but also the responsibilities that you will have as a participant. Please take a few moments to read through the information below, and then contact us so that we can consider you for participation in the program.

Please note that we are aiming to select the initial 8 case-study artists before the New Year, so if you’d like to be considered, let us know. We’ll also offer future rounds early spring leading up to the public launch. If you have any questions or would like to participate, feel free to email AEP’s Product Manager, Bill Seitz at Bill@aeplatform.org.

Thanks,
The AEP Team
AEPlatform.org

BACKGROUND – Why are we doing this?
Ahhhh…..the creative experience. We choreograph, rehearse, prepare… and then? The audience sees the show and loves it! They are inspired. But… the show ends. The audience leaves. And when can they see you next….?” Next year. The momentum gets lost….

364 days of work for a single engagement with an audience member. All that work for One experience. Is that the best we can do? No.

While presenting a show is a rare occurrence due to the high costs or production, in those other days of the year there are many experiences that an artist could share that would be high-value to their audiences, but low-cost to the artist. AEP will help artists to develop, package, share, and manage these offering, in a way that is easy, fun, and replicable.  Imagine instantly having a full suite of experiences that express your artistic vision which you could offer to your audiences at various costs, lengths, and on-demand?  What if you could benefit from seeing all the innovative events and experiences that other artists were coming up with an sharing, and easily design your own in minutes? Welcome to AEP.

How will AEP help you with this? Through:

- A system that helps you design, offer, and schedule unique experiences and events;
- A Learning Community for Artists holding such events, to share knowledge and support;
- An interface with a ticket-seller system to handle those logistics;
- A process of leveraging social media and the Artist’s existing email list to promote the event;
- A post-experience social media process to promote the artist so that future events will be even easier to promote.

- An approach to turning a one-off offering into a series, and to test you audiences’ interest in a type of experience before investing in it.

What we will be doing during the Case Study is:
a) Gather and codify these experiences
b) Discover how to present and market them effectively
c) Test tools to simplify and automate the process

Requirements
In order to be considered for participation you must meet the following criteria:
___ You are a dance-producing artist or organization

And you must agree to take the following actions:
___ You put on at least 3 experiences using the AEP platform* before the end of June.
___ You provide data about the events you hold during the Case Study period.
___ You provide feedback regarding the platform and the experiences you create with it
___ You agree to be interviewed at the start and end of the process
___ You participate in the workshop and webinar sessions
___ You report any bugs/errors that you find
___ You share new ideas for experiences or product development
___ You communicate with AEP during the Case Study period
___ You participate in the Case Study community by reading and interacting on the forums
___ You look forward to having a marvelous, fun, and exploratory adventure!

* For more information on AEP experiences, please visit: http://www.aeplatform.org/aep-audiencebook-plan/2010/11/

Case Study Schedule
Apart from your individual work, the following milestones will be part of the schedule:

Item #1 – Initial interview
Our Case Study research consultant will interview you about your past/current audience engagement activities, and your plans for using AEP.

Item #2 – Workshop, Intro to AEP
The workshop will take you through the system and teach you the basics of the AEP platform, including what tools are available, what event types you can choose to create, and how you will go about the process of marketing and performing one of these experiences. At the end of this workshop, you will be asked to think about what type of event you would like to create and you will be asked to participate in a short video interview in order to begin tracking progress before, during and after the beta. Based on your feedback during the workshop, we’ll make some adjustments to the software and documentation/materials before the “launch”.

Item #3 Case Study Materials via Email
On the day of the launch, you will be sent materials that you can use as a reference. These materials will include links to the resource library, your login credentials, and other information you will need in order to participate in the Case Study.

You will be expected to have selected an experience that you would like to try to put on, and AEP staff will be following up with you to make sure that you are ready to go. You will also have access to forums and other methods of communication so that you can ask us or members of the community questions you might have. If you decide to change your mind and try a different experience type after you learn more about the system, you will be able to do that at any time.

Once the process has started, AEP staff will be in contact periodically in order to make sure everything is going smoothly, you have all the information that you need to proceed, and that there are no issues that you are encountering that are affecting your ability to participate.

To increase your comfort/experience at holding these events, and provide ever-more-informed improvement ideas for us, the plan is for you to repeat this process for 3 events before end-June.

Item #4 Webinars
There will be two webinars held to review the progress you’ve made, answer any questions you might have, and share feedback with the Case Study community.

Item #5 Launch
You will need to have completed your 3rd event by June and provided feedback regarding the event’s marketing and execution. Our Case Study researcher will then interview you a second time about your AEP experience.

Interested? Questions? Email Bill@AEPlatform.org

Dec. 15, 2010, Filed under category blog

If our plans sound exciting, please apply to join our beta tester group!

Dec. 7, 2010, Filed under category blog