A Theatrical Press Agent works with theater productions such as Broadway plays, off-Broadway shows, and regional theater groups. His or her main function is to publicize a production in order to get it as much exposure as possible. This in turn makes people aware of the show and generates audiences. The individual develops various forms of publicity and promotion to put and keep the production in the public eye as often as possible.
Much of the work of the Theatrical Press Agent is done even before a show has opened. During this time period the individual works on creating ideas, putting programs and concepts together, and developing preopening publicity. The Theatrical Press Agent has many responsibilities. Once he or she is hired to work on a production, the individual is required to develop a publicity and promotional campaign. This might include putting together a press kit about the show, its actors and actresses, etc. The individual is responsible for getting information about the talent for biographies and fact sheets and arranging for photographs. He or she must talk to the talent, producer, and director to try to come up with unique details for press releases, interviews, and feature articles.
The individual is responsible for dealing with media. He or she might arrange press conferences, press parties, opening- night parties, and media events. The Theatrical Press Agent may set up television and radio interviews with the stars on talk, variety, and news shows to help publicize the production. This exposure might include local, regional, and national programs.
The Theatrical Press Agent calls editors and reporters with feature stories and article ideas. With luck and a good idea the individual can obtain press coverage in print media as well as on television and radio. A successful Theatrical Press Agent uses every avenue possible to obtain press coverage for his or her project. The individual calls theater critics and reporters from newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. He or she may also contact cooking editors, fashion editors, or financial editors, offering interesting tie-in possibilities with the show and its stars. For example, the individual may place an actress on a television talk show cooking segment. The Theatrical Press Agent may arrange for a financial reporter to interview the financial backer of a successful play. The idea is to get as much publicity reaching as many different people as possible.
If the show features well-known stars, the Theatrical Press Agent may take photos or arrange for a photographer to take pictures of the star attending a media event, party, or fundraiser. He or she may also pass information along to a television, radio, or publication columnist about the celebrity. He or she may develop and set up media events and promotions to attract attention. The more creative and innovative the promotion, the more publicity it will receive from the media. The Theatrical Press Agent is responsible for supervising the advertising of the show. He or she may or may not work with advertising agencies on this task.
It is the responsibility of the Theatrical Press Agent to contact critics and other members of the media to invite them to show openings. The individual must find out who is coming ahead of time, arrange for tickets, assign seats, and have the appropriate press material on hand for distribution. The Theatrical Press Agent puts in long hours. He or she often starts early in the morning contacting media people, writing press releases, or developing and implementing publicity and promotional strategies. Late at night the individual may still be hard at work.
Theatrical Press Agents work under a lot of pressure and stress. There are constant deadlines to meet. They must continually come up with new, clever, creative, and innovative ideas to obtain publicity and promotion. There can be a lot of glamour working in the theatrical world. There is also a lot of hard work that must be done by a Theatrical Press Agent.
Theatrical Press Agents belong to the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers, AFL-CIO (ATPAM), a bargaining union that negotiates salaries and working conditions. As of November 2004, the minimum salaries allowed for Theatrical Press Agents working on Broadway productions were US Dollars 1,801.44 per week plus 8.5 percent vacation pay. In addition, individuals receive an 8 percent pension for a welfare fund.
It is difficult to estimate earnings of Theatrical Press Agents because these individuals may not work every week of the year. They are usually hired for a specific theatrical project, and there is no way to tell how long each will last. It is important to note that these figures are minimums. Individuals who are in demand can command weekly salaries that are much higher.
Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Articleinput.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.
Note: This article was sent to us by: Ronnie Olson at 04232010
1. Relationships and trust consolidate businesses
All articles are property of their respective authors. Please read our Privacy Policy!
© 2009 ArticleInput.com.