2.4.07 General Body Meeting

[Asaf]

The AD/ED/etc. discussion seems to be the most all inclusive of all of the topics. I would vote to have it in that second hour. I believe there are other people who may leave early because of rehearsals and such.

Ultimately I leave it to Grand Poobah de Roos to decide.

[deroosisonfire]

Below is the agenda for next Sunday.

The proposals that are to be voted on are listed by number in the actual agenda. They are spelled out at the bottom. If you want to vote on any of these proposals and will not be at the meeting you can post here or send a PM to me or anyone else you know will be at the meeting.

I included a new proposal for AD/MD positions, which I will talk about on that thread.


Austin Improv Collective Meeting Agenda,
February 4, 2007
1:00pm – 4:00pm

I. ED Report (Chris T) 5 minutes (1:10 – 1:15)
a. Monthly report

II. Finance (Erika) 5 minutes (1:15 – 1:20)
a. Monthly report

III. Fundraising (Julie’s proxy) 10 minutes (1:20 – 1:30)
a. Monthly report

IV. Social (Valerie) 5 minutes (1:30 – 1:35)
a. Monthly report

V. Advertising (Jeremy) 15 minutes (1:35 – 1:50)
a. Monthly report (5 minutes)
b. Elect new committee chair (10 minutes)
i. Wesley Bain and Frank Wilmore have expressed interest

VI. The Blank Show (Asaf) 5 minutes (1:50 – 1:55)

VII. AIC into high schools (Asaf) 10 minutes (1:55 – 2:05)

VIII. AD/MD Positions 30 minutes (2:05 – 2:35)
a. Nobody has run for the positions
b. Proposal 1 (Val)
c. Proposal 2 (CdR)
d. Answer the following questions
i. Who does scheduling of the shows?
ii. What powers do committee chairs have?
iii. If there is an executive position, what powers does it entail?

IX. AIC Finance Structure 20 minutes (2:35 – 2:55)
a. Current system (proposal 3)
b. Proposal 4 (Bob A.)
c. Payment for AD/MD positions(?)

X. Friday Night Hideout Shows 20 minutes (2:55 – 3:15)
a. 3fer 10 minutes
i. Bob A. wants ownership
b. Cage Match 10 minutes
i. Staying at Hideout or moving to Coldtowne Theater?

XI. Joost (Brian) 10 minutes (3:15 – 3:25)
XII. Tuesday night jam (Wes) 5 minutes (3:25 – 3:30)
a. Report

XIII. City of Austin cultural assets meeting (Wes) 10 minutes (3:30 – 3:40)

XIV. New business

PROPOSALS

For AD/MD position
1.a. The AIC has no single executive director or joint managing/artistic director at present.
b. The executive board will remain in place and will act as a resource for things that the director(s) would otherwise have done
c. More responsibility will be delegated to show owners, especially scheduling and advertising
d. Scheduling will change to a rotating availability system, for instance, right now you would submit your availability for the double barrel for the next two months, then in a month you would submit availability or the three-fer. That way people could still plan in advance, but no show would get "dibs" on anyone.
e. The position of scheduling director will be done away with show owners could report their schedules directly to the executive board and then advertising, web, etc. can reflect that.
f. The executive board will endeavor to make the AIC a highly professional organization through gaining independent non-profit status, fundraising, grant-writing, and producing high-quality shows which are consistently well-attended.
g. An increased level of organization and professionalism will allow us to apply for grants and raise funds with the eventual goal of being able to pay a salaried director or directors

2.a. Turn the secretary position into a managing director position. This individual would be responsible for overseeing all projects being undertaken by the community.
b. The committee chairs would acts as managers of their areas, giving reports to the managing director.
c. A scheduling chair would be responsible for scheduling all AIC shows.

For AIC Financial Structure
3. Money from the AIC shows is split: 50% goes to the Hideout, of the remaining 50%, $20 goes to the house manager, $10 goes to the AIC and the rest of the money is split evenly between the troupes that performed in that show. The exception is the Cage Match where the money that remains after paying the house manager all goes to the AIC.

4. Money to the Hideout remains the same, of the remaining 50%, $20 goes to the house manager, and the remaining money be split evenly between the troupes and the AIC. For a 3fer this means the money would be split 4 ways, for a Double Barrel the money would be split two ways. The Cage Match remains the same.

[beardedlamb]

i have my tech rehearsal for frontera at 12:30 the day of the meeting so i may not be able to make it in time for all the advertising hooha. i should be done with my tech at 1:30 and i will hump it over to the hizzout.

[Jules]

I will give my report if possible, but if I am not there I will give Wes or Shannon my proxy as they were just at the meeting with me and Michael.

[Wesley]

This is informal, but with so many great long-time Austin improvisers in one place, I thought I'd bring it up for the General Body meeting.

I want to build a "One-stop for Start-ups" page somewhere. A place new troupes can go to find out what they need to get started.
I'm willing to put this together, but I need help from the community. So, if you're coming to the meeting, could you write down and drop off with me places where troupes can rehearse in town (and if they charge, how much), people available for coaching (and if they charge, how much), and other information you feel may be of importance (especially technically and logistically) to a new troupe just getting started (such as how to register with the AIC or how to get on the rotational schedule).

Thanks!

[erikamay]

hellos.

i hoped to make this, but am i'm in need of some downtime after a week and weekend of improv improv improv, rehearsals, coaching and more tonight.

i will drop off the finance report and sara farr's reimbursement at the theatre before the meetin'.

please call me etc. if you have questions.

[deroosisonfire]

And here are the minutes.

Austin Improv Collective Meeting
February 4, 2007, 1-4pm

Members present: Christina dR, Wesley B, Andy C, Jessica A, Orf, Chris T, Valerie W, Asaf R, Dave B, Michael McG, Bob A, Brian B, Jeremy L, Sara F, Gene J, Aden K

I. ED Report
A. No report.

II. Finance (Bob A. as proxy for Erika)
A. fFnances are a little deceiving because more $$ needs to go to troupes.
B. At least $3000 in our bank.
C. January is typically a well-attended month and has been this year.

III. Fundraising (Wesley as proxy for Julie)
A. There was a meeting last week.
1. Plan to get in touch with ACoT and determine the relationship and what they do for us
2. Want to make a mailing list – e-mails and physical addresses.
a. Will perhaps be using existing troupe lists to form base for new list.
b. Would make quarterly announcements, not very often. Michael M. will compile this list.
c. Buying tix online for the Hideout gives us their e-mail address.
d. Start asking for physical address when people buy tickets.
3. Want to fundraise to community
a. Shannon and Wes will follow up on grants for the city
4. We need to decide whether we are a production or support body to make it clearer in our requests for money.
5. Want to get a corporate sponsor for WaffleFest.
6. Need to develop a plan of what we want to use our money for.
a. Still need to figure out how to put fundraising $$ in our budget and determine how to earmark funds for grants for troupes, etc.
b. It is the responsibility of the Fundraising committee to decide how they want to spend donated monies.
7. Bob A. wants to make a proposal for an event worth supporting, will present it to the committee as something worth soliciting donations for.

IV. Social (Valerie)
A. Improm! Val is soliciting volunteers! Theme ideas!
1. Will have the date, budget for the next meeting.

V. Advertising (Jeremy)
A. Coldtowne hit First Thursday and handed out flyers for themselves and the AIC. Yay Coldtowne!
B. Chris Trew will talk to The Onion about AIC advertising.
C. Jeremy, Frank and Wes spoke to discuss who might take over advertising.
1. Voted between Frank and Wes: Wes was elected as new advertising chair.
2. Wes has a 10 point plan for advertising committee.
D. Asaf would like to put together a round table to discuss flyering, graphic design, etc. to make sure our advertisements stick out instead of getting lost in the shuffle. This will happen at an advertising meeting.
E. Wes will schedule a new advertising meeting.
F. The display downtstairs at the Hideout needs to be redone. Wes has a key to the display case.
G. The marquis needs to be changed to say $10, it still says $7-10.
H. Time to make more t-shirts!
1. Requires investment of $350, which we earn back when we sell the shirts. These will sell more slowly because of no festival, but do sell slowly. We will equip the box office to sell these shirts. These shirts are sweeeeet.
2. We will make a new AIC t-shirt design for OoB 2007. Hold a design competition for the new design.

VI. The Blank Show (Asaf)
A. Do we need a Blank Show?
B. Does it serve the AIC?
C. ould like it to be a run of at least 1 month/show. It’s much easier to market.
D. Would like to play shows like Haven Records, Sickest Fucking Stories
E. Would be seasonal, not year-round. Promoting the show, not the slot.
F. Perhaps Sunday at 8pm
G. 11:30 shows tend not to do very well. Is that our marketing or something else?
H. Asaf will take on The Blank Show and launch it in April – June potentially Friday at 11:30. Will need help marketing!
I. Sean Hill wants to make TheaterSportz happen, something to keep in mind for future scheduling discussions.

VII. AIC in local high schools (Asaf)
A. Asaf would like to teach in high schools and junior high schools to focus on communication skills, conflict avoidance. Tends to be very marketable. Would like to launch that in a few weeks.
B. willing to do some freebies and build up a program for the AIC, collect video and pictures to get grants to do more of it.
C. Asking AIC members who grew up in Austin to contact their former high schools and promote the program.
D. Jessica has experienced that local high schools very much want improvisers to help out, but this is improv through drama.
E. Asaf means to help troubled children with his program.
F. Brian has some concerns about liability.
G. Wes has the AISD thumbnail for the fine arts program for the next 5-10 years. Austin has a big interest in bringing the arts community into schools. They seem to view it as a fine arts thing. This timing may be perfect.
H. Looking for AIC approval and AIC to provide stipends at some point. Aims to start 3 sample programs.
I. Ann Elizabeth Wynn is the mayor’s ex-wife and is a philanthropist with a large interest in the arts. She goes out to many arts events and has young children. She has an amphitheater at her house to promote spoken word.
J. AIC voted to support Asaf in the venture. Will come to the next meeting with a budget proposal.

VIII. AD/MD Positions
A. Voted to turn secretary position into MD position.
B. Committee Chairs
1. Come up with a projected quarterly budget for each committee (budget is the finance committee’s responsibility).
2. Ask committee to stay within budget for the year.
3. Empowered to spend that money as they wish.
4. If they want to overspend they require AIC approval.
5. Committee should report what they did spend the money on.
6. This proposal was approved.
7. Ask each committee to define itself by the next meeting.
8. CdR will send definition of committee from e board mtg to committee chairs for editing and approval and present next month.
C. Scheduling
1. Andy presented reservations about decentralizing scheduling to show owners and having chaos occur. Many people agree with this.
2. Val presented that many shows are already scheduled by the owners, AIC only schedules 3fer, Double Barrel, host troupes and Cage Match. Val wants us to do runs.
3. We are only talking about the current slots and not considering the fact that there are theaters we can rent ourselves if we really want to do runs of shows.
4. Dave said that the scheduling chair keeps track of more that scheduling, looks at overall picture, makes sure troupes aren’t double booked, looks for troupes to fill holes, knows what is happening at all times.
5. Do we want to move away from production? Some support for it.
6. Some show owners want control over who is in their shows, but some people don’t.
7. If we stop producing that may decrease our revenue stream to promote those shows.
8. Our real money comes from classes, not from shows.
9. We need to have a real discussion about AIC in production, will happen next month.
10. For now we need to schedule March/April. CdR will work with Buckman to learn how scheduling is done.
11. Buckman accepting availability until Tuesday.
12. Will come back to real discussion of scheduling after our discussion of production.

IX. AIC Finance Structure
A. Approved the new system (see agenda).
B. Managing Director
1. There is support for the MD position receiving payment
2. Also support for the idea that MD is similar in scope to the Committee Chairs and should not be compensated.
3. Chris Trew supports payment for the time of the MD.
4. Money will make the person feel obligated to do more work.
5. Money will give the position more prestige in the community.
6. Voted to pay $100 per month to MD, beginning at completion of 1st month of service.

X. Friday Night Hideout Shows
A. Threefer
1. Bob A. wants ownership of the Threefer.
2. Suggested 1 group standard for a month run, with two groups rotating through.
3. Jeremy suggested 4 troupes rotating through a 3 slot shows.
4. Need troupes that are appropriate for headlining.
5. Bob wants to schedule it himself and decide who is headlining.
6. Biggest point is to be an incubating show for new troupes, for mentoring, would like to rebrand it.
7. We need to vote on a true proposal, not an amorphous hand-off.
8. Voted to give Bob Apthorpe ownership. He will be rebranding, etc., but will not be responsible for scheduling and will not be doing runs for the March/April schedule.
B. CageMatch
1. Sara proposed moving it to CTT, it has lost the hook.
2. CTT is smaller than the Hideout, and that can make the show feel full and successful.
3. CTT is proposing potentially Fridays at 11pm, beginning March 2, after the 10pm show. It has been sold for 4 weeks running with actual audience, not just performers. Could pull in new audience members.
4. Be sure not to step on toes of show owners when moving shows.
5. Would remain an AIC show.
6. Voted to move show to CTT by March 2, official slot TBA.

XI. Joost (Brian Boyko)
A. A way to watch TV on the internet. Windows only.
B. Operates like a cable company, they provide the platform for us and they put on their own advertising.
C. They need content.
D. They pay us a kickback on their advertisements, we can sell ads on our own shows and we get this money, it’s marketing for us, could serve as a demo reel.
E. “Let’s overtake Chicago!â€