----- Original Message ----- From: "laura gavoor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2001 10:39 PM Subject: Re: [313]true conspiracy
> No one I think would contend that fact. No big corporations = no cool-ass > festivals and no one want s that. However, the people controlling the > monies - the city of Detroit, Pop Culture Media/Carole Marvin and Ritual > Prods/Amir Daiza are benefitting the VERY most from a P.R. perspective as > well as the multiple million(s) that I'm quite sure are stuffing the city > coffers to sponsor this event. Yeah - that's defintely true. My point wasn't so much to applaud these people unequivocally as to point out that at the moment, the sponsorship doesn't seem to be running completely astray from the original intent. > Moreover, for each and every sponsor, I can guarantee that Ms. Marvin is > being broken off a %. Perhaps say, 10% of 1million over and above a salary > or contract that the city is paying her. The DEMF merchandise, DEMF > documentary, etc. blahsay, blah is all going into Pop Culture's and the > city's pockets. Yes, and this would be true of whoever's organizing the festival, right? I'm pretty sure that's what you're saying below. > In exchange, we get to receive chump change as performance fees, even though > we are the reason the money is coming in in the first place, and some > additional notoriety. However, Ms. Marvin is now considered the resident > expert on our market and will be getting thtelion's share of any and every > thing that comes as a result of our efforts. > > Luck o' the draw, to be certain...but nonetheless without the talent none of > this conversation would matter. Fact remains, being the resident expert > means FAT LOOT which can and I'm sure will be diverted away from those more > deserving...myself included (ahem) as well as scores of other > electronic/maniac biz peeps/artists. Right. Her primary skill is that she, the city and Carl Craig actually made it happen, right? I can see the analogy here to the music industry in general, where a major label gets most of the money because they control the media and have a stranglehold on the distribution networks. It's a pretty similar situation, but in this case the underground artists are the core of the effort, rather than major labels engineering talent to appease. So if the money paid back to the artists has not gone up as more sponsorship money comes in, I can see why that would be a source for concern. > Please stand firm on this premise. Control is what is being sought after > and long-term it will affect our income(s) if not seriously REGULATED by the > dance community. > > I most definetly will not miss a wonderful weekend, but the local press > ALREADY knows whassup and its time for the community--ESPECIALLY the artists > to give credit where credit is due--each and every time a microphone is > shoved in there face or yet another journalist is weighing their every word. If I'm reading right, I'm hearing that you think the event should be controlled by those that have been in the scene the longest, and who have the strongest involvement with talent, have for a long time and work at it every day. I think this is a great idea, but at the same time, who was it that actually made the first event happen from a promotional perspective? I'm actually asking - because what I've read tells me it was Carol Marvin's efforts - and if that's not true, I want to be set straight. > Understand that the machine ONLY knows Ms. Marvin as The Woman / The Impetus > behind this powerful movement and festival. How much do y'all think she'll > be garnering off of our efforts over the next coupla years?????????????? I can see how this is troubling, but in any event of any scale, it's usually the promoter who gets paid. The promoter determines what degree of risk is acceptable, and size the event accordingly. They then accept the profits or loss that come from the success/failure of that event. At a certain level, I fail to see how this is any different, if the FREEP story from last year is relatively accurate about her funding most of the festival out of her own pocket. She took the risks involved with throwing a festival of that size, and now she's reaping the benefits. I assume there's no argument that she should get *some* additional reimbursement based on the success of the first DEMF, it's just a matter of the degree to which she's opening it up to the corporate world? I'm playing devil's advocate a bit, but just because I want to make sure I fully understand everything from someone who's as involved with it as you are. I don't fully understand the innacuracies in what I'm getting through the FREEP. You obviously have a lot more exposure to all of this than I do. Ready to learn. Tristan ---------- http://ampcast.com/phonopsia <- Music http://phonopsia.tripod.com <- Mixes, pics, thought, travelogue & info http://www.metatrackstudios.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] <- email <FrogboyMCI> <- AOL Instant Messenger _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
