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time limits
Is there a preferred time limit that producers like to have performers stick to at buskerfests?
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Interesting question, Mark, as it was a bone of contention at some festies this past season.
Traditionally, focussed circle shows in a festival setting have been based on one-hour time slots. That's one hour to hit the pitch, do your build, your show, hat, and clear the pitch. Used to be most shows were in the 40-45 minute range. An accurate schedule can usually pin down start times within five minutes either way, but there's always an "ish" factor of weather and appropriate crowds. Most folks driving the clipboard have a pretty good sense of their site's crowd flow, and will provide you guidance as to how much flexibility there is to wait for breaks. Too much waiting for a big edge, though, will back up everything else, and win you no friends amongst your colleagues or producers.
But in my part of the world (South and southwestern Ontario), the global weather consipiracy has sought to continually drive up average summer temperatures, humidity levels and smog. Maybe it's that, or maybe it's more MTV-fed audiences, but my experience has seen a lot of shows running to a tight 30-35 minutes lately. Whether the audiences can't, or won't, maintain a focus for longer is immaterial. The shorter shows seemed to have suffered no ill effects, hat-wise, and keep the fest schedule humming along.
My advice? Aim to get your show to its' best, tight 35 minutes, and keep a few goodies in yer back pocket that can seamlessly be added in for those situations when you need to run a little longer. If you wow 'em, no one will be looking at their watch.
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