Digital technology is impacting on significant performing arts concerning business practices, advertising, and reaching audiences. Some of the core trends to impact on all individuals and business in society, such as the performing arts, including Cloud computing, web 2.0 and social networking, Internet freedom, the National Broadband Network, 3D, the pervasiveness of”mash-ups,” cinemas as cultural areas and the digital productions. By way of instance, major performing arts companies are most likely to benefit from company efficiencies provided by cloud computing, and the personalised marketing made possible by social networking.
However many companies are trying to keep up with the gigantic leap in experience required in the electronic arena and the increasing costs involved. Theatre and dance are less represented in the cinema area than opera but are starting to gather momentum abroad. These companies are building financially self-sustaining versions for cinema and internet content, although none has thus far made a significant profit. The National Theatre and the Royal Opera House have public accessibility goals, while the Metropolitan Opera intends to generate revenue and attract more audiences to live performances. Australian firms have an opportunity also to enter the cinema and internet content space. To do so will ensure that Australian audiences aren’t exposed only to overseas content on those platforms. There are quite a few issues that companies need to take into account in entering this space. These include appropriate revenue and payment models for actors and creatives/copyright holders, technical problems, and actors’ concerns.
A core challenge for Australian business is to establish self-sustaining business models using a global market in mind, given our national market is most likely too little to support the costs of capturing and dispersing productions currently. Australian businesses are already entering these arenas. They’re using the Internet and cloud applications to simplify communication and administration. They are working to negotiate with actors and applicable unions to benefit from the rich content, for promotion, promotion, education, accessibility and possibly profit.
The challenge now is to additional test models of earnings, payment and rights management, taking into consideration actors’ concerns in Australia.
For more information on better performance management, see www.andrewradics.com