The Business of Writing Musicals - survey results

posted by Toksvig

The Business of Writing Musicals

These are the results taken from the survey.

Which writing discipline/s are relevant to you?
Answered: 78
Bookwriter: 47
Composer: 47
Librettist: 37
Lyricist: 61
Playwright: 33
Songwriter: 47

Roughly how many shows or pieces have you written in total?
Answered: 78
One or two: 32
Four or five: 22
About a dozen in total: 13
At least one a year: 4
More than one a year: 4
Full-time multiple projects on the go: 3

How long have you been writing musicals?
Answered: 78
1-2 yrs: 22
2-5 yrs: 16
5-10 yrs: 15
10-20 yrs: 15
20+ yrs: 10

Roughly how much income have you generated from your musical writing in that time? 
Answered: 78
 It usually costs money to write musicals: 35
Pretty much break even: 9
Pocket change: 3
Expenses covered for the show in question: 7
Expenses covered for writing in general: 4
Supported living costs during specific show: 9
Supported living costs up to 1 year: 2
Supported living costs for more than a year: 3
Set me up for life: 0
Woohoo! : 1
Rather not say: 5

In which country do you predominantly live and work? 
Answered: 78
UK / England: 74
Australia: 1
Netherlands: 1
Spain: 1

In which other countries have you had work developed / produced? 
Answered: 45
Abu Dhabi: 1
Asia: 1
Australia: 1
Austria: 1
Canada: 1
Denmark: 1
Dubai: 1
Eire: 2
France: 1
Gibraltar: 1
Hungary: 1
Japan: 1
Qatar: 1
Sharjah: 1
South Africa: 1
South Korea: 1
Syria: 1
USA: 16
Venezuela: 1

Form 
Answered: 72
Skipped: 6
Book musical: 60
Cabaret: 23
Cantata: 2
Chamber Musical: 13
Concept album: 12
Music theatre: 43
Opera: 4
Operetta: 4
Song cycle: 14
Panto: 1
Rock opera: 1
Revue: 1
Mass: 1
Musical in a day: 1
Storyworld / open space: 1

Length 
Answered: 72
Skipped: 6
Micro musical (up to 15 mins): 14
Mini musical (15-45 mins): 18
One-act musical (45-90 mins): 32
Two-act musical (90+ mins): 56

Site-specific / non-prosc arch size 
Answered: 62
Skipped: 16
Small scale: 38
Mid-scale: 34
Large scale: 14

Staging
Answered: 61
Skipped: 17
End on: 28
Flash mob: 2
In the round: 9
Promenade: 9
Proscenium arch: 40
Site-specific: 13
Thrust: 13
Traverse: 5

Methods 
Answered: 60
Skipped: 18
Aerial: 2
Clowning: 2
Devising: 13
Improvising: 9
Mine: 0
Puppetry: 8
Script & score: 58
Verbatim: 1

Narrative
Answered: 65
Skipped: 13
Abstract: 6
Narrative-led: 60
Non-narrative: 13

Dance
Answered: 63
Skipped: 13
Dance-oriented: 6
Song & Dance: 50
Something in-between: 1
Non-dance: 28
Dance as stage fight: 1

Score
Answered: 65
Skipped: 13
Soundscape: 11
Spoken lyric: 14
Recitative: 15
Scene to song: 56
Sung-through: 24
Underscore: 32
Rap: 1

Audience Engagement 
Answered: 64
Skipped: 14
Fourth wall: 58
Audience participation: 12
Interactive with no specific goal: 9
Interactive with specific goal: eg: a gaming element: 2
Immersive: 9

Audience age range
Answered: 64
Skipped: 14
0-4 yrs: 0
4-7 yrs: 8
7-12 yrs: 17
Pre-teen: 18
Teen: 24
Young adult: 36
Adult: 56
Third age / elderly: 15
Family: 37

Other specific target audience 
Answered: 2
Skipped: 76
Student audiences: 1
Black audiences: 1

Have you written for a specific age of performer?
Answered: 28
Skipped: 50
0-4 yrs: 0
4-7 yrs: 3
7-12 yrs: 7
Pre-teen: 3
Teen: 11
Young adult: 23
Third age / elderly: 10

How many live performance development stages have you experienced, either self-produced, or produced by others? 
Answered: 61
Skipped: 17
Informal reading with friends: 43 (self), 7 (others), total respondents: 44
Professional dramaturgy: 16 (self), 17 (others), total respondents: 27
Formal reading with performers: 31 (self), 27 (others), total respondents: 47
Day-long workshop: 16 (self), 12 (others), total respondents: 23
Multi-day workshop: 11 (self), 18 (others), total respondents: 27
Week-long+ workshop: 10 (self), 23 (others), total respondents: 29
Staged reading: 17 (self), 27 (others), total respondents: 37

How many staged productions have you experienced, either self-produced, or produced by others?
Answered: 59
Skipped: 19
Amateur / community production: 23 (self), 22 (others), total respondents: 38
Fringe production: 24 (self), 19 (others), total respondents: 36
Studio production: 12 (self), 14 (others), total respondents: 24
Studio touring production: 4 (self), 3 (others), total respondents: 6
Festival production: 12 (self), 18 (others), total respondents: 25
Regional theatre production: 6 (self), 17 (others), total respondents: 20
No 1 touring production: 3 (self), 4 (others), total respondents: 6
First class / West End production: 1 (self), 14 (others), total respondents: 8
Overseas production: 1 (self), 14 (others), total respondents: 14
Site-specific: 6 (self), 5 (others), total respondents: 9
University production: 2

Have you received a paid commission / option?
Answered: 66
Skipped: 12
£0-£500: 10
£500-£1,000: 3
£1,000-£5,000: 14
£5,000-£10,000: 5
£10,000+: 5
No: 34

Have you received an unpaid commission / option?
Answered: 36
Skipped: 42
One: 18
Several: 15
Many: 3

Have you participated in a royalty pool?
Answered: 17
Skipped: 61
One: 11
Several: 4
Many: 2

Have you participated in profit-share or other sharing system?
Answered: 19
Skipped: 59
One: 8
Several: 10
Many: 1

Do you receive income from published works?
Answered: 60
Skipped: 18
Yes: 22
No: 38

Have you ever received financial support for the development or production of new musical theatre from any of the following funding bodies?
Answered: 15
Skipped: 63
Arts Council England (eg: Grants For The Arts): 10
Local council funding: 2
Arts funding organisation: 6

Have you signed a stage publishing agreement with any of the following?
Answered: 9
Skipped: 69
Samuel French Ltd (UK): 3
Samuel French Inc (USA): 5
Music Theatre International (USA): 0
Josef Weinberger (UK): 3
Stagescripts Ltd: 1
A&C Black / Mondo: 1
Perfect Pitch: 1
YMT:UK: 1
Yes, but would rather not say who: 1

Have you signed a music publishing agreement?
Answered: 57
Skipped: 21
Yes: 13
No: 44

Have you had a show cast album professionally recorded?
Answered: 59
Skipped: 19
Yes: 13
No: 46

Have you ever signed any of the following?
Answered: 40
Skipped: 38
Adaptation agreement: 3
Agent / solicitor agreement: 10
Cast album recording contract: 2
Collaboration agreement: 13
Development process agreement: 11
Music publishing contract: 11
Production contract, commission (i.e.: producer brings writer existing project): 12
Production contract, option (i.e.: writer brings producer existing contract): 13
Stage publishing contract: 9

Do you feel equipped and able to conduct your own negotiations when dealing with contracts / agreements? 
Answered: 58
Skipped: 20
I do conduct my own negotiations, and I feel equipped and able to do so: 7
I do conduct my own negotiations, but I don’t feel that I have the right knowledge to do so: 14
I do conduct my own negotiations, but I don’t feel comfortable doing so: 11
I don’t conduct my own negotiations, but I have someone who is equipped and able to do it for me: 13
I don’t conduct my own negotiations because I haven't yet had the opportunity to do so: 13

What kind of recorded media musicals have you written / collaborated on? (produced or otherwise) 
Answered: 19
Skipped: 59
Audio, books: 3
Audio, podcast: 2
Audio, radio: 2
Blog: 2
Documentary film: 1
Feature film: 2
Multimedia: 3
Podcast: 5
Radio: 9
Short film: 2
Social media: 3
Transmedia: 1
TV documentary: 0
TV drama: 0
Vlog (online video blog): 0
WebTV: 0

Have you collaborated with any of the following academic courses: 
Answered: 28
Skipped: 50
ANMT (USA): 2
ASCAP workshop (USA): 1
BMI workshop (USA): 0
BML workshop: 7
Goldsmiths College, Musical Theatre MA (writing strand): 8
Grad Musical Theatre Writing MFA, New York University: 2
MMD workshops / seminars: 21
Theatre Building Chicago: 2
Chris Grady dot org Month of Sundays: 2

Have you collaborated with any of the following new musical development organisations: 
Answered: 29
Skipped: 49
MMD (Mercury Musical Developments): 24
NAMT (National Alliance for Musical Theatre): 1
National Theatre Studio: 5
NYMT (National Youth Music Theatre): 1
NYMF (New York Musical Theatre Festival): 1
Perfect Pitch: 9
YMT (Youth Music Theatre UK): 6
Are you a member of any British organisation that represents / supports writers?
Answered: 49
Skipped: 29
Guild of Songwriters and Composers (UK): 1
Mercury Musical Developments (MMD): 41
Musicians Union: 10
Writers Guild: 10

If not, would you consider joining any of the following British organisations?
Answered: 42
Skipped: 36
Guild of Songwriters and Composers (UK): 28
Mercury Musical Developments (MMD): 12
Musicians Union: 11
Writers Guild: 24