08 May 2007
Dear Artist / Agent / Manager:
The following memo outlines the material needs of our publicity department. We are very
excited about this year’s line up and are eager to being publicizing the Festival and the
artists performing at it. Please give this information your careful attention as the marketing
materials you provide us are our only means of promoting the individual artist in addition to
the Festival.
MATERIALS REQUIRED – MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE MAY 31, 2007 (THE
EARLIER THE BETTER):
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
Photos – 4-6 high res jpegs of each artist/group
CDs – 12 copies of artist/group’s most recent disk
Updated bio and press kit
B-roll / Performance footage - four copies
Media contact (and interview availability)
Photos
All our photo files are now in digital format. This is how we provide images to our own
designers for the Festival Programme and photos to all print media.
We need a jpeg (.jpg) file of your photo(s) scanned at 300 dpi to a scanned image size of
about 4" x 6" and with a file size of 4 to 6 megabytes. Email these directly to
[email protected].
It would be great if you could provide several different images. Four to six unique photos
enable us to offer each local newspaper an "exclusive use" image, which improves the
chances of the photos being used prominently.
If you cannot email us a digital image, mail us one copy each (and only one copy each) of a
selection of images. We will scan the images we will use. Don't send more than one copy
of each photo. Mail these to the address noted below.
Please do not ask us to go to your website to download your photos. The technical aspects
of websites vary widely, the photos put up on websites are often not to the required
specifications and, with more than 50 artists and groups to gather material from, we do not
have time to work through the different access protocols of each website. If your images
are on a website please have your webmaster or publicist take those you wish us to use and
email them to us, ensuring that they meet the above noted specifications. We appreciate
your cooperation on this.
Colour images are always best. Colour can be printed as black and white but black and
white can't be printed as colour!
If you email us a jpeg (.jpg), be sure that the file is clearly labeled. When we receive
photos from six or eight artists all in one day, a file labeled "pix" isn't easy to identify.
If you send a hard copy photo be sure that the artist or group name is on the back of each
photo (use a sticker, don't write directly on the back of the photo). Also note any required
photo credits.
Here are some tips on what makes for good photo for media use (and a warning about bad
photos"):
207 Hastings Street West #1114, Vancouver BC V6B 1H7
604 602 9798 800 883 3655 604 602 9790 [email protected] www.thefestival.bc.ca
Good Photos:
Well-lit close-up shots of no more than four people together in performance.
Groups of more than four should provide posed shots.
Posed shots of individual artists or groups incorporating musical instruments or culturally
significant props.
In all instances, good lighting and contrast (no dark areas or shadows) are important.
Bad Photos:
Wide-shot performance photos with tiny musicians spread out across the stage.
Amateur snapshots taken by family and friends.
Amateur snapshots taken at performances.
Head & shoulders shots (a picture of your face says nothing about what you do as an artist).
Really artsy photos with dramatic backgrounds, dark shadows, over-lit areas or the artist
obscured by props.
Photos that feature the principal artist with musicians who won't be with them at the
Festival.
If you have not already done so, we strongly recommend that you invest the time and
money in having a professional photographer create an image portfolio for you. Show your
photographer the tips noted above and he / she will immediately understand what you
need.
Colour postcards, colour photocopies or other reproduced materials are not useable.
Note that one of the photos you send us will appear in the Festival Programme Book.
Music
Please send us 12 CDs. This may sound like a lot to ask, but the more recordings we have
to circulate, the easier it is to get the word out. There are many radio programs that will
use recordings in plugging the Festival - we want to be able to offer each as many choices
as possible. We also provide a copy of each CD to the collection at the Vancouver Public
Library, as part of a permanent record of your appearance at the Festival.
Biographical Material / Media Kits
In addition to whatever material you have already sent to the Festival office, which will
remain in the production office, our marketing department needs your biographical material,
press clippings, artist's statements, press releases and the like. If you have these in a
format that can be emailed, please send them to [email protected]. If you only
have printed copies, please send us two sets (and only two sets) of everything. We will use
those as original and backup copies for compiling our own media information packages.
Please make sure that any hard copies you send us are printed on white paper. Format
your material on 8 1/2" x 11" white paper; making sure that there is enough space down
the left-hand side for a three-hole punch.
Elaborate media kits, odd-sized pieces, expensive folders and spiral bound material do not
easily fit into our media information books. We generally remove the material we need and
discard the packaging. Remember that we are presenting material on 50 or more artists at
once.
207 Hastings Street West #1114, Vancouver BC V6B 1H7
604 602 9798 800 883 3655 604 602 9790 [email protected] www.thefestival.bc.ca
Video
If you have footage of broadcast quality, we could use as many as four copies. Television
stations now use Mini DV and beta format material. VHS is not worth sending. Realizing
the expense of these items, we make every effort to return them to you.
Interview Availability
Let us know about availability for telephone interviews during the month prior to the
Festival. Please provide us with a media contact name (who we should contact to set up
interviews) and their contact information as well as a tour itinerary would be useful.
Languages
Let us know in what languages the artist is comfortable doing interviews. We have
numerous interview requests for performers fluent in French, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin
and Cantonese), German and Spanish.
Also let us know if an interpreter is required for English language interviews.
The Deadlines
Please send any or all of the above as soon a possible. It's never too early.
We must have all your material no later than Wednesday, May 31st, 2007.
Where To Send It All
Please send all of the above to us at:
Marnie Wilson
Festival Publicist
Suite 1114, 207 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V6B 1H7
Marnie can be contacted directly at 604.685.5575, by fax at 604.709.4124 or by e-mail at
[email protected].
We look forward to working with you between now and the Festival Weekend to make this
the most successful Vancouver Folk Music Festival yet!
Yours,
Marnie Wilson
Festival Publicist
207 Hastings Street West #1114, Vancouver BC V6B 1H7
604 602 9798 800 883 3655 604 602 9790 [email protected] www.thefestival.bc.ca