A webinar about how small organizations with limited funds can use online video of live dance performance, and be successful in attracting paid subscribers and viewers. Sarah Wilke, Managing Director, On the Boards On the Boards has created the first-of-its-kind website offering streaming and download access to high quality full-length videos of contemporary performances. They have faced interesting issues about how to translate the integrity and beauty of a live dance into an online video, and especially about how companies can use technology to increase their revenue and support artists. During the webinar, Sarah Wilke, Managing Director of On the Boards, will talk about their approach, share hints and discuss the pitfalls that arose in creating it, and tell us what they’ve learned so far about answering these important questions. In advance, she will share examples of their high def multi-camera videos of performances.

1. OntheBoards.tv
Sarah Wilke, Managing Director of OntheBoards
Suzanne Callahan, Project Manager, Engaging Dance Audiences
Rebecca Krause-Hardie, Manager, EDA Learning Community
Rachel Bell, Communications Specialist, Dance/USA
Engaging Dance Audiences is generously supported by
the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation.

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5. What is OntheBoards.tv?
• On the Boards is a thriving 33-year old contemporary
performing arts center in Seattle, WA.
• OntheBoards.tv launched as a website in January 2010.
• OntheBoards.tv features on-demand, full-length, high-
definition contemporary performances available for
streaming or downloading via single purchase or
subscription.

6. The goals of OntheBoards.tv
1. To break-down the barriers of geography, time
and cost for arts participation. (new audiences)
2. To create an opportunity for audiences to
develop relationships with performing artists
and become art fans. (current audiences)
3. To establish a new standard for performance
documentation.
4. To provide a new revenue stream for artists.

7. Today’s Talk
• Section 1: Introduction
• Section 2: How did we get here?
• Section 3: What does the site really look
like?
• Section 4: How is it going? And where are
we going from here?
• Note: please interrupt

8. Questions for me to think
about…please answer
• Why were you interested in attending this
webinar?
• Is there anything specific you want me to
address?
• Are you an artist? Producer? Presenter?
Other?
• Do you currently film performances?
• Do you show clips or films on the internet?
How?

9. Questions for you to think
about…
• What does a catalogue for dance and performance
look like?
• Does the fleeing nature of live art deny fandom?
• How do you have a conversation about art if no
one sees it?
• Is art ever free?
• Can you create artistic context on iTunes?
• Is an online audience different than a live
audience?
• How do you measure success for online
initiatives? How important are numbers?

10. Interlude:
a sample from OtB.tv
As with live presentation, quality
content is the starting point for
OntheBoards.tv. So, we must also
start the conversation here….

11. Section 2: How did we get here?
1. Ideas from our past lives (museums and
the NCAA)
2. Pre-show lectures became post-show
podcasts
3. Raising capital
4. Asking questions and making decisions…

12. Our Manifesto
• This is NOT about recreating the live
experience, it is something new
• Artists MUST be true partners
• We MUST charge for content
• We MUST work with a filmmaker
• We MUST host our own content (not $)
• This is just as much about content as it is
about distribution

13. Creating high-def filmic versions
of full length performances…
1. Contract with the artist & secure rights
2. Thinklab talks with artist & watches show
3. 4-5 cameras and a sound engineer
4. A second night?
5. Get materials from artist?
6. Thinklab creates an edit and sends to the
artist (x3…)
7. Make a trailer and post online

14. We launched on
January 21, 2010!
The site that mom and pop built
and that the NYTimes liked…

15. Section 3: About OntheBoards.tv
Costs to Watch Featured Artists
• $5 to stream (48 hours) • Tanja Leidtke (Dance)
• $15 to download (own) • Diana Szeinblum (Dance)
• $50-$100 to subscribe • Jan Fabre/Troublyn (Dance)
• $250 for educational institution • Young Jean Lee
subscription • Temporary Distortion
• $30 for educational download • Reggie Watts
• Allen Johnson
Formats • Morgan Thorson (Dance)
• High definition • Radiohole
• Regular definition • Christian Rizzo (Dance)
• For mobile devices • Pat Graney (Dance) – soon!
• Ralph Lemon (Dance) – soon!
• Dayna Hanson (Dance) – soon!
• Radoslaw Rychcik – soon!

16. What DID the site look like?

17. What does it look like now?

18. What DID the site look like?

19. What does it look like now?

20. Section 4: How is it going? #’s
• Since our launch in January we have had over 18,769 visitors
to the site from 91 countries and 50 states.
• We have over 7,800 registered users and 86 paid
subscribers, including 3 university subscriptions. We have
sold over 175 single downloads or streams.
• Our most popular shows are The Shipment, a theater work by
Young Jean Lee and contruct, the last work by Australian
choreographer Tania Leidtke.
• Most users are in New York
and Seattle, with our
highest international
participation in Canada and
Australia.

21. How is it going?
• Setting expectations is hard…
• We love our product; our artists are happy
• Our greatest potential is in the next 2 years
• Getting content up is a challenge
• Capacity is really our biggest challenge…
• We are still figuring out how to reach our
market…
• Music rights, unions and other barriers
• We are conducting surveys of our audience

22. As we look to the future of
OntheBoards.tv…
• POPP and creating national models
• Working with universities
• Reaching out to festivals and screenings
• Creating new partnerships and pair with like-minded
projects
• Creating enhanced auxiliary content & conversations
• Continuing to conduct research
• Evaluate
• Raise money!

23. Questions…
Sarah Wilke
swilke@ontheboards.org
206-217-9886 ext 1019

24. Thank you for your kind attention!
There are just two more items…

25. Join us for the next webinars…
What makes good web content?
Date: February 9, 2011 (tentative)
1-2:30 pm EST

26. Continue this Conversation
For additional dialogue about this topic,
visit the EDA Learning Community at
http://eda.danceusa.org.
We’ll keep talking on the discussion boards
(Communicate tab, Discussions).