Next Link Project Guide & FAQ

 

 

"NYMF is an extraordinary and essential opportunity for new musicals and their creators. It's hard enough to write a new musical, even harder - often forbiddingly so - to produce even a reading on your own, much less a production. But with the resources, guidance, and exceptional PR skills of the NYMF team, new musicals get seen and heard in a way they just don't anywhere else. New musicals get their chance.” — Brian Yorkey, Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning of NEXT TO NORMAL, NYMF '05

 

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Want to apply to the Next Link Project? Just read through the guidelines and FAQ below before submitting your show! NYMF will accept applications until Monday, November 7, 6:00PM EST.

 

SUBMITTING A SHOW FOR 2012 NEXT LINK:

What sort of musicals are you looking for?
NYMF isn’t looking for any particular aesthetic. We want to represent the breadth of contemporary musical theatre in all of its forms, running the gamut from romantic comedies inspired by the Golden Age of Musicals to rock opera epics to edgy hip hop satires to children’s shows and everything in between.

 

Am I eligible for the Next Link Project?
We’re dedicated to supporting new, distinct voices.  To this end, we maintain an open submissions policy and a blind evaluation process to ensure that writers from every level of the theatre community, from working professionals to those whose work has not yet been produced, are given the opportunity to participate.

Any work that has not received a commercial production in New York City may be submitted, by authors with or without industry representation. As long as your script is production-ready for the widespread public exposure a developmental run at the Festival provides, you’re welcome to submit it!

 

 

What does “production-ready” mean?  
The term “production-ready” does not refer to the actual production resources that each applicant has at his/her disposal, but is meant more from a dramaturgical standpoint. Although there are approximately four months between the moment a show is accepted into the Festival and its first NYMF performance, in practice there’s not a lot of time available to do rewrites because writers often have their hands full with other pre-production concerns. (Our past Next Link participants will be the first to tell you that it’s like being shot out of a cannon.) All Next Link shows do get a dramaturg as part of their benefits, but that support is more for “polishing” in preparation for their NYMF production, rather than for larger structural retooling. Therefore, when the Reading Committee is assessing the submissions, it may determine that a certain show has a lot of potential, but that its “bones” aren’t quite strong enough (yet!) for the public exposure that the Festival brings. In those cases, it recommends that those applicants receive “encouraging rejections,” in the hopes that the writers will continue to develop their projects and resubmit revised drafts in subsequent years.

Another thing to note in regards to the developmental status of our applicants, is that while it is our mission to support emerging artists and new works, our participants do come to us at widely varying stages in the lives of their shows. Some were written two months before they were submitted (e.g., Fantasy Football, NYMF ‘09), while others have been in development for 30 years (e.g. Shine, NYMF ‘10). Musicals may have had previous productions, but they are only ineligible for our support if they’ve received a professional run in NY.

 

I heard that NYMF only does spoofs or pop rock musicals. Is that true?
Not at all.  NYMF is committed to representing a diversity of musical theatre voices, and if you examine our roster over the years, you’ll see that we consistently include shows in all styles. While it is true that our three biggest post-Festival hits ([title of show], Altar Boyz, and Next to Normal) are musical comedies or have pop rock-influenced scores, in 2010 alone, we presented works with roots in neo-romanticism, jazz, folk/bluegrass, Weimar cabaret, and minimalism, as well as a number with a “Golden Age” sound.

NYMF employs several different measures to ensure this diversity in our programming, including:

 

• Careful monitoring of the Next Link evaluation process: The NYMF literary staff doesn’t personally evaluate the Next Link Project submissions because they know who all the applicants are due to processing procedures (and therefore can’t be “blind”).  However, the Director of Programming tries to ensure the Reading Committee coverage is as balanced as possible. NYMF maintains a diverse pool of readers who each have their own notions of “what makes a good musical."  While all do their best to be objective when evaluating work, NYMF intends for their wide range of tastes to result in a corresponding diversity in Next Link voices. The Director of Programming reviews the multiple evaluations that each application receives, and if it seems like a show is receiving negative responses by folks who may not be “into” that particular aesthetic, will make a point of assigning additional evaluations to readers who favor that style.

 

• Curation of the non-Next Link production slots: Although the Next Link finalist pool is diverse, the Grand Jury selects whatever it feels are the strongest shows, without regard to genre or style. After it chooses the 12 Official Next Link Project shows, the NYMF literary staff then programs the rest of the Festival to balance out its picks. Therefore, if the Jury happens to select a dozen comedies with pop/rock scores, we can make sure the Festival doesn’t present an entire Season of Funny Rock Shows by adding more traditional musical scores, dramas, kids shows, works written by women or artists of color, etc. These curated productions come to us through industry referrals, Festival alumni, and scouting. On occasion, Next Link applicants ask to be considered for those slots as well.  In those cases, the NYMF literary staff will do its own evaluations after the adjudication process has been completed -- and we add them in if they fit the Festival's particular programming needs in a given season.

 

 

How does the Next Link blind evaluation process work?
Readers are not allowed to evaluate a show if they have any level of familiarity with it, which ranges from intimate (e.g. they’ve worked on any incarnation of it), known degrees of separation (e.g. the writer is a family member, colleague, friend, or acquaintance), previous evaluation (e.g. scouting for the reader’s day job), or even passing notice (e.g. briefly glanced at a Playbill article announcing a reading or stumbled across a Tweet). Given the number of repeat submissions that we receive, readers are also not permitted to evaluate a show if they’ve covered it in previous years. As result, readers don’t know anything about a given author or show’s production/development history. Supplemental information is only given to a reader for experimental works that may require detailed explanation or international applications that require translation.

 

What materials do I need to submit for consideration?
The following application materials are required as electronic files for the 2012 Next Link Project submission process:

• A complete script (pdf only, please)
• A demo recording, containing at least 50% of the songs in the show (mp3 only, please)
• A 2-3 page synopsis, noting the placement of songs included on the demo recording (pdf only, please)
• A script sample consisting of a 15 consecutive page excerpt representing the heart of the show and including lyrics for at least one song from the demo (pdf only, please)
• Author bios and Production History - please note this is for administrative purposes only and will not be seen by any Next Link evaluators (pdf only, please)
• If applicable: Proof of rights to adapt the underlying material or to include material by other authors, if any such material is not in the public domain. If you are a producer submitting a show, you are also required to furnish documentation that the authors have given you permission to present it at NYMF.

Video recordings and printed scores will not be considered.

 

 

How do I submit my application materials?
After you create a NYMF application account online and pay a non-refundable $75 submission fee, you will need to upload all of your materials to the NYMF website. A link to detailed instructions can be found here.

Please note that once you’ve submitted your materials and received an acknowledgment of receipt from NYMF, you may not revise any of it. The Next Link evaluators begin reviewing applications within hours of upload completion so any last minute edits you make may throw a monkey wrench in the adjudication process.

Does my demo need to be professionally recorded?
No, your demo doesn't need to be professionally produced, but we do request that it contains sung vocal lines (rather than just Finale files), that the sound be relatively clear, and that it accurately conveys the style of the score. If it's just you singing and accompanying yourself on piano, that's fine -- however, if you can't carry a tune, we would suggest that you find someone else who can vocally represent your work for you. Along the same lines, if your show consists entirely of heavy metal guitar, it would be helpful to record it with those instruments instead of a harpsichord.

All demos must include musical accompaniment, unless your show is specifically meant to be performed a cappella.

If you're considering submitting an amateur recording of a past reading (i.e., not made off the sound board), please be sure the quality isn't muddy or distorted by ambient noise.

In the end, the important thing is that your demo is a decent representation of your score because it's one of the elements that we rely on to evaluate your writing. If we can't hear what's happening, then it makes it harder for us to uncover your genius!

BTW, please be advised that we can only accept music files as mp3s.

 

 

 

Help! My music files are too large and I can't upload them. What do I do?

You can compress your music tracks via iTunes, which shouldn't cause any discernable difference in audio quality. For instructions, click here and scroll down to the Media upload info.

 

 

 

I can’t figure out how to upload my materials to your website. What do I do?
We know that technology can be a pain, so we’re happy to help you through your online application process! Please send an email to literary@nymf.org describing your problem and someone will be in touch within 2 business day to assist you.

If you are truly hapless when it comes to computers and/or don’t have time to deal with all the music uploads -- and therefore need additional help uploading your written materials -- the NYMF literary staff may available to assist for an additional $15 processing fee.  There is a separate charge for music and for written materials. This manual upload fee will increase to $25 from October 16 - October 30.  After October 30, the manual upload fee will increase again.  Please email literary@nymf.org for more details.

 

 

When I was uploading my materials, I received the following error message: “Sorry, you are not authorized to access this module.” What’s going on?
It’s possible that it’s taken too long for you to upload your materials and so the website has timed out on you. To avoid this problem, please be sure to click on the Submit button immediately after uploading each application item.

 

 

 

Does the Next Link Project accept shows from outside the United States?
Of course! Past Next Link Project participants have hailed from Kenya, Scotland, England, and Canada.

Please note that international companies performing in the festival are subject to U.S. artist visa requirements. While NYMF can offer some assistance with the petition process, you will ultimately be responsible for the visas. If you are planning to include non-U.S. citizens in your cast, please email literary@nymf.org for more information.

Please also be advised that if you use a non-North American credit card to pay your submission fee, you may need to arrange processing directly with the NYMF office. If you receive an AVS mismatch error message when you submit your credit card information on the NYMF website, DO NOT try to repeatedly resubmit your credit info. Instead, please contact literary@nymf.org for assistance.

If an English language translation of your show does not exist, please be aware that you will need to create one before we can consider your submission.

 

 

 

I sent you my show last year but have revised it since then. Can I resubmit it?

YES! We know that a show can go through many incarnations during its development process, so we’re always happy to accept new drafts of previously submitted projects.

You should already have a NYMF application account from your previous submission, so you can register your revised materials through it. Please note that if the show’s title has not changed, please be sure to add “(2012)” to it so our system recognizes that this is a new submission.

 

 

I’m resubmitting a show and found that my script and music files are still on my account from my last application. What’s going on?
Although those files remained in your account for NYMF administrative purposes, you should replace them with any updated material. To do this, just click “Delete” next to the file and hit “Submit.” Then after it clears from the page, you can submit any updated material by following the normal procedure for uploads.

BTW, just to be on the safe side, be sure to double-check the new file after you’ve uploaded it to make sure it’s the updated one. To do that, just click on the file name, which should cause it to automatically download. NYMF bears no responsibility in checking that your submitted materials are properly updated for 2012.

A few other things to note if you’re resubmitting a show from 2009 or earlier:

• Synopsis – Please remember that we now require a more detailed synopsis than in previous years, so don’t forget to swap this out!
• Music files – If you don’t have any new songs to submit, congrats on saving yourself a little uploading time! Just delete the songs that you've cut from your 2009 draft and upload any new ones that you've added. However, please be sure all of your 2009 tracks are properly labeled as “Track # - [song title]” so that they follow our new formatting system.
• If you submitted a show in 2008 or earlier, there may not be an uploaded version of your materials on file.

 

 

 

I’ve got a few different shows that I’d like to submit. Is that okay?
YES! All applications are put through blind evaluations, so it makes no difference whether you send us one musical or five. So if you can’t decide between your edgy rock epic or your family-friendly comedy, feel free to submit both! However, please note that each show will require a separate submission fee.

 

 

 

My show is already getting a production this year. Is that okay?
NYMF requires that shows refrain from mounting competing productions anywhere within a 100-mile radius of the New York City area within six months prior to the festival start date and one month after the end of the festival.

 

 

 

What is the deadline to submit my show? And what is the Early Bird Deadline?
The deadline to register, pay the submission fee, and upload your application materials is Monday, November 7, 11:59PM EST.

All shows registered and submitted to NYMF by September 30 will receive $20 off the $75 Next Link Project application fee. You must have uploaded all of your script materials by September 30, 6PM EST to qualify for the Early Bird Deadline - merely creating an application account is not sufficient.

 

 

 

If my show isn’t chosen, will you give me feedback from the Evaluation Committee?
Due to the huge number of applications and NYMF’s own staffing limitations, we are only able to provide feedback to the Next Link finalists. This is done through a meeting with NYMF’s Director of Programming, who shares the Evaluation Committee’s notes with the finalist teams as part of a dramaturgical dialogue.

 

 

 

When will I find out about my submission status?
Notification of 2012 Next Link Finalists:  January 10
Notification of 2012 Next Link Selections: January 30
Notification of All 2012 Festival Shows: April 13

 

 

 

IF YOU ARE ACCEPTED:

Inspired by the independent film movement, The New York Musical Theatre Festival delivers a range of resources to our participating shows by blending an economy of scale and grassroots mechanisms of a festival model with a technical framework geared specifically to musicals. By supplying the theaters, technical equipment, production management, and marketing platform, we will provide support to help you produce your show as easily, effectively, and affordably as possible, but we do NOT produce the individual shows. We are, in effect, your co-producers.

 

 

What are my responsibilities if my show is selected?
You and your producing partners will be responsible for all the aspects of producing your show – such as casting, rehearsals, show-specific staffing, design, physical production, and the many details and decisions required to successfully present your project. 

You are responsible for producing a fully-staged production (no scripts, no music stands!) of your show that meets professional standards, given the practicalities of producing within NYMF (such as Equity-imposed limitations on rehearsal time, the demands of playing in repertory, the need to easily load in and out of the venue, etc.). This means having staff members responsible for such things as direction, set design and costume design.

We expect all shows to be audience-ready by their first scheduled performance within the Festival.  NYMF will offer whatever support and guidance we can, but it is your responsibility to make sure that the show is in shape to be seen by an audience.

You will be responsible for providing certain information regarding your show on a timely basis, staying in close contact with the festival and providing a certain number of qualified technical staff for shared load-in and load-out of your venue.  Most importantly, you (or a producer or investor with whom you have a relationship) are responsible for covering the costs of producing your show within the festival.

 

 

 

What will it cost me to be involved in the Festival?
We founded NYMF with the goal of delivering the resources all shows need so that, if need be, writers could afford to produce their own shows.  We provide a framework to allow the shows to be produced much less expensively, and we take care of the big ticket items – the performance venue and venue staff, the major marketing, a generous lighting package and major overall technical support.

You will, however, still have to cover the items that are specific to your show – such as the following:

 

• Actors - under the 2011 AEA NYMF Special Agreement, actors received a minimum rehearsal stipend of $500 for up to four weeks of rehearsal, plus $27 for each performance and 8% pension. Please also note that you are not required to use Equity actors in your production but if you employ any, you must operate under the AEA NYMF Special Agreement. For more info, please click here.
• Production Staff  - Director, Designers, Musical Director, Musicians, Stage Manager, Board Operators, Run Crew, Casting Director, etc. Please note that if you use AEA actors, you are required to use an AEA stage manager. Under the 2011 AEA NYMF Special Agreement, AEA stage managers received a minimum rehearsal stipend of $650 for up to four weeks of rehearsal, plus $32 for each performance and 8% pension.
• Set Materials and Construction Costs - remember: simple but effective – you’ll be sharing the venue with several other shows, and will have to strike your set after each show
• Publicity Costs - in addition to the festival-wide publicity, you should do your own; we can help you with cut-rate deals on postcards and PR services
• Costumes - though we can assist you in securing not-for-profit rental rates
• Rehearsal Space - we will help by securing discounts for festival participants, but rehearsals are entirely your responsibility
• Volunteer Accident Insurance - all shows pay a fee of $595 to be included under NYMF's general liability and volunteer accident insurance from the start of auditions through the close of your production; this coverage meets the requirements of Actor's Equity Association.
• Additional/Special Technical Needs – such as video projectors, special instrument or sound needs, special rigging costs for your set pieces, anything out of the ordinary that isn't provided by NYMF as part of the standard package shared by all shows in a venue. NYMF will in many cases be able to help provide discounted resources, though.

NYMF shows pay a production guarantee of $5000 upon acceptance to secure their spot in the festival. This guarantee is recoupable from the box office and is waived for the 12 Next Link Project shows, which pay a $500 Next Link participation fee (if accepted to the festival, $50 of your submission application fee is credited toward this amount).

Finally, NYMF charges each show a production fee, a sound fee and a sound engineer fee to cover part of the package of resources it provides, including:

 

• An off- or off-off-Broadway theater in which to perform your show, equipped with an extensive lighting and sound plot.
• A band package including keyboard or piano, drums, guitar and bass amps, music stands, chairs, etc.
• Wireless microphones and instrument microphones, and all the perishable equipment needed to use them (tape, condoms, batteries)
• A sound engineer and deck sound assistant to mix your show and help with wireless microphones
• Tape, gel, and other incidental tech needs, as well as a steamer or iron for wardrobe
• A lighting technician, production management assistance, box office management, and house management in each venue.
• Marketing assistance through the NYMF website, Festival-wide print materials, and Festival press/media outreach
• Access to NYMF-specific discounts on rehearsal space, costumes, and other equipment, and on outside marketing and printing for your NYMF production.

NYMF sets the exact amount of these fees during the course of the summer, once each show’s production needs are clear enough to make such determinations accurately and fairly. In 2010, the total of these fees ranged from $2000 to $5500, depending on the size, scale, and amplification needs of each production.  (Even with discounts and sponsorship, the actual cost of the resources provided was more than $600,000, which was covered by NYMF.)

 

All in, your production may cost you anywhere from $15,000 to $75,000, depending on the size of your cast, your production values, and your show’s specific production needs.  Box office proceeds (collected via a third-party system and professional box office staff) are split between NYMF and the individual shows, so you may make back a portion of your expenses – especially if your show sells well.  Bear in mind, however, that you will not receive your box office proceeds until five to six weeks after the festival, and that your costs are almost certain to exceed your share of the box office income.

 

How else can NYMF help me produce my show?
While you (or your producers) bear the responsibility for producing your own show in a professional manner, we will do as much as we can to help you do so as effectively and inexpensively as possible. Some of the additional resources we provide include:

 

• Basic guidance on producing within NYMF including a step-by-step guide for producers, a New York City resource guide and a Festival staff member who will directly assist you with questions and queries.
• A Festival Industry Liaison who will promote the festival and your show within it to producers and companies both within New York and regionally.
• Assistance in finding designers and other production staff upon request.  We can also assist with trying to matchmake you with possible producers.
• Access to discounted rehearsal space and costume rentals.
• Assistance with casting: for a small fee, you can attend the open auditions hosted by NYMF and obtain a one-time casting consultation.
• Help in raising money for your production: we will provide fiscal sponsorship enabling donors to make fully tax-deductible donations to support your production. This requires an additional agreement between NYMF and your producing company. NYMF also has relationships with private funders who may offer grant opportunities dedicated to festival participants.

Additional resources provided for Next Link Project shows include:

 

• Subsidies covering your production deposit (a savings of as much as 20% of your overall budget). 
• One-on-one access to a professional New York dramaturg, who can act as a creative sounding board for your show as you continue to develop your script for production.
  
• Special industry networking and "matchmaking" events with potential producers, investors and collaborators.  

 

 

 

I heard that NYMF takes a cut of my show’s subsidiary rights from future productions. Is that true?
NYMF requires that writers sign its contract to guarantee that they will provide the Festival proper billing on future productions, but NYMF does not take a share of the writer’s subsidiary income.

NYMF takes a small percentage (2%) of the income the producers of a show in the festival earn from future exploitations of the show. Our participation continues for a period of 10 years after the festival, but only kicks in once the producers have earned $20,000 from the show.  This is designed to ensure that NYMF is able to leverage the success of past shows to keep the festival affordable for new writers, without encumbering shows or otherwise hindering their further production.

 

Where and when will my show be performed?
Your show will be scheduled into one midtown Manhattan venue for the duration of NYMF. You will share your venue with several other musicals that will play in repertory with yours.  In the past, NYMF venues have had between 74 and 199 seats.

In general, Next Link shows will have no fewer than 6 performances over the course of the festival. Depending on ticket sales, NYMF may offer some shows the opportunity to extend for several extra performances, but we make no guarantees regarding the availability of such extensions.

 

How long will I have to load in and load out?
There will be shared load-in and load-out days at the beginning and end of the Festival for all shared lighting and sound elements; each show will have individual load-in and tech time on the day of their opening performance (usually from 9:30 or 10am until the 8:00pm curtain).

In planning your show’s technical and production aspects, bear in mind that you will have a single day in your theatre to tech and prepare the show, will be performing in repertory with other shows and will have to strike your show completely within 30 minutes following each performance and remount it within 60 minutes just before your next performance.  Additional technical/production information will be discussed in the participation packet you will receive if your show is accepted.

 

 

Can you give me an idea of the festival production schedule?
Late April – Venue assignments and performance schedules announced
May 1 -  NYMF Members begin booking festival tickets
Early May - Venue site visit #1
Mid-May – Shows complete their staffing, shows begin casting
June 1 – Festival tickets go on public sale
Early June – Shows finish submitting their technical production info to NYMF, venue site visit #2
Mid-June – Final venue site visit, venue production meetings occur, rehearsals begin
Late June – Festival press conference

July 9-29 – 2012 Festival happens!

 

What’s a venue site visit and why are there so many?
Due to the large number of participants in the festival, we are not able to set up individual venue visits for each show. Instead, there will be three scheduled visits in the months leading up to the festival, which are the only times the shows will be able to see their venues. The production teams for all the shows are required to attend all three venue site visits, which also serve as meetings to address each show’s technical needs and other festival logistics.

 

 

For more on NYMF shows that have gone on to further development in New York and around the world, visit NYMF SUCCESS STORIES. 

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