Been a long while comin': Early Tour Stops and Refining the Process

What Has Gone Before....

A Genesis Found Tour Screenings at the University of West Alabama (Livingston, AL - 9/8/10), Pearl River Community College (Poplarville, MS – 9/14/10), the University of South Alabama (Mobile, AL – 9/15/10) and the University of North Alabama (Florence, AL – 9/21/10); release of new strip from Southern Truths featuring John Patton Jr., the tie-in comic strip, called "The Decoy".  View it here.

My Excuse

So my somewhat forceable foray into maintaining an informal, open presence online as an outlet for the tour experience has already taken some studders, as I’ve essentially avoided blog duties since the tour “officially” kicked off with the UWA screening September 8.  I can blame lots of things—the unexpectedly hectic pace of the early stages of the tour, other obligations taking priority, life in general—but that would simply attempt to mask the fact that, at the end of the day, I’m not much of a fan of the quick expiration dates of writing distributed via modern social media—ie, I haven’t really embraced the joy of blogging yet.  And I ceartinly haven’t embraced the pace. 

Regardless, this Brave New World that has such people in it dictate their terms, and all us folks with a “product” to “sell” have to be willing to go with the flow.  But it’s also my blasted travel blog and I’ll update it when I durn well please.

The Screenings

I’ll admit, giving you folks a case by case breakdown of every little tour stop we go to might get a bit exhaustive in it's lack of interesting description.  So instead, how about a general breakdown of the process of a screening, flavored with a basic description of some variables.

Generally, it's pretty simple.  I've yet to earn my stripes on an overnight road trip yet, so I've only had the experience of full day trips, though some for pretty good distances.  Here's the skinny:

- Screw around at home instead of properly preparing, then get behind because printing out some promo comics or burning some promo DVDs took longer than I budgeted.  Also generally have to scramble make some last minute budget adjustments to keep the tour's meager finances in check.  Get on the road later than I hoped and fear I won't make it to screening location without adequate prep time.

- Despite disorganization, generally wind up an hour early anyway-- then have the fun of scouring campus for the venue (since most don't have their own address separate from the school) with the added assurance that I didn't remember to write down the host professor's phone number. 

- Then, it's all pretty simple from there-- find the venue, meet the host, set up my table of freebies, get the pre-show started-- and then stalk away into the shadows until game time-- possibly to add some sort of heightened since of drama to my presence and to my entrance, or to just avoid being red-faced when less than a dozen people show up as the only crowd.

- After a brief introduction, I start the flick, again stalk to the shadows of the auditorium, watch about 15 minutes to gauge audience interest, then step out for the next hour and a half to wander campus, listen to some sports radio, and bug my wife on the phone.

- Get back just as Elliot is slamming down the trash lid, field some questions by generally a very courteous and interested audience (be the number ever so humble), if I'm lucky sell some DVDs, pack up, and head home.

Pretty cut and dry so far, and not much variation-- I'll have to get back with you when something overly dramatic happens.  Very little in the form of "interesting tension."  Aside from a miscue that kept me from making a lecture and screening at Pearl River Community College (and thus being forced to missed what was our best turn out yet), no drama.

So we head out to our first BIG school next week, to Auburn University (or, in Bear Bryant's words, "That old cow college...").  I have some very enthusiastic support there from the Archaeology club, and looks like we've gotten a pretty saturated marketing campaign going on campus, for our means.  Even got them airing the trailer on the student TV station.  

So here's hoping for a good screening-- and hell, maybe a little bit more drama along the way too.

Continued....