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The Compressor continues his saga:

Recently, I had a producer in who fancied a drink. I said to her-in that I was going for a quick beer after work. At 7 in the morning I stumbled in the front door with a plan so cunning, you could put at tail on it and call it a weasel. I undressed downstairs and walked into the bedroom naked. I would slip under the duvet making out I had been to toilet downstairs….and she would be none the wiser.

Except she was sat up in bed….drinking a cup of tea….crying…on the phone to her mother…which wasn’t good.

Why do we do it? What is it about that golden period between the 3^rd and 10^th pint that transforms us into gibbering wrecks, who for some reason believe that our pot bellies have disappeared and we’re suddenly irresistible to the opposite sex? I don’t know either. The topics covered in our conversation were varied, but often drifted back towards my new idea for Cocktail studios. Many of you have written to me commenting on my epiphany, but the reality is it’s nothing new. It’s already being done! I’m just going to copy it in my country.

For those of you in the dark, the business model goes something like this: some of my producer colleagues got fed up with being unable to get into the studios of their choice, which meant having to commute elsewhere. They figured that if they had their own studio, they could work in the same place daily. This would in turn allow them to pocket the costs that they were having to pay out to other studios. Which on paper looks great. The problems come when the producer stops being busy. As any studio owner knows, if something is going to go wrong…it will. Everything has to be maintained, the running costs don’t go away. If you are in a commercial building, you have to stump up for corporation tax. That’s before utilities, insurance, rent if applicable, staff if any and maintenance….as well as the initial funding of gear. The issues that have arisen for ‘resting’ producers suddenly become extremely important. The costs need to be met. So what do you do?

It is a trade off between being able to work in the same place everyday…and ensuring you have the work to fill the place. Well, the easiest thing you can do, is handover the keys to a central booking service who will advertise your studio and rent it out whilst it’s empty. Which because there are inevitably no staff…..can be priced cheaper than a commercial studio resulting in downwards pressure on price.

It’s a tough one isn’t it? Do I help out my producer friends by providing a centralized service? In time, it will end up in further closures of studios. Deflation is inevitable…but you know the expression: when the tide goes out you see who’s wearing pants? Well, I believe the tide is heading out. Ultimately, though the market will decide. If clients want to pay less they get less. They get a set of keys and little support during the day. If they want a fully serviced facility..that costs more! Given the state of the industry…both can survive happily…but probably fewer of them

We are in interesting times and adaption will be the key over the next few years. Meanwhile, I will play aournd with my business proposal. I’m still not happy with the name ‘cocktail’ though. I was thinking more of a warm, malt and chocolate milk based drink…maybe a combination of Ovaltine and Chocolate

Got it! OVULATE! Excellent

TTFN

The Compressor