Line Control: Ending a Gig

Line Control: Ending a Gig

Author	Dominik Zeillinger
Subject	Tom "Huf" Hofstedt
Genre	Article, Biography
Published	EF Issue 2018.2
Publication date	Spring 2018
Media type	Digital Print, Digital
Pages	13-14
Website	Full Issue PDF, courtesy of caricature.org

Article Transcript

Fastest Pen Alive… no more

The article as it appears in EF 2018.2

The article as it appears in EF 2018.2

When you are drawing caricatures at an event, you may have to stop before the event ends, because you are just hired for a specified amount of time. If that is the case, then you want stop at the specified time since you will most likely not be paid for any thing done after that time. But this is not easy if there is a large crowd of people waiting in line to get their free caricature from you. A while back (July 24, 2017 to be exact) on the ISCA Facebook group Greg Scott asked the question how to best end an hourly gig when there is a line. This article is a summary of the entries. Here are some ideas for how to end such an hourly gig:

No line at all

You could propose to your client to not be seated in one fixed location. Instead, you just go around and draw from where you want to (and whom you want to). Once your paid time is over, you just can leave the event.

Run

When times up: “Run, Forest, Run”!!

Bottom line time

Keep an eye on your time (very important) and start announcing a countdown after each drawing at about 45 minutes before the scheduled end-time. Make it clear for the waiting people that whoever is in the chair at the top of the hour is the last person or persons to be drawn. This method has the advantage that you do not have to guesstimate how many people you are able to draw until the end. Always announce your stopping time to the guests as a neutral FACT, never a threat or an ultimatum. You can be polite and cheerful about it and it’ll leave a better taste in your clients’ mouths. If there are a lot of people, you can point out that there is no guarantee they will be drawn but they are welcome to wait.

Face-Countdown

If the stop-time is getting nearer (maybe about an hour or 45 minutes to go) estimate how many people you will be able to draw. Put up a big sign that counts down the last hour. Take a dry erase marker and cross off the number left after each drawing. At least you can continue to say ...OK I have 10 faces left...OK 9 faces left etc. With this method people can see on their own if there is still a chance to get a caricature. Problems may arise, if a person in the line is waiting not only for themselves, but for their whole family. But estimating the possible number of drawings left is not that easy: Maybe there is a wiggly kid whose parents decided to wait until the end to finally get drawn and he/she won’t look at you. Or a girl is wearing micro-braids, etc., etc.

Ending the line in time

End the line before there are more people in it than you have time to draw. To be able to do this you have to keep an eye behind you beginning at the one hour mark. Take ownership of the line by physically standing up from your easel to walk the length of the crowd, and look each guest in the eye. Ask each person how many people they are wanting to be drawn (since sometimes one person is waiting in line but they want their whole family to be drawn). Ask the last person in line to tell anyone who comes up that he/she is the last person in line (remember his clothes, maybe a green shirt). But guests at parties don’t want to have to be the bad guy that tells someone they can’t get drawn. So you can ask the last person to hold a sign that says “I am the last person the artist has time to draw.” Make it clear that you are trying to END the line, not just define the “end of the line.” Nevertheless, there is the danger that the sign is passed along.

Or put up an easel at the end that says “Line Closed.” After 10 or 15 minutes take a look if any new people jump in line. Excuse yourself and go cut the line again. Tell the new people that you cut the line already and that the guy in the green shirt is last.

You can also move your line from behind you to in front of you when you want to end it. That way you can see all the people in line, and if anyone else walks up, it’s easy for you to notice and say “I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to draw any more.”

Another method is to pass out laminated cards (maybe with your business card on them to promote, promote, promote!) that says, “You will be drawn! Don’t leave the lineup. Give this card back to me when it’s your turn.” Hand these cards out, counting out how many you believe you can do in the time left. If a person wants to be drawn with a family of 4, then give them 4 of the laminated cards. Handing out those little cards is good for not having “extra” people magically appear in your group of people you said you could do. If you handed out 12 cards, then you know you’re drawing 12 people.

Cutting the line

Often you will not be able to cut your line in time. If you realize that there are more people in the line than you can draw, you have to cut it. Use one of the methods described above. People who will not get a drawing may be pissed. You can try to prevent this by doing the following: Make a big sign with 8-inch fluorescent numbers saying “drawing until ___ pm.”

Make also a small sign (maybe 4” X 6”) which says “Drawing until ___ pm” and clip it to the top of your easel.

If the lineup is long, with about 45 minutes left, get up and announce how much time you have left and that you won’t be able to draw everyone in line. Cut the line using one method mentioned above (sign, cards, etc.). Give a quick apology to the people in line who you are not able to draw and get back to drawing.

If now somebody says “But I’ve been standing here for an hour!” you can answer, “I’ve been drawing for X hours and I do have that big sign there saying how long I would be drawing for. Isn’t it better that I tell you now that I can’t draw you, rather than let you stand in line for another 3/4 of an hour.” Just one more...

Use a sign that the last person holds AS you are drawing them. Though this doesn’t eliminate it, it tremendously cuts down on the number of “one-mores” at the end of the night.

Unless you have somewhere else to be afterwards, you can also take one or two more people than you should, and leave ten minutes later than you are scheduled for. Mention casually that you are here until X:00, “but I wanna finish these last few people.” Without fail, the client and the people who were getting drawn feel so happy and grateful that you stayed a little late, you are more likely to get called back. (Of course, don’t do this for parties full of people you never want to be around again!)

Getting Overtime or last words

Make it clear to the client that you will not take new guests in the chair after the agreed upon time unless overtime is approved in writing 15 minutes prior to scheduled end.

When your time is up and if there are still a lot of people who want to be drawn look for the client and ask if they want you to stay an extra hour longer. There is a good chance that they will say yes. This is paid overtime...and if not, you are no longer the bad guy.

If people do not understand that the show is over, you can still do the following:

• Give them your card and tell them you are sorry but you are done drawing at the event. Tell them they can pay for a caricature done in your studio if they really want one.

• You can also suggested to people that they can hire you to draw at their next party.

• Before 8 pm you can apologize and say you have another event you need to be at.

• Tell them that the venue is closing up and wants you to close.

When you get whiny people at the end, say, “I’m sorry but I’ve already said no to everyone else who was standing in line and I would have a little riot on my hands if I said yes to you after saying no to all the other people.”

If nothing else works

• “Sorry, but I have been drawing for X hours and really need a restroom break.” Then bolt for the toilet!

• “I have to stop drawing — doctors orders!”

and massage your hand while saying it.

• “I need to get my Meds.”

• “I’m out of ink.”

• “Gotta get back to prison.”

Keep in mind

• Any system, method, etc., will never work 100% of the time.

• You still get people mad sometimes.

• Be professional and positive.

• Be straightforward and friendly.

• Wear a watch.

Assistant

It can help if there is an assistant for you at the event. Just make sure to give the assistant clear instructions.

Answers and ideas were given by:

AJ Jensen, Al Lopez, Ali R. Thome, Celestia Ward, Chris Moore, Dan McMahan, Danielle Corsetto, Daryl Stephenson, Dave Stephens, Debbie “Debbo” Burmeister, Diane Laflamme, Don Pinsent, Greg Scott, Heather Joy, Jerry Shippee, Kurt Dreier, Laurel Hawkswell, L Aggie Derocher, Marc Schmid, Melissa Sarieka-Almariei, Phil Bowler, René Pulido, Rob Brown, Roger Hurtado, Ryan Foerster, Steve Hearn and Zach Trenholm.

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