Pop-Up Zine – Pop-Up Magazine

Introduction: What is Pop-Up Zine?

Pop-Up Zine is a DIY opportunity for fans of Pop-Up Magazine—or of creative collaborations in general—to create their own unique versions of our “live-magazine” experience in their local communities.

The content, contributors, and locations of each Pop-Up Zine will be unique but will contain the following elements:

  • 1 live-narrated photo essay
  • 1 live-narrated, reported, print-style story
  • 1 short documentary film
  • 1 onstage interview
  • 1 live-narrated radio story
  • 1 or 2 live songs from a local musician or band (optional)

Each Pop-Up Zine lasts around 60 minutes and is intended for venues with a stage, a microphone, a screen, and enough space for 50-200 people.

Pop-Up Magazine began as a casual experiment by a small group of friends (some media professionals, some not) who wanted to connect with other creative people working in different fields. We were curious to see what would happen if you brought writers, photographers and other visual artists, filmmakers, and radio producers together for a night of true storytelling. It was fun, it worked, and it grew. Today, Pop-Up Magazine produces elaborate touring shows for big audiences—this year nearly 30,000 people will have seen Pop-Up Magazine at major venues in large cities across the country.

We’re always working hard to bring Pop-Up Magazine to new people and places, but we also think there’s a real opportunity to foster homegrown experiences between our big touring shows. By providing a toolkit to empower local producers across the country to make Pop-Up Zines of their own, we hope to encourage and support creative collaborations with as many people as possible.

Please note that we’re in the early beta stages of this pilot and that the information contained on this page, as well as the FAQ below, will evolve as we receive feedback from people interested in participating in this experiment (i.e., you!).

We are currently looking to partner with Zine producers in cities that are new to us. If you’ve traveled across city or state lines just to see Pop-Up Magazine and want to bring the spirit of the show to your hometown, we’re looking at you! Examples include: St. Louis, Kansas City, Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Louisville, Detroit, Phoenix and Philadelphia, to name a few.

Why Become a Pop-Up Zine producer?

As a local producer you will have a platform for your work as a creative collaborator; the opportunity to build relationships with a community of artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, photographers, and radio producers; as well as the potential to generate revenue from ticket sales and local sponsorships. Pop-Up Zine producers are encouraged to make the show their own but can receive feedback and support from Pop-Up Magazine staff through dedicated Slack channels, membership to a private Facebook group, and occasional conference calls. The Pop-Up Magazine art department will provide some beautiful and useful visual assets (intro animations, title slides, etc.) to help your show look its best. Pop-Up Zine is also a great way for local talent to connect with our national show, as crowd favorites performed at a Pop-Up Zine may end up on big stages like Lincoln Center as part of a national Pop-Up Magazine tour. And when our national show comes to a town near you, you’ll get the VIP treatment, which includes guest list and backstage access, special ticket offers, and invitations to pre- and post-show events.

How To Become a Pop-Up Zine producer.

Introduce yourself! Pop-Up Zine producers come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds. Past experience in media or the arts certainly helps but is not required to make a Pop-Up Zine (enthusiasm, organization, and smart collaborators go a long way).

We are currently looking to partner with Zine producers in places where we haven’t yet taken the national touring show. Examples include: St. Louis, Kansas City, Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Louisville, Detroit, Phoenix and Philadelphia, to name a few.

The process starts with a simple application designed to help us get to know you and to help you begin to visualize what your version of a Pop-Up Zine could be.

If you'd like to preview the application before diving in, you can download a pdf here.

If you are interested in being involved in a capacity other than lead producer (i.e. day-of-show volunteer, contributor/presenter, tech help, etc.), that's great, please fill out the Pop-Up Zine Local Volunteer Team form here instead.

The Pop-Up Zine Toolkit

Once an application has been reviewed and approved by Pop-Up Magazine staff, local producers will receive a comprehensive Pop-Up Zine Toolkit, which contains the essential elements required to put on a fun, smart, and unique storytelling event. Topics include:

  • Contributors + Stories
  • Venues + Ticketing + Tech
  • Sponsors + Partners
  • Contracts + Legal
  • Promotion + Documentation
  • Timelines + Checklists
  • Media + Logos + Templates
  • Sample Stories + Scripts
  • FAQ

FAQ

How much creative control does Pop-Up Magazine staff have over the content of a Pop-Up Zine show?

As little as possible. The producers of Pop-Up Magazine created the Pop-Up Zine Toolkit, which contains essential information and resources for producing a live, multimedia storytelling event and will be distributed to local producers upon acceptance of their proposal. Local producers can connect with Pop-Up Magazine staff during the production of their show through a variety of channels for support and encouragement, but it is our hope that each Pop-Up Zine uniquely reflects the stories, the people, and the place in which it is made.

Do Pop-Up Zine producers get paid?

No, Pop-Up Zine producers are volunteers. However, we do have grants available to help offset the costs associated with organizing a Pop-Up Zine event. There may also be opportunities to generate revenue through ticket sales and local sponsorship. Once all costs of production have been covered, local producers may use their own discretion when distributing any profits,But there may be opportunities to generate revenue through ticket sales and local sponsorship. Once all costs of production have been covered, local producers may use their own discretion when distributing any profits.

Do Pop-Up Zine contributors get paid?

No, Pop-Up Zine contributors are volunteers. Once all costs of production have been covered, local producers may use their own discretion when distributing any profits, which may or may not include honoraria for contributors. Because shows will not be recorded for distribution online, and because contributors retain all rights to their work, Pop-Up Zine is a great platform to share works in progress that can be published, aired, or broadcast in other mediums in the future. Should a local Pop-Up Zine story be chosen to join a Pop-Up Magazine national tour, contributors will be paid for their work and performances.

Can I become a Pop-Up Zine producer if I’ve never seen a Pop-Up Magazine show?

Yes, but experiencing a Pop-Up Magazine certainly helps. If a show is coming to a town near you, let us know, we’ll help you get there (Email our community producer, Roseli Ilano, at roseli@popupmagazine.com to learn more). If not, there are numerous resources included in the Pop-Up Zine Toolkit to give you a sense of what it takes to produce a successful live storytelling event.

What if my proposal for Pop-Up Zine isn’t selected?

We can have only one lead local producer per city at a time. We imagine that these shows will be produced by small teams, so there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved.

In this pilot phase, we are currently looking to partner with Zine producers in places where we haven’t yet taken the national touring show. Examples include: St. Louis, Kansas City, Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Louisville, Detroit, Phoenix and Philadelphia, to name a few.

What if I’m missing a particular type of story? Can I still put on a Pop-Up Zine?

You can do it! The Pop-Up Zine format was purposely designed to incorporate contributors from a variety of media. If you’re struggling, let us know. We can help.

Can minors contribute to Pop-Up Zine? Can they attend the show?

This will depend both on the proposed venue for the show as well as the content. It will be up to local producers to decide whether allowing minors to contribute to or attend the show is appropriate. If there is a desire to create a Pop-Up Zine explicitly for minors—or any other specific group—that’s a different story and requires a slightly different approach. Please contact us for more information on producing Pop-Up Zines for specific audiences.

Are local producers also allowed to contribute a story to the show?

Yes, as long as it is conforms to the Pop-Up Zine format. Local producers cannot both host and contribute a story, however.

Why does Pop-Up Zine focus on reported stories?

There are other great live events that focus on personal stories (The Moth, MORTIFIED) and talks, lectures, or presentations (TEDx, Creative Mornings); part of what makes Pop-Up Zine special is that it is the only platform created specifically for reported nonfictional stories to be told in a variety of media on the same stage, in the same show.

Can my media organization produce a Pop-Up Zine?

Pop-Up Zines are intended to be produced by individuals. If you are interested in producing a Pop-Up Zine as a member of an existing organization, institution, or company, please send us a note with more information about your group, and we will get back to you.