Commercial dossier and technical rider for magic shows

Presenting the show and preparing for booking

Stella Pérez explains the documents that help communicate what a show offers and what it needs to be performed. She uses the commercial dossier and technical rider for Ilusiónate, by Borja Montón, to discuss its structure and show how to tailor the information to the recipient.

A clear and user-friendly sales dossier

The class covers the cover page, show fact sheet, synopsis, artistic background, images and videos, and contact details. You will learn how to specify the genre, duration, target audience, and the features that define the proposal.

It also discusses how to select the artist's and team's experience, media appearances, and other relevant background. The goal is to organize the information that helps understand and book the show, maintaining a brief presentation and a consistent visual identity. The examples show the use of direct links in a PDF to access videos, background, and press room without multiplying steps.

Adapting the document for press and sponsors

For press and communication, she explains the usefulness of gathering a biography, photographs, videos, and information in an accessible space so that media outlets can work with those materials when needed.

For sponsorship, the questions the proposal must answer are presented: what project is to be funded, how much is needed, what the contribution will be used for, and what the company will receive in return. Visibility methods and the adaptation of the project's objectives to each potential sponsor are discussed. Grants are mentioned as another purpose of the dossier, without detailing their processing.

Describing technical and production requirements

The rider makes it possible to specify what the company provides and what the venue must supply. The review of the example includes:

• Duration of the show, touring crew, contact persons, and necessary venue staff.
• Stage dimensions and conditions, access points, audience stairs, dressing rooms, storage, and quick-change areas.
• Load-in and load-out, parking, and setup and technical work schedules.
• Lighting, sound, microphones, video projection, connections, and cabling.
• Scenography sizes, positions, and weights; floor characteristics and slope that could affect the setup.
• Hospitality requirements, such as water, towels, or showers, differentiated from technical equipment.

She emphasizes logging specific needs and verifying who provides each element, including small props. The class explains why it is advisable to know the venue's conditions before arriving with the equipment.

Reading a lighting plot and communicating with the technical crew

She introduces plot reading: the position of electrics, fixtures, and floor units, symbols, numbering, and facilities provided by the theater. The set design floor plan, connections from the stage to control, and the term FOH are also discussed.

She distinguishes the lighting plot from the cue sheets and lighting cues, which organize entrances and transitions. The latter are mentioned as supplementary documentation; their drafting or lighting and sound programming are not covered here. Technical preparation of the rider is framed as a collaborative effort with setup professionals.

Reviewing the counter-rider and applying what you have learned

The counter-rider is the venue's response to the submitted requirements. She explains how to compare what was requested with what is available, study alternatives, and agree on possible rentals and who would cover their cost. This is a production conversation that may require several exchanges.

To work on your own project, gather the show description, duration and target audience, background, photographs, videos, and contacts, along with an inventory of equipment and requirements. A defined project is enough to start organizing the dossier; finalizing the rider requires knowing the setup and coordinating with its technicians. The documents are analyzed as examples in the video. The focus is on communication and production planning, without teaching magic tricks or contractual legal training.