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Design Help Wanted (Someday): Paying Gigs


Mac the Knife

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For parts of the past six years but particularly during the past 18 months, I've been dedicating a large percentage of my time toward launching a new professional sports league - of a sport that hasn't really been tested in North American markets.  It's not as imaginative as Kronum (look it up if you're unfamiliar), but an internationally known sport which, for whatever reason, has never been tried here at anything resembling a professional level.

 

I've now reached a point where I wish to bounce this concept off of others, as well as to initiate and develop a business relationship with some talented graphic designers should this thing actually come to fruition.  There are, or at one time at least were, a number of talented people who had solid skill sets.  What I have in mind is gathering a group of such people, putting them into a collaborative, electronically-centered environment, and letting them collectively create and maintain this league's entire identity portfolio, spinning off finished product to a "Properties" entity which would license them (i) to league teams at a development cost + nominal basis, and (ii) to third parties (e.g., merchandise vendors) at a standardized royalty rate for the industry.

 

As I envision this concept, while the Properties entity would be owned by myself and the various team operators, those who contribute their ideas and sweat equity would benefit in a unique way as well.  On projects that aren't revenue generating, the Properties entity would bill the team operator at cost of production, which would be paid to the designer/designers involved less any necessary overhead (i.e., taxes).  On projects that do generate revenue, the Properties entity would pay the designer/designers involved one-third of whatever royalty fees it collects from the work over an extended (though not indefinite) period of time (I'm thinking 7 years, but that could be negotiated from project to project).  We anticipate that for example, with a 12.5% standard royalty rate, a team logo that was embroidered on a $29.99 retail hat by a vendor for example would net its designers roughly $1.25 per piece.  This would be split on collaborative efforts equally among all who contribute to the finished work.  Taking an ownership interest in the Properties entity may also be a possibility for those whose work merits such consideration.

 

Now to be clear, I'm asking you to design absolutely nothing now.  The only logo we need at this stage (that of the league itself) is done.  I'm not posting this here in hope of seeking "spec" work, either.  Quite the contrary.  I want those who get involved in this to generate ongoing, long term revenue from the brands they create, if the material is good enough to generate sales.  If you've never had a shot at doing a real pro team's logo and ancillary collateral?  If this league concept takes root, you'd have that opportunity.

 

What I am asking is that if you have interest (and feel you have sufficient ability), you PM me with your real name and an e-mail address.  I will respond via e-mail, sending you a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).  Once that is executed, your first step will be to receive a written briefing on the concept itself, and hopefully gathering your feedback on it.  I'm not promising anything here - I'm taking a risk, both of my money and my personal reputation, in hope of getting this thing launched.  It may go nowhere, or there could be a hall of fame celebrating this sport here in Raleigh, North Carolina a hundred years from now.  I have no way of knowing, but we won't know unless we take a shot at it.  If you're interested in being part of that shot, this is a "ground floor" chance - one I know doesn't come often for anyone.

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MODS:  Please feel free to move this thread to another area where it may gain greater exposure.  I'm not at all sure I picked the right place for this, so if you think it'll be seen by more interested parties in the "Concepts" section for instance, please feel free to move it there.

 

I don't normally bump things in threads just for the sake of bumping them, and it's not because I got no response with respect to the original post in this thread - actually, I got more than I thought I would, and to those who've responded I say thank you and I look forward to potentially working with you.

 

I'm bumping this because over the years I've seen a LOT of people with at least some level of design talent complain here about how they're looking for a way to get inroads into doing professional sports logos as a profession or at least a sideline; or just having some type of connection with a sports league that's open to seeing their work.

 

I'm bumping this because I've been listening, because I'm putting a league project together that I think may actually fly (I make no promises), and because I believe I have a business plan that can give you the ability to see your work be put into a professional context, that if it's successful brings you in on the "ground floor" in the development of a new sports league (or at least a connection to one), and that compensates you in a unique fashion that makes you in essence a partner of sorts - a situation not in which you get a single check and a pat on the back for designing something that winds up making a team or league a truckload of money, but one in which some of that truckload is paid to you as those trucks are backing up to the loading dock.

 

Again, I'm not asking for freebie work here; in fact at the moment, I'm not asking for any design work.  The only thing I'll ask at this stage is that you sign an NDA, after which I'll present to you the basic concept behind the league and what I have in mind.  You can then make your own decision on if, when, and how you wish to proceed with a potential business relationship.  If you decide not to participate?  That's fine; just honor the NDA.  If you wish to go forward from there?  We'll all jump on the bus together and see where it goes.  This thing may never play a game, or it could be an enduring league that goes on well beyond my lifetime.  I've no idea which, or if it winds up somewhere in between. 

 

But I'm offering at least a whiff of an opportunity here - something I know a lot of you will never see otherwise.  So I'm bumping this in hope that it doesn't get lost in the shuffle; so that if you're among those who've yearned for that inroad, that shot?  You won't miss this one.

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  • Mac the Knife changed the title to Design Help Wanted (Someday): Paying Gigs

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