V.com weekend vote: Do you take cell phone pictures and video during live performances?
I've checked: the official rules barring cell phone pictures and video remain in place at most classical venues that I visit. But the reality all around me tells a completely different story.
During concerts, people take plentiful cell phone pictures and video. For example, watching Ray Chen and Julio Elizalde's recital at Disney Hall last week, I witnessed someone directly in front of me capture their performance of three encore pieces, in their entirety, on their cell phone. Likewise, the picture snapping and video capture was everywhere, throughout.
Every day on my social media feed - particularly Instagram and Facebook, I see dozens of photos and videos capturing performances by famous violinists. Of course, I'm happy that people went to a live performance and feel excited about sharing. "Wow, look at this amazing performance I just saw!" I wouldn't want to dampen that kind of enthusiasm.
Ironically, when I go to review a concert, I'm strictly forbidden from taking any photos from the audience and posting them - even one while they are bowing (ie not mid-performance). I can use photos from the performance only if an official photographer hired by the orchestra or venue took them (which is almost never the case!).
A lot of the time, the orchestra's union agreement actually forbids the pictures. But certainly, the rules are clear, in the program.
So what should orchestras, artists and venues do? Should we allow unlimited photo and video capture and sharing? I have been to a few concerts where that was explicitly the case ("Take all the pictures and video you want!).
I'll say, it is also a little distracting to see a bunch of glowing screens while watching a concert - a little like when I went to see the Mona Lisa and saw a sea of various-size screens all vying for a picture - it seemed like no one was just using their own eyeballs and human presence to witness the art. Why be there in person - is it just to capture a picture?
These are my philosophical meanderings on the topic- what are yours? Do you take photos or video at concerts (don't lie, I see your feeds!) And furthermore, does it seem okay to do so these days? As an artist, are you okay with that? Or is it simply a violation? As an audience member, why do we want to do this? As someone organizing concerts, are rules enforceable these days? Are there rules that would be workable, that allow some kind of limited capture? Please participate in the vote, and then please share your thoughts.
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What Michael said!
On a related point - keep in mind that copyright often comes into play in these situations. For instance orchestra X is the rights owner for their performance itself, but the venue may impose restrictions on images or video inside their building, and works not in public domain may have restrictions imposed.
Orchestra X, rock star X , Artist X may perform with no announced restrictions and even invite you to snap pics or tape away. But Orchestra X might then perform a pops concert the next week that happen to feature a 3 tune set from Phantom of the Opera - there will be signs, announcements, and photography police all around. If the licensing agency finds your photo or video online, and yes they actually look, they then go after the contract organization and if they did not follow the exact wording and public announcement language forbidding video and photo captures they get a hefty fine plus all the fallout that comes from that.
It's unfortunately very situational.
Not ever. One factor is that live performances are off the table for me these days, mainly because of my schedule; but if I were attending in person, I’d keep the phone pocketed and turned off.
Even without cameras and phones snapping pictures and recording videos, an in-person audience can be annoying enough as it is - latecomers, chatterboxes, noisy wrappers, on and on. I don’t mean the whole audience, of course, but all you need is one or two bad actors to ruin the experience. Rather than endure these annoyances - plus ticket prices, drive time, parking arrangements - I can now, for a small monthly fee, bring high-quality live performances right into the home with a few mouse-clicks.
Side note: For similar reasons, I don’t go to the movies anymore but now get much more out of a feature film with today’s digital technology and home theater systems - that is, when my schedule allows, which it rarely does nowadays.
I don't think I ever have, except at student-level concerts for my kids which don't have the same restrictions. I haven't really thought about it though--it's a good discussion to raise!
My gut thought is that when those videos show up on YouTube or whatever, they probably steal value from the live, ticketed performance. Also, there's nothing like being there and truly experiencing the moment. I do think photos could be more acceptable than video.
Re: enforcement, I would think a running screen could be called out by an usher between pieces but it might be awkward for all...
Recording concerts is an extremely annoying development of modern audiences, as a performer and fellow audience member. Seems like people care more about being seen as the person who goes to concerts... than actually experiencing live music.
Let's be real, who listens to those recordings? They go right to social media and disappear forever.
At professional concert halls, the MC or management will ask through the PA, that audience members "please do not record", or "please turn off your devices or set on silent" during the performance.
I believe this is mostly adhered to in my locations.
Unauthorized recording of a professional performance is stealing.
I assume the same applies to audio but the poll doesn't include that option. Once when I happened to be in the audience I recorded my community orchestra's performance of a concerto with a well-known soloist. More recently I recorded a chamber concert by professional players with the tacit consent of the leader. Both were purely for private listening and haven't appeared on the web.
Full confession - I also often disobey the 20mph speed limit that has been arbitrarily introduced in the villages round here. And, err..., how long have you got...?
Who in the audience can do what during the performance is determined by those who organize the concert. There is no written universal rule.
Last Friday night I rented out the Auditorium of the Museo del Violino here in Cremona for a concert featuring Paganini Prize-winner Giuseppe Gibboni, with all proceeds going to UNICEF. We allowed photos and videos.
Edit: By "allowing" means we did not expressly prohibit them. There was no disrespect to anyone, and artists had agreed of course in advance.
I do sometimes take photos of the hall and the orchestra before the performance starts. Usually when it's in an interesting location. Always felt like it was somewhat wrong, but then it's when there are still people getting seated and on their phones anyway.
I had also once taken pictures during a performance at the performer's request. That felt even more awkward (I was wondering if the people next to me thought of me as some sort of a barbarian), and I don't know if it was allowed by the rules of the hall, but it was for their own use.
No, taking pictures or videos of an artist during a concert performance is disrespectful to the artist and distracting to the people in the audience around you.
I actually see that pretty often too - an artist will post performance pictures of them that were taken from the audience, even though it was officially against the rules for the audience member to take the photos! Is it disrespectful if the artist winds up being happy to have the pictures? The messages are very, very mixed!
I would eagerly buy CDs with some pieces I hear performed at concerts, often included for program diversity I’m guessing, or to fit a theme. And CDs are for sale. But they are rarely cover the works I would choose to hear again and again. One notable exception was when Andrew Armstrong and James Ehnes visited London in 2016 for a sold out concert (held back a few minutes so any spare seat could be filled). They brought their Canadian Tour CD! Most wonderful performances must live in memory, so I do have some sympathy for anyone who might have recorded on Saturday, for personal enjoyment, the Calidore Quartet playing Mozart’s Five Fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier for String Quartet! Personally I honour the performers’ right to control what is released though.
phones should not be allowed in concert halls....
As from ~ Veteran Violin Soloist, Heifetz-Milstein Violinist 'Apostle' ~ Elisabeth Matesky {#16}
Re ~ Totally Agree with Eminent Colleague, Mary Ellen Goree ~
The Issue of Video-Audio recording has sadly become as 'common' as All the Crooks caught yet now released and immediately after Stealing very large or any amount/s of public Store & Pharmaceutical Goods all across America where Crime Is now chronic & rampantly dangerously Out of Control.
I recall an incident of only a few years ago when The Great Violinist, Anne - Sophie Mutter was Live performing the grand Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Cincinnati Symphony who noticed an iPad almost stuck in her face and abruptly Stopping Cold then calling out the holder of the device & ASM's demand said device be turned off right then and there!! Reading about this and in many publications and certainly here in Chicago, I was deeply grateful to Ms Mutter for her boldness and obvious example of Courage to call out & curtail the audience member & Publicly from outright Stealing her Live LvB Violin Concerto performance with Pro Cincinnnati Orchestra Colleagues & fine Conductor, which, btw, may have been pre-arranged to Live record by the *Deutsche Grammophon Recording Co., for a Disc Release?? Not sure if this was the case or implemented yet No Audience Member has a Legal Right to just come along with an iPhone or iPad or whatever else to casually just video record and More Importantly, Audio Record a highly prized Public Subscription Concert or Concerts and at any ole' time.
As the erudite Mary Ellen Goree, above states: "Unauthorised recording of a professional performance is stealing." Period!
A Word: Regarding Editor, Laurie Niles' tale watching young people photographing The Treasured 'Mona Lisa' Portrait and wondering How this could continue, reveals an outright bold lack of any respect for Greatest Art by Sods allowed in to a Museum housing precious priceless Art The World holds dear and irreplaceable ... This Generation of {& I will say it} 'Boer's' must be arrested and Put in Jail or Prison due a Global Effort to Stop such torrid insulting behaviour with Huge $£€ Fines to send a message that Stealing Works of Art and Music of Live Performers et al is indeed punishable by Fines and Severe Jail Time. If this seems cruel, just imagine being young Picasso or Salvador Dali, in the streets of Paris painting as young then unknown Artists having little to eat and finally a kindly Art Gallery Owner comes along offering a modest showing of 'Guernica' and a Brute with Photo Lens comes round taking many photographs & sells the young Picasso's priceless piece for equivalent now of $7,000,000.00M with the hungry Picasso receiving Nothing?? This global thievery must be addressed by Governments and by those valuing Art & Music as National Culture depicting refined Nations of People who are The Good in our Society ~ **Also Kudos Alex Saldarriaga for issues of lack of respect for an artist when performing vs some audience member amateur videoing said performance which is taxing enough minus performance Interference ~ Bravo!
~ I rest my case and hope to heaven recent 'Anything Goes' contentious attitude's Cease forthwith ~
Offering Thanks to Laurie Niles for actually addressing this larger Issue, I remain ~
~ ~ ~ Yours sincerely and musically from Chicago ~ ~ ~
................ Elisabeth Matesky ................
Fwd ~ dmg
My response is very similar to Esther's (above) - I like to have photographs of the venue, but I never take photographs or record during performances. If the concert is memorable per se, you will remember it; if it's not, why bother? Elisabeth's ASM story is a good one. It led me to recall a performance of 'The Merchant of Venice' that was badly interrupted by mobile phones, in which the actor playing Shylock broke out of role and angrily came down to the front of the stage to discipline the offenders, reminding them that 'what we are doing on stage is difficult and requires your concentration.' Ah, and a loud phone ringing during the beautiful violin solo in Strauss' Four Last Songs. I do, however, think that over the years audience have become much better at silencing and pocketing their phones, even though they switch it back on the moment the performance stops. Well, perhaps they all have moribund relatives on whom to check.
I don't take pictures or videos at professional concerts, but most of the live performances I go to are amateur/community groups in which I know at least some of the performers. There I take pictures and sometimes videos. I have social media posting privileges for one of the orchestras that I am in.
Another of the community orchestras I play in records all of its concerts and puts them on YouTube, has a very good social media presence generally, and punches above its weight in terms of people who know about it and come to its concerts. It plays in small venues like churches, but the venues are always full and the audience is enthusiastic. I had a solo with that group a few years ago, and I'm thrilled to have, and share, the high-quality YouTube recording that they made.
So I think in the community and amateur space, it's great to have videos and photos. It creates buzz and excitement around the event and lets the audience participate in a more active way than only sitting and listening. The recording should still only be done with the permission of the musicians though. I was happy to have my recording but some soloists would rather not.
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April 7, 2024 at 05:16 PM · If it's a 5 year old knocking out a killer version of "Twinkle, Twinkle" I think a video for the grandparents is a great idea. Beyond that, I think it's silly and rude. Plus, what are you going to do with those photos and videos? Put your phones and cameras away after that 5 year old takes a triumphant bow, and sit back and do something radical . . . be in the moment, listen to the music, and enjoy the show.