How do small promotions work?

[Weinberg]

Not sure where is the right place to post this. Appoligies ahead of time if it isn't.

 

I only know storylines used by ECW, WWE, WCW, and TNA (essentially, any fed big enough to have weekly shows) so I can relate to SWF, TCW, DAVE, and now USPW.

 

How do smaller promotions work their storylines and monthly shows in real life?

 

I ask since I have no real idea how small feds develop story... do they even have storylines? Are storylines one show long? (i.e. Do storylines start and end within a show?) Do multiple months storylines happen in recent years without any TV/PPV exposure? Are the fans much aware of it or is it just background marketing stuff? I would think long storyline/feuds to be hard to follow by fans?

 

I have never been to a Jersey All Pro Wrestling or similar type feds so its hard for me to relate and put NYCW, MAW, and CZCW in perspective.

[Dragonmack]

They do generally have storylines and feuds, but they are quicker moving and have less build up as you have fewer shows to get it across. Unlike a bigger company where the big matches are at the ppv and there is usually a month of tag matches, attacks, promos etc on tv, all that has to be done either on websites for promos and angles, or abbreviated into the shows themselves, ala a pre match attack, or interviews hyping the match earlier in the show.

 

What I do in my small diary fed is usually plan on a 2-3 show feud with 2 -3 matches, and then a couple of angles on each show to hype the match and / or feud.

 

Also because of the more transitional nature of the smaller company rosters, you need to be flexible as you will have to cut short, or transition feuds constantly, so try and plan on a backup for your main storyline. Stable feuds are good since it is easy to transition feuds between various stable members and you can always add or subtract wrestlers, while keeping the stables themselves as the story of the feud.

[Harmor]

Smaller promotions certainly run storylines that go on for longer than a month. I was at a show recently in my town (local wrestling school here is a promotion as well), and they run one show all 3-4 months, and storylines are continued even there. Obviously they don't have any TV coverage and not such a huge fan base, so in order for the bunch of die hard fans to follow (and new visitors to easily latch on) they make sure the storylines are easy enough to follow and not overly complex. That however is something you don't need to concern yourself with (besides what fans want from your product ofc), the only thing being heat.

[Linsolv]

As for my storylines, they tend to be MOSTLY in the ring.

 

If I'm running an entertainment-based fed, I tend to like to have a one-night story that starts, escalates, and then blows off all in a night. But that's because usually I have 1 main event storyline, 1 midcard storyline, and that's not really enough to make a show out of.

[Irish Wolf]

I have no clue how other small feds do it but the way it works with my group is we film a lot of promos and skits and put them up on your website. We really don't do a hell of a lot of in ring promos. Our stories are mostly told through a logical continuation of matches. But our group is what I would classify as ultra small. Running something like CZCW, MAW or NYCW in the C-Verse would be done differently due to game mechanics.

 

CZCW I don't run any promos/angles as its a 90% match ratio and I tell my stories through matches. Look at some of the diaries for NYCW, MAW, 4C, CZCW and you'll get a handle on what can be done with a small promotion.

[D-Lyrium]

Mostly they have storylines that operate just like the WWE's do, except usually they go on longer (in terms of real life time), because there's less shows to build them on. You also tend to have far less in-ring promos or backstage angles (because often the sound system isn't very good and there's no way of displaying backstage antics to the crowd).

 

A lot of promotions utilise the internet to carry on their feuds - video promos posted on youtube, or online blog entries, etc - between shows, which you can't really emulate in the game unless you use preshow angles and 'pretend' they're broadcast on the internet.

 

Often you'll find that the storylines feature the 'lesser' (or just more loyal) wrestlers, with the bigger names only coming in for un-related matches. For example, you might have your main title being fought over by Fox Mask and Insane Machine, while the main event (or the semi main depending on who you can get) is taken up by your promotion ace who's likely to get stolen soon taking on an outsider.

 

But yes, they definitely have storylines, the size of the promotion doesn't change that.

[Weinberg]

Thanks for your answers guys.

 

Could those who mentioned using the internet for their own favorite local promotion send me the link by private message. I'd like to check those out.

[Acidburned]

I was also wondering about this as I wanted to book ROH from the beginning but it's been years since I even watched a single show. I am not quite sure how to build up a storyline and show.