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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-01-15 13:04, Mindpro wrote: Yes, I understand how to exploit an appearance in a parade. The question was, do others of you find that a fee -- particularly what I see as a high fee for a sole proprietor business -- is typical for community parades? "Negotiate an arrangement" is a pretty vague suggestion. They are still gonna charge me $500 to have a float or toss candy. I think one solution would be to try to get booked, or volunteer myself, as an entertainer along the parade route. |
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10577 Posts |
Yes, having been in over 35 parades, there is a standard entry fee (this is how the make a good portion of their money) that usually starts at $300.00 and goes up depending on the size of the parade, the size of the community, etc. My point is of all of the parades I've ever been in I only paid once, for the very first one of $375.00.
All I was saying is there are many ways to be featured in the parade without having to pay the fee. Think as a business person, not an entertainer. I can immediately think of a half dozens ways to do this without giving any real thought. |
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
And they are ... ?
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TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
David, thanks for clearing up your e-mail procedure. Sending it to the parent to forward to the child is very good marketing, and avoids all the potential pitfalls.
In England they are quite aware of the problems posed by paedophilia. But in Ireland we are even more aware of the problem, because of the huge extent of it. The amount of prosecutions and horror stories in the past number of years has made us all re-evaluate how we care for our children. An e-mail to a child (a lot do have e-mail addresses) would send up an immediate red flag. Unfortunately this is not playing Devil's Advocate. I have worked with a paedophile magician who used letters to children as a first step in the grooming process. It's a thing all European performers need to be aware of.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10577 Posts |
Wait...let me get my silver platter for you.
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David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
**sigh**
Tony: I makes me wish that there WAS a true professional association magicians HAD to belong to, like doctors, so that the whole fraterity could break his wand. Pie in the sky, I know...but when people do things like that... I've never had any association or even heard of such a thing happening. But even the whiff of it blackens us all and creates suspicion. **double sigh ** And it really messes things up for people who actually really like kids. Seriously: think about it. Many of us work with children because we really like them in a perfectly healthy and wholesome way. David
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears. Bears will kill you.
My books are here: www.magicpendulums.com www.MidnightMagicAndMentalism.com |
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-01-16 09:57, Mindpro wrote: Well, this is, after all, a forum for sharing ideas. To say, "I can immediately think of a half dozens ways" and end it there is a rather pointless post. Maybe you can, maybe you can't, but to simply state that and then rubbing my nose in it that I cannot think of a half dozen ways is helping nobody here. I admit it, I have never been featured in a parade. I do not know how to circumvent the entry fee. So now what? |
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Cheshire Cat Special user Wilmslow, UK 941 Posts |
We always used to think it kind of sneaky giving every kid something to take home with our details on.
About 5 years ago we succumbed to "sneakyness". Hmmm. Signing a couple of hundred photos each week does not do my right hand any good though as a piano player . . . |
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Mr. Pitts Inner circle David Pitts 1058 Posts |
Starrpower, I've been in many, many parades. I've never paid a dime to be in one. But, I did them all as a clown though. But I think if you can find a way to perform very visually as a magician, on foot, they'd be happy to have you as an entertainer. Walking a parade route, what you do has to be very visual and immediately understandable. Off the top of my head, if I were to do a parade as a magician, I would use my most 'magiciany' costume, and I would carry my rabbit in the hat puppet and my spinning plate and stick. I'd have a bag over my shoulder (clearly visible at my side with MrPitts.com printed in large letters) for the plate and stick, and I would keep the puppet on my hand for the entire parade route. I'd stop in front of a group, make a show of waving my hand over the hat, saying the magic words, and of course he wouldn't appear, until I turned to look at the audience. When he pokes his head out, I see him, act surprised, and then I'd get out the spinning plate and stick, he'd get in position, nose up, and I'd balance the spinning plate on his nose. We'd bow, I put the stick and plate in my bag. Fluffy retreats to his hat and we move to a group across the street and 50 feet down the route. You have to be an 'entertainer' for the parade organizers to be interested in this, not an 'advertiser'. Let your little performance speak for itself. Carry cards if anyone asks for one, but your only advertisement would be the performance and your website printed on the bag. Or you could get a little wagon with your website on it to pull behind you to hold a couple of very visual tricks. One thing to keep in mind, they can't hear you in a parade, not very well anyway. That's why I thought of a purely visual routine. I'm sure you can come up with something that fits your style better. The rabbit is just what I'd do. I wouldn't pay to be in a parade as I think there are better ways to spend my advertising money.
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Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-01-17 15:57, Cheshire Cat wrote: Some performers print the autograph right onto the marketing piece, when printing the marketing piece. - Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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Simon Mandal New user 60 Posts |
Making kids want to BE the birthday kid will help.
For example, if the birthday kid gets lots of balloons, gets to float in the air, and gets a magic kit, because they had you at their party, this will add to the other kid's desire to have you at their party. I try to respond to ALL emails and calls from parents within 10 minutes unless I am in the middle of a show. Even if it's to say, I am about to do a show, will you be around in an hour when I'm done? Quick, professional customer service will make things a lot less stressful for the parents, this will give them more nice things to say about you to their friends. Entertain the adults and kids at the same time. I believe everyone who is there should be entertained. This means a "kiddie" show for day cares, but a "family show" for a birthday party for the same age kids (if adults are present.) |
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