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MonsterMagic Special user 517 Posts |
Hi,
I've watched the Wil Stelfox DVD and I realy like his approach. But I'm not keen on the coin levitation to atract the first spectator. Just wondering if anyone else had other ideas? |
MagiCol Special user Dargaville, New Zealand 929 Posts |
Hi, Harry. Are you out there performing on the street, or thinking about doing it?
You need to get people to notice you as they approach. What items of clothing make you look different than 'ordinary' people? Your prop you start with could be playing cards, sponge balls, silks, rope, etc. It should displayed so it is easily visible from a distance. Use colour, sound (your voice and noise making with such things as a loud voice, a kazoo or a wand banged on the pavement or on your prop, and movement. Two ways of starting up: You can greet a person and talk briefly before your start your Show. Or you can use the prop as you call out such things as "Watch the ball, Watch the ball! My Magic show is starting now! Stop and watch!" and immediately start your set Magic Show with that prop used as in the first routine.
The presentation makes the magic.
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gomerel Elite user 458 Posts |
I recently did my first paying street magic (i.e. not just for tips.) I was aiming for kids.
I had a change bag. I called out "Hey! Do you kids know any magic words?" I explained that someone had sold me the bag and it was supposed to produce pretty scarves. But I had forgotten the magic words. Whatever they said, I went into the routine. Holding Randi Rain's TNT Chinese sticks with both fuses short, I called out to ask if there were any brave kids who would help me make them longer. http://www.raincloudmagic.com/close-up-magic/ |
TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
Aiming for kids works!
But not for making money. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that will tell you that aiming for kids turns a busking act into a "free magic show for kids". That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, if you're new or just because you feel like it. Nevertheless.....
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
gomerel Elite user 458 Posts |
It's strictly a hobby for me. But my experience in the past was that if I made the kids happy, the parents tipped. Didn't have tip jar out this time.
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MonsterMagic Special user 517 Posts |
It is something I've toyed with doing for sometime. But I want to get away from the shouting of the same stock lines and so on.
I'm in London and every performer is Gazzo word for word, that isn't me. I plan to start small and get comfortable, then worry about making money. I'm going to try a bit of Rick Merrills pen and coin routine as having them check the pen can lead into a signed card routine. And as it is raining I have time to practise. |
imgic Inner circle Moved back to Midwest to see 1337 Posts |
Jimmy Talksalot using a flip stick routine. Look for some videos of him doing it: very visual, can be silent but will still draw a crowd, can be seen by many, and can be cut short, or go long, as needed.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
Take a 2-inch+ red ball and put it under your shoe, try to squish it into the ground to disappear, twice to no avail.
Then the third time have it disappear from under your foot. Gone! You don't know where it went... start looking for it. .... among your props...under the hat on your table, on your person... Eventually you find it! Repeat the exercise finding it in a few ways, one after the other In your shoe In your sock Under the hat on your table, that was previously empty the last time you looked! You don't have to do a routine like this for anyone but yourself. Great for learning acting, physical comedy, and learning it's ok to do whatever you wish with your time... You can even get someone to hold a red ball for you or hand it back to you if you "accidentally" kick it toward them. This is just a simple idea that's a little visual and can be interesting to watch. You could do something similarly visual and interesting to watch with a stiff rope, contact juggling ball or any other interesting prop.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
noland Veteran user 350 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 19, 2015, Frank Starsini wrote: There is a big risk in performing for kids, as Frank notes: you may wind up doing a free kids' magic show. However, I have developed a sidewalk show geared toward kids (unlike most street magic, which is geared toward adults), which I do get paid for, because I make sure the parents watch the show with their kids. I then "hat" the parents at the end. Doing a street show for kids is not as lucrative as performing for adults, for a variety of reasons, but it is feasible. |
sjbrundage Loyal user 239 Posts |
I usually Yel or talk loudly saying that the magic show is starting as soon as we have our first people. Typically within at least 10 - 15 seconds I have my frist few people who will line up right in the front. I then talk more how once we have the full semi circle the show can officially start. I probably give that a few minutes.. if we still done have the full circle I will do a warm up card trick.
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NYCTwister Loyal user 267 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 19, 2015, Frank Starsini wrote: Disagree....but only in certain venues. For a sidewalk show it absolutely must be geared towards adults, but if you can find a spot where you can actually get the kids to sit down, such as a sidewalk plaza or a park I think you can make as much or more. For example a friend of mine has been doing his comedy juggling act for over 20 years in Central Park. To call what he does as juggling is to be very generous. He can do a few basic diablo moves and can keep four balls in the air for about half a minute. He is however a master at getting them to stop, stay and pay. He is also very funny. His slapstick antics get both the kids and adults to laugh. His jokes are carefully crafted double entendres aimed at the adults. He goes into his show cold, talking into the air, making eye contact. When the first kid stops he engages them and gets them to sit. Within a few minutes he has the nucleus for a crowd. which grows quickly. He almost always ends up with fifty or more people. His hat line, which is the ONLY time he mentions money, has been distilled down to a science, specific amount to tip, reasons to tip etc. It is his only source of income. He lives in the Village, drives a car, and spends most of the week doing whatever the hell he wants. January through March are spent on vacation in someplace warm. In an effort to get more interest in my magic show I also took my show into the park this summer on weekdays. Balloon busking used to be very good from Monday thru Thursday (it still is on the weekends), but this summer I noticed a big decrease in both the number of tourists AND how much they tipped, so I decided to take a shot. I set up near the exit to the seasonal amusement park at Wollman rink, on a grassy area, and did very well. I do basically the same things I do at home parties but with different patter, jokes about parenting, and the like. Like my friend I want the kids to sit, but I took it a step further. I got three yoga mats and painted V.I.L.P. on them (Very Important Little Person). I didn't like to have them sit on the grass though many of them usually end up doing so. I start by shouting that the magic show will be starting in a few minutes. The first few kids come up quickly, I seat them on the mats, and give them a small beach ball and tell them to see if they can keep it up in the air but they have to stay on the mat. This goes on for a minute or so. By then I have about a dozen kids settled in and I go into Quentin Daniels 5 minutes with a pocket handkerchief, cut down to the antics at the end of his routine. This gets more kids to come over whom I quickly greet and seat. Then I start the show, a shortened version of my regular show. The only thing that's different is the finale which is Shanghai Shackles, which is done to appeal to the parents. I do my hat line right before the escape, saying how important my hands are for what I do and telling them they can tip what they like but keep in mind that I collect portraits of presidents Hamilton and Jackson printed on small pieces of rectangular green paper, ec. etc.etc. Then I have the kids say the magic words to help me with the escape free myself from mortal danger and hat them, subtly but forcefully. (I use a change bag) I was always satisfied and got many requests for my info and am now starting to get more calls for magic instead of balloons, which were basically all I used to get. I'm thinking about cutting out balloon busking altogether. Sorry for the long-windedness. I just wanted to give a little personal experience and observations on working the "street" but aiming at kids. With the right situation it can work, and it's a good thing for me that it can since I admittedly wold make a lousy adult magician.
If you need fear to enforce your beliefs, then your beliefs are worthless.
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JoeJoe Inner circle Myrtle Beach 1915 Posts |
In this clip, you will see me grab an audience in seven seconds flat using my Super Spinner:
https://youtu.be/KHGTf8MoWh0?t=5m30s -JoeJoe
Amazing JoeJoe on YouTube[url=https://www.youtube.com/user/AmazingJoeJoe]
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Mario Morris Inner circle Mario Morris 2044 Posts |
Perhaps it's just a choice of words, aiming for kids or a family entertainer!
I am a family entertainer that is to say my aim is to entertain the whole audience including kids can you see the différance? Now Cellini said get a child to smile and the whole world will smile with you. Mind you this does not say get a kid involved at the start of your show in order to attract a larger audience. You can do that but you kind of holding them at ransom. Watch me make the cute kid with snot coming out of his noise smile and now for my next trick. Franks suggestions of play is where it is at, building a repore. don't just aim for the first spark of interest, instead from the very start build a repore with your whole enviroment. Ask your self when does a crowd, a few people or just a few kids become an audience. I have always said Just because a few people stop out curiosity does not mean you now have an audience, not by a long shot. A drunk can get this kind of attention and they do. To build a relationship with your audience it is imperative you build a relationship with them. My theori is this, you don't have an audience until they no your name, understand and care about what you are doing. Their is a stage in the show when assembled crowd switches and decides to watch you until the end. that's when you know you got an audience. The key to building an audience to that repore is play, eye contact demonstrating your humanity if you like. |
MonsterMagic Special user 517 Posts |
Hi,
Thanks for all the advice. Sadly due to the rain and other things I haven't been out to try my arm yet. However it does mean I've had plenty of time pondering my approach, in theory. I hope to gander interest with visual Sharpie moves whilst standing out in the path of people - colour changes and so on. I know the vanishing silk is popular, but I'm hoping to give someone the pen to inspect to lead them to sign a card and thus get to watch a card trick. Once I have one person stopped and watching I'll pray others will to. From there I will draw back a bit and ask them to come with me. A couple of tricks, and then into the finale - World Most Dangerous Card Trick, (as supplied by Mario and which needs to pay for itself.) I'm not aiming for the 3 deep half circle show yet. I want to get my performance chops, experience and develop the connection with the audience first. It's raining again! H. |
gallagher Inner circle 1168 Posts |
"It's raining again,"
,..sounds like you're enjoying, a nice spell of English's weather. (Dump the Queen,.. end the reign!) I thought I'd write, and offer a rainbow of hope..... I'm sitting in Gadebusch, in the moment. Beautiful clear sunny sea-side skies.... no peoples(!). Not one! ahh, it's frustrating, when it rains, and one cannot play,... it PAGNES, when, the weather's fine, and one cannot...! {It might be fool-hardy but I'm sitting put; upping the bid,.. and waiting for tomorrow,.. in Gadebusch.} ((hmm,.i guess that wasn't really a 'rainbow of hope',.. but, misery loves company. Cheers.)) , . . . . . * . . . . ' . . ! . Your "spark of interest" question, tickled me a bit, though; especially, in relationship, with your 'weather' predicament. How about starting, by producing umbrellas(!)..? Hand them out, one by one, as you produce them(!)...! The audience will stay,. they'll be dry,.. you can play, When they come, and give them back, at the end of the Show,.. they'll probably give you a smile and 'drop', as well(!). (,...i, personally, had to laugh at the thought!) An Umbrella Show! ,...sponge-balls, in the rain(!), ,...salt pour(!!), ,...a Balducci levitation, in a puddle(!)...you'd look like Jesus! thanks for the smile(!), I wish us well, for tomorrow,... gallagher |
gallagher Inner circle 1168 Posts |
Harry,
it's 2:39 in the morning. I played yesterday, in Gadebusch. 47,.. maybe 51 peoples... it was,...(?). I played. Three Shows. In between Shows two and three, I drank a coffee, in a terrible Café,.. four tables,.. six televisions, magically suspended in the air,.. (the Televisions), ....seven(!) different programs. MTV. cnn. N-tv. Disney Chanel,.. it was terrible. ,it was the best Café in towne. Between Justin Biber and ".. the Pope in Philly"; a weather icon, from London, flashed in one of the magically-suspended-screen corners,.. "London. 18*C Sunny/Cloudy/Dry." i hoped,...for you. ,...i went out and played a third Show. 16 folkies. We had fun. gallagher p.s.: The 'first spark', is "Hope". ,..on your part, and your audience's. |
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