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Gideon Sylvan Special user Deerfield, IL 541 Posts |
How do you get jobs doing stage magic? Do I advertise to a theater?
You know you are a magician when you have boxes full of lecture notes you have never read, but still are excited about going out and buying more.
www.gideonsylvan.com |
muzicman Special user LaCenter, Wa 989 Posts |
You have to create your own jobs. You are the boss. I can rent a theater or a cummunity center and promote it to fill the seats. Until you have established yourself as a performer, an entertainer, it's almost impossible to do it by yourself. Everyone needs someone to help them along. There is nothing more frustrating than spending years practicing and developing your act and not having an audience to show it to. This is the main reason I switched from being a musician to a magician. As a musician, it was difficult to find people that would come pay to hear me play. I belonged to many bands and we played in many smoke filled bars. I don't like smoke filled bars and I hated going home everynight with my ears ringing. I discovered magic doesn't require some to like rock or country or bluegrass and they don't even need to know my language or be around my age. If it's your dream to fill a theater with paying customers and perform an illusion.magic show, you must make a name for yourself first or have ALOT of money.
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Osiris Special user 610 Posts |
The mode mentioned above is known as 4-Walled Promotion, there are several books out that deal with this concept and it should be noted that the majority of major shows prefer using this route of course (you get to keep more of the cash in your pocket... then too, you have to deal with more headaches to get that cash.)
Get creative, figure out ways of presenting and selling the products of various companies, pull together a storyboard or animated DVD so you can more effectively present the concept. Though you will knock on many, many doors and seem to get nowhere, this mode of action can help you move into Sponsored dates working with major corporations. On the local front, you can pull together a nice package composed of an informational brochure, CD/Video of some of the things you do (this is not the same as a normal "audition" tape but then, you're not targeting high profile clients with this.) You should include at least one photo of yourself (try to be original with the pose) and a cover letter introducing yourself and extending the proposal. Submit this to area Nursary Schools (if you do kid shows), Senior's Centers (not Nursing Homes mind you, but communities that cater to the retired, handicapped and elderly). Your offer to these groups is a 50/50% fundraising program. Charge, say $10.00 for a "family ticket" and split everything down the middle. This is one of Dean Hankey's (TheDean) most successful promotional techniques and I would encourage you to track him down for more details. The point is, it works and you can easily pocket between $300.00 and as much as $1,000.00 a night doing this kind of promotion. The nice thing is, you will also gain kudos within the community for helping said group generate the same amount of cash you're putting in your pocket, if not more! That means free press for you and over time, phone calls with offers on more paid gigs. You may want to look at Docc Hilford's approach to marketing his Interactive Theatre programs (see his manuscript "From the Mountains of Madness") This is also a very clever and potentially lucrative mode of generating some reasonable cash ($1,500.00 to about $2,500.00 per weekend)with just a hint of basic effort. BEFORE YOU TAKE THIS JOURNEY HOWEVER, make certain your material is tight and you have everything "in place". Have other magicians as well as theater people (non-magicians) look at what you do and allow them to rip you to shreads and then rebuild the act so that it becomes more of a masterpiece... this is the real secret to success and the quality of what will come about is the one thing that's going to help you obtain an agent or management team quicker. Best of luck! |
newman1066 New user North Carolina, New York, Vermont, 53 Posts |
"How do you get jobs doing stage magic?"
With great difficulty. |
The Mirror Images Inner circle Michigan/USA 1980 Posts |
Hard work. I just got done performing Count Dracula in the Bram Stokers version. It was a lot of fun but tremendous work. A lot of magic was invovled. So not only was my main concern was to just perform as the count. I also had to work hard creating the set and the illusions around the set. A great undertake but a wounderful pay off.
A good thing to always do is learn by your mistakes don't make your mistakes make you turn the other way. Let them make you grow from them. Michael
Steven and Michael, The Mirror Images
The MOST Identical Twin Illusionist http://www.themirrorimages.com Check out our latest new effect - Liquid Steel NEW - MotoBox NEW - MotoMation NEW - Voyager |
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