I want to get into the business of building stage illusions for others. I don't want this to be my main focus that I spend all my time and energy on, but something I do when I am not performing. How can I let magicians know that if there is a prop they want built that I may be available to build it if my performing schedule isn't to busy? How do you market to magicians? I don't want to do anything huge like put ads in magic magazines b/c there is no set line of products I want to build -- I just want to build whatever people need. And who knows, maybe I wouldn't enjoy building for others nearly as much as I enjoy building for myself...I just want to start out slow to try it out to see how I like it. Anyone got any ideas?

Hi

You have started by posting on the Café.

I would put some pics of past work up on a web site and put in your sig box on the Café -
-------------------------

Bespoke Illusions Builder
www.(webaddress).com
--------------------------

HTH

Paula

Where are you located and have you built illusions before? Did you just decide to build illusions? Do you understand the concepts of illusions building?

Tell us a little about yourself and post some pics.

Ray

Here is a thought...

OK not just a thought but I use it
You man still build illusions but make more money from it if you build for the business events

The way you market it- similar to infotainment you buils an illusion to symbolise the product benefit or feature for example

Your selling to Sales & Marketing managers more so then event managers.
Float a computer to symbolise "Advanced Technology"
Trade shows love this as do product launches.

Flash production of a person or any production of a person.
"Produce the CEO or motivational speaker on stage to add more impact to their presentation and wake the audience up.

Produce a car on stage to symbolise the "Hottest new Car on the market"

The list is endless and the fees are huge.
You can compete against all the other illusion builders and spend money and time marketing but what you really want to do is build so business events is a good market.

The real trick (no pun intended) is when involving non magicians like producing someone on stage is to make it real simple for them to do if they have to do anything.

Also this market usually has more money to buy your illusions -think about motivational speakers and theming an illusion around their topic they get payed between 5 and up to 25 thousand for a 1 hour talk, their are magicians who get payed this but I would say there are a lot more speakers at this price then magicians.

Hit the money markets, add it as a service to your existing show and make your you have video footage when selling- put it on DVD or even CD and send out to clients so they can view the illusion.
Also onece you have a "Production of a person" Illusion that is easily transportable instead of just having it on the shelf have it as an add on sale or a bonus- hire me to perform on stage and I'll magicially produce your boss on stage for only $9,999..

The great thing is you get to keep the illusion after the show ( to sell to the next client)
so they are hiring out the illusion not selling it, but you can make just as much money hiring it out.


my web site is
http://www.icentertainment.com go into infotainment then custom designed illusions. I don't have any downloads on my web site it's all on CD because of a few reasons but mainly because I have a small group of return customers that spread the word for me.

But you gotta gotta gotta make sure that you have experience doing it it's gotta be a good product, not something to do cos your not getting anywork.
My team has been doing it for along time, In fact I don't do as much anymore, I more so do the selling of it and performing of it.

my advise to newbie:
start with some simple ones first and have them on offer like a simple production of a person, or a levitation effect.
Then as you get more experienced start adding customized areas, themes

To start with it's sometimes difficult to add the product benefit into the illusion but always start with the product and work from there.
It does take some huge brainstorming sessions to get the right message across

anyway gotta go
can't give all me business secrets away

Good Luck

David Welzman

Hi,
Thanks for the advice everyone! Interesting ideas, ice entertainment! I have never quite thought of it that way, and I am not sure that I work for the right clients to do that custom work. I like to avoid custom work for a few reasons...but the opportunities have come up before, and I know they will in the future, so when they do, I may take your advice. Very interesting!

Ray, yes I have built illusions before, I didn't just wake up this morning and said "hey I'm going to be an illusion builder." I only build for myself though. I have built myself several illusions and have fixed up and refurbished illusions. I also want to build original illusions. I have already built one of my originals and I think some people may be interested in it...so I want to start building for others. I feel like between the stuff I've built and the stuff I've bought I have a pretty clear idea of illusion building concepts.

Make sure your have nondisclosure agreements with your clients and any contractors you hire to protect the secrets behind your illusions!

Cloneman

great point

briansmagic

The custom illusions is not that hard to do

especially the CEO in a flash illusion which is a flash frame essentially with the verbal presentation being the hottest new employee, hotest new sales rep
whatever.

Paul Daniels of the UK has a wonderful illusion in his sales lecture.

It's a box covered in newspapers it's got a door at the fron and back.

Presentation is simple you talk about the ceo of the company how they have been in the news or corporate magazines as you are talking you open the back door, then the front- all the ceo has to do is hide behind the back door.- the audience sees the box empty
close the front then the back and with words like
"lets see what will be in the news next" and as you say this the ceo bursts through the front through the paper.

The box is a frame with 2 doors and you can fit a grown man standing in it.

You may want to put wheels on it for transport around the stage.

being a frame you can transport this one hell easy.
it's called "In the news" but you can call it anything
and is cheap to make- paper, wheels and whatever you want for the frames.

and the custom designed bit- it's the same everywhere you go
-you simply tell the client it's custom designed- they don't know
and if you think that's bad- Paul Danials does it and tells us to do it in his lecture so it can't be that bad.

cheers