What a day!

I just came from Hollywood blvd, where Whit Hayden was filming Don Driver's new video.

This video is going to be about HOW TO DRAW A CROWD.

Don has an old carnival ballyhoo, that if you do on any reasonably populated street you WILL GET A CROWD. I'm not sure I'm communicating this well enough.

After we were done, I pulled out my props, and busted out a couple of shows. Understand, I didn't have the script anywhere near memorized, I was just doing it from memory. I pulled edge after edge at will. Any time I was ready to start I had a huge crowd. It was like FLIPPING A LIGHT SWITCH.

If you are a working busker, you are going to need this product, which will probably include the video performance, and a printed script. If I know Don, it will probably be ridiculously underpriced.

I'm not getting a dime from this project. I don't care if you buy it or not. In fact I kinda hope you don't, so I'll have this all to myself.

What a day is right. I was invited by Don to attend Whit's taping. I brought my camera and shot coverage footage for Whit. Then Don, Whit, David Walker (the grand daddy of pitchmen), Jerry (the master ballyman), me, and Zack went out for drinks (at Starbucks). What a treat to hear all the stories and jokes. The dvd is going to include David Walker and Don and Jerry talking all about the old times and techniques.
About the drawing the edge/tip technique, Don had told me about it before but I never tried it. But, man, was it amazing to see it in action. It's a magnet. Don drew a 100 people EVEN WITH a large break dancer's circle show going on right next door, not 40 feet away. He even stole some of their crowd.

Jim

Sounds great
Don Svengali PITCH video is very good, do you know when this new Video/DVD will be out?
Don is a great Pitch-Man and corrected me in the pass when I have called him a Busker. So what is he doing in this video, busking or Grafting? I am sure he can both.
Mario

Don and Whit is one heck of a combination. I am sure this thing is going to blow the roof off for guys like us.

I am assuming you guys were doing the bills in the handkerchief pitch? I can't wait to see this thing!

WOW.

Best,

Dan-

When is it going to be out to buy and where can I get it from?

Chris

Don told me that David Walker was going there out with him, and I was in a knot, wishing I could get out to watch it all come together too.

Initially Don said he was going out to do the Svengali pitch, and the Wooly Worm pitches, but certainly Whit had an agenda, and it probably is a lot broader than just that.

I havent heard his carney ballyhoo yet, so that will definitely be a treat and I can't wait to hear exactly what will be on it. It has to be some great stuff. I just hope it doesn't take long to get it in the can and out the door.

You cant talk to Don very long without learning something about pitching. And listening to David Walker pitch anything is a treat. It just rolls off of his tongure...

Thanks for the update Zack.

BroDavid

How about letting them finishing filming it first? Just guessing, but if Whit's filming it and involved, maybe, just maybe, you can get it from Whit's store (S4S).

Sorry bonehead!

Yeah, it'll be sold through school for scoundrels. And yes, they've still got filming to do. Tomorrow Whit will be filming David, Don, and Jerry cutting up jackpots. So you'll get the full experience James an I had (but without the frappacinos) I won't be there tomorrow, because I'll be training for my new job as a pitchman! Yes, Don and David brought me over to the dark side!

Danny, yes, you've got it, its the dollar bill bally. Ten one dollar bills and a bandana, and you can draw an edge of a hundred people...reliably and repeatedly.

Mario: He's doing busking on the tape, not pitching. But the crowd-drawing technique is something that can be used by either. Afterwards, he commented what hard work busking was, and how he didn't understand why anyone would do it when they could be pitching. He managed to convince me to give pitching a try...I start tomorrow.

Congratulations Zack on your new career!
I think Don is conning you though! Busking hard work? Is he saying that pitching is easy work?
You are going to find that pitching is the hardest work you are ever going to do in your entire life! Busking is a walk in the park in comparison. Buskers work nowhere near as hard as pitchmen!
That Don fellow can talk people into anything. Typical pitchman!

You probably know that Don can be found on the Danny Hustle site and forum. It is just about the only place I have seen the art of pitching magic discussed in any detail. Might be worth a visit for you.

Sounds like it'll be some fun footage.
Please be sure to let us know once it goes up for sale.

Cheers
-Matt (TK)

Incidentally, that forum contains another great pitchman that I'm sure Internet detective is familiar with. You should read everything that person writes.

Hear! Hear!
Riff Raff is right. Read all "he who must not be named" writes - he knows much, and probably loves being referred to in this way.

Would you give a brief description of the "dollar bill bally".

Nope, you'll have to wait for the tape.

Awww... C'mon. Pertty please?

Sorry, man. This is something Don is selling, and he deserves every cent he can get. Basically its a few bits of business that you do with ten one dollar bills and a hankerchief, and by the time your done, a hundred people are staring at you.

What I'm afraid of is that people will buy this tape and be disappointed: They'll say, "I can do a better bally than that, and his voice ain't that great". They'll be missing the whole point. I thought I know about ballys, I was doing them ALL WRONG.

If you do the bally as presented, you will get the crowd. If you have a crowd of a hundred, you will HAVE to get money in your hat (even if you have the worst act imaginable). I really believe that this is the best thing a busker can possibly buy. Consistantly pulling crowds is the hardest part of this business.

Don is not the prettiest car in the garage, but he runs circles around the rest.

You are right Zack. When wannabe pitchmen start watching him work, eveyone thinks they can do it better. They think "he isn't that smooth". They think "his voice isn't that strong or commanding". "He isn't this", or "he is that".....

But at the end of the day, Don will still be pitching, doing the same thing time and time again, while the others are scratching their heads and trying all kinds of things that Don tossed away years ago. He does what he does, becuase he knows it works. He has tested it, and measured it, and refined it, and sharpened it to slice deeply as quickly as possible.

The man is simply a real pitchman. And if you are going to learn, learn from the best.

But as Zack said, this routine belongs to Don. And he deserves to be paid for it.

BroDavid

David,

You said it perfectly!

I would like to just throw in my two cents for what ever thay are worth. Building the tip is the most critical thing you can do! With out the tip you cannot pass the hat, close the sale or as the pitchmen say "turn the tip", In other words get the money.

I got hip to this particular method a while back fro Mr. Driver and I have seen it in action. I have done it myself Just to try the basics of it, and Guys let me tell you this will build the tip, like you would not believe. You only want twenty-five in the tip fine twenty-five it is. You want more ok fine skies the limit. I am so glad Whit has taken on this project and I have every confidence all of you will also when you get the product and apply it.

I have to say magic and selling in my opinion are the same. I will leave it at a blanket statement for now. But I will say this. For having gotten out there myself to try it, Mr. Driver has the work on doing it all, . As for the magic end of things i.e. concepts I will and always plug the , Well as far as I am concerned the best books on learning magic to the utmost degree are the measly priced $10.00 Manuscripts By Mr. Ron Bauer.

With just these items alone, In my own opinion and I will also add that both are totally unsolicited and I am doing and saying this of my own free will because I believe in both products to the core of my soul belief of magic. These items alone will not only make you a better magician, a better salesman, performer, presentationalist, if that is a word, But will fully restore " MAGIC" to the true art that it is, and its very essence.

This may be deeper than some may have wanted to go on a post, And I can understand. I just wanted to say that this is how much I believe in these two particular products. My hope is that every one of you will at least take my suggestion, and to take some consideration to look for both before you make your next purchase in this great art of magic.

There is a lot of stuff out there for your eyes and hands, But As I have always heard and have always said after hearing it, "tricks are a dime a dozen, but magic in the mind of an audience is a complete memory with color, smell, taste and an on living experience that will last them a life time".

I also have a slogan, I use in my own promotional material that I came up with in college and I would like to share with you. "Magic is a work of art you can't hang on any wall, but will last forever on the memory of your minds eye."

I feel this is true 100%
OOPS I guess I gave more than my two cents worth, lol, But I thank you for taking the time to read this post.