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HatTrix Regular user USA 108 Posts |
I was wondering how many of you use balloon animals in your show?
I was thinking of learning to do them to add to my show. So I was wondering what some good balloon animal books are so I could start to learn, and also if I start will I need a pump? My last question should I raise the price of my show if I add balloons? Thanks for your help! |
Gideon Sylvan Special user Deerfield, IL 541 Posts |
I use balloons in my show and after my show for all the children. To learn the basics and some, I would say look into the Balloon Sculpture Made Easy set with Joe Lefler, you can find them and others at:
http://www.tmyers.com To answer the pump question I know I and many others use a pump, because A> some of us can't blow them up by mouth, and B> you need to make a lot at times and a pump is easier. I would raise my price if I were you, not a lot just something like $25 for balloon animals for all kids (maximum of 15 for example). Gideon
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 |
KyletheGreat Special user Georgia 560 Posts |
I always present an animal to the birthday child. If I do not have another show after the one I am at, and there aren't a whole lot of children...I will make them all one. But not if I am busy and or having to get to another booking.
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Gideon Sylvan Special user Deerfield, IL 541 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-07-31 14:19, KyletheGreat wrote: Part of my package is the balloons, so it is included in my one hour program. As for the birthday child, I always come to the show with a BIG balloon animals, this A> is a great first impression, and B> gets every other kid to want one (of course I only make the big on for the birthday child).
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 |
Bill Nuvo Inner circle 3094 Posts or 2742 Posts |
Balloons are a big part of my Birthday act (I also do facepainting). Balloons, you definately want to leave till after the show. Kids will play with them during your show, so you don't want the distraction. I make sure the birthday child gets a really cool balloon sculpture (full body, at leats 8 balloons). It makes them feel extra special and show that you can do more than just animals. I actually rarely do simple animals anymore unless I have extra time. I make everybody a different style of hat (to a maximum of 25 kids). Hats look so much more impressive than just animals. You can get a lot of info from BallooHQ . Their website has more info than you can handle. During my show I use Andrew Maynes Mutant Balloon Animals idea from Mad Mojo. It's a great bit.
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HatTrix Regular user USA 108 Posts |
Thanks guys for your help yea I will definatly learn how to make some animals just another excuse to raise the price *smile* do most kids want swords and hats?
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magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Kids will tend to want whatever they see you making and giving to the other kids. Since they are not sure what you can do with the balloons, if you want to be making more swords or lazor guns, then start making those and you will find that the kids tend to want what their friends are getting as well. With this in mind, do not make a very compolicated balloon to start with (unless for the b-day kid) unless you want to be making them for everyone else.
Certainly balloons are soemthing you can add to your birthday package that will meet a need of a client and can increase your perceived value in the mind of your client. Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
Chrystal Inner circle Canada/France 1552 Posts |
Hi HatTrix,
To answer your question while swords are really easy to make, they are kind of iffy to make at an indoor event like a party. Soon as the tykes get one in their hand they start bopping each other with them and everyone joins in. Utter chaos! Even if the parent has agreed to sword making and that's one balloon model you should ask about previously, as many parents and schools don't allow any form of "weapons", they didn't know the chaos it would create in their home. Guess who has more experience with parties..you or the birthday mom? Eventually it will be you and the parents may not look too favorably on how you leave the party with Little Johnny and Little Susie racing around waving the swords. They also twist around with all the bopping, and you'll be devulged with request to fix them before you leave. It's been my experience they are not worth doing at a birthday party. If I were you I'd leave these to outdoor events and stick with balloon hats or animals. I preblow up the balloons to save time and so the kids aren't waiting too much time for their balloon. Like some, I will always include balloons as part of the birthday package but otherwise dislike doing them at large events. (Just my personal preference). The advantage with pre-blowing them if I then give the children a choice of 3 different ones which I make and show to them. They then choose which out of the three they like. It's an old teachers trick as this avoids the long..ummm ummm I want...ummm...hey can you make an aardvark? LOL! Saves time as especially with younger ones they have difficulty making a choice. I too make the birthday child an extra special creation as my gift to them. On the other hand, if you are new to the business and want to extend the time you are performing then blow up the balloons there and make them for the kids. Eventually you become accustomed to how long magic and balloons take for each party based on numbers. Good Luck! Chrystal |
HatTrix Regular user USA 108 Posts |
Once again thanks to you all you have been a big help I think tommorro I will pick up a book on balloon making and add it to my birthday party deal. thanks again.
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Whiterabbit Loyal user Kevin Mc Lean 278 Posts |
Hi Hat Trix,
it's kind of nice to learn to do a few behind your back (not that hard either ) and do a guessing game where the balloon you are twisting is the prize. I'm experimenting with balloon rockets and some half balloons for propulsion at the moment and holding races as a game. There's all sorts of ways you can make balloons a part of the act (but, as mentioned, don't forget a few special balloons for your volunteers and birthday child).
May your fingers never lose their deftness,
May your tongue always lead them down the garden path... Regards, Whiterabbit |
Ron Reid Inner circle Phoenix, Arizona 2732 Posts |
Hi Hat:
Another idea is to make balloons part of your show - that is entertain with the balloons. Most books and DVDs on the market deal with balloon twisting, showing you how to make certain animals, hats, etc. There are a couple of videos that deal with the entertainment aspect of ballooning, and I recommend them highly (they've helped me a great deal). They are "Balloons Here, There, Everywhere" by ? (I can't remeber the man's name, but you can get the video from David Ginn. The other video is by by L'il John, available through the Camirand Academy of Magic. He shows how to put ballooning in your show via a guessing game. It's wild and fun - I've done it many times. Whiterabbit: That's a real good idea of doing them behind your back. I hope this helps you. Ron |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
I often wait to do the balloons until after my main show. I just find if you make a balloon and the kid takes it back to his or her seat, it can cause a distraction from them focusing on you. The kid may make noise with it, it may pop or the other kids may want one immediately.
If you are going to make them during your show, then it might be best to hold on to them or give them to an adult until after your show is over. This way you gain control and do not have the possibilities of distractions. Just my 2 cents worth. Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
Whiterabbit Loyal user Kevin Mc Lean 278 Posts |
Hello Kyle,
yep balloons are also the last thing I do. At one stage, I used to put a really nice sculpture up as a prize for the best behaved child during the show, but I found that this sometimes disappointed others, so I made a few. Nowadays, I make a game of it at the end and say that I'll let the best behaved (that's always everyone) children play a game for them. Then I say that everyone has been so well behaved that I'll make balloons for everyone, but it's simple balloons first, then when everyone has a balloon I'll do requests. Still working on the approach. Managing the giving away of balloons (I usually have quite a few pre-blown) is an art. Quite a few threads on it and, in my opinion, directing the children's attention is one of the hardest things about doing balloons. As Kyle mentioned, they can be built in distractions. Concerning what Ron Reid very kindly said (thank you, Ron), I must admit I'm a strong adherer to the twist them behind the back trick, but I heard it from someone here on the Café a few years ago. I just make a game of it. It really works well though and keeps them all focused. I can do about ten different types behind my back. If I could do twenty, I could probably handle the giveaways for a small party really easily just by saying once you've got a balloon you've got to let someone else get the balloon. I don't know how the children would handle over twenty, but they hang around while I do ten. Anyway, it's an interesting thread. Best Wishes,
May your fingers never lose their deftness,
May your tongue always lead them down the garden path... Regards, Whiterabbit |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Kevin:
great information. I like the idea of creating a balloon and giving it out as a reward for the best behaved kids during the performance. that certainly is one way to give them incentive to act nicely and polite during the performance you give. Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
Tom Stevens Veteran user Australia 361 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-07-31 13:38, HatTrix wrote: I do, and seldom book a show without it. Quote:
I was thinking of learning to do them to add to my show. So I was wondering what some good balloon animal books are so I could start to learn, and also if I start will I need a pump? Best to get a lesson from a good balloon twister, this will get you started. So many books are pretty lousy, and you can learn quite a bit in a couple of hours from a balloon artist. Quote:
My last question should I raise the price of my show if I add balloons? I wouldn't raise the price until you find that you are an exceptional twister and can sell that as a plus for booking your show. I tell people that the kids can choose any animal in the world if they book the standard party. But with the Deluxe party, the birthday child gets a special giant sculpture, and adults can make requests too. This gets them really interested in booking the Deluxe show, although there is enough value in the Standard show to give them confidence to book that too. I used to offer a cheaper alternative without balloons, and I only booked that show once, so it seemed like most everyone expects balloons. Some magicians recommend preparing party favour bags instead of balloons, and charge accordingly. On the subject of swords: I make these last. with bigger crowds, I might start making an animal and either do a guessing game, or announce what it is and aks who wants it. If anyone makes a request, I make that, but I make note of those who are sitting quietly and ask them what their favourite animal is. Some people are quite averse so queues and expressed horror when they heard that the kids at one party queued up. So I am sensitive to this and make sure to keep the party atmosphere going by telling a joke with every animal I make. Otherwise it's like refugees waiting/fighting for their food rations. Between jokes, I aknowledge a request someone has made, and might mention how I'm mostly going to be handing out balloons to those that are a bit further back. |
Bill Nuvo Inner circle 3094 Posts or 2742 Posts |
I personally stay away from swords. I usually make a joke about it and parents get a kick out of it and appreciate the fact that I am not adding to the violent tendacies of the world. I usually say "I don't make weapons of air mass or minor destruction."
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MikeRaffone Special user 623 Posts |
While your at it, why not make the balloon animals ahead of time as well as blow them up. Make every one the same kind so they won't fight. During the show, I make a special balloon sculpture for the birthday child and then go into a routine making another balloon animal for a child in the audience which matches the pre-made ones and then guess what? " I have one for all of you!"
Of course, keep them concealed until the end of the show when you are ready to give them out. When ready to hand them out, ask each kid what color they want and by the end of the line, you may only have to make a couple of them from scratch. I always make extras since balloons are so cheap anyway. Less time working leaves more time for entertainment. As John Calvert said, "killing time is something magicians do when they SHOULD be entertaining". Magic Mike
Mike Perrello
DC Area's Leading Family Entertainment Expert |
JesterMan Veteran user Maryland, USA 319 Posts |
One reason that I don't make them ahead; I would miss out on the myraid of good, entertaining lines and comedy bits that go perfectly with the balloons. You are only killing time if you aren't 'knocking 'em dead'. I'd much rather create the balloons in the show, and play guessing games, joke with the guests, and have some other fun with the audience rather than sit at home making the balloons, entertaining no one. Of course, that is just me. What works for anyone else is just fine, too.
If you are not doing balloons, and it fits your style, it is a great added feature, and there are many ways to approach adding them. You can include them in your standard show, adjusting your fee, if needed. You can offer them as an add-on, as you might goody bags, magic kits, and other trinkets. You can include some, and add on others. There are examples of people doing these above. You can even offer a complete balloon show, eliminatiing magic altogether, or having magic as an adjunct to the balloon show. Good books; you can check out lhe threads already open under "Carnival of Fun". Mr. Rainbow's books and videos are good, as are Dewey's stuff, and more. Most of my newer balloon learning has been from CDs by Larry Moss, and tapes and DVDs. One thing that you will want to be sure of is the level of complication of the balloons on whatever media you choose. Some things get very elaborate, which may not fit what you are looking for; certainly not to start. Good luck! I'll be happy to answer any other questions you have, in the forums, or via a PM.
JM
Balloons, Magic, Mayhem & More! www.AArdvarkEntertainers.com www.JesterMan.com "... destined to take the place of the MudShark in your mythology... " FZ |
Tom Stevens Veteran user Australia 361 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-08-01 09:51, mrbilldentertainer wrote: I usually say "I don't make weapons of air mass or minor destruction." mrbilldentertainer, that sounds a lot like the line that my first teacher used. Were you in Australia in 1998? Quote:
JesterMan wrote: have some fun with the audience rather than sit at home making the balloons, entertaining no one. I agree. It's also my choice to not premake the balloons. There would be a few plus points to premaking if you have a lot of bookings in a day and need to make them earlier so you can fit all your bookings in. Or if you have someone at home that can help you make the balloons, that could save time. But twisting balloons is filling time, which is part of the reason you are at the party: keep the kids entertained for a certain amount of time. Was it Gene Gordon who said: "It's a lousy trick, but it filled up valuable time." (NOT my motto, by the way, but it's something I laughed at when I first heard it) |
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