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themindreader Loyal user 254 Posts |
Hi all,
I've recently uploaded my hypnosis promotional dvd to google video and I'd be interested in any members comments on it. As the video is about 8 minutes long I have had to lose a lot of quality to get it onto google's servers - obviously the ones I send out are of a higher standard. If you cut and paste the following URL into your browser you should be able to view it http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?doci......ypnotism Simon |
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tincture Special user 587 Posts |
Why go for a cheap laugh on a sexual joke?
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themindreader Loyal user 254 Posts |
Because universities pay me to!
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Un huh
Not a good idea. BUT it is your act not ours.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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themindreader Loyal user 254 Posts |
I don't really see the problem with crude material in the show. Nothing I do it 'blue', nobody takes their clothes off or has orgasms or anything like that.
Simply put if a university is going to hire a comedian - the comedian will likely tell lots of jokes about sex and swear a lot. Nobody would mind this! Provided I make it clear to the audience the kind of things that the volunteers will be doing - where is the ethical problem? I know that LOTS of people are going to disagree with me on this point - but in my experience a slightly rude hypnosis show is much more commercial than a completely clean one. Audience members tend to remember the bits of the show where I give someone touretts syndromes much more than they remember the bits where I tell someone that there are a ballet dancer or an alien. However I did realise after putting it together that 2/3 of the main routines I featured were overtly crude. I chose to include them mainly because of the audience reaction. I have a 3rd show which was filmed by a camera team which I am expecting to receive through the post any day now. This one was a 'clean' show which went quite well so I'm probably going to remove some of the ruder bits from the existing file and replace it with something a little more tasteful. Thanks for the comments though! |
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sbays Inner circle Burbank, CA 1065 Posts |
I think doing college level shows allows you to include 'SOME' edge to your routines, but it is important not to go overboard. Best rule of thumb is, if there is a risk of someone becoming offended by the skit, don't do it. Sometimes, it takes just ONE person to complain to the people that hire you, and that becomes enough to cost you repeat business at that venue.
If you specialze and market soley to this arena, so be it. But, if you hope to be booked by High schools, Corportions etc ... then I would rethink your material and demo video. High schools where minors make up the audience, and corporations with business professionals do NOT want to take a chance someone will get offended. If someone contacts you and wants a R rated show, then go ahead and do it, but I would not advertise myself as that type of performer. Just my 2 cents.
"Opportunity may only knock once, but temptation leans on the doorbell."
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Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts |
Okay, a couple of comments from watching a bit of the video - your handshake induction - WOW - you almost dislocated a couple of soulders there.
Second - "bloody hell?" I rather thought that amounter to swearing in the UK. Third, the "stolen willie" routine. I would have left that off the promo for several reasons - one, the guy is referring to it by a much less generally acceptable term and in the second part of the routine, you get into the whole "size issue" thing, which makes a slightly suggestive bit much more overtly sexual in nature, which will NOT play well to many university entertainment boards' faculty advisors, who DO have veto power over the students. Now I admit, US audiences are far more hung up on sexual matters that european audiences - it's that unfortunate Puritannical background this country is saddled with (nothing wrong with religion, but some folks get a bit carried away with trying to shove it down other people's throats sometimes). However, you did seem to focus on sexual matters quite a bit throughout the first portion of the promo - the lapdancer and the "lost willie" bits being prime examples and the "odd position huging after the cold being another. If the rest of the show goes in that direction, this could be a problem - and many booking agents are not going to watch more than 3 or 4 minutes of a promo anyway, so that's all they will see. Just my 2 cent's worth in the VERY early morning... Lee Darrow, C.H.
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
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RickThibau Loyal user Brazil 255 Posts |
Well, I liked it (as the other videos I saw from your work..) but I agree that it could be less 'sexual' without being less entertainer.
English is fading fading... sorry |
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Christophercarter Regular user 132 Posts |
I don't have any idea what the university market in the UK would prefer. You seem to think you know your market there, and I have no reason to second guess you. In the USA, that video would pretty much shut down your career on campuses. Students would probably love it, but advisors would almost never let it get through the door.
--Chris |
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themindreader Loyal user 254 Posts |
Hi All,
Thanks for your comments. 'Bloody Hell' is not considered too offensive in the UK - I am aware that it would not play well to an American audience. Also my handshake induction did look a tad rough, I've no idea if it was as hard as it looked online. I'd like to think not.... To be honest I (geniunly) had no idea that people would view the odd hugging positions as rude. Thanks for pointing this out, I'll think twice about that next time. For the record (from memory) the remaining parts of both shows were completely clean - I think I'm going to reedit the video to include some of these bits Thanks guys |
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Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts |
Just fyi, "bloody hell" wouldn't probably even raise an eyebrow except in a church over here. Most Americans aren't even aware that "bloody" is a contraction of "By Our Lady" and is taken as a mild profanity, which it isn't here at all.
Like Churchill said, "two peoples, separated by a common language" or words to that effect Please don't mis-read my post, the material is sharp, but like any first draft, there's always room for tweaking. and heaven knows, I'm not an expert on video - that was one of my minors in college, but that was back in the Jurassic Period, so my tech is WAY out of date there! Best to you on this project, you are off to a pretty good start. Lee Darrow, C.H.
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Crude material, well why do it at all? You can be quite funny without it.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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themindreader Loyal user 254 Posts |
It's almost certainly due my relative inexperience in this feild - I just find that if I stand infront of a crowd of 300 drunk university students who are shouting, swearing and vomiting - they just don't get the 'asthetically pleasing' and 'family friendly' hypnosis skits. They just want me to do rude stuff.
I don't mind performing crude material and the UK university market is where I am looking to further my client base for hypnosis shows. Also nothing I do is 'Jonathan Royle' type offensive (nobody takes their clothes off, has orgasms or plays with 'toys')- my suggestions are just riske. |
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HypnotizeAmerica Veteran user 399 Posts |
They may want you to do rude stuff but you need to remember that the students aren't your customer, the person booking you is. I am sure in college it is ok, but I wonder if you find it hard to get rebooked?
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themindreader Loyal user 254 Posts |
Most of my clients seem to rebook me. Obviously there are some which do not - but I would not have time for all of them anyway.
It's a very subjective view to have - but I am very busy for somebody of my age and experience. I am currently booked every Friday and Saturday evening until Jan 2007 and (on average) I perform around 8 other shows (in addition to this) each month! Join my mailing list on my website for dates!!! I think that there is a tendancy to assume that if you say anything more offensive than the word 'cobblers' you're going to cause audience members to faint from shock and you're not going to get rebooked. There are plently of (very busy) hypnotists and comedians who make a living performing much cruder material that I would. Also I think that you're audience is the customer to a certain extent. If an events manager knows that if they rebook a hypnotist (albeit a mildly rude one) they are going to be busy - they I'm confident that most will. Also those delicate members of society who do get offended easily and like complaining aren't really the type to go and see a hypnotist show anyway! However thanks for your comment!! |
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Xargos Loyal user Brussels 268 Posts |
I am not going to discuss the content of the video (I, personnaly Liked it a lot and see NOthing wrong with the adult material), but the video itself ...
The camerawork is really bad, the editing is even worst, get someone with better camera knowledge to film you, the shots looked the same all the time... That being said I am looking forward to seeing your professional video ! |
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kevinuncanny Loyal user 264 Posts |
"I chose to include them mainly because of the audience reaction"
ok--not taking a shot at the thread starter--just a shot in general........ re·ac·tion Audio pronunciation of "reaction" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (r-kshn) n. 1. 1. A response to a stimulus Giving an audience a memorable and genuine laugh gets a reaction......but so does peeing on them. How is the audience 'reacting'? Are they laughing because: 1) What your doing is truely funny and impresses them or 2) because they feel awkward and need to laugh because others are doing it? Is the reaction your getting endearing your to the audience or pushing your audience away? At that moment are they enjoying themselves or are they embarassed for the person on stage? How about instead of doing something because "It gets a reaction" we do something because "It moves the show and thills the audience".... Just a thought....... Kevin ps I don't use spell check because misspelllings get a reaction from the readers
Kevin Lepine
Hypnosis Unleashed-THE Vegas Hypnosis Show www.Kevinlepine.com www.VegasHypnosisShow.com |
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themindreader Loyal user 254 Posts |
Hi Kevin,
On your website you mention how your hypnosis shows include: 1) Men kissing eachother 2) People cowering in fear 3) People bowing before the 'cow gods' How exactly do these routines 'move the show and thill the audience' where my routines make people 'feel awkward and need to laugh because others are doing it' I think that we are performing the same kind of routines here - just I am being honest about the 'Benny Hill' nature of mine and not dressing it up to be anything it's not. Simon |
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mota Inner circle 1658 Posts |
Just a thought...
If you do a clean show you can always book anywhere. If you do sexual/crude stuff it is a dilemna. I understand that some groups (college students and bars) will respond to this quite well. Trouble is, once you get the reputation for doing this kind of show it is hard to get rid of. This could bite you in future bookings where they are looking for safe entertainment and come across information that you have performed cruder material than they want. You can assure them all you want, but once they have the idea in their head it is hard to get rid of it. Just a thought... |
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Magnus Eisengrim Inner circle Sulla placed heads on 1053 Posts |
This is a fascinating thread. I found your promo entertaining and funny. It's exactly the sort of show that the young audiences in the video find very funny. *** anxiety material really works with the college crowd.
Like many others here, I find some of the material odd for a promotional tool, since it may restrict some of the types of bookings that you could get. You make it clear that you aren't after those bookings and that you are doing well with the ones you are targetting. Fair enough. So my main question is this: why are you posting your promo here, if you are very certain that you don't want to change it? What are you hoping that the Café crowd can offer you? John
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.--Yeats |
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