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JamesinLA Inner circle Los Angeles 3400 Posts |
What was your first time like? Your first experience with street performing? Thanks.
Jim
Oh, my friend we're older but no wiser, for in our hearts the dreams are still the same...
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Pokie-Poke Special user Bensalem, PA 883 Posts |
Geting two of my frends together, getting a hevy metal projection tabel from my mom.
fighting over what tricks to do, lugging all the stuff to Central park, just as it is getting dark! (no one goes to the park at night) I was maby 13 at the time. I feal that this should start with; "A long time ago...."
www.pokie-poke.com
The Adventure cont... |
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JamesinLA Inner circle Los Angeles 3400 Posts |
Yeah, Pokie-Poke. A long time ago, in a big, dark park. Great story. Were your two friends part of the act too or just "helpers?" I was doing birthday parties for other kids at 13. Didn't have your kind of guts at that age. When was your attempt after that and how did it go that night by the way? And what tricks did you do back then?
Jim
Oh, my friend we're older but no wiser, for in our hearts the dreams are still the same...
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Kozmo V.I.P. 5473 Posts |
it was like standing in the middle of a 4 lane express....with a million cars going by....I learned so much in 3 hours...WOW!!!...what an experience...I remember it like yesterday...made $135.00....it was the beginning....
koz |
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JamesinLA Inner circle Los Angeles 3400 Posts |
Koz,
There's nothing like putting an act on its feet to instantly know what works and what doesn't, hey? Thanks for the very vivid description of your first time. How much has your act changed since the begining and in what ways? I guess having the Cellini tape is going to help me avoid some pitfalls when I'm finally ready to jump in. Jim
Oh, my friend we're older but no wiser, for in our hearts the dreams are still the same...
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MagiUlysses Special user Kansas City 504 Posts |
Greetings and Salutations James,
I was standing in the middle of a four-lane express, too ... and got hit by something like a million cars! My best advice is to get out there and do it, because you couldn't possibly tank as badly as I did my first time out. I mean I stunk up the place, five shows a day for three days during my first attempt as a front man for a troupe show at a renfest. It was a medicine style show, and I was the medicine man. I didn't remember my lines, the wind was blowing, and I had never performed (magic) in front of a live audience, although I have had various parts in renfest performances. I blew, in order, a bottle production from silks, a gimmicked silk blendo and a bag to silk, which I would have gladly crawled into in order to disappear, but I screwed that up too. I was witless by the end of the first show, and didn't know if I could do the second, the third show wasn't horrid, and the fourth was better, and I lived through the fifth show of the day. But you know what, I went out the next weekend, and the next, and ended up doing something like 14 weekends around the Midwest performing those same three effects, only considerably better. Performing, magically or otherwise, is like anything else, the only way you're going to tank is if you quit. It's just my first-time performance story, but I hope it helps. See ya on the streets. Live a great adventure, have an interesting life! Joe in KC |
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Kozmo V.I.P. 5473 Posts |
James...its amazing...the things we think are going to work don't....they don't work...and so the only way to see if they are going to work is to do it...the Cellini video...well that helps a lot....but it's you the sells it...go out...shoot yourself a few times....get hit by a truck...and then we will see if you have courage...cause to do this...it takes lots of courage...it's likely you do...its a hoot...the most interesting place to work.....and it's a place you can work anytime you want...want to take your girl to dinner...go hit the streets for an hour...and you are there in style...kind of cool....right?
koz |
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MOTO42 Loyal user Whitehouse Texas 225 Posts |
Probably meet some incredible people in this biz.
"One man's miracle is another man's warm-up"
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Pokie-Poke Special user Bensalem, PA 883 Posts |
My two frends were in the show, we chaind one up and stuffed him in a sack and while he squrmd to free himself we did card tricks. Or at least that was the plan, it is what we did for b day partys.
Koz $135.00!! on your first day! wow we made zip, nada nuthing.... split three ways!!! and yes Moto you meet ALL kinds of people on the street.
www.pokie-poke.com
The Adventure cont... |
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Great Domino Special user Canada 545 Posts |
The first time around was a little nerveracking but I soon got over it. Just DO what it is you have to do, they don't know any better.
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Danny Hustle Inner circle Boston, MA USA 2393 Posts |
My very first street performance was at 6:00 a.m. one spring morning in Harvard Square. I had spent about three months putting together an act that I thought would play well on the street according to the information I had studied.
I decided to test it on the early morning patrons of a café. It was a crowded area and I had a captive audience as they were all sitting at tables. The show went very well, I made $45.00 and went to work. What I didn’t know was this was not ‘real’ street performing. I didn’t stop a crowd and draw an edge, I didn’t need to make them stay, and making them pay was just a matter of handing my hat over the handrail. I couldn’t repeat the show because I had no way to ‘turn the tip’. I didn’t really know any of this so I walked to work thinking I was a street performing God. I worked this ‘pitch’ for several weeks and the hat size never changed. I told another street performer about my good fortune and he told me I needed to come out on the weekend and make some real money. So that Saturday, gig bag in hand, I staked out the worst pitch in Harvard Square worked for two hours and made $5.00. That was my first ‘real’ experience. In those two hours I realized that everything I had learned about street performing (from a very popular book on the subject) was utter nonsense. I felt like I had been had. I then went to my mentor in magic and good friend Steve and asked him what I was doing wrong. He said to me, “Do you have the Cellini book?” I said, “Jamy Swiss panned that book horribly.” Steve replied, “When was the last time you saw Jamy Swiss drawing a circle in the square?” Point taken, I bought the book. I took it home and read it from cover to cover. Within the first 15 pages I knew every mistake I had made. It was humbling that this guy knew exactly how I would screw up my show and how I could fix it. It was all the rookie stuff I was doing wrong. I tore my act apart, reduced it to it’s most powerful 12 minutes, rewrote the script, changed my character, and broke it in for another 3 months. I then took it out on the street, worked for 4 hours and went home with a BIG bag of money. My friends Steve and Jim Cellini changed my life. That sounds trite I know, but it is the honest truth. Being able to earn a living in this way is an amazing thing. It is much bigger than you might think. I was talking about this the other day with a friend and we came to an amazing discovery. Let me share it with you. A couple of years ago there was some semi reality show where people were dropped on the opposite side of the world from their goal. They were given no money and had to find their way to the goal in the shortest possible time. It took them several weeks. I know with a concrete conviction that they could put me anywhere in the world, naked as the day I was born, and I guarantee within a week I would not only be home, but I would be well dressed, well fed, carrying a bag full of new props, and have a pocket full of money. If I had to I could do almost my entire show with props found in a garbage can. All I need is an empty beer bottle, a brown paper bag, a couple of card board boxes for a table, some old newspaper, a piece of rope, empty coffee cups, crumpled paper for balls, a foot long stick, and I can do a very funny twenty minute show that can make money in any language. I think that is an amazing thing and I have Steve, Jim, and Gazzo, to thank for it. Best, Dan- "MT is one of the reasons we started this board! I’m so sick of posts being deleted without any reason given, and by unknown people at that." - Steve Brooks Sep 7, 2001 8:38pm ©1999-2014 Daniel Denney all rights reserved. |
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Kozmo V.I.P. 5473 Posts |
yep. Cellini changed my life also.....in the best of ways....he showed me freedom....I don't get out of bed anymore until I want to....I don't go to work and make money for the boss....and walk home with almost mothing...I do what I want...I go where I want....and I make more money than I have ever in my life...well almost...there was a little deal that was nice in the 70's...but prison is a scarry place...so I don't do that anymore...I'm blessed by being able to call Cellini a friend....truly blessed...
koz |
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JamesinLA Inner circle Los Angeles 3400 Posts |
Thanks, Joe in KC! Your story is a great encouragement and advice: "The only way you're going to tank is if you quit."
Koz and Danny, I think that is what is "magical" and compelling about the idea of street performing for me: the fact that if I want to take my girl to dinner, as Koz said, I can hit the street and pick up the money. It seems so pure and has such a sense of freedom about it. I know what three effects my show is going to consist of, but I'm still deciding what the warm up tricks will be--for my first street show (subject to change once I try it for real I'm sure!) Jim
Oh, my friend we're older but no wiser, for in our hearts the dreams are still the same...
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Kozmo V.I.P. 5473 Posts |
Jim...look for the new art of street performing video coming to a store near you in like 2 or 3 months...cellinis complete street set.....he used it for 20 years and it took him around the world....great stuff....plus see gazzos new video....remember it's you...not the tricks...make them like you....then you will have something....trust me...make them laugh...you will be great!!!...and do everything Danny says...if he says do the cups then do it...if he says....buy all of the Cellini videos there are and will be released...do it...I love that Danny....
koz |
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MOTO42 Loyal user Whitehouse Texas 225 Posts |
God, I've got to find some where to snag Celini's book. Tried google with no (apparent) luck.
"One man's miracle is another man's warm-up"
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Kozmo V.I.P. 5473 Posts |
do you have the video?
koz |
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MOTO42 Loyal user Whitehouse Texas 225 Posts |
Nope.
"One man's miracle is another man's warm-up"
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Kozmo V.I.P. 5473 Posts |
get the video....really....get the video
koz |
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Danny Hustle Inner circle Boston, MA USA 2393 Posts |
The Cellini video is AWESOME if you are trying to put together a street act!
Step by step on what it takes to stop them, hold them, and give you the money. It's the best! Dan- "MT is one of the reasons we started this board! I’m so sick of posts being deleted without any reason given, and by unknown people at that." - Steve Brooks Sep 7, 2001 8:38pm ©1999-2014 Daniel Denney all rights reserved. |
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Kozmo V.I.P. 5473 Posts |
no Dan...you're the best
koz |
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