On 2009-08-23 09:51, Wanlu wrote:
So if you buy TOM and you like it...that's good investment and will most probably pay for itself. But if by any chance you don't like it, then you lost a lot of money.

On 2009-08-24 11:50, leecornell wrote:
Wow. Thanks for the great thread about Bill's tape over the mouth trick. As the producer of Bill's license package and his good friend, let me weigh in a bit.

Bill developed his first version of this trick and performed it for the first time in 1959. Bill is going to be 78 in November. I doubt if there is anyone out there who started doing this before Bill.

I personally never even saw anyone do a tape bit of any type except Bill for years and I've been involved in magic and ventriloquism for over 40 years. (I know what you're thinking...he looks too young, handsome and chisled to have been around the business for that long)...

So, there are very, very few performers of any tape bit, regardless of the method they may use.

There is no one that I am aware of that uses Bill's technique of placing several layers of tape over the mouth - except for those who have purchased Bill's version.

Bill spent a long time perfecting this routine.

Back in the 1950's and the 1960's, lots of vents did "tricks" with their dummies. Bill was no different. When he came up with the idea to put tape over his mouth, he first did the routine using a single wide piece of masking tape. Then he tried duct tape. Then he tried doing a bit where the dummy talked while Bill smoked a cigarette, drank a glass of water and then finished with the single piece of tape.

It got an OK response, but he knew something was missing as he wasn't "killing" with the routine.

It wasn't until he came up with the idea of changing this from a quick vent "trick" into a full routine by using layers of tape and having a volunteer come on stage that would assist, interact with the puppet and Bill, and become part of the routine that he knew he had found the missing piece.

The crowds really were amazed by the bit and it was/is very funny to watch as it plays out. Every time I have seen Bill do this routine, he has received a standing ovation.

That being said, this routine only works if you put in the effort to learn the routine (or tweak it a bit to make it more your own) and you need to be a good perfomer and decent vent. If you have a bad act and/or bad technique, this isn't going to make you a star. The trick itself is not difficult to learn.

We have the price where it is because we only want professional entertainers to perform it. And, the value of the trick is not just in the secret, it's also in Bill's routine.

He has performed this thousands of times over 50 years and has polished this routine to get maximun impact. That's what you're paying for.

I honestly feel it is worth more than the $500 asking price. And, I think most, if not all, of the people who have invested in a license feel the same way.

Is there any way to police someone who might figure it out and then doing Bill's routine? Of course not. However, I have never heard of anyone figuring out how Bill's method works.

But, as in everything, there are crooks who rip people off all of the time in magic, vent or any business for that matter. We just always hope those are the exceptions and not the rule.

Will there be "knock-off" licenses being offered? I really doubt it. This is a small niche trick and I just don't see that happening.

Once all 50 licenses are gone, that will be it. That's a number Bill and I agreed on and I intend to stick to that.

I'm not going to say "Hurry! Get yours now before they run out!" I am in no hurry to sell them all. I'm more concerned about the "right" people getting a license than I am about trying to sell them all out quickly just to get your money.

How many licenses are left? I'll be right up front and tell you - I have sold 18 to date (it's been available for a little over a year), which leaves 32. Will I run out tomorrow, next week, next month, next year? I doubt it. But, they will sell out someday and there will be no more issued after that happens.

So, right now, there are only 18 people IN THE WORLD who have Bill's secret and routine. That's a pretty dang small amount of people. In contrast, for example, how many people do the zig-zag illusion or linking rings?

There is a way, way greater chance of someone seeing some of those staples in magic at a show than in seeing the Tape over the Mouth routine.

It is a great trick and routine, but if $500 seems like too much, the trick is not for you.

It is not implied in this thread, but in other situations I'll hear people say about a product "It's just a DVD and a book. Probably only cost them $5 to package "x". $200, $300 (or whatever) is a rip-off."

If that's what you think in regard to this trick, don't purchase it. Please.

I plan on posting a video clip of Bill's performance on the web page soon. If you haven't seen the bit, watch it. If you like what you see and like how the audience responds and would like that same kind of routine for your show, that's all that matters.

The trick blows people away. Period. That's the value of Bill's Tape over the Mouth trick.

Thanks.

Best,

Lee

http://www.ventriloquism101.com

On 2009-09-14 11:02, Servante wrote:
There's something...not quite right about it, Wanlu.
Can't put my finger on it, exactly, but...

Well, keep practicing!

On 2009-09-14 13:25, Daveandrews wrote:
Sevante - you may be on to something with the tape. Will give it some thought, but I don't have the benefit of the instructions

Dave

On 2009-09-14 15:30, Bob Baker wrote:
You guys are hyper-critical. It looked fine to me.

Bob