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BIGmagiclV Veteran user 375 Posts |
Ok. I got audited today during one of my parties by a fellow kids magician. He made the comment about how impressed he was in the way I would do 3-5 min routines and how I bantered with the group and had everyone laughing. He said that I could easily walk into a party with a doctor's bag of small stuff and do an hour show. And he's right, I could. But I don't. I go in with a table and a rolling case and set up some large props that I use throughout the show. I make the point that if they are paying $250 for my show, the value should be perceived not just in a enjoyment way, but a visual one as well. What are your thoughts?
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BIGmagiclV Veteran user 375 Posts |
And by thoughts, I don't mean just thinking something and not entering it in this thread!
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Hansel Inner circle Puerto Rico 2492 Posts |
Well...In my stand up adult show I love the PACKS SMALL PLAY BIG philosophy, BUT in Kid Shows they would expect a little bit more. Colorful props and boxes are always well received by kids audiences, and keeps the kids interest in the show!
So...In kid shows, I like to be a little bit "Proppy" -H
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Matthew W Inner circle New York 2456 Posts |
I could do a 30 minute show that packs into a briefcase, along with my giveaways. But I don't. I bring my brief case that sits atop a eureka base, a side table, a backdrop, amplifier for music, and several props that don't fit into the case.
If I did a 30 minute show out of one case, I would feel that I am ripping the customer off. Parents want value, the bigger the show looks, the more value the parents see. I also let the parents add even more to the show, they can add the chair suspension, balloon animals, and/or tricks to include in goodie bags, all at an extra fee. The more you include in your show, the more appealing it will be. I honestly believe that parents don't care about a client list, how many years of experience you have, or that you are a member of a society or brotherhood. They want to know that they are physically getting their moneys worth.
-Matt
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Mando Regular user Queens, New York 189 Posts |
I completely agree with Hansel and Matthew , you guys are right the parents want to be pleased by seeing that they are getting their moneys worth!
Hansel , Matt what sort of thing do you guys bring to your kid shows that full under the category "propy" Armando |
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Potty the Pirate Inner circle 4632 Posts |
Interesting that quite a few folks now have this philosophy - as I do. I'm sure we'll hear from the briefcase brigade before long!
When I was 4 I saw my first magic show, and it was full of colourful props and exciting boxes, bags and strange objects the like of which I'd never seen. At that age, it was all these props and gadgets that really enthralled me - and it seemed the magician was just the guy lucky enough to have discovered all these amazing things. When I subsequently saw magic shows with tons of business, but almost no big props, I felt like the "magician" had cheated us. I didn't care if he could make something vanish with his bare hands, or make some rings link and unlink. I wanted colourful boxes and zany stuff. I was so fascinated by the first magic show I saw, that I immediately became hooked on learning magic myself. Of course, there's nothing wrong with a briefcase show (in fact I now offer such a show myself); but for younger kids especially, big props are always a winner (in my opinion). Potty |
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BIGmagiclV Veteran user 375 Posts |
Okay, now lets add a twist. You have the same parents book 2 separate parties for their 2 children. One 7 an one 6. The parties are 2 months apart and each have 15 kids of both genders.. They hire magician "A", who comes in with all the bells and whistles. Bsckdrop, Sound system (even though its a medium sized living room that the party takes place in) 2 tables of props, the works. He is mediocre at best. Does all the stale old jokes, doesn't even look like he likes kids, but puts on a show.
2 months later they hear great things about magician "B" and hire him for the second party. No backdrop, no sound system, one small table case. He does a killer show, kids laugh so hard they are peeing, adults stop talking to each other to watch because he appeals to them, too. Parents are given a survey to rate both shows. Which one gets the higher marks? This is all hypothetical but lends itself to the age old question of quality or quantity? And.....go. |
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Mando Regular user Queens, New York 189 Posts |
I think that it falls on if the kids had a goodtime in the show with magician "A" because even though the adults stopped talking to observe magician"b" its ultimately if the kids liked the show. If they responded well to it etc. . but all in all it is a tuff decision I think as many parents would think they will leave it off at" magician A had amazing presentation and had all the nice props but magician B connected with everyone and made everyone laugh"
Magician A doesn't even look like he likes the kids. . automatic FAIL. ARMANDO |
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Hansel Inner circle Puerto Rico 2492 Posts |
The one that kills the audience. When you talk about kid shows HAVING FUN is the key! No fool them, No teach them etc. BE FUN AND ENTERTAINING. So if you have A LOT OF STUFF and are mediocre probably your mediocrity hide the props, but if you are GOOD AND ENTERTAINING if you don;t have BIG PROPS you win!
If you are entertaining and have a colorful show YOU ARE BLESSED!!! -H
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Bill Knight Veteran user UK 318 Posts |
Let's twist it back, what if magician A, with his sound system, backdrop, great props etc is really entertaining, great with kids and adults alike and does a great show?
It's all "what ifs" I don't mind what kind of show other magicians want to do, I just don't want to do "packs small, plays big" This is not a dig at those who do, it is just my personal preference. Have fun Bill
Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional
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Ken Northridge Inner circle Atlantic City, NJ 2392 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-04-17 03:53, Potty the Pirate wrote: I have no doubt the brigade will be here. Lol. I’m definetly in the big colorful props add value and visual stimulation to your show camp. Overall I swear the kids behave better when there’s big colorful props. As to BigLV’s second point, of course magician B is the superior entertainer. Props alone will not make a show. Sometimes I wonder if some magicians unconsciously take this belief so far that the buy full stage illusions. I have to admit before I went pro I felt I had to have a flying carpet illusion in my show to be a successful magician. How silly. Here’s another thought: Magician C has high energy, a very funny personality, and makes everyone laugh throughout the show, but by the end his performance it is apparent he has very little magic in his show. Is it proper for him to call himself a magician?
"Love is the real magic." -Doug Henning
www.KenNorthridge.com |
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kidshowvent Elite user 410 Posts |
Being the token ventriloquist of this group ...I could do my act with a trunk, stand and mic and mic stand, but I don't. People sometimes feel they are buying entertainment "by the pound" (not British money..) and feel a real pro has lots of equipment. I dress up the stage with a backdrop, colorful banner, a side table, music, and other things to make the show look bigger. It gives the impression that they, the clients, are truly getting their money's worth. We of coourse know the real value lies in the entertainment value, but to a buyer it's different, I feel. IMHO !
Mark markwade@kidshowvent.com |
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Hansel Inner circle Puerto Rico 2492 Posts |
Yes! This is ""eye candy" from customer perspective!
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Red Shadow Inner circle 1788 Posts |
Err Mark, there are many ventriloquists on this forum. Myself included. Pottys a vent, Kimmos a vent, Colins a vent - in fact, I think you'll find that most entertainers on here work with puppets and do vent.
As to the original question, props make the show. Backdrops, sound systems and costume are very important. We could all do a show with a TT, elastic bands and a copy of my DVD Body Tricks to work from. But we don't - we all know that the clients expect more, and even if they don't say anything, the lack of repeat business should say it all. Looking the part will lead to repeat jobs, especially as when the parents come to collect their children at the end of the party, they haven't seen your show. All they see is your set-up and they value you on how you look. A big set-up makes those parents think that your wonderful and you get repeat work. If the parents only see a suitcase, there not going to book you, especially as they have no idea what your show was like. If you want an example of an 'out-of-a-briefcase' show. Look at Jozo Bozo's DVDs. He actually gets in costume in front of the audience as is opener. That's how small and condensed he has made his show. And that's also how it came across to me. Regardless of how amusing his routines were, there wasn't enough 'substance;' to make me think that as a client, I was getting value for money. As for puppet routines out of a suitcase - I would classify them as storytellers, but yes they do exist. They usually use 'peepers' and glove / sock puppets. Most of them wear street clothes and read from a book, using the puppets as illustrations. I wouldn't hire them, but then again, they usually charge 1/3 of the prices I charge so they are attractive to some clients. Steve |
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LVMagicAL Elite user 460 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-04-17 04:05, BIGmagiclV wrote: Shhhhh.....quiet. I'm imagining a world without hypothetical situations. Old, stale jokes? Seriously?? Old stale jokes are only old and stale to performers, not to the kids who hear them for the first or second time in their life. Bottom line, the parents hire a performer to give the kids a great entertainment experience. If a performer can do that for 45 minutes with a sock puppet and create a laugh filled memory for the kids, I think any parent would take that over a Copperfield-like show where the kids were eating their own boogers and playing with the scotch tape off of the birthday presents. |
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LVMagicAL Elite user 460 Posts |
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On 2011-04-16 21:56, BIGmagiclV wrote: I actually know an IRS Auditor who does kids magic shows. Usually they don't perform audits while the taxpayer is working. |
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Magnus Eisengrim Inner circle Sulla placed heads on 1053 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-04-17 04:05, BIGmagiclV wrote: I think you have begged the question in favour of small shows. A better thought experiment would be: If two shows are of equal quality and entertainment value, will it matter to the client if one contained colourful props and visual splendour and the other didn't? And there are very successful entertainers in both camps. 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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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
I think it largely depends upon the venue and the audience.
I can do an adult show -- and a GOOD adult show -- with very little along the lines of "bulk." A monte-type effect with jumbo cards, a rope trick, a rope tie/escape, a mentalism effect, a watch-steal/pickpocket bit, and you have a solid 30 minutes that truly is "pack flat." Of course, these are also all personality pieces in which the entertainment is not as built-in as with many children's prop effects. Kids, on the other hand, are very visual. I think they need the visual stimulation -- colorful props, lots of movements and variety. Many props can be both; a silk tube it relatively small, yet looks big and bright and colorful and full of activity. A "Run Rabbit Run" effect (I use Bakery Bear) is by no means small, but packs a wallop and looks bright and colorful. I also use a Flower Bouquet which compresses, but expands to get BIG. I think a more interesting questions might not be the age-old "Packs small vs. packs big" but rather what to we DO with these? I mean, do you keep them on display throughout the show? Or do you keep the show "clean" and pack things and/or hide things when done? I sometimes wonder if you only show them one at a time anyway, is there really a need to a lot of big colorful props or just the illusion that you have a lot of big colorful props? |
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Hansel Inner circle Puerto Rico 2492 Posts |
Quote:
And there are very successful entertainers in both camps. Exactly!!!!
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Mando Regular user Queens, New York 189 Posts |
Quote:
I completely agree! Armando |
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