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Gerry Walkowski Inner circle 1450 Posts |
Maybe this falls along the same lines that "If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it."
I have to rush this morning, but will try to respond soon. Thanks, Gerry |
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charliecheckers Inner circle 1969 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-07-15 23:14, TomBoleware wrote: I performed my first Christmas show of the season and had a blast mixing a bit more Zucchini into the show's recipe. I get a huge hoot out of adding it in. Reading Tom's post (above ) made me think about the value of achieving the status of a celebrity and how Zucchini offers us valuable ideas on how to be one. His DVD plays in my mind as I think of each upcoming show and how I can improve my audience interactions. Here is a clip from today's show. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=......&theater |
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Gerry Walkowski Inner circle 1450 Posts |
Charlie,
Those are some great photos. Sometimes we get booked for shows and we have absolutely no control over the way some things get handled due to the demands of the agent or representative. That might have been the case with your show. That said, the one person I never try to upstage during the holidays is the big man himself - Santa. The children are really there to see him. Whatever we bring to the table is more like icing on the cake. That's why I insist upon my show comes first and then Santa comes on as the grand finale. I'm only mentioning this because I see Santa and the Mrs. watching your entire show, and again you may not have had complete control over this particular arrangement. Otherwise, it looked like everyone was enjoying your work. Gerry |
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charliecheckers Inner circle 1969 Posts |
Gerry - first, thanks for the kind comments. This was my first Christmas show on this level. It was very exciting.
I directly booked the show with the Mall Director of Special Events. She played the part of Mrs. Claus ( I found this out at the event). I was told that Santa was arriving on a Firetruck for pictures after rhe show. Being quite new to these shows, I never thought of what would happen if Santa were to arrive prior to my show. Santa interacted with some of the kids during my preshow and I was concerned, as Mrs Claus told me they (she and Santa) would be seated to the side. I was concerned for the reasons you mentioned. Fortunately, many of the kids in the audience had seen us perform before and frequent my shows. I think this greatly helped in the control over the show. It turned out that Santa being there may have served as social proof to the ones who had never seen my show. I am not sure, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience. Perhaps it was Xmas magic. Perhaps others will share their ideas and experiences, as I have never seen this discussed before. If I had read your post prior to my show, I would have agreed with you and discussed my concerns with the Mall Representative. Now, I am not so sure I would. |
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Karen Climer Veteran user Orlando, Florida 324 Posts |
Sometime even Santa and Mrs. Claus like to watch a good magic show.
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The Great Zucchini Inner circle 1347 Posts |
Quote:
Gerry, Ive enjoyed this discussion lately and how civil everything is. Amazing things do happen my friend, when you treat like they are there for you and Santa. I love Santa, but they arent there for just him. You are cracking them, Santa doesn't do that |
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danfreed Inner circle West Chester PA 1354 Posts |
Charlie, I see you do the giant climb inside balloon - me too! It's a small club.
Dan Freed
AKA The Amazing Spaghetti https://www.magiciandanfreed.com/birthday-party-magician-for-kids http://thecaricatureartist.com http://danieljayfreed.com |
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TomBoleware Inner circle Hattiesburg, Ms 3163 Posts |
Congratulations charliecheckers. When you can look out in the audience and see stars, you know you on your way.
Nothing worse than a mad Santa Claus complaining about missing the show while staying backstage getting into that red suit. I actually had that happen at the very last show I did. It was several years ago for a fire department. Mostly adults there only a few kids, but still we all thought saving Santa till last was the right thing to do. I think we all have been taught to leave Santa for last. That was just the idea way to do things, we saw it as sort of showing respect. And I still say if that's the way it's planned it shouldn't be a problem. Santa should certainly be the ones to pass out the presents. BUT, in today's world where kids see people dressed as Santa in every department store and standing on every street conner, he's not what he used to be. Kids understand that its just a look alike Santa. Besides, all us kids know that the 'Real Santa' comes at night while everybody is asleep. Now, to take his place doing that would be wrong. Don't even think about that. Again, Well Done charliecheckers. Great photos. Tom
The Daycare Magician Book
https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/amazekids/the-daycare-magician/ My Blog - https://boleware.blogspot.com/ |
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
While I cannot attest to the value of the DVDs until I see them, I can attest to the value of having Eric here. He certainly has his detractors, and I frankly can't figure why. He has a track record that proves his success. He has shared here more than most, and he has taken criticism with incredible grace. Personally, I would have flamed a lot of people if I was on the receiving end of some of the barbs he takes.
I have a Radio Magic program that makes the claim "But before I explain how, listen to the reactions you can get on the radio!!" which is followed by live recordings of the reactions I got doing magic on the radio. Now, is it a lie for me to say that you can get those reaction? I don't think so, nor do I think Eric is lying when he says you can be a rock star, since in both instances we've demonstrated that it has been done. I think whether or not someone can "become a rock star" is irrelevant. He offers up what he has success doing; beyond that, it's up to the buyer to apply it and see where it takes them. To judge the value based on a little advertising hyperbole is, IMO, picking a few nits. |
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Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
I saw the pictures Charlie. You da man.
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charliecheckers Inner circle 1969 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-11-17 13:45, TomBoleware wrote: This is a very interesting point. I was surprised to be doing a show two weeks before Thanksgiving, There seems to be over exposure for Santa. The kids reaction to Santa was less than I could have predicted. |
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The Great Zucchini Inner circle 1347 Posts |
Amazing picture. Put this on your site, Charlie, right away. .What a terrific crowd, bro
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-11-17 23:35, charliecheckers wrote: I agree ... in their greed to make Christmas last as long as possible, they start as early as possible and diminish the magic that used to surround the holiday. I was in the mall a few days ago and Santa's village was all set up, with lonley ol' Claus sitting in his chair with nobody around! There was a time when you had to wait in long lines to see the jolly old elf. |
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Mr. Pitts Inner circle David Pitts 1058 Posts |
Quote: On 2013-11-17 14:09, Starrpower wrote: |
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charliecheckers Inner circle 1969 Posts |
I enjoy reading a few page of this thread a day. I think it has a ton of posts that really cause me to think about having the proper perspective. Take a look at this exchange - I find it very inspirational: Who would you rather model your approach after?
Mr. Pitts Posted: Jul 17, 2012 2:26pm The thing about 'branding', if you can do it as an entertainer, is that you don't have to explain what you do to every client who calls. Your marketing is no longer about convincing people that you offer the best show, price, package or whatever. There are many examples of entertainment 'brands'.. Jeff Dunham, for instance, Criss Angel, David Copperfield, Cirque du Soleil, The Beatles, and yes, in HIS MARKET, The Great Zucchini. It just means that people know what the entertainer is about. If you can accomplish it, and it's not easy to do at any level, then it's gold. People want this particular thing, this guy, this BRAND. They know exactly what it is they want, they book without haggling because there's no shopping around for the right entertainer, they already know this is the purchase they want to make. Like with Cirque, definitely an entertainment brand, when people want to go see one of their shows, they aren't just saying "hey, I haven't been to a circus in a while, I think I'll spend a hundred bucks on this Cirque thing". Cirque fans are often NOT circus fans. They want, specifically, to go see what they know Cirque does, and they are willing to pay five times what they'd have to pay at a traditional circus. There is a certain specific expectation that's been created and that's what they want, no substitutions. Is Cirque five times better than a traditional circus? It doesn't matter. Their audience wants what Cirque does. That's what Eric has done with the Great Zucchini 'brand'. Some of the branding seems to have been accomplished by his being very different from his competition, some of it certainly because he's VERY good at making little kids laugh and holding their attention. And also he did it by recognizing what HE really excelled at; PRESCHOOL entertainment, and focusing on that like a laser beam. It's like he was saying about Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street, if the big kids and grown-ups like it, fine. If not, fine, because it's not FOR them. What he does is specifically for the little bitty kids he specializes in entertaining. It's simple, in a way, but not easy. I think that we read this and tend to think he's saying we should all do it like he did it. I don't think so. I think all he's saying is that targeting your marketing and building a brand can be very good for business. I think he's absolutely right. David Pitts bishthemagish Posted: Jul 17, 2012 2:58pm Quote: On 2012-07-17 14:26, Mr. Pitts wrote: I think that this is B.S. - Because I never had to "convince" anyone. If they have a need for a show at any event and they go to my web site - watch the video - and call - I have a 95% close on everyone that calls from my web site or have seen my work else where at a restaurant or a show. I don't consider it my "brand" or branding because I am not plastering my name or events onto products and selling them at any of my shows. What I do is "sell" a service and "perform" the service by doing the show and it is nothing more than that. Another thing about doing a family show rather than a kids show in my opinion. I don't have the problem of """""if the big kids and grown-ups like it, fine. If not, fine, because it's not FOR them. """" Because I go after entertaining the "whole audience as a whole" like the "old school magicians used to do in the old days. I get kids up to help with the show because the parents like to watch the kids help the magician. I get one parent up because the kids like to see a parent - on-stage helping the magician. The laughs come from situation comedy rather than doing break-away wands or multiplying wands and other gags. Anyway that is the way I do things and it works for me... Posted: Jul 17, 2012 3:07pm And if I may add - I think that the best way to avoid hecklers is to not to perform for magicians. However another way to avoid hecklers at a show is to have good material. Most good magicians that have been doing it for a while fall into the groove of having both the good material (because they have honed it over years of doing shows) and have that winning personality (because they have honed it over years of doing shows). And just handle hecklers in an easy going way because it is part of the job and their experience and winning personality gets them through it - and often it becomes an entertaining part of the show because it can become an impromptu humorous part that could be talked about by the client and the audience in a positive way. So in short I find hecklers more of an opportunity to make the show better and different rather than an interruption. Glenn Bishop Mr.Pitts: Posted: Jul 17, 2012 3:38pm Yes, Glenn , that's pretty much how I do it. Everything you said has been how I've done things for years. I get laughs, I don't get heckled, I have a good family act. Most of the guys responding here do. Like you, I've been performing for almost 40 years, professionally for 20 or so. I too get almost a 100% close rate, AFTER they've found my site and called. But I'm not booked solid all the time. I hope you are, if so, wonderful, sincerely. But my point is that GZ thought outside the box, did it differently from how most of us have, and is very successful at it. You can think what you want about 'branding', but whatever you want to call it, wouldn't it be great if when they found you, it was because they were Googling YOU, specifically, and not 'magicians saint louis' and shopping through the websites. You've been at this a while, so continue doing it however you want. I'm not selling anything and I think GZ sold out his lecture DVD, so he's not either. Nothing to buy. I however, am not too set in my ways to try something new, I'm not afraid of questioning my carefully protected assumptions. If there are things I can do to become the guy that people have to have for their kid's parties, no substitutions, I'm willing to consider them. David Pitts bishthemagish Posted: Jul 17, 2012 3:50pm I am not interested in people finding me by googling me. Here is the way I market. I have a web site. I mail out promo to a list that directs them to my web site. At the web site is video and it has all the information that I "used" to send them by mail. The web site replaced the big packages that I used to have to mail out in the old days. I don't "need" people to find me on google. And I am not branding - not yet anyway. I also have been in the business since before 75. I don't consider myself a "star" for ego I consider the "star" in show buisness as an "advertising venture". Glenn Bishop Quote:
On 2012-07-19 12:14, Ken Northridge wrote: One of the shorter posts on this thread, but very impactful. Thanks Guys! |
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