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Gary T. Veteran user 375 Posts |
So I have another festival I'm hitting saturday, and I think I could do better with a different opener but I don't know where to start, right now I'm using spongeballs, which, at least the way I do em, require the first group of people to stop before anything even happens, what I kind of want is something that starts really fast, so if I get their attention for just a second, they'll see some magic, but then I feel like I need to get somebody involved after that in order to really keep them there, you know, something hands on, anyway maybe I'm over-thinking it a bit. anyway, any suggestions/advice?
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Ekuth Inner circle Floating above my 1538 Posts |
Bright, colorful, quick and visual.
Silks, Miser's Dream, D'lites, Professor's Nightmare.... Heck, start by pulling some D'lites out of ears and turn them into spongeballs with a palmed TT... that could get you going.
"All you need is in Fitzkee."
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bwarren3 Special user 518 Posts |
Gary,
Have you seen Kozmo's DVD From the Streets, a good investment if you haven't. Koz uses a coin trick to draw them in then he goes into a coin matrix...works really well because you're using money. Everybdy is interested in money, especially when they get to hande the coins.. Try it... Bill |
Harry Murphy Inner circle Maryland 5444 Posts |
What else do you do? Sometimes just reordering your show is all that is needed. Festival work is very different from Busking in that folks coming to the festival are expecting to see entertainers. Sometimes a simple sign saying Magic Show and a clock face is enough to get a crowd gathered a few minutes before your start time.
There are a number of threads in this section on just stopping a crowd. It would serve you well to read them. The trick may help stop the folks but in reality it is going to be you and the weight of your personality that does the job!
The artist formally known as Mumblepeas!
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ROBERT BLAKE Inner circle 1472 Posts |
Take a paperbag (grocery bag) and do misers dream with sponge balls. produce a ball drop (?) in bag - produce a ball drop (?) in bag - produce a ball drop (?) in bag / turn bag over and show one giant ball or go into your routine.
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Magician Shaun Special user Huntington BCH, CA 924 Posts |
At festivals I have found that I don't have to stop a crowd. They stop for me. Here is what I do: First, I have a "street" wand that I made from a 5/8" hardwood dowel rod. I have some copper end caps on it to help keep it from splitting. I bang it on the ground really hard, someday I will post pictures of my "street" wand. While banging the wand I bellow from deep down in my stomach the words "MAGIC SHOW!" I tend to do this about twice. Usually a few people will stop and come over. Then I start doing a silk vanish. I do it close up to each little group that is standing around my circle. Then I tell them about my magic stick that makes people appear! After telling them that, I do the banging the wand on the ground and bellowing "MAGIC SHOW" again. I do the silk vanish a couple more times for the new people and then I start my show. At a festival this technique tends to build massive crowds as often as I like.
Disclaimer: this method tends not to work well on the street. Sometimes if you already have a small crowd, say 5+ you can do it on the street and it works. It kills at festivals though. |
solrak29 Special user NY Metro 936 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-10-22 19:02, Gary T. wrote: I do sponge routine as part of my gathering portion of my show. Yet, I start out with minupulation routine which usually gets their attention. Once I have their attention, I get them involved by doing a quick flurry which leads into putting the sponge in their hand... The key here is that I play it up big and include passerbys as they watch. "Did you see that?","I don't think she's ready, what about you?" So it's a matter on how you work and what Harry said mostly: Quote:
The trick may help stop the folks but in reality it is going to be you and the weight of your personality that does the job! It is also interesting, as the most exposed effect in the world, the vanishing and reappearing hank still works wonders. Even with the occasional heckler or two that think they know how it works... Just something to think about...
To Find Me On The Pitch, Follow me :On Twitter
Checkout my pseudo blog : The Sidewalk Performers Forum "I intend to live forever, or die trying" - Groucho Marx |
solrak29 Special user NY Metro 936 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-10-23 10:02, Gr8gorilla wrote: I agree...I call this "automatic crowds"...which was my opinion in other threads about learning to busk at festivals...the streets are different beast...for me anyway.
To Find Me On The Pitch, Follow me :On Twitter
Checkout my pseudo blog : The Sidewalk Performers Forum "I intend to live forever, or die trying" - Groucho Marx |
Gary T. Veteran user 375 Posts |
Well I've been to two festivals, one of them was the sort where it's a couple blocks of the street shut off for the festival, I was only there for an hour because of some complications I had with waking up and getting going (I'm 18, it's in my nature to sleep past noon), anyway I just walked in and set up without asking (cuz I'm a rebel) and crowds did seem to just gather themselves, the second one I wasn't actually in the festival section, because I went ahead and asked if I could set up and they told me it would be $25 but I could set up on the sidewalk in town for free, so I set up on the sidewalk, still a decent ammount of foot traffic because of the festival and the shop next to me had some stuff going on, but I found getting somebody to stop was a little harder and my crowds weren't as big, probably just from the smaller ammount of people, I think what I need for the festival might just be a sign, and maybe a new opener for when I decide to try it on the actual streets one day.
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Hugh Entwistle Regular user 177 Posts |
I only just did my first gig today and I just did a rope routine for a while and if people got interested, I call them in and show them a more intimate trick with the spongeballs, it was pretty good.
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DoctorCognos Elite user 413 Posts |
I start by getting away from table and doing card flourishes with bright colored fanning decks, and just keep stop people, telling them look like enjoy a good time, directing them to go and get a good spot at the table for the big "magic show".
When I get 6 or 8, I go back to the table and get a rope and ask if they want to see a rope trick. No matter what the say, I me neither..That ususally gets a laugh, and we are off. So I take a standard deck start doing Sankey's paper clipped. I put out the prediction card with paperclip on itm explain that it is very import and I need their help to make sure it fair. Then I get them to agree to watch that "prediction card", so if anyone goes near it they need to yell STOP! Then I make a move towards the prediction card, and if they don't yell, I yell stop! Then I kid them there job was to watch that card. If they do, I tell them they are smarter than the last group. Then I make another move towards that card, and this time they yell STOP! I move towards the card a couple times while I am building the routine, deciding who is going to choose a card, etc. This usually brings in another 8 or 10.If it is working really good, I drag things out with side jokes and draw more. Once I have 15-20 or more, I climax the paperclipped, and tell them you haven't seen anything yet! I remind them from the start that is quality entertainment, that most folks pay for. But most people have to buy a ticket before they see the show. But not here! Here you get to see the show, and then if you had fun, you can just applaud with your waller. Then I go on to whatever is next. I change my middle routine a little based on my mood. Sometimes I do something silly, sometimes more dramatic. I choose from about four effects that are quite different. But in any case I try to keep them big and visible. Then I finish with my 3 ring crash link routine based on Chris Capeharts three ring with my own presentation and order. Or I close with Cups and balls with the big oranges and melon finish. The Doctor
The Doctor Knows.....
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