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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
Is there any reason not to use balloons for building your audience? I used to busk balloons at festivals, and always was able to stop people. I'm thinking that if I start be giving away some balloon animals, should stop a lot of people, but never tried to do magic on the street along with it.
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D. Yoder Veteran user 376 Posts |
I don't see any reason that you can't use balloons since you have experience running a balloon line with all off its hassles. I personally enjoy doing magic more than making balloons so I purposefully didn't mix the two when I started busking as a magician so that I had to develop my magic skills instead of relying on what I knew as a balloon artist. It sure was tempting on the early days when I was just starting to take a few balloons as a safety net. Looking back now, I am glad I didn't, but that may not be the right choice for you.
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troppobob Veteran user Crescent Head Australia 372 Posts |
G'day Jake
Have you considered incorporating some magical experiences with the balloon experience???? - not just giving them away.... And using this to segue into your magical show.... I am happy to discuss some applications if you like... Troppo Bob |
EVILDAN Inner circle 1279 Posts |
My wife sometimes gets hired for different skills at the same event. If she has to perform and do balloons, she does balloons last. Because once you start giving out balloons, EVERYONE wants one. If you don't give them one they get indignant, rude, abusive, etc. And these are the parents I'm talking about.
by EVILDAN....
"The Coin Board Book" - moves and routines with the coin panel board. - http://www.lybrary.com/the-coin-board-book-p-827955.html "SLASHER - A Horror Whodunnit" - a bizarre close-up routine based on Bob Neale's "Sole Survivor." PM me for more info. "Zombie Town" - a packet effect about how a small town turned into zombies. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nzJhcoJtyOM |
jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
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On Nov 30, 2015, EVILDAN wrote: I've experienced that at parties, but never on the street. Used to be that I ended the show with a 15 minute balloon act. During the course of it, I made about 6 animals. I stopped doing that part of the act, and now, the parents just get ticked because I didn't call on their kid to assist. |
jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
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On Nov 30, 2015, troppobob wrote: Thank you Bob. I have done magic on the street, but, once I started twisting balloons, I found that my hats were larger, and I always had a waiting group with money in their hand. I used a menu, and twisted 1 & 2 balloon figures and hats that were fast to make. I'd like to go back on the street, but this time doing magic, more or less to challange myself. I just figured that balloons might be a fast way to build a tip, and by the time the magic show is over, most of the people would either forget about the balloons I gave out, or, if they came a little later, not even know about them. I really appreciate your offer, and would very much like to di scull it with you, either in open forum or through email. Jake |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Hi Jack!
Years ago, I did a balloon routine in my school show. (I started with "4 balloon" animals in the early '60s. When "245s" came on the market, I switched to them, as they speeded up the routine. At first, I just made a couple of animals but, soon, I added lots of "schtick", like blowing from the bottom, up, and, from the middle both ways, etc. I would blow up a 245, with two kids up, and, break it in half, giving each boy a half. Then the "whirly" balloons came out. They had a "thick" side and blew up in a circle. When you let if go without tying the end, it was a funny sight. I could palm a tiny bubble (knotted at both 'ends', then inflate a balloon starting in the middle. I could apparently "remove" the inflated section and show the "bubble". ETC. Max Maven gave me that idea. I finished the routine with an animal for each of the two kids. I think that just the schtick would help build a tip. My old pal, the late Bob McAllister, had a linking balloon bit in Tarbell #7, page 383. It's just an "idea", not a complete routine, but, may be worth looking at. As Robert Blake so often says: "Ya gotta build a tip before starting the act!" In my side show days (the 1940s) I learned to "grab" a tip, "nail" the tip, and "turn" the tip! (THAT, fills the hat--and, your "grouch bag"! Almost 50 years ago, I was booked to do a "free act" at a county fair. (I got paid, but the customers saw the show 'free'.) The fair manager had a stage for me at the far end of the midway. I had to grab a tip, before I could do the act. I also was the opening act for the grandstand show in the evening. GEZA GEIER ("HIGH POCKETS the CLOWN) was a "stilt" clown (good!). He strolled the midway, making balloon animals (245s)and tossing them to the kids. He needed a "break", but couldn't "shake" the kids! We made a "deal". I was booked to do three 30 minute shows at 1:00, 2:30, and 4:00. Geza would work his way down to my stage, a few minutes before I was scheduled. I would be standing on my stage. Geza would tell the kids following him: "I'm out of balloons!" I would say: "I've got some balloons!" I would inflate a balloon, and Geza would "disappear". I had my tip, and Geza got a break! On a fairgrounds, probably the only thing that beats 'balloons' is a fire eating act! --See: "Step Right Up" by the late Dan Mannix! As Jay Marshall said: "Mannix's first sentence in his book was the "ultimate grabber"! (Ya couldn't put the book down, until ya finished it!)
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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TheGiz Veteran user 335 Posts |
I tried doing balloons and then switching to magic, but I had a line for balloons. Magic was secondary. Made it hard for the magic.
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fireperformer911 Special user 547 Posts |
"TOOT" RIKI PALMER
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troppobob Veteran user Crescent Head Australia 372 Posts |
G'day Jake.
I finaly got some time to explain what I alluded to a couple of weeks back. Once again some great contributions to this discussion - yes if you start making balloon animals, hats etc and create a waiting line it is very difficult to move into your magic performance. Dicks reflections and references to things like splitting a modeling balloon in 2 and handing out and both pieces fly away is a great concept - similar to this is the "bow and arrow" routine - where you make and tie of one balloon to function as the bow (which can later be used for a pirate sword or stem for a flower) - and then inflate a second balloon not tied to function as the arrow. Shoot the arrow in an entertaining way. This type of use of balloons differs from a standard line up and allows for a move to the magic show. Some specific routines which I use in this way include the following that I will describe with out the details of how they are done - but I am happy to explaon my methods by way of pm or email if requested. "Spong balls from mouth" - I use orange 1" sponge balls and solid colour orange 260Q balloon and my patter is about oranges that you eat - a round bubble similar in size to the orange sponge balls at the top of the balloon at the knot. The bubble at the top organised to pop/transfer to a site 1/2 way along the ballon with the top bubble hidden behind the hand. The bubble in the center position is squashed back into the hand and the 1st sneaky sponge ball is pulled of the balloon as if it is the bubble and placed in pocket only to return to center of balloon. Repeat several times and then state if the bubbles comes back you will eat it - and you do. Now for the 2nd sneaky sponge ball which amazingly appears in your mouth - from here proceed with a standard sponge ball from mouth routine and come up with an entertaining ending. Another routine involving a balloon goes like this. It is realy a 3 ball juggling routine but could just be used with the first sequence. The 3 balls are 2"" high bounce balls each covered with small round balloons cut at neck and stretched over the ball so that they are the same colour as balloons. I use 2 yellow and one blue. 1 - in right hand an 11 inch yellow balloon hiding yellow ball no#1 - blow up balloon to large size and using this to draw attention slowly deflate (making sqeaky noise with neck is an option) as balloon reduces to slightly bigger than hidden ball fold balloon in final stage of deflation aroung ball - it it is a strong magical appearance of the yellow ball. Several bounces or one ball juggling. 2 - Place deflated round balloon in left pocket and secretly take out 2nd identical yellow ball. Place ball one (not) in right pocket and then have it reappear in left hand - follow with several yellow ball to pocket and finding again in left hand. 3 - In your own magical way introduce 3rd ball (in my routine blue) - I have this one in my hat and it appears in my mouth. I conclude with a short 3 ball juggling routine and catch the blue ball in my hat - the other 2 also placed in hat - the hat is placed in position to collect the cash and the magic show is on it's way. Fat hats to you all....... Troppo Bob....... |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
THANKS BOB!
A couple of those bits were new to me! If I were working, I would certainly try some of those ideas!!! I especially like #2, the "perpetual ball" idea with balloon covered sponge balls!!! The late JOHN SHIRLEY ("BALLOON BARRAGE" fame. ED SULLIVAN said it was the "biggest closer his TV show ever had!) never stopped using the big combination animals. A 340 and 3 315s for a dog, a giraffe, etc., and a 4 balloon swan! John made a bow and arrow, then made an "apple", placed it on a kid's head, and shot the apple off his head with the balloon arrow. He would put a penny (coin) in the apple, so it would "stay" on the kid's head. He had a gag for that. He would say, "I used to put a penny in the balloon. Now, with inflation, I use a washer. --washers at the hardware store are five for penny!"
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
I really don't think that it's difficult to transition from balloons to magic.
this is how I build a tip with balloons: I look for young kids walking with their parents, hand the kid an inflated balloon and tell him to hold it, and I'll make an animal for him. I do that with several children. This gives me about 4 families to start a show with. I bring the first kid up and do do a routine where the balloon becomes eye glasses, a mustache, a bow tie a hair ribbon, and finally I add a bumble bee balloon, and finish off. We give it to mom to hold, and use the kid as the first volunteer for my opening trick. i used this years ago when I did walk around bookings at malls and fairs. If I wanted to move on, I would excuse myself saying that I have to start my magic show an at another spot. Whenever I made balloons, I would tell them that the balloons were guaranteed to break, and If they gave me the broken balloon, the next time that they saw me, I would replace it. |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Hi Jack!
I think that your balloon "grabber" is great. It's "flash", AND, it definitely would build anticipation. --I'm sure that Robert Blake would "approve", too. BTW...I'm happy to note, in another forum ("How Many Volunteers") that you read my book! (hee hee)and are trying out some of my Misers Dream ideas.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 17, 2015, Dick Oslund wrote: I have 3 books on my night table tha I regard as reference books because I keep going back to them. Each time I go into your book, the creative juices start flowing. My miser's dream routine is a combination of Oslund, Capehart, Baxt, Gene Gordon, and Arnold Furst. (Steal from one, and its plagiarism. Steal from many, and it's research.) |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Ha! "ORIGINALITY" IS THE ART OF CONCEALING YOUR SOURCES!!! HEEHEEHEE (THAT'S THREE HEE HEE S!
P.S.: I met Arnold, Capeheart, Baxt, and knew for years, Gene. I respect all of them. (I think that I'm in GOOD COMPANY! PPS: AL FLOSSO was a good friend, too!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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troppobob Veteran user Crescent Head Australia 372 Posts |
G'day Jake
Your ideas with gathering your audience using balloons sounds like it works well - not developing a line of kids wanting a balloon model is the way to do it. All the best mate..... Troppo Bob. |
ttorres Special user Rock Hill, SC 513 Posts |
My thoughts exactly. You will build a crowd making balloon animals. The question is how do you stop, to start a show?
...the magic that creates Memories!
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Ttores! Scroll up to Jack's Dec. 17 post!
Note that he hands out several INFLATED balloons to kids. It's a "hook". --(He is nailing the tip.) THEN, he starts with the magic. He picks a kid with a balloon to help. Part of the kid's participation is the routine with the balloon. THEN, he makes a bee, as a gift for helping. I'm thinking that he uses the kids with inflated balloons in the magic routines. Then, he hats them. When the tip blows off, He starts over again.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 24, 2015, ttorres wrote: Call the first kid with a balloon to be your first assistant. Make an animal and give it to mom to hold. Do your magic. If you use additional volunteers, call on the ones with a balloon. If you need an adult, just ask mom or dad to bring the balloon up. If you don't use additional help, tell them that you'll make the other animals right after the show. After the show you have a choice of twisting for only those with balloons, or, continue making animals for a larger hat. |
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