|
|
Go to page 1~2 [Next] | ||||||||||
Jkta99 Regular user New Orleans 109 Posts |
I am trying to start doing b-day parties but I am not sure if I have enough tricks Here is a list of what I have:
Sircle Square deception Sponge balls D'lite Light Flight magic coloring book Color changing silk I have a finger flasher and I am planning on getting a dove pan soon. So is this enough to do a good show? What type of routine should I do with this? What else should I get? |
|||||||||
Brent Allan Elite user Chicago 415 Posts |
Jkta99,
It is not about how many tricks you do, but how you perform them. I use a lot of gags, bits of business, and audience participation, so I really only do 6 "tricks" in my 40 minute show. The things you listed are props, they are not performances. I could equate it with saying "My friends and I have a drum set, a guitar, and a keyboard. Do we have enough to do a concert?" The follow-up question would be, "Do you know any songs?" So, my question to you would be "Do you know any routines?"
Turn your business card into a relentless salesperson that brings you business!
http://www.TransformYourBusinesscard.com |
|||||||||
Emazdad Inner circle Plymouth UK 1954 Posts |
Well Said Brent.
Jkta99, if you can only come up with a list of tricks, and then ask what to do with them you are nowhere near ready to even think about performing kids shows. If however you were to list your tricks and how you intend to routine them etc and ask the question, "This is my Idea for a kids show what do you think?" you may get a better response. So tell us your ideas on what you want to do with the tricks.
Yours Funfully
Clive "Emazdad" Hemsley www.emazdad.com "Magic is a secret, without the secret there is no magic" Remember there are only 3 types of people in the world, those that can count and those that can't. |
|||||||||
Rob Johnston Inner circle Utah 2060 Posts |
If you have the right performance skills, you can perform with a small piece of rope and get the audience rolling.
I would suggest building up your routine and arsenal before you perform big gigs...but get your performance down and you will be fine.
"Genius is another word for magic, and the whole point of magic is that it is inexplicable." - Margot Fonteyn
|
|||||||||
Jkta99 Regular user New Orleans 109 Posts |
I figured I would start with the light flight then make the ball vanish and then make go into a d'lite routine and then into a red sponge ball routine then do a switch with a flash of flame into a silk routine(vanish it and then make it come back and go into a color change and possibly a dancing hanky or something) after the color change with the silks maybe the coloring book? then I would finsh off with a dove production.
I would like to get the Sircle Square deception in there but I am not sure how to go into it. |
|||||||||
macmagic Veteran user MA 400 Posts |
Well to be honest the first thing you should do before any routines or tricks is to let the audience know how to react, whats appropriate and whats not,example not talking when your talking or they will miss something really important etc.
then I would open with the coloring book especially at a b-day, have all the kids pick their favorite color and yell it on the count of three.......oh wait I don't think that was everyone lets try it again(gets everyone involved and focused on the show, they all want to help) I am also assuming in general your b-day parties would be for younger say 4-9(this will probably be your main age group for b-day parties) well I would lose the flash of flame.....I know it looks awseome but it will scare the younger kids and since it sounds like your just starting out you don't want to have a really short career by accidentally setting someones curtains on fire! keep the flashes and fire for when you start doing fairs and festivals! and finally I would really(actually I would not do a show without......)having volunteers from the audience come up and help, this is very important in kid shows,remember the key to this is making the kids laugh and have a good time, that is way more important to them and the b-day mom and dad then you being able to do the cleanest pass or levitate yourself etc. well just a little advice from a seasoned pro Greg
"Its a magic thing...........you wouldn't understand"
|
|||||||||
Jkta99 Regular user New Orleans 109 Posts |
I practice a lot of my stuff on my girlfriends cousin and she loves all the stuff that I do. She is only 5 and she and her friend loved the production of a silk from a flame. But I would understand that some parents might not like it b/c their kids might want to play with fire(as I did too as a little kid).
Also does anyone know where I cget the plans to make my own chair levitation? |
|||||||||
Cabrera Special user Seattle 513 Posts |
Sounds like you should join a magic fraternity or seek out a successful performer in your area. There are some things that just can't be learned on paper or in chat rooms. I can tell you how to swim: it's best to start in shallow waters with a teacher.
As others have said, all you have are props, anyone can buy those, you need to start working on routines and learn the psychology of entertaining the age group that you are targeting.YOu have to start somewhere, and believe me, it will take a few years. But if it's a labor lof love...they go by extrordinarily fast! You also wrote: (She is only 5 and she and her friend loved the production of a silk from a flame. But I would understand that some parents might not like it b/c their kids might want to play with fire(as I did too as a little kid). Yeah it would be ignorant to have fire in your act if some parents might not like it.
"The quilt of life is woven with many different threads"
|
|||||||||
x303 New user St-Hubert, Quebec, Canada. 74 Posts |
Take what you have, practice a lot, routine it, then go for it!
Do free shows for while, to learn and perfect your show. You will continually change your show as you do! Good luck! Bob |
|||||||||
Emazdad Inner circle Plymouth UK 1954 Posts |
Reading your show idea I've one question, how long is your show, to me it seems like it will bearly last 10 minutes, most birthday party boookers want at least a minimum of 30-minutes. I don't offer less than an hour for birthdays.
There is a big difference between entertaining a 5 year old who knows you, and entertaining 20-30 5 year olds who you are a stranger too. That's why you have to study and develope your people skills as well as your performance skills. Entertaining children is one of the hardest things in magic, They are a joy to entertain once you master the control skills etc. but if your not a kid person and they don't take to you they can be disruptive to say the least. If they don't like you they'll just get up and do something else, they grab stuff, shout stuff, interupt the show etc etc etc. A seasoned Pro has learnt how to deal with these things and not let them spoil the fun, as a biginner it can be a nightmare as your carefully planned script and timings get thrown to the wind. Don't forget that when you do have a show ready it's important that you ensure you have proper Public Liability insurance. Anyone who's out doing shows without it is a fool as one mistake/accident could cost you big time, especially in this compensation culture world we now live in.
Yours Funfully
Clive "Emazdad" Hemsley www.emazdad.com "Magic is a secret, without the secret there is no magic" Remember there are only 3 types of people in the world, those that can count and those that can't. |
|||||||||
macmagic Veteran user MA 400 Posts |
I wasn't trying to put down your show only trying to help you out from other peoples mistakes, I will still urge you to leave the fire out until you start doing a different type of venue, emazdad was saying it is totally diffeent when the kids don't know you........not all kids will be afraid of fire but if just one is and starts crying...good luck LOL
here is something else you should do routine your show so that your not up ther doing just tricks and when you do perform video tape it and audio tape it as well, then invest a few dollars in some tapes or dvds of kid show magicians(David Ginn, Sammy smith etc.) and make sure the tape has a performanc in it not just tricks and routines but them actually performing, then see how your show compares! then the next show you do video tape the audience reaction and see how they react to each routine, are they bored are they laughing do they look frightened etc. this will really help you a lot! Greg
"Its a magic thing...........you wouldn't understand"
|
|||||||||
Emazdad Inner circle Plymouth UK 1954 Posts |
I forgot to mention, I'm against the use of fire in kids shows. As Greg says you only need one to throw a wobbly when they see the fire and it will spoil the show, kids are like sheep and if one is afraid others then think there is something to worry about and will follow suit.
Yours Funfully
Clive "Emazdad" Hemsley www.emazdad.com "Magic is a secret, without the secret there is no magic" Remember there are only 3 types of people in the world, those that can count and those that can't. |
|||||||||
Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-04-26 05:25, Emazdad wrote: Clive makes an excellent point here. Many years ago, when I worked in child care programs as well as doing shows, I convinced the supervisor of the centre to bring in a teen magician just starting out. I may have even convinced the supervisor to pay him (my mistake). The other magician assured me that he had a 30-40 minute show. He burned through all 10+ tricks in 10 minutes, and then produced candy from a dove pan, and threw it into the audience of kids. A mob ensured! It was one of the most disappointing experiences of my life. Two things that teen learned, I hope. - Be sure you can do what you promised. If you promised 30 minutes, then do 30 minutes. There should be no way he had underestimated his time like that. Obviously he had not rehearsed everything as a show long enough. - Don't throw candy into a crowd, or leave the children in an uncontrollable state at the end of a show. (Personally, I don't give candy to children at all.) The first important rule of magic is practice, practice, practice. Build those tricks into routines. You will learn from experience in front of live audiences whether the show is long enough and keeps their attention, AFTER lots of practice privately beforehand. Maybe you can start by aiming to do a 15 minute show to start with, and then expand it bit by bit. - Donald.
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
|
|||||||||
Fan of the Cafe New user 20 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-04-25 21:51, macmagic wrote: This may work for you, but actually pros like Jeff McBride suggest against this. Hit 'em HARD with strong magic. Have a show that flows well and been practiced to death. Keep things moving & entertaining and they won't have the time or desire to talk, get up, walk around, etc. Now there are always exceptions for those children that will do it anyway, but no amount of pre-show rules from you will stop them from doing what they want. Instead, keep them amazed and laughing. |
|||||||||
Jkta99 Regular user New Orleans 109 Posts |
So I know I have to practice a lot but what are some other tricks I should try to have in a show?
|
|||||||||
ThePartyMagician Loyal user Bristol, UK 216 Posts |
Here's a few suggestions:
- Blooming Bouquet/Clapometer as a starter so that the kids know HOW to respond and act during the show. - Magic Picture (black and white to colour) - Change Bag using silks - Torn and restored paper - some kind of 'silly' wand (Silly Billy's inflatable wand, expanding wand, break-apart wand etc.) - Puppet routine (Dave Risley has an excellent routine with a rabbit in a hat) All of these tricks are great IF (!!) you have an excellent routine to go with it. As others have said on this topic, if you JUST perform, you're next to useless, you need to ENTERTAIN the kids and make sure they have a GREAT time! Entertaining kids properly is an ART - you need to study how to entertain them while keeping them under control. If you're completely new to the b'day party market, it may be useful to go to http://www.davedee.com and purchase his b'day party show video. It's not perfect, it's certainly not the 'be all and end all' of party magic, but it will give you an IDEA of the kinds of things you can do to entertain kids. I found this tape invaluable when I was in your position - it made me realise the importance of entertaining rather than just "doing magic." And it improved my party magic a million times! All the best anyway - let us know how things go, and if we can help you any more! Mike |
|||||||||
what Special user Lehi, UT, USA 643 Posts |
As a fellow newbie, I recommend spending some time on the SHOW. This includes learning and improving effects, making sure your stage looks magical (magic table, backdrop/sign, magic case/trunk, costume (If you have them thinking that they are going to be entertained before you start, you can get to the job of entertaining) and working up routines that involve and engage the audience. I have been working on my childrens show this year and have spent ALOT of time puting together my stage area and working up routines for my magical effects.
The actual effects that you choose are NOT as important as HOW you present them. This is really not any differnet than any other type of entertainment. It sounds like you have some nice effects and would benefit most by spennding some time putting them in a SHOW. Advice from a newbie, Mike PS. If I were you, I would stay away from the fire tricks. They will make some of the children and some of the audults uncomfortable.
Magic is fun!!!
|
|||||||||
macmagic Veteran user MA 400 Posts |
Gonna have to disagree with you on that one fan, I never have children acting out at my show anymore! when I first started that's what I did would go into the routines right away and it just wouldn't work.......these children need and want to know the rules, a lot of them have never seen a live performance before and have no idea how to act, especially at a b-day party..at fairs and festivals the rules wont work but for b-day day care schools etc.
I think that most full time kid show magicians would agree with me...with all due respect to Jeff, and your right to it works for me cause it fits my style well! Oh yea some great "routines" for kid shows coloring book (even if they have seen it 100 times before) blooming bouquet(I am switching to flashlight fun) change bag and silks(I use this in my halloween show and got the routine from Rick Allen) sorta like a mismade flag but with a pumpkin silk.......could use anything though, b-day cake silk etc. rabbit in the hat puppet absssssssssolutly! and you don't have to be a vent any routines(tons out there) were you get helpers involved, kids love when the magician can't get the trick to work but they can......getting volunteers like I said before is a huge key to good kid show programs along with comedy........your show must be funny.......sorry but a silent manipulation act for 30 minutes just ain't gonna do it LOL
"Its a magic thing...........you wouldn't understand"
|
|||||||||
Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-04-26 09:57, Fan of the Café wrote: I'm with Greg, because the Kid Show pros like David Ginn, Sammy Smith, Steve Taylor, etc. all establish their rules with the audience before their shows. It's in their books, in their audio tapes, and on their show videos. Just read and learn. I also do it because it works! Perhaps the situations that Jeff is referring to is a family show, where the children are sitting with the parents. There is no need for the rules in some of those situations, but still maybe. Of course, stage shows are different from ones where you are on the same level with the audience, too. Perhaps Jeff McBride has never had a three year old wander into his performance area, or barely supervised kids charge him for all the silks he just produced. He is an experienced performer, so perhaps you are taking his advice out of context. - Donald.
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
|
|||||||||
Emazdad Inner circle Plymouth UK 1954 Posts |
If the show is in a theatre type enviroment, and all the kids are sat on chairs in rows with their parents the rules don't need to be explained, but in a birthday party with 20 + excited kids sat on the floor 3Ft in front of you, dosed up on sugar and Coca-cola the rules need to be explained. This doesn't mean you stand there with a list of do's and don'ts, If you watch a professional he will incorpoate the rules in a funny interactive intro to his show, the rules are put over in an entertaining way.
Yours Funfully
Clive "Emazdad" Hemsley www.emazdad.com "Magic is a secret, without the secret there is no magic" Remember there are only 3 types of people in the world, those that can count and those that can't. |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The little darlings » » Do I have enough for a b-day party? (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page 1~2 [Next] |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.04 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |