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Rupert Bair Inner circle ? 2179 Posts |
Hi,
Ive just come back from doing a show, and it didn't go to well. Firstly the kids were eating and doing games till 1:20, my show was meant to be from 1-2 so they were over running. You may think well he's doing 20 minutes less but when you plan for a 1hr party and it falls apart you can't unexpectly take things out of routines. The first 25 minutes were great, apart from one boy who told me during my magic spells book routine that he had a video called Hokus Pokus. We stopped the show for a minute and talked about the film to shut him up I said can I borrow it then he said innocentley yes. Then I pulled out Run Rabbit Run he explained to all the kids what happened. I asked him if I could show the rest of the kids Peter the Rabbit he still shouted how the rabbit went to the other door. Then I did flower on end of wand, underneath my arm (magician not seeing theory) 25 4/5/6 y.o kids jumped up from their seats trying to pull the wand off me checking where the flower had gone 10 off them continued to check under my arm in the wand and on my back for the missing flower. Then 15 kids started to run behing my tables knocking things over. I finally got them to sit down and now there was no time for any more magic so I did balloon animals most boys asked for tommy guns repetivley the they all shouted the girls chanting I want a purple puppy dog. I can only make one at a time (unfortunately) things were just crazy I made guns and then they said I want a sword now (which I get a lot of) my balloons don't come with a gaurantee so if they burst its not my fault and I don't have to make new ones do you guys make more ballons for kids that burst their own? Why was this show different to any others? have you had any similar experience and how did you overcome them? Maybe it was in their food? Matt |
Emazdad Inner circle Plymouth UK 1954 Posts |
Sounds like a nightmare Matt. We've all had them,
You have to take more control earlier on Matt, Letting that lad distract you for a minute while you chatted to him left the others out, and if you lose the conection with the kids it's hard to get it back. this may have been the start of your trouble. The I know how it's done interuptions would have been stopped by reminding him that you both know the secret and he must not tell anyone else what it is. As for the rest perhaps the problem was your age, being a youngster yourself they probably didn't take you seriously. As for the rest, without actually being there it's hard to say, maybe they were just a bunch of animals, maybe you didn't stamp your authority on them. If the food break overruns, after 5 minutes if they're still eating I start putting the first trick away, then I start to fully make any models for the helpers to save time between routines, After 20 minutes the 2nd trick goes away, etc etc. As my show is made up of 4 separate strong routines I can do that, I can also remove and add bits of business as required, depending on whether I need to lengthen or shorten the show. I did a party once at a golf club, I did the games then they ate. they were having burger and chips. (fries to our friends in the colonies). The food break is supposed to be 25 minutes long, at the 15 minute mark the waitresses had just finished taking orders, at the 10 minute after show start time they started bringing out the food, at 25 minutes after the time the show should have started, they cleared away the plates, then they were asked who wants Ice cream, etc etc in the end the food break took an hour and a quarter. Which left 15 minutes for the magic show. All we did was the final trick where the kids magics a present abd I gave the kids their balloons packed and left.
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. |
Cheshire Cat Special user Wilmslow, UK 941 Posts |
Re. balloons Matt. I know it seems the right thing to do to give every kid a balloon. After all what does a bag of Qualatex cost? BUT, we don't. Why? 1) because they are pre-inflated and packed into large plastic bags. This past Saturday if we'd have given everyone a balloon we'd have had to have inflated in the region of 90/100. 2) because they burst or they start pulling them to bits. Imagine you are packing away after a lunchtime party. Only one and a half hours in between for packing-travel-setting up, and they keep coming back to you - "can you mend this" - "I want a sword and NOT a giraffe".
It's all creating yet another rod for your own back. Ok there's a guy not far from us. Pre-makes balloon animals - draws eyes and mouths on them. But he only does about one party a week! We just make for the Birthday child, little sister/brother etc. The rest are saved and then at the end if they want to give any away then fine. Not an ideal solution - but quite frankly there are times I wish I'd never set eyes on a modelling balloon! Re. behaviour. Emazdad has said it all just right. Spot on with the old golf club catering too! Mere Golf and Country Club in Cheshire famous for this, - they just take AGES! |
Emazdad Inner circle Plymouth UK 1954 Posts |
Hi Ace, I give all the kids balloons at birthday Parties, at other types of shows only the helpers get them. If they want balloons for the others I charge them for another hour and do it as a separate part of the package.
On average I usually have to replace only one, maybe two swords that get broken, this is because I just give them out at the end and then they're out the door, so they don't get a chance to break any more. However if I was one of those people who kept the kids there while they made them, it would be a different story as the boys would have lots of tme to break them. <<<"I want a sword and NOT a giraffe". >>> I don't give them a choice, well I do, it's take it, or leave it. Occassionally I'll be making the boy helper his special balloon, (the helpers get better balloons than the other kids get). While I'm making his special balloon he'll say I don't want that I want a sword. I say to him OK I'll finish making it and then you decide if you want it. If at the end he still wants a sword, I just say, right I'll give this to So & so because he's been really good, and you can have a sword out of the bag at the end. I don't argue with them, they actually come off worse, because as a helper he'd still get a sword out the bag at the end anyway. Now instead of having a basketball hat and a sword, he's just got a sword. <<<< This past Saturday if we'd have given everyone a balloon we'd have had to have inflated in the region of 90/100.>>>>> Lets see at todays 1st party for 22 6 yearolds I used:- Fairy outfit, 13 balloons PM (pre-made before show) alien, 9 balloons PM Snort, 7 balloon, PM Clown, 7, balloons 50%PM Basketball Hat, 3 Balloons 50%PM Penguin, 3, Balloons 90%PM Balloons for all the kids, 22, (all the kids get either a dog or sword.) 75%PM in bag. The rest done on arrival once I'm set up and waiting for the kids. That's 57 balloons for one party, and I do the same for every 1-hour show, the only thing that changes is the number of kids, and the balloons I make for them. If they say there is more than 40 kids I give them a higher quote. I have no problem with doing this, and don't consider it a rod for my back, The Balloon modelling has become a big part of my show, and is a huge selling point.
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. |
Danny Diamond Inner circle Connecticut 1400 Posts |
Sorry about your bad show Matt, but if it makes you feel any better, I had a bad show today too! I am usually quick to accept blame for a bad show, but this time, I had the odds stacked against me from the start!
I arrived to a small, cramped house, where I found out that I would be performing in a small, screened porch. There were adults smoking in this little room, and there were flies everywhere and inflatable pink flamingos and fish hanging from the ceiling. I was told there were going to be 15-20 kids...there were 7, and 2 of them were about 2 years old. The birthday boy was just turning 5, and he was shy and not very interested in the show, no matter what I did. The small group of kids were reserved and shy, and the adults were a tough group to figure out. They didn't laugh at the usual times, and I felt very uncomfortable just being there. Not that I won't perform for a certain class of customer, but so far, all of my clients have been more affluent and social people. I guess I have been spoiled by their large family rooms and their polished social skills. I don't mean to sound rude or insensitive, children of a lower-class family deserve a good magic show as much as a rich kid, if not more, but today was tough. One of the adults there decided to sit behind me, and I couldn't really ask her to move because the room as so small and there was nowhere for her to go. She was also 250lbs and could probably hurt me if I ticked her off! I hope she enjoyed seeing how the Axtell Drawing Board worked. Anyway, tough day for me too, I share your pain Matt! Don't lose hope, learn from it, and use what you learned today in your next show.
You don't drown by falling in the water;
you drown by staying there. - Edwin Louis Cole |
kenscott Inner circle 1869 Posts |
Hey we all bad shows when we say" WHY" am I in this business.
As for the balloons. I don't give them a chose. The guest all get small flying mouses. These are great , first they are small and less likely to pop because they are not blown all the way up. 2nd all the kids get the same thing however the BD child gets all the cool stuff. Emazad said it take control early and don';t give the chance to take over with talk. ken |
Smudge New user 82 Posts |
Matt don't get down mate. we've all been there, sometimes you just get audiences where they are gonna be trouble no matter what you try and do, luckily these are few and far between. in my contracts now I've added a clause saying that I'm not a child minder and that adult supervision is required during the show, as I've had parents book me in the past who just hire you to keep the kids out of their hair while they have drinks with their mates in the garden. and the kids want to run wild. I do adult cabaret and sometime you have the same problem they just want to cause grief and do not want to be entertained you just do your time get your money and put it doown as a bad show. as long as you give 100% every performance that's all that matters. I used to come away from some gigs thinking it was me at fault but then I realised that it wasnt me as I did the same as I usually did, it was the audience who were bad. keep your chin up mate and don't let the buggers get you down.
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NJJ Inner circle 6437 Posts |
Don't worry about!
Everytime you do a show, write down the best thing that happened. It might be a line that got a big laugh or something that killed. You'll soon have pages of stuff to make you feel better! As for some hints..... 1) Controlling kids DOES NOT involve saying some magic word that makes them sit still and not be annoying. It is an ongoing process that require paitence and repetition. Start on the right foot by saying "Today I am going to give a prize to the BEST audience member! A good audience member is someone who sits on the mat and laughs when I say laugh (have all the children laugh), cries if I say cry (have the children cry BOO HOO) and pulls silly faces when I say pull a silly face (have them pull silly faces). Throughout the show repeatedly mention the 'prize'. If kid's jump up or interupt then politely ask them to sit down or say "That is very interesting and you can tell me ALL about it at the end of the show...but first I need to choose a magic helper...." 2) With balloons I say that EVERYONE gets a balloon but only if you are sitting down and not yelling. I then make a BIG deal of the quietest and most polite child. They will probably keep yelling but it won't be so over the top. Instead of asking kids what they want I make a balloon and say WHO WANTS A YELLOW GIRAFFE?". That way, you don't spend your whole time listing off balloons. If a balloon pops I do replace it but ONLY at the end. I also ask the children to put their balloon safely on the table or couch. |
Magic Grandpa New user 45 Posts |
Magic Grandpa here:
All good advice to the young lad. I come in real hard if I have to deal with one act of nonsense. I'm high support, but high control. I stop the show, look at the twirp, explain to him why he's not going to that again, and then continue with the show. If he's 10 or above, I have every turn to him and give him raspberry. Later on, I'll support him by having him hold a prop or whatever. I want him to know that I'm not upset with him, but with his dumb-bell actions. I've never had a kid not be okay with me by the time I left. The way I think is that it's my show, and I'll do what I darn well please. He's not going to ruin MY show for the others. Kids get real afraid when an old, ugly man is in their face!
I'm old as dirt; that's why there's no picture of me.
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Danny Diamond Inner circle Connecticut 1400 Posts |
Magic Grandpa, I am scared of you already!
You don't drown by falling in the water;
you drown by staying there. - Edwin Louis Cole |
Rupert Bair Inner circle ? 2179 Posts |
Thanks guys, that cheered me up, well actually I realised that its not me its the kids ive just finished another kids show for play school, people that gave me posts on that topic well done as it went fantasic it was brilliant I didn't do anything special for them it was just my normal show with slightly altered patter and they enjoyed every minuite of it. One boy came up to me and said I didn't like magicians but after today I really like them. Also I did the same flower wand trick and not one of them got up, I give a prize (a pink pather balloon model) to the best behaved child shame I didn't have 15 of them. They really liked one routine where I used multiplying bananas and we couted up to ten and when we couted the banana out of the hat they turned into apples so they were really amazed by that then I said who likes bananas and who might ofm eaten them all and they said a monkey so I did my monkey routine from that.
Thanks guys Matt |
Cheshire Cat Special user Wilmslow, UK 941 Posts |
So glad you feel this way now Matt. It's all part of the learning curve. It's difficult when you are not much older than the kids themselves and they probably look upon you as a sort of bigger brother they can all jump on top of! When you reach my age more of a sort of entertaining schoolteacher maybe! (or 'younger' grandad!!)
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Chrystal Inner circle Canada/France 1552 Posts |
Hi Matt,
It seems you've got a lot of support from many on here as we've all experienced "one of those shows" at some point in our careers. That's the nice thing about the Café! You're amongst friends and can vent! As for balloons, at a birthday party I only give the children a choice of three different types and will show what each looks like. You'll find this may be easier for you as young children especially take a long time to make a choice - giving them a visual clue helps a great deal. Glad to see you've come out of this experience still smiling and as one of the posters mentioned it's all experience and you learn with each show. Chrystal |
triadsong Regular user Long Island, NY 170 Posts |
Matt:
I think the best thing about the Café is not the ideas that are shared but the support we receive adn give to each other. We're all in this together. Some shows will go extremely well, some well, some poorly. One thing I did not see (ok, I may have missed it) is where the adults (read: HOSTS) were in all of this. Two weeks ago I did a B'day party for a six year old. The parents were excited I was coming because their son just became interested in magic and had received a set from a relative. Anyway, while doing the balloons one little boy decided he didn't like what he asked for. There were only 9 kids so I told him if he waited on the end of the line and let me finish I would see "what I could do." Well, he became more vocal because he had to wait. After I ingored five of his whining comments of "I don't want this one" I told him to let the b'day boys mom know. She stepped right in and supported me that he had a balloon but if he was patient and well behaved they would ask me. Long story short... you had 25 kids. Bad behavior is infectious. Make sure you're not alone out there! Then, of course, put it all out of your mind. As Nicholas said, write down the best thing that happend in the show. I'm sure when you're doing this you'll find a few more things that went right! |
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Thanks for sharing.
Nigel and I have been there. You keep on trudging the road to happy destiny. As you grow in this field you will have less of these experiences. I learn more from those kind of shows than the A +++++ shows. Hmm, Where is my harmonica. Perhaps I can write the bad show blues. Any suggestions on the first line? Harris Deutsch Laughologist
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
Rupert Bair Inner circle ? 2179 Posts |
Well I was performing the other day
duhh duhh da da ta da ( interpretion of a harmonica) it went real bad duhh duhh da da ta da I call it the the bad show blues-s duhh duhh da da ta da the kids acted like brats duhh duhh da da ta da I wanted to give them a smack duhh duhh da da ta da with my new leather shoes duhh duhh da da ta da next time I'm takin the electric fence duhh duhh da da ta da for my defensince duhh duhh da da ta da Hows that Harris?!?! Matt When the adults realized how out of hand it became AFTER! they sat down they sat with them, I think they really enjoyed show that's why they couldn't help me! Matt |
Vincz New user 59 Posts |
For balloon sculpturing I will make sure the kids queue up, if not I will stop doing, and the quickly queue up. For shopping malls, I usually dun allow them to choose and no replacement because the queue is always so long. But for birthday party yes and if they burst, I normally replace them with 1 more (that is if I still have time, say within the 1 hour of booking)
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Magic Grandpa New user 45 Posts |
Magic Grandpa Here:
Just thought of something. I noticed the young lad Matt seems to be wearing a cub scout outfit. That may be a problem right there. We old folks have an advantage because the kids know they're supposed to as we tell them. But a kid telling another kid what to do just won't fly with most of them. I'm thinking the lad might do better to wear a nice conversative suit. Matching dark coat and pants, and a nice shirt. None of the hokey ties with magic tricks printed on them, but a good designer one. Maybe a more adult look will give him some creditability with the kids. These are assumptions I'm making based on his picture.
I'm old as dirt; that's why there's no picture of me.
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Rupert Bair Inner circle ? 2179 Posts |
Well that just shows not very much, I look nothing like a cub! its a multicoulured helicopter hat ret t-shirt, harlequin jumbo tie, harelequin trousers and clown shoes, I'm a clown without make up. It has never happend before so it was possibly just the kids were a little hyper.
Matt |
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