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Wes Holly
Special user
Baltimore, MD
586 Posts
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Posted: Aug 16, 2010 1:19pm
Greetings,
The focus question is: "In the overall presentation of your show, does preselecting volunteers lessen or take away more benefits than it adds? Please explain."
There are times when I am asked to do a shorter show and it really helps with time management to have already picked the needed volunteers. Sometimes it's a list of names that the client has helped me gather and they don't know they're being picked, other times I recruit volunteers in the hallway and pre-position them in the audience so they can come up on stage faster. I am not implying that they are "stooges".
Happily Yours,
Wes Holly
www.wesholly.com
Baltimore, MD, USA
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aaronharp88
New user
68 Posts
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Posted: Nov 28, 2010 12:59am
Sometimes I like to go to the audience before a show to find out how they are what they like and to get the feel for them. usually by walking around and doing some small magic that way I know who to call on and who not.... my wife says I always chose the bad ones when I don't walk around first.
you just never know what your going to call up or how they might try to ruin your show... Which that has happened to me before
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thebeaky
New user
14 Posts
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Posted: Feb 16, 2011 4:49pm
Good question.
I have been thinking about this recently, Where possible Aaron's ideas make a lot of sense. I certainly wouldn't pick someone from the stage who looked showy offy.
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highcard
New user
48 Posts
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Posted: Sep 2, 2012 4:52pm
If I ask for volunteers, which is fairly routine for me, I do the same thing as aaronharp88. I try to mingle prior to a show and get a feel for as many people as I can. You can also watch the audience as you perform for a bit, before getting to a bit that needs a volunteer. Most of the time, you can tell by how people are reacting as to whether or not they'd be a good choice.
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leolaurindo
New user
53 Posts
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Posted: Sep 2, 2012 6:56pm
I think preselecting the volunteers it's very imporant. While on the first tricks, just watch people's reactions. The best ones are those that are either timid neither show off. Also, the best ones are the ones that had the strongest reactions.
Also, I never really ask for a volunteer. I just point someone and invite him/her to come up "stage".
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ronnyman
New user
Indiana
56 Posts
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Posted: Sep 16, 2012 5:25pm
I always preselect. Nothing is worse than standing there with my ...hat.. in my hand waiting for someone to volunteer. I do anounce they were preselected to avoid any heckling.
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Escape Artist
New user
55 Posts
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Posted: Feb 13, 2013 3:14pm
I use a Comedy Leegs Table in my show. The routine always goes best if using an assistant to yell out the words at the appointed time. I don't use an assistant, but always set it up before and ask a person connected with the person that hired me to answer me when I ask them the question. I don't share with them the routine so they don't know whats going to happen, but it makes the routine much funnier
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DavidThomas
Regular user
118 Posts
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Posted: Jun 1, 2013 10:00pm
I am not a fan of pre-selecting participates. Year ago I learned from watching Copperfield of going into the audience with great music and asking for a person to come to the stage. It works well.
David Thomas
TheWorldofMagic.com
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