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haywire Special user Philadelphia 760 Posts |
This is my first post, I am asking for everyone's help.
After doing some small shows for my friends children and family members children, I am considering doing magic for hire. Before I do however, I want to insure everyone will get their money's worth and be satisfied. Here is the routine in order of tricks performed. Please make any suggestions for re-sequencing them, or if you know a trick that would help the entire routine flow better, please chime in. I'm also interested in what you guys think is a fair price for performing this routine at childrens parties. Flash Vanishing Rose (Rose made of flash paper, vanish!) Mystic Spinning rings Candy production. Sugar poured into change bag, turns into candy. 2 different bags of candy produced from a change bag, handed out to audience by volenteer... Magic coloring book with disappearing crayons. D- Lite routine Vanishing silk with flash (Flash vanisher) Reappearing silk (flip tip) COIN and money MAGIC - Restored dollar (ripped apart dollar restored, TT trick) Make a million - Restored dollar turned to a million dollar bill Balancing Pennies. (1942 pennies, get it?) Vanishing quarter bare hands with smoke. (Revolution) (Quarter vanishes in a puff of smoke in bare hands,using little smoke) Bent Cent Meltdown (quarter melted with flash paper and a quick switch for gimmick melted coin) Nickels to dimes Dime and penny Penny to dime in volenteer's hand (werry's transformer) Diminishing nickel in volenteer's hand (werry's transformer) Pen through dollar M5 Flipping quarter in glass. Flipping half dollar and quarter in hands. Dancing matchstick (M5 pk effect) Thumbtip blendo Peanut butter and jelly. Rabbit box production. (Live rabbit production) Rabbit vanish Live rabbit now vanishes (breakaway box) Any help, suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated, especially in regard to what kind of price is fair. I welcome everyone's help... Steven |
Corey Harris Inner circle Kansas City, MO 1229 Posts |
Wow that is a lot of stuff there. I would probally narrow it down some. Also, if you are going to work with children you should probally stay away from anything with fire. that's just my opinion. The fire can scare the kids. One thing that I think you should add though is Sponge Ball effects.
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Frank Tougas Inner circle Minneapolis, MN 1712 Posts |
Assuming this is not a joke. You have way too much for attention span. Many of the tricks are over kid’s heads and flash and fire in a person's home in front of small children is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Giving out candy in the middle of a performance would be chaos and in case it was given to a child, who was forbidden by parents to eat candy such as diabetic, gets you another lawsuit. (How’s your insurance?) A lot of it is close-up which will not work well for a larger party type environment - you need some strong stand-up stuff for that. How much to charge? Well if you have almost zero experience doing audience management for a kids show, untested routines under fire, and no character development I'd suggest going cheap lest you crash and burn and make it harder for the working magician. Free shows are a great way to gain valuable experience. Get some books on kid show magic and take the info to heart. The most recent book is by "Silly Billy" aka David Kaye who is a high end super popular kid show magician in the New York City area. While not all his advice will translate to flyover country - there is wisdom in them thar hills. Good Luck Frank Tougas
Frank Tougas The Twin Cities Most "Kid Experienced" Children's Performer :"Creating Positive Memories...One Smile at a Time"
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what Special user Lehi, UT, USA 643 Posts |
How long is your show going to be?
I think your line up is fine, but perhaps too long. If I were you, I would skip the candy production, as you will have a real control problem after handing out candy. I would also skip the live rabit vanish at the end as it is anti-climatic compared to the rabit production. Be sure to visit the "Little Darlings" section of this site as there are numerous threads for first kids shows and some very helpfull people. Enjoy!! Mike
Magic is fun!!!
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haywire Special user Philadelphia 760 Posts |
I understand skipping the flash effects...
The candy I can put at the end, and I planned to ask the parents permission before doing so... Thanks for everyone's input so far. Also, I am well practiced with all these effects and I beleieve my character development is better than average, at least for many performers I have seen locally, and I've gone out of my way to see as many as I can. Thanks for everyone's help! Steven |
Loual4 Special user Montreal, Canada 670 Posts |
I agree with the post from Frank Tougas!
If you have more than two or three kids in front of you, the coins and close up stuff is not a good idea! You will be just asking for a general rush towards you, with kids wanting a better look, some pushing, and a generally difficult time managing the little kids! What I personnally recommend are tricks that are highly visual from a reasonable distance, that allows kids to remain at a distance and still see what is going on : - linking rings - professors nightmare - rabbit production - etc... If you insist on producing/giving candy, this can not be stressed enough, make sure you have parents aproval, and that no kids are diabetic or allergic! And above all, do it at the end of the show, or else you are running the risk of loosing control of your audience. Hope this helps! |
eddieloughran Special user 942 Posts |
Steven,
I don't want to sound rude, but I do childrens shows regulaly. It looks to me as though you have an adult close-up or walk around show rather than a childrens one. I would advise you to drop most of the listed effects, except the rabbit production, the colouring book and the Di lites. Have a look at some books on childrens magic. The show needs movement and colour and audience involement. Get some sucker tricks. Die box. Silks. Sponge balls. Rising wand. etc. I know that you have written that the current act worked for family and friends but for strangers, particulaly if you intend to charge a fair price, I think that you need to rethink the act. I agree with the above posts which suggested doing some free. Sorry Eddie |
Hobie the Magical Hobo Clown New user Niagara, Ontario 68 Posts |
Steven:
I have been doing kids for 20 years and have found that colorful, story type or very visual magic goes over well. You don't want the kids to have to think to much. All you want them to do is to have a good time. Jokes and little stunts using the kids goes over great. Combining tricks works well ie: ( production of silks using a foo can, knot the silks using crystal tube, make them vanish using a change bag and have them reappear using a pop corn box or mini square cirle. Read such books as David Ginn, Bobo, or Kids stuff. I never use fire, weapons or liquids because if the kids try to duplicate what I do the at least won't get hurt. They love giveaways but do it at the end of the show. You want as little distractions as possible. The easy mechanical stuff goes over well and if you adapt the sleights will work too. Close-up is not for a kids party unless you are walking around but if you have an audience you want them all involved in some way or another whether it be an idividual assistant or the whole audience. Kids want to participate so let them. Also make yourself look silly or so the kids feel smarter than you. This is my opinion and it works for me. Adapt the tricks you have and read up on kids magic and you will be a winner. :magicrabbit:
One Mustn't study a magician to closely,
Never look up his sleeve, Never look under his hat, Just sit back and let him do his act. |
haywire Special user Philadelphia 760 Posts |
I've had offers forever to do a kids shows. I agree perhaps my current list is
not well suited. If I am going to do a childrens show I think it must be done well, so I've not decided I'm in no rush and will take the proper time to have a very good show, for a very affordable price too... I just got some new childrens tricks, including, hippity hop rabbits (though I swore I'd never succumb to this evil rabbit mystery) and a few others. I agree the first listed set of effects is almost totally wrong, and I am reworking it now and yes I agree needs more color,comdey and flair. So far I will have peanut butter and jelly, hippity hop rabbits, silk blendo, fountain of silks,rabbit production, white silk to underwear transformation, and I'm still adding more. This will indeed take some time to do it well... Steven |
Paul Inner circle A good lecturer at your service! 4409 Posts |
If that's you in the picture, that might not be a good t-shirt to wear to kid shows..
If your list really was your intended act, far too much stuff anyway. Yes, you can do close up stuff for kids, but depends on the number of children. Makes sense though to prepare an act suitable for all size groups. Read a couple of books as suggested, in children's magic it is the bits of business that help make the whole. It is the interaction with the children rather than a quick series of tricks. This is why the experience of Ginn etc. is worth your while looking at, or a Terry Herbert DVD. Paul. |
calexa Inner circle Germany 1635 Posts |
In my opinion you have far too much stuff. How long is your show - 2 hours?
Magixx
Optimists have more fun.....
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Tabasco Loyal user The Netherlands 219 Posts |
Thanks giys this has been very usefull for me too
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amakar Loyal user 235 Posts |
Instead of a set list or a stock of tricks, have you thought about how you're going to present the effects?
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John Long Inner circle New Jersey 2826 Posts |
Haywire
So how have you made out? Like Tobasco, I found this post helpful for me as I consider getting into performing for children. I am starting out in a local hospital, going from room to room. I may try a "show" when I get comfortable performing for, and interacting with strangers, and develop some stage type effects(I agree, I never thought I would "stoop" to a hippity hop rabbits, but I am considering it). For now, I am working on some rope, and rope & ring effects that can be done close-up or (small) stage performance. Currently my "finale" is the Panama Rope trick using pop-off knots, and a story line of how apologizing can restore the friendship(represented by the 3 knots poping off the rope). It gets a good response - I need to develop story lines for my other effects. John
Breathtaking Magic;
Not Breath Taking |
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