I think seeing something new by just a few people, no matter what angle is played, could start a nice domino effect or a spark of genius in this field. All it takes is a good bottle of scotch and a couple of witty friends to come up with some good ideas. Unfortunately, my friends don't like scotch. Time to get new friends.

I don't think EVH was referring to stealing someone else's song. I think he was referring to stealing their ideas and taking it up a notch. Example: EVH brought the two handed tapping into its own. Vito Bratta took it to a whole new level with his melodic style. It's a shame he quit playing.... I would like to have seen him show off what he could do.

Danny, I have seen different versions of those bits. That is exactly what I am talking about. Putting your own twist on it. I do a Martian wedding with a translator, and man......those are some dirty minded aliens. I also use Star Wars for the wedding song. I haven't seen anyone personally I know of do it that way, but, I can guarantee you, someone on here has done it or seen it.

I am interested in seeing the guys Bobser is talking about. Maybe help get some creative juices flowing.

It doesn't matter what twist you put on it. It is always about the volunteers and getting the best out of them when it comes to hypnosis. Not every hypnotist understands this.

The plots or skits are really just a framework to elicit the responses when hypno shows are at their best. This is what makes hypnosis more than just learning the mechanics. Or even being too clever.

That's a good point MP. I can do the same skit with different groups and have different responses. Sometimes making it seem like a new show. If I am real lucky, someone will do something I can react to and build off of and take it to a point that wasn't even a planned part of the skit. -Shane

Is it that the rate of innovation in hypnosis is less than that of magic?

Regards,
Mike

Perhaps there should have been a premise laid out of what a TRUE stage hypnotist actually IS before this question was asked.

I don't much more innovation in magic or mentalism. Its the same things over and over.

Its the personality that sells it. Plus ability to manipulate the media and knowing what the public wants. Plus timing and taking advantage of trends. These are more important than the magic, mentalism or hypnnosis itself.

I have done basically the same show for the past 15 years or at least the structure. I happen to do it for a different audience 250 times a year so it is new to them.

I have bits I could show you on DVD where an audience is laughing themselvs silly, and the very next night, a volunteer doing the same thing gets a mild chuckle at best. Did I suddenly forget how to do the bit? No. Not only are our subjects different each and every show, but so is our audience.

I even have a line for when this happens. If they are too reserved I simply look at them and say "I have a DVD of an audience actually laughing at this bit".

Often an audience does not want to laugh out loud, depending on how reserved they may be personally. This teaches them it is ok to be laughing loudly.

Sorry off topic but the big thing is that the audience is different and so are your subjects.

The truth be told, writing a ***NEW*** hypnosis skit is (in my opinion) much harder than coming up with a new magic trick or a new presentation for a magic trick.

There are only so many 'types' of activity you can get people to do. For example.. acting in a certain way then they hear a certain piece of music. There are thousands of varieties to this as you could make someone Elvis, Madonna, Robbie Williams, Michael Jackson etc... but its still basically the same routine.

I'm currently writing my new show for an upcoming theatre show on 1st October and it's tough.. but this show WILL be totally new (or at least Ive never seen anyone else do this stuff).

Just my two cents,
R.

Whenever I see the few that try to be "original". By that I mean too clever its usually rubbish. The funniest parts in their shows are the parts that tried and tested.

No hypnosis show can be totally new.

I'd suggest that instead of trying to think of new skits, that you try to think of new themes for your show and then base the skits on the theme so that it is kind of a story with a beginning a middle and an end.
I find that the audience gets wrapped up in the story and that they anticipate where it's going to go next, as if they were watching a live play with Drama, Comedy and Suspense.

I have several themed shows depending on the group that I'm working with and I find this to work well for me, and I hope that you give it a try and have some success with it also.

Good Luck,
SB

Just ran across this thread and had to read it a couple of times, and I'm still not sure what it's about? I've been in what I call "novelty" entertainment pretty much all my life, magic, mentalism, hypnosis. Been doing hyp-shows for almost 20 years. I agree with what Danny has said.

When I first started doing shows, I wanted to be a rock star! I was gonna re-write how this genre was done. I pulled out all the stops and I booked my shows, I did my shows, I got the reactions I wanted during the shows, and then I began wondering why I wasn't getting calls to re-book my show. People LOVED it, that's what they told me. The thing is I began to learn that what I was doing was a too over the top for the folks that were doing the booking.

I'm not even talking about doing XXX-rated shows. I've never done those. I'm talking school, private and corporate work. While people "loved" the show and were laughing and enjoying themselves, but when it can to committees discussing who they should get for next year, they became hesitant about re-booking me. What the hell was this about?

I discussed this with a good friend of mine and he suggested that I tone things down. At first I thought it was horrible advice, but I listened to it and toned things down. I booked more shows, I did my shows, I still got the reactions I wanted during the shows, but this time around, I was getting calls to re-book. Like I said, I've been at this for 20 years and I've been doing some venues for almost 17 of those years. Like Danny, I pretty much do the same show every time - some audiences react much stronger than others. Some nights it can be like pulling teeth. I do update my show, but I stick the the formula I figured out.

So while you can certainly rock the foundations of the hypnosis world, longevity is another story and slow and steady DOES win the race.

That's my 2 cents.

It depends upon your market. But you are right its the bookers that pay you. You need to sell to them not the audience. Which is a shame really but there you go.

Unless of course you hire venues and do your own shows.

I don't think I could do those type of bland shows continuously for 20 years full time. I'ld rather have blast make some very good money and then go do something else.

I wouldn't call myself a true hypnotist, as I have practiced magic, mentalism, and pseudo-hypnosis---but I respect true hypotists.

Regards,
Mike

Ehem... My shows are far from bland, and you certainly have to deliver to the audience. I said I toned things down, I didn't say I bored them to death.

I stopped using bits like "stiff as a board" or other pain or anesthetic demos, increased the visual aspect of the induction process, stayed away from raunchy or vulgar and instead walked things right up to risque and suggestive and maybe a little past too, then concentrated on FUNNY! Each show is still new onto itself - different audience, different subjects. After all this time you know how they'll respond and at the same time you never really know how they'll respond.

Im sure everybody thinks their shows are far from bland...Im not saying yours is. But you can do over the top stuff and make a lot of money from it. And you can also get longevity too.

It depends where you are - your market, timing and the key position you have managed to lock yourself into.

He never said he did bland shows. What he meant was that if you act like a nit off stage, nobody will work with you EVEN IF you hire your own venues. You can be such a colossil pain in the back side that nobody thinks it is worth dealing with you.

If you think you can do this for a little while, and then make enough money to retire then you are absolutely clueless as to the market in the United States. It may indeed be possible across the pond, I am ignorant of the market there. In the United States it is just not going to happen.

I said depending upon where you are your market timing and key posotioning. What is it about that you don't understand?

I don't see anywhere where he was reffering to off stage behaviour or acting like a nit? He was talking about toning down shows in order to make him more bookable and less risk for a booker to take. Even although his audiences loved what he was doing.

At least that what it seems like he said. No one will tell you they do bland shows. Ive not seen his show but I have seen many bland shows that get booked by agents. They do the job for the bookers. They are usually bottom dollar low budget shows that never over step the line and are safe. Again I am talking about the UK.

There is nothing wrong with that if that's what you want to do. And of course I am talking about my part of the world. Which varies from city to city so Im sure in the states it varies also since it is a much much bigger place than the Uk.

There are different markets everywhere. Holiday makers, Schools, Universities, larger theatre type venues in the centre of busy towns. They all require different approaches and skill sets to pull off.

Holiday shows and universities tend to be bland shows at (least over here). The shows are created for that type of audience and that type of booker. They do a particular job but could not do the other type of job or vice versa.

I wouldn't want to do these shows indefinately they would drive me insane. Im not interested in doing these types of markets. I never said I would retire I said I would do something else after a period of the other type. In some cases you can make between 2k and 13k sterling for one show. At least that is the kind of opportunities I am looking at currently. Time will tell if the time is right.

I have no doubt these opportunities exist in the states but probably not in the markets mentioned. And you need additional different skillsets to pull them off. Like selling large numbers of tickets there is more to that than you may think. I am not saying one market is better than the other. It really is about choice and what you are best positioned to take advantage of. You have obviously created a strong position for yourself in your market which you know how to serve. But its not the only market. And we don't have the large school market you seem to enjoy over there.

Like I said it depends on where you are and where you have positioned yourself.

No need to be snarky I agreed with you.

I am so ignorant of the UK and that market that I don't enev know how many dollars 13 thousand sterling is.

I know without a name and serious money behind you doing it as a 4 wall is not easy. It can be done but is darn tough.

Depending on what you mean by bland we can agree. I know cutting edge rock bands thst do the exact same show every night. It may be bland for them but not the audience. You seem to have some attention span issues so doing the same show 6 nights a week may not appeal to you. This does not make it a bland show.

I wasn't really being snarky it comes over that way on here sometimes.

Yes 4walling can be done it is tough. Depends upon a number of things. I am giving it ago once again. It's by no means in the bag I could fall flat on my face. I wouldn't have picked Edinburgh Festival but I saw an opportunity and had to grab it. I got in with a major entertainments group. By getting in there I have already positioned myself with top bands and some of the biggest names in comedy over here.

That wa one of the reasons to jump at this opportunity. There are other criteria that made this possible. Which I won't mention here.

http://www.hmvtickets.com/comedy

http://www.mamagroup.co.uk/picturehouse

2k sterling is about 3k+ dollars I think?

God loves a trier lets hope the public do.

As for issues around doing multiple shows I really hate travelling for hours to do a show then travel all the way back. Especially if the fees are low and not enough for a hotel. In the past Ive drove for four hours there and back through the night hammering the car for a few hundred pounds. I couldn't be arsed with that now. As for holiday resorts, in europe the working conditions tend to be really bad. Nah I couldn't do that for any length of time.

However if the working conditions or environment were ok then perhaps I would. 20 years is a long time so you must have found a good way of life.