I can't say I disagree.

And NO, I don't think Potty's remarks were Arrogant nor do I think they were overly critical. And NO, I don't think Potty is saying that his show is better than anyone else's because of his opinion on the subject.

Exactly Potty, well said

And NO, neither was I. And NO... oh, never mind.
:)

@Toni
Thank you for the lesson in "Punch & Judy" History and Details

Well put!

Potty
It is good to hear you speak your mind. I have several awards from two of our local clubs too, and all I did was to beat a couple of nobodies. Your opinion of all the hype expressed here about marketing is right on too. How many times do these guys think that they can reinvent the wheel?

1. How many years experience do you need to be an authority on a subject and be ready to release a DVD? I've been a professional magician (getting paid for my shows) for 15 years myself and if that isn't long enough, then what is?

2. I never said I would be making the DVD on Holiday Parks & Cruise Ships about just myself, as my experience is limited (although I do have some of both), as was mentioned in the very first post. I have several other entertainers already on board ready to share their experiences. At the moment, I'm lending my technical skills to record what they have to share. I did mention in the first post that other contributors to the set were included, and this topic specifically was mentioned as an example of that!

3. Marketing is my key area to promote. I do have lots of brand new tactics I wish to share. If I only make 1 DVD, it will be that one.

4. This DVD set is for myself and the other entertainers involved. It will be made available to the few we wish to share that information with (which include any of my past customers). We are all teachers, and I was a school teacher once. I mentor several other magicians at this very moment and they would like to document my current marketing and advertising strategies.

You guys all seem to be hung up on this being a commercial product and having a go at me. But this project hasn't even started yet!

I started the posts to ask what you wanted to see in a DVD. Maybe I missed a piece of information out in my previous books and DVDs. Maybe there is a topic about of industry you would like to know more about - like Punch and Judy.

In order to make the best DVD possible, you have to do research and you have to find out what the target market wants to know. I was offering you all the opportunity to give your suggestions for what you wanted to know more about.

From the responses so far, you can see why I'm keeping the distribution of this DVD set to specific people.

Steve

Steven,

Do your own thing. I've been making notes for years, and if I every write that book, it will be quite thick. If no-one buys it that's fine with me. It will be a personal goal.

There is good advice here in planning what it is that will go into your DVDs. Even if it is for yourself, it is an accomplishment. Writing allows me to crystallize my ideas, and think about them deeply. So true about what you want to do. Is 15 years enough? One year is enough if the information is valuable to the viewer.

Making DVDs can only improve your personal growth. The quality is up to you. Seeing yourself and research going into such a project can only improve yourself. What you do with this knowledge is up to you.

I've learned a long time ago, the nay-sayers, even with their good intentions, can cripple ideas, and stop personal growth. You see here on the Café, how many great posters never post again due to these individuals.

Once again, follow your dream.

This older thread is on a similar topic. It might be worth reading through.

- Donald

Cheers Donald. Its interesting in that the first discussed topic was about printing, since that is one of the key areas I wished to discuss in my marketing DVD.
I don't want to give too much away, but I have templates, invitations, leaflets, backdrops, worksheets, the full breakdown and lesson plans and cut-outs for my magic workshops etc. With links to where to get them all printed in full colour at a penny each.

My advise on that area is to forget buying a printer for large productions and to go through a proper printers. The quality of the printouts will be far superior, they take all the work out of your hands and even cut them out for you, you don't have to worry about running out of a single colour and ruining a stack of print-outs, changing inks, refills etc. And its actually a lot, lot cheaper to use a printing company - as long as you find the right one.

Oh, and one other thing I'll add...

I said that there is not a lot of money to be made from the selling of kids-shows DVDs to other magicians. I was telling the truth there but... There is a lot of money from it as a convincer to clients. Many clients book me over my competitors because I have a DVD and book out. They see me as a celebrity and that makes me more valuable and desirable. And while I don't do a lot of it, BOR sales do help as well.

So that may help a few of you understand why I released a DVD set called 'The Ultimate Children's Party Guide' - because it bought in a lot of work...

Steve

Sorry, Steve, I have some idea that I recently read a post where you claimed to be 28. Obviously, if you were a teacher (for 3 or 4 years?), and you'd have spent 4 years after school getting your degree and teacher's training - so with 15 years as a professional magician, you must be at least 37.

Sure, if you have 15 years' professional experience, make DVDs about your knowledge - but even so, I'm baffled why you feel the need to ask what you should include in them. Admittedly, a teacher may ask his students what they'd like to learn - but in many respects, surely you should have a very clear idea of the areas of your expertise you'd like to impart, and exactly how you would do that.

If it were me, I'd have extensive notes on every area I plan to teach, with accompanying routines and demonstrations. It would be important not to cover ground that has been trod a hundred times before, but to give solid, tried-and-tested information.

Which is why I find it strange that you plan to enlist other entertainers to help you with this. But, as Dennis said, it's up to you, and you should do it if you feel it's important for you.

As for the marketing benefits of having "How To" DVDs, I think there is a MUCH greater benefit if you aim those DVDs at your clients, instead of other magicians. This is something I have in the pipeline, and when I can find the time, there are plans for several different DVDs, some of performance, and maybe one or two which are interactive or instructional.
Doug

I already have a new DVD for my clients, its just not listed on the website yet. (It was only completed a few weeks ago).

I feel I'll be wasting my breathe trying to explain who this DVD set is for again, so I won't bother.

I was a secondary School ICT teacher for 1 year. I did it to get my teachers qualification as it allowed me to be hired into schools and paid as a supply teacher, so that I can be hired for educational shows Mon-Fri at schools around the country - Opps did I just let out a secret...

Steve

But if your 28 years old and you turned professional 15 years ago, then you must have been 13 and still at school.

Or am I just being thick?
:)

Yes BB, you are being thick, Stephen is clearly talking in dog years.

I'm 30 years old.

Yes, I started doing paid shows while at School. Is that going to be a problem now?
Performing magic paid my college tuition fees, University Fees, Rent and other stuff. I just bought my house on the money it has made me.

But you know what, why am I responding to a post about my age? WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING!!!

Some of the best magicians in the world are only 15 years old. Michael Jordon won the Magic Circle, IBM and numerous other major competitions at a young age as just one example. There are many, many young and accomplished magicians.

I'm giving up on my research for this project as none of you are helpful and you all just seem intent on being negative.

The project has already started and those involved know why they are participating and are thankful for the opportunity. That's good enough for me.

This is my last post on this thread.

Steven,

Please understand that this is merely an observation. NO ONE who has seen you perform would confuse you with the best magicians in the world. Having the ability to make money when there is no real competition does not mean that one has a good show.

The man who graduates last in his class from the worst medical school in the world is still called, "Doctor". I wouldn't buy a course on medicine from that bloke either. Even if he somehow managed to convince himself he was the best.

Best,

Dan-

Steve, I don't feel I'm being negative, but I'm trying to be realistic. If you only were a teacher for 1 year - doing your teacher's training - then it's somewhat of a bogus claim that you used to be a teacher - in fact, you were a TRAINEE teacher. There's a fair difference.

It sounds as if you used your teacher training for your own purposes, other than what it's intended for - that's fair enough, but you were never really a teacher then.

And, aged 30, having got a degree and so forth, you still can't have been working as a full-time professional for 15 years. You're kidding, but only one person is fooled.

Just because a 15 year-old can win awards doesn't make them the "best magician in the World". At this age, sure it's possible to be a great magician, but I doubt there are any magicians of this age who are an "authority" (your term) on magic. Unless they've completely neglected their studies, and done nothing but magic since they were a toddler.

I still maintain that to produce a DVD set as you've described, which sounds most impressive, would require someone who has a vast and wide performing experience, which you clearly have not.

If you go ahead with the project, more power to you, and I wish you the best success. But do you think you will end up with something excellent, or just a mish-mash of ideas, without the experience to back it up?

I suppose if you had stated that you have a state-of-the-art video recording studio, with highly experienced folks who can film and edit the whole project, you might have some chance of convincing the magic community that they should side with you, and assist with this project. But from previous comments about the quality of your DVDs, it sounds at least, as if you really don't have much knowledge about producing high-quality DVDs, in terms of sound and images.

Your idea isn't bad, but even so, the best magicians in the World would find this a daunting prospect - a series of 9 DVDs, which aim to cover a huge area of our profession. Don't you think there are others who have considered this, and having looked at the logistics, realized that it was a dead duck?

Honestly, two things you have said raise alarm bells with me. Firstly, that having insturctional DVDs for other magicians gets you lots of work - and secondly that being a teacher-in-training opened doors for you in the school entertainment market.

Do you believe this is the right way to go about running your business? What you're saying, in effect, is that you give the PERCEPTION of being a capable and kid-friendly performer. In fact, you've used underhand tactics to create this impression.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I'm right, you're building a House of Cards, which we all know can only get so high before it collapses.

Most of us work alone diligently for many years, to achieve the skills and personality it takes to sell our shows. And there are countless performers - many here at the Café - who have reached a level of success which ensures we'll always get work, and have a consistently high standard of performance.

The more I read of your posts, the less I believe you have done this. Your enthusiasm is commendable, but do you really put in the ground-work, or are you just someone who thinks it's all a piece of cake?

To convince me, you'd have to post some videos which make it abundantly clear that you really are an exception the general rule.

So, going back to your original question - in your DVDs, I'd like to see some fantastic routines which blow folks away. Engaging, well-thought-out, original, and creative. So far, I don't believe you've provided this.

Before you can "teach" the magic community about our business, you must have something VERY solid to back it all up.
:)