This just has to be made a sticky!!!!
Come on Steve!!!

Dave

Thanks for Venting.

It could have been longer.

The more I am sharing vent, the more I realize I still learn.

If you are going to be in the Kansas City, (USA) area on November 5, 2005, stop by the Puppetry Arts Institute. Nigel and the gang are sharing "When Puppets Dream".

Reservations and prices at

http://www.hazelle.org

A few years back we had Bob Abdou come by and had a mini vent play day.

We are blessed with many touring puppeteers. Speaking of being REAL....

Katie Adams(From Florida) was great with her Velveteen Rabbit program last weekend.

Be safe, well and creative.

Tis the season to be scaweeee.(scary that is)

Now I am off to Basehor for a Nearly Normal Look at Drug Awareness. (Another Nearly Normal School Assembly....

Thanks for the information and inspiration.

You are all appreciated by,

Harris Deutsch
Laughologist and Nearly Normal Ventriloquist

Hey Billy, thanks for the splendid link!

When I saw the information about the home made do it your self kit, and saw the photos of what others have done with, I nearly shot out of my chair! I am both astounded and utterlly metagrobalized! This may open up a new chapter in my life!

I'm not exagerating! I am so excited right now that I can't hardly stand it!

Can you answer one question for me? How much MONEY can a person expect to save by making their own figures rather than purchasing pre- made?

I'm devastated! Utterly devastated! After being totally in orbit about the thought of building my own figure, I clicked on the site that sells the castings and props, only to find the site totally disabled! At that point I crashed and burned!

I can't believe it! Something this fantabulous, and they are out of business? Is there another link to this, or perhaps a newer website that I don't know about?

Billy, please help! I've been set up for a fall.

No worries, http://www.puppetsandprops.com should get you there. Once you're there you have a choice of 2 sites, one for vent supplies and the other for juggling supplies.

If you still have problems with that, try this -

http://www.puppetsandprops.com/home.html

that is the link straight into the vent area.

A pro vent figure can cost you thousands (some even go for tens of thousands), I don't think I've seen a really decent figure for much less than a grand. So making your own should save you some money.
On top of that, I've heard a lot of vents say that when they've made their own figures, there really seems to be something extra special about the character of the figure.

Oh by the way, while you're at puppets and props have a look on the site for Al Stevens' instructions. He has blow by blow instructions on how to build one of these kits from start to finish, and the instructions are free!

Cheers
Billy

Thanks man, you're a lifesaver!

I have been perusing the site, and I have come to this conclusion: Before I jump into this, I am definitely going to study, plan, and educate myself thouroughly before putting my hand to any atttempt to do this.

The best investment to start looks like it would be the book "Figure making can be fun" which promises to be valuable education in itself....hopefuly like a college degree in making dummies.

My third thought is this: I have to make the decision whether to start from scratch, OR to simply refurbish Daniel, my current figure.

I have always wanted him re-done in a few points, (eyes, reshape jaw, etc) BUT I surely don't relish the idea of him being my "guinnea dummy", and end up ruining him!

Lastly, in looking through the website, I didn't see any sources for wigs. And I was also wondering if there is anybody out there who specializes in clothes and accesories for the finished figures.

Daniel gets his wardrobe from the local salvation Army store, but I had always thought that there might be someone, somewhere who specializes in clothes costumes and accesories for vent figures only.

Thanks a lot! for this very good compilation !!

Regarding Clothes...don't forget eBay! Just put 4T in the search. (if that's your figures size) There's a couple of really nice full Tuxedos for just $29!

Hope for those that can't attain Lip Control...while it IS a wonderful skill to attain, Edgar Bergan and Max Terhune weren't all that concerned with still lips and then there's what may be the funniest act (but Blue) in the biz Waylon Flowers and Madame. Waylon would wildly act out his dialogs with Madame and never even attempted to hold his lips still...funny thing was as with many true Vent acts you didn't watch him any way...you watched Madame almost as if you weren't supposed to see Waylon at her side. He was a master at the two hand rods which he manipulated with his left hand as Madame rode his right. One of the great puppeteers of all time.

I had a Ventrilloquist perform at the house Jan 3rd (Joe Gandelman) and his lip control is excellent (I peeked) but after the show I asked my Wife if she noticed how good his control was and she said "Didn't notice...I wasn't looking at him!)

So if your lips wiggle a bit, don't let it stop you from getting out there and performing whenever you can...strong material and a well designed and animated figure can overcome a lot of lip action while you learn or attain the best you can do. We can't all be Ron Lucas & technically perfect but we can all be entertaining!

Doug

Thanks Billy...good links.

That is a very insightful post Billy and I thank you. My question is a bit different although I have always found Vents amazing and fun to watch I doubt I could ever keep up that type of act.

I am interested though in just basic Lip Control and something that might have been spoken about in the links you provided. I have not had a chance to read the whole thing yet but Throwing your Voice? Now again I have not read the links yet so I might be able to answer my own question.

I recently saw Unclamped from Wayne Dobson where in the DVD there is a segment from one of his Variety shows where he uses Lip Control to answer his own question when he asks the spectator. Now what I loved about it was that the spectators mannerisms would conised with what Wayne was saying. The act was hilarious and that is something that I was interested in learning. Even though everyone knew that he was answering himself it was still a very hilarious bit.

Now another I don't think I have ever been great with impressions or trying different voices. Is that something that you can acquire or can you learn to change your voice in such manners? I don't know if what I am asking is confusing or just that lack of Knowledge that I have on this art. But I would love to here from anyone of you via PM or on here. Thanks in advance.

Very encouraging and meaningful post Doug.

Thanks.

Jonathan

Almost missed this thread...good thing I found it.


Thanks

Wanlu

What I want to know is how Billy James finds the time to write a long post about ventriloquism like this whilst at the same time, being an international spy.

Billy can kill a man with a washing up glove and a pair of serving tongs and yet here he is....the happy go lucky puppet man. What a false sense of security he has lulled us ALL into, especially his many victims, of whom my brother Rudolfo was one.

Shame on you James and all of your little people. You should all be destroyed!

D

PS Wanalu, I like your YOUTUBE clips. Who's that little fellow in the avatar with you? Is it a Dan Payes?

OK I just saw your full review of your little Dan Payes fellow. So I guess he is a Dan Payes Fellow after all.

D

So it's you!!! Arthur Knackeroff, so you're calling yourself Dean Atkinson now-a-days eh? Nobody is going to fall for a bogus name like that!

I'm sorry about your brother, but how was I to know he was really a man?!?!

Anyway, that's all behind me now...I now only use rubber gloves and salad tongs in a culinary fashion or for self defense purposes.

Billy

PS My little people know where you live.

Ok...I'll come clean. I was lying all along! Billy James is not an evil mastermind...he's a mate of mine.

This is a terrific post BTW. All the info you ever neede to know about ventriloquism but were afraid to ask. Except for;

"What do I do if Charlie G tells me to kill people?"

Billy is a fantasticly funny and versatile performer who I am proud to call a friend. He is one of my partners at Monday Night Magic here in Melbourne. He can also be called on at a moments notice to bring all of his sound equipment to a show and work the door without becoming the slightest bit precious about it.

Top bloke.

Love

Dean

OK then, my little people will let you off..........


......this time.

;)

Hi guys,

check out the puppet channel on http://www.tvmagicians.com

we will run your video material for free.

pm me for more information.

regards,

geoff.

One web site which you did not mention in your post ( because it didn't exist yet ) is http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com There you can find almost anything you need to know about ventriloquism from learning the art to performers of the past to help on building figures. Take a look!! Dan

Thanks To Billy James, Here are just the links to great Vent Websites

"Rabbit in the hat" resources

• Glove Puppetry 101
  
• Samuel Patrick Smith DVD, ‘The Magic Ingredient’
  

Ventriloquism Courses

Steve Taylor's DVD Course

• Voicing your dummy – Steve Taylor (Lip control)
  
• Manipulating your dummy – Steve Taylor
  
• Humoring your dummy – Steve Taylor ......etc)
  
• Fooling your dummy – Steve Taylor (......pet)
  

Lee Cornell's Course

• Lee Cornell’s ‘Ventriloquism 101â......urse
  

Other Courses

• Ventriloquism for Fun and Profit – ......ENT)
  
• Ventriloquism CD – Bob Neller
  
• Successful Ventriloquism – Mark Wade
  
• Advanced Ventriloquism – Mark Wade
  

Manipulation

• Bill DeMar Show- Master Manipulator At Work
  
• The Maher Home Course of Ventriloquism
  
• Manipulating your dummy – Steve Taylor
  
• Glove Puppetry 101 – Dave Risley
  

For traditional wood carved figures

• Tim Selberg
  
• Hartz Puppetry Workshop
  
• Allen Semok
  
• Robert McRay
  

For a range of other figures

• Maher Studios
  
• Ventriloquist Dummy
  
• Jerry Lane
  
• Dummy Works
  
• EBay Search
  
• Puppets and Props
  

Puppet Character Websites

• Steve Axtell - Incredible Website
  
• Mary Anne Taylor
  
• One way street
  

Novelty Puppets

• The Magic Drawing Boards
  
• Talking Books and others
  

Forums/Yahoo Groups

• World Vents
  
• Christian Vents - Christian related ventriloquism.
  
• Vent Script - discussion about scripts and feedback for your scripts.
  
• Vent Figures - Forum for collectors and builders of vent figures.
  
• UK Ventriloquists - A forum for UK vents, although all are welcome.
  

Conventions –

• VentHaven ConVENTion
  
• The Vegas Ventriloquist Festival
  
• International Festival of Christian P......uism
  Japan Ventriloquist's Association
  

Scripts and Resources

• Scripts and resources
  
• Amazon.Com
  
• Axtell's "AxTrax" CDs of Scripts Per......sals
  

Art Institute

Pupperty Art Institute

Other

• Ventriloquist Central