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ClodAppleleft Regular user Manchester, NH 195 Posts |
My main focus of magic is Ren-faire's doing street work and a stage show. The thing is, at one faire I work, there is a group of us that go to the same restaurant every Saturday night, in full costume, during the run of the faire. As a token of my appreciation to the service the restaurant provides for us, I walk around and table hop for the other patrons while I'm waiting for my food and I hand out passes to the faire. I had a lot of fun doing it this year and I'm thinking about doing it on the side. There are a lot of restaurants in my area that I could potentially do this at, but I'm not sure how to begin, or how much money I should ask for.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
There are many different ways to cut an apple.
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Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
ClodAppleleft,
You certainly seem to have a ready-made market and built-in promotion! But before you even consider doing table work, make sure you have a product to sell. In other words, have an act -- a viable, effective, and entertaining act for table work; and a table act is far different from anything else that you might do. For example, you could be interrupted at any time by a new guest's arrival, the fact that the food comes early, or any one of a dozen other reasons; you have to be prepared to stop and wrap up your act in LESS THAN 5 SECONDS! And do it while your audience's attention is mainly directed elsewhere. As for beginning, go where you are known and apply there first. What to charge depends a great deal on the location, the type of restaurant, and the type of clientele. Without knowing that, it's hard to set any standard. Good luck, though. |
Sneakers Regular user Melbourne, Australia 106 Posts |
As usual, Peter is absolutely correct.
Perhaps as a starting point, you might want to consider a small investment in a book that will answer most (if not all!) of your questions about restaurant work. If you can, pick up a copy of "The Restaurant Worker's Handbook - A Practical Guide to Restaurant Magic" by Jim Pace and Jerry MacGregor. It is an exceptional book on the very subject you seek. Best of luck! |
BenSchwartz Elite user Southern California 499 Posts |
An easy way to start at a resturaunt (this is what I do)... is cold call... or just walk up... I ask for the owner or manager... say I love the resturaunt and I wanna perform... I tell them how I can bring in business.. entertain people if there is a hold-up for food and also bring people in a better mood. This usually gives almost no chance for the person to say no. I have talked to over 15 resturaunts and 2 have said no to me... Maybe I got lucky... but hey I got gigs...
"The experience of astonishment is the experience of a clear, primal state of mind that they associate with a child's state of mind." ---- Paul Harris
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Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
I give a call at first also. I offer them a promo for two hours.
The day of the promo I pass out small notes to the spectators. They read, "How did you like the magician?," "Would you like to see him here again?" I tell them to drop the notes off at the cash register when they leave. It helps me get appovals because of all the good remarks the people write about me. The main reason is because of how I performed. Step #2 is staying there after the approval. Be nice to the workers. And stay out their way. You can learn alot from a good book called, "The Restaurant Workers Handbook" by Jim Pace. A good casette tape is called, "Restaurant Magic Business," by Charles Greene III. In Michigan the average is $50 hourly. |
m@t Loyal user London, UK www.MatthewLaskey.com 250 Posts |
I strolled in during the afternoon on a tuesday when most places are empty and asked to show the mananger something then I showed him a trick or two and gave him back the contents of his jacket pocket. Then he gave me the gig!
Just don't give up and see lot's of places. Take your best things and show them some stuff! |
Paul Inner circle A good lecturer at your service! 4409 Posts |
Quote:
On 2002-12-29 01:53, BenSchwartz wrote: Do you now have 13 residencies? Paul. |
tink New user 11 Posts |
I have a quick question. I am in the marines and currently in ft. leonard wood missouri and there isn't much to do here go to dance clubs and gentlemans clubs. my question is would it be just as easy to be able to do table hopping there as it would be at a restaurant?
thanx tink
"What the eyes sees and the ears hear, is what the mind believes."
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BenSchwartz Elite user Southern California 499 Posts |
Ummm noo... it means that over the past 4 years I have had 13 resturaunts that I have done... by the way I have never been fired from a restaurant
"The experience of astonishment is the experience of a clear, primal state of mind that they associate with a child's state of mind." ---- Paul Harris
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Paul Inner circle A good lecturer at your service! 4409 Posts |
Quote:
On 2002-12-30 02:03, BenSchwartz wrote: I was only kidding Ben. Never assumed you'd been fired for a second. Tink, sounds like a good idea to approach these places, it woulds only be like doing close up at receptions or banquets. If you already have a reasonable close up repertoire it should be no problem. And one bonus is that you wouldn't get any kids, lol. Paul. |
ixnay66 Inner circle Denver 1525 Posts |
Nice Ben! When I was living in the Bay area I managed to get an appointment with the manager of a restaurant for a gig. The day? September 11th. I called and cancelled to say the least.
Ben, one question. You said you got 13 or 15 cold calls. What are you charging? |
Kozmo V.I.P. 5473 Posts |
well...i dont always agree with peter .....
hes right ...but...if you think you have an act...and you take it out to that restaurant and everything fails...the lines dont work...then what......heres my view...have some magic that you can do...and you have done it so many times that it never fails...you have done it so many times that you really dont have to think about any moves.... then go out there....and test that act....get a gig...if your magic is strong you will get work.....and the show will come along...too many magicians...sit around in the house...thinking about what to say....and they never get the courage to go out and try it...and the courage to fail...go out and do it....have fun...make friends with your audience and kick butt with strong magic and you will be fine...and work on that set....to be good at anything you must practice...must...right?....so how do you become a good performer with out practice?....good luck koz |
Mickey Cohen New user 51 Posts |
Read the Manual of Restaurant Magic and Standing Up Surrounded by Kirk Charles...even more importantly contact Kirk or Eugene Burger or any other magician that makes a good living doing Restaurant magic and ask him to mentor you . Pay him to mentor you. It's a wise investment.You will avoid alot of mistakes.When I decided to go into Restaurant magic back in 1994 the first thing I did was call up Eugene Burger and asked him if he would mentor me. He did. I still have all the tape recordings filled with his knowledge and wisdom in regards to restaurant work.I was doing magic since 1968 but now I wanted to make the leap and was scared.One of the first things Eugene told me was that he was also scared.He related to me one very embarrassing situation that occured to him in his early years when he just started working in a fern type bar restaurant in Chicago and how he told himself this situation would never happen again. I give Eugene Burger alot of credit . He had to be very brave to go out there and learn from his mistakes.I am still learning some very painful lessons albeit they would have been even more painful if I hadn't listened and learned from his words.Get a mentor. When the student is ready the teacher will appear.
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