Hello Fellow Magicians!

-First of all, I picked the most active forum to post this in as I didn't find a forum that would be most efficient for my post, so the moderators can feel free to move this to where it is supposed to be...if its fine being here...I thank you for letting it stay.

OK! I finally finished my promotional video and sent it out for duplication of 1000 mini DVDs to hand out to potential clients.

If you would be so kind as to take a looksie at my video and tell me what you think that would be great! Keep in mind the quality is HORRIBLE right here because I had to compress it a lot for easier downloading - its in High Definition on the mini DVD.

I'm 17 years old...Performing for about 8 Years...Here it is:
http://www.nickstucko.magicalhost.info/promovideo1.wmv

I'm sort of looking for the older more professional magicians to shed some advice on this matter...as experience is gold in my eyes when it comes to advice.

The good, the bad...I'd like to hear it all for my next 1000...as I'd make changes.

I used Sony Vegas 6.0 to make this and if anyone needs help making one of their own feel free to PM me!

Thank you so much in advance!

Nick Stucko

Hi Nick,

Your video shows confidence, enthusiasm, and you seem ambitious -- which is great. Your intro is cool - good card work. The stage show was a little weak. You need to engage the audience in some way. I felt the effects did not come off strong enough. You also repeated the streamers in the intro. One thing that helps sell is clips of audience reactions. I think your stage show may sell to school shows if you include kids - I'm not sure it's strong enough for a more adult audience.

Just my thoughts -- good luck!!

D. Duane

Well, first I can tell that you are from my neck of the woods by your area code: rockland county.

Nicely produced.

But here is what I would say are my problems with it:

1. It is too long.
2. You don't present yourself into the end of the video. I would present yourself earlier.
3. I think what sells a perspective employer is not what tricks you do, but what the reaction of the audience is. It is not David Blaine's tricks that are interesting to watch, but the reactions he gets. I would include reaction shots.
4. I would probably create a seperate video for each market sector: one for kids, one for corporate, one for resturants, etc.
5. Testimonials are always great.
6. I thought the stage magic section was long and the effects drawn out. I would look for something that is more immediate and faster and more impressive.

You really only have a few seconds to get peoples attention. Put the strong, flashy, quick stuff up front or no one will make it to the end.

Thank you very much for your advice guys...and yes I am in Orange County New York...I'll definately try to get some footage of reactions on my next 1000 along with testimonials, and possibly more variety of footage.

BY THE WAY...On the DVD, there are two videos - The first video is the whole promo video BUT it ends after "Call or email us......"

The second is the full clip of one of my shows. I just put the two videos together to show you guys.

Thanks!

Nick Stucko.

Nick first off I would NOT use the mini CD if I were you. They are not easily compatable with all machines. You don't want that.

Now for the actual material.

I would eliminate the first 3 minutes alltogether. It really adds nothing. You only have a certain amount of time to impress a client, why waste it with that?

Truthfully it is pretty obvious where the CDs are comming from.

Yep the quality is horrible, but so are the shots themselvs. You can hardly see who you are in it. I would think seriously if you are going to get 1000 of them done, to spend some money to get a professional shot instead of a static camera shot.

Why are you showing the same clip 2 times on a 6 minute video? NOT a great idea.

I also don't think you should list all things on one thing. Have a seporate promo set for clown work and stage work and close up and so on.

IF (and I say if) you were using "spikers", which it seems you were, make them less obvious. (people yelling no matter what goes on to get the rest of the people into it). Not saying they are bad, but at some points when only 2 or 3 people are screaming wildly you get the idea that the performer may know them. Like as an example when the CDs came out, nobody else reacted and here they are screaming like Elvis just took the stage. Maybe this was unintentional and they were just excited friends. Problem is agents are not dumb and KNOW of spikers.

I don't know if the music seemed appropriate to me. You moved from trick to trick to trick, and it never changes.

Rethink stage dress as black against a black backdrop, sometimes all but your shirt and face disappear.

I hope all of this helps some. None of it is meant to be negative, just be conscious of who you are sending to too and know they get about a 100 a week.

Thank you very much for your advice...let me throw some insight your way:

1.) What are spikers? If you are saying people are screaming loudly to get other people into it..like my friends well...that was a school performance of over 800 people and they ALL know me and anticipated my performance....they are all my friends....and well...thats all I have to say about that matter.

2.) Please read my post above yours...on the DVD it is in menu form and there are two videos...the first is the promo video cut after where it says "Email us or call...." and the second the clip from one of my shows.

3.) I am not sending this out to companys...I hand it out to either interested parents after a show, or when I am doing walkaround/restaurant I tell my laymen that I do shows and if they are interested, I give them the video.

4.) Mini DVDS are compatible with ALL DVD players and DVD ROM drives on computers. Its as simple as that. The only thing they might not be compatible with is DVD players from over 4 years ago...but never the less they work with ALL if not MOST DVD players in the US.

5.) STAGE DRESS: I went through many different styles and that is what fits me best. It won't be changed.

OTHER: You can hardly see who I am in those clips because A - I had to darken it a bit and raise contrast because the quality was so horrible after compression...in the original its HIGH DEFINITION. Realize what that is. Its clear as can be and is over 4 gigabyte on my computer.

I KNOW you aren't trying to be mean or anything just helpful and I TRUTHFULLY appreciate it...but don't be afraid to say whats good about the video to hehe.

...unless you don't think theres anything good about it.

Thanks again!

Nick Stucko.

Ok your stage dress is a matter of being seen against a backdrop. NOT a matter of taste. Don't take offense it is a fact sorry.

Second I said if you used spikers it is fine. I am just saying it should be less obvious.

Go to the Tricky Business section and read about mini DVD and tell me they are compatable and that is that. Your simply wrong. They do NOT go with any machine and lots of people who are a bit older may not know they even have an inner tray in the DVD players. Like it or not people are not as smart as you are.

What is the advantage to mini anyhow? Just curious.

Now you asked for things that could be helped. You didn't ask us to stroke your ego and tell you what was great about it. Truth hurts. Showing duplicate clips implies you don't have nearly enough show to have more clips. Sorry but it is a fact.

Your trying to sell a show. How can you sell an evening show with basically the same 2 clips?

The other thing is that people have no idea "who" you are from this video. IF they already know you then great it may not be as big a deal, but the video has 0 interaction with the audience. I don't think that is good.

Oh and if that was the reaction from 800 people eagerly anicipating your show, the reactions were a bit stunted.

Another word for laymen is "potential customers".

I notice you don't address the CD trick. Nothing to say?

See your making excuses as if this is a confrontation. I am sorry for that and didn't mean to be confrontational. BUT you asked, sorry I won't keep bothering you.

Why are you approaching this as a competition as to who knows more and is more professional. We all know your probably this big professional that does 10 shows a day...I'm trying to START my career here.

The advantage to a mini dvd is that I can fit it in my pockets just fine when I am doing walk around, and woman and such can fit it in their pocket books or simply pockets for that matter and they don't have to carry a cd with them everywhere.

Now...yes...thats true, I didn't ask anyone to stroke my ego...but honestly, why would you say the truth hurts? Whats the truth? That I suck? That I am a bad magician. That I am a stupid little kid? Cause I have a little more confidence in myself then to think that....and if your asking ME if the truth hurts well...definately not. Cause in my opinion I think I did a fairly good job on the video AND in that particular show.

ALSO....I AM NOT SHOWING DUPLICATE CLIPS!!!.....THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE....S-E-P-A-R-A-T-E videos on the DVD....so the first video they watch WONT have duplicate clips in the video.

I just included the whole show for those who were a little more interested.

"I notice you don't address the CD trick. Nothing to say?"

Whats there to address? Nothing was said about it. Listen...I'm not hear to argue...I am here to accept constructive criticism...and your FIRST post WAS constructive...but now, your battling me. And you seem on the older side...why would you "battle" a 17 year old anyway? Why do you care? Just leave it at this please...I don't want this to go any further...seriously I am just looking for some advice on my video.....I'm sorry if I stuck a nerve on you and I am sorry for continuing this confrontation. Lets just be adults here and end it ok? Thanks man.

Nick Stucko.

PS: Any more constructive advice would be great! Thanks!

Ok Nick listen lets remove the heat.

I NEVER SAID YOU SUCK now did I? I never said you were a stupid little kid.

Ok? You said that not me. So lets settle down.

Now for mini CD's. IF you carry them with you, they crack pretty easily. They are quite impracticle for that reason. There is nothing wrong with you going to your bag and getting a full sized one when you are asked for it. People also have no real place to store them. They get easily missplaced and that is not good.

See if you have all of this information on ONE DVD of any size, it is duplicate. If they like the first part enough to watch the second part, it will be disappointing to see exactly the same clips. Do you think someone chooses which one to watch?

So in that respect, they definatly ARE duplicate clips. I realise you may not have as much material as needed to do new clips, but like I said people are just going to say, "I already saw that". I wasn't the first one to mention this by the way.

As for trying to battle a 17 year old, hey I was trying to help. I will stop. The fact that I have been doing this professionally for longer than you have been breathing should not make you want to listen to me. You have no reason to listen to me.
Do it how you will, I wish you the best. Good luck.

Good reply Nick.

I think you did a great job for your first time out and you have great presence.

I didn't even see the second half the first time. I just thought it ended at the contact info.

Again: keep it fast paced, get rid of the filler (I think the type slows it down quite a bit in the beginning). Put in some kids stuff and some reaction shots. (think MTV style editing) and I'm sure you will get a ton of gigs. I think mini-disks are fine. You will get most of your gigs from word of mouth anyway.

Another good way of getting gigs: print up some flyers and business cards: do a lot of street fairs and library gigs. I have a friend that does music for children's birthday parties and he is booked solid and that is how he gets most of his gigs.

Thank you for resolving the problem...and again man I THANK you for trying to help me. The fact of the matter is is...your right, I do not have much material TAPED and ON MY COMPUTER. That doesn't mean I don't do many shows. Someone was kind enough to film me and send me a copy of the tape a couple days after the show...so I edited that a bit and included it on my video.

Lets just drop the conflict over the mini cds. To be honest, I am a pretty efficient guy when it comes to cost. Mini cds came out to be significantly cheaper as overhead when I got the 1000. I know your probably thinking "well if you want to go big you gotta go the extra mile" and yes I AM saying that...not you, because I DID think about that myself...but this is the first time I did this. I trial things...I see what works best. If the Mini's don't work to well...the next thousand I will go regular size. It really isn't a big issue. I test things as I go along, as does many other people.

Again I APPREACIATE your help...I WANT your help...please continue with whatever else you'd like to share with me...this whole confrontation shouldn't of even happened in the first place.

Just keep in mind that yes...you've been doing this FAR LONGER then I was even born...you know whats good and whats not good...you've been around long enough to know whats the best. that's why I seek your advice...but realize that this is the first time I did something like this to try and expand my business further....I'm learning here...your teaching....and again thank you....

Nick Stucko.

Posted: Dec 14, 2006 5:18pm
Thanks a lot Bill...and Yes I do have business cards....I use Overnightprints.com they give 1000 glossy with free U/V for only 39 bucks I believe it is.

I mail out circulars to schools and such and I put flyers up on town bulletin boards.

Heres my business card:

http://www.nickstucko.magicalhost.info/mybusinesscard.jpg

Thanks!

Lol.

That came outa nowhere!

I love it!

I love the Café, I love the topics, and most of all, I love the ridiculous arguments that break out.

Thanks for keeping me entertained.

Every time you try to tape, something happens.

THAT is a rule. A storm, something conspires to make it so it will not work.

I don't understand but...thanks for that!

Don't be afraid to add anything else everyone!

Nick Stucko.

I was just pointing out Murphy's Law.

Murphy's Law...yes it is true. I can do 30 straight, nearly flawless shows and yet the one that I tape even if it's just for myself, something goofy goes wrong in the show.

I agree that the beginning of the demo was much more entertaining than the second half. The stage magic bit could have showed off more magical, if I will, looking effects. I also agree that showing audience participation and reactions would be a strong selling point. One last thing is that I would cut the demo after the contact info. As long as you're including a second dvd with an entire performance, why make the demo any longer than it needs to be? Short and sweet works as a general rule of thumb.

All in all I still say it looks pretty good for your first professional demo. Well done!

Thank you very much!

Nick.

Can I be a bit of a jerk? (OF COURSE I CAN, AS A MATTER OF FACT I AM GOOD AT IT)

Yes for your "first promo video" it is great. BUT, and this is the jerk part, nobody you are giving it to knows this. AND THEY SHOULDN'T. So when you give it to them, you are stacked up against all other videos. No qualifiers. If you hand it out expecting to get money, then you can't add qualifiers like "good for your first video".

IF your going to jump in and be a professional, then do it. Don't use qualifiers. "Oh I am only a kid", and such. (NOBODY did that it was an example only)

Sorry if this seems harsh, I don't mean it to be, but don't use age as a crutch, use it as a strength! "Wow he is great, and he is ONLY 17". Sounds a little better.

Yea...I see your point there...Maybe I approached making this video the wrong way?

Nick.

Hey Man,
Beezer109 I think you should step away from the promo for a week or two just forget about it for a while. Then come back a take a look at it, I think you will realize that maybe you just got caught in the excitement of making one.
What I mean is that your skill and presence is awesome. Your promo however does not give your talent justice. The intro was great, the text part that follows it kind of cheapened the video. It reads like an infomercial.Your stage act was cool just poorly shot, even if the original is at a better resolution.
Creating a promo is exciting you should have fun doing it. Just becareful not to rush it and use less than your best!
Stay Cool, and keep rocking the crowds!