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WolfGod Regular user 112 Posts |
I love doing bizarre and haunted magic but have a hard time booking shows. I live in Pittsburgh and have learned the hard way that there are some very superstitious people in this town. I've had people cross themselves when they see me and one person asked me, "Do you summon demons?"
Are there any avenues of advertising and promotion I can turn to that are less likely to yield dead ends from these types? |
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Silvertongue Inner circle One day I will die leaving behind 2426 Posts |
Look for goth clubs in the city. Make connections and explore avenues. The web is a great resource so use it. I get the impression you are quiet young though. Maybe dress all in black. A Marlyn Manson type maybe?
Create a simple website that you can send people via business card to, which explains what you do. What is it about you that makes people sign the cross and ask if you summon Demons? Welcome to the Café God of Wolves
For as long as space exists,
And living beings remain in cyclic existence, For that long, may I too remain, to dispel the sufferings of the world. -Shantideva Engaging in the Conduct of a Bodhisattva |
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WolfGod Regular user 112 Posts |
To answer your questions, yes I am young. 23 actually, 24 next month.
I have two modes of dress: street wear (jeans and band T-shirts mostly) and dressy-casual (a blazer). However I have a goatee, long hair, and a deep bass/baritone voice. I give off a bit of a rocker vibe, though I do have a dark side. I'd say the main reason I'm getting this though is because I'm part of a media company called Witching Hour Productions. Cool name, but it tends to put the religious folks on edge. Truth be told, I'm an agnostic and I really don't care to deal with people who can't tell fantasy from reality. I just need some help circumventing them and finding a more receptive audience. I'll need to find out which clubs in town are specifically Goth or have a Goth night. I've also noticed that I've lost a couple shows to Tarot readers and fortune tellers. They've also been noticeable at a couple of festivals I was hired to work at. With that in mind, I'm working on a sorcerer-type mentalism show with Tarot and Zodiac effects and perhaps a little more. I figure if that's the sort of thing people want to see, why fight it? |
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Sir Loyal user 212 Posts |
They often say that no exposure is bad exposure. These people recognize you and it will only be a matter of time before enough of the right people indulge their curiosity and check you out. I say don't change. You have created the mystery, now let your magic do the rest. People will judge regardless. Stay true to your craft. There are plenty in the world who conform to some "acceptable" level of homogenization. Be appreciated for your own style, brother.
"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."
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matt straightedge New user 90 Posts |
Check out the book "capricornian tales" if you havent already. sounds like it would be right up your alley. also all publicity is good publicity, turn it to your advantage. shouldnt be too hard if people already assume you have powers and havent seen you at work yet. if I was booking a bizarre show and people knew me as the guy that "summoned demons" id be THRILLED!
Revolutionary but gangster
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matt straightedge New user 90 Posts |
Wow sir and I posted at the same time. is there an echo in here??
Revolutionary but gangster
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Review King Eternal Order 14446 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-10-08 18:50, WolfGod wrote: There's a Hellmouth under Pittsburgh ( one of the more larger one's in the world ). Being agnostic, while interesting, may not prove to be in your best interest if you run into a demon ( I gather you work mostly at night, perhaps late and that increases your chances of an encounter ). Most encounters end relatively quickly, so being a non-believer will cost you critical seconds, that you can't spare, in reacting ( deer caught in the headlight sort of thing ). Just something to think about.
"Of all words of tongue and pen,
the saddest are, "It might have been" ..........John Greenleaf Whittier |
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WolfGod Regular user 112 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-10-08 23:35, Sir wrote: I'm not saying I want to change my style. I'm just looking for practical advice on how to avoid having to deal with a bunch of superstitious nitwits and wasting my time on pursuing avenues that I'm just going to lose anyway. I have a family-friendly comedy show that I pitched to a school, but I lost it because the school board is full of old ladies who all think I'm a real sorcerer that will corrupt the children. They did end up hiring a magician, just not me. Yeah, building a rep is important. But the job market here in Pittsburgh is not a pleasant one and since I just lost a contract for a theme park gig, I need to be working. And it's a waste of my time to continually get snubbed because some Bible-thumping granny can't tell apart an entertainer from a stereotype of witches never seen outside of Hollywood. |
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KOTAH Inner circle 2290 Posts |
You do not want to change your style. By that, do you mean your style of performance? You could consider changing your look, and thus the perceotion others have of you i.e. lose the goatee and long hait, going for a mor mainstream look; painful as that may be. Is your image more important to you than getting work? How do you respond when people cross themselves? Do you move on, or engage them? Maybe a simple good morning, or peace be with you, would sway them in your favor. If all else fails, you could get the he--out of Pittsburg <g>
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fraughton Veteran user of books 327 Posts |
I have faced the same challenges. In the end we have to make a choice: either we stay true to our art and we allow the "forbidden" elements to carry us where they may, or we go commercial. One thought you may consider is that as a bizarrist, you are actually succeeding in good form when the fundamentalist community has general warnings about you. I congratulate you on this.
It is a tough market for sure. No one would hold it against you if you chose to pursue a more (generally) marketable image. Still, once you find your niche market in Bizarre Magic, things could work out very well. It is unlikely, however, that you'll find a way of "having it both ways". You'll probably have to either be a Bizarrist, or a general Magical Entertainer. In truth, sometimes Bizarre Magic pays well, and sometimes the market is very lean. In the end remember that you are selling a dream, and there is always a market for that. If you are pleasing everybody, then what you produce is likely a product of general (read as safe) pop-culture as opposed to art. Why does it seem that the true artists offend some group or demographic? If some people love what you do, and others don't "get-it", then I think your work has greater artistic potential than other acts. I guess this is a very long way of saying: decide what you want, and do it. If you are an artist, then you have little room to complain when certain demographics are not receptive. You will (presumably after years of hard work) find your market, but you must do this with open eyes (and, most often, a lean budget). If your'e in it for the money, there are better (well, faster) ways of making money. Bizarre Magic is no easy "cash-cow" as most here can tell you. There is a better market than there used to be, and I would project that it will continue to grow, but those making money with it are VERY creative, and school shows are not typically the way they do it. If you are a Bizarrist, then you are a pioneer, and you are cutting trails for others to follow. Unfortunately for most of us here, pioneers work very hard to settle an isolated place. Still, when people begin to settle those places, we know the lay of the land (mostly because we own much of it). You are welcome in this community. Some of the best minds in Magic reside here. Those of us who have performed for a while will offer what advice we can, but in the end we won't be able to tell you how to sell yourself to communities that despise who we are, and what we do. Be creative, tenaceous, and dedicated. You should be able to find a market eventually. We'll help as we can. Remember this: We cannot choose our art; we can only succumb to it.
Beware of this and that.
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fraughton Veteran user of books 327 Posts |
Kotah posted while I was writing, and I really like his idea of engaging those offended by your image.
Positive personal interaction goes a long way toward understanding and acceptance on both sides.
Beware of this and that.
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WolfGod Regular user 112 Posts |
The reason I was planning a school show is because at this early stage in my career I can't be too picky about where the money comes from. I'm working more toward my niche however.
I'm not a bizarrist who has the ooky-spooky stereotypical Goth thing going 24/7. My character is that of a scholar and mystic with an ironic/sarcastic sense of humor. I'm influenced heavily by Eugene Burger, R. Shane, Sean Fields, and Rick Maue. I've created a mythos to my magic as well and refer to myself as a Shadowlander. In January, I'll be enlisting to be ordained as a minister of the Universal Life Church. It's taken time, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one. I know it's not particularly commercial, but it's what I enjoy doing. I just wish I could hit fewer dead ends when the fundie crowd enters the picture. Right now about the only mainstream thing that I do is teach magic to children. In regards to how I react to the fundies, I'm composed, polite, and gracious. I try to be as professional as possible, though I daresay most of them made their minds up about me a long time ago. Based on the advice here, I'm going to start working on turning these hostile reactions into marketing blurbs. |
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Mark Rough Inner circle Ivy, Virginia 2110 Posts |
Just a thought. . . a "normal" looking guy who summons demons is a heck of a lot scarier than Marilyn Manson summoning demons. You expect it from the latter so it's no big surprise. When the former does it, things get. . . freaky.
What would Wavy do?
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WolfGod Regular user 112 Posts |
I'm not Marilyn Manson. I don't even like Manson.
If I had to describe my appearance in one sentence, I would probably say, "Lord Byron if he played guitar in a rock band." I like to think that I occupy a happy middle ground between clean-cut, mainstream American Idol contestant, and mid-career Alice Cooper. |
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fraughton Veteran user of books 327 Posts |
Oh, I do like that idea about turning hostile reactions into marketing blurbs.
Now THAT is what I mean by creative and tenacious. Brain Food by David Parr may be a good book for you as well. Check it out. I am behind you on your endeavors. Whatever you do, do it well.
Beware of this and that.
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WolfGod Regular user 112 Posts |
I'm thinking something along the lines of, "A performer so strong, some believe him to be the real thing." Something pithier of course.
I'll look into Brain Food. In the meantime I'm also reading Buzzmarketing by Mark Hughes and getting some ideas from that. One of his suggestions is to exploit the taboo and make things forbidden. In which case I'm going to put out some ads for my seances with a big red print stating, "All sitters required to sign a waiver to attend the show!" To augment that, once the ads are out there I'll pay a few friends of mine 5 bucks a pop to write letters under fake names to local newspapers and magazines pretending to be more fundies attacking me. |
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Mark Rough Inner circle Ivy, Virginia 2110 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-10-09 09:50, WolfGod wrote: I'm not saying that you do. I think my mistake was using and extreme as an example. I'm just saying that bizarre magic done by someone who looks like your typical suburban everyman can be much more frightening/strange/freaky than bizarre magic done by someone who looks like your typical bizarre magician. What's more frightening. . . reading about someone in the next town over, a clean-cut, quiet guy who dismembers and dines on a neighbor. . . or Charles Manson? I'd say the former because the expectation isn't there. Again, I apologize for using extremes, but you get the idea. You can bill yourself as someone who summons demons, or you can bill yourself as someone who does magic for people (or as an entertainer, mind reader, whatever) . . . and then summon a demon at the party when you get there. I've never billed myself as a bizarre magician, nor have I sought out venues to do bizarre magic. But it's what I do when I get there. I tell stories, I do weird things, I'll have ghosts do things. I sure as sh!t don't do a regular magic show. Yes, you can be odd, different, quirky, whatever. But I think it's to your advantage to be a bit . . . ummm, I can't think of a good word. . . maybe sneakier? . . . less obvious. . . I'm not sure. . . when drumming up business. Why tell people the punch line before you've had a chance to tell the joke?
What would Wavy do?
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KOTAH Inner circle 2290 Posts |
Years ago, long before I grew old and came to look as Kotah looks today; a co-worker found out I did and was interested in magic. I do not know his faith, but he was so pololarized that he feared me as an agent of the devil. The truth be known, he scared me more than I scared him. Twenty years later people in magic and magick know me for who and what I am.
Kotah |
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WolfGod Regular user 112 Posts |
I'm not sure how targeting a niche audience is "giving away the punchline." I'm a close-up magician and that's what I bill myself as.
My problem is that people either find my act or my business offensive due to a lot of religious mumbo-jumbo. I end up losing gigs or I make enemies. I'm just trying to figure out a way to attract new clientelle while at the same time minimizing the chance of running into more of these twits who can't tell fantasy from reality. |
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Mark Rough Inner circle Ivy, Virginia 2110 Posts |
It's not you, I'm just having a difficult time communicating. I'll try again tomorrow. Not eating today (Yom Kippur) is taking its toll on my faculties.
Basically, I think you're on the right track and don't need to worry about the loonies. If you're doing bizarre, you'll disturb them no matter what.
What would Wavy do?
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