Hiya Gang!
Okay, so you've been doing close-up for a while now and are confident of your game. Event planners like you, clients rebook you, and you're firing on all cylinders. The question is, do you now create a stage show? Is it necessary? Will it get you more money?
My advice? Absolutely. With a caveat...
No elephants.
Here's the thing. Our image of a stage show is veeeery different from a corporate planner's idea of a stage show. And I should mention that this essay is looking at this question from the point of view of someone who wants to book "gigs" as opposed to someone who wants to host their own show in a theatre~ a dangerous undertaking if you don't have:
A) A large family of a couple hundred siblings all living within two blocks of you.
or,
B) A large group of people (say 500) that you owe more than $10 to, thereby making it worth their while to buy a ticket and wait for you outside the door when it's over.
but that's a discussion for another time...
Where were we? Oh yeah, elephants. Typically when we imagine of a stage show, we think of Metamorphosis and the like. Event planners, however, are thinking more along the lines of you bringing their co-workers up on stage and everyone laughing at them. Almost like a comedian that uses volunteers. Your job is to find a sort of artistic marriage, somewhere in the middle. So the first question is, why a stage show in the first place?
A) Stage shows charge more money.
B) You will always upsell a Close-up show with your Stage show.
C) Stage shows charge more money.
With "why" out of the way, let's look at "how?"
The Bad News:
My 45 minute after-dinner show has taken me 10 years to perfect. No kidding. Read that again: 10 years = 45 minutes.
The Good News:
It doesn't have to be perfect for you to sell it. Man, my very first stage show was for 400 people and they had a dance floor the size of Lake Erie. My first effect? A goldfish production. Aie yai yai. But you know what? I still cashed the cheque. And I learned something. And I got better.
The Better News:
Performing stage material is infinitely easier to practice than Walk Around. No kidding. Performing (i.e. getting paid) Walk Around magic has so much to do with personality that it can be quite hard, for some, to get the hang of. Stage magic, however, is a cinch. Just march yourself down to any open-mic night at any cafe in your city. You'll know within 3 minutes if you're any good or not. And make no mistake, this will be the number one way for you to learn your act- on stage.
Well, I hope that gives you some insight. Basically, once you've become a solid Walk-Around performer and you want to start making some extra moohlah- put together 10 minutes that you can do at an open-mic night (and don't be afraid if it's only 10 guys with guitars and glasses without lenses. They'll be happy to have something different to mix it up). Once you've got 10 minutes and you know people don't hate you, offer to do your bit at some friends' birthdays and such. Add more effects, do more open mics, repeat. And then offer it up for sale!
And remember- believe in yourself! Copy and paste that. Put it on your wall. Because you are going to fail. You are going to come home one night and wish that you had never heard of Lake Erie. But I promise you, you will make it.
Never give up.
All my best,
jamie d. grant
www.cardsinabottle.com
Okay, so you've been doing close-up for a while now and are confident of your game. Event planners like you, clients rebook you, and you're firing on all cylinders. The question is, do you now create a stage show? Is it necessary? Will it get you more money?
My advice? Absolutely. With a caveat...
No elephants.
Here's the thing. Our image of a stage show is veeeery different from a corporate planner's idea of a stage show. And I should mention that this essay is looking at this question from the point of view of someone who wants to book "gigs" as opposed to someone who wants to host their own show in a theatre~ a dangerous undertaking if you don't have:
A) A large family of a couple hundred siblings all living within two blocks of you.
or,
B) A large group of people (say 500) that you owe more than $10 to, thereby making it worth their while to buy a ticket and wait for you outside the door when it's over.
but that's a discussion for another time...
Where were we? Oh yeah, elephants. Typically when we imagine of a stage show, we think of Metamorphosis and the like. Event planners, however, are thinking more along the lines of you bringing their co-workers up on stage and everyone laughing at them. Almost like a comedian that uses volunteers. Your job is to find a sort of artistic marriage, somewhere in the middle. So the first question is, why a stage show in the first place?
A) Stage shows charge more money.
B) You will always upsell a Close-up show with your Stage show.
C) Stage shows charge more money.
With "why" out of the way, let's look at "how?"
The Bad News:
My 45 minute after-dinner show has taken me 10 years to perfect. No kidding. Read that again: 10 years = 45 minutes.
The Good News:
It doesn't have to be perfect for you to sell it. Man, my very first stage show was for 400 people and they had a dance floor the size of Lake Erie. My first effect? A goldfish production. Aie yai yai. But you know what? I still cashed the cheque. And I learned something. And I got better.
The Better News:
Performing stage material is infinitely easier to practice than Walk Around. No kidding. Performing (i.e. getting paid) Walk Around magic has so much to do with personality that it can be quite hard, for some, to get the hang of. Stage magic, however, is a cinch. Just march yourself down to any open-mic night at any cafe in your city. You'll know within 3 minutes if you're any good or not. And make no mistake, this will be the number one way for you to learn your act- on stage.
Well, I hope that gives you some insight. Basically, once you've become a solid Walk-Around performer and you want to start making some extra moohlah- put together 10 minutes that you can do at an open-mic night (and don't be afraid if it's only 10 guys with guitars and glasses without lenses. They'll be happy to have something different to mix it up). Once you've got 10 minutes and you know people don't hate you, offer to do your bit at some friends' birthdays and such. Add more effects, do more open mics, repeat. And then offer it up for sale!
And remember- believe in yourself! Copy and paste that. Put it on your wall. Because you are going to fail. You are going to come home one night and wish that you had never heard of Lake Erie. But I promise you, you will make it.
Never give up.
All my best,
jamie d. grant
www.cardsinabottle.com
