Does anyone know where...
- Thread starter Ethinzz
- Start date
People need to see you perform "live" out in about. Prime example: If I am at any type of function...no matter what it is....(church, graduation party...meeting...dinner...bar...) I ALWAYS have 3 effects and business cards on me ready to go. I know the set and patter like the back of my hand.
Chances are there will be someone at the event who watches you and asks for a business card or will follow up with: "Do you do kids birthday parties?" This is typically how it will start. Word of mouth is your BEST advertising and it spreads fast. It can also be detrimental if you have some poor shows or performances. Ha Ha.
Once you get a few gigs under your belt by word of mouth and business cards.... Then comes the website with photos and testimonials and then it will begin to snowball for you.
Chances are there will be someone at the event who watches you and asks for a business card or will follow up with: "Do you do kids birthday parties?" This is typically how it will start. Word of mouth is your BEST advertising and it spreads fast. It can also be detrimental if you have some poor shows or performances. Ha Ha.
Once you get a few gigs under your belt by word of mouth and business cards.... Then comes the website with photos and testimonials and then it will begin to snowball for you.
I have been preforming on the streets for awhile and have no stage fright really..I can do whatever and ALWAYS have a deck of cards on me wherever i go. Im just looking for places to preform, like parties or such. Im a little young so i cant do bars and stuff like that.
But my guess is ( I could be way off base), to the common public you probably look like a teenage kid messing around with cards. You are probably not in venues where there are potential clients. Age is also a factor. Most adults are not going to give a young kid the time of day let alone go see if they are available to entertain their guests at the next company picnic.
Are there places you can go where there would be adults in big groups? For example: Ask your local library if you could put on a half hour show during a summer reading week. Or maybe you could perform at a vacation bible school event. I'm just trying to give you other ideas. If you are seen at actual locations / buildings where adults know that you've been hired to work (even if it was free) then they know you must be pretty serious and might be approachable for an event.
Are there places you can go where there would be adults in big groups? For example: Ask your local library if you could put on a half hour show during a summer reading week. Or maybe you could perform at a vacation bible school event. I'm just trying to give you other ideas. If you are seen at actual locations / buildings where adults know that you've been hired to work (even if it was free) then they know you must be pretty serious and might be approachable for an event.
I just have to say that unless you actually have something mapped out and planned. You'll just be setting yourself up to look like a complete fool. This also goes for doing free gigs for charities and Hospitals. Just because they are aren't paying you, doesn't mean that they don't expect some talent or professionalism on your part.
As for the "gigs" thing. I take it that you are probably still in school (I could be wrong, but the incredible vagueness of the post) suggests that you most likely are still in grade school perhaps and really are too young to be thinking about paying clients and gigs. Wait a few years till you're in college or after college ad when you have some experience performing as well as an idea of what you want to achieve.
As for the "gigs" thing. I take it that you are probably still in school (I could be wrong, but the incredible vagueness of the post) suggests that you most likely are still in grade school perhaps and really are too young to be thinking about paying clients and gigs. Wait a few years till you're in college or after college ad when you have some experience performing as well as an idea of what you want to achieve.
You've been given some solid information but I'm going to shatter your world a bit in that "busking" can work against you in some instances, but especially if you're shooting for legit paid gigs. Given your age and circumstances I'd find a local family dining facility be it a pizza joint (locally owned, not a big chain store) or a place like Red Robin or one of the big Buffet chains. Talk to the manager and tell him that you would like the opportunity to come in a few nights a week to do table-side magic and ask if it would be ok to put some brochures at or near the check-out that tell folks about hiring you "In-House" for private parties. Understand, you are offering to sell a service from which their business benefits -- the private parties, be it a birthday party of anniversary means sales of product so chances are in your favor they'll go for it.
Dress nice and be well groomed when you approach the facility and when you work! Make especially sure that you have fresh breath.
If at all possible, get yourself a simple web site up and set in a style that can easily match the art design features used in your business cards, letter-head (real or in your eMail. . .consistency is the key to creating a "brand" around yourself). You don't need to pay a fortune for them, but have some nice photos of you on the web site and where possible, action shots of you working on the street, in an eatery and someone's living room . . . you may need to stage some of these shots with people you know (make sure to use different people however, when it comes to each setting).
Your web site is an electronic brochure and because of your age, it doesn't have to be fancy or over-done. In fact, you will hurt yourself if you go too over the top with the flash and whistles... KEEP IT SIMPLE . . . you're young and it's perfectly fine.
If you have a deal with a location don't forget to plug them in your physical brochure as well as on the web page -- make them your friend!
Get quotes! People that have VIP status are always excellent for a line or two, but start with general reactions from people that watch you. Get their name, age, etc so you can credit them to the quote and the event, their position in life, etc.
I've jumped around a bit but I think I've shared some reasonable perspectives;
1.) Get the Location -- it's ok to work for tips or a nominal mode of compensation for now; say $20.00 a shift + food/meal credits and personal sodas.
2.) Create a Market Presence & Brand -- this refers to your physical brochure as well as the Web Site and Business Cards. You want to maintain consistency of appearance, fonts & style so that people can readily recognize you and not get you confused with other magicians in your region.
3.) Have Your Product Ready -- (which should probably be your starting point). . . You need at least 3 10-minute close-up sets that can rotate as you work the tables, each being easily re-set so you can keep moving. You also need two types of floor shows; one for the kiddies (which will be your bigger market) and one for adults. If you don't have these things, you can't sell them. . . and remember, Card Tricks don't work on little kids; you need fun, easy to follow and yes, "silly" schtick. It may not be what you want to do but it is what makes the money and builds your reputation.
Your "adult" show should not be crass or even slightly naughty in that it will work against you because of your age. Delivering well rehearsed, solid routines such as Rope Magic, Manipulation work with coins/billiard balls, silks, etc. or a variation to such work. Use large sized playing card sets for hustle routines such as the old Sidewalk Shuffle as well as classic gags like the Six Card Repeat. Think of it as the fun adventures of young magicians finding his way in the world . . . .
4.) Be Ready for Rejection! Believe it or not, there are a lot of people in the world that don't like magic and are especially disgusted when it comes to card effects. There are two primary reasons for this; bad/rude performers and the ego-based frustrations of lay people because they can't figure it out. Business wise, some proprietors (in fact, many people in general) still see magic as something for the kids but that's why I suggested family restaurants. But even when it's free, people will have objections and it is something we must be ready to deal with. . . the UCLA Business School actually offered a course on this subject and on failure in business because statistically, these are far more common than success. Learning how to use those experiences however, is what helps you grow professionally and vocationally, so just learn to not take it personal and hang in there.
That's pretty much it.
Dress nice and be well groomed when you approach the facility and when you work! Make especially sure that you have fresh breath.
If at all possible, get yourself a simple web site up and set in a style that can easily match the art design features used in your business cards, letter-head (real or in your eMail. . .consistency is the key to creating a "brand" around yourself). You don't need to pay a fortune for them, but have some nice photos of you on the web site and where possible, action shots of you working on the street, in an eatery and someone's living room . . . you may need to stage some of these shots with people you know (make sure to use different people however, when it comes to each setting).
Your web site is an electronic brochure and because of your age, it doesn't have to be fancy or over-done. In fact, you will hurt yourself if you go too over the top with the flash and whistles... KEEP IT SIMPLE . . . you're young and it's perfectly fine.
If you have a deal with a location don't forget to plug them in your physical brochure as well as on the web page -- make them your friend!
Get quotes! People that have VIP status are always excellent for a line or two, but start with general reactions from people that watch you. Get their name, age, etc so you can credit them to the quote and the event, their position in life, etc.
I've jumped around a bit but I think I've shared some reasonable perspectives;
1.) Get the Location -- it's ok to work for tips or a nominal mode of compensation for now; say $20.00 a shift + food/meal credits and personal sodas.
2.) Create a Market Presence & Brand -- this refers to your physical brochure as well as the Web Site and Business Cards. You want to maintain consistency of appearance, fonts & style so that people can readily recognize you and not get you confused with other magicians in your region.
3.) Have Your Product Ready -- (which should probably be your starting point). . . You need at least 3 10-minute close-up sets that can rotate as you work the tables, each being easily re-set so you can keep moving. You also need two types of floor shows; one for the kiddies (which will be your bigger market) and one for adults. If you don't have these things, you can't sell them. . . and remember, Card Tricks don't work on little kids; you need fun, easy to follow and yes, "silly" schtick. It may not be what you want to do but it is what makes the money and builds your reputation.
Your "adult" show should not be crass or even slightly naughty in that it will work against you because of your age. Delivering well rehearsed, solid routines such as Rope Magic, Manipulation work with coins/billiard balls, silks, etc. or a variation to such work. Use large sized playing card sets for hustle routines such as the old Sidewalk Shuffle as well as classic gags like the Six Card Repeat. Think of it as the fun adventures of young magicians finding his way in the world . . . .
4.) Be Ready for Rejection! Believe it or not, there are a lot of people in the world that don't like magic and are especially disgusted when it comes to card effects. There are two primary reasons for this; bad/rude performers and the ego-based frustrations of lay people because they can't figure it out. Business wise, some proprietors (in fact, many people in general) still see magic as something for the kids but that's why I suggested family restaurants. But even when it's free, people will have objections and it is something we must be ready to deal with. . . the UCLA Business School actually offered a course on this subject and on failure in business because statistically, these are far more common than success. Learning how to use those experiences however, is what helps you grow professionally and vocationally, so just learn to not take it personal and hang in there.
That's pretty much it.
Thanx man for the help, yea, Ive done small things for people around school so doing it in a fam restraunt for a couple people wont be hard. Im not really looking for money right off the bat but im sure I will at some point. Um, yea. Ill give what you said a shot.
Thanx, Ethan
I am also quite young and are was in the same sort of situation. I took up busking and can make up to 140 bucks in 2 hours
(6 X 15 minute shows) and that is a pretty solid amount for a young person like myself. I've been doing this for about a month now and it's great. You learn more about controlling a crowd, what tricks are suitable .etc. then you can learn from any DVD or forum (whilst making some pretty solid money). I have setup a facebook page where most of my audiences like it and they can learn some basic tricks. I am eventually going to start advertising parties .etc. by word of mouth, sign and on my facebook page. I don't know how it's going to turn out but it's pretty good at the moment...
(6 X 15 minute shows) and that is a pretty solid amount for a young person like myself. I've been doing this for about a month now and it's great. You learn more about controlling a crowd, what tricks are suitable .etc. then you can learn from any DVD or forum (whilst making some pretty solid money). I have setup a facebook page where most of my audiences like it and they can learn some basic tricks. I am eventually going to start advertising parties .etc. by word of mouth, sign and on my facebook page. I don't know how it's going to turn out but it's pretty good at the moment...