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Need Advice on "Valentine" themed effects

C

Calev

Nov 27, 2012
11
0
Hello everyone! my school is doing a fund raiser for Valentine's day and I was asked to perform as part of the event, the idea is simple, I have to approach some couples and appear roses or pieces of chocolate.
Any advice on some sources of this kind of knowledge would be appreciated (or similar effects for that matter)
Thanks in advance! (and I'm sorry for any grammatical mistakes, I am still learning English)
 
Making roses appear over and over like that for couples could prove to be a bit tricky...no pun intended. I highly recommend Michael Mode's Napkin Roses. They are very easy to make and you can get the DVD and supplies here. I know Michael personally and have used these before.

http://www.napkinrose.com/product_p/specialoffer.htm

Another idea you could do is perform with the linking hearts rubber bands found here

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Souv...al-magic-magic-teaching-video/1599085933.html

Just some suggestions.
 
Vernet makes a flower production in which you can produce a couple dozen paper flowers at your finger tips. . . somethiing like a Miser's Dream. . . you could open with this and then do a simple torn & restored "Heart". . . a paper heart with a story behind it, about a love that tore your heart to pieces and upon restoration, you tell how that love returned to you. Close by rolling the paper heart into a paper rose and walk it out to a young lady in the audience (or a guy if you prefer) and as a second thought, let it burst into flame and become a real rose (ala Kevin James). It's a short, sweet and pretty act that will run under 5 minutes if you plan it all out correctly.
 
Craig I guess maybe I was confused on what he was doing. To me it sounded like he need repeatable strolling effects by the way he mentioned he was told to be able to walk up to couples and perform. But yes, by all means, if it is more of a one and done stage piece he should go more your route. I guess I was envisioning it wrong. Perhaps some more details from this guy would help for sure.
 
I simply think it would be far more practical to do this sort of routine once and be done with it in that doing a repetitive routine at each table not only gets boring for the performer, it destroys the element of surprise and wonder not to mention, risks exposure. YOU NEVER REPEAT AN EFFECT unless you have several alternative methods that can replicate it.

I think the OP is just too short on time to pull this together for this season but should consider the challenge and make the investment on materials, such as a himber ring and similar bits that can be made intimate and carry the Valentine message if he wants to stroll at an event doing theme appropriate routines. There used to be a Rose on the market that worked similar to Ring Flight in which a vanished ring ended up inside the bud of the rose, Copperfield did it on one of his specials some years back and it kills. Depending on your slight of hand skills you can create a Snow Storm effect using the petals of a flower (but not at an event where food & drinks are being served. In such cases save this for the stage)

Get creative and cut your own sponge pieces into hearts and do a modified sponge ball sequence. . . we could go down a long list when it comes to modifying known props let alone patter that can tie into this or most any other theme. The point is, it takes time to pull such things together, especially if you want quality in your end product.
 
Thanks a lot! As for the effects, I do need some repeatable routines, but I think I need to convince my colleagues to let me do some strolling effects and then do a stage show (I guess I could draw people in with some minor routines and then do one short but hard-hitting performance), and as Craig said, I'll try to be more prepared for events like these (which are the ones that will give me the most valuable experience).
Your advice is really appreciated, I will consider all of this suggestions for any future performances!
 
Calev said:
Thanks a lot! As for the effects, I do need some repeatable routines, but I think I need to convince my colleagues to let me do some strolling effects and then do a stage show (I guess I could draw people in with some minor routines and then do one short but hard-hitting performance), and as Craig said, I'll try to be more prepared for events like these (which are the ones that will give me the most valuable experience).
Your advice is really appreciated, I will consider all of this suggestions for any future performances!
Click to expand...

Let me give you a hint as to how to be prepared. . . I'm working on Halloween material right now in that I have to start marketing it no later than July in order to flesh out a schedule to my liking. . . planning at least 4-6 months in advance of a holiday is actually what you find in most marketing scenarios whether it's a magic show or selling a soda brand. When we were asked by Lincoln-Mercury to create a piece for the Rose Bowl, we started over a year in advance and that was normal for that company.

When you do things this way you're not just prepared with routines in mind, you can have video, photos and related literature at the ready that will show literal highlights of what you will be delivering. It's not an easy habit to get into initially in that you have to prioritize your investments as well as being effective at time management. I just got a piece in this past week that I probably won't use until May and even then, it's a one shot PR bit. . . $50.00 for an effect I probably won't ever repeat in order to gain the optimum effect it's meant to generate -- word of mouth.

These are the sort of things we need to think about as we prepare to move forward in our professional lives. ;-)
 
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