Announcing: “Changes to Web Site”
Greetings fellow entertainers, event planners, talent bookers, and everyone else who reads this blog (both of you). I apologize for not writing as many posts in recent weeks as I had up to then. As I’m sure you all know, life and work get really busy sometimes. I’m glad to be back and thrilled to share with you all (or y’all as the case may be) regarding some truly exciting changes to my web site which will be implemented very soon.
We will be adding several new pages (I have written the content and someone else will turn it into “computerese”) in an effort to provide a separate page for each comedic element I perform. While the “Stand-up Comedy” Page will receive a slight tweaking, the new pages will include: ”Visual Comedy” (a mixture of Comedy Magic, Prop Comedy, and Physical Comedy routines such as “Bigger-Bigger”, “Some Assembly Required” and “The Balancing Act”), “Comedy Songs” (originals and old tunes will new, comedic lyrics), and “The Comedy of Language” will includes comedic definitions, hilarious poems, and (al a the late Victor borge, phonetic pronunciation, and inflationary language).
We will also be adding a new demo of a performance I gave as part of a showcase at the Improv Comedy Club in Cleveland, Ohio (Go, Browns!)
I hope you find these changes helpful when viewing my web site. As a seasoned performer who has worn many hats over the years, I thought I should showcase the entertainment elements I offer in more user friendly manner.
Read MoreAtmosphere Performing – Getting Paid While Promoting Your Entertainment Business
Greetings my fellow entertainers. I have been wondering, for some time, what kind of New Year’s resolutions performers make (and how well they keep them). Do comics resolve to be even more hysterical? Do jugglers resolve to keep more objects in the air? Do prop comedians resolve to develop more unusual props? Do comedy magicians resolve to be more amazing and more amusing? Do other jesters and buskers resolve to be more assertive in marketing their entertainment services? Do still others resolve to broaden their horizons – Perhaps attempt to attract additional client bases, or add new comedic elements to their artistic repertoire?
Maybe you would like the opportunity to perform more often, and at new and different venues. Have you thought of adding atmosphere entertainment to your entertainment bag of tricks? I hear you silently asking me, “What in the world is atmosphere entertainment?” You may know this old, yet reliable art form by another name. Have you heard other jesters or buskers talking about “table hopping” or “strolling entertainment”. While a stage performance is presented while in front of the audience, atmosphere entertainment is performed from within the audience. This energetic style of performance art involves greeting and entertaining (by either amazing and/or amusing them) members of a crowd “one on one” or in small groups. Then, you move on to your next mini-audience (or someone new approaches you). It’s opening night every two minutes.
You may be able to adapt some of your current entertainment skills for use in atmosphere performing. Many stage magicians earn some very nice dollars doing “close-up magic” in restaurants, bars, night clubs, casinos, or on cruise ships, or at large corporate and civic events. Physical comedians pick up extra money doing their stuff while strolling among large crowds at malls, supermarkets, and large department stores, as well as fairs and festivals. Musicians are well-paid to play their wood winds or strum or pluck their stringed instruments while strolling amid crowds in restaurants and at fairs and festivals. These all also great venues for networking. Always brings a supply of give away items which contain
your name and contact information. Work the giveaways into your mini-performances (the little bits of business you do for one or two, or a few people). As with any business, “point of sale” advertising is an an extremely important part of your overall marketing strategy. The best time to promote yourself is while people are able to see and enjoy what you do.
Maybe you will choose to develop new artistic elements to utilize at your atmosphere gigs. Once, while attending an entertainers’ conference outside of Syracuse, New York, I witness a young man walking his pet blue jay (a wooden letter “j” painted blue). He didn’t have to approach anyone. People came up and started the conversation for him. I have an old Polaroid camera (My wife says I never throw anything away) that I use. I insert a picture postcard of myself (with my contact information) where the film cartridge used to go. Then I take someone’s picture. Then, while handing them my picture, I exhibit surprise at how much we look alike. That way, the giveaway is part of the trick. It’s fun, seamless way to get my contact information into the hands of as many people as possible. Adding atmosphere entertainment to your entertainment repertoire is a great way to get paid to advertise your own business. Remember, every person you meet is a potential client.
If you’re adept at visual arts (Sadly, I am not) you could add face/hand painting to the list of entertainment skills you offer. There are great books about it in every bookstore and, in most libraries. Perhaps, you would like to learn balloon twisting (if, like me, you are full of hot air and don’t fancy a career in politics) and use this profitable art form as a way to supplement your income and promote other parts of your entertainment package. Kids (and many adults) will flock to you. And, where there are kids, there are parents. And parent is just another name for potential client. Have giveaways ready for the kids. Color pages rolled up like magic wands (with your performance schedule and contact information included), coloring books, “autographed” picture post cards, mini frisbees, stickers, ball point pens, etc. Kids love these little items and they show them to their parents (who, in turn, see your contact information).
Now, how to get paid? Over the years, I have performed atmosphere entertainment for cash, for barter (see recent posts), for tips, for cash and barter, for cash and tips, for barter and tips, and for for all three. Whatever works for you and your client. Quite often, you can negotiate long-term (weekly, monthly, etc.) atmosphere gigs with venues such as malls, restaurants, and department stores. Then you become a fixture in the minds of your clients, their staff and their patrons. And when they, or someone they know need entertainment, you are the first entertainer they think of.
Well, I know that’s a lot of information. I hope you find it helpful. I firmly believe every building is a potential venue and every person is a potential client. And the person most qualified to market your business is you. Who else has invested as much time, money, and creative and both physical energy as you have?
If you have questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.
P.S: On Wednesday, January 25, 2012 (of course) I will be performing, along with a few new comedy friends, onstage (not atmosphere entertainment) at the Improv Comedy Club in Cleveland, Ohio. If you live, work, or are going to be in the area,
come out and see us. We would love to meet you.
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Read MoreUnique opportunities for stand-up comedians, comedy magicians, comedy sketch writers/ performers, and other persons of infinite jest.
I would like to wish a Happy New Year to my fellow entertainers, all you stand-up comedians, comedy magicians, ventriloquists, puppeteers, jugglers, dancers, singers, hypnotists, clowns, balloon artists, comedy sketch writers/ performers, improvisation artists, and other women and men of infinite jest.
My last post was in response to yet another complaint about comedy club owners and managers who who employ “pay to play” (a fee to get onstage) and “bringer show” (bring five to ten friends to get stage time) open mic policies. Today, I will talk about another alternative to the policies as well as how to get gigs during a time when prospective clients aren’t hiring entertainers due to the “sluggish” economy.
The alternative I wish to offer is using barter (accepting goods or services in lieu of cash for your performance) in order to get more opportunities to perform. During my entertainment career, I have negotiated barter arrangements with numerous clients. I have performed for many retail clients (Grocery, Department, Jewelry, Athletic), restaurants (fast food and sit down dining), gyms, and other clients in the Central Ohio area, for cash, barter or a combination of the two.
You can also negotiate barter arrangements with bars (drinks and food), casinos (food, drinks, rooms, gambling chips), hotels, and resorts (food, drinks, sleeping rooms, meeting/event rooms). You may even be able to strike a deal with a comedy club to perform for food and drinks.
Is performing for barter really worth it, I hear you asking yourself? Consider this. You can negotiate for goods and services you would, otherwise, have to purchase for cash. And the amount you get can be more than you would get in cash.
One public pool/gym gave me a year long, family membership for one performance.
There’s an old show business saying, “Work begets work”. Not only does entertaining for barter keep your performing skills sharp, it also exposes your skills to the entertainment buying public. In other words, barter gigs lead to cash gigs. All of these barter gigs are places to schmooze with customers and hand out your business cards and other Point of Sale devices. A word of caution, though. Also explain, to your barter clients, that the arrangement is to be kept in the strictest of confidence. Otherwise, the customers will want to pay you in barter as well.
Just to restate my case for accepting good and services from some clients in exchange for your entertainment skills. Performing barter will increase your seasoning (performing experience) and your opportunities to work for cash. And, after all, if your prospective has already refused to hire you for money, you have nothing to lose by offering to perform for barter. And you may be delightedly surprised by their response. They may even hire you on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, etc.). One more idea springs to mind. Pass on this advice to all of your friends in the entertainment business and you can all get together and trade coupons in your very own barter coupon swap meet.
My next post will be about New Year’s Resolutions. Again, Happy New Year! And may using barter as a negotiating tool in the year 2012 keep you and your artistic skills as busy as you have always wanted to be.
Read MoreRecording and Distributing Comedy and Other Entertainment A la DYI
The following two paragraphs are from a contribution by Roger Blazic to a Linkedin Group called, “Comedy Depreciation” Hosted by the very talented comedic writer and performer Frannie Sheridan. Thank you, Roger and Frannie.
“Comedian Louis Szekely, better known as Louis C.K., is profiting handsomely from a $5 video of his latest standup routine, which he produced and distributed himself.
Instead of partnering with a studio, C.K. hired a team with six cameras to tape two of his performances at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan. He distributed the video through a website specially built for that purpose. Within 12 hours of going on sale Saturday, 50,000 people purchased the video, covering all of costs incurred for its production (around $170,000) and creation of the website ($32,000). By day four, he had sold 110,000 copies, making an additional $200,000 off the venture.”
Well readers, both of you? Does this spark any ideas among my fellow entertainers and speakers? It certainly does with me. You can do this, too. Perhaps, not on the same scale, but it needn’t be on the same scale. If you can make a little money and get your name out there, why not give it a shot?
Whether you’re a comedy artist like Louis C.K., a singer (with a band, or a soloist), a dancer, a motivational speaker, or whatever type of performer you are. Don’t just sit there waiting for something to happen or for some agent to discover you!! They don’t have time for that, anymore. Before you’re next gig (What’s that I hear some of you say? You don’t have any upcoming gigs? Stage your own. Rent a small, local theater. If your local theaters are budget breakers, rent a hall at your friendly, neighborhood American Legion, AmVets, Elks, Moose, etc. and sell tickets) , contact a nearby (near where you live or near where your performing venue) college and hire a student (their rates are reasonable because they always need money for tuition, books, tattoos, body piercing, and gourmet/designer coffee) to record your show and prepare it for online distribution and back of room sales.
As for marketing, get some fliers printed up and put them on car windshields at large stores and malls. Don’t bother hanging them in store windows because, since cell phones became the “Swiss Army Knives” of communication and entertainment, nobody looks up while their walking down the street anymore. Mention your upcoming performance on your web site (repeatedly). Tell your friends, Tell your relatives, Tell your co-workers (if you’re transitioning from a day job). Tell other entertainers in your area. Tell strangers on the street. Take out an ad in your local penny saver newspaper.
I will be doing this, on the smaller scale, in 2012. I will be renting entertainment venues around central Ohio (Columbus and surrounding cities) and recording my performances for online distribution and for back of room sales at future events. It will be a brand new, original, comedy variety show featuring: stand-up comedy, comedy magic, prop comedy, physical comedy, humorous song parodies (with guitar), impressions comedy storytelling, and comedic voices.
Read MoreStop and smell the roses – - and enjoy the jokes, too – - Live, love, laugh – - Then do it all over again.
In the words of comedian Lewis Black, “We don’t celebrate holidays anymore. We just seem to enjoy announcing their arrival.” Lewis has a point. Some of the stores in my area (Columbus, Ohio) had some of their employees setting up Christmas displays at the same time the store’s other employees were putting away the Halloween display. So much for Thanksgiving! And the retail stores are not alone in their zeal to herald the coming of each new holiday without allowing time to properly observe the previous one. From restaurants to car dealerships, every business outlet seems to be in an all-fired hurry to ring in the next holiday with an enormous “deal of the century” sale.
And, apparently, entertainers are no more immune to this holiday heralding hysteria than retailers. I say this because the Linkedin group for stand-up comedians’ question of the week is, “What are your career goals for the coming new year?” Well, in the spirit of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” I have been considering what I would like to accomplish both personally and in the comedy business during the year 2012. Not unlike a lot of people, I would love to lose some weight (about 40 pounds) next year. Toward that end, I have pledged to eat less and exercise more during 2012. I would also like for music to be a bigger part of my personal and professional life. So I have purchased a guitar and will be starting lessons soon. My hope is to write and perform comedic song parodies (always giving credit to the writer of the original lyrics). I would also like to travel more. At this writing, I am completing my passport application with the intention of visiting Costa Rica next summer. And, like most people these days, I wouldn’t mind earning a few more of those little green pieces of paper printed by the Treasury Department (to help pay for the guitar lessons and the traveling).
Mostly, I have to say, I would like to make more people laugh and make people laugh more. This will mean writing and performing a lot of new material, which I really enjoy and look forward to. And, I would like to spend more time laughing (and not just at myself).
Here’s to the coming year, and surviving the last thirty-nine days of this one.
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