In my attempt to have all of my different shows as self contained units, I’m working on having separate sets of audio equipment for some of the shows. My kid show that I’m doing for summer camps has just gotten it’s own sound set up.
The only thing not dedicated to this show is the speaker. Here’s the gear list:
- Saramonic Wireless System: transmitter and receiver (transmitter not pictures as it was in my pocket)
- iPhone 6 – I bought this used from a pawn shop. It’s never set up as a phone, I only use it as a music player.
- Flic Button – this is to control the music
- Powerbank with Built in Cords
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Giant Linking Safety Pins
Years ago I built a set of soft pins for the linking pins trick out of giant 5 inch safety pins. These aren’t as easy to make as you’d think. There are a couple of challenges, like the safety pin take a lot of force to open and close. The tension on the spring make getting the pin over the lip a challenge to open and close the soft pin.
My solution was to cut off the lip of the safety pin, so that the the pin had less distance to travel, making it easier to open and close the soft pin.
That partially solved the problem the of opening and closing the soft pin. The final part was to shorten the needle of the pin, so that it was easier to load things on and off of the safety pin.
After that, the final alteration was to bend the pin so that it functioned like a traditional soft pin. I’ve been using these pins for years and they work great. I’ve seen in magic groups on the internet people ask about gimmicking these giant safety pins and other magicians say that you can’t. Those magicians are wrong and I’ve intentionally not really mentioned you could. I liked keeping this thing for me…or so I thought.
Recently while digging through a junk magic bin I found this:In this book from 1994, Jose De La Torre came to almost the exact same solution as me…but 30 years before me! While I’m disappointed I’m not the first person to solve this problem, I’m also not surprised. Scaling it up in size logical extension of the close up linking safety pins.
-LouieThe Moisture Festival Podcast – Joe Orrach
This week the Moisture Festival Podcast welcomes in actor, boxer and tap dancer Joe Orrach!
In this episode we talk to Joe about taking ballet classes in between making deliveries when he was younger to his current outreach where his builds self esteem with ex gang members!
This is a fantastic interview with an incredible person!Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Show Costumes
One thing that I’m not know for is having fancy costumes. My character and performance style is very casual and it fits the style I have. Also I’m very joke based and trying to project the a more “stand up comedy” image when I’m first seen. What I do wear while I perform has been thought out and I do have a “look” that I’m going for.
Over the last year, I’ve dropped some weight and my summer clothes don’t fit right anymore. I spent the day taking in my clothes to look a little bit less sloppy.I’m soo glad I learned to sew in middle school in home economics class! It’s a skill that I don’t use often, but enough for it to be super useful!
-LouieTake Out Box Review
One of the things that always makes me nervous is when I see a review of one of my products pop up. Recently Magic Orthodoxy did a review of my Take Out Box, you can watch it below:
I’m glad he like it!
You can get on here: http://www.magicshow.tips/take-out-box/
-LouioeA Picture is Worth a Thousand Spoons
I’m glad I started doing spoon/fork bending again, it’s a lot of fun, but it also makes really great pictures!
A lot of magic tricks can’t really tell a story, but a bent fork or spoon definitely does! I’m having a blast doing this in my show! If you’re interested in spoon/fork bending, look into Ben Harris’s book Bend it Like Geller!
-LouieRing Pins Magic Trick!
One of the things I really enjoy is going to magic shop and digging through their bins of junk magic. I really like buying a random shoe box sized amount of magic for cheap and then working through the magic to try to find some cool forgotten piece of magic.
In a recent purchase I found Ring Pins, and when I saw the package, I didn’t think it’d be any good, but I was wrong!Here’s what it looks like:
@louiefoxx Puzzle with safety pins! Move the ring from one pin to the other without opening them! #puzzle #puzzlechallenge #ringpuzzle #safetypin #weddingring #ring #louiefoxx #trythisathome ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx What’s cool about this is that there are no gimmicks or altered props (like soft pins). I did have to change the hand positions from what are in the instructions and break the “secret” into to motions instead of one to make it work for me.
I think I’m going to make some that have the safety pins soldered shut and are presented as puzzles.
-LouieHow to Get Booked at Festivals
Something I don’t really talk about is that I’m on the booking committees for two variety arts festivals. They are the Moisture Festival, which is the largest and longest running variety arts festival and the Sideshow Hootenanny, which is an annual gathering of sideshow and variety arts performers.
One of my favorite things about performing at variety arts festivals is that I frequently get to perform with my favorite performers! When I was starting out on of the acts that really formed how I perform now when I was a teenager and snuck into a casino to see the Raspini Brothers. Then years later I got share the stage with them at a variety arts festival! It was a huge moment for me!
Between the two variety arts festivals that I help with the booking, I go through the submissions of hundreds of performers who apply to the festivals. Both of these festivals use a similar application process, and one that hundreds of events around the country use. It’s an online form that you submit your promotional material to. These suggestions will help you whether you’re applying to a local festival, state fair, parks and rec gig or even to perform in a cabaret show.Three Things You Need To Have!
The main information you’ll normally be asked for is a bio, picture, and link to video. There will be other information they ask for, but for now let’s deal with those three, because those are the ones you need to nail to get the gig.
Let’s start with a bio, it’s a bit different than a bio about you. It’s more of a show description and this is the info that many bookers will ultimately use in the program for their event. You want to tell who you are, what you do and some accomplishments…and do it in 1-3 paragraphs (less is better). Trim out all the “fat”. As a booker, I really don’t care that you “got bit by the magic bug when you were seven years old after seeing Mark Wilson on TV”. Using something like, “Joe the Magician presents fast paced, high energy Illusions with Latin flair. Joe’s done three successful tour with Circus Fakus and is currently presenting his one man show in San Francisco… ” will give me more info about you and what you’ve done than your blood type and complete origin story.
The next one is your photo. This should be a photo of you, where I can see you. An example of a good photo that’s bad to send when applying to a festival is one where I can’t see your face. I’ve seen a great pic of a fire breather and their face is blocked by the ball of fire. This photo doesn’t need to be a studio photo, however it should appear to be professionally done and you should be the subject of it, not a picture of another thing or people that you happen to be in.
Finally, there’s the video. The number one way to get me to not look at your video is to send me a link to your Instagram profile to your YouTube account, not a direct link to a specific video. If all I have is a link to the general profile, I don’t know what you want me to watch. Also, send a direct link to the specific act you are planning to present, or if you’re applying to do a full show, send a sizzle reel and a sample of a longer routine and label them! One last thing about a video, make the audio on it clear, or put in subtitles. If you’re a talking act and I can’t understand you, it doesn’t help you get booked.
These are solid guidelines to follow, however rules are made to be broken. If you have a very specific and intentional reason to send a blurry low resolution picture or whatever, then do it.
If you do those three things, you’re ahead of the majority of the submissions that cross my desk!
-Louie FoxxAnother MC tip
When I was stage hosting, I noticed a lot of things that I do that I don’t know many people do. For example when I write the introductions for acts, I spell out hard to pronounce things phonetically.
I didn’t realize I did this until I had someone tell me I was spelling something wrong. I asked them what’s more important, me spelling it correctly, or me saying it correctly?
That’s a little handy trick for writing out introductions.
-LouieOver Writing Material…
One thing I’ve noticed that I do is over write my patter for my tricks. The early versions of the tricks are full of stuff that ultimately will be cut. I do think that’s a good way to do it, over write and figure out what’s good and what isn’t. I try to initially fill a lot of verbal space, then cut out what doesn’t work, leaving only the best parts.
The trick I’m working on that’s essentially a clock prediction:
The presentation hook is about my cat, and that seems to be something that people really connect with!
I think that another huge part of putting together routines is finding some sort of presentation hook that people can relate to. There are definitely people who are a lot better at this than me, but I’m trying…
-Louie
