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| Just something silly to enjoy while getting ready for the weekend. |
Click here: Learn Magic instant author system
Would You Like Fries With That Poodle?
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| Yours truly presenting his balloon lecture at a children's entertainer convention. |
How to twist up to 100 balloons per hour and nobody waits in line.
For some reason many balloon twisters get defensive when they read this article I wrote. They spend more energy figuring out why it won't work instead of actually giving it a try. Odd.
Imagine you've been booked to entertain hundreds of families, mostly children, and you decide that the entire group must wait in line while you amaze and amuse them ONE AT A TIME! Sounds absurd? It is, but that's exactly what the vast majority of balloon twisters do at every gig.
Nobody likes waiting in line, especially parents with children eager to get a balloon. Waiting makes people edgy, irritable and generally unpleasant. So why do balloon twisters force their audience to stand in a line? I suppose because everybody else does it that way. I think it's mainly because balloon twisters don't see what they do as entertainment. They think of themselves as balloon factories, no more than a refreshment booth at a festival or a fast food restaurant... you want fries with that poodle? For them, the emphasis is on the balloon not the entertainment factor.
Years ago I got a great gig... twisting balloons in the food court of a large mall every Saturday and Sunday, about 5 hours each day. I averaged about 70-100 balloons per hour, or 700-1000 balloons each weekend. It was hard work, but incredibly fun! I was paid directly by the mall, and they even covered the cost of the balloons. This gig lasted about 3 years. Here's what happened...
Why reinvent the wheel
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| My web coding skills include HTML5 • CSS3 • PHP • jQuery • Javascript |
I learn what I need for that particular design project.
That's how I've taught myself web coding. I'm not college trained, but I am smart about it. Once I've figured out the basic outline of a website, it's features, user flow, interface and other logistical concerns, I make a list of the types of functions I'll need.
Then I go hunting. First in my local files, since I've saved all the code used in previous projects. Many times I already have the scripts I need. If not, I search for public domain scripts out there in the interwebz. And there are LOTS of them. It's much easier for me to edit a script that does close to what I need than it is to write it from scratch. Why reinvent the wheel?
Once I've got what I need, I start editing. This is my favorite part, because as I'm doing this I'm also learning more skills that will help me in the next project.
OK, So I Cheated a Little
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| The one-book version of my Learn Magic instant author kit in black and white with a color cover which also includes 9 extra color covers. |
I developed an instant author kit, called Learn Magic, which I sell to other magicians. It's a pre-written instruction book for young magicians that has blank sections on each of the 44 pages and cover.
When purchased, the buyer has full re-sale rights which means they can add their name and contact info to the pages and cover, then print them and sell them as their own magic book. Of course, they can't sell them as an instant author kit, just as a buyer of a clip art collection can't turn around and sell that collection as clip art.
These are popular to sell after shows, as a BORS item. BORS - Back Of Room sales. Many magicians often double their fees by setting up a "souvenir stand" and selling items after the shows. This is a good way to make money from clients looking for a free show to be donated. Agree to do the show but only if you can sell stuff afterward.
When I originally designed this book, I used color photos. This took a lot of time, and I learned a lot about photography in the process. So far so good. The hands you see in the photographs are mine, since they were readily available and I knew the tricks I was teaching.
My friend Ken Scott (one of the best children's entertainers in the country) bought a copy of Learn Magic and had great success selling them after his shows. One day at a convention, I think KIDabra, he related a funny story where a child, having just bought a copy, asked Ken why his arms weren't hairy like the pictures in the book. Funny, but it got me to thinking... The kid's got a point. If a magician wants to sell this book as their own, color photos of my hands and arms won't always match theirs. The magician may be a woman, or African American, or non-hairy. I had a problem...
Oh What a Difference a Backdrop Makes
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| Backdrop from www.MagicBackdrops.com |
I love doing shows with my backdrop!
It really helps give everything a more professional appearance, and makes it easier for me to charge more for gigs.
This particular backdrop is from Jeff Jones at Magic Backdrops in Raleigh, NC. He's a real nice guy and his company makes these very useful and portable systems. It literally sets up in about 30 seconds with a bit of practice. Figure a minute the first few times you use it.
I first saw this backdrop system when I was doing a lecture at the KIDabra convention a few years back. This is the international association of family and childrens entertainers, a very good group to hook up with.
The lecture I was presented focused on building backdrops yourself for as little as $30. The main topic of the lecture was not the curtains you see in front, it was about the structural support behind. Also covered were unusual backdrops, stage settings, etc. I even showed how to use an inflatable pool as a backdrop.
Fun Stuff for Magicians and Politicians
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| Available at Zazzle.com/MagicTrickShirts |
I heard recently that an election is coming up soon. Who knew?
In that spirit, I wanted to post this image I threw together quite some time ago, just fiddling around with PhotoShop Elements.
I've since made this into a series of items that can be purchased here: www.Zazzle.com/MisterGreggy including shirts, mouse pads, mugs, ties and other things. Look around, you may find cool stuff that you just gotta have!
I also have a collection of items that will be of interest to magicians and fans of magic here: www.Zazzle.com/MagicTrickShirts. The title refers to a bunch of strange images to liven up this funny card routine...
Circus Camp Logo Design Notes
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| Logo for our 20th anniversary - www.CircusCamp.ORG |
Circus Camp is an Atlanta based summer (and winter) camp for children age 5 and older. We teach all manner of circus skills, including trapeze, web, silks, lyra and other aerial equipment. Also juggling, clowning, magic, acrobatics, tightwire, theatre and lots of other fun stuff. It's a very popular camp, and the kids have a blast!
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| This type of font has been overused in my opinion, but it's still a good font. |
Another property I wanted for this logo was flexibility. It looks good just about any way it's scaled, whether proportionally, stretched vertically or horizontal. That's a very useful trait when laying out a page.
The "20 Years" is just for this years version, of course. The logo still works fine without it, and other text can be inserted either to the left or right of the tent top. Or both, although I prefer to the right because the flag is a helpful pointing device. Of course, the flag could just as well be pointing to the left to help guide the viewer's eyes that direction on the page.
I also designed a version that better fits a horizontal space, such as a web banner ad.
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| I've been using this one more and more. |
A Portfolio Sample for Your Viewing Pleasure
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Flyer/Poster for my show on September 14, 2012 |
This is the poster/flyer I designed to help advertise my appearance at the Ludlow Theatre with Circus Mojo on September 14, 2012. I really like how it turned out, and I'm sure I'll be using the main layout for other posters. I especially like the background image.
If you need a poster, flyer, brochure, logo or any other type of graphic design work done, please check out my portfolio and give me a call. I'm also available to design websites.
I'll be posting more of my portfolio items here, and I look forward to your comments.
Enjoyed my Circus Mojo trip!
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| www.CircusMojo.com |
However, once I met the owner Paul Miller my level of impressed was doubled. He has a long-term plan, and works very hard to make it happen. Circus Mojo is very busy, with all manner of performances, workshops, classes and other events going on.
At the end of the week, on Friday September 14, I performed in their theater and it was fun. Some of my old friends from my Cincy days were there, including Artie Kidwell. Boy was it good to see him again! He has a cute little magic shop in Covington, well worth a visit.
I'm looking forward to working with Paul a lot more in the future, including designing the website for their Ludlow Theatre. This venue will host all manner of entertainment, from circus acts to jugglers, magicians to rock bands and just about anything in between.
Pulling a Hat Out of a Rabbit
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| One of my magic comics available on shirts, mugs, mouse pads Zazzle.com/magictrickshirts |
I've been having fun creating these "scenes" from various public domain images I find around the interwebs. They are available on t-shirts and other stuff at my Magic Trick Shirts Store on Zazzle.com.
There are also fun shirts for magicians to use as a card revelation... you'll see them when you get there.
On my graphic design portfolio site, I have a page that describes the process of creating these in more detail, showing the original images I used - www.GregMcMahan.com
Batman is 84 years old today! POW!
I remember when the TV series aired it's first episode. I was so excited. The commercials said it came on at 8pm. I didn't quite understand however, and sat in front of the TV at 8 in the morning flipping thru the channels (all 3 of them) looking for Batman. The ensuing 12 hour wait only heightened my enthusiasm!
My new blog... now what?
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| Logos I've designed... more on GregMcMahan.com |
GregMcMahan.com
It's about time I began a blog. Not sure what to do with it, but here it is. If you have any ideas of how to best use this, please tell me. I know blogs are useful marketing tools (Brad Ross told me so), and instead of spending lots of time researching it, I figured I would just jump right in and figure it out as I went along.
Initial reason for this blog: I'd like to get the word out about my...
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graphic and web design services (www.GregMcMahan.com)
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Generate some sales of my ebooks and lecture notes (www.MisterGreggy.com/shopping)
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Sell lots of my humorous magician stuff (www.Zazzle.com/MagicTrickShirts*)
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