|
Hiring Children's Entertainment
With the in-flux of mediocre talent in the entertainment industry within the last couple of years. It would be wise if you did some research before engaging entertainment for your event. Here are some tips.
Serious Magicians:
Only serious magicians will be members of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, The Calgary Magic Club and the Canadian Association of Magicians. There are many in the amateur to beginner category, practicing their magic, while doing your children's show.
References:
Always ask for letters of reference from an accredited company or corporation. Don't call a private individual because I know of one entertainer who uses his family members as references.
Contracts:
You should always ask for a contract. You want to make sure that the act will show up. All professionals work with contracts. It protects both parties. Some entertainers just make verbal agreements. They ask for a lower fee just to get booked and then if someone else calls them at the last minute and offers them more money. They won't show up to do your show. Which leaves a bunch of very disappointed children waiting for a magician that isn't going to arrive.
Planning The Party:
Always plan the entertainment at least 30 minutes into the party, that way late comers won't interrupt the show when they arrive. Then follow the show with the other activities. Please don't hand out loot bags, noisemakers, balloons or anything else that will cause a distraction until after the show. For safety reasons, all toddlers should be attended to by an adult. An adult should supervise every show. Don't be afraid to let the adults attend, because they will enjoy the show as much as the children.
Clowns:
I have seen children cry and scream at the sight of a clown or costumed cartoon figure. They are used to seeing these characters in picture books or on TV as small, one dimension non-threatening entities but when they see them LIFE SIZE and LIVE in three dimension, they become frightened. This is why some children fear Santa Clause. You know your own child and know how he/she may react, but consider the other children at the party. Also many individuals call themselves clowns, but they have no sense of comedy or timing. They have no skills, or training, and believe all they have to do is broadly smear on some extra lipstick, throw on some baggy clothes with an old wig, and they can now call themselves 'a clown'. Many ply their non-skills painting children's faces, lacking any sense of artistic ability, with the end result looking more like the child attempted to do it themselves.
Balloons:
Some performers will just blow up balloons and pass them out to the children, which can be very dangerous. (There are more emergencies at the children's hospitals, from balloons than any other emergencies - The Oprah Show). It is not too funny if a child looses an eye or chokes on a piece of broken balloon they placed in their mouth. Many clowns will try to duplicate the tricks of the magician, but fall short of the skills that are required, thus never leaving a feeling of mystery.
Live Animals:
I never use livestock when entertaining children. Because so many children have allergies these days and when you invite children to your party, you are unaware of their medical history. And you and I could be responsible for sending them home with an allergy attack. Some magicians advertise livestock in every show. But it's starting to go against them, getting bookings; because of the fear some individuals have of being sued for causing allergic reactions to some of the children they invited to their party. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Fees:
This is a touchy subject and I don't want to anger my peers but I'll give you some guidelines. Fees for a good Professional Children's Performer (in the Calgary area) generally starts at $175.00 for a basis 30-minute show for up to 15 spectators, adults included. Depending of the type of show and how many children and adults are being entertained. Longer shows and larger audiences, call for a higher fee. When an act's fee is lower than the average cost of the better performers, be very cautious. We all have the freedom to charge what we feel the entertainment value of our individual shows are worth. So if someone is charging less, it's because they know their show is worth less.
YOU ONLY GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR:
If your event is important, get the best you can afford. Be very cautious of the act that offers too much for less. I offer only top quality Professional Children's Magic Entertainment. I do not incorporate clowning, balloon sculpturing, ventriloquism, puppets, etc. I am not a jack of all trades. When it comes to children's magic, I have one of the best shows in Alberta. Call WARREN at (403) 948-0031 and book a date and time today.
|
