Brand New Book from Pro Al Stevens!

My good friend Al Stevens has just released a great new book on the subject of ventriloquism.

It's called "Ventriloquism: Art, Craft and Profession." It's nearly 300 pages packed with everything you could think of in becoming not just a great ventriloquist, but also a first rate performer.

Al has been a working pro for over 50 years and covers topics never before seen in any other book on the subject.

I consider this one of the finest books on the art of vent and the "business" of show business I've ever read.

You can read a complete review on my website HERE.

Great Advice from Professional Vent Ken Groves

I WANT YOU TO LOOK GOOD! by Ken Groves

A Note to the Client:

When you hire an entertainer, your image and maybe your job is on the line. I want to make you look good. These five things will make you look great!

1. Hire Professional Entertainers
Professional entertainers use contracts to protect you and them. Professional entertainment increases your attendance. Increased attendance pays for the professional entertainer. Entertainment should be the "icing on the cake" of a great event.

2. Entertainer is not a Babysitter
Nothing will ruin your event quicker than having the kids come down front so they can see. Please keep families together and the show will be a success. Set the room up correctly and everyone will be able to see the entertainer.

3. Set up the Room for a Great Show
You must take control of this and have the room set up correctly. The hotel/convention center will have no clue how to do this.

The audience must be able to SEE the entertainer. Never put tables behind an entertainer. Never leave an open dance floor or buffet tables in front of an entertainer. If you have to have a dance floor in front of an entertainer, please put chairs on it and then remove the chairs for dancing.

The audience must be able to see the entertainer. The audience must be able to hear the entertainer. This is very different from a band.

4. Introduce the Show
It's your job to get the audience's attention and get them all to focus on the show area.

DO NOT give the audience a restroom break before the show, many people will leave, making you look bad. All you have to do is get their attention. WAIT for the chatter to subside ... thank them for coming out to the event. Now just read the introduction provided by the entertainer. Then sit back and enjoy the show!

5. Know What the Entertainer Needs
Have a spot for the entertainer to park so they are not schlepping equipment from two blocks away in the rain. Make sure of: time, date, day, location and directions, show length, dollar amount, type of payment. Be crystal clear on all of this so there is no reason for panic on your big day.

Have a place for the entertainer to change in and get ready for show -- not a public restroom. The entertainment can make you money. People only remember the food and the entertainment. Have a great show!

I send this out to the people I contract with for a show. It really helps most of the time. Feel free to improve on it. **********************************************************************************
This information is also included in Ken's great teaching course: "Breaking Down the Brick Walls of Show Biz" program. You can find out all of the details here:
http://www.showbizwalls.com/

Wisdom from Bill DeMar - Breath Control and Ventriloquism

Here is some great advice from my good friend and professional ventriloquist for over 60 years, Bill DeMar:

As a working ventriloquist, you should have a large lung capacity. A vent should be able to
give a lot of power to the figures voice. A vent should NOT have to take a breath in the middle of a word OR sentence.

Find out what your lung capacity is right now. You can do that simply by timing how long you can hold your breath.

Then, do a physically demanding exercise, like deep knee bends, followed by pushups, for example. Do these exercises back to back until you’re panting and out of breath. Then rest. Then do it again.

After a few weeks, test how long you can hold your breath again. I'll bet it will be longer than the first time you tried. And the longer you can hold your breath, the more lung capacity you have.

As I said last year or the year before....comedy is not whispered or mumbled, it's presented loud and bold.

Watch and listen to any cartoon show or sitcom and you can't help but notice that it's LOUD, CLEAR AND DISTINCT. PUNCH those punch lines, don't let them fade and fall on the floor like so many people that I hear.

I'll bet you Terry Fator can hold his breath longer than you can and can hold a note longer then you can and make his figure talk louder than yours.

How long can YOU hold your breath? 20 seconds? 35 seconds? 60 seconds? More?

I'm so out of shape it's not funny. I haven't done anything, and I mean anything for several years. I can only hold for 70 seconds. (on the first try)

When I was younger and did vent on a regular basis, I had the capacity to swim under water for long periods of time.

Book Review: Jeff Dunham: All By My Selves

This new book by Jeff Dunham could be subtitled "the true story of how a kid with a puppet and a dream made it to the top of the comedy world."

For starters, let me say that Jeff's new book is a great read for anyone and everyone. It's NOT just for people interested in ventriloquism and comedy.

Sure, the book is packed with funny stories about Jeff and his puppets, but it's also an amazing account of hard work, determination and personal sacrifice of someone who refused to give up on his dream, despite professional and personal setbacks that would make most people say "I quit."

The writing style is all Jeff - literally. Most biographies are written by the subject (in this case Jeff) and a co-author, who tries to make revisions to the book to make it more well written.

Jeff found using a co-author made his words not "sound" like him. So, Jeff did what most do not. He wrote the entire book by himself. The process took over a year. But the result is an in depth, candid biography told in Jeff's own words. As you read the book, it almost seems like Jeff is sitting across from you telling you the story of his life. I've known Jeff for 30 years and this book 'is" Jeff.

I found the book very engaging to read and easy to keep turning the pages to see what happens next. The book is 356 pages and I finished it in two evenings.

The story covers Jeff from the beginning of his interest in ventriloquism when he received his first "dummy" as a Christmas gift from his life long supportive parents at age 8. Him getting the puppet in the first place almost happened by accident.

For most of you reading this, you know of Jeff and his current status as one of, if not the most popular stand up comedian in the world. And yes, Jeff considers himself a comedian who just happens to use puppets as a tool to get laughs. But, many of you probably don't know that it took Jeff nearly 30 years to become the "overnight success" many people think he became after he broke all of the ratings records with his Comedy Central specials, TV series and DVD sales beginning in 2006.

The journey of how Jeff reached the top is filled with great stories of successes and failures, his years of trying to get booked on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and being told "no" over and over, but never giving up, the celebrities he has worked with over the years, how he came up with the ideas and created his now household name characters - Walter, Peanut, Jose (on a steek!), Bubba J, Achmed, Sweet Daddy Dee, Melvin the Superhero Guy and the not so successful characters that ended up in his garage on a shelf...like a 3' pizza with talking toppings.

Jeff candidly and openly talks about the good and bad of show business and how it affected his marriage and children. The book will certainly make you laugh, but it will also put a lump in your throat and tear in your eye. He has left nothing out of the story which shaped him into the genuine, honest and funny person you see on stage and TV.

He also talks about the long, lonely night after night shows going from town to town, year after year, working up to 250 shows per year. A lot of the accommodations in these towns and cities (hotels, motels, etc) were places you and I would never stay in because they were so run down and disgustingly filthy.

He talks about the venues he's played - starting with the small shows, to clubs, to theaters and to 16,000 seat arenas. And, the people who helped him along the way.

The book is also peppered with great exchanges between Jeff and his characters as they "help" him tell the story.

And, Jeff tells a lot of things you've never heard about him and his life. His love of a certain TV show, of building his own helicopters and other really cool stuff about him.

This is one of the best biography books I've ever read and I'm certainly not saying that because I know Jeff. If it were not a good book, I would tell you. But, it is extremely well written and is one of the rare biography books I will read more than once.

The book is also packed with many never before seen color photos of Jeff throughout his career.

You will walk away after reading this book feeling uplifted. It may even motivate and inspire you to also do something great with your own life. And you will laugh as you read - a lot.

I have a feeling we will be seeing Jeff on stage and on the cutting edge of comedy for many years to come.

Do yourself, friend or fan a huge favor and purchase this book. You'll love it.

Available at most bookstores and online at

amazon.com

"I'm No Dummy" Now Available from Ventriloquism 101!

First things first.

This fantastic new DVD is NOT a video full of stand up ventriloquism performances.

Sure, it has a lot of hilarious bits and pieces of routines from professional, top of their field vents Jeff Dunham, Jay Johnson and Lynn Trefzgler.

But this film goes way beyond just performances.

It's an amazing, fast paced and side-splitting documentary about the fun and entertaining art of ventriloquism.

"I'm No Dummy" is jammed packed with commentary from a who's who in the world of entertainment and ventriloquism and blows the lid off of the absurd notion that ventriloquism is a dying art form.

Beautifully produced by award winning director and film maker, Bryan W. Symon. Associate Producer, Tom Ladshaw - the leading authority in the world on the history of ventriloquism.

Interviews and commentary from:

-Kelly Asbury

-Allan Blumenstyk

-Burt Dubrow

-Dr. David Goldblatt

-Ken Groves

-Mary Kingsley

-Tom Ladshaw

-Mallory Lewis

-Ronn Lucas

-Jimmy Nelson

-Norm Nielsen

-Otto Petersen

-Stevo Schüling

-Lisa Sweasy

-Willie Tyler

-Vonda Kay Van Dyke

If you have a love for ventriloquism (you must have, or you probably wouldn't be on this website. If you're looking for the Sham-Wow!, you'll need to look elsewhere), you gotta get this DVD!

Order here:

http://www.ventriloquism101.com/products/videos.htm#imnodummy

Vent Haven 2010 Workshop...featuring...Me!

I want to invite all of you going to the convention this year to attend a
workshop I am presenting called, "Videography Ninja: Creating and Making Money
with Promotional and Performance Videos."

Many of you know my background is in TV and video production. I've been
producing all kinds of promotional, corporate, training and event videos for
nearly 20 years.My degree is in television and film production.

My goal is to make this a fun presentation without a bunch of
techno-mumbo-jumbo.

You'll learn how to make professional looking demo videos to generate more
bookings and revenue, and show videos you can sell after your performances or
from your website.

All without spending tons of money to create.

Hope to see you in July!

On another note, I am now carrying a nice hand made wooden vent and dummy desk
pen gift set on my website. You can check it out here:

http://www.ventriloquism101.com/products/specials.htm#woodvent

New DVD's and Book From Jeff Dunham

A quick update.

Jeff has a few new items coming out over the next few weeks and months.

First is the "Jeff Dunham Show" DVD, which includes all 7 episodes of Jeff's series that ran on Comedy Central in 2009. Great stuff:



Secondly, Jeff's autobiography book, "All By My Selves: Walter, Achmed, Peanut and Me." This is the story of Jeff's long and illustrious career in the comedy business:



Check 'em all out!

Vent Haven ConVENTion 2010 Fast Approaching

It's hard to believe that the 2010 Vent Haven International
Ventriloquist Convention is only 4 months away.

Now, you may be aware of what the convention is all about, but
if not, let me give you an overview.

The event is a nearly 4 day event that runs this year from
July 14th to July 17th.

It's held at the Drawbridge Convention Center in Ft. Mitchell,
Kentucky. I believe this is the 35th year for the convention.

It's four days filled with workshops, lectures, 3 stage
shows, open mic sessions, 2 jammed-packed full dealer's
rooms and free trips to the Vent Haven Ventriloquist
Museum.

I attended my first convention in 1981, where I met Jeff Dunham
for the first time. He was just a punk teenager, but I knew
even back then that he would be a big star someday.

Here are a few of the pros scheduled to perform and/or
lecture this year:

-Jeff Dunham
-Mark Wade
-Bob Hamill
-David Crone
-Tom Crowl
-Steve Axtell
-Brad Cummings
-Sylvia Fletcher
-Dan Horn
-Jerry Layne
-Sammy King
-Todd Oliver
-Bob Rumba
-Lee Cornell
-Jimmy Nelson
-Joe Lefler
-Stevo Schuling
-Tino Valentino
-Jae Woo An
-Jann-Robert Henrikson
-Pete Michaels

If you want to become a better ventriloquist, make tons
of new friends and hang out with the professionals in the
business, you simply must attend!

And, at only $125 for registration for all 4 days and
admittance to all of the shows and events, it a tremendous
value.

Don't be a headstick!

Check out the details at the Vent Haven website:

www.venthaven.com

Hope to see a lot of you there! Stop by my dealer's
table and say hello.

Have a great week.

Keep venting!

Regards,

Lee

Lee Cornell
www.ventriloquism101.com
109 Inni Way
Greenwood, IN 46142 USA
(317) 865-9243

Ventriloquist David Crone's New Show DVD

Ventriloquist David Crone has released a new DVD of a live performance of his show.

The DVD, titled "David Crone - He's Big in Zanesville" is a very entertaining show that is "family friendly."



Mixing magic with his cast of characters, David's show is fast paced and has plenty of laughs.

He has been performing for over 25 years. Excellent voices for his characters and great puppet "manipulation" really gives life to David's sidekicks.

David is also one of the official convention photographers for the Vent Haven International Ventriloquist conVENTion.

You can purchase a copy of David's DVD directly from him:

David Crone
I'm No Dummy Productions
Spreading Laughter Faster Than The Common Cold!
http://www.imnodummy.com/
David@ImNoDummy.com
614-453-2023

Vent Haven Convention - 28 Years Ago

I came across my program for the 1981 Vent Haven conVENTion this morning. I thought I would post it for you to take a look at to see the lecture topics, show info, etc.


Click to Enlarge

Click to enlarge

The convention I attended this past July was the 33rd one.

The 1981 convention was the 7th. Man, where does the time go?

Back in 1981, the convention had contests and trophies were awarded to 1st and 2nd place winners in the Junior and Senior performance catagory.

Other awards were the Bill Boley Distant Voice Award, Bill DeMar Manipulation Award, a John Arvitas figure to the most deserving young vent and the W.S. Berger Ventriloquist of the Year Award. Johnny Main won in 1981.

If I recall, there was also a luncheon or dinner included as part of the convention.

Vent Haven Convention 2009 - From My Perspective

Well, the 33rd Vent Haven ventriloquist convention took place July 15th - July 18th and I have to say this was probably the best one I've ever attended over the course of the past 28 years when I've gone.

I certainly remember my first convention in 1981. I think I was like a lot of first time attendees. I kind of stayed in the background, didn't approach any of the "stars" of the day. I attended every lecture and show during the event. And I drooled over all of the vent figures in the dealer's room.

I remember Jeff Dunham, Jimmy Nelson, Bill DeMar, Bill Boley, Mark Wade, Alan Semok and Johnny Main were there that year. I was afraid to talk to any of them, except for Jeff, and we only spoke briefly. He was probably 17 then and I knew he was going to be a huge success someday, just from watching him perform on the Saturday night show that year.

Here is the group photo from 1981. Recognize anyone?

Click to enlarge

During the down times between scheduled activities, I really kept to myself and didn't make a lot of friends that first year.

Fast forward to this year. Going to the convention now is more like an annual family reunion and homecoming to me. It's a chance to visit with old friends and make new ones.

I know how valuable the workshops and lectures are for new people attending and for those who want to focus in on growing in their performing abilities.

However, I personally spend a great deal of my time at the convention visiting with the friends I've met over the years.

What made this year special for me was not only seeing my long-time friends (like Tom Ladshaw, Jeff, Bill DeMar, Bob Isaacson, Mark Wade, Dan Horn, Pete Michaels, Ken Groves and too many more to mention), but meeting a lot of people from the WorldVents email list, some of my ventriloquism101.com customers, as well as some of the pros that I have never seen at a convention.

I have been a big Jay Johnson fan since I first saw him on ABC television's sitcom "Soap" in 1977.

This July I finally had the opportunity to meet him and get to know him a bit. Seeing him perform a portion of his Broadway hit "The Two and Only" stage show was a real treat.

I also met Kevin Johnson, who was one of the contestants on America's Got Talent and also appeared on Ventriloquist Week with David Letterman. He performed on the Saturday night All-Star show and is a great talent.

Other full-time pros I finally had the chance to meet included Brad Cummings (who also appeared on Dave Letterman's Ventriloquist Week), Las Vegas legend Sammy King, Nina Conti and Sylvia Fletcher.

with Brad Cummings

with Sammy King

with Nina Conti

with Sylvia Fletcher

I spent a lot of time during lunches, dinner and at my dealer's table listening to and learning about the careers of these performers.

There are a lot more photos of the convention on my website here:

http://www.ventriloquism101.com/gallery/venthaven2009.htm

I was so busy talking with so many people this year, that I didn't even make it over to the museum.

Even though I personally don't go to a lot of the workshops anymore, there certainly was a wide range of lectures available again this year.

Some of the topics included creativity, marketing, working fairs, adding punch to your comedy and a "clinic" for kid show performers. Plus 3 shows, panel discussions, the annual raffle and a lot more.

I still claim that the nearly 4 day convention is one of the best values in the entertainment industry as far as content for the money invested.

If you've never attended a convention, you really need to go. Most people who attend once return year after year.

I know I'll be back next year.

Another Dunham Sighting

Had the chance to take my wife's sister and her husband to see Jeff's show in Columbus, OH on July 30th. It was the first time they had seen his show.

Tom Ladshaw, Mark Wade and Lisa Sweasy were also in attendance.

A good time was had by all.

Click photos to enlarge:


Lee, Cheryl, Jeff, Terri, Brian


Lisa Sweasy, Tom Ladshaw, Lee, Mark Wade, Jeff

New Selberg Figure

Here are a few photos of the new Selberg figure I won in the raffle at the Vent Haven convention.

It's a small figure (probably 26" or so), has moving mouth, ball and socket neck on the headstick and look-up and closing eyes. Very clever single control works both of the eye movements.

Usual beautiful Selberg paint job.

Wig needs cut, but I'll get around to that later. And, I'll probably ditch the sailor suit at some point.

Click on photos for larger views:

Conrad Hartz Visit

What a great visit I had today with my friend, figuremaker Conrad Hartz at his home in Beaufort, SC.

I had not seen him since the 2004 Vent Haven convention, so it was good to spend the afternoon with him.

I've been coming to Hilton Head Island nearly every year for the past 12 years for our family vacation.


View from our condo balcony-Click to enlarge

I can't remember how many times I've told Conrad I would try to stop by and see him.

I never had, until today.

We spent the afternoon sharing stories about vents we've known over the past 30+ years. He showed me a couple of completed figures he built recently.


Click for larger view

and even more interesting to me was being able to see one of his figure heads in the process of being built.


Click for larger view

Conrad shared with me how he assembles the basswood pieces, carves out the face and some of his "secrets" to installing mechanics and finishing the head.

I left a figure of mine with Conrad which he is going to make a dwarf body for.

We spent a fair amount of time on the topic of Howdy Doody and Conrad told me the story of Howdy and Bob Smith's visit to a "mini-convention" he organized in 1995.

And yes, Conrad did take me into his extremely well organized, brightly lit, air conditioned, large workshop.... .Riiiiiiiiiight. Here is a photo of his shop. Amazingly, he only needs 4 tools and a bandsaw to build his figures, so who knows what all the rest of the stuff in there is for...


Click for larger view

Hard to believe a figure maker with this much talent can create such beautiful figures in such a small space.

The "break away" marionette King puppet Conrad carved was amazing. I had no idea what he was going to do with it. This single puppet instantly turned into a Queen marionette and 4 "kids" all hanging from the original set of strings the King was attached to just a second before.


Before-The King-Click for larger view



After-This is the King puppet after it breaks away into
pieces, transforming into a Queen and 4 children-
Click for larger view

He also demonstrated a clown marionette that he had rigged with a clear piece of tubing going up to Conrad's mouth. This allowed the clown to be able to blow up a balloon. Clever.


Click for larger view

You can see more of Conrad's work here:

http://bellsouthpwp.net/g/k/gkoepke/hartz/

In my opinion (and many others), Conrad is one of the top figuremakers in the business. All hand carved out of basswood. 100% built, painted and finished by him.

He also is indeed a real gentleman and I only wish I had stopped by in years past. The afternoon went by much too quickly. Thanks Conrad.

New Bill DeMar Biography Video!

Just a quick note...

I've just released a new DVD biography of 60 year veteran professional ventriloquist, Bill DeMar.



Bill is one of the most talented vents and entertainers I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

You can read about his new DVD here:

http://www.ventriloquism101.com/products/videos.htm

I'm leaving for vacation to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina on Friday and also plan on visiting master figure maker Conrad Hartz, who lives nearby in Beaufort, SC.




Another one of Conrad's creations

Jeff in Forbes Magazine - Wow...

Unbelievable.

Jeff continues into the stratosphere as the most popular comedian on the planet. Earlier this week he was featured in Time magazine. Today there is another great write-up about Jeff in Forbes.

Check it out here:

http://tinyurl.com/qvch6g

Jeff is almost single-handedly bringing ventriloquism back into the mainstream.

Keep rollin' on, my friend.

Jeff Dunham in Time Magazine

Just a quick post today. Jeff has taken another step into comedy superstardom.

He is featured in Time magazine the week of June 1st, 2009. After 30 years of hard work, Jeff is really hitting the big time. History is being made.

Pick up a copy of the magazine next week as a keepsake. You can read the article online here:

http://tinyurl.com/myuda8

Way to go, Jeff. Congrats!

"Guitar Guy" Brian Haner

I'm sure most of you have by now heard of "Guitar Guy" in Jeff Dunham's show.

You may not know his name is Brian Haner. Brian is one of the best guitar players I've ever heard.

I've played guitar for almost 40 years (many professionally), but I am nowhere near his talent level.

Brian came into the spotlight on YouTube as part of Jeff and Achmed's song bit "Jingle Bombs."

Over the past couple of years, Brian has become a star in his own right. He opens for Jeff on tour and the two of them are pulling in 10,000+ people for their shows. If you have not seen Brian perform his stand alone routine, you are missing a great talent.

Plus, he has a "hook"that makes him unique. I mentioned it above. He is a premier guitar player AND an extremely funny stand-up comedian. He combines the two and just absolutely kills when he performs.

During his routine, he goes back in time and plays various hit songs from the 1960's to today and tags on very funny comedy dialog in conjunction with his astounding guitar technique.

I laugh as much at his set as I do Jeff's show. They make a great, hip comedy team. No wonder people are lining up to see their show. You get to see two headliner quality comedians for one ticket price.

Brian also has two great comedy products (other than his appearances on Jeff's DVDs). First, his comedy CD - "Cougar Bait." 13 great songs with a unique comedy twist. Hilarious! One of the funniest comedy albums I've ever heard.

Second, his book "Carney Man." A combination of humor and drama. Unusual combination (that's why I liked it), but a great story with a real twist at the end.

If you only know of Brian from his association with Jeff, you're missing a lot.

Check out Brian's CD and book here:

http://www.brianhaner.com/

I highly recommend them both.

I always tell people who are trying to get better at comedy to study really funny people. Don't copy them, but pick up ideas on technique from great comedians.

Brian falls into that category.

Creating a Demo Video - Part 3

Let's finish up with part 3 of how to create a demo video that people won't run out of the room screaming that they would rather see Cloris Leachman naked than watch your video.

In the previous two posts we talked about the technical aspects, equipment and techniques of shooting a good video.

In this post we'll cover some tips as to what you need to do as a performer and editor to have a finished video that will get you booked.

1.) When editing your video, keep it short. Your demo reel should only be between 5-8 minutes.

DO NOT put a full show on the demo DVD. No one wants to see your whole act in your first promo pack. If they like what they see in your short video, they will contact you to either request a full length video, or they will want to come and see your show in person.

2.) On your video, try to have some shots of the audience laughing. And, this needs to be real laughter. Do not edit laughter into your demo video. First of all, a client generally can tell if what you are doing on the demo is indeed funny or not. If you tell a stupid pun and the sound track is a roaring laughter, they'll know you faked it.

Second, if they aren't able to figure out it is a laugh track on the video, how are you going to explain the crickets chirping and tumbleweeds blowing across your stage area if they come to see your show in person and hear the same joke that got the huge laugh on the demo?

3.) Be sure you have a truly solid act. It's very easy to take a bunch of show videos that may have a lot of mistakes in them at different places and put together an edited version that makes you look great. Again, don't fake it with an edit. If they come to see you in person before they book you, you'll be toast.

If they hire you without coming to see you, they'll really be ticked if you ruin their event.

Even worse, since most people are generally non-confrontational and may not want to cause a scene after your show, they may not tell you what they really think. They might decide instead to just tell you quickly "nice show", give you your check and walk away.

You'll never even really know that they were not happy with your act - other than that they never book you again, tell everyone they know that you were bad and maybe even post a poor review of your show on the booking company's (if they used one, like Gig Masters, etc.) website.

If you do read a bad review about yourself on a booking providers website, you can be certain that those are their true feelings.

Have a good act!

4.) Have a nice presentation of the DVD you send. Have a nice color computer label on the DVD. Don't write on the DVD with a Sharpie marker. Don't laugh. I've seen people do it. Have a nice color DVD cover insert on the case.

Your demo video should make you look like a professional as soon as they take the DVD out of the mailer. It costs next to nothing to make a nice label and cover insert for your DVD on your home PC and printer.

5). Include some REAL testimonials of people who have seen and enjoyed your show, listed on a sheet of paper. Nothing, and I mean nothing, sells your show better than having a ton of testimonials from satisfied clients in the promo package.

To wrap up, the whole underlying point of these past 3 posts is to have a great act and to present yourself in a professional manner in everything that pertains to your show. Your act, your promo materials, your demo DVD, the way you treat clients are all part of being a professional - no matter what market you work in.

If you want to know more about how to promote yourself, take a look at this great course from full-time performer Ken Groves:

http://www.ventriloquism101.com/products/videos.htm

Good luck!

Creating a Demo Video - Part 2

Let's move on to some other tips for making a great demo video.

1.) Avoid zooming in and out excessively. This is probably one of the most frequent mistakes I see on amateur videos. ZOOM IN! ZOOM OUT! ZOOM IN! ZOOM OUT! Man, that's annoying (almost as annoying as reading ZOOM IN! ZOOM OUT! over and over).

Zooming in and out should be used very sparingly. Keep the camera zoomed where it should be and stay on that shot until the action on stage dictates that you need to zoom in or out.

When you do zoom, do so very slowly. Your goal as a person working the camera is to make the viewers NOT see all of the zooming and panning side to side. Your video should look smooth and steady.

2.) If you have the option to use manual focus on your camcorder, do it. Turn the auto focus off and focus your camera manually. Here's why:

When you have auto focus turned on, your camera wants to focus on whatever is being seen closest to the lens.

If someone walks in front of the camera, or you are in a room where people are smoking and smoke drifts in front of your camera, the camera will focus on the person in front of the lens, or will focus on the smoke. Then the camera will try to focus on you on the stage once the objects closer to the lens are out of the way.

This may take several seconds and the camera will drift in and out of focus during this time. This is another sign of an amateur video.

If you can focus your camera manually, zoom in to as close of a shot as you can (before you start the actual taping). Manually focus the camera. Now zoom out to where you want your shot to be. Keep the camera on manual focus, If someone or something now gets in front of your lens, the camera will not drift out of focus. It will stay in focus throughout the whole zoom-in range of the camera.

3.) If you have a manual "white balance" option on your camera, use it. Most consumer camcorders have some pre-sets for white balance, which is the way camera sees whites and adjusts colors under different lighting conditions.

Some room lights make your camera see a red tint. Other lighting causes a blue tint and still others, a green tint to your video. I'm sure you've seen this before on some of your videos when you've recorded in certain lighting conditions.

If all you have is automatic white balance or some white balance pre-sets (usually an indoor or outdoor setting), try them both to see what reproduces more accurate colors.

If you do have the ability to manually white balance your camcorder, here's how to do it.

-Find a piece of white paper, poster board, etc. and place it in the area on the stage where the light will be hitting you.
-Zoom your camcorder onto the white card until white fills up your screen.
-Push the manual white balance button on your camera.
-Your camera will make the white look white in whatever light you are in. If white is balanced correctly, all of the other colors will be correct as well.

There you have it. Some of the biggest "technical" things you can do to help you make a visually good looking demo DVD video.

As I mentioned in the last post, the MOST important thing is to have a good act! Be honest with yourself. Have others give you feedback on your show before you waste time (and perhaps money) putting together a demo. If your act blows, no video is going to help that. (unless you're Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie).