IT’S THE PERSON..NOT NECESSSARILY THE PUPPET !
I once had a call from a young aspiring ventriloquist asking “Where do I buy a puppet that’s as funny as Jeff Dunham’s “Peanut’ character? “. I was taken back for a moment, until I realized this person was serious. I gently explained that Jeff was the talent behind...
HOW MUCH “NEW”; HOW MUCH “OLD” IN YOUR SHOW?
I have often asked how much totally new material do you actually put into your “new” show? I am going to give you a few of my own personal insights into this area as “food for thought” for you to consider. First, you CAN recycle an old show if your intended audience...
MOTIVATION IS THE KEY!
Have you ever seen somebody not motivated about their job or jobs? It really is a sad thing to watch people go through their lives complaining that this or that “wasn’t fair”. They can’t make progress with their ventriloquism; they can’t figure out how to get enough...
ARE NOT SO GOOD SHOWS YOUR FAULT?
Ever do a show and then walked off and wondered “What was wrong tonight?”. The audience seemed dead or disinterested. Is it my fault? The audience’s fault? Nobody’s fault? What am I to do? It has happened to everyone at one time or another. Many times there are...
PLAY BIG, PACK SMALL …
I first heard this statement from my good friend magician David Ginn and I used these words to live by for decades..”play big, pack small (or flat)”! In other words, have things that can either pack flat or at least small, but can have a major impact on your audience....
CAN YOU GO INTO “PUPPET OVERLOAD”?
I like to look at what other vents are doing. I enjoy seeing where they are playing and what they are doing to entertain audiences with their puppet friends. But I have noticed a trend that disturbs me a bit..I call it “puppet overload”. I know it’s important to use...
KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH OTHER VENTS IS IMPORTANT!
We are all social creatures, where we believe it or not. We have a craving to be in touch with people, especially with people that like the same kinds of things we do. That's why it's important to keep up with your brother and sister ventriloquists. To learn more and...
FINDING THE RIGHT PUPPET CHARACTER IS CHALLENGING..
Finding the right vent figure or puppet can be challenging. It takes tons of thinking to develop a good character that represents you and your act well. Hopefully I can give you some guidelines as to what I feel is important when picking or creating your “guy” or...
MAHER SUPPORTED VENTS FOR DECADES THRU ARTICLES
As I go back through the archives, I have found that Maher Studios has been instrumental aiding ventriloquists through informational articles for decades. It all started with “Newsy Vents”, a publication that was put out by Fred Maher, the founder of Maher Studios....
YOU CHARGE HOW MUCH?
Ever hear those words echo in your ear when you talk to a prospective client? I think we all have had this experience at one time or another. Buyers want a big extravaganza show for just a few dollars, and oh, by the way, they want you to set up hours before the gig...
