New promo vid, would love som feedback

[charliekarl]

cheers

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I really appreciate it and realize the value of your points.

I'll try to make it shorter when I next work on it, but I wanted long bits of routines in there to show what I really do, rather than quick cuts and flashes. It's bloody hard to cut away more without losing a sense of continuity.

I might take the kiss gag out of my show and video after the very valid points Jim raised. The reasons I haven't done it before are many.

To start with I ask the girl if she'll kiss me (cut out of video) and her reaction to the uncomfortable question serve as vital misdirection for a secret move. It's an integral part of the method of a trick. Also I have some funny, original lines related to asking the question that I would love to keep.

I spend fifteen minutes finding the right girl to kiss. Still, one show out of twenty I don't do it if i feel theres a chance of her reacting badly. on those instances I do loose a bit of momentum and if it's a street show I loose a larger than 10% of the hat.

I don't use it as a small gag. It comes at the end of a series of effects and it's like riding a wave of reactions and the kiss gag really tops it since it's not a magic effect.

It'll be really har to take out if I choose to.

[Jim]

Ahhhhhh... See, Charlie? That's different. That's what I was talking about. You've changed my position on this. (For YOUR situation.)

All I saw in the promo was the stock move. And that is how 95% of hack acts do it. They finish a stunt, go over to the volunteer and make the move without any prior build-up. It almost never fits the character of the act and it looks cheap.

Hearing how you do it makes complete sense now. And I totally understand the WAY you do it fits your character.

I like the idea of asking for a kiss and getting denied, then flirting with the kiss for several minutes. Then winning her over so she actually goes for a peck on the cheek and finally, stealing a smooch on the lips. That's how it should be done!

I think you could even edit that progression into the video. I'd put the initial "asking for the kiss" early on, then go to other clips, then come back to the same volunteer and show tension building. Then go away to some other clips, then bring the climax back at the end of the promo. It would certainly make the final head turn far more powerful and tie everything together.

I'm glad you came back and explained yourself. Watching your video, I was taken aback by that clip. It didn't go with the professionalism and confidence I saw in the rest of the promo.

Oh, and... This is not a complete turn around on my position! I still think 95% of the people who do the head-turn-kiss are doing it wrong. And for those 95% of people, it should not be a part of their show. Doing it to an unsuspecting volunteer for a quick laugh is lazy and cheap and makes a lot of people uncomfortable. However, with the right CHARACTER, the right build-up, and complete confidence in your volunteer and your audience, I see now how it can be an effective punchline.

[scot]

you still didn't come up with it. invent something else to replace it. I believe building your act around a hack bit is even worse.

[charliekarl]

Hello Jim

I didn't have you down on a change of mind on that one. Cool! For the record though I don't play with the kiss for several minutes. But it plays a part in my act as i need to ask the quiestion for method reasons (with some original jokes attached to that) and it really adds another bounce on the applause.

Hello Scot

You are very right. I do not condone, recommend or like using hack bits. As soon as I come up with a good replacement it's gone. I don't use too many hack bits and I want to use less. I am a cups an balls magic show but very far from Gazzo's personality which is rare. You are right. I will strive to change it out asap.

[jimmy talksalot]

charlie,

brilliant...as always.

[raspyni]

Good to see you again, Charlie

I loved watching you in Dublin last year and this video does a good job of showing what you do, and a great job of selling what you do. Continued success to you, my friend. -Barry

[lambda]

I'm not a regular here, but I'll give my opinion as a bit of an outsider (I'm an amateur juggler with an interest, but not much experience, in performing). I thought the act looks great, the clips of yourself looked really good. I found it a bit weird that I could never hear your voice in the video; the music was always louder, and you provided subtitles that made it a bit difficult to watch you and figure out what was going on at the same time. Many of the quick cuts and titles were a bit distracting; there were several times when I couldn't quite decide what to look at, and so missed bits of your show. The big, long, live clips were good, but the quick cuts between static pictures and short clips with subtitles listing where you performed were distracting. I'd take out all of the place names, except maybe for one sequence at the end. The videography credits were also rather distracting; if you have those at all, they shouldn't be played over your act, they should just be at the end over a static picture or black screen.

Here's what I'd do; rearrange the beginning to have more of you and fewer of the titles and subtitles. For those place where there really isn't any usable audio, leave the music in, but for those places where we can actually hear you speak, fade the music down and increase the volume on your voice so we can hear you. Then, have a montage of different locations with place names at the end, and then just stop on a still image or black screen to show the credits.

And, of course, the kiss bit. I still find that funny, even though it's an old gag, but it's something where I laugh and then immediately feel uncomfortable. I'm going to trust your judgement that you've made sure everyone you do it to will be fine with it by the time you do it, but when watching it in the video, my thought process is "Ha ha! Oh, I shouldn't laugh, that could be really uncomfortable for the volunteer."

[Mario Morris]

Hay
Have not seen you for some time and I know this is a bit late but I love your web-site. So that is what a good web-site looks like.

Your promo I think is great.

You got my vote you are the sexiest man in magic.
Mario