talkmagic.co.uk

Vents talk a lot don't they! Have you seen the size of these posts!!!!!!!! Seriuosly though (ha!, me!) if you have a good act it don't matter what you you do (ask Dale Winton) just do it well and the reward will be the smiles of the people. Kryzal x

Karl et al,

Well I could not afford a good vent figure with side-to-side moving eyes, head on a control stick, and so forth, so I decided to start with a puppet. I've attached a photo. Maybe next year I'll be able to take the plunge for a pro vent figure.

I continue to practice my venting every day. I'm getting better at the labials. Also I'm learning that even when I've nearly dominated a labial in one way, it's still a challenge in another.

For example, I can do the word "better" better than ever. But "baby" is, well, just not my baby.

You know what would be great would be if somebody would make puppets with control sticks and moving eyes. Some puppet maker ought to latch onto that idea and run with it.

Stay tuned...

Dave

Nice one Dave, he looks like the puppet guy from the Dolmio ads on TV (Whens-a-your-a-Dolmio-day?)!

Nice on Dave.. and Yeah, Mandrake is right! He does look a bit like the Dolmio puppet...

I hear what you are saying about how some SOUNDINGS are giving you problems... you can say 'Better' - but 'baby' is giving you some grief...
All i can say, and you're gonna hate this, but keep practiscing. You WILL eventually nail it. Eventually your tongue gets accustomed to the positions it needs to move to, and the parts of mouth it needs to touch. It will eventually become "second nature" to you.

Here's a tip - when no ones around, just practice your vent technique while using your normal voice. Read articles out loud from a magazine. sing the words of a song at the same time its played on the radio. Answer the telephone, use your normal voice but practice your vent technique...
This way you will develop that "second nature" because you will be speaking everyday words in the everyday conversational manner. In other words, your not really "forcing" yourself to do anything "perfect" with your puppet - your just aclimatising to using the Vent technique in everyday language... You will notice the difference when you then pick up the puppet!

By the way, your puppet already has loads of character. Its look alone lends itself to many possiblities...
Enjoy using him, and Good luck

Best Wishes

Karl

WOW. there are quite a few of us vents then!

I have mastered all the letters i think but P always seems to prove difficult.I know how its done but it never comes across perfect.
I say P using a very light t behind my front teeth. ??

The people i ask to listen for things like that (such as my mum and sister lol) have never commented but...any advcie on how to get that P a little bit clearer and stronger. - Practise is 1 bit of advice...any others?

I can see this may be very useful to my venting in the future.

I must say...when i first started...getting that natural look was a right laugh! Getting washed in the morning there's me trying to say "peter piper picked his pickled peppers" a) to get that p working and b) to get the natural look! lol!

Thanks
Tom!

Ok, Here's MY take on the P sound...

To puppet speak ‘P’ is as simple as ‘T’.

kwl. Thanks

I am surviving with my "current" p but i would like to improve it. So i will follow ur advice

ps - What does the BAV do for members? As a member what do you get??

Thanks
Tom

Tom,

I may not be a good source of advice, since I am a beginner myself. But here is something I've found where the 'P' sound is concerned: As I mentioned in an earlier post, I found myself sounding like a parrot when practicing the 'P'. I'm sounding less like a parrot these days. What I find, though, is that it is not the tip of my tongue that plays the biggest role in making the 'P' sound. Rather it is the top or maybe back of the tongue that plays the biggest role. The feeling is very similar to that I get when swallowing.

Of course, I think there are multiple ways to make sounds.

I'm in the U.S. We have a gas station here that I frequent called "BP," which stands for "British Petroleum." I would guess from the name that you might have that chain of stations in the U.K. as well. It's a challenge to try to say "BP" correctly. Not only do you have to switch from one of the more difficult labials to another, but there are no other sounds to give away the meaning. For example, when you say "better place," even if you don't say the 'b' and 'p' perfectly, the words still sound a lot like "better place." So "BP" has to be said almost perfectly to sound right.

Karl,

Do you know a source of some good vent dialogues?

Thank you.

kwl,
thanks for ur info:

What do you guys write scripts about - How do you start??

I entertain alot of children - so alot of the time i improvise on whats happening but what do you guys write about when performing for all ages!
Ur info would be useful.

Also - What do you do when you get a word ending in "ps" - I find this very difficult.

lol
Thanks
Tom

With regards to words ending 'PS' my advice is to just havea go at tackling it. keep on at it until you eventually nail it.. And TRUST ME - if you persist long enough you will eventually nail it. Maybe in 6 weeks or 4 months.. DONT expect it to happen over night. Liken it to going to the gym, and not being able to lift the heaviest weights until you've built yourself up on the lighter weights, then the medium weights for a few months before hand. . .
Some so called vents advise you to avoid using certain words or sounds that are difficult to pronounce - in my opinion, that advice is a cobblers. Just have a go, and keep on trying. You WILL eventually crack it.

Regarding scripts. I always write my own. My scripts suit my characters. I used to look for script books, but found nothing that suited my style, or in fact, anything which I ever felt happy with putting in my own show. I now have SO many scripts I am spoiled for choice as which to perform in the shows I do. . . Maybe, one day, I should publish my scripts?

As to how to write them? Well, I guess that's a topic that needs many minutes to explore.. I think we all have our own unique styles.
I base mine on my character. Having a clearly defined character for your puppet is essential, then you can develop material based on how your character would behave/react/interact etc.
If you had a mean character, you could explore the possiblities of trying to get him to share his sweets with the audience. He wont want to because he's mean. How will he react? . . . Its that old cliche of stimulus/response. Let your imagination run free. Just write all the ideas that come into your head. DONT edit or try to make sense of them. Just let them all flow out in a brain storming kind of way... Then, the next day, Look at each idea in turn and see how you can flesh it out, based on how your character would genuinely react. AND how YOU and Your OWN personality would contrast this.

Kwlio

I saw a fab vent on sat called Judy Buch - from america -

She did the 3 way convo - which i love!! - 2 puppets - 1 vent

Also - her alien puppet had a telepathic convo and she created a "on the phone" type voice in response to him. It was like you could hear a whole phone convo!

FAB!

Thanks!
Tom

The British Association of Ventriloquists

The objective of the BAV is to provide a recognised body for anyone interested in the art of ventriloquism regardless of amateur or professional status

The British Association of Ventriloquists seeks to:

1. Promote the practice and art of ventriloquism

2. Provide a means of support and communication between members

3. Uphold and enhance the standing of the art of ventriloquism


You can contact the BAV in a number of ways:

Trevor Burch (BAV Secretary)
Willow Cottage
110 Davids Drive
Wingerworth
Chesterfield
Derbyshire
Uk
S42 6TS


Phone Number: 01246 270653

Email: burch@vent.fsnet.co.uk


One other site you may be interested in, is the discussion forum for british based ventriloquists. (Vents from ALL oaround the world are more than welcome too)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ukventriloquists


Best Wishes
Karl

thanks Puppetman

Hi Guys, was just wondering if any of yuo combine vent with stage magic in one act.

Do you / your figure perform magic for each other etc.

I have started doing this with my kids shows where Freddie Bear helps me perform a magic trick. (something simple like flower boxes from paper bag)

Any of you do this?

On December 6, I made my public debut as a vent, a little over four months after I first expressed interest in becoming one. The event was a situation in which LensCrafters gave free eye exams and glasses to poor children.

I did magic tricks, my vent routine with my new puppet Carlos, and balloon twisting.

Overall, I'd say I was successful. The LensCrafters lady said she loved the routine with Carlos and asked me if I'd like to come back and do it next year. I guess that's a compliment.

The vent performance satisfies one of the requirements to graduate from the Maher Course in Ventriloquism.

Karl, thanks so much for all of your advice and encouragement, and for helping me out with my dialogue.