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Hi all,

Could anybody recommend any effects for me to research around drawing peoples attention?

Also if anybody has any ideas for in the hands effects it would be appreciated!

Much love

Aza

for grabbing attention try balloon modelling and/or contact juggling.

I'm rubbish at both of those things Lawrence!!

*runs off to practice juggling*

Much love

Aza

You'll need something nice and visual, perhaps some silks with a little backing music to get people's attention?

In the hands effects, you can't get much better than sponge balls.

Aza wrote:I'm rubbish at both of those things Lawrence!!

*runs off to practice juggling*

Much love

Aza

Balloon modelling is really really easy, give it a try.
Contact juggling, not so easy, but really really worth the practise!

Appreciate the suggestions guys!

Just built myself a haunted deck gimmick this morning so will be trialling it later!

Wish me luck lol

Much love

Aza

Jim Cellini and Mario Morris (and many other buskers, but I've only seen these two in lectures) both state that 3 things grab attention. Movement, Colour, Sound.

Cellini for the most part only uses his wand to hit things and make a noise, pretty much nothing else. He refers to it as a thumper.
A large bright production at the start of a routine grabs attention.

This is why I use bright pink sponge balls and ropes, and a dayglow green wand.

Technically a balloon is a large bright production of a sort.

A few other people I know state that a good opener is to produce a coin from a bit of flash paper. Anything which makes a sudden unexpected visual impact will grab attention. Also remember that attention must be grabbed repeatedly, it is hard to hold for any length of time, so plan your routines to re-grab it as often as possible. Obviously not every grab needs to be a noisy flash of coloured light....

-Stacy

Be different, be big and be colourful. Take a minute to think about the sort of thing that would distract your from your ordinary, mundane life and transport you to a world of wonder.

Silks are good, ropes are good, anything that's big, flashy, unusual and is going to grab the attention of passers by would be wonderful. A giant playing card routine with some rather flamboyant showmanship may well be perfect for the task. Come to think of it, the most important thing for any street performer is a flamboyant style, that's what gets folk intrigued more than anything.

I find nothing draws attention quicker than eating a balloon. You can take your time, slowly swallow it, and by the time you are finished everyone who is not dead, or blind, will be watching you. I jump on a chair so with the chair, me and the balloon, it is ten feet high. Everyone can see.

Recently I have been having fun launching water rockets - that draws a crowd too!

I hear a lot about balloon eating but am concerned for children copying??

Much love

Aza

I hear a lot of people worrying about kids copying balloon eating but without the correct method they can't get enough in their mouths to really pose a danger. The worst that'll happen if one of them gets their hands on an inflated q260 is that they'll try to put it in their mouths and accidentally pop it with their teeth. Loud and scary for the younguns but not dangerous.

Has anyone ever actually seen a real injury caused by failed copying of this routine?

-Stacy

I'm also scared of balloons lol....should i have mentioned this?

Much love

Aza

Along a similar line to the balloon swallow, I tend to "ping" a rubber band up my nose as a visual attention getter! This has the advantage of children being less likely to copy as they could never flick the band accurately enough!

spooneythegoon wrote:Along a similar line to the balloon swallow, I tend to "ping" a rubber band up my nose as a visual attention getter! This has the advantage of children being less likely to copy as they could never flick the band accurately enough!

Haha you have just reminded me of a wonderful family moment with my younger sister who at about age 4 or 5 attempted to flick an elastic band at my uncle and the result was the elastic band pinging back, hitting her in the face, which caused her to pause for a moment, look my uncle dead in the eye and question him with the phrase "did that hurt"?

She's 27 now and will never forgive me for posting this, but I'm laughing so much, just because of the comment about children and accuracy!!

Much love

Aza

How about a fire wallet? Also things floating / levitating work well.. Something like the Hummer Card by Jon Jensen.