{"id":3086,"date":"2020-10-07T12:49:21","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T12:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/?p=3086"},"modified":"2021-10-19T14:09:41","modified_gmt":"2021-10-19T14:09:41","slug":"tips-for-creating-zoom-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/entertainers\/tips-for-creating-zoom-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Rua&#8217;s Tips for Creating and Delivering a Zoom show"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Rua is one of Ireland\u2019s leading mentalists and magicians.&nbsp; He is at the forefront of the wedding and corporate entertainment market, created and starred in his own TV show, and has had numerous other TV appearances.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent months he has been performing Zoom shows as an alternative to his well-established, regular shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/entertainers\/to-zoom-or-not-to-zoom\/\">In our previous article on the topic<\/a>, we quoted Rua as saying <em>\u2018Unless it\u2019s done correctly, the experience of watching a Zoom show is like giving caffeine to a cocaine addict \u2013 it just doesn\u2019t hit!&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here Rua elaborates on this and kindly shares on his thoughts on the process of putting a Zoom show together, with some practical tips on how best to perform it \u2013 so you have the best chance of getting that hit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is great advice from a seasoned pro and we\u2019re really grateful to him for sharing this with us.&nbsp; We believe it could be extremely useful for both magicians and non-magical entertainers alike!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Why might you want to develop a Zoom show?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the current uncertainty around the future of live entertainment, having a virtual format to offer would seem a sensible way to protect at least some of your business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you are still on the fence about doing Zoom shows, I suggest working on an act to have up your sleeve even if you may not want\/need to use it yet.&nbsp; Put it together as a project.&nbsp; Then you are ready to go should you want to launch it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of us have more time on our hands right now so what have you got to lose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>How to go about developing a show?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>You don\u2019t know if it\u2019s going to work until you try it \u2013 it\u2019s trial and error.&nbsp; It\u2019s like learning a totally new craft so it can be quite daunting in that sense.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>For that reason, test on family and friends first.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Consider who your target audience is throughout the development process.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>If you\u2019re a magician you need to create a show that makes sense rather than a series of tricks &#8211; It\u2019s more like a stage show than a table-hopping close-up gig in that sense. I\u2019d say this would be the same for any other kind of entertainment too &#8211; there has to be something that links the individual elements together.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The show also needs to have a beginning, middle and end.&nbsp; My first show didn\u2019t really connect with the audience so I went back and worked on it some more.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Remember you are not just a guy who can do cool things, you are a professional entertainer.&nbsp; You need to make the experience as magical as possible.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Make it short and sweet \u2013 a Zoom attention span is less than an in-person performance.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>There are no rules \u2013 you can choose any format that you like \u2013 that\u2019s the beauty of developing something in this new medium.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Do you have any tips for the online set-up?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Add a red dot beside your computer\u2019s webcam to remind you where to look \u2013 that way you will appear to be looking at your audience rather than looking down awkwardly.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Invest in some decent lights as the proper use of lighting can really help your set-up look professional.&nbsp; Good lighting is actually more important than the quality of the camera.&nbsp; (most lap top cameras are generally fine.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Think about how best to frame yourself and what background will work best.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Check out some YouTube videos like this on how best to set up and light yourself for Zoom.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<p class=\"responsive-video-wrap clr\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Make Your Webcam Footage Look Better | Filmmaker Explains\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6NY8wWo_VBs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>What about tips for the performance?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The first show I did I could see people eating dinner, getting up and moving around throughout and having conversations.&nbsp; It really threw me off.&nbsp; Make it clear to the event organiser that you need their guest\u2019s total attention throughout.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>It\u2019s good to have some kind of introduction \u2013 One way is to have a pre-recorded countdown video or series of images before your show.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Encourage people to clap throughout &#8211; especially to acknowledge any volunteers who help.&nbsp; It makes it feel more like a proper show and helps maintain your audience\u2019s engagement.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Do you have any thoughts on marketing a Zoom show?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Come up with a contact list based on your existing clients and potential customers.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Create a dedicated website\/page specifically for your Zoom show.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Offer a free 10-minute call with the organisers to give a taster of what they would get.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>What, for you, is the main advantage of Zoom shows over regular shows?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As long as you have a laptop you can perform it anywhere in the world, to be seen anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Who is doing particularly well in this medium that you know of?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the magic world there are some great examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol type=\"1\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisishelder.com\/\">Helder Guimar\u00e3es<\/a> has created an excellent Zoom show called \u2018The Present\u2019 which has been a sell-out in 2020.&nbsp; He delivers this to 25 households at a time.&nbsp; The audience get a small package delivered to them before the show which includes a souvenir and other items used during it.&nbsp; It\u2019s directed by Frank Marshall and there are great production values.&nbsp; He\u2019s taking Zoom shows to another level.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Justin Willman is offering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justinwillman.com\/virtual\">\u2018Magic for Humans @ Home\u2019<\/a> \u2013 this is a combination of live interactive segments interspersed with pre-recorded sketches.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Magician Max Maven has some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinmagic.com\/p\/14175\">great content<\/a> on the topic.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/videochatmagic.com\/\">Video chat magic<\/a> by Steve Thompson and Will Heuston is a fantastic resource for material and thinking behind Zoom show creation.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>What advice would you give to those for whose craft doesn\u2019t naturally lend itself to a Zoom pivot \u2013 for example, face painting?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Think laterally.&nbsp; If I was a face painter I\u2019d try to develop something really different and fun.&nbsp; For example, I\u2019d create a format where I send out a package to people in advance with simple face paints.&nbsp; Then I\u2019d teach girls to paint their boyfriend\u2019s faces and get everyone to enjoy seeing the results!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>What would you say to any potential clients who have chanced upon this?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Book me for a virtual show &#8211; it can be just as interactive, mind-blowing and fun as the real thing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rua is one of Ireland\u2019s leading mentalists and magicians.&nbsp; He is at the forefront of the wedding and corporate entertainment market, created and starred in his own TV show, and has had numerous other TV appearances.&nbsp; In recent months he has been performing Zoom shows as an alternative to his well-established, regular shows. In our [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3087,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[36],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3086"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3086"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3086\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3691,"href":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3086\/revisions\/3691"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}