Let me first say that I really enjoyed Danny's lecture. I read his cover story in Genii magazine
back in march and knew I wanted to attend. I was not disappointed at all. He spoke from experience
and gave the rest of us some very sage advice and pitfalls to steer away from.
I am
primarily a children's entertainer and found this lecture far more valuable than the dozens (yes,
dozens) of lectures on cards. Thanks to penguin for going outside the box and bringing in an expert
on a field other than cards or coins. Bravo!
My only criticism is that there were too many
times Danny was plugging other products of his for sale on "his" website. I understand an
occasional plug here and there, but at times (for me) it got a little excessive. No less than 6
products He talked about and plugged for a while during the lecture. I bought the lecture for the
content, theory and sound advice on effects to perform for children, not to sit through an
informercial. It got to be a little frustrating after the 4th blatant plug for his products.
Dan Harlan did a great job moderating the lecture and kept the interview discussions on point.
I learned a lot during that portion, so kudos to Him..
In all, great lecture. Definitely
worth the buy. Just be prepared for multiple commercial breaks ;)
6 of 6 magicians found this helpful.
I haven't viewed Danny's lecture in it's entirety, however, his ideas on positive reinforcement
really helped me out yesterday. I was hired to do a children's magic show and hadn't done one in
quite some time. I used his advice and thoughts on positive reinforcement when/if children do not
behave and they worked like a charm. The lady who hired me was so impressed with how I handled the
children that she gave me a $100 tip and said she would be having me for next year as well. I'm a
big kid myself and actually enjoy performing for children. Anyway, if you do or want to perform for
children buy this lecture. I'm also going to buy Danny's dvd set on children's magic because I know
it will be very much worth the money.
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
Danny presented quite the lecture on presenting magic to children. The bits of business and doing
the little things make a huge difference.
The Vanishing Crayons taught in this lecture is
way more visual than the marketed version sold in magic shops. The crayons vanish while being held
by the child! I will be replacing my vanishing crayons right away, and I will only use Danny's.
Do want to know how to keep parents from talking in the back of the room while you are
performing? Well, Danny has the PERFECT solution without saying a word, or stopping the show! It's
funny but at the same time discrete and a professional way to do it.
There are also PDF's
included with the lecture. So, at home you can make the props that were used in the lecture.
(including his tear-apart magic table).
Danny shares some basic but effective marketing
ideas at the end of the lecture.
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
You have to get it, this lecture is worth its price even if Danny didn't do any tricks, and just
talked about kids psychology, you need to get this, this is something that everyone needs to learn.
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
The lecture was 3 1/2 hours! This was an incredible lecture and very inspiring. The techniques can
be translated for any audience.
Danny said he made more money his Senior year in high
school doing magic shows than he made his first year as a teacher. No wonder after two years of
teaching he became a full time performer;-)
Danny went over tricks, audience management (
kids and adults ) marketing, promotions, etc.
What Danny taught can be applied to ANY type
of show and techniques that work for hobbyists as well!
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
No doubt Danny is a good childrens entertainer, yet there was little evidence in the form of
routines shown in this lecture. He spent most of the lecture talking about his stickers/ which was a
5 minute discussion at most plus spent lots of wasted time with handing out cards with prewritten
questions, which he than repeated again after it had read clearly by an audience member and than had
the audacity to say what a great question. Very annoying and a waste of time. For a lecture that ran
3.5 hours, it could have been reduced to a 45minute lecture and not much would have been lost. There
was only one stage\show routine discussed which was a coloring book routine, which was okay but
nothing earth shattering. Just the fact that he used a set of nesting wands made from PVC pipes and
let them drop on the floor as part of the routine is a bit ludcricous. Any person who performs in
peoples homes or schools would never drop such things on the floors, since there would be dents and
other damage to the floor. Absolutely a prop that should never be used in such a manner. The only
other effects he taught were store bought magic effects and just explained the handling / no new
routine ideas and not very appropriate for a childrens entertainer. Danny has some good ideas on
handling kids and even a few marketing tips, but overall this lecture lacked performing material and
a lot of time was set aside to market his other videos. Much better childrens entertainer videos
out on the market. CJ Johnson has a great school video, as does Tommy James with his birthday party
videos and there are many more. Save your money and invest in those / learn a lot more great effects
and also see good live performances by professionals.
4 of 7 magicians found this helpful.
Danny Orleans is first-class all the way --- a true professional. This three-and-a-half hour lecture
is jam-packed with high-impact effects, advice, thoughts and philosophies; it'd be a complete steal
at twice this price. Mr. Orleans recently released an absolutely killer DVD set that's also an
outstanding value. This is yet another example of why Penguin's lecture series is one of the very
best values in magic today. I can't recommend Danny's lecture highly enough --- whether or not
you're in the kid show market, it's a must-see for any magician. Period.
2 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
I don't like to perform just children's shows but you can't avoid kids either. I wish this lecture
had been available before my last show, they were a wild bunch.
I've watched this video 3 times
now so the next time I'll be prepared with Danny's wisdom of controlling them using positive
reinforcement.
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
This lecture was the whole package. There isn't too much available as far as instruction on how to
cater to a child audience. This lecture covered everything. Danny Orleans also offered his own
product at a discounted rate for purchasing this lecture. If you have an interest in performing for
children this this lecture combined with "The art of Presenting Magic to Children" are a must.
1 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
20 stars out of 5
1 of 2 magicians found this helpful.