Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 13:03:21 -0400 To: "Christopher Burch" <samriklown@hotmail.com>, balloon@balloonhq.com From: Steve Brown <steve@theatrefx.com> Subject: Re: Multiple issues addressed At 11:20 AM 07/18/2000 -0500, Christopher Burch wrote: >1st time posting folks so please be gentle > > >>I wasn't >in clown, for the first time, and felt realllly stupid trying to >>laugh off >the popping balloons w/o "HAPPIE Go Lucky!" joking her way out >>of it. ICK!! Professor Twist wrote, in reply to the above: >Problem balloons aside, you shouldn't feel stupid joking out of face. I put >up my make-up 3 yrs ago when I developed the non make-up wearing guy I am >today and let me tell you a lot of the same lines and jokes you use with >make-up on work without it, as long as you put them across with the same >sincerity and conviction.Balloon pops happen, we know that, and usually our >customers do to. I have never worn clown makeup in conjunction with twisting or restaurant work, but I have quite a few clown friends that tell me I should. Inside, beats the heart of a clown, and I guarantee that what I do has been influenced by some of the best clowns and comedians out there. I think Bob Hope is a clown of sorts ( with impeccable timing ), Red Skelton, Tom Mullica, Johnny Carson, all have a clown type personality ( IMHO anyways ), but didn't necessarily wear makeup. Professor Twist is dead on with the sincerity and conviction part. Believe in what you're doing, makeup or not, and the laughs will come. I do some really stupid stuff ( ask Joe Lefler who I was fortunate enough to meet at the Buffalo IBM Convention...LOL ) but it fits my character, and I love it. ( one of my favorite stupid things is in the act of Magician's Johnny and Pam Thompson....as the Great Tomsoni, Pam's dress gets accidentally pulled off, and she goes running for the wings of the stage, Johnny doesn't see this happen, motions to his assistant and sees she's not there....so he tried to capitalize on the moment, making a motion as if he caused her to disappear.... It's really dumb, and taken out of context like I just did, probably semi- meaningless, but you see them do this, and it's hilarious. He does it with such conviction, that you want to believe, but you also know what just happened, which he doesn't apparently know...and the irony of the humor is tremendous... ) I've been trying to come up with glasses for a balloon caraicature of me, Joe Lefler ( who also has a great sense of humor....luckily, since I ended up shooting a LOT of confetti into his dealer booth in Buffalo :) came up with a great and simple idea. I'd been trying to go high tech and get them exact ( even tried coffee stirrers and soda straws inside uninflated balloons at one point ). I attach the eyes to the nose and face, using the nose as a bottom point, and a raisin twist as the top. Joe took a 160, put a figure 8 type shape in it, once around each eye, then tied around the head with a 160 that has just enough air in it to help keep some shape. Kind of goggle-ish, but great. Thanx Joe. Larry Moss also made it over to Buffalo, wish we could've found the time to jam....but just too busy. Larry was trying to pass on some incredible ideas for eye and glasses. The eyeball that Larry put into a face is incredible. Talk about realistic and amazing. Larry does some stuff with balloon people and faces that is out of this world. Thanx Larry Steve ******************************************************** Steven H. Brown Ph: 301/791-7646 Theatre Effects Fax: 301/791-7719 642 Frederick St. Hagerstown, MD 21740 www.theatrefx.com *********************************************************