UPSB v4
Presentation / Professional spinning
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Date: Fri, Oct 19 2012 20:32:44
Has anyone tried to make money as a street performer with pen spinning? If so how did it go? I am thinking it would be good to bring a flashy mod to attract attention. Any advise, comments or musings welcomed. @Mats
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Date: Fri, Oct 19 2012 20:40:43
I use it to augment my magic routines (spinning my wand), I've thought about it quite a bit and I can't imagine how you'd make money at it on the streets. The only monetization I can think of is in TV, movies, etc. The problem is it's too small-scale to put on a "show" with. It's basically analogous with juggling, except that you can only really see/appreciate it from up close. Yo-yo'ers have this issue, it's not big/flashy enough to gather a big crowd (but it's bigger/flashier than PS, so I can't imagine PS working very well) I doubt many people have really tried though, so if you want to give it a shot I could try to give you some tips based on what I know about busking from magic. no matter what, your best bet will be to bring like a 12" mod (like a magic wand or something) and not just a regular pen mod
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Date: Fri, Oct 19 2012 20:51:01
strat1227 wrote: I use it to augment my magic routines (spinning my wand), I've thought about it quite a bit and I can't imagine how you'd make money at it on the streets. The only monetization I can think of is in TV, movies, etc. The problem is it's too small-scale to put on a "show" with. It's basically analogous with juggling, except that you can only really see/appreciate it from up close. Yo-yo'ers have this issue, it's not big/flashy enough to gather a big crowd (but it's bigger/flashier than PS, so I can't imagine PS working very well) I doubt many people have really tried though, so if you want to give it a shot I could try to give you some tips based on what I know about busking from magic. no matter what, your best bet will be to bring like a 12" mod (like a magic wand or something) and not just a regular pen mod
I got a gold KT I can spin. Its not like you need to gather a crowd though you just need people passing to be amused for a little while and have something for "donations" once you get enough experience I was also thinking at bars and stuff you might be able to impress girls enough so they buy you drinks ;D -
Date: Fri, Oct 19 2012 21:00:36
Awesome wrote: Its not like you need to gather a crowd though you just need people passing to be amused for a little while and have something for "donations" once you get enough experience
That's not how you make money on the streets though lol, there's two parts: "1. Make them stay 2. Make them pay", pen spinning can do the first because it's interesting, but without a big "finale" or surprising moment or something unexpected, they'll just stop, watch for a few seconds (or even just glance as they walk slowly by), but they won't be compelled to pay anything You'd have to be very aware of people and if you notice somebody stopped or looking intently, you'd have to do something spectacular or you could go the "tramp" route, which solves the issue of #2. the tramp concept is that you're a poor person/down on your luck/someone who just needs a bit of money, and you're displaying some skill in return for some sympathy. Then if you can do #1 (get attention), then they'll pay out of pity/sympathy/whatever that actually usually works better in terms of making money (it's what most people who play instruments on the streets do, they make bank), but it's kind of degrading lol, I wouldn't want to do it -
Date: Fri, Oct 19 2012 21:03:14
strat1227 wrote: That's not how you make money on the streets though lol, there's two parts: "1. Make them stay 2. Make them pay", pen spinning can do the first because it's interesting, but without a big "finale" or surprising moment or something unexpected, they'll just stop, watch for a few seconds (or even just glance as they walk slowly by), but they won't be compelled to pay anything You'd have to be very aware of people and if you notice somebody stopped or looking intently, you'd have to do something spectacular or you could go the "tramp" route, which solves the issue of #2. the tramp concept is that you're a poor person/down on your luck/someone who just needs a bit of money, and you're displaying some skill in return for some sympathy. Then if you can do #1 (get attention), then they'll pay out of pity/sympathy/whatever that actually usually works better in terms of making money (it's what most people who play instruments on the streets do, they make bank), but it's kind of degrading lol, I wouldn't want to do it
Like aerials or a power trick sequence? I wouldn't mind being able to do the tramp thing if I actually needed money though. -
Date: Fri, Oct 19 2012 21:08:49
Awesome wrote: Like aerials or a power trick sequence?
Only if you don't do any of those in your "drawing them in" phase. And it'd have to be pretty strikingly visually different (surprising, unexpected, etc) to make them pay. For trying to make money the best bet is ALWAYS to have a "show" that builds to a big climax, but pen spinning doesn't fit well to that concept, so you'd have to do a very miniature version of that where you have a "climax" every 3 minutes or so lol, you'll have high rates of turnover for spectators. I'm just not sure powertricks or aerials will be big enough to get them to pay (it'd have to be world class level, like vic/peem/etc style stuff)I wouldn't mind being able to do the tramp thing if I actually needed money though.
yeah, if you're actually in that situation it's actually a pretty good option. there's a ton of stories and stuff of people who just showed up to a city completely empty-handed, started busking and made enough to cover a hotel for a few days and meals all in one day, and basically just went on free vacations that way. you have to have TONS of experience to be able to do something like that though the main point is, it cant ever hurt to try haha. get out there, see if it works, what doesn't work, etc. my first attempt would probably be to sit down on a street corner with a tip jar in front of you, headphones in, and start doing very VISUALLY impressive stuff (not stuff that would impress PSers, spectators won't know what's "hard", only what looks cool), and see if you can get anyone to drop money in. if not, you have to move on to a more traditional "busker" style where you're interacting with people, talking to them, actively trying to get money -
Date: Fri, Oct 19 2012 21:09:40
also, it's never a bad idea to join a buskers forum, post a video of what you do, and get advice from the real pros on how you can try to make money with it. they swear that you can make money with any visual skill, it's just a matter of finding the correct way to do it. I think it'd be really tough though with PS
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Date: Fri, Oct 19 2012 21:35:50
Well, if you have a good enough / engaging enough personality I'm sure you could sell it, you might need a gimmick or a story but I see no reason for it not being possible. @Jackmacky @Zkhan you guys did some busking at LAX right? Otherwise, maybe incorporating dance like snow, but that also requires the kind of confidence / consistency he has from practice and preforming on various venues already.
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Date: Fri, Oct 19 2012 21:59:28
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuF1uKzQV_c true story.
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Date: Fri, Oct 19 2012 22:08:01
ehhhh it takes a LOT more than just being a good PSer to make money busking lol there are tons of talented people who can't make any money at all on the streets, and tons of untalented people who can lol there's the classic story of that world's greatest violinist trying to busk by playing the most incredible music possible on a violin, nobody gave a shit lol. talent means very little on the streets
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Date: Fri, Oct 19 2012 22:35:35
incorporate some funny 'dancing' stuff like what snow does in his live performances/on tc, but that takes it a bit beyond the conventional view of spinning perhaps
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Date: Sat, Oct 20 2012 05:38:14
Yes, we did. Let's just say it's not very profitable.
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Date: Sat, Oct 20 2012 06:01:32
iirc kay from jeb makes some money thru psing but i can't remember how
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Date: Sat, Oct 20 2012 06:37:19
Zkhan wrote: Yes, we did. Let's just say it's not very profitable.
Again, refer to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myq8upzJDJc Being talented at what you're performing and being a good busker are VERY different things. There are TONS of people who make lots of money playing the violin on the streets, and they're much much much worse than this guy. Just going out and penspinning and expecting money to come won't work ever -
Date: Sat, Oct 20 2012 07:28:23
strat1227 wrote: Again, refer to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myq8upzJDJc Being talented at what you're performing and being a good busker are VERY different things. There are TONS of people who make lots of money playing the violin on the streets, and they're much much much worse than this guy. Just going out and penspinning and expecting money to come won't work ever
I was joking and being sarcastic. We weren't trying to make money nor were we expecting any. However, I can say this; pen spinning as a street performance isn't really going to grab the attention of pedestrians from my experience, at gatherings and from my understanding of other PSers that have tried to perform publicly. But there is a difference between performing for fun and performing for profit... -
Date: Sat, Oct 20 2012 10:24:24
I am trying to combine penspinning with devil sticks. I am not good at it, but it sure fit as street artist.
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Date: Sat, Oct 20 2012 13:26:35
Zkhan wrote: I was joking and being sarcastic.
lol ok, definitely wasn't clear from the post, seemed like you were serious -
Date: Sat, Oct 20 2012 15:05:44
I know some people stopped and asked during STL gatherings, some band members got pretty interested and even gave @Pandamonium free tickets, but if you want to actually make money from it you can't just stare at your hand and spin :p.
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Date: Sat, Oct 20 2012 17:21:55
strat1227 wrote: lol ok, definitely wasn't clear from the post, seemed like you were serious
I knew I should've added an emoticon. -
Date: Sun, Oct 21 2012 08:13:35
I think Kay is in a preforming arts group, like the white shoeman is/was
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Date: Sun, Oct 21 2012 23:59:21
Tried street spinning in my city with @fluffychewbacca We spun for 2ish hours and made 1 dollar... At one point we had a decent crowd and at another some photographers. I'm sure if we had a sign, mods for sale, and maybe music, we would get a lot more attention. We used a few tricks to get more attention. 1. Open up pen spinning case with mods and lay it on ground. 2. Place some of own money into the case. (Looks like people have already gave money before hand) 3. Have one to a few spinners spin by the case and have other friends/spinners watch and pretend to be random strangers who put change into the case to demonstrate to real strangers what to do. 3. ??? 4. Have fun and make little to no profit.
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Date: Mon, Oct 22 2012 00:01:41
Music seems like a given hahah :)
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Date: Mon, Oct 22 2012 01:41:17
Wow we brought penspinning up to a whole new level XD Well ever thought of maybe putting a lap top at the front and playing maybe some of the collaboration videos for example Jeb 4th or something lol!
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Date: Wed, Oct 24 2012 18:18:26
Friend and I tried this once on the Hollywood walk of fame, didn't get a cent and I only lasted 15 minutes before I was told to leave because of the uf sequencer I was playing. We definately had a good time though.