Please help with any vent audience participation ideas. I've used the one where a man & lady are next to me & i give them high/ low voices, dress them funny, & sing, etc. I would appreciate any new ideas or routines for adults.(nothing off color). Thanks much!! What a great site!!!
I believe that any vent controlled face mask idea is copyrighted by Ronn Lucas and he does not appreciate others using it. He regularly uses it for TV and Las Vegas events so it would be nice if you don't.
I enjoyed using the Green Acres song, putting a farmer's hat and sunglasses on the man and a boa and jewel encrusted costume glasses on the woman. Most know it and can sing along and you can find the karaoke to it online (try ebay or Amazon.)
Another idea is to use a song that has a repeated stanza, but you sing the rest of the song. I can't think of any off hand. Perhaps "It's a wonderful world?" Any other ideas?
Please listen to Tony. Vent Haven regulars know that Ronn Lucas will aggressively CHALLENGE people who rip off his ideas..and he really doesn't care if this has to include a superstar! Ronn is still the greatest vent I've seen..the reason I say this is he goes beyond vent and is far off into drama and improv and basically acting in a mode that has also spelled success for dozens of our incredible Canadian comedians who now work stateside. Of course, this is one result of the sabbatical he took away from his act to study drama. Please take Tony's warning seriously. Ron
1.Use your puppet to get an audience member to help him.
2. Or have your puppet sing to the audience up on stage.
3. Use an audience member as the puppets hands.
4. Use your puppet to teach someone on stage something.
I love using the audience in my show. The more the better. People love to see family members up on stage. Me too.
5.Have someone who is taking a picture of you come on stage and have someone take a picture of them (puppet and person) together then ask for their autograph.
I use some of these ideas and I have clips posted on You-tube and God-tube. Have fun experimenting.
Ribbons the clown/ventriloquist
Ribbons the clown
Robin Bremer
www.ribbonstheclown.com
www.youtube.com/user/ribbonstheclown
Without speaking of the legal right of doing it, I personnally think that using a mask on an audience member will result in a lesser reaction from the audience. With a mask you hide half the face of the spectator and all his facial expressions, which is the most important part of this type of act in my opinion. I think the audience react because they sense that the performer could be in danger because he is dealing with someone who is alive, and with a mask all over the face, it seems that you are saying to the audience: "I could have use anyone , it doesn't matter, I could have done it with a life size dummy but it's too difficult to transport!"
I Hope one day to meet Ronn Lucas and ask him what was his reasonning when he created his mask. What were the reasons to get rid off one of the most important feature in this type act. what did he wanted to push forward which was more important that the reaction of the spectator on stage? Was it a question of control: to make sure that his text goes trough no matter what even if the audience member is totally drunk.
Ronn Lucas is very talented and I'm sure he must have a reason And I'd love to know it.
You ask a good question, but if you have seen the mask used I don't think you would ask that question. It gets a HUGE reaction from the crowd. I've often wondered why a ventriloquist would use an audience member in the first place instead of their beautiful Axtell puppet, but when I hear people tell me about a ventriloquist they've seen they often say, "And he even made my boss sing a song!"
Here are some advantages when Ronn uses the mask:
1. The person doesn't have to worry about timing their mouth movement.
2. The person feels more like an actor dressed for a part and may become more lively.
3. The person doesn't feel as embarassed.
If I felt it were not a copyright infringement I would buy one right away and add it to my show.
Other FANTASTIC novelty vent items:
1. Talking to someone on a cell phone. Especially if you can fake the ring as well. Better yet, use an old style handset with a cord that leads to your head. (Clip it onto your hair before you start to show that you are talking to voices in your head.)
2. The echo cup or bottle. You say a word into a cup and cover the opening with your hand. When you lift your hand the word comes back to you in a different voice. Eventually the word is repeated incorrectly.
Ex. Vent: Hello.
Echo: Hello.
Vent: How are you?
E: How are you?
Vent: I'm fine. Thanks for asking. Are you hungry?
E: Are you hungry?
V: Yes. I want bologna.
E: Yes. I want...
V: Bologna.
E: (nothing)
V: Bologna.
E: (nothing)
V: Tony Borders is the world's greatest ventriloquist!
E: Bologna!
3. The magic drawing board by Axtell. Fits ANY theme. My favorites are Frosty the Snowman or Adam who each come to life in the story and do so on the drawing board.
4. Tapdancing flea. Borrow a flea from an audience member and you'll find out from it's squeaky little voice that it escaped from a flea circus. It can also tap dance. (Do some tongue clicking while humming a song. Tea for two works great. YOu may even get to where you can sing the words and click!)
I am worried that Border's calmness in his response to forum letters is affecting me. Juan, with all diplomacy,it might be helpful to see the mask-gear Lucas uses and then compare it to the type Mz. Paige utilizes. L.O.L. One revelation(told you Tony's getting to me) is to understand the impressive marketing and retail part of the Lucas empire. His Rio show featured- photographers( for Ronn and audience members);charges for each photo and a small store at the rear with a clerk to sell a wide variety of his products. In other words,he only protects his OWN designs. Thanks, Ron
The talking mask was a very long discussion on another vent site a few years back and the general consensus is that if the ventriloquist controls the moving of the mouth of the mask, it is an infringemento on Ronn's copyright. Personally, I will pass on trying to offend the talented Ronn Lucas who can afford to hire many more lawyers than me. I don't use Miss Piggy or Kermit in my shows for the same reason and I have no idea how someone can sell their lookalikes on ebay. Where is Disney, who now owns the U.S. rights to the Muppets?
I too have tried selling items after my show, but have failed to see the lineup! I have videos of my Animal show for sale with a special disount if you order a dozen!
if you use the mdb, especially with kids, have them come up and help you draw the face.
eg. you draw the head shape, then a child come up and draws the hair. you next draw the eye circles and another child comes up and draws the ears. you then draw the mouth and another child draws the nose. you finish by drawing the eyes and finish up the picture with any details you might want, (eyelashes, bow tie, earings etc)
when the picture comes to life the reaction almost doubles.
Ronn Lucas can copyright his mask design and material but he can't stop others, such as Paige Parnell or Bill Boley from making their own designs.
I believe at one time Al Stevens mentioned using a vent mask years before Ronn Lucas was probably even born.
The design and features of the mask are as intrinsic a part of the copyright-able design as in any other product.
There's another vent out there (I forget his name, sorry) who uses a paper vent mask which appears to be as popular as any other version.
And any act I've seen using a vent mask has had extremely good results...
Thank you, Steve. I have been waiting for a solid answer. I e-mailed Paige and invited her to post on this Forum, but got no response. It's nice to know that she is aware of the copyrights and has surely done things the legal way.
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