Ventriloquism

One of the world's most famous magicomedians and ventriloquists discusses every aspect of his art, revealing a wealth of insider's tricks. Schindler shows how to cultivate a variety of voices and offers helpful suggestions for putting an act together, developing comedy material and scripts, and handling bookings and publicity. 38 figures and photos.

How to talk to your hand without looking stupid.

The art of "bellyspeaking" isn't for dummies The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Ventriloquism teaches everyone to speak from their bellies, create and substitute sounds, use all the registers of their voice, and create diversions to attract the listener's ear—whether they invest in a fancy puppet or create their own figure out of a sweat sock. • Includes tips for making, manipulating, and talking with their dummy and for it—both at the same time • Advice for getting an act together and taking it on the road-getting gigs, getting paid, and how to improve performances • How to write dialogue and jokes and rehearsal techniques

How to speak without lip movement, develop dialogue and special effects, use props, plan a show, and much more. Indispensable for the absolute beginner.

With themes reminiscent of Shirley Jackson, Thomas Ligotti, and Bruno Shulz, but with a strikingly unique vision, Jon Padgett's The Secret of Ventriloquism heralds the arrival of a significant new literary talent. Padgett's work explores the mystery of human suffering, the agony of personal existence, and the ghastly means by which someone might achieve salvation from both. A bullied child who seeks vengeance within a bed's hollow box spring; a lucid dreamer haunted by an impossible house; a dummy that reveals its own anatomy in 20 simple steps; a stuttering librarian who holds the key to a mill town's unspeakable secrets; a commuter whose worldview is shattered by two words printed on a cardboard sign; an aspiring ventriloquist who spends a little too much time looking at himself in a mirror. And the presence that speaks through them all.

This early work is a fascinating read for entertainment enthusiasts. Thoroughly recommended for the bookshelf of the amateur or professional ventriloquist it contains a wealth of information that is still useful and practical today. Contents Include: So You Want To Be a Ventriloquist, From Witchcraft to Music Halls, The Voice-The Beginning of Ventriloquism, How To Build a Dummy-Part 1, How To Build a Dummy-Part 2, Mechanism for Realism-Part 1, Moving Mouth, Mechanism for Realism-Part 2, Moving Eyes, Painting the Dummy and Building the Body, Synchronization and Manipulation, Additional Manipulation, Character, Costume and Conversation, Routines and Sketches, Just for Fun, For Profit, and A Few Conclusions. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

If you're passionate about ventriloquism and ready to take your skills to the next level, then HowExpert Guide to Ventriloquism is the perfect resource to guide you! Whether you're a beginner eager to explore the art or an experienced performer looking to refine your craft, this guide offers a comprehensive, step-by-step journey from foundational skills to advanced techniques. Chapter 1: Introduction to Ventriloquism – Explore the history of ventriloquism, the art of voice throwing, and the essential skills every ventriloquist needs. Chapter 2: Understanding the Basics – Learn the fundamentals of speaking without moving your lips, voice modulation, and creating distinct voices for your characters. Chapter 3: Puppet Basics – Discover how to choose the perfect puppet, understand different puppet types, and take care of your puppet to keep it in top shape. Chapter 4: Mastering Character Voices – Craft unique personalities for your puppets, create realistic dialogues, and switch between voices seamlessly during performances. Chapter 5: Lip Control Techniques – Practice key exercises for controlling lip movements, avoiding common mistakes, and perfecting natural-sounding conversations. Chapter 6: Puppet Manipulation and Movement – Learn the techniques for manipulating your puppet's body and face to make it appear lifelike, synchronized with your voice. Chapter 7: Developing a Comedy Routine – Write jokes, time your punchlines, and infuse humor into your act to keep your audience engaged and entertained. Chapter 8: Performing on Stage – Overcome stage fright, engage with your audience, and handle unexpected situations while performing live. Chapter 9: Building Your Act – Structure your performance, rehearse effectively, and add variety to your routine to ensure your act stays fresh and exciting. Chapter 10: Expanding Your Skills – Explore improvisation techniques, incorporate multiple characters into your performance, and use props to enhance your act. Chapter 11: Advanced Ventriloquism Techniques – Master complex dialogues with multiple puppets, tackle challenging sounds, and create immersive thematic shows. Chapter 12: Marketing and Promoting Yourself – Build your personal brand, grow an online presence, and network with other performers to land paid gigs. Chapter 13: The Business of Ventriloquism – Learn the business side of ventriloquism, including managing finances, booking gigs, and working with agents and venues. Chapter 14: Continuing to Grow as a Ventriloquist – Connect with ventriloquism communities, attend conventions, and keep up with industry trends to enhance your skills. Chapter 15: Ventriloquism in the Digital Age – Learn how to leverage platforms like YouTube and TikTok to build a fanbase and monetize your performances online. Chapter 16: Lessons from Iconic Ventriloquists (Based on Public Sources) – Discover insights and key takeaways from famous ventriloquists based on publicly available information. Chapter 17: The Future of Ventriloquism – Explore the role of AI, virtual puppetry, and other technological advancements in shaping the future of ventriloquism. Chapter 18: Conclusion – Final tips for success as you continue your ventriloquism journey, embracing creativity and passion for the craft. Appendices – Access downloadable resources, scripts, tools, and additional materials to support your ventriloquism practice and performances. With its blend of traditional techniques and modern strategies—including digital tools, online performance tips, and future-facing AI integration—HowExpert Guide to Ventriloquism will not only teach you the art of ventriloquism but also prepare you for the evolving landscape of the craft. Whether performing live or online, you'll be fully equipped to take the stage with confidence, captivate audiences, and bring your puppets to life! HowExpert publishes how to guides on all topics from A to Z.

This exciting collection of David Goldblatt's essays, available for the first time in one volume, uses the metaphor of ventriloquism to help understand a variety of art world phenomena. It examines how the vocal vacillation between ventriloquist and dummy works within the roles of artist, artwork and audience as a conveyance to the audience of the performer's intentions, emotions and beliefs through a created performative persona. Considering key works, including those of Nietzsche, Foucault, Socrates, Derrida, Cavell and Wittgenstein, Goldblatt examines how the authors use the framework of ventriloquism to construct and negate issues in art and architecture. He ponders 'self-plagiarism'; why the classic philosopher cannot speak for himself, but must voice his thoughts through fictional characters or inanimate objects and works. With a close analysis of two ventriloquist paintings by Jasper Johns and Paul Klee, a critical commentary by Garry L. Hagberg, and preface by series editor Saul Ostrow, Goldblatt's thoroughly fascinating book will be an invaluable asset to students of cultural studies, art, and philosophy.

Why can none of us hear our own recorded voice without wincing? Why is the telephone still full of such spookiness and erotic possibility? Why does the metaphor of ventriloquism, the art of 'seeming to speak where one is not', speak so resonantly to our contemporary technological condition? These are the kind of questions which impel Steven Connor's wide-ranging, restlessly inquisitive history of ventriloquism and the disembodied voice. He tracks his subject from its first recorded beginnings in ancient Israel and Greece, through the fulminations of early Christian writers against the unholy (and, they believed, obscenely produced) practices of pagan divination, the aberrations of the voice in mysticism, witchcraft and possession, and the strange obsession with the vagrant figure of the ventriloquist, newly conceived as male rather than female, during the Enlightenment. He retrieves the stories of some of the most popular and versatile ventriloquists and polyphonists of the nineteenth century, and investigates the survival of ventriloquial delusions and desires in spiritualism and the 'vocalic uncanny' of technologies like telephone, radio, film, and internet. Learned but lucid, brimming with anecdote and insight, this is much more than an archaeology of one of the most regularly derided but tenaciously enduring of popular arts. It is also a series of virtuoso philosophical and psychological reflections on the problems and astonishments, the raptures and absurdities of the unhoused voice.

"Twelve-year-old street orphan Helene survives by living as a boy and selling copies of the country's most popular newspaper, Le Soir, now turned into Nazi propaganda. Helene's world changes when she befriends a rogue journalist, Marc Aubrion, who draws her into a secret network that publishes dissident underground newspapers. The Nazis track down Aubrion's team and give them an impossible choice: turn the resistance newspapers into a Nazi propaganda bomb that will sway public opinion against the Allies, or be killed. Faced with no decision at all, Aubrion has a brilliant idea. While pretending to do the Nazis' bidding, they will instead publish a fake edition of Le Soir that pokes fun at Hitler and Stalin - daring to laugh in the face of their oppressors. The ventriloquists have agreed to die for a joke, and they have only eighteen days to tell it."--