Everyday people scour eBay looking for a puppet as funny as Jeff Dunham’s Achmed. Some have tried to cash in on them by illegally creating “Achmed” puppets. The problem isn’t limited either. You can find illegal reproductions of almost any famous puppet creation. Not all of them are purchased by collectors; many are purchased to be used in a ventriloquist’s act. That is because people place too much emphasis on the puppet itself.
In Free Lesson Three of my ventriloquist course, I talk about puppets. One thing I mentioned is how, when I started, I purchased a bunch of puppets which I never used. I saw really cool original creations and thought I had to have them. They were never used. I never took the time to create a truly original character for them.
Ventriloquism is the illusion of creating life. That life needs to have a voice, a personality and a background. These factors combine to create a believable character. The reason people want to steal other’s characters is because the original artist has already done his or her homework. The character is defined, alive to an audience. The trouble is, a stolen character is never alive to your audience. It can never be more than an impression.
Creating a character is so much more than a few funny jokes and a great puppet. A great character drives material and routines. If part of ventriloquism is creating that character, why is it so few ventriloquism courses go into depth about the subject?
At Learn-Ventriloquism.com – we do. For less than the cost of one lesson with a professional ventriloquist, I take you daily, step by step through all the tools, techniques and skills you need to perform the art successfully. Learn how to be a good ventriloquist and get the first five lessons for free!
