Sunday, June 30, 2013

A Peek Inside The Mind of The Dancing Clown

  
I love Clowning because I have a vision that surpasses conventionally held beliefs entailing red noses and antics. I see Clowns 4 All Occasions opening doors for a myriad of performers, voice over artists and talented people from all walks of life. How can I think along these lines? First, think of how relaxed people get around entertainers. Strangers will allow performers to hug them, they will turn their wallets and purses over to magicians and kiss movie stars on the mouth.
 
Entertainers are less restrained by the same common issues and perimeters as the general public…not that they are better or even different, it‘s just that they are given more leeway and the rules are more relaxed. This is why Clowning is an opportune venue to expand options across the board for O.N.S. Entertainment Company, Clowns 4 All Occasions and all artists and performers in Central Mississippi.
https://www.facebook.com/PinkyTheDancingClown?ref=hl
Imagine. Dancing, drawing, singing, comedy, improvisation, spoken word and just about any other act that you can think of. Now; slip on a colorful costume, theatrical make-up, a zany wig and shoes, and the same act becomes an attraction of unsurpassed possibilities. A clown can fall while dancing and make it part of the act. A singer can screw up a song and get laughs instead of boos.
 
People admire anyone with the courage to dress weird, act silly and do the type of bold things that only a clown can get away with. The truth is that any talent can be expressly experimented upon with a bit of glitz and an open mind.
 
My mind’s open and now you know what’s on it…SMILE*   


Friday, June 28, 2013

WHAT IS O.N.S.



O.N.S. is simply an acronym for “Over Night Sensation”. It’s also an Oxymoron, as we at O.N.S. stress the ideology that there is no such thing as over-night stardom or success. Usually, by the time we see a person or group rising to the top of the charts or plastered on magazines and tabloids, they’ve been at it for a long time; struggling to make it in the entertainment industry.

 
Parents have often given up careers to travel and coach young artists. Others have spent fortunes traveling to auditions, photo shoots, interviews and the likes. Many bands and performers have practiced for years/decades, utilizing any space they could scrounge; basements, garages, church rectories and any other place where the neighbors might not call the police about the noise. Dancers have worn out shoes, carpets and linoleums, getting the moves right, while singers have suffered sore throats, hernias, inner-ear and sinus problems, rehearsing to get the song down-pat. Magicians have set the house afire and many performers have sustained serious injuries in the pursuit of applause. There are no stars that did not pay grueling prices to get to the top. Relationships suffer as loved ones are on the road (sometimes for as long as eleven months to two years) promoting albums, shooting movies, signing books and touring.

 
Show business is BUSINESS FIRST!……and so many never realize their dreams because they fail to grasp this important concept. Contrary to popular belief, show business is not all about the show: “The Show Must Go On”, is simple TV/Movie talk. Shows get canceled and some never secure enough budget/funding to become more than an idea. The show is a product to be sold…just like shoes, milk or any other consumer item. If consumers do not buy your product---your artistic creation, then you only have the show in your living room for your family and guests. Shows cost money to produce. Venues, production people, film crews, performers, make-up and hair artist….every one expects to be paid. If your act, talent or performance fails to draw a PAYING CROWD, then you have no show because you haven’t got the business.

 
Artist no longer have to wait for producers, mangers and agents to guide their career. The INTERNET has taken lots of the mystery and the mayhem out of the process of getting noticed and honing your craft. Anything that you can create, be it a work of art, an invention, a hand-crafted item or a video of your latest poem or song, can be viewed, appreciated and even sold via the WORLD WIDE WEB. Google’s Youtube, Ebay, PayPal and Social Networking have generated and perpetuated and environment where anyone can share information and creativity with anyone and everyone who is plugged in.

 
Yes……… it’s time consuming, frustrating and often inconvenient…but…it’s POSSIBAL! And it’s worth it. That’s the important thing. The possibilities of exposure on the WEB really has revolutionized the whole entertainment industry. And, the big-time corporations that once ruled the entertainment world, creating a few mega-stars while crushing the hopes and dreams of countless wanna-bes, is gone …Forever!

 
Young hopefuls no longer have to skip-out to San Francisco, Hollywood, New York, Chicago and Seattle, in search of a dream that leaves so many, shattered and broken after years of night-jobs and rejections. Besides, Mini-Media-Moguls are cropping up everywhere; Minneapolis, North Carolina, Atlanta…to name a few, which means you can realize your dreams of stardom (or at the very least performing LIVE) much closer to home - without giving up everything you hold dear, just for a chance to be in the show.

 
These days, artists want to have it all. No longer are they chanting slogans like, “Show business/Music is my life.” Most professional performers are going to college, learning a myriad of trades, crafts and studies unrelated to entertainment. These wise people understand that no matter how famous or popular you are…there will come a time when the public eye will be armed at someone else. And even though you may be a legend…no one stays in the lime light forever.

 
The modern route to international fame and acclaim still has as much to do with WHO you know as it does WHAT you know and what you can do. Entertainers/Artists often need backing from people with the money and connections to get them on TV, Played on the Radio, into Movies and Galleries. A great way to be discovered is the INTERNET! So, go ahead, create a free Youtube account and post your performance for the world to see, it’s ok to give your performance for free in hopes that it will be seen and liked by those backers and producers. But, copy-write your material if you can…it wouldn’t feel good to find out that another group is making money off your act/song while you’re doing all the work. And don’t be fooled into believing the lie that you can ride to the top on the back of someone else…remember Milli Vanilli?


Now that you know who O.N.S. is and what we are about, we hope to see you at our next production, featuring live, local artist and performers…SMILE*

THE VALUE OF HATERS

HATERS: they cay bring out the best or worst in us, depending on our psyche. The derogatory statements and criticisms can be viewed as feedback or foolishness. Never the less, there is a great value in the bashing of a hater. “What?” You ask, “can a hater do for me?”
For starters, we may think we have very little. Yet, someone hating on us for the things or talents we possess, might prove that they are possessions worthy of envy and that no matter how little we may think we have there are those who have less.
It is said that talk is cheep. Not so. People who are talking about us obviously have us in mind, as they would have to be thinking about us to be talking about us. Personally, as an artist, I want my art, performance or talent to be on the lips of others. Talk will generate interest in my art and that will lead to sales; tickets, CD’s, whatever. No one will buy my works of art if there is no hype about it and haters are great for creating hype.
They may not know it, but it’s there tongue-lashing that will make others curious about what’s going on and basically create an atmosphere of eagerness in those who are already digging what I’m doing.
So let the haters talk…PLEASE!
I cannot buy that type of publicity in any magazine or TV ad. Let them tell all the world why they hate me so others will take a good look. And while they pay to see what’s-up…..Cha-ching!
If people aren’t talking about me that means they aren’t thinking of me. And anyone in this business will tell you…that sucks…SMILE*

Monday, June 17, 2013

OVERNIGHT SENSATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY

Lovingly known as “O.N.S.” the organization was founded in 2005 as a memorial to A.J. and Lula C. Wells, who’s artistic talents were transcendent. It is the hope of Madamxtra and all members, staff and administrators of O.N.S. that all persons should experience the excitement of sharing their talent within their community, nation wide, across the web and anywhere else their wildest dreams care to take them.

O.N.S. has five major objectives:
MENTORSHIP-- Connecting people within their own ilk. Accomplished artists from every genre hold a wealth of skill, knowledge, history and connections that are invaluable to the novice. The road to success is traveled with far less dumps and bruises when there is someone there to help show us the way.
VENUES-- Unlike traditional promotional companies, O.N.S. strives to provide opportunities for all performers to gain the experience of a live audience, as there is nothing that compares to the applause and cheers of a crowd that has been thrilled by the show you’ve just given.
TUTELAGE-- Often the difference between “Mediocrity” and “Making It Big” is not so much (How Talented) you are, but more often it is (How much you know). Learning how the Arts/Performance industry operates is paramount to getting ahead and realizing your dreams. Too many phenomenal artists and entertainers live and die in extreme poverty while others die the slow death of not following their dream and developing their talent as they work jobs they hate…just to make a living. O.N.S. helps artistic people learn to make the most of all that God has Blessed them with, through consultation, advisory sessions and information hubs.
INVESTMENT--O.N.S. is not a (For Profit) organization, it‘s a community organization. Investing in the dreams and talent of local artist is our primary goal. All funds generated through the activities of O.N.S. are channeled directly to the efforts involved in getting local artist seen, heard, published, promoted and educated. And though higher education is not the quest of all artists, O.N.S. encourages LIFE LONG LEARNING and we contributed greatly to the funding of that quest.
Stewardship-- Giving Back is a fraise that is over-used but it is perfect way to show appreciation for what we have been Blessed with. The best way to prove that you’ve learned a task is to teach it to some one else and help make the world a better place…something that cannot be done by money alone. Unfortunately, many artist are focus ONLY on MONEY. But art must be produced for (Art’s) sake. People speak of “Selling Out” and in thruth there is much to be desired in fame and wealth…especially WEALTH. But struggling to produce cookie-cutter, assembly-line music, videos or drawings can tax the mind and drain the soul of an artist. It is far more satisfying to do what you love for less pay than to get paid to do what you hate or what leaves you felling empty.                

It takes money to engage in Arts & Entertainment.
Travel/Lodging, Air/Studio Time, Media/Marketing/Promotions, Copyrights/Publishing/Printing, Entourage/Escorts, Training, Costumes/Make-up/Hair Care, Set-up/Props, Security, Insurance/Legal/Accounting, Accompaniment, Equipment/Supplies, Licensing/Permits, Portfolio/Photos, Agent/Management Fees, Sound/Lighting, Reproduction/Distribution, Venue/Theatre/Concert Hall, Fitness Club/Gym/Personal Trainer, Communication/Technology, Food: And the list goes on and on. There are so many costs involved with Arts/Entertainment that are commonly discovered only after the bill arrives. O.N.S. is committed to helping artists and performers find their way through the maze of misinformation that tends to stifle careers just as they are blossoming.

OVERNIGHT SENSATIONS (O.N.S.) has been the wind beneath the wings of untold artists for eight years and counting.

THANK YOU.



THE ARTIST WITHIN



Everyone is Blessed with creativity in some form of fashion, what sets artists apart is how they used their talents. Not everyone will command applause and cheers, but everyone can express themselves through some artistic medium.

Gardening,   Carpentry ,  Sewing,

Cooking/Culinary,   Oratory,   Auto Detailing

Hair Stylist,   Pet Groomer, Teacher/Instructor

Evan a Blacksmith. Anyone who uses their imagination to solve problems and get the job done is an artist in his/her own right. Using creativity is a flare that all of us possess.

Using one’s creativity to better the world is what defines a master artist.