Dress in character?

[Sherry]

I'm wondering if you all dress in character?  I've had a lot of requests for this lately and agreed to wear an elf hat and green shirt to an event I'm doing tomorrow night.  I've also been interviewing for some extra help with my face painting.  One of the people I'm interviewing said she worked for a company who did a lot of characters.  When she started telling me how popular it was, I got really interested.  She said one of the most popular was dressing up as a princess like Cinderella.

Does anyone know what most businesses charge to have a character like Cinderella come out and entertain for a childrens party?  She said they would do a little magic show, twist balloons, play music and do really basic cheek art with face painting crayons.

[Shannon Fennell]

My main competition which is a Clown company who offers characters charges....

Are you sitting down?

$450 for an hour.  Character, balloons, face painting, magic/games, dress-up costumes, pygmy pig, storytelling.  All in an hour...

And I wouldn't say it was that popular here - MY calls have increased!!! 

I do offer characters for an additional cost (extra $50 per party) but I don't promote it.

And if you are offering certain characters you have to be careful what you call them and what your costume is like .... don't forget about the Disney Police 

[Sherry]

Wow, I can't imagine anyone would actually book her for that price!   

[Alison]

Oh yes - people do pay that price.  For one person for an hour.  Usually Corporate where they only want top-notch Experienced Entertainers.  (not that I myself ever asked it - but I remember when I was a newbie and I found out that a crummy agent who was knocking my price down to, um, was it $60 or $70 per hour - I don't remember - but I inadvertently found out that the client was paying the agent $300 (or was it $350) for me - something surprising like that)

But I'm wondering Shannon - Do you mean that the Clown company has One Person doing all that stuff in only one hour?  Or that they send Several People for the hour?  I'm trying to figure out how it could be done.

Anyway, the reason I was intrigued by this thread tonight was something else.  Because I'll be face-painting at a Party Place that does Cooking with the kids.  I think they'll be baking.  It's freezing up in NY just now, and
I'm thinking that I'd really like to wear something Very Warm - like Sweat-Pants!  If I wore white sweatpants with a white sweatshirt to be 'The Pillsbury Doughboy", I don't think it would go over very well.  So I'm wishing I had a shirt with dots.....Now I'm thinking that if I have a white sweatshirt, I might want to paint 'Wonder-bread dots' all over it...... Lol.   I probably won't get it together - I have a job tomorrow and the Chef's thing is one of 2 jobs I have the next day, but if I have time I would.  Sometimes Costumes can be real nice - especially in cold weather.

[Sherry]

Funny you should mention the polka dots look.  My sister-in-law just had a party for her daughter and the cake was to be decorated with big colorful polka dots.  I'm wondering if the dots are a trend right now.

[Shannon Fennell]

But I'm wondering Shannon - Do you mean that the Clown company has One Person doing all that stuff in only one hour?  Or that they send Several People for the hour?  I'm trying to figure out how it could be done.

For birthday parties - one person.  Corporate - usually two people (and they charge more for that!)  She has a "stable" of clowns/entertainers who are sent out to do parties.

[GaFacepainter]

Shannon, what is Pygmy Pig?

[Wildcatfin]

For any kids events/ public events I ALWAYS dress up, as a rainbow fairy unless its seasonal like Haloween of Xmas when I tweak it a bit to suit. Have tops with just f-p or f-p fairy as well as tops with that AND my www on it so I can work for others/ corporate too.

It started for safety reason as originally in the UK, kids started spotting me outside of f-p work (I used to dress in my 'corporate colours, smart at gigs) and worked out where I lived. And started knocking on my door wanting faces done at all hours - not ideal and also not a good impression on neighbours/ their parents, bit dodgy! So began dressing as a fairy - disguises me (they recall the costume more than the face) AND more memorable - made me stand out from other painters too.

As I also began to make fairy wings I wore them to promote sales and found that as well as drawing attention they meant more people too photos of me, AND they gave me breathing space at packed gigs as kids/ queue had to step back enough to not by bumped by the wings. Meant less crowding/ bumps as I worked!

Cat x

[Sherry]

Cat, I had to go have a look at your album to see the wings.  At first I thought, it might be uncomfortable wearing big wings on your back all day, but your wings are a lot smaller than I pictured.  Love the tie dye outfit with wings.  Tie dye is one route I've thought of going as a uniform for face painting.  Love that look.

[Alison]

This thread got me to go check out your website, too, Cat.
Quite unusual stuff -

I guess the wings that you sell are one-of-a-kind creations?
Each one different?  Do you make them up according to your
customer's costume-description?