DVDs
$25.00 each
Balloon Sculpting
I've been creating my own balloon designs ever since I learned my first doggie. I honestly didn't know any better. I thought everybody just made up their own stuff. A few years later I was forced into making an instructional video of my own designs. Yes I said "forced. Long story... true story, but long story. Trust me, I was forced into it.
Time passed, things happened but one thing remained the same. I kept making up my own balloon designs. Long story (again) but I kept making videos... and luckily enough... they became very popular. Time passes again and in November 2008 I was presented with the European Balloon Community's Lifetime Achievement Award based on the extensive influence of my videos on the development of balloon twisting in Europe.
Over this time I developed a style. First, let me say I never wanted to be the cutting edge designer of balloon sculptures. I know these people and I am in awe of them (I'm looking at you Don Caldwell... and Royal Sorrel... and a whole bunch of others who are in-freaking-credible!) They are the Gianni Versace of balloon designers. I however just wanted to be the "Levi Strauss" of balloon Designers. I wanted to design stuff that people would use every day. Anyway, my style of ballooning became known as Quick and Impressive. They aren't the quickest and they aren't the most impressive... but... hmmmm, how do I put this.... I design balloon sculptures the way I went through school, what is the least I have to do to get the most. In this case, what is the least I have to do in a sculpture design to get the greatest possible reaction from the audience?
Short History lesson: I started doing vhs videos (the technology of the time). In later years dvds became the technology of the time and people wanted me to transfer my vhs videos to dvd. Easier said than done because the new technology incorporated menus and jumps etc. When I finally decided to go back and do it (at that point I had 19 vhs titles and one new dvd title) I also decided to rearrange and remix things. I also decided to just plain retire some of the titles so the 20 titles are now whittled down and edited into the titles below.
A Great Beginning
This DVD is a 2 for 1 combination of the VHS "Beginners Only" and the VHS "Quick and Impressive". Tom Meyers called my "Beginners Only" VHS a cross between Mr. Rogers and Mr. Wizard for its educational accessibility and highly recommended it for anyone who had any doubts whatsoever about their ability to do balloon sculpturing. It is as much about proper technique that will propel your progress as it is about making balloon animals. The "Quick and Impressive" VHS is the one that first made my name and reputation in the balloon world. It led to two more Quick and Impressive VHS tapes.
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- Quick And Impressive
- Above I just mentioned two more Quick and Impressive VHS tapes... well they are now both in this 2 for 1 combination DVD. They served to cement my reputation as they guy who designs the balloons you end up using every day. I didn't stop making quick and impressive balloons after these two VHS tapes. I just started incorporating them into the tapes that followed.
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- Girls In Gowns
- This was the last VHS tape I made before turning to DVDs (#19 for those of you who were counting , and you know who you are)... and it became my most critically praised best seller. Don Caldwell and Ken Stillman both told me that they use these designs because it makes them money! It is a basic girl in a gown design that can be easily adapted to make the popular princesses of movie fame, but it doesn't have to be that specific to be effective. It can be a prom or wedding themed design.
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- Noodling, Piddling and Incessant Tweaking
- This was VHS #18, and in retrospect I think it was one of my strongest overall efforts. It had the big Cat In The Hat, a time killing fun thing to do with kids and balloons (spinners), a couple of substantially improved designs from earlier tapes Pooh, penguin angel), a new Q&I that ballooners twisters loved because it made making a truck quick and impressive, and part of the daily repertoire... and finally Tom Myers allowed me to show my version of his head over heels balloon trick that blurs the line between ballooning and magic. I make it right in front of people and then have to immediately answer the question, "How did you do that???"
New! New! New! New! New ! New! New !
E Unum Pluribus
My first new dvd in 4 years! All the designs on this dvd evolve from one basic body design, so in that respect it is like Girls In Gowns, but much more accessible to the mid-level twister. Designs include a happy Astronaut, Frankenstein, Leprauchaun, Elf, Dracula, Darth Vader, Skeleton Pirate and (if you can spell backwards...) KERHS!!! You won't believe the ears... it is typical outside the box thinking you have come to expect from me.
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My Remix DVDs
After doing the easy thing by combining some vhs tapes into one dvd, I decided to look through what was left and remix them into themed DVDs. None of these titles were ever single vhs tapes but were mostly on different vhs titles.
- Cartoonie Balloonies
- This DVD collected my balloon designs of TV-movie-cartoon characters Elmo-Cookie Monster-Pooh-Piglet-Tigger-Eeyore-Scoobie Doo-Teletubbies
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- Thinking Outside the Egg
- This DVD collected my bird designs from the many different VHS tapes. Flamingo- Stork (with baby in basket)-American Bald Eagle-Turkey (two versions)-Pterodactyl-Cardinal/Blue Jay- Peacock (two versions). (psssstttt...The bald eagle and the more intricate turkey are worth the price of the whole thing.... even your family will be impressed when you make these two for 4th of July/Thanksgiving! And the larger peacock is really easy yet never fails to impress!)
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- Invasion Of The Bubble People
- This DVD collected all my people character designs. Ballerina-Fireman-Banjo Picker-Uncle Sam-Devil-Clown-Santa-Witch-Fairy I originally intended to beef this one up with some new designs... but ran out of space! So....
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- Return Of The Bubble People (All new stuff!)
- These are the new designs I intended to put in Invasion Of The Bubble People... so technically this is an all new DVD and not a re-mix, proving once again that I lied when I said so vehemently, "no more balloon videos from me!" When will I learn to just shut up? Spiderman-Batman-Superman-Wonder Woman-Chopper and Rider-Pirate-Dr. Ben Dover
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- Rainbow Goulash
- The mutt of the litter that, when you think of it, returns to my old modus operandi of putting together an eclectic mix of non-sequiturs. They didn't fit the other categories, But some of my best loved stuff is on this one. Panda-Dragon-Choo choo train-Ghost-Snail-Llama-Camel-Clown variations-skunk, and the ultimate birthday balloon!
Performance (Non-Balloon)
- Get the Laughs & Drive 'em Crazy
- This combines video #17 from the old VHS series with a bunch of new ways to drive people crazy. Honestly, if you don't do the coin game "You Call It, You Claim It" or do the ring and the spring, or drive people crazy with the corks... then you deserve to pay top dollar for big expensive props that don't get one-tenth the audience response! So there! I double dog dare you to buy this dvd and have all this fun!