Frequently Asked Questions for magicians

To join Talentfam as a Host (e.g. Magician or other Vendor), you must meet all of the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old
  
• Have experience performing magic shows (in-person, virtual, or both)
  
• Complete the online Application process
  

After submitting the application, you will receive an update within the following 2-3 days to organize a video call for the verification process and onboarding.

If you are eligible to join Talentfam, you can initiate the online Application process. In this process you will need to provide:

• Personal information for verification (e.g., name, email, date of birth) that will not be shared in public
• Public information that will be displayed in your profile
• Links supporting your professional experience working as a magician, e.g., personal website, social media posts, articles, blogs, customer reviews
• Introductory video with requirements stated below

During the online "Magician Application" process, you will need to demonstrate that you are a professional magician and have experience doing magic shows. This will be done with supporting links, e.g., personal website, social media posts, articles, blogs, customer reviews.

To be considered as World-Class Magician you need to have a successful participation in at least one international magic competition, e.g., FISM, The Magic Circle, The Blackpool Magic Convention, or large talent shows, such as Penn & Teller Fool Us, AGT / BGT, etc.

During the online "Magician Application" process, you will need to share your introductory video. Please make sure you meet the requirements below:

• Aspect ratio should be 16:9
• Maximum duration is 3 minutes
• Resolution should be at least 720p (HD) – recommended 1080p
• You must appear in the video and provide your own content
• Ensure you have good lighting and sound
• You must NOT provide personal contact information, promote other services, use copyrighted music or other media for which you do not have rights

In the video you should use all languages you are fluent and add subtitles if needed. You should:

1. Introduce yourself – share a few information of who you are and what your background is
2. Describe expectations from your show – explain what the audience should expect and how your magic show is unique
3. (Optional) Share a preview of your skills, magic tricks or past performances

You need to remember that the introductory video is the most important item to promote yourself and convince the customer of your capabilities. Therefore, take your time to create engaging content and flow that can lead to many booking requests.

After you have recorded your video, please use one of the two methods below to share your video link:

1. Copy and paste the link from YouTube or Vimeo with your video, OR
2. Share your video via a link from Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or WeTransfer; please make sure the file type is either .mp4 or .mov.

The “About Me” section is the space where a customer learns about you, and it is essential in the booking decision. What we recommend is to provide context about the topics below:

• Describe who you are and what your experience is with magic
• Highlight your special skills that makes you unique
• Describe your show; for which audiences it is popular and why a customer should book you
• In case of any required items that the customer must have during the show (e.g., playing cards, books etc.), please mention in this section

In this section you can add any special requirements you have, so the User should consider before finalizing the booking. Examples of such requirements may be:

• Space setup - Do you need a stage or do you do close-up magic? Is it ok to be indoor/outdoor?
• Sound - Do you need a DJ or do you use your own music setup? Do you need a mic?
• Audience - Is it an adult-only performance?
• Etc.

The “Pre-Show Video Call” is a way to get to know your customers before the main show. Among other topics, you can use this time to:

• Understand the audience (e.g., reason of the show, age, relationship, personalities, background information)
• Set the expectations of the show and discuss any specificities (e.g., entrance/intro in the event, any special items that you may need the participants to bring, any special requirements from the customer and if they are feasible)
• Make sure that both parties are aligned on the technical part (e.g., stage, music, mic for In-Person or video software, internet connection for Virtual shows)
• Confirm any time constraints (e.g., in case the main show runs overtime)

The “Pre-Show Video Call” can be booked by the customer according to your availability during the booking process. It is a 15-min video call that needs to take place before the main show.

The “Pre-Show Video Call” is included in the price of the overall booking. If you don’t want to offer it to your customers, you can deselect this option from your dashboard.

If you do not want to use Talentfam for a period of time, you have the following options:

• Mark your profile as "Inactive" in the "Availability" tab. In this case, you will not receive any new booking requests. Once you mark your profile as "Active" and you set your availability, you will be able to receive booking requests again. Keep in mind that existing bookings that are accepted will have to be performed in the meantime.
• Set your holidays in your "Availability" tab. In this case, you will not be available for booking requests during your specified holiday dates, however your profile is active and you may still receive booking requests beyond these dates.
• If you want to permanently delete your account, you can email us at talent@talentfam.com. Account closing can only happen if you do not have any accepted or pending bookings, otherwise you will have to first complete your bookings.

Please watch this step-by-step guide on how to use your Dashboard. In case of questions, please reach out.

Please watch this step-by-step guide to connect your account with Stripe. In case of questions, please reach out.

When someone has finalized the booking process, a new booking request is created with all information, such as date/time of the booking, audience size, location, payment. You will receive the booking request via email.

In case of a virtual experience, you will need to provide a Zoom link, in order to accept the booking request. Please open your Zoom account, create a new Zoom meeting and copy/paste the Zoom link.

If there was any issue with your booking, please immediately report it to us at talent@talentfam.com.

This is a subjective topic. We recommend you start with the price you usually charge your customers as of now. The price depends on:

• Type of Experience (i.e., In-Person vs Virtual)
• Duration of Booking
• Number of Participants

The price of your bookings can be adjusted later. If you feel that your shows have high demand, you may want to increase your price. If you realize that you do not receive many bookings, maybe price has been the issue – try to lower it.

Absolutely. Social media is a great way to promote your profile and your virtual magic shows. You may mention Talentfam at your videos or feel free to repost content from our social media account and tag us. Do not forget to include your Talentfam profile link on a Facebook post, your Instagram or TikTok bio, or in your YouTube comments. If you have already built an audience in social media, it will make it easier for you to start with your first shows.

Sure, you can record your virtual magic show under one condition: you need to ask and receive permission from the audience before starting recording. You should also let them know where you plan to use the recording (e.g., personal video / website).

We know that the beginning is always the hardest. Without a long booking history, it's hard to demonstrate that you're a great magician. We wanted to share a few tips that might help you along the way:

• Promote yourself on social media. You may mention Talentfam at your videos or feel free to repost content from our social media account and tag us. Do not forget to include your Talentfam profile link on a Facebook post, your Instagram or TikTok bio, or in your YouTube comments.
• Offer a competitive price. Keep in mind that if your profile has no history and no customer reviews, customers may feel unsure about booking your lessons. Once you build booking history, you can (and should) raise your prices.
• Frequently update your calendar. Have a wider range of available times and make sure that your times are always accurately updated so you can confidently accept lesson requests.
• Offer “Pre-Show Video Calls”. As a customer, having the option to personalize the booking with a Pre-Show discussion can be attractive.
• Create a more appealing profile. Your Talentfam profile is the reason why a customer will book you instead of another Magician; therefore, it is important you optimize it. You should have high-quality profile photo and introductory video, effective “About Me” section, and accurate information. You should also try to improve your Review section with positive ratings and testimonials.

Although not advised, feel free to communicate with your customer to ask for a reschedule of the booking.

To become a professional magician, you have practiced for years. You have gained knowledge and skills that are very special. This knowledge is the foundation of the virtual magic show as well.

That being said, you need to be familiar with interacting with a camera instead of a face-to-face audience. You need to be aware of what the audience sees and listens to in order to deliver a special experience. Keep that in mind, create and…practice!

Always test your internet connection before the show and keep an alternative if things go wrong, e.g., mobile hotspot device, UPS. Ensure that you and your audience have agreed on a backup communication tool. If the show cannot continue, be professional and apologize for the less than perfect experience as this will help you garner goodwill. Ask the customer if they would like a refund or to reschedule the lesson and always respect their choice – let them know that they will receive an email at the end of the show to select refund or rebooking.

In terms of technology products, there are a lot of things you might consider investing in, e.g., camera, lighting, screens, stream deck etc. We encourage you to join online communities in social media to learn the latest trends.

Let’s assume that you have done great job and delivered an amazing performance – the audience is speechless and would like to see more and / or learn some of your magic secrets.

The end of the show is the best opportunity to “sell” yourself for a follow-up show. You can let the audience know that if they schedule another show with you, they will have the chance to learn some of your tricks and even teach them some easy effects, it’s up to you! Please contact us if you want to offer coupon discount to your returning customers.

Talentfam may facilitate the payment between you and your customer, but it is your responsibility how you manage your booking and communicate with your customer. If you want to enable the option to ask for a prepayment of your booking through the Talentfam website, you will need to create an account with Stripe, under the Stripe Connect - Direct Charges scheme.

See question above: "Dashboard / How do I connect my account with Stripe?"

After you have accepted a booking request, you will see the payment in your Stripe dashboard. For most countries, Stripe takes one week for the payment to be eligible for payout to your bank account. For more information, see the Stripe support page.

Once you receive a booking request, you have 24 hours to respond, either accept or decline it. In case you decline, the payment has been on hold will be returned to your customer.

For certain circumstances, it may be possible that you cannot attend a scheduled booking. This is your responsibility to deliver the agreed promises, but if this is not possible anymore, we suggest that you communicate with your customer as soon as possible to find a mutually agreed alternative.