How To Be a Fun and Engaging Virtual Performer

How do you make a virtual event fun? 

Being an engaging virtual performer isn't easy.  If you haven't considered all the things that might go wrong on a virtual call, check out my post: Navigating Virtual: The Challenges of Corporate Events on Zoom.  But here are a few tricks that have led to my success, not just of being proficient in the technology, but of honestly connecting with people.  It really comes down to making sure that the show is incredibly fun, every single time you do it.  This past week, 7 of my gigs were different departments in the SAME company. Each one hired me after they heard how much fun another department had.  So...

Here's a few things that have worked for me to make these events much more fun:

1. Make it about the audience. Magic is inherently a self-absorbed activity (Look at me!!!), and that's significantly amplified over Zoom. To counteract that, I REALLY swing the spotlight over to the audience. If they want to see sleight of hand in 4k, while on mute, they can all watch a YouTube video together. Let them make the easy jokes in the show, instead of you. Ask them real questions. Let the people talk!
2. Make it visually interesting. Grab a few random thumbnails from your virtual show. If they all look identical, you should try to mix it up from a visual standpoint.  Though it mostly works for in-person events, through a screen we can only look at someone sitting with a pack of cards for so long.
3. Embrace the awkward. Sometimes, things might go wrong that are out of your control.  The spectator you chose to participate might have their Wi-Fi freeze.  Or the boss might not be able to unmute to read your intro.  You can't hide these moments once they happen, I've found it's best not to ignore them, but to celebrate them.  Pivot quickly to find the comedy and you'll leave everyone with an even more memorable experience.
4. Make it energetic. I've done a large quantity of live gigs over 10 years for every possible kind of audience. I'm quite good at reading a crowd and working a room. I'm shocked how much that skill set transfers over on virtual. You need to be half magician, half social director. You need to run the event. For in person gigs, you're a break from the party. Virtually, YOU ARE THE PARTY.
5. Make it unique. I've felt a great creative surge through this process and my show keeps getting quirkier. I haven't watched a single other virtual show, out of fear that I would drift to the norm. So I have no idea what any of you are doing. I'm probably doing it completely wrong. But maybe that's what's working.
6. Make it feel live. My show is intentionally raw and unrefined. During a particular moment, I consistently fumble and drop my camera by mistake. Additionally, I always manage to press the wrong button, resulting in a My Little Pony decal appearing over the CEO, causing me to panic without fail. Every single time. If you're exceptionally smooth and flawless, it's incredibly simple to dismiss and disregard what's happening on the other side of the screen. Audiences need to see you struggle.

A perfect example of all of this is Patrick's Plant.  It started because I liked the alliteration of the double P.  Patrick then responded well, and people seemed to enjoy it, so it came up a second time, and then a 3rd.  I'll usually never push something more than that, because comedy rules indicate that THREE IS FUNNY!  But you can see a lot of the techniques described above in that small little clip.

So there are a few of the things that have worked for me. If you have a very different character, they probably won't work for you. But hopefully some of you got something useful from this.  And if this sounds too difficult, consider hiring a professional!  Here are some Creative Virtual Entertainment Ideas for Your Next Event.