Newspaper Articles
You know you’re a big star when you Get your photo in the newspaper for the very first time! The article below was published in the Ottawa Citizen, in conjunction with a theatre show that I starred in called Disappearing Nightly. In the entertainment industry, it is important to have a prominent place in the paper. This article was at the top of the page, which they call that the “top of the fold”.
As an entertainer, it is important to give interesting answers to the questions of an interviewer. Sometimes, we brag a bit too, because ultimately, we’d like to have more people come out to the show. After the interview, the staff photographer attended one of the rehearsals to shoot some photos. My team had a bit of fun with the photographer. At the end of the shoot, I vanished into a cabinet. My team didn’t bring me back and the photographer left, scratching his head, wondering where I’d gone.
Great Photographs of a Big Star
One day I had an idea for a great publicity shot. I wanted to float over a field of sunflowers as I was watering them. My friend, Jean Clermont’s family had a hobby farm and that summer they had a great crop of sunflowers. We made plans to shoot first thing in the morning as the sun was coming up. As this was taken before digital photography, my older brother, Greg, and another photographer shot 6 rolls of film. The one below was the third last shot of the day and looked fantastic. As a designer, I love the composition. It is still my favourite photo!
That Looks Fantastic
From the photo below, you can appreciate how a great photo, submitted to a newspaper can really create a lot of interest for the article. This article, was part of the promotion for the Ottawa Children’s Festival. Without knowing beforehand, a horizontal photo format, lends itself well to a great placement. Sometimes, in life, we get a bit lucky.
Ongoing Series Features a Big Star
I loved the way this article looked. It was part of a series called, One In A Million. Bruce Deachman created this weekly series to showcase local individuals that were tops in their fields. After the interview, Bruce took a variety of photos and some were from magic books I have in my library. The photo of myself with a cactus in a balloon, was a trick that I invented in the mid 80’s.
I’m not sure how much articles in newspapers help an entertainer’s career, but as with all promotion, it is necessary to keep the ball rolling. Over time they help to build up the credibility of an entertainer and turned me into a big star. I love looking at these articles and they give me great satisfaction seeing how all my hard work has paid off over the years.
