Tom Bibo Interview 2/8th June

Started by Graham Lee, April 07, 2008, 11:37:41 PM

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tombibo

#15
Hi Graham, it is as you wish!
I enjoy the questions!
If anyone has specific questions about some things, I 'd be glad to answer them!

colin myles

#16
Hi Tom, As Graeme has already said, it is fantastic that you give time to be interviewed on the forum.
Can I ask,
 You said you have been working with balloons for I think 16 years, were you doing performnce before this, or did balloons lead you to performance.

When you first started to work with balloons did you attend workshops or conventions, ( you say early on Sean Rooney taught you the rattlesnake ) or did you just pick up tips when you met other performers.

Did you ave any conventional jobs before you entered the world of performing and balloon art

Did you always have an intrest in art, or did you find this side of yourself when you started working with balloons.

I was going to be bad and ask whch part of France is Belgium located, and what type of shampoo you prefer but now as I get older I find that I am too mature for such frivolous remarks  ;)

Finally, once agin thankyou for taking part in the series of interviews that Graham has conducted, and I hope to have the pleasure of meeting you again soon
                                                                                                             best wishes
                                                                                                                        Colin

Stevie_Babe

#17
Hi Tom,

I'm marrried to a belgian. She was so prowd to learn that one of the best balloon artists is a belgian. Nice to know what she thinks of my act :lol:

tombibo

#18
Hi Colin, we will see each other soon, my friend! ;)
In meantime I will try to answer your questions as fully as possible (is this a correct sentence?!)

You said you have been working with balloons for I think 16 years, were you doing performnce before this, or did balloons lead you to performance.

No, I didn't perform at all before I met balloons. Most of the times I was doing sports, a lot of sports!
But... when I see people that I haven't seen since that time and they ask me about my job, they all agree, they always thought that this was going to be my path! I had the urge to entertain people ever since I was a little boy, only my parents weren't that convinced in the beginning when I came home and said: 'mom, dad, I am going to be a clown!' :D

When you first started to work with balloons did you attend workshops or conventions, ( you say early on Sean Rooney taught you the rattlesnake ) or did you just pick up tips when you met other performers.

Yes! I went to conventions around the world, but at that time I was already doing balloons for 4 years. I met occasionaly with Bidou. I followed Flash(Ken) on a tour around Europe and I was with Sean a lot when he stayed in Belgium. They taught me a lot about balloons. I also attended every workshop that Leo organised (IBS) and I never missed one TMJ!

Did you ave any conventional jobs before you entered the world of performing and balloon art

I started doing balloons when I was a little younger than 18 and I am living of them professionally since I was 23, so, yes, I worked for 5 years... I worked the docks in Antwerp, I worked Antwerp nightlife and opended my first balloonshop when I was 19 (this was with my girlfriend in the day). After I opened my own, which permitted me to take classes in performance arts, because I had an income. The store was sold 6 years ago.

Did you always have an intrest in art, or did you find this side of yourself when you started working with balloons.

When I was 5 years old, I made my own comics, when I was 7 I wrote my own short stories and when I was 12 I made cartoons. When I grew older (around 16) I could spend hours and hours on making love letters. But my first interest in performing art started when I began working with balloons!

I was going to be bad and ask whch part of France is Belgium located, and what type of shampoo you prefer but now as I get older I find that I am too mature for such frivolous remarks

Belgium is located in the south of France, it's hot here all year round, about 35°, women are beautiful and smart, beer is perfect and food is excellent. Completely the opposite with the north of France, where your village is located, la Scotlande! :D :D
My shampoo I can't recommend, my hair fell out... But I am using car wax now, much cheaper, you should try it, my scottish friend!
And it really makes me happy to see that you finally grew up, my friend! ;)

tombibo

#19
@ Stevie_babe

Thank you for the nice compliment.
So, married to a belgian! That will defenitely improve your life! ;)
Where do you guys live?

Danny the Idiot

#20
Hi Tom,

what questions would you like to to be asked that nobody has asked yet?

have you any big projects coming up that you want to tell us about? You mentioned one on TV.

Danny
Danny Schlesinger
Balloon Excellence Award Winner
https://dannytheidiot.com
https://www.CircoRidiculoso.com
Follow me on Twitter at @danny_the_idiot

Graham Lee

#21
Tom,

A few more of the compiled questions;

7, Do you have the same act but vary the presentation for all ages or do you have set acts for different ages?

8, What's your favourite thing to make at the moment?

9, What is the most asked for model?

10, What do you tend to do more of if stuck in the 'balloon production line' model?

11, Who is your market aimed at?

12, What kind of work do you do mostly - parties? Corporate? Etc
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

Smiggle

#22
Tom

Interesting answers so far - if you could choose to perform on any stage or at any event in the world where would it be?

Ian
C\'mon Let\'s twist again...

Graham Lee

#23
Tom,

We have a section on here called;
"How did you start twisting/entertaining"
http://www.balloonchat.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=31
Link above if you fancy a nose.

Could you go into detail about how you started on your way and the path from the docks into travelling the world entertaining people with you act.

Graham Lee
"Lets Improve Our Art"
Balloon Excellence 2012 Award Winner
For Services to the Balloon Community.
https://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk
http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk

tombibo

#24
@ Danny

I am not aiming for specific questions, just ask me what you want to know! ;)

Projects at the moment... I am making a new full evening show for adult audiences, non verbal, only visual comedy, something I am really forward to!
The television program is pre school TV, so for little ones up till the age of 5. It's a simple story about a balloon island, where everything is balloons... You'll see it in time ;)
Some of the balloonchat people saw it... I don't want to give too much information until it's on air, I hope you can forgive me. :)

tombibo

#25
7, Do you have the same act but vary the presentation for all ages or do you have set acts for different ages?

I have all kind of acts. Many of my childerens acts begin with the same story line, whether it's for pirates or cowboys or circus or birthdays. I only change the content as every style has its own balloons (can't make a pirate in a cowboytown and vice versa)
Then I have a family act, which speaks to childeren and adults, making fun of the childeren vs parents and the parents vs childeren. This is a good selling bit.
And then I have an act for adults, also different stories for different occasions. A wedding, a corporate event or a birthday or...
What I like the most is that people challenge me to do new shows, I leave a lot of room for improv in my shows, so I can play with the audience and also alter the story line along the way.


8, What's your favourite thing to make at the moment?

At this moment defenitelly the Sabina Kellner rabbit!
It's very beautiful and there's a lot of play and technique involved.
My all time favourite is the heart petal flower, I get a lot of play out of it and I get kissed at the end! :D




9, What is the most asked for model?

My Pooh bear, I will make one and post a picture later.


10, What do you tend to do more of if stuck in the 'balloon production line' model?

This is a tricky question... Those of you who have seen me work or took one of my classes, know that I don't do lines. I make every balloonfigure I know just once. (I hope that it's this what the question means). When I finish I hand out hearts with a quick joke and leave.


11, Who is your market aimed at?

Basicly at everybody. I work themeparcs, I work parties, corporate events,  television, theatre, cabaret... I work kindergartens and retirement homes.
Everybody who enjoys the magic of a balloon!


12, What kind of work do you do mostly - parties? Corporate? Etc

Mostly I work theatre and cabarets. Then corporate.
But it's a path I believe... I started out doing birthday parties and bar mitzva's and stuff, after came the corporate events and the themeparcs and after more than 10 years the cabarets and theatres.
I think it's the road we're on... learn the lessons at home parties and go further along the way. Now I still do homeparties, just because I think they 're a lot of fun and I like doing them.

tombibo

#26
Interesting answers so far - if you could choose to perform on any stage or at any event in the world where would it be?

Interesting question... I like to go where the road takes me. So far it took me to quite some interesting places around the world, working with remarkable people!
A dream I have is to perform along one of the greats as an interact (don't know the propper english word for it, but I mean to do little stuff between their acts).
One of the greats? e.g. Jeff McBride, Celine Dion, ZZ Top, acts like these. Just to go on stage, making a funny appearances and leave...
Stages like in Las Vegas, where entertainment becomes magic.
For one-man shows I'd settle for the Fringe in Edinburgh and festival d'Avignon ;)

Stevie_Babe

#27
Hi Tom,

we live in the south of England, near London...well sort of. I must say I agree with you on life being improved.....most certainly better than France  :P

I will come over to the big meet up with other balloonistssiss  :roll:  So hope we can meet.

I'm pretty new to this, so I'm a bit shy in going up to people. I think it's because I've seen really good artists, then look at myself. So I think I'm just going to have to bite the bullet & go for it. I now need to think of a name for this balloon man. I do magic & called myself magic man (I know original, but my  site in No1 on Google) balloon man? naa. too many of those.

Ooops sorry carried on too long. & no Q's.

Are you/have you coming over to UK?

tombibo

#28
Funny that you mention it, it's really hard indeed to come up with a good stagename! I know the feeling! I searched for many years and one day people just started to call me Tom Bibo. My name is Tom and Bibo was a stagename, one of many.
It will come to you with time, but I would recomend to add your own name somewhere ;)

I hope I will be coming over again soon. Don't know when though...

Thelma Levett

#29
Tom - Will you marry me?