SOME OF THE BEST EVENTS happen in places I can’t easily reach: a Christmas party in Australia, a wedding at a remote Scottish castle, or a corporate celebration on the other side of the planet. In the past, I would simply have had to turn down the booking. These days, I can be there anyway.
A remote appearance is exactly what it sounds like. I set up in my studio at Mays Barn, connect via video link, and appear on a screen at your event. Your guests interact with me directly; they pose for their silhouettes, watch the portrait take shape, and can even hear my scissors. I can see and hear them too. The finished silhouettes are mounted on cards and posted to you after the event.
It works. Remarkably well, as it turns out.
How It Works
At your end, all you need is a screen large enough for guests to see clearly, a decent camera pointed at the area where people will pose, and a stable internet connection. I’ll handle everything else: the setup at my end, testing the connection, cutting the silhouettes, mounting them on card, packing them up and posting to you wherever you are in the world.
I ask to connect an hour or so before the event begins, so we can position the screen, test the sound and picture, and make sure everything is working well before your guests arrive. Such preparation makes all the difference in avoiding technical distractions.
Once the event begins, I work exactly as I would in person. I ask guests to pose in profile, I cut their silhouette, freehand in a couple of minutes, and finally holding the finished portrait up to the camera for everyone to see. The reaction is the same whether I’m in the room or on a screen: that moment of disbelief, followed by the round of applause.
A real event, a real audience, and a very long cable…
Working from my Online Portrait Studio, I can cut silhouettes wherever you are in the world
Two Events Worth Telling You About
A wedding in the Scottish Highlands
A bride who wanted me for her wedding at the Fife Arms, deep in the Scottish Highlands, found that the cost of getting me there (train, hotel and taxi fares) was stretching her budget. We agreed on a remote appearance instead, at a rate equivalent to a local booking. The venue provided the screen and I cut couple silhouettes and individual portraits throughout the reception. I held each one up to the camera as it was finished, for guests to take photos, and afterwards posted the full set to the couple for them to send out with thank-you cards.
Eighteen months later I was booked for another wedding at the same venue. This time it was an American couple, with guests flying in from California, and who wanted me there in person. When I arrived, the hotel manager greeted me warmly: “Charles, how lovely to see you again!” It took us both a moment to realise he was remembering my on-screen appearance at the previous wedding. He had no idea I’d never actually been there before.
A Christmas party in Eastern Australia
Last December I appeared at the Christmas party of an international law firm, at their Australian office in Brisbane, Queensland. The event was an outdoor barbecue (it being summer in Australia). They set up a screen at one side of the space, connected by video link to my studio in Berkshire. Guests wandered over throughout the evening to pose for their silhouettes. I could see the party behind them and they could see me and my scissors. As each portrait was finished I held it up to the camera, often to a round of applause from the other side of the world.
Afterwards I mounted all the silhouettes on cards, wrote each person’s name on the back, and posted the full set to their events manager for distribution around the office.
As far as I know, there are no silhouettists in Northern Australia. In fact, there are a great many places in the world without one. A remote appearance is my way of reaching all of them.
What You Need to Provide
- A screen large enough for guests to see clearly: a large monitor, TV screen or projector all work well
- A microphone and a camera with a clear view of the posing area: a laptop or tablet propped securely at the right angle, and connected to the screen, is usually sufficient
- A fast, stable internet connection
- Someone at your end to help guests find the screen and encourage them to take part
Everything else – the scissors, the paper, the mounting, the postage – is my responsibility.
Fees
A remote appearance typically costs significantly less than an in-person booking, since travel and accommodation costs don’t apply. Please get in touch to discuss your event and I’ll come back to you with a straightforward quote.
Interested in giving it a try?
Whether you’re planning a corporate event, a wedding, or something else entirely, I’d love to hear about it. Fill in a few details below and I’ll get back to you personally, usually within a day or two. Since we’re discussing a remote appearance I’ll probably suggest we meet by video link to discuss it; I can cut a 90-second sample silhouette for you at the same time.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
