VBS Video

Not a video.... yet. This is the idea for a kids daily video that has highlights from the day before and a special skit. Here is one for Thursday (but shot on Wednesday night upon the delivery of the dunk tank).

Shot opens with close-up of water in tank filling up and almost full. Pan out to see the hose and Ms. J filling the tank. She is wearing jeans, a black V-neck t-shirt, and flip-flops. M approaches from the right (stage left) crossing in front of the tank, checking it out.

M: Hi J, what are you doing?

J: Hi M! I'm just filling up the dunk tank.

M: The dunk tank? What's that?

J: This is a dunk tank. Haven't you ever seen one before?

M: Nope. Never. What is it?

J: It's a really fun game. I'm sitting in it on Friday at the carnival and the kids are going to have a chance to dunk their counselors today.

M: How do you play it? What's the object of the game?

J: The object of the game is try and make the person sitting up there fall in the water.

M: Huh? How do you get a person up there?

J: Here, let me show you. She slips off her flip-flops and climbs up the ladder of the tank and sits on the seat. I climb up here like this and then sit on this seat. I get to make fun of people and then nervously wait for someone to dunk me in the water.

M: But if you're sitting on the seat, how do you fall in the water?

J: See those balls over there?

M: Picks up a few softballs in a basket. You mean these?

J: Yes. People will throw those balls at this target here. Points to the target.

M: And what happens when they hit the target. As M throws a ball at the target.

J: NO M WAIT!!!!!!!!

The ball hits the target and J gets dunked in the water. M kind of panics a bit, not realizing what would happen.

M: Oh, I guess THAT'S how you fall in the water.

J: Yes, M. That's how it works. AGH! Look at me! I'm soaked!

3 little kids come up to M as J climbs out of the water and sits partially back on the seat.

Kid: Hey mister, can we throw some balls to try and dunk the lady?

M: Well, I don't see why not.... Hey J, can these kids throw some balls? I mean, you are already wet.

J: As she positions herself back on the seat and says reluctantly. I guess so. I might as well. Besides, they're little kids. How good a shot could they be?

Cut to shot of a kid throwing the ball, then a shot of the ball hitting the target, then several shots of J getting dunked from many different angles. Intersperse kids throwing and the target being hit. She gets dunked about 10-15 times.

Next Summer

Well, better luck next summer. There are several possible events next year that my wife could get in a dunk tank. She doesn't mind doing them, and is always a GREAT dunkee. Here are the possibles:

1. School Carnival - if she is teaching or even subbing in a school that has a carnival with a dunk tank, she will gladly volunteer.

2. An area Festival - She has done it in the past and said she would gladly do it again. She said she would have done it this year if we weren't out of town.

3. VBS - Closing carnival and even a day before for game time. If money is an issue, we can rent it.

4. A secluded cabin away - We have been talking about this one for years. Renting a secluded cabin away from anyone and renting a dunk tank and setting it up there away from everyone. She would bring along every outfit that I could imagine in a dunk tank and just have a "Dunking Weekend" where she sits up there almost non-stop and gets dunked in every outfit possible. This could get REAL fun. I'm sure I'd find myself up there a few times too.

5. Son's Birthday Party - Our son has a summer birthday. What better a game at a summer party than a "Dunk Your Mom" game. She's nervous the neighbors would think weird things about it, like, "Why do you have a dunk tank in your back yard?" Uh... it's for a party!! MANY people do this around the country. It's not weird. It's fun.

6. Fan Fest - this one would be fun. The dunk tank there is not a real popular thing (for some reason... it's cheerleaders!! Come on people). Several times, other random people have gotten up there. My wife thought it might be fun to offer to sit up there in an opposing school's t-shirt. A navy blue shirt and grey shorts/pants would look REAL nice wet!!

7. Block Party - It would be easy if the block party was stationed near our house, but since it's down the street, it's kind of hard to ask others to get a dunk tank when they would be paying for the water. We need to shift our way.

So, there are possibilities. We may need to get more daring to get her wet. I would love her to get in several in one summer. That would be awesome!! Hopefully someday soon.

Only tank this summer

Well, this summer proved to be quite uneventful. The few tanks I saw had guys in them, except one. Cheerleaders were running it. A couple guy cheerleaders sat in it with little business. The one girl that sat in the tank was a cute brunette in shorts and a t-shirt. She was dunked several times and had more people throw at her than the guys put together. Isn't this a hint to groups that run dunk tanks?

When it comes to customers, here's how I see it:

- Kids will throw at anyone.

- Girls will only throw at people they know.

- GUYS will throw at ANY girl and only guys they know.

So, the market they need to gun for is the guys who will throw at any girl. If you don't have a guy that everyone knows, putting a girl (that is at least a 6 or hotter) in the dunk tank will be the only way you will make money.