Many years ago I started adding rules to what I do in my show. Sometimes I break these rule, but when I do it’s intentional. Usually these come about by me seeing something I don’t like in someone else’s show and want to make sure I don’t do it in my show.
One of the rules I have is that I don’t use the names of other magicians in my show. There’s a simple reason for that, I don’t want people thinking of other shows they could be seeing. Why would I talk about David Blaine in my show, the audience will immediately compare me to him.
Also when you mention another magician, you run the risk of people not knowing who the person is. I recently watched a show where someone mentioned Jeff McBride and I’m guessing most of the people had no idea who Jeff is. That just confuses people, unless you then explain who the person is, which in most cases.
Not too long ago I was in a variety show and provided an introduction to an MC. They didn’t use what I provided and used a “stock joke” intro that went something like, “you’ve heard of David Copperfield, David Blaine, Doug Henning…well so has he…” This is a bad intro. First of all it’s selfish for the MC to not use the provided intro without asking me. Second, that joke doesn’t move the show forward or provide any info on the act they are about to see. The intro I provided does.
What you do in your show is up to you, but is it really necessary to mention Houdini’s name or are you just being lazy?
Tag: david blaine
Pet Peeve #731
Something that drives me nuts and I see it all the time in magicians promo and shows is when they say they “Aren’t like other magic shows”. Then they proceed to do the same magic tricks, the only difference is that they aren’t wearing a tailcoat and top hat. They are trying to break a … Continue reading “Pet Peeve #731”
Something that drives me nuts and I see it all the time in magicians promo and shows is when they say they “Aren’t like other magic shows”. Then they proceed to do the same magic tricks, the only difference is that they aren’t wearing a tailcoat and top hat. They are trying to break a stereotype that changed in the late 1990’s when David Blaine came on the scene.
The amount of magicians that are the stereotype are very few. What really drives me nuts is when they have to keep telling me about it in the show. Really, I can see that you’re not wearing a top hat, I can see that you aren’t making a rabbit appear. Show me with your content and not your words.
I think the space where you tell me things I can’t see or that I will figure out could be used more effectively in a show. Instead tell me how you got into magic…or better yet, tell me how you fought with your first magic teacher over how you dressed or performed. Then I’ll get some insight into you.
More Thoughts On Shin Lim…
After having a day to think about the Shin Lim show I saw in Vancouver, I’ve got a few more thoughts. I’m still disappointed that the majority of the show wasn’t him, Colin Cloud (who did the majority of the show) is great and I think he’ll end up with his own big show out … Continue reading “More Thoughts On Shin Lim…”
After having a day to think about the Shin Lim show I saw in Vancouver, I’ve got a few more thoughts. I’m still disappointed that the majority of the show wasn’t him, Colin Cloud (who did the majority of the show) is great and I think he’ll end up with his own big show out of this. However I was buying a Shin Lim ticket, not a Colin Cloud ticket.
First of all, I think one of the amazing things that he did was do close up and actually perform for the camera! Previously magicians had simply done their act, and it just happened to be on camera. While a small shift, what Shin did was perform to the camera, not the audience or people sitting at the table. This makes it soo much more fun to watch.
Playing to the camera is a subtle shift, but will change how magic is done on projection. Just like how David Blaine changed how magic on TV is performed. Blaine turned the camera to the audience and made it about their reaction, this also made it more fun to watch.
Shin performing to the camera feels like he’s performing for you, not that you are watching a performance for other people. I like this, and something that I need to consider as I thing more about putting together a formal close up set.
People Love Magic…
There’s a stereotype that people think magic is for kids, or magicians are nerdy. That’s an older stereotype, and not a modern look at magic at all. David Blaine changed all of that, then people like Cris Angel and shows like America’s Got Talent cemented the idea that magic is good. Here’s my proof. Frequently … Continue reading “People Love Magic…”
There’s a stereotype that people think magic is for kids, or magicians are nerdy. That’s an older stereotype, and not a modern look at magic at all. David Blaine changed all of that, then people like Cris Angel and shows like America’s Got Talent cemented the idea that magic is good.
Here’s my proof. Frequently when I travel, I try to initially tell people that I meet that I’m a magician. I tell them I’m a performer, or variety act. When they want more specifics, I tell them I juggle, tell some jokes, magic tricks, balance things… They always stop me at magic tricks and ask more about that. That’s how you know the public is interested in it. Not the juggling, not the jokes, the magic.
Your job comes in here. When you show someone a magic trick, or perform, you need to be able to deliver. You should do good magic that’s not cheesy. Give the people a reason to continue to enjoy magic!
Coming Full Circle…
The first paid gig I ever did when I was a teenager was an event where I did close up magic lane to lane at a bowling alley. It was a rough gig, and even and a kid after doing it, I knew it sucked. It was a bad show because the event planner was … Continue reading “Coming Full Circle…”
The first paid gig I ever did when I was a teenager was an event where I did close up magic lane to lane at a bowling alley. It was a rough gig, and even and a kid after doing it, I knew it sucked. It was a bad show because the event planner was trying to put an activity into an an activity. No one wanted to watch the tricks, I did, they were busy bowling and I as interrupting them.
Over the years I’ve gotten requests to do gigs at bowling alleys and I’ve turned them down. However over 20 years later I finally accepted a roving magic gig at a bowling alley.
Why did I take this gig? I wanted to try it again, and see if I could conquer it. I’m happy to report that last night the show went wonderfully!
What did I do differently 20 years later?
A lot of things have changed. First of all there’s the “David Blaine Factor”, which is that his TV shows have made people aware of what close up magic is. When I was a kid, people didn’t know what close up magic was, and they thought it’d be lame tricks that your uncle Jimmy Does.
This time around I also had over twenty years of performing experience. My close up set was short tricks, nothing too long and drawn out. It gave me a chance to leave if I noticed they were more interested in bowling. Add that to being a much stronger performer than I was as a teenager.
My advice is if you’ve had a rough performing situation in the past that you swore you’d never do again…maybe try it again. I’m glad I did!
Be Presentable…
Last week I was chatting with my agent about acts that she wouldn’t represent. One of the things that help make her decision is how the person looks. Unfortunately it is a factor. It’s more that just what you look like as a human, but what does your “look” say. If you have a wrinkled … Continue reading “Be Presentable…”
Last week I was chatting with my agent about acts that she wouldn’t represent. One of the things that help make her decision is how the person looks. Unfortunately it is a factor. It’s more that just what you look like as a human, but what does your “look” say.
If you have a wrinkled shirt and a haven’t shaved in a week, she’s not going to put you on her roster. It’s not to say you need to constantly be combing your hair and wear a tuxedo, but your look must look like something / someone a client wants to book.
Magicians love to give David Blaine and Criss Angel a hard time over how they dress. Both of those guys have a much more defined look than 90% of all magicians. You may not care for their style, but they have a style and it’s been thought out.
TLDR: Your look is more than just wearing a tie!