Louie – Page 110 – MagicShow.Tips

Visiting with Paul Draper

Last week I performed in the Moisture Festival in Seattle and had a blast. One of the acts that I worked with was Paul Draper. I didn’t know a ton about him, I think we both did a virtual magic convention together a couple of year ago.

It was a blast seeing him, he’s got a lot of energy onstage and is very likable! Being likeable is 99% of the game!

One night Paul hosted the show I was in and he’s also a solid host, who kept the show moving. This is an important skill when the show has 9 acts plus the emcee!

If Paul is performing near you, check him out, you can learn a lot by watching him!

-Louie
PS I did interview Paul Draper for the Moisture Festival Podcast and you can listen to his episode here:
http://www.magicshow.tips/moisture-festival-podcast/the-moisture-festival-podcast-paul-draper/

The Moisture Festival Podcast – Live at the 2023 Festival!

On this very special episode of the Moisture Festival Podcast you get a tour of the Broadway Performance Hall by Tim Furst! In addition to the tour we run into Peter Irish, Kiki Hood, Micheal Evolution, the Food Folx and more!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Meta Data Photo App…

While I don’t think this is the best idea for magic app, if someone made it, I would buy it. The premise is someone names a place and time and that’s the meta data on the photo. The app would change the meta date for a picture. Ideally this would be a picture that you text someone, but could be on your phone.

I’m going to imagine that it wouldn’t be hard for someone to make an app that does that. You could key in the state and time info when you use your six digit unlock screen.

I don’t think the trick is strong enough for a stand alone trick, but used in conjunction with something else as a kicker to a prediction. Like maybe it’s a confabulation, so the picture is one reveal, and the date and time are another reveal.

-Louie

Stage Make Up

One of the things that I learned to do a couple of years ago was makeup. Coming out of comedy clubs, that’s something that performers really didn’t do. During the 2020’s I needed to learn to do my own make up for a TV show as they couldn’t provide a makeup person per the covid restrictions at the time.

I don’t do much, it’s really to take the shine off, but it makes a huge difference in pictures!

If you don’t know how to do very basic stage makeup, there are tons of books about it and probably a ton of YouTube videos that can teach you. I hired a theater person to teach me a very basic routine. It’s totally worth learning!

-Louie

Live Show Audio

When I was performing at the fair last week and had to deal with a sound system that only had one line in, I managed to make it work. I ended up using the Zoom recorder that I use for podcasts as the mixer. That’s a decent emergency solution, but I’d rather not have that expensive recorder cooking in the sun all day.

I ordered this little audio mixer and it seems to work well so far at home.

It’s not much bigger than two decks of cards and can run off of USB power. It’s got four channels, which is one more than I need. I haven’t tried it in a live show yet, so I don’t know how well it will work in the real world, but I’m hoping it’s a good solution!

-Louie

Wrong Guesses

The other day I posted this video on TikTok:

@louiefoxx Optical Illusion with a ring and some safety pins! #opticalillusion #switchingplaces #weddingring #safetypin #louiefoxx #magictrick #magician #closeupmagic, ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

One of the comments I got was someone trying to explain the trick:

This tells me that going off screen isn’t an unknown technique to people anymore. However it’s now more like a “it went up your sleeve” kinda comment, where it’s an explanation that’s wrong 99% of the time.

What I love about the comment in this particular trick is how far off they person was with guessing. The two pins are super gimmicked, the only thing that’s ungimmicked is the RING!

-Louie

Fair Magic Show Set Up

It’s always interesting to look into other magicians prop cases. Last week I did my first fair of the year and here’s what my set up look like.

First the bin that sits on my table:

And here’s the prop case that sits on the floor to my left:

That’s a 45 minute stage show and it all can pack down into the prop case. The fully loaded case is just under 50 pounds, so I can check it on the plane as luggage for no additional fees!

-Louie

Pitata Magic Time Hacker Hack!

The clock routine I’m working on uses the Pitata Magic Time Hacker. It’s no secret how it works and they give it all away on their website, however I have made a modification to the gimmick.

A while ago I accidently broke the pin that engages the clock. When I went to order a replacement, they didn’t have them, just the new gear style attachment that engages the clock. Personally I don’t like the gear as it requires double stick tape which I felt was unreliable after practicing with it.

My solution was to glue the gear with pin from the clock to the gear attachment and it works like a dream!

The nice thing is that it’s easier to detach from the clock than the original pin attachment that came with the Time Hacker trick. This arrangement is easy to change if it gets worn down. I’m glad I stumbled onto this solution!

Also in my routine the clock is “broken” so it doesn’t matter that the the clock is non functional at the end of the routine.

-Louie

Backstage at a Fair Gig

Frequently I get asked by magicians what it’s like to perform at a fair. One of the main questions is about where I keep my stuff and hang out between the shows. Usually there’s some sort of green room, which usually doubles at the storage room for your props.

Here’s the green/storage room from the fair last week.

You can see that every act has their own table and there’s an table for drinks and snacks.

Here’s my table:

I try to keep all of my props set up whenever possible, so that I’m not doing a full set up every morning and pack up every night. I simply move my gear to the green room at the end of the day.

Every fair gig is different, so sometimes your storage is simply a closet and sometimes you have more formal green rooms with couches, microwaves and fridges.

-Louie

More Work on the Clock Trick

Last week I learned a lot about using the Pitata Magic Time Hacker/UTP. For example mine’s range was only reliable within about 10 feet of the unit when using the remote control. This isn’t a deal breaker, but something that is good to know and be aware of!

The bag that I have the clock in has the top edge rolled down, so I can peek inside and see if the hands have moved, this is a bit of security so that I know at least it’s gotten some sort of signal and moved before I take it out. I do still need to figure out some sort of “out” for when it doesn’t work.

I’ve also started a habit of hitting the clear button before I key in the time. The feedback from the clear lets me know I’m in range…or at least gives me the sense of security that I’m in range!

In my opinion, push button electronic tricks are some of the hardest tricks to do! There’s soo much that can go wrong with them, and it’s not like sleight of hand, where you can sleight of hand your way out of a problem! If you just blindly take out the clock and it misses the signal, you’re screwed!

I’ll keep working on this as I really like the routine I’m working on, and hopefully it’s something that sticks in my show!

-Louie