MagicShow.Tips – Page 47 – A daily blog about magic by Louie Foxx

Big Guy’s Magic in Milwaukee, WI

Last month I was out in Wisconsin performing at the comedy club in Appleton. It was a fun gig, and on my way back to the airport in Milwaukee I stopped by Big Guy’s Magic.

I’ve heard a lot about this magic show, so I was excited to stop by. However the guy working (who wasn’t “Big Guy”) was really disappointing. He kept telling me how nothing new was in magic (which I totally disagree with) and how live shows don’t hold audience’s attention and that no magicians tour anymore because no one wants to see a magic show. He never asked why I was in town… I was a magician ON TOUR and had about 150 people at my show at the comedy club the night before. Of all the places where someone should be enthusiastic about magic should be the person working at a magic shop.

When I travel I try to support magic shops by spending money at them. Normally I try to make a meaningful purchase, not just a deck of cards, but a book or some antique prop if they have one. I really didn’t want to spend any money here based on how the guy was bad mouthing magic, but I did make a small purchase.

I do understand that sometimes a “warm body” is needed to run the magic shop when the owner can’t be there. I hope that was the situation, and I’ll probably give the magic shop another chance next time I’m in Milwaukee.

Now for what’s good about the magic shop, it was really well stocked!

They had a ton of current magic as well as vintage magic! They also had some of the world’s largest mouth coil!

It’s always good to see an older style magic show that has a lot of stuff in stock!

-Louie

The Moisture Festival Podcast – Thaddeus Spae

On this episode we talk with the fascinating musician Thaddeus Spae. He tells us about the early days at the Oregon Country Fair working with Reverend Chumleigh, how he wrote a march that convinced crowds to follow and he came to form the group Snake Suspenderz.

He also tells us about his new band Snakes Alive, an offshoot and great band worth checking out. A great chat with a fun and amazing musician.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Vanishing Birdcage Instructions!

I have a fairly large collection of vanishing birdcages, and one of the things that I don’t have are a lot of instructions. I’ve rarely come across cages with the original instructions.

I recently came across a few sets of instructions from some older vanishing birdcages to add to my collection!

The set on the left are instructions for the Secondus vanishing birdcage that was put out by Harry Stanley’s Unique Magic in England! This cage was made by YIMKA, and I have one in my collection, so it’s great to pair those two up!

The set of instructions on the right belong to an unknown (to me) cage.

I’m happy to have these in my collection!

-Louie

When to do Close Up Magic

Frequently I’m booked to perform both my stage show and roving close up magic for events. That’s the package that I suggest to people who want to book my show for their event. When I send out a proposal it always specifically says that the roving magic is prior to the stage show.

Most events that contact me want the roving magic during cocktail hour and the show later, but a few want the close up magic later in the evening after the show. If I’m roving after the show I charge more for the close up.

Why?

Simple, the roving magic is like being your own opening act. You’re getting the guests at the event to like you before you step onstage. Where if you do it after your show, it really doesn’t serve a purpose to make your show better and your show isn’t necessarily the best warm up for your close up.

Staring the show being liked can be a huge help when you perform at a convention where people have been in classes all day, then ate a big meal, had a couple of drinks and are simply worn out!

For me, it’s in my best interest, and of the event to do the roving magic first as I’m performing for a room of “friends” who like me, and not trying to convince a room of strangers to like me.

-Louie

Theater Etiquette

A few days ago we went to see my secret favorite Christmas movie, which is Love Actually. This was at the Oregon Symphony and they played the music to the movie. This is a popular trend with movies like Harry Potter or Jurassic Park and it brings a lot of people out to see the symphony who might not normally go.

Love Actually in Concert by the oregon symphony

The problem is that there’s a lot of uneducated people about the etiquette for live shows. The big one for this was at the end of the movie. The movie ended and the symphony plays through the end of the credits. However once the credits started, about 1/3 of the audience got up and left while the symphony was still paying.

This was super disrespectful as the performance was still happening. I understand that there’s a certain muscle memory that you leave when the credits start if you’re at a movie theater. However the symphony was still actively playing.

It’s like someone leaving your magic show halfway through your closer to beat traffic. Honestly I felt really bad for the symphony. When the credits finished they remaining audience applauded them.

How does this relate to a magic show? Well, a lot of people have never been to a live show and don’t know the etiquette. You need to teach them. This can be done in several ways, with preshow announcements, during your show or whatever.

You need to let them know your expectations. You can’t expect people to not record your show if you don’t tell them not to.

-Louie

People Love ACAAN!

A few days ago I was at a booking event and Chubby Checker was there. He’s 82 years old and been in showbiz for over 60 years!

I was chit chatting with his manager and she told me that Chubby loves magic and asked if I could show him a trick. I went over and did Any Card at Any Number for him and he loved it. He bugged me the whole event to do it again and I did and each time he was more amazed.

Magicians who have never done a pure ACAAN where it’s simply “name a card, name a number” and their card is at their number don’t understand how good of a card trick it is. It’s an impossible trick.

Many magicians say that audiences don’t like it and it’s a trick for magicians are totally wrong. I think there are so many bad tricks that pretend to be an ACCAN, but aren’t and dilute the effect. Once you get dice, your phone or convoluted processes into the trick to make it easier, the trick isn’t as clear or nearly as impossible.

Doing ACAAN correctly where there’s no process, or additional props, just a card, number and a deck of cards isn’t easy to do. It’s out of range of the average performer as you need to improvise a lot and have a huge toolbox card magic knowledge to draw from.

It’s totally worth learning to do correctly, it’s an incredible trick that audience do like!

If you’re interested in doing ACAAN, I recommend tracking down the book Any Card by Alain Nu. It’s a great overview of how to work ACAAN.

– Louie

Staging for Video Projection

In yesterday’s post I mentioned using a Hollyland Mars 400s Pro II for video projection in my show. I forgot to include a picture of my simple set up with it.

Hollyland Mars 400s Pro II for magic show video projection

It’s just an old iPhone with an HDMI adapter that goes to the Hollyland Mars 400s Pro II. The iPhone has a physical shutter that I 3d printed to block the camera when not in use.

That’s it! Easy peasey, nothing to crazy.

-Louie

Magic Advent Calendar!

This month there’s a really cool magic advent calendar where you get a cool magic trick each day in December leading up to Christmas…and it’s FREE

advent calendar for magicians with magic tricks

It’s not too late to sign up for it to learn some great magic. Simply go to: https://mysteryarts.christmas/ and there’s a link at the top of the page to sign up.

-Louie

Wireless Video Projection

A while ago I started using video projection in my magic shows. My camera set up is pretty simple, I was doing it with an HDMI cord that went direct from the camera to TV or projector. This worked, but it’s not always possible to do because of where the input is located and how much cord I travel with.

I recently bought a Hollyland Mars 400s Pro II, which is an wireless video transmitter. You plug the HDMI from the camera into the transmitter and the HDMI from the receiver to the TV or projector. Now if the HDMI input for the project is across the room, or in an AV room it’s not a problem. I don’t need to run cord or travel with more than a couple of short lengths of HDMI cord.

I’ve used this twice since I got them and both times the production guy at the event commented that Hollyland makes good stuff. In fact the second time I used them the venue was also using them!

So far, I’m a fan of them!

-Louie

Soo Much Trash

One of the questions that I get asked a lot by magician who see my show is “how much does it cost you to do your show?” My show has a lot of disposables, here’s what is thrown away after the show:

When I do my full show, it cost me about $10 to do my show. Sure that adds up over time, but at $10 it’s not that much when you consider everything else it costs to do a show, like travel or hotel.

If your vision for your show costs money each show, but it will help you achieve your artistic vision for the show, then $10 is nothing. If it cost me hundreds each show I may reconsider some stuff, but ten bucks I’m totally fine with.

-Louie