magic show – Page 35 – MagicShow.Tips

A Bit of Effort…

Personally I love seeing any magic show, I’ll watch good ones, I’ll watch bad ones, however the ones I like the least are ones that are mediocre. Usually a bad show has some sort of merit to it, like someone is trying something new or they are new to performing. Watching a good show inspires me, but a show that’s just OK is well, just OK.

These mediocre shows are the ones where the person put the least amount of effort into their show. They bought a trick and do it per the instructions. It’s a trick where they as a performer don’t have to think. I’m not talking about thinking in performance, but thinking in preparation to performance.

They put no thought into the props, the script, the whatever. They simply bought a show, and that’s it. Recently I saw a show like this it feels like a waste time for the audience. Whether or not the audience knows it, the performer is not creating art. It’s like seeing a painting and hearing the artist talk about it, or having someone print out a picture and hearing someone unconnected talk about it. Personally, I’d rather hear from the artist.

Adding a Bonus Trick

It’s the little things that when people notice, I think it elevates your show. Before Darren Brown’s show, I noticed some posters in the theater that seemed out of place. Well, they played a role in the show, but their role wasn’t really IN THE SHOW, but after the show. They reinforced something that happened.

There was a very cool moment for some of the people that attended the show as we were leaving the theater. When walking down the stairs from the balcony to leave the theater, people noticed the posters and started commenting on how they were a part of the show. It was almost like the people got a “bonus trick” on the way out of the show.

I’m a huge fan of things that tell your audience that it’s not a bunch of tricks you threw together. That your put thought into your show. The easy way to do that is through call backs, when you reference things that happened earlier in the show later in the show. In magic, you can do more that just reference, they can have a role in what happens later in the show. Darren Brown’s show has this happen in the body of the show, but using it for something that people notice while they are leaving the theater is GENIUS!

Raise Up Your Show

Sometimes you need to stick to your guns and do your show how you want it to, then there are other times when you need change it. I’m a huge advocate of pushing back if someone unreasonably wants you to change your show. An example of this is a booker wanting you to incorporate something into your show at the last minute. I’m frequently asked to magically make a prize or award appear. I almost always decline this.

There are times that you want to alter your show for the event. When I performed in Virginia a couple days ago, I saw an illusion act perform. They weren’t on a raised stage, which is something I’m very conscious of. Being an act that uses smaller props I’m very aware of how they can disappear if they are held too low when you aren’t on a raised stage. The act I saw did a Wakeling Sawing in Half, which is a great illusion. It’s a big prop, but the action happens low.

I’m standing in the back taking this picture, you probably wouldn’t notice the large box for the illusion in the picture. There’s a girl in the third row standing on someone’s lap to see. While it’s a big and visual prop, you can’t see it if it’s too low to the ground. This is a situation where a small handheld prop would have played a lot larger than the sawing in half.

In my opinion the show would have flowed better if they had cut out the sawing in half and filled the spot with something smaller, that could be held higher, or just run the show five minutes short. Removing the trick would have made the show much more enjoyable for me, as there wasn’t really any jokes, or story engage me once the visual was lost.

Be aware of the sight lines of people seated from the third row and back.

Does It Work 3K Miles Away..

One thing I love is when I get to do great shows on the road. Knowing what audiences like in my local(ish) area is one thing, but then when you travel 2,500 miles away, they can be a very different audience in terms of what they like or are offended by.

This year my New Year’s Eve gig was at a First Night arts festival on the east coast. My humor worked out and the audiences liked my newer material, which is good.

After the show I got an email from a magician who was in the audience at one of my shows. He made an interesting comment, he said that by the time the show started the audience was rooting for me. This is something that I do by design, and I’m glad that he noticed it.

What I do is before the shows start time, I do some tricks that I’m working on. These are things are semi formed routines, but not fully fleshed out. Sometimes they are routines that I like, but just don’t have a place in the show. One thing that they aren’t are tricks that I don’t really know how to do.

The purpose of these tricks is to warm up the audience, but put no pressure on them. They aren’t part of the show (but they actually are), but they do make a good first date. Now by the time the show starts the audience is invested in me and invested in me succeeding.

Inspiration…

Seeing other magicians do magic tricks is something that inspires me. They could be amazing, horrible, or whatever and I’ll love it. More than enjoying it, it inspires me to be better. A bad act inspires me to be better to put distance between me and the act and good act makes me want to be better to close the distance between me and the act.

Based on how many magicians I see at all the magic stuff I go to, I think that not many magicians are out there supporting magic. I go to most of the local shows and hardly ever see the same faces, with a couple of exceptions.

Your New Years Resolution should be to go out and see more magic shows and support live magic. The more of us out performing the better it is for all of us.

Holiday Parties and Newer Acts…

Earlier today I was thinking about performing at corporate holiday events. Mainly I was thinking about how every magician that wants work will get some in December. It’s a time where the gig isn’t really based on merit, but on someone’s boss telling them to get a magician, so they get the first magician that’s … Continue reading “Holiday Parties and Newer Acts…”

Earlier today I was thinking about performing at corporate holiday events. Mainly I was thinking about how every magician that wants work will get some in December. It’s a time where the gig isn’t really based on merit, but on someone’s boss telling them to get a magician, so they get the first magician that’s available.

It’s good that everyone is working, however a lot of the conditions for the shows aren’t “entry level” magic shows. First of all you typically have poor audience layout, were some of the audience may be behind you. Lighting is horrible and sound often in through the DJ’s mix which typically is insanely bass heavy.

All of the above adds up to a show that’s going to be hard for someone starting out. This year I feel like I’ve finally hit my stride with these shows and was very comfortable doing them. Personally I hope that newer performers look at how their shows went (honestly) and how they can improve them.

Dressed Up…

One thing that I get frequently get criticized about is how I dress when I perform. This is at less formal venues like at a fair or festival, not at a formal venue like a theater. A good example of my less formal “show clothes” is this: It’s a black button up shirt, and if … Continue reading “Dressed Up…”

It’s a black button up shirt, and if it’s outdoors I wear maroon pants with it. To match it up my socks are black and my shoes are maroon. I’ll give you that it’s not a formal look, it’s still a look.

Recently this promo video came across my facebook feed and I’m not criticizing his act, or why he chose that as his costume, I’m using it to justify what I’m doing.

I think what I’m wearing looks more formal that the polo with your company’s logo on it. I think the polo makes you look like an employee, versus the performer. From a distance you can’t see the logo, so it’s just a polo.

Sure, I just may look like some guy, however that’s kinda my character and done intentionally.

On The Job Training…

One thing that’s been a staple of my close up work is the Three Shell Game. It’s been something I’ve done since I was a teenager. It’s a great trick, everyone knows what it is and how to play it. This week at my gig at the airport I added the Trade Show Shells. These … Continue reading “On The Job Training…”

One thing that’s been a staple of my close up work is the Three Shell Game. It’s been something I’ve done since I was a teenager. It’s a great trick, everyone knows what it is and how to play it.

This week at my gig at the airport I added the Trade Show Shells. These are a jumbo set of shells and they work differently than a standard set of shells.

I’ve owned a set of a long time, and never really had a place to use them. When I do stage work, it’s hard to make them play, as I’m usually on a raised stage with the audience below me. That makes it hard to see the pea or follow it.

What’s cool about doing this at the airport is that they want the people to win. We’re playing it for prizes, so it’s not a “magic routine“. What that means is that I get to practice handling the props and doing the manipulation. In each group, there’s one person that I use the gimmicks on and am working out a routine that way. Essentially I’m getting paid to work out a routine for the trick!!! It’s great!

Don’t Speak Up…

Whenever possible I try to go out and support magic shows. Last night I went out and saw a friend’s show. The show also had a musician and burlesque dancer in addition to my buddy’s magic show. It was a fun show. My main critique of the show was that lack of the use of … Continue reading “Don’t Speak Up…”

My main critique of the show was that lack of the use of a microphone. There was a handheld mic, but only the singer used it. Using a mic is an important thing to do, it makes the show so much easier to pay attention to. My hearing is reasonably good, but I’m always amazed at how much I have to strain to hear an unmic’d performer.

Using a mic in whatever form is pretty cheap right now, compared to 15 years ago. You can get a cheapo headset mic and wireless pack and be good to go for probably less than about a hundred bucks. Would it be the best mic…no. Would it be better than no mic…probably.

I Hate That It Works…

Right now I’m doing a trick during my run at the airport that uses a magnet. The trick has a clever way to hide the magnet, however because of the gig I can’t use the method that was designed for the trick.

So, what did I do?

I put the magnet on my finger and then put a band aid over it. I really hate that no one has questioned the band aid on my finger, but then I don’t know the last time I asked anyone about a band aid on their finger. It’s a “hidden in plain sight” sort of deal.

This method works great for this gig because I do one trick per set and do it over and over again. The band aid method wouldn’t work if I was to do it as part of a show. As much as I dislike the band aid, it works for this very specific application!