magic show – Page 58 – MagicShow.Tips

Deck Ripping Routine…

A while ago on this blog I wrote up my deck ripping routine. Basically it’s the split deck trick, but instead of a factory made deck, you are using a deck that you rip in half with your bare hands. One of the things I like about doing this trick is the “barrier to entry”, you have to put in the time to be able to do the trick.

The other day during my preshow at a library gig I had a kid helping me and I just kept classic forcing the two of hearts to him. I was playing around and would top change the two for another card, then rip it in half and throw it away. Then the kid would pick the two of hearts that I just torn up. I did this a couple times. Finally I turned the deck face up and had him pick a card that wasn’t the two and I had him stand on it (after I switched it). I then ripped the deck in half so he couldn’t pick the two. Once the deck was ripped the kid (on his own) reached down to look at the card he was standing on and was very much amazed that the card had changed into the two of hearts!

This is a decent ending to a multiple force routine. You really can’t do anymore, the deck is destroy and the card has changed one last time. Structurally and logically, I need to work on it, but for this “improv” situation it was fun.

While I will probably never do this routine again, it got me thinking about it. What if I used a flap card with a lock. The person picks a card that’s not the force and you set it facing the audience. You rip the deck, and then the card visually changes into the force card. I’m not sure this is better than the kid reaching for the card he’s standing on, because his reaction really sold the trick.

New 45 Min Show…

My big project this summer is to work on a new 45 minute show. To be completely honest, it’s not 100% new, as some of the material is stuff I’ve done before. The goal at the end of the summer is to have a second show that’s an A show, or at least a strong B show.

Currently I’ve done the show two times, and hitting the road next week, so I’ll get a ton of chances to work on it. There are some things in the show that I like, and some that I don’t. This is one of those things that over time, I think will start to fit together.

Having only done the show a couple of times, I realized I use the fake explanation of the trick three times. I need to cut out at least one of them, and space out the remaining two. Ideally, I’d cut two of the fake explanations and have only one.

It’s time to put the work in….

Working Slow…

In my continuing quest to be a better performer, I’m still trying to slow down while I perform. Personally I’ve always had a fast rate of speech, I remember that was always a note on the presentations I gave in elementary school. During my shows I have to make a conscious effort to not talk … Continue reading “Working Slow…”

In my continuing quest to be a better performer, I’m still trying to slow down while I perform. Personally I’ve always had a fast rate of speech, I remember that was always a note on the presentations I gave in elementary school. During my shows I have to make a conscious effort to not talk fast, it’s rough.

What I try to do is to put out the verbal information in chunks. I say a bit, then I take a slight pause to let what I just said sink in with the audience, then continue talking. This seems to work. I’m not just throwing information at people and not giving them time to process it.

Working slower applies not only to verbal but to physical things as well. I’m taking more pauses to display things.

I’m happy with the results of doing it this way. It still takes a effort on my part to do. I think it’s easier with newer routines as I’m learning them this way, where older routines I learned them and have done them too fast for years and need to break that muscle memory.

Play With Your Props

Playing with props instead of trying to learn a routine really makes a routine yours. You end up understanding the props much better than if you simply followed directions. Yes there is a place for following directions and learning from the people that came before you.

Personally one of the ways that I create material is to start with the prop that I want to use. I then learn the technical end of the prop and then start playing with it. The play helps me come up with ways to use it that are more based on my mannerisms and movements. Now that I understand the prop a bit, I’ll start to learn all I can about the prop or effect. How do other people do it, and why do I like or not like they way that they are doing it.

After playing with the “silk thru mic stand” a lot yesterday a routine has started to take shape. My routine uses something other than a mic stand, but essentially the same trick. I’ve got three phases for the routine, and that I think gives it a sense of build and each phase has a different texture. These phases came as a direct result of playing and then research, try it, you’ll be surprised at the results!

The Dollar Dilemma…

It’s been years since I really borrowed anything from the audience to use in my show. The reason for that is simple, it’s a huge time suck, with no guarantee. Sure you can ask to borrow a dollar, but that does mean you aren’t going to spend three minutes asking for one and never get one. I wrote about one solution to this the other day and you can read that here.

Another solution that I came up with is to have a two dollar bill. I know what you are thinking, “aren’t those rare?”. The government still makes two dollar bills, I get them at my bank, just ask for them. You are going to set up the borrow a dollar that’s sort of like preshow, but doing it openly in the routine before the one where you need to borrow a dollar, so it’s pre-routine.

The trick before the trick where you need to borrow a dollar bill you need to tell the audience that in about five minutes you are going to do a trick with a dollar bill. If you use your own dollar bill, everyone will think it’s a trick dollar, so you’d like to buy a dollar bill off of someone for two dollar. Bring out the two dollar bill and tell them the first person to offer you a dollar bill when you ask in a few minutes gets the genuine two dollar bill.

Offering to buy the dollar bill I think takes away the fear that you will destroy or somehow ruin their money. Giving someone in the audience something more interesting that a dollar bill and an immediate profit should motivate them to give you a buck.

Mentioning you need to borrow the bill before you actually need it gives people time to dig it up. Also the idea that it someone else could get the two dollar bill gives people incentive to get the money out sooner. You could ask to borrow the bill within the same routine that you need it as long as there’s some set up that gives you something to do while people are getting out the dollar bill.

The big problem I think that magicians have is that they don’t realize how long it takes to actually borrow a dollar bill. They then end up with a dead spot in the show, that’s not just a dead spot, but an uncomfortable dead spot.

Promotional Tricks…

Every now and then I get asked by bookers if I can make a promotional video for their event. Usually it’s me saying hi and doing a quick trick. This works fine, however I’m playing with doing slightly more informational promo tricks. Here’s one I did the other day: It’s decent, it has a little … Continue reading “Promotional Tricks…”

It’s decent, it has a little bit of a surprise and has all of the information. The next one I do, I think it’ll have a trick and have the information text cards as a kicker to it. Maybe something like a four ace production, then the text cards.

I think getting requests for promotional videos specific to an event are going to be more common in the future with pretty much every public event doing promo on social media. I think having a generic sequence you do, but having custom information cards would be the best way to do it.

Leave the Path…

Having a great show has a lot to do with living in the moment and being present in your show. Even if your show is scripted, you need to be on the lookout for real moments where you can venture off script and into what’s actually happening. This is what makes live entertainment so good, … Continue reading “Leave the Path…”

Last night in the show the kid that I brought up on stage was really chatty. I realized this very quickly when I asked him his name and he told me how to spell it. Then he didn’t know how to spell his last name. Letting the kid be a kid, he was perfect for the trick and he really rocked it onstage. Playing with the kid onstage lets the audience see your personality through how you interact with the kid.

I wasn’t in a hurry to get to the next joke, I let it play out with the kid however it does. Having a script to the show, allows me to get right back into it when it’s time. It could just naturally segue back into the show, or I may need to guide us back into the show. There’s no way it runs 100% of the time, however that’s why having a script is so important. I’m not thinking of the planned routine, I’m just thinking how to get back to it.

One thing you have to do is address the “elephant in the room” when there is one. Last night I did a show with light attendance, which was due to an unusual situation. The show was in a big theater, and it was obvious that it was a light turn out.

I opened the show with a joke about it and it went over well and the show proceeded to do great. I think that when everyone notices something, you need to say something about it, you can’t pretend it doesn’t exist.

A good example was many years ago I saw the Amazing Kreskin perform. He had a light turn out, and he came out before the show, mentioned it, and invited the balcony to move to the floor. That gave him a more tightly packed audience, and really made the show better for him and the audience.

Whether it’s a light turn out, someone having a heart attack, whatever, if it’s on the audience’s mind, you need to address it.

Doing the Work…

This week I’m trying to be good about actually working on my show. What I’m doing is watching video of my show and writing notes on the video. I’m writing down what I don’t like, and ideas to improve it. When I do this, I write down the time code on the video that the … Continue reading “Doing the Work…”

When I do this, I write down the time code on the video that the note is relevant to. This really helps if I am trying to make sense of it later. When writing notes you also need to be brutally honest, if you can’t say it to yourself, no one can.

I had one bit in the show where I don’t think the ending got the payoff it deserved. After watching it, I think I figured out why. It needed a music change at the end. I added some “stinger” music and we’ll see how it plays tonight!

New Tricks in the Show…

Every summer for about the last decade I do a library tour and this summer is no different. This year I’m only doing about a dozen library shows. In the past I think I’ve done 70ish some years. Each summer the library tour gets a show written for it. Usually this is based on the … Continue reading “New Tricks in the Show…”

One of the tricks in the show is a trick I’ve wanted to do for a while, but doesn’t fit my style is the Gypsy Thread. I think it’s a good trick, however my show lacks what it needs to play larger, and that’s good lighting at many venues. Generally if a trick is something I can’t do virtually everywhere, I don’t put it in my main show.

That’s the beauty of the library shows, I can do a trick that I normally wouldn’t. If for some reason I fall in love with it, then I can work to move it into the main show. The huge thing it’s got going for it is that it’s a pack small trick. It takes up virtually no space in my case, so if I can come up with at least a decent presentation, it could be a great emergency trick.