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Interesting thread.... Surely, the old axiom of magic that you should make an effect your OWN - whether this be by a different handling or new spin on the same premise, "plot" (which I assume includes both patter; convuluted "there was the wizard who..."; general explanation of what you are doing / about to do / purpose of the trick,e.g. "this is a sobriety test" for 2 card monte); etc. and everything in between) is part and parcel of an effect unless you are a mime artiste.

Now, this may sound like a facetious remark, but seriously, even if you are asking your spectator to pick a card, shuffle the pack, or watch this, in basic terms this is still "patter" of "plot". I suppose this thread is asking whether long winded or dubious sounding plots such as the extreme example of "a magic monkey showed me these enchanted cards the other day" are appropriate, but even in such cases if tongue is placed firmly in cheek they could work. Plot is where you get your chance to mould your personality to an effect, and I suppose prevents magicians going around like automated people in trance mode going through the motions of a classic effect such as Colour Monte. Surely the patter for this is an excellent example of how plot (and I suppose, generally, presentation) not only enhances the effect, but in fact CREATES the magic. It would be colourless, if you'll pardon the pun, to just plod along without thought to its presentation which is so integral to the effect. OK, maybe Colour Monte is an extreme example in that the premise and logic of the effect relies on story telling. However, whilst a lot of the time I agree that plot may distract, at other times it adds that X Factor which I strive to convey in magic.

For instance, one favourtie trick of mine is lifted from David Stone's Real Secrets of Magic (I can't remember its name, but its the one where there is an almost acrobatic change of cards magically reversing, changing colour, etc.). I have this patter or plot where i ask the spectator whether they have ever tried Absinthe... not the stuff u get in Wetherspoons, but I'm talking about the real stuff, with wormwood... the stuff that makes you hallucinate... no? watch this, you'll start to imagine that you're hallucinating.. etc... and the premise of the plot is simple but i find it adds colour to various points, for example, the fact that too much absinthe affects short term memory as you'll start to forget that you saw any black cards...

Honestly, plot is so part and parcel to some effects that to not take advantage would be a waste of this art. Probably sounding too idealistic of this magic propaganda, it allows magic to really penetrate though the mechanical sleight of hand that you perform and hopefully absorb. Think of plot as osmosis. There, rant over. Just my 2 cents like.

Rufio

A magician should be an actor playing the part of a magician

-Henning Nelms

On of the greatest books ever written on the topic of magic, in my opinion, is "Magic and Showmanship" by Henning Nelms (15$ CAN). In the book he constantly talks about the point that each trick should have a purpose, rather than simply showing a trick. The purpose of a trick could be as simple as "Yesterday, I found that if you use certain muscles in your brain you can move object without human aid, let me demonstrate..." or it could be as complexe as "If the proportions of water are the same in each bucket, the molecular structure of the water begins to change due to 'beta waves' transfersenses, the water in both buckets turns red from the restructurisation (point to changing water), of course if a deflecter is placed between them the beta waves rebound and the water turns blue, due to...

I am a true believer in this philosophy. I believe that while each does not need a full out story (in fact I would encourage against this since story after story could bore the audience) each effect needs a reason for being performed besides "This looks really cool, watch".

Mr.Mystery wrote:On of the greatest books ever written on the topic of magic, in my opinion, is "Magic and Showmanship" by Henning Nelms

Very true. A must for performers!

This is very similar to something that I've been thinking about lately and I did start a thread on it a while back.

I think that if you can give your magic some kind of reason it does seem to make things stronger. I noticed that when I started to use sponge bunnies instead of sponge balls, the reactions got so much better. I've found something similar when I pinched David Regal's idea of having a puppy dog drawn on a card during an ACR and having the specs call their puppy to the top of the deck.

Bunnies hop around and multiply, it's what they do so it makes sense. Odd little balls, why should they be doing that? Similar with the ACR, puppies do come running when you call them but what the sense of a card keeping popping to the top.

Wild Card wrote:

Mr.Mystery wrote:On of the greatest books ever written on the topic of magic, in my opinion, is "Magic and Showmanship" by Henning Nelms

Very true. A must for performers!

Uh-oh, I sense a CUPS attack...

MagicBell wrote:

Wild Card wrote:

Mr.Mystery wrote:On of the greatest books ever written on the topic of magic, in my opinion, is "Magic and Showmanship" by Henning Nelms

Very true. A must for performers!

Uh-oh, I sense a CUPS attack...

Luckily it's relatively cheap! I think I picked mine up from International Magic for about a tenner. There are examples of routines, which are mostly quite dated, and then it goes over the improvements and what makes them work.

It is very dated but if you take the time to read it properly, it will certainly help!

Wild Card, it's very cheap but worth it's weight in gold.

personally I think it depends on the trick. I use story patter with some of my card routines and especially for professors nightmare. I just base the type of patter I use on what fits the trick, if it flows with the trick then its good.

Big D

Wild Card, it's very cheap but worth it's weight in gold.

Indeed, I quite like Psychic Telephone effect, wouldn't mind modernizing it and using it one day!

A story in itself can me magic told well enough. The brothers Grimm and HP Lovecraft can spell bind me with their works. Or else can provide inspirations for presenting effects in a twisted way. But this is such an individualistic question, what works for one won't for another. I have no issue personally with a story being included if it fits or enhances the effect.

ALL magic is done via stories, spoken or silent.

You MUST communicate with your audience and you can't do that by not relating a story or, in other words, telling what is happening.

It simply can't be done.

Wild Card wrote:

MagicBell wrote:

Wild Card wrote:

Mr.Mystery wrote:On of the greatest books ever written on the topic of magic, in my opinion, is "Magic and Showmanship" by Henning Nelms

Very true. A must for performers!

Uh-oh, I sense a CUPS attack...

Luckily it's relatively cheap! I think I picked mine up from International Magic for about a tenner. There are examples of routines, which are mostly quite dated, and then it goes over the improvements and what makes them work.

It is very dated but if you take the time to read it properly, it will certainly help!

Someone fancy doing a review??

MagicBell wrote:

Wild Card wrote:

MagicBell wrote:

Wild Card wrote:

Mr.Mystery wrote:On of the greatest books ever written on the topic of magic, in my opinion, is "Magic and Showmanship" by Henning Nelms

Very true. A must for performers!

Uh-oh, I sense a CUPS attack...

Luckily it's relatively cheap! I think I picked mine up from International Magic for about a tenner. There are examples of routines, which are mostly quite dated, and then it goes over the improvements and what makes them work.

It is very dated but if you take the time to read it properly, it will certainly help!

Someone fancy doing a review??

I'll do write a review in the next day or so. But, it is a fantastic book.

ndeed, I quite like Psychic Telephone effect, wouldn't mind modernizing it and using it one day!

I like it too, but, I already have enought mentalism in my show.

Yes, it is children I entertain, rather than adults, but bare with me and you may get some idea why "story telling" is important.

ALL patter is story telling anyway, even if you don't use patter, your actions are still telling a story.
This is what makes it magic rather than a trick you're showing off.

Even, as has been mentioined, you just use a line for a hook, the rest of the routine is a story set around that hook. The words might not be there, but the meaning is.

I am glad Peter Marucci has posted, as I will mention the Die Box, which I know he hates being used as an actual Die, as it doesn't look like any other Die.

I believe he uses it as a gold bar with the box being a bank.
I use it as a Die, but start off saying that I play snakes and ladders on a giant board, with the box being the shaker.

It gives a reason for having what would otherwise be a dodgy looking prop.

For close up, think of this.

You have a coin signed, produce a round box, before you are seen to vanish a coin. The box is clearly on view at this time, possibly in a spectaors hand.
They open the box to find another inside, etc, until they find their coin.
Basic nest of boxes routine.

A good trick, but without meaning or soul in it, it is still just a trick. It is the same trick that will be performed by many.
The boxes are a prop, they look like a prop. Giving it some meaning makes it magic. It makes it unique to you. This meaning will itself be a story.

How many times have we bought something because we like the effect, just to find it doesn't suit us?

I now look at something, decide how I could use it, then think up a reason or story for it. If I can do that and am happy with it, I will buy it.
If I can't believe in it being something other than an obvious prop, then that will come across in the performance of it, even if it actually gets as far as being performed.

The story is the reason for performing something, unles it is just to show off.
It doesn't have to be verbal, or even much more than having in your mind a description of what you are doing. It is the WHY of magic.
WHY do we perform? To entertain. If it is just to show off, it is just about being as skilled as you can.

Before people say this is wrong or harsh, let me explain.

Say you are asked to do some magic and work impromptu with what is around.
You stick some dots on a knife, then perform.
Do you just do the paddle move with and let that be magic enough, or do you try and give it meaning, or act confused as if you don't understand why or how it is happening?

Acting is storytelling.
Look at an old silent film, which had to use visual methods of getting the story through.
Then look at Forest Gump, which had Tom Hanks telling a story throughout.
There is no difference in them.

An illusionist may just use actions to music. Yet when he turns the box round, then shows the blades, he is telling the audience that they are going to go through his assistant without harming her.
That is a story he is telling to set the scene and get the right atmosphere.
You tell a story when you do card effects, unless you REALLY do what you say!

Some stories are too long, like this post, some are too cheesy. Some are implied or descriptions.

In some way though, we all tell a story. It doesn't always have to give meaning, but it DOES have to create the atmosphere for magic to work.

I came up with a trick involving the Grendel (from the epic poem "Beowulf")

Some gold, the city metropolis and man.