talkmagic.co.uk

These are the 8 steps I take when presenting my magic. It isn't meant as the absolute be all end all, but it is the process I use and may work as a guide for others?

1. Learn the trick as written or videoed exactly. For me learning the trick as is, puts me in the mind of the originator and helps me to understand where they are coming from.

2. I then try to simplify the actions of the trick. Notice I didn't say the "moves". Moves are what dancers do. I want my actions to look as normal as possible. So if I need for example, to move a card to the top of the deck, and the original instructions said to "pass" the card, I instead will do a double undercut. This simplifies the action and makes it look more normal. That won't always be the case and perhaps the pass is exactly the sleight I may want to use in another trick but that is where I have to consider how it looks to others?

3. Once I'm comfortable with the mechanics of the trick I present it to my peers for critique. If I can fool other magicians with the trick, I can certainly fool lay people.

4. Then I begin work on patter and framing. You may ask why I don't present the finished work to my peers? It's my experience that magicians/mentalists aren't as interested in the story, as much as they are the effect. So I work my patter out after having impressed them with the technical side of things.

5. After merging reason and method, I present the effect to my creative consultant for tweaking. I actually pay someone for there expertise in this area but before I went Pro, family and friends fit the bill nicely.

6. I perform the effect for a nonpaying audience and film the show. This helps me to not only see how the effect works but also how the audience reacts to the patter, jokes and such. This process will lead to more tweaking and ultimately a dress rehearsal.

7. Dress rehearsal before an audience of peers, directors, Family, Friends and complete strangers. Only when a consensus of opinions equals a good performance, am I ready to present to a paying crowd.

8. Performing for a paying crowd.

There it is my 8 point process from inception to completion. Hope you get something from it?

Sounds good, I have mentioned before about a similar process I use for breaking in new material, practicing it in front of friends, then at casual meetings for strangers at a pub, or a charity event etc (alongside other material) before I perform it for paying audiences.

One thing I would note - not totally against what I think, but sometimes I wonder - if this fools magicians, then its possible it's too difficult as working material. What I mean is, when I'm performing I want my actions to be simple, I want my plots to be able to be followed easily, so I will look for something I can do confidently (in my sleep, as the saying goes), often knuckle busting magician foolers don't fit this bill, and when watching a trailer for example, often if I can't work it out from the trailer, then it's likely it doesn't fit that criteria. Remember also that magicians think differently to the way a lay audience thinks. Like I said, that's a general thing I have, and of course sometimes a more difficult move creates a better effect - and then yes, it's worth learning it and using it.

Hope you kinda follow that, be glad to hear what you think.

jdmagic357 wrote:These are the 8 steps I take when presenting my magic. It isn't meant as the absolute be all end all, but it is the process I use and may work as a guide for others?

1. Learn the trick as written or videoed exactly. For me learning the trick as is, puts me in the mind of the originator and helps me to understand where they are coming from...

You lost me right there.
My two steps to getting ready for a paying audience are:
1. Learn the trick (not the original version, but what I want to perform).
2. Throw it into my act and work it until it is perfect.
In 20 years as a pro I never videoed a performance until yesterday - and that was only to have a clip for my website.

Jing wrote:One thing I would note - not totally against what I think, but sometimes I wonder - if this fools magicians, then its possible it's too difficult as working material. What I mean is, when I'm performing I want my actions to be simple, I want my plots to be able to be followed easily, so I will look for something I can do confidently (in my sleep, as the saying goes), often knuckle busting magician foolers don't fit this bill, and when watching a trailer for example, often if I can't work it out from the trailer, then it's likely it doesn't fit that criteria. Remember also that magicians think differently to the way a lay audience thinks. Like I said, that's a general thing I have, and of course sometimes a more difficult move creates a better effect - and then yes, it's worth learning it and using it.

Hope you kinda follow that, be glad to hear what you think.

I not only "follow that" but think my post kinda says something similar?

Perhaps the sticking point is that performing in front of magicians, is part of my process? If so, I'll explain why?

Magicians do think differently, and I need that way of thinking before performing for the lay, to simplify the directness of the effect. The people in my club, tend to be somewhat impatient when seeing something "new". They like to cut right to the chase. Fluff isn't tolerated much and so they help me to "get to it".

This really helps me in involved effects, that have many parts, or multiple endings. Granted their input is not as important as that of the lay ,but even before I get to the lay, the magicians have filtered the processes.

Does that make sense? I hope it does.

Jdmagic357 may I ask how old you are before commenting on this please?

It's just easier for me to give a response when I know what age bracket I am dealing with.

That's what i do as well Tony. Just started learning a new routine at the moment and i am going through the same process as you.

...and is it possible to see the videos? That would be great.