talkmagic.co.uk

Ok just after an opinion on this.

I've got a trick (see my Invisible Plam (revisited) in file sharing for example) with two different reveals.

One is the traditional safe version which is tried and tested and works well.

The other is one that I've been playing with, it's much more visual but also much more risky in my opinion.

I've tried the new reveal once for an audience in the pub and got the best reaction I've ever had from the trick. But I still think it's a very risky one.

What do you guys do, take the safe option, or really try to impress but risk blowing the whole effect?

Are u saying thats its impossible to master the risky way at all? Or maybe trhough some more misdirection in the trick.

Depends on you, remember - magic is an art.

The risks are yours, but also the benefits.

But if I had the choice I would go safe, its not like their going to say 'Why didn't you use a riskier reveal', they won't know any better. Also if you do it wrong in front of real people you could lose confidence in your general ability.

You could always just keep practicing until its not a risky one anymore.

some good points there as always people!

My main reason for the riskier reveal is that it makes the effect much harder hitting.

I think I might vary it depending on the audience, I'll be able to get away with alot more with a half drunk audience in the pub than I could with a sober audience in another setting.

If it's a card trick, I won't perform it until I know exactly what I'm doing. If it's a risky mentalism effect that stands a real chance of failure, I'll do it if I feel confident. The difference is that if I screw up a card trick, it might expose the method, whereas a my mentalism effects have no "method" to expose.

i agree with Tomo, some of the suggestion stuff im working on at the moment, i have actually performed fairly recently...but i kinda liked the adrenalin rush of doing it all with no safety net...

but that's for the more "real" stuff...

as for cards (if I'm performing straight cardwork), i always aim to have things working so that its all on autopilot..so i can concentrate on the patter and misdirection alot more...

im certainly a huge fan of experimenting with skills and ideas - but i'd say (not that it counts for much ultimately) keep a little book by your side as you practice, any off shoots and ideas you have, jot them down...come back to them later when you've given your mind time to breathe a little...

i'd also recommend a little script for your routine(s), just so you can pin point areas where extra misdirection or cover will be needed...and again, after a few rehearsals, then you might find you can improvise more, and with more confidence too...

I always see how I feel during the effect. If I am halfway through aroutine which has more than one possible ending and I am on form then I will go for the more complicated one.
Sometimes risking failure has great benfits for both the spectator and the performer.
It also depends on how you feel about a trick going wrong in front of an audience. Personally I dont want it to happen but accept it, make a joke about it and move on.

Do the two different reveals have to be pre-established by you as a performer, or can you wait to get a feel for the audience, and choose the option that is best suited for your comfort level in the situation....?