Regarding hecklers:
http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/sutra96698.php#96698
http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/sutra5492.php#5492
http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/sutra71900.php#71900
http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/sutra37424.php#37424
The search function works a treat.
Can someone point me in the direction of a good product (preferably a DVD), that goes through the points of improving a presentation.
Bits and pieces. You'll find that advice for presentation is covered on most every DVD that you pick up, but it is given as a matter of course in the overall teaching of whatever it is that the DVD is about. A DVD that covers purely presentational points would probably be one of the most boring and useless DVDs in DVD history.
For such things, I would highly recommend books, which can be outlined, underlined and annotated. Specifically, books on theory are what you are looking for here...Things like "The Books of Wonder" (Minch & Wonder) and "Mastering the Art of Magic" (Burger).
Unfortunately, because DVDs are taking over the industry, books on theory are becoming more rare and the ones that are presently out there are on the endangered species list (meaning that as time goes by, they will go out of print and it will cost you an arm and a leg to purchase them second hand - proof being in the two Brown books which will cost you a small fortune to purchase). It would appear that in the magic industry, anymore, folks aren't interested in performing magic when they can flex their muscles showing the lay audience their cleverness and skill in fooling them.
Who cares about presentation and entertainment when they can show their family and friends just how clever they are? I mean, isn't there a certain amount of pride that is taken by making fools of your audience?
This, naturally, leads us to the heckler:
Hecklers are not born, they are created.
First, if someone is heckling you, then it is your own, damn, fault. If you have failed to fool them, then they've noticed something that you've done wrong ("I saw you turn over two cards"). Who can resist telling the moron that is trying to make a fool of you that you caught him in his own game? Using magic as a vehicle to prove your superiority does nothing but beg for hecklers to come forward. And, when they do, in fact, come forward, you have no one to blame but yourself for creating them, in this instance.
Second, someone who is asking for more information or trying to be a part of the scenario that you are creating is
NOT a heckler. They are a person who is trying to be a part of something that they find interesting and fun - something that you, yourself, have created. Normally, these people simply suffer from a lack of social graces and don't know when to keep their mouths shut. But, you are the one who thrust your magic upon them (unless, of course, they've paid a price for a ticket just to see you perform) and, again, you cannot blame them for the situation that you've created.
So, if your magic is entertaining and not confrontational, you've already taken the proper steps to quelling any kind of heckling situation that may arise. If, however, you do have that one, boistrous person who cannot stand to be outside of the center of attention, then why not make friends with them, rather than trying to put them down? Make them part of the show, have fun with them and you'll find that they will help you to entertain your audience.
Once you've set up a situation where you have a need to win though, then you've already lost.
This falls directly on your own, broad shoulders. If you practice your magic to the point where you cannot do it wrong, then you should have confidence. Please note the difference between "practicing until you get it right" and "practicing until you cannot get it wrong."
After that, confidence comes with getting in front of an audience. Keep in mind that without your audience you are nothing more than the lonely guy in the mirror. So, once you've got your trick down to a point where you simply cannot do it wrong, then you show it to friends and family, in order to gain your feet.
Then you are prepared to show it "cold" in front of an audience of people that you don't know. The more you do this, the more you get it right and the more confident you become. No DVD can teach you this - it is something that you must do. If you do this, then confidence will come with time.
Taking what is stated above, impressing your spectators comes as a matter of course. If you perform the trick flawlessly and with confidence, then your spectators will be impressed. The smoother that you are, the more impressed they become.
If, after performing the trick, you maintain a humble demeanor, they will be even more impressed. Conversely, if you have a big head and let them know just how great you are because you could fool them, then they will not be impressed, only begrudging. And, they will dislike you and, more than likely, never really care to see one of your little tricks ever again. Further, they will pick up a bad feeling for magic and magicians and you will have done a grave disservice to all of your magician bretheren.
- getting the spec to trust you
This is the easiest of all...Don't make fools of them, don't try to show your superiority, just entertain them. If you do that, then they will trust you. Simple as.
Body language is specific to what you are trying to do. With a deck of cards, there is little need for body language, except in certain, specific tricks (like card to shoe and so forth).
With coins, however, body language is as important as the sleights themselves.
However, to really study body language it is suggested that you become a student of human nature. Watch people. Learn in real time, rather than taking someone's word for it, whether in a book or on a DVD. You'll learn more from watching people out in the real world than you will from any studying in your home that you can do.
Become a student of human nature. Watch people in their natural environments...Watch them on the bus, in a crowd, in the mall, whilst talking to each other - watch ever facet of human interaction that you can find. This will teach you.
- the psychological aspect of magic
There are plenty of books on the market that cover psychology. If you are uncomfortable reading, well, get over it. Teach yourself to use books in the same way that you use DVDs. Really, like anything else, it is a matter of practice. The more you read, the more you'll get out of reading.
Also, learn to read between the lines. In books on magic, you'll find so much wisdom that is not specifically stated in the written words that the imagination fails to grasp it all. Little things, like, "It is the boldness of procedure that is so disarming," (Bobo) are pure gold...You just need to learn to find this gold and that is a matter of practice (same as everything else). So, the greatest advice that I can give you is: Learn to read.
It would be great if the product focused on cardmagic.
Magic is magic is magic is magic. Whether cards, coins, silks, doves or any other genre, it is generally all the same. Learn to find useful bits of information from any given aspect of magic and apply it to whatever it is that you're doing.
I hope this was of some help.
Mike.