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I was wondering. I want to start doing magic to people at weddings, large parties, etc... is it okay if i dont have a planned routine but i just do whatever effects I feel like? I would only do this at a large gathering. could I do that and would it work well? Becuase i know that david blaine did this earlier in his career.

I would apriciate any input from anyone!

Magicman,

I ad-lib my magic all the time and never play to scripts. But I have been doing magic for nearly 20yrs and that works for me. Without knowing your experience its hard to say if it will work for you. If you feel comfortable at giving it a shot that way, do it. Then you will know if its the method suitable for you. If you aren't really sure, do and work to a script.

i know about 8-10 really good effects that i do almost perfectly. is that enough for this type?

Are you going from table to table? If so, 8 is fine. I would try to vary your tricks as much as possible and be polite. Most importantly, have fun. If magic isn't fun, it isn't magical. 8 tricks performed in a fun, professional manner is better than 100 performed by someone who has forgotten how to smile and when needed to laugh at themselves.

would i need to constantly go from table to table or do i wait inbetween? oh and how many tricks would be good for each table?

whats a good price to start with in a smaller town in the US?

A wise man once told me, better to do a show for free, than to undervalue yourself (Do it on the cheap - even if its for experience).

You will find that if you are good, especially in a small town, word will spread, and you will get bookings by word of mouth. Unfortunately, that "Special Price" you gave for the first few shows, will also be including in the reccomendation. This makes it very difficult to jump up to an actual working magicians fee.

Im not sure about the USA, as my roots are in England originally. I used to do weddings, and formal occasions on a tiered pricing structure, depending on time required. £150 for the initial hour, then a further £75 for each hour thereafter. However, this was about 5 or 6 years ago, and I fear that perhaps the popularity magic has received recently due to Blaine, Angel, Cyril and the like, may mean you have more competition. (This greatly depends on your location). This may mean you either have to price yourself into the competitive market (Ring some local magicians enquiring about a wedding you are having, and see what they quote), or justify a higher price, which in your early days may be tricky to do.

John Lenehan once came up with a good marketing system for himself in his early days. He used to find out when the owner of a restaurant would be having a day off, then he would turn up at the restaurant when the owner wasn't there. He would tell them he had been booked to perform some magic for an hour (He hadn't). He then proceeded to move around the tables, performing magic, wowing the crowd. As he finishes with a table, he thanks them politely, and asks that if they have enjoyed the magic that evening, if they could be so kind as to let the waiter know when paying, maybe he would be seen there again. He would do this at every table. He would then find out who was in charge, and he would give them his business card, and leave. This to me sounds like a good idea for you. You could practice in the real world, without having to worry about overcharging for a less polished act. You would thereby be polishing your act, AND most importantly, handing out cards to the diners where appropriate, and possibly gaining yourself some regular restaurant work. Winners all round.

Anyway, I hope this helps. If you need any more tips about working in this environment, please do let me know, as I have worked in all sorts of situations with my magic.

Thanks

Phil

magicman777 wrote:would I need to constantly go from table to table or do I wait inbetween? oh and how many tricks would be good for each table?

Sorry, I neglected to answer these questions.

It would very much depend on the environment as to if you had to constantly move around. In a restaurant for example, it is best to approach a table between courses (If the service time is long), at the coffee stage or just after they order. This may create natural breaks in your worktime.

If the reason you are asking is because you need reset time between tables, then this would really depend on your reset time. I try to have either instant reset effects, or be able to reset as I walk between groups/tables.

If you get booked to do an hour in a venue, you dont want to be seen taking regular breaks. You need to look busy the whole time if possible. Otherwise this might give a bad impression and lose future bookings from that client.

You also need to take into consideration your performance restrictions. Are your tricks angle sensitive? Do you NEED a table for any of the tricks, or can you work stood up face to face without the need of a table. These sorts of qustions should dictate what effects your carry with you to these events.

You mention earlier you have 7 or 8 really good effects. Could I ask what they are? This way I could perhaps give you some tips on how usable they are, and perhaps some further tips thereafter.

As to the number of tricks, it depends on time restrictions. If you have 20 tables to perform to within an hour, then you can only really have 3 minutes or less of material for each. However, if you are doing 2 hours of strolling magic at a medium sized wedding reception, you could maybe do a little longer. The general rule of thumb is to leave your audience wanting more, rather than outstaying your welcome.

Start Strong, End Stronger.

Hope this helps?

Thanks

http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic20337.php

Im fairly new to talkmagic, so only just realised the above was on here. Good reading, and valuable advice.

Thanks

Okay I posted a long post on simple tips that got me jobs. However I hate reading long posts so if you really want to know send me a private message. And if you don't, don't worry about it because it saves me from typing. To ans a few of your questions. I don't have a set routine because it depends on the reactions from my audience. However I do know where I'm going just not always sure of how I'll get there. I do have plenty of experience though. Don't worry about how many effects you have if you are table hopping. Just make sure you have a solid routine for the effect you are going to do and do the effect well, have fun, concentrate on the people at the table and all will be fine.

As everyone else has said, it depends on you. I tend to go with the flow a little bit when I'm working but I really feel much more comfortable if I approach a table with a full knowledghe of exactly what I'm about to do. That way your effects flow more smoothly and you can concentrate more on impromtu conversation and dealing with any questions or interruptions without having to also think about what you're gong to do next.

Just my tuppence.

Magicman777 asks, in part: ", , ,is it okay if I dont have a planned routine but I just do whatever effects I feel like?"

Sounds like you want our permission (or blessing) to screw up.

is it okay if I dont have a planned routine but I just do whatever effects I feel like? I would only do this at a large gathering. could I do that and would it work well?

We all have to make the break sometime but the decision is when. I have to say that in reading your post, it appears that you lack general magic experience and you may just not be ready to perform at this level.

Performing magic at a large gathering, whether a wedding or party is not about you. It's all about playing a part in someone elses big day - perhaps one of the biggest days in their lives. If you're not up to the job then walk away or you could find yourself in BIG trouble, particularly if you have charged money for performing.

You need several years of practice to hone your skills before you're anywhere near ready. If you've seriously reached this stage then I'm surprised that you're asking a question like this.

Someone with more experience will not be making comparrisons with David Blane and will know what works best between table hopping and strolling magic depending on the situation, and have a fairly good idea of what he / she will perform.

My personal opinion is that it's far better to have a set and practised routine. That way you know exactly what you're going to do, it's practised to the point where the routine, including the patter is pretty much automatic. That way when you come to perform, the magic works itself and you're in a much better position to concentrate on your performance and interaction with the specs.