talkmagic.co.uk

What the guys have said is so true, the only way that you can really see what you need to do to make things work better is to get out and perform. You never really know how an audience is going to react until you start performing. I've had effects that I've spent months working on fall totally flat but something that I've thrown together in 5 minutes go down really well.

Watching others is a great way to learn but nothing comes close to doing it yourself.

IAIN wrote:i also believe that there comes a point where you need to stop with the theory side of mentalism, and start getting a feel for the performance side of it...

it is a good thing to watch others, but they are not "you" - you'll handle things differently to osterlind, maven, brown...and each of those people handle things differently from one another too...

you can overload yourself with theory at times, and just become obsessed with it - you need the performance side of it to add the flesh to the bones so to speak...

and just take the plunge and learn how to be "you"...

I have to echo what Iain has said here, in order to learn how to swim you have to jump in with both feet on the deep end of the pool and, as the commercials say "Just Do It!"

Learning the nuances and subtleties comes with experience. Once you've studied how others present things, you should have sufficient vision in your own head as to how to approach a given effect BUT, you have to pay attention to your own style and as some have encouraged, challenge yourself to make it appear as if a real psychic were doing it (or whatever claim you're running with) -- WHAT WOULD JOHN EDWARD DO? so to speak. After all he is the single most pure and successful Psychic Entertainer in our world today, bar none! I don't care if you like him or loathe the mode of approach when it comes to what he does or represents, you can't deny his success and the business world strategies he exploits when it comes to selling his shows and what he does.

If you want to see "pure" mentalism then consider how this guy (and others) can do nothing but a Question & Answer act (without billets & clip boards/pre-show) for two hours at a time and nothing else... no blindfolds, no book tests, none of the bending c*** (not the best) or other things MAGICIANS think they need in order to deliver solid mentalism.

I'm not saying that the Q&A is the "only" path to follow or even the only "pure" manifestation of what Mentalism is (even though most of the gurus in the industry will tell you that it is the epitome of our craft), you will find others that have specialized and perfected other sides of the art, such as Harry Loraine and his amazing Memory presentations and even Geller with his bending, bi-location and rather elementary drawing duplication work.

When I tell people to study the real psychics I'm not necessarily referring to the John Eward/Sylvia Browne types but rather, the lesser known characters that do everything from Chi demonstrations to New Age Healing techniques... learn their language and approach as well as the one thing we tend to miss as ego-driven showmen... how less is more! How even the slightest movement of something is seen as amazing, startling and far more impressive than making an item shoot across a table or dance a ballet in your palm -- Less is More!

Pardon the "lecture" but this is "the point" so many miss... even those of us that have been around a while; we can still make excuses about getting everything in place before moving forward when in truth, we probably have more than enough to at least "start" the process. There really is a point when we've been thinking far too much and get in our own way

Thank you all for all the wisdom.

I've read enough to know mimic is not the answer. I'm not watching these guys to replicate their "Style" as it were. I am simply watching it to see what someone who has the skillset can do effectively.

I also thanks to some prodding in another post I made have begun to just attempt things when in an appropriate setting.

I have NO problems with my style this may be weird for a newbie but I did stand up, Theater, Musicals, etc. I am a performer at heart and that is the one thing I'm feeling comfortable in. The patter the delivery and the misdirection are fluid. Granted if I don't know the physicality of my move I still look wooded but that's just blocking and muscle memory.

I liked the idea of "thinking like a mentalist" I for the first time was trying to fall asleep and started to put together my first "routine" as it were.

There are some mechanics and some subtleties that I just want to see to give me a good idea of where to head in my own style.

I'm already getting the, "Holy cow how did you do that its amazing." from the people I try what little I know on. I suppose I'm thinking right now that its ALL to easy and as a result I'm missing nuance.

You people are too good to us bumbling blind fools

thanks everyone,

--Infy

Infinite wrote:Thank you all for all the wisdom.

I've read enough to know mimic is not the answer. I'm not watching these guys to replicate their "Style" as it were. I am simply watching it to see what someone who has the skillset can do effectively.

You people are too good to us bumbling blind fools

thanks everyone,

--Infy

I've learned quite a bit from this thread too and agree with Infy. Thanks for sharing.

Mr_Grue wrote:I'll second the Maven endorsement. It's a little pricey, but if you can get hold of Nothing, then do - Maven's instruction is as much about handling spectators as it is about technique, and he does not have the easiest ride when it comes to the performance.

I'll agree with that. Apart from the effects -- which are good, and many of them easy -- he gives loads of detailed explanation about how the performance is managed and problems dealt with (and opportunities seized) on the fly, how and why he selects certain spectators for certain tasks, and how the show is planned and handled as a coherent whole.