talkmagic.co.uk

I wonder who it is we all really do magic/mentalism for?

Do we entertain ourselves? Unsuspecting laymen? Family and friends? Other magicians? Arranged audiences?

I suppose a hybrid will be many peoples HONEST answer.

I have been thinking about this a lot and wondering about C.U.P.S. and my ebbing and flowing obsession with what's new and unique.

I wonder what the top professionals look at and use. The old techniques with a new personal spin or the latest gadget?

I have been dealing with some professional magicians recently and although most are reasonably aware of what is out there few seem to grab up the latest "must have" with the same gusto as many of the forum participants (myself included).

Personally, I tend to entertain myself in terms of loving to find out about the technical aspect of magical gadgetry, innovation and techniques. If I am honest I am an "armchair magician", a technical boffin and an inventor. Most of my performances are for friends who suspect every move I make...a tough audience indeed...basically impossible to gauge the effect and my own performance, as rare as that ever is!

I think the most cynical (and I suspect honest) view is that so many of us want the trick or effect that will fool other magicians. One only has to read the rantings of the initiated in other magic forums. The latest tricks are torn apart before they hit the shelves, we all want to know EXACTLY how it works... We look to the latest product that will have our fellows wondering how it was technically done...we preach to the choir...dangerous territory indeed.

Surely convincing, charismatic and engaging performance is the winning formula?

Are we obsessed with the "holy grail"? The killer effect? The one that "fools other magicians" (as the ads soooo often say)?

Maybe what we really want if we are brutally sincere...is for magic to be real.

What do you think?

Who was it that said that Classics are Classics for a good reason?

The more I learn about this wonderful art form of ours, the more I realise the truth of that statement.

Ambitious card, Out of This World, Triumph, even Poker Player's Picnic.
These routines, although tedious and boring to the magical fraternity, absolutely fry real audiences.

And the latest gadgets and gimmicks rarely can compete.
Sure, they might impress the guys down the magic club - nothing wrong with that.
But with real life audiences you can make a career with Royal Road, Bobo and Corinda.

In any case, the new stuff is just the old stuff repackaged (and more expensive).

speaking as a pro tom i can say that we tend to stick to tried and tested stuff, in my case the humble change bag, sliding die box and cut and restored rope.
though we might dabble in a new effect most of the time we will lean towards an adaptation of a known principle like the cut and restored skipping rope, we want stuff we know is audience tested after all its our bread and butter thats at stake.

that said we are always on the look out for that killer effect that will make us stand out from the crowd.

Surely convincing, charismatic and engaging performance is the winning formula?

as you say tom this is realy the holly grail statement for a working pro not the trick.

take david copperfield as the best example, he uses tried and tested formulas and props adds the right stageing and the result is as close to real magic as we are ever likely to get.
unfortunately thease days we have virtual reality were pigs realy can fly and the younger audience expects so much that it may be imposible in the future to please an audience with natural magic so it might be the time for the techno mage to make an apearance.

if a real magic master were to make an apearence how would we know with the teclologies and techniques avalable today.

Well for myself though I agree that most on the various boards seek the magician stunner tricks, I've never really performed for magicians and never been interested in doing so.

My audience are real people in the real world and as such I tend to go for classics or variations of. More than most I also go for self workers as I love to give full attention on presentation. For instance my latest favourite is Double Deception, which is visually stunning. Basically the effect is for the specs to see a coin melt right through a large silk. Completely blows them away.

I really don't care what magic I use and will use anything that works and if that means paddles then paddles I'll use. As said above ootw can play very strongly and fits with my prefered style of mentalism. Though it can be a bit long for a table hopping situation and I'm more likely to do something like Twisted Sister.

Ultimately I think the answers lie in the purpose of magic for you as a performer.

Doc Eason said something very profound at Blackpool:

"What the audience remembers is not the tricks: it's the emotional reaction they have to your magic".

Very true, and very hurtful to the magicians ego.
Who would have thought that an invisible pass would be so insignificant?
And all that money spent on expensive props?
And the one perfect routine that floors lay audience and magicians alike?

Incredible to think that these are nothing more than means to an end.
Quickly forgotten.

What they will remember is that they were gobsmacked, or couldn't stop laughing, or crying, or felt a little afraid, etc.

They won't even remember the trick that made them feel that way.....

Incredible to think that these are nothing more than means to an end.

Exactly, magic is just a vehicle. The goal is entertainment and while the effect is important it's not nearly as important as the presentation. That is why Paul Daniels recommends a drama group as a priority above a magic group.

The very fact that David Blaine is held in such low regard by many magicians proves in my opinion the wrong thinking. Whatever you want to say about DB he is very entertaining to the average lay person. He does nothing that will fry a magician, he is not even funny, yet he certainly captured the imagination of the general public with his magic on the street. If you can't understand why he is so popular with the public then I'd suggest you are missing something important.

Blaine also had a great production team who focussed, not on the tricks Blaine was doing, but on the reactions from the public.

Another lesson to learn.

I think actually the effect was focused on, but without exception any reaction was milked. L&L use the same method. They know that if you have a reactive audience or even a few members of the audience it is contageous and everyone joins in on the "fun" equally a heckler not dealt with effectively can ruin the mood.

Any restaurant worker knows the value of gaining good reactions and the anticipation this generates for the other tables.

Who was it that said that Classics are Classics for a good reason?

John Lenahan has this on a post-it note over his desk.

I dont think we should be asking ourselves who we are entertaining but rather, do we enjoy doing it?
Who cares if you use old tricks or new, they work dont they?
Who cares if you are a magician's magician or someone who does it for a hobby, you love to do it dont you?

You need to ask yourself, "WHY DO I DO THIS?"
Is it for Fame and Fortune? If so, get out of magic because unless you are very lucky, you are mistaken with your judgement.
Is it to make others beleive that you truly have Magical Powers? Once again you should not do magic then, You will have a hard fall soon if you do. (Unless you are lucky)
Do you have a passion for it? Does it make your day to perform and entertain others? Do you feel like you dont have a choice? Has Magic taken over? If so, then no matter what type of Magic you perform, how well you perform it or where and when you perform it, you should remain a magician as this is what makes it truly worthwhile performing.

Regards
Wolflock

I've just finished reading Absolute Magic by Derren Brown. You might want to get yourself a copy, Wolflock. You might just change your mind about that post. I'm not saying you're wrong, just pointing you in the direction of somewhere absolutely fascinating...

All I know is:

1. That women dig magic
2. Magic is fun
3. Learning a process and performing it flawless is very satisfying.
4. If not happy,...go spin plates.

....Mystery is a big part of life, just like a scary movie. You know there really arent Werewolves who foam at the mouth, but you are still happily frightened. Why do we like this?...it's all about our human instinct for the unsolved, the mysterious, the unexplainable.

Can you imagine how hailed and feared that first caveman was who discovered fire?....Forget the rocks under the shells trick,...this dude had FIRE!

I guess if I'm way off based here.....I can leave.

Amazement is priceless!

I agree with Saxmad, a dose of Absolute Magic from Mr. Derren Brown would cast a new light on ones personal motivation for magical/mentalism performance for many people...myself included.

A deep look into ourselves with the blinding torch of BRUTAL honesty is frightening, so...

...I suggest getting some new batterys and having a good stare!

Tom Lauten wrote:I agree with Saxmad

...ahem.

I agree entirely with you Tom. In the last two weeks I have read Derren Brown's 'Absolute Magic' and 'Magic and Showmanship' by Henning Nelms.

Reading both these books has re-opened my eyes to the idea of performing magic. I have vowed not to buy any more tricks for a couple months... there's no need to when, with the right amount of thought and planning, an individual 'trick' can accomplish SO MANY different magical experiences for the spectator, be they family, friends, partner, pet or stranger.

Yes, you can entertain yourself, but the thought of supplying a truely gob-smacking, astonishing magical experience to a spectator is just too big an opportunity to miss out on.

LET'S START THE REVOLUTION!

Therein lies another moral...

Instead of grabbing for the newest gimmick, latest fad, tarted up "new" trick, I think it is wise to invest in a book.

Knowledge contained within books comes from years of working experience. It is from such sources that we can all better ourselves as people, magicians, performers and entertainers.