talkmagic.co.uk

Hi.

So the show is finally done. I updated the feedback on my blog. Please comment here on the forum.

http://vernesto.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-first-show.html

Congratulations on getting your first show under your belt.

I actually recoiled when I read the words "I never resided my script out loud, because I thought I would just remember what I wrote.". I'm glad you never ran out of things to say, but rehearsing the whole show, script, tricks movement and all, is as important as getting the tricks right too. Doing that will also help you figure out the angles so you avoid flashing things to the spectators.

I see you've figured out that point already though - lesson learned.

It sounds like it was a pretty positive gig, all said, so if you can take the bits that worked and learn from the bits that didn't you'll be well on your way to a sellable show.

Maybe you should see if you can get a copy of the MiniDV cam footage so you can dissect the whole performance and see what you could do better. Just be prepared for a shock - the first few times you see yourself performing anything on video can be unsettling.

Again - congratulations on show number 1, good luck getting and performing number 2!

You mentioned the one person who figured out the effects. Did you ever ask her if she enjoyed the show, even knowing how it was all done? Because her enjoyment of the show is very important.

My conversation or email with this person would not be to ask her to keep the secret, it would be to get help. I would explain that this is my first performance and it seems that you got a good grasp of what I was doing. I would ask her exactly what she saw in order to correct it for the next time. In short I would be asking for her help, in turn that would get her on my side and in that she would probably keep her mouth closed to others and who knows? Perhaps learn and gain some valuable insight that you would not have received otherwise.

I would get a copy of that dvd but be warned if your ego is fragile. You will probably want to hide under the covers when you see your own performance. I'm not saying it was bad, (how would I know I wasn't there) in fact judging from the responses you got I would say it was pretty darn good. But when we view ourselves on camera it is never the way we think we present ourselves. That takes some getting used too.

I would not worry about somebody watching the dvd over and over again. Frankly the lay audience doesn't care, once you are off the stage you are pretty much done. As for 'backward engineering"? Sorry to disapoint you but only a magician in the crowd, or somebody who really, and I mean really hates you would care enough to sit through the act again and again to figure it all out and then out you in front of everybody. And then they would just be making a fool of themselves.

bmat wrote:You mentioned the one person who figured out the effects. Did you ever ask her if she enjoyed the show, even knowing how it was all done? Because her enjoyment of the show is very important.

My conversation or email with this person would not be to ask her to keep the secret, it would be to get help. I would explain that this is my first performance and it seems that you got a good grasp of what I was doing. I would ask her exactly what she saw in order to correct it for the next time. In short I would be asking for her help, in turn that would get her on my side and in that she would probably keep her mouth closed to others and who knows? Perhaps learn and gain some valuable insight that you would not have received otherwise.

Excellent advice.

I would get a copy of that dvd but be warned if your ego is fragile. You will probably want to hide under the covers when you see your own performance. I'm not saying it was bad, (how would I know I wasn't there) in fact judging from the responses you got I would say it was pretty darn good. But when we view ourselves on camera it is never the way we think we present ourselves. That takes some getting used too.

Exactly what I was getting at. I'm also glad to see it's not just me that thinks that.

I would not worry about somebody watching the dvd over and over again. Frankly the lay audience doesn't care, once you are off the stage you are pretty much done. As for 'backward engineering"? Sorry to disapoint you but only a magician in the crowd, or somebody who really, and I mean really hates you would care enough to sit through the act again and again to figure it all out and then out you in front of everybody. And then they would just be making a fool of themselves.

Quite right. Since getting back into magic a few non-magicians have mentioned "the masked magician" and his exposure show... and none of them have had a single good thing to say about him. Most people don't actually *want* to know how tricks are done. They want to enjoy the show and the magic. Someone "exposing" you like that at work would more than likely be seen in a bad light by your colleagues for ruining their memory of the night. Don't worry about it.

Thanks for the feedback. I had another lady today mention to me that she is hearing positive reviews and she wasn't even at the venue. I have learned my lessons and I am going to try and get hold of that tape. Thanks for the encouragement.

Do any of you have advice on marketing myself?

Too soon to be thinking about paid gigs. Your spot went decent for what it was- an unpaid talent show type piece that was a small part of a bigger picture. Much, much more is expected of you once you ask for compensation.

Well done. And I agree with everything bmat wrote. I was going to write exactly the same and saw that someone had done the work for me.

To summarise:

Scripting - oh yes
Reverse-engineering - unimportant

Cheers,
T.

.robb. wrote:Too soon to be thinking about paid gigs. Your spot went decent for what it was- an unpaid talent show type piece that was a small part of a bigger picture. Much, much more is expected of you once you ask for compensation.

It was suppose to be a talent show, but then they changed it, making me the only entertainment. One of the managers did give me compensation even though I did not ask.

Well done on your first show! Sounds like it went a lot better than my first one! Hehe. One person figured out your effect? In my first show it was about five people, waaay too many. I made the mistake of seating them in the wrong way. So the ones on the sides actually saw more than they should have.

Keep practising and doing more unpaid shows until you are 100% confident. Good luck!

Ted wrote:Well done. And I agree with everything bmat wrote. I was going to write exactly the same and saw that someone had done the work for me.

To summarise:

Scripting - oh yes
Reverse-engineering - unimportant

Cheers,
T.

Next time you post first and save me some typing.

bmat wrote:

Ted wrote:Well done. And I agree with everything bmat wrote. I was going to write exactly the same and saw that someone had done the work for me.

To summarise:

Scripting - oh yes
Reverse-engineering - unimportant

Cheers,
T.

Next time you post first and save me some typing.

No problem