talkmagic.co.uk

Hi guys,

Just wondering...

I am assuming you all have normal jobs - I doubt most of us are full time pro magicians / entertainers.

When do you perform? Do you get alot of buisness?

Yo,
Magic is my only job, but i am a full-time student at University, so i only do a few hours in restaurants, and the occasional show. I got a show at the church in February, which i'll be doing for free - but it's good experience. I don't earn loads from my magic, about the same as my friends do, but they do 20 hours plus, i do a lot less - it's good because i have time for practical write-ups and reading, and i earn money to keep me going through uni (for essential books and drink...etc)

Magic Tom wrote:

I am assuming you all have normal jobs - I doubt most of us are full time pro magicians / entertainers.

Ask a pro magician and he'll think that his job is normal and ours isn't He may have a point After all, what is normal?

Agree. I meant that being a full time "magician" is kind of a dream job. Well i always thought of it like that. lol

being full time magician can be dull and tedious just like any other job, most pros will do the same routine with the same props night after night, year in year out and it can be very difficult to keep it fresh looking to the audience.
as an example take your favourate trick and for one day perform it every hour and by the end if the day if you can still smile about it and don't want to chuck it in the bin then you have the right temprament to be a full time performer.

ok thats the negatives, now the positives.
you get to meet new people every day and learn from felow performers, your routines become second nature and almost take on a life of there own.
free food and drink, thats a real important one.
your your own boss, i love sacking myself for not putting in the practise and giving myself a raise for practising.
the joy in a kids face when that b''###ing sponge ball multiplies in there hand for the hundreth time this week.
the ladies phone numbers .
the agast, ive just been conned look on the blokes faces when you acurately predict the card he just pointed to, looked at the shuffled back into the pack (boris wild system) .
and especialy the "i want to have your love child look" on the ladies face when that dammed copper coin vanishes from there hand and reapers inside a sealed envelope, scotch and soda.
not forgetting the signature trick the haunted key

Umm...I can see how tedius it must get but what on earth do they do during the day. Surely they must get a few days a year when they aint got a show.

Can you be well off by being a full time magician if you arent famous.??? I dont think so but....?

If they are not famous and earning loads of money, I suspect that every day off is another day spent trying to find more work to pay the bills and have money left over for other luxuries.

It's simple economics - no work no wage and as you;re self employed, it's up to you to ensure that you don't have too many unpaid days off.

magicdiscoman wrote:and especialy the "i want to have your love child look" on the ladies face when that dammed copper coin vanishes from there hand and reapers inside a sealed envelope, scotch and soda.

GAH! i lost my gimmick for scotch and soda, i lost the other coin first, and replaced that then I LOST the gimmick

no more babies for me

wonder if i could get a gig if im only 15....
extra money flow (or just plain money flow) is always a good thing

zero000 are you really only 15??

I always thought you were older than that?

MagicTom wrote:zero000 are you really only 15??

I always thought you were older than that?

nope, im 15

full time student here!
all my performnces in pubs and clubs (sometimes in an attempt to get free drinks) or and friends parties! so soon as someone hears i can do magic or juggle i can't get away from the requests, gets annoying sometime

Zero000 - hehehe Kwl! I'd love to chat on msn sometime if you got it.

Larry - It seems that alot of sudent magicians do quite well. I must remember that when i get there. Hope your magic goes / is goin well.

yes, being a magician while being a student has several advantages.
if i carry a deck of cards all the time i can always entertain myself and those around me. it gets me lots of free drinks, either through "that's cool, let me buy you a drink" or through games of 3 card monte.
gives me stuff to do in clubs (that\ll be d;lites, split fan productions soon went out the window in clubs).

Wow! I must make sure that i have some decent tricks to prepare.

The prob is i am mainly a ventriloquist - I doubt anyone sits in the bar wit a vent figure -

However i do do magic and will make sure i have some decent stuff to show.

I love mouth coils - am gonna dio this in Mcdonalds one day!

defo!

I always carry a pack of cards and a small close up trick in my pocket. I am Y11 at skool - hopin to go 6th form next year. I have attracted quite a few ppl now on bus, around tables etc Its great fun!!!

I looked into going full time a few years ago and had some in-depth chats with pro magi about their earnings. Most said 'don't give up your day job'.

I reckon the average pro in the London area earns £25k to £30k per annum.

Of course Paul Daniels is a millionaire but then he's the exception, and a friend of mine earns c £90k per year but he supplements magic with other things (training, property etc.) and does magic on TV abroad quite a bit (he also speaks 2 languages fluently).

Not enough money for me I'm afraid which is why you get a lot of people turning pro when they retire and have a pension to supplement them.

PS. MagicTom - Looking at one of your other posts we have probably met at the FCMUK ?