Professional Documents
Culture Documents
For Various Reasons
For Various Reasons
For Various Reasons
Why else should you deserve applause? If you are not using your
muscles, someone else,
perhaps the tricks creator, deserves that approbation more than you.
Is magic an art?
Just participating means nothing How much are you
contributing?. If you become an artist, with all the hard work,
integrity and responsibility that entails art will be a part of what
you do.
Whats the best way to practice?
Focus. Eliminate distractions. Dont be satisfied with good enough
First, get it off the page. Memorizing the moves and the sequence is
the first step this is where most magicians stop!
As Al Baker said, Magicians stop thinking too soon
Different types of Practice
Thoughtful research, experiment, adjust
Technical.. repetition, to work in muscle memory.
if there are problems, you go back to thoughtful and find out why it is
not working, you are dropping the cards, or it doesnt look right
Alternate mechanical and thoughtful until you have a smooth,
workable method.
Rehearsal
Different from practice. Rehearsal should be like a live
performance . the same energy as a real show to memorize your
lines,
the sequence, and block out your actions
What is the effect?
If you cant explain the effect in a short phrase, its not a memorable
effect.
Rings link
Cards Rise, appear or change.
He did a lot of cool things is not an effect. If they cant talk about it
the next day, they wont remember it and your impact will be minimal.
Writing scripts
Even if you dont follow it word for word, you have a foundation for
what you will say. You can move parargraphs, change words, cut
words, and eliminate or substitute entire parargraphs. After you have
done it a dozen times or more, you are on your way. If you change it
incrementally over many shows, you will be surprised how much it
has changed over time sometimes not even close to your written
script. but this will get you started.
Mentors/Teachers/Inspiration
Respect past masters . if you just think magic starts and ends with
youtube and the latest magic product, your are doomed to mediocrity.
Dont just have one person that you listen to. its great to have a
guide, but take in good ideas any where you find them.. and toss
out what doesnt make sense.
Studying magic
Much different than just buying things. Learn from past masters, but
then exercise your own creativity. How can you fix weaknesses?
Present it differently? Enhance the effect through streamlined
methods, understanding of showmanship, presentation and theater
skills.
Video or Books?
Video is fine, but only a small percentage of magic knowledge is
available on video. And it does not force you to think any differently.
You will most likely do it exactly as the person in the video, with the
same method, gestures, jokes.
Books give you basic concepts where you can read between the
lines, and interpret things to come up with something new.
But not just originality for originalitys sake. it must solve a problem
or make it more practical or a better effect. Just changing a move or
the color of the cards does not bring anything truly new to the idea.
Notebook
Keep notes on your ideas.. variations on what you work on,
changing and adding over time inspirations, inside and outside of
magic
Working Repertoire
OK to work on lots of things, but come back to a core of strong
effects over time these would become your go to routines.
Effective and practical under most circumstance. If you keep
trying to improve, even these routines you have done for years, they
will become like gold to you. You can always rely on them and when
you do them, you are always seen at your best.
Experience and refinement
Learn from your mistakes make adjustments.. try again.
repeat.
Good technique is a series of incremental adjustments, eventually
resulting in a consistent outcome.
Simplify
Beginners always know the easy way, they never know the simple
way. Simplify means taking out anything that detracts.. awkward
moves, susupicious moments. making things practical and not
something that just works most of the time.. Simple does not
mean easy it is a distillation to an essence. Exactly was is
required, no more, no less.
Many simple things take great skill to eliminate tedious procedure and
superfluous action.
Character
If you dont decide what you want to project to people, you are leaving
it to chance. If you are not a funny guy, settle for being of good humor
and a likeable guy. nothing is more uncomfortable than someone
trying to hard to be funny.. or someone trying to be dashing and
romantic, when they dont fit the role.
Have daily, weekly, monthly, long term goals.
If you practice 5 days a week, for 30 minutes a day, totally focused
without distraction.. you wont be a great magician, but you will be
miles ahead of most. If you raise that to a couple hours a day. in
just a few years, you could be one of the greats.
Choose material according to what people like, not just a clever
principle, prop or gimmick that you like.
Real World vs. Contests
Goal of a contest should be self improvement, with a deadline and
goal. If your only goal is to win, you might lose. Otherwise, you have
advanced and have an act you can use in the real world.
Be careful learning from YouTube
Not everyone knows what they are talking about. Even if you think
they do.
Reading Required
From The Book of Secrets
If you are only learning from videos, you are leaving out an important
component in your magical progress: your own interpretation. Videos
teach us to imitate, not just technique, but the style and manner of the
performer you are watching; his timing, his sense of humor, his
gestures. To remedy this, I enthusiastically recommend books as
your major information source, with much to be learned between the
lines.
In listing the following books, I have included a potpourri of titles and
subjects. I feel that it not only makes for a more complete conjuror,
but also stretches ones possibilities. It keeps the love for magic in a
perpetual romantic stage, preserving our interest long after the
bloom is off the rose.
It is impossible to know it all, and when you believe that you do, you
are no longer capable of further learning and growth. A general
understanding of dove magic will help you with your coin magic, and
a familiarity with illusion design and principles will assist you in
creating smaller gimmicks and props.
As Edwin Sachs suggests, one is not ready for stage magic until a
general mastery of small magic is attained. The skills learned
working for a few people at a time provide an indispensable
magazine have been condensed into one of the finest books on stage
magic ever written The Conjuring Anthology.]
It is no secret that I consider Al Baker one of the greatest minds
magic has ever produced. His Magical Ways and Means and Pet
Secrets are indispensable to the serious student of magic. Period. If
you can manage to find them, he also published Al Bakers Book
One, and Book Two, two small paperback booklets that contain a
wealth of clever, practical material. [All Al Baker material has been
recently compiled in one fantastic, must-have volume, The Secret
Ways of Al Baker.]
If you want to understand misdirection and timing, there are no
greater authorities than John Ramsay and Tony Slydini. Ramsays
student, Andrew Galloway, has written The Ramsay Legend, The
Ramsay Classics, and The Ramsay Finale. In these superb books,
many of the arts most subtle secrets are revealed along with some
devilishly clever magic. Lewis Gansons The Magic of Slydini and
Leon Nathansons Slydini Encores, two very important books in my
early development. Slydini was certainly a master of misdirection, but
the greatest lessons he teaches are those regarding timing and
choreographed movement.
Every magicians library should have reference books covering a
wide range of subjects. The classic Modern Magic by Professor
Hoffmann, along with the sequels More Magic and Later Magic, are
some of the most exhaustive studies of the magical art. Everything
from mechanical principles, prop construction, sleight of hand, and
presentation are covered in these indispensable volumes.
visual magic and thoughtful essays. Wonder does not demand that
we agree with his theories, instead he inspires us to think for
ourselves, using our own experience, ideas and hard work to elevate
the art though our participation.
This list is by no means complete, but should serve the reader in
good steed. Use these books for reference, guidance, and
inspiration. Through your appreciation and respect alone, significant
improvements will begin to show in your magic. Knowledge is indeed
power, the power to manifest your ultimate potential.