I received a question today that gets asked quite often, so I thought I would answer it on this blog instead, so as to get your opinion too.The Question:
‘What do you think constitutes a true magician? Using 100% gimmicks 100% of the time, is something that feels a bit disingenuous when calling myself a magician. What do you feel is the perfect balance between real sleight of hand and gimmicks when performing close-up magic?’
Well, my answer tends to be that I don’t think it matters AT ALL. The method really isn’t important and focusing attention and time on it is actually one of the traps that stop people learning to become a magician.
ASK YOURSELF THIS:
Do you want to be studying close up magic or to become a magician?
The two options are actually quite different, but their paths both lead through the doors of a magic shop, so people can often end up switching to the wrong path along the way.
Magicians are made one trick at a time. I recommend you choose a magic trick because it looks amazing and because you feel it would suit you. Then learn it and study any sleights needed to perform it perfectly. If it uses only gimmicks great. If it uses hardcore sleight of hand that’s great too. The world’s top magicians only care about how amazing and entertaining their magic trick looks, not the method. If fact, they work hard to find a method that is as easy and direct as possible.
Knowing lots of sleights and techniques doesn’t make you a magician, it makes you an encyclopedia.
What makes a surgeon? Would you call a surgeon a fraud for using the latest medical equipment? Should he or she insist on only using a scalpel and a piece of wood for the patient to bite down on? No, quite the opposite. I want my hospital to use every piece of the latest equipment possible to get the job done as well as possible. The surgeon’s job is to fix people. Your job as a magician is to amaze and entertain people. It’s the end result that defines the job title.
What magical powers would you like to have?
Definition of magiciannoun
-
a person with magical powers.a person who performs magic tricks for entertainment.
I couldn’t find any reference to a person that knows lots of magic techniques and moves in the definition anywhere. Only someone with magical powers and someone who entertains with them.
Instead of collecting moves and sleights in an endless cycle of studying close up magic in general, decide what magical powers you would like to have. Do you want to be able to fly? Would you like to be able to read peoples minds? How about being able to move objects just by wishing it? Go ahead and choose your powers, then search for magic tricks that would show those powers to your audience in the most entertaining way possible. Once you have that, you can then learn the methods to allow you to perform just those tricks only. That’s one of the real secrets of magic.
I hope my answer helps
Dominic Reyes
Have I missed something? Do you disagree? Do you have any suggestions that would also help someone studying close up magic? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below:
WELL SAID DOMINIC. That is refreshing to read.
Personally, i am not a pro, i’m a hobbyist who loves magic. I carry all my tricks everywhere i can and amazing people screaming. I only use 4 sleights; double lift, erdnase change and false shuffling… almost everything else is gimmickry.
From time to time, on my travels, i run into a ‘pro magician’. I cannot believe, how many magicians out there calling themselves professional are arrogant, patronising and sanctimonious. I’M yet to meet another magician that actually uses gimmicks. INSTEAD, the all seem to be CARD PEOPLE, who just carry one deck around and can do 100 tricks. THEY DON’T IMPRESS ME… because, spectators know… IT’S ALL SLEIGHT OF HAND. Spectators recognise, that what these CARD WORKERS are doing, is a skill…..that looks magical, but can be explained by sleight of hand. MY TRICKS, might use gimmicks, like LITTLE HAND, Industrial Revelation, Flipper Coin etc, but spectators CANNOT use ‘sleight of hand’ as an explanation.
I see it everywhere… CARD guys with their one deck, doing 100000 tricks with their hands, looking down their nose at me for using an invisible deck…. BUT I GET 10 TIMES THE REACTIONS THEY DO!!!!
Stick your elmsley count up your %*&R…!!!!!! ;))))
19.36
I see the point your trying to make,but its too simplistic.Of course,we all know magicians like that,but not everyone is…and saying spectators know its sleight of hand..well,hello,welcome to the real world! if you are engaging,proficient,likeable,and obviously good at what you do,iv found most folks will just “go along for the ride” rather than just putting it down to sleight of hand,and ok,your using your gimmickjs to good effect,well,good for you.But I would wager most folks wont know the difference (or indeed care!) between gimmicks and sleights.In there eyes,you fooled em,you entertained em.Or,you were lousy,and you were boring.Or,you were somewhere in the middle! They wont say,Oh,you were good,but its all trick stuff!/all sleight of hand…they know this already,its a redundant comment,rather like saying the sky is blue.. Assuming you have routined your tricks and use ordinary,everyday objects that can be examined of course.Dont worry about other magicians,concentrate on being the best you can be and ul not go far wrong!
“Don’t worry about other magicians, concentrate on being the best you can be and ul not go far wrong!” is wisdom. The purpose of magic (IMHO) is to entertain and to bring something special, different or a distraction from the pains of real life to people who have entrusted their time and feelings over to you for a short spell (pun intended). Love what you do so much that it doesn’t matter what someone else says, after all they too have their opinions. Even the greatest magicians can attract criticism from self confessed experts. I introduce gaffs and gimmicks all the time, the trick is (ooops pun again) your audience shouldn’t be able to tell when it’s manipulation or gaff that has created the effect. Hand them out a coin, piece of rope or a signed playing card that isn’t gaffed after you have performed outstandingly can re-enforce your abilities as you slip a gaffed effect into your next trick. Is a thumb tip a gaff or cleaver manipulation? I would say both. I performed on Saturday night and did a simple double lift for three people at the same time and one of the audience was a seasoned lover of magic, and it blew his socks off. How’s that for simplistic manipulation? Ask yourself, do you know any well known magicians who you don’t particularly like. Thank’s for reading, I’ll stay anon because I don’t wish to alienate anyone.
I agree with “Anonymous” – mix your tricks up. Use a gaffed deck, then do some sleight of hand, then something that doesn’t use cards and so on. However. even with cards, there are other “types” of tricks that can be performed apart from those requiring gaffs, gimmicks or sleight of hand. For example, I do a card trick that requires a “punter” to remove one card from an ordinary deck that they can shuffle as much as they like. I give them the deck – or it is their deck – they shuffle the spots off it, then remove one card and hand me the remainder.
I now announce that “I will look through this deck twice and tell you what card you are holding”.
Fine. Anyone can do that given two hours. My record is 37 seconds. I can tell which card you have in 37 seconds. No gimmick, no gaff, no sleight of hand, genuine full pack, genuine punter shuffle.. Just 37 seconds – Oh! – No “informer”. No third party. No collusion.
Now that trick does not seem to fit into any of the categories being discussed.
I would call it “speed”. I can do it faster than 99.9% of people and so it looks like magic or some sort of memory trick. It isn’t. It is years of practice and I do mean years.
The effect is amazing. The audience see everything I do. Nothing is hidden. So add “Speed” as a category of card trick.
Mal
I’m learning. I know some stuff, forgot some stuff, bought some props and am relearning some things. Some techniques I never mastered and want to have a go again at them. My wife thinks its mid-life crisis but I truely enjoy entertaining grandchildren or young audiences and occasionally fool the parents too. I found myself doing Heinsteins Dream at a convenience store because someone wanted to sell me a box of cookies for a charity. I said ‘only if I can fool you with my magic trick’. Well I left them stunned and amazed and I bought two boxes. The mother of the kid was stunned as well. I had practiced it with grandkids with the wife watching on, fooled them and moved on. These tips boards are the greatest and I know I dont have to be David Copperfield to have fun.
Nice work Ed, good to see you are enjoying magic and best of all, getting out there and shaowing people!
The more you continue to learn, the more you will forget. Now’s the time to start a magic journal. Make notes about each time you perform and any things that went well, or didn’t turn out as expected. You can use apps on your phone to create a great journal. I use Evernote myself.
Dominic