How to do Magic Tricks

Advice and Support for Magicians

How To Stop People Spoiling the Ending of a Magic Trick

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Spoil the ending of a magic trick‘J’ contacted us about a problem he is having with his magic: Showing magic tricks to friends of his friends.

Sometimes his friends have seen him perform a magic trick and they want him to show their friends as well.  The problem J faces, is that they have already discussed it with their friends beforehand, and hyped it up, as well as giving away the ‘surprise’ ending to the trick. The result of this is that J finds his second performance does not have as good an impact as his first.

‘They spread the word to their friends, but somehow their friends will end-up sort of disappointed (what I felt from them) and comment “Your hands are really fast” instead of OMG! Or any other surprising reaction. How can I change my patter in order to get the reaction like I got the first time?’

Ben Williams: This can be a common problem when performing for many people that know each other. One technique I use at weddings and other similar gigs is that I will say, after I have finished, something like this:

‘By all means if you would like to tell people about the miracles you have just witnessed please do not tell them exactly what happened as it is kind of like telling the punchline before I get to deliver the joke. If you want, you can say I did something crazy with your ring or with the cards, but try not to detail what it was and just tell them they must see me!’

This way people understand not to ruin the surprise for people who have not yet had the chance to see my magic. I would also like to point out that when I speak of miracles I do it very tongue in cheek and not in an arrogant way at all.

Also, you must try to perform your magic as slowly as possible, if they are telling you have really quick hands it may be that you are moving too fast, or it may even be just that you are not cancelling that theory out. When I perform Ring Flight I do it as slowly and deliberately as possible and I tell them I have not moved my hands quickly and also I get them to agree, this heightens the impossibility of the routine quite dramatically.

These are a couple of quick tips that I use when I perform. I hope it helps you out in your situation.

QUESTION TO YOU: Do you have any further advice you can give J on this problem? How do you deal with having to repeat a trick when some of the spectators have already seen it? Let us know in the comments section below:

Photo courtesy of: Move The Cloud

Nervous Doing Magic Tricks? Do You Have Analysis Paralysis?

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Nervous doing magic tricks

By Dominic Reyes

Ah, yes, do come in. Close the door behind you and take a seat.

Now, your test results are back from the lab, and I’m afraid I have some rather bad news for you. I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you, but the results show you are suffering from Analysis Paralysis…’

Question: Do you have any close up magic tricks you constantly practice, but never show anyone? If you perform regularly, do you take a few tricks to most gigs but never perform them?
Here’s a short fable from Aesop:

The fox and the cat.

One day a cat and a fox were having a conversation. The fox, who was a conceited creature, boasted how clever she was. ‘Why, I know at least a hundred tricks to get away from our mutual enemies, the dogs,’ she said.

‘I know only one trick to get away from dogs,’ said the cat. ‘You should teach me some of yours!’

‘Well, maybe some day, when I have the time, I may teach you a few of the simpler ones,’ replied the fox airily.

Just then they heard the barking of a pack of dogs in the distance. The barking grew louder and louder – the dogs were coming in their direction! At once,  the cat ran to the nearest tree and climbed into its branches, well out of reach of any dog. ‘This is the trick I told you about, the only one I know,’ she called down to the fox. ‘Which of your hundred tricks are you going to use?’

The fox sat silently under the tree, wondering which trick she should use. Before she could make up her mind, the dogs arrived. They fell upon the fox and tore her to pieces.

A single plan that works is better than a hundred doubtful plans. – Source

Just like the fox, many magicians find they have too many choices, and spend too long considering or analysing a routine or their performance before first trying it out. They are victims of a common problem called: Analysis Paralysis.

Analysis paralysis happens when we over-thinking a situation or problem. Spending too much time thinking about a trick, practicing and adjusting the trick or routine so that a decision to perform it is never made. The over thinking, in effect, paralyses the performer.

Because a magic routine can easily become over-complicated, with too many performance options, it’s easier to put it on hold, rather than try it out and change any parts of it, should a problem is found.

As we work to become better magicians, we are always striving for the ideal or “perfect” performance. It’s the fear of making any decision which could lead to a bad performance, when some unknown better solution or technique could be found.

Now, if you have explored more posts on this blog, you may well be thinking: ‘Hang on, many of Dominic’s posts urge me to keep practising and to slow down my learning to improve my sleight of hand. ‘ Yes, that’s true, and I still think most magicians would benefit from not rushing to perform a trick within a few days of receiving it. Analysis Paralysis isn’t about rushing to perform. It’s about finally making a decision that a trick is ready.

Chances are you have a few tricks that are already mastered and ready to go, but you keep working on them, practicing and tweaking the presentation in your practice sessions. In reality, they have been ready for months, but you haven’t ‘drawn a line’ and consciously labeled them as ready to go.

If you do have some tricks that are ‘on hold’ like this, unless you commit to trying them out, they will never be completed.

DO THIS: The next time you perform your magic, give one of these tricks a go. At the end of your normal set is usually the best time to try out a new trick. Once you have shown everyone your main tricks, you can relax and revisit groups of spectators that were particularly receptive to the magic. By this time, you have nothing more to prove. The trick’s presentation won’t be as good as it will be after your 100th performance, but it doesn’t need to be.

You are ‘breaking it in’ with a crowd who are already impressed with you, and on your side.

Every show that passes with that trick still in your close-up bag is an opportunity wasted. You know that you will kick yourself later on, when the trick has made it into your core act that you took so long to try it out.

How to Arrive at a Magic Gig – Dominic Reyes

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Here’s some useful advice about how to arrive at a magic gig professionally when you start a magic show:

‘I attended a lot of events over December arranged via agents. One of the things that surprised me was watching the other magicians arrive at the event. They dumped their bags into a corner and jump right into the crowd. At first I thought, this client must be a regular booking for them, but talking to them afterwards, it seems this was not the case. They simply felt that it was professional to show the client that they didn’t need any setting up and were being ‘professional’.

It’s my personal opinion that this is a BIG MISTAKE. I explain why in this short video.’ – Dominic Reyes

Prefer to read about it instead? Click here for a blog post about the core message for magicians in the video