beginners Archives

Use a Magicians Change Bag – A Secret for Mind Reading Beginners

Here’s a little secret for anyone starting out learning mind reading. A magicians change bag can be one of the best tools a mentalist can add to their working kit.

HANG ON.. For mentalists… Isn’t that something for kids shows?

If you already use a change bag, you will understand just how useful they can be for your show offering an easy and effective method for forcing, predictions and many more psychological tricks such as those performed by Derren Brown. If you don’t use one, or if you think your bag may need updating, then read on as I tip you off, to the best change bags on the market.

The traditional use:

1) Show the change bag empty. Then put an item inside, turn it inside out and the item has totally vanished!
2) Now, turn the bag inside out so you can show it empty, just before you reach into the change bag and the item re-appears!

Now for Mentalists…

1) Write a batch of numbers on bit’s of paper and throw them into the magicians change bag

2) Now fill the second section with bit’s of paper that all have the same number on them.
You now have a great self working force device. You spectator can examine the paper to see they are all different, yet when they reach in to choose one, they can only come out with the number YOU want them to pick.

I’m sure you can think of a million different way’s you can use this force in your routines.

Or this…

Have audience members write a word on a bit of paper and put them in the bag.

Invite another audience member to reach in and choose one of the contributions. (They can only choose the one you want them to select) You then go on to reveal a prediction that matches their selection.

The problem with change bags!

Lets face it, they look corny for mentalists. As they have been traditionally designed for kids magic shows, they tend to be finished in bright colours and scream PROP at the top of their voices.

The good news is that there is now a range that look professional and would fit in with the corporate context that many mentalists like to present their work in.

Bags that don’t look like a clown owns them:

There are a great many magicians change bags to choose from, and they really range in quality and price. We have picked a few of the best that tend to be chosen most by professional entertainers.

Recommended magicians change bag for mentalists

Do you use a change bag for mentalism? If so, please let us know about it and any tips you would like to share, in the comments section below.

Studying Close Up Magic – How Not To Fall Into The Trap

by Merchant of Magic 8 Comments

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 magician

noun

a person with magical powers.

a person who performs magic tricks for entertainment.

From Oxford Dictionaries

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:

Magic Tricks For Magicians Vs Magic Tricks For The Public

by Merchant of Magic 6 Comments

Are there really just two kinds of magic tricks that magic shops sell, magic tricks for magicians, and magic for everyone else?

If you perform magic tricks for your family and friends or other magicians, the type of tricks you choose can be quite different from those you should select to perform to the public. When you are choosing a new magic trick to work on, how do you know which type of trick it is?

Who is your real audience?

When you browse though a magic shop and read the descriptions, notice how easy it is to understand very quickly, exactly what happens in the trick. The trick should be able to be described in just one or two sentences:

A thought of playing card changes colour – The Brainwave Deck
A playing card is torn up and restores itself – Slide
A finger ring vanishes and appears on the magicians, car keys – Departure Ring Flight

If the plot of a particular trick cannot be described simply, it’s probably more suited to be performed for other magicians. The public wants direct quick ploys, especially for close-up magic conditions. The magic needs to be instantly understandable.

Don’t think about ‘how’

When choosing a magic trick, try not to think about the method of the trick initially. First think about what the ‘story’ of the trick is for the spectators. Ask yourself if this ‘story’ or as it’s often called in the magic community, it’s ‘effect’ would fit with your style, be amazing, and more importantly be entertaining. A magic trick can have an incredibly clever method. One that other magicians will be really impressed to see. The ‘method’ is stunning, but the ‘effect’ is dull to laypeople, its plot is not direct and simple. Choose the magic tricks you want to spend your precious practice time on carefully, taking into account who your audience will be.

Avoid these magic tricks for magicians

If you want to make your magic more commercial and entertaining, avoid the following:

Magic tricks that have overly complicated plots.
Magic tricks that require the spectators to remember more than one thing at a time.
Tricks that force the audience to pay close attention though several stages of the plot.

Save those types of tricks for your ‘magic friends’. Complicated tricks are not ‘bad’ in and of themselves, but it’s important to choose the right type of trick for the people who will be watching it.

The Merchant of Magic produces free guides, magic ebooks and videos giving advice to improve your magic. Our free newsletters can help you become a better magician and our team can suggest tricks that would suit your performing style and practice goals.