Creating a Themed Magic Show

L Writes: I’m currently struggling with creating a themed magic show from the drawers full of magic stuff I’ve collected through the years (some of which I’ve never even opened!) I know the theme I want, but not sure I have the tricks I need to achieve my aim.

We’ve all been there… overwhelmed by the sheer number of magic tricks we’ve accumulated over the years. Those drawers filled with unopened gaffs, forgotten props, and half-developed effects can be both a blessing and a curse. Building a magic collection is fun, but if you are looking at the effects you have selected with no overall goal or direction while still creating a themed magic show. You may be struggling because you are trying to solve the problem the wrong way around.

Building your working material from what you have acquired over the years works OK for a general close-up magician, jumping from effect to effect with no overall theme or flow other than the pacing of the effects. But for a themed professional show, you need to do the following BEFORE you decide which effects you will use.

1. Define the Message of Your Story
The best magic acts tell a story. The first step in creating a themed magic show is to define the core message or story you want to convey.

Ask yourself:
* What do I want the spectators to feel or understand by the end of my performance?
* Is there a good lesson, emotion, or idea I want to leave them with?

The message serves as the backbone of a themed magic show. It could be a tale of victory over adversity, a journey of discovery, or a moral lesson… Whatever you choose, the message should be clear and compelling.

Example: If your theme is about the power of imagination, your message could well be, “Imagination can turn the impossible into reality.”

2. Set the Theme and Situation
Keep your message central as you create the theme and situation of your themed magic show. The theme is the core concept that pulls everything together while the situation sets the scene for your performance.

Consider:
* What world or setting does your story take place in?
* What atmosphere do you want to create?
* How does this setting support the message?

Your theme could be anything from a magical trip through a distant planet to a fantasy dream where technology comes to life. The magic should naturally occur due to the situation, making what happens a seamless extension of the narrative.

Example: If the theme of the magic show is imagination, the situation might be a magical land where the limits between reality and unreality fuse, with amazing events unfolding.

3. Identify the Protagonist
Next, we need to decide who the protagonist of your show is. In magic, the protagonist can be the magician, the spectator, or an external force that you interact with. Setting the protagonist will significantly impact how your effects are presented and viewed by the audience.

Think about this:
* Are you the one creating the magic, or is it happening to you?
* Are you a wizard in control of mystical powers or an ordinary person encountering magical events?

Understanding the role of the protagonist helps you make a consistent narrative when creating a themed magic show. If something incredible is happening to you, the tricks should feel surprising and a little bit out of your control. If you are the cause of the magic, the tricks should showcase your skill and magical prowess.

Example: In creating an imagination-themed magic show, you could be a daydreamer who discovers that they can shape the world with only their thoughts, making you both the magic’s creator and protagonist.

4. Develop the Story Arc
With the message, theme, and protagonist set, it’s time to craft the story arc. A well-made story arc keeps your spectators engaged and interested in your performance. Your act should have a clear beginning, a middle, and a climactic end:

* Beginning: Introduce the situation and the protagonist. Set the stage for the magic to happen.
* Middle: This is where the bulk of your tricks should happen. Build tension, introduce challenges or surprises, and show how the magician deals with them.
* End: Bring the story to a satisfying finish. Solve any conflicts, reveal the final twist, and reinforce the message of your themed magic show.

Example: In this example, the beginning might involve the magician discovering their newfound power to control things. The middle could have increasingly complex and amazing examples of magic. The end would show the magician mastering this power and finding the true potential of their imagination.

5. Select Effects That Build the Story
With a clear story arc, you can dig into those boxes of stored magic tricks and select the effects that best go with your narrative. Look for effects that:

* Align with your theme: The magic needs to naturally fit into the world you’ve made. Stay away from tricks that feel out of place.
* Support the message: Choose magic tricks that help tell the story’s message or move the plot forward.
* Enhance the magician’s journey: The magic should reflect the magician’s story, whether it’s their growing confidence, their struggle against the odds, or their ultimate triumph.

Remember, not every trick you own will suit this particular act, and that’s okay. Focus on quality over quantity—each effect should have a purpose in your story.

Example: Creating a themed magic show with an imagination theme, effects that involve visual transformations, impossible predictions, or objects coming to life would be ideal. For instance, a routine where a blank picture suddenly fills with colour could represent the magician’s power of imagination.

Creating a themed magic show is about more than just stringing together a series of effects you already own. It’s about crafting a cohesive experience that captivates and resonates with your audience.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, refine, and adapt your themed magic show as you go. The magic is in the details, and with a strong foundation, you’ll be well on your way to creating a magic show that entertains and tells a powerful story.

I hope this helps you.
Dominic Reyes

TINT by Arief Nugroho Magic Review – IS IT ANY GOOD?

by Merchant of Magic Leave a Comment

Here’s what the official TINT by Arief Nugroho product description says:

You show a deck of cards in its box – and then, all of a sudden the case changes colour – on both of it’s sides!

TINT allows you to do a colour change with your playing card box . It all happens with a quick, visual move.. No switching required! And, the card can be fully examined by your spectators.

Best of all… You only need a moment to set it up.TINT is super clean to perform, and works perfectly with your other card tricks.

TINT happens using a real, examinable playing card box.

Features:

– Clever TINT gimmick
– Resets in an instant.
– You use a real playing card box.
– All done with just a simple easy move.

So.. that’s what the manufacturer says, but IS IT ANY GOOD? Here’s a behind the curtain look at TINT by Arief Nugroho

Tint is available here

NEXT:

Collecting Playing Cards.. Why!?!

The 3 Questions to Ask When Choosing a New Magic Trick

3 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Magicians Props

by Dominic Reyes Leave a Comment

By Dominic Reyes

Have you noticed that many magicians perform magic tricks that don't make sense? Why would someone turn a red card box into a blue card box, push a coin inside a bottle, or produce a load of silks out of thin air?

Many props that magicians use, only exist because they are used by magicians. Strange fake flowers that appear out of nowhere or little red balls that multiply in the spectator's hands. More often than not, no explanation or justification is given for these strange objects existence other than as a tool for something odd to happen.

Magicians Props upstaging the magicians

If you use magician's props that are unusual or obviously a 'magician only' device, your audience will be interested in it for its own sake. This can be a problem if it causes your audience to focus on the props rather than the magic you perform with them. If you are not careful, the audience switches from experiencing the magic, to watching a 'puzzle', as they attribute the magic to the props you use. That doesn't mean they don't enjoy it, only that the magic is seen to come from the props rather than the performer on an unconscious level. It's a subtle change in perception in the same way that a film going audience can end up paying more attention to the impressive special effects in a film rather than the actors.

The magical box's or equipment you use should not be the star of the show. If you do use a strange prop, keep yourself and your presentation the centre of attention as much as possible. Don't hide behind your tools, leaning on them to amaze your audience. It's more important that they remember YOU more than the effects.

Why I don't like wonder.

I've never liked the word 'wonder'. To me, the word means to 'puzzle over'. A person wonders how the trick is done.

The goal of your performance is that the audience experience something impossible and be amazed, rather than to be presented with a series of puzzles to work out. You want them to be surprised, spellbound, and emotionally captured. The impossible events they witnessed should be from 'magic' and that's where the entertainment should come from. If you perform with a series of obvious props, you risk the audience switching from amazement to simply wondering how the trick was done.

Puzzles are still fun, and many successful magicians only present tricks in this way, but it's possible to take almost any trick and adjust the way you present it, so that it stops inviting the audience to 'wonder' about its method. When a trick is performed in this way, it becomes more like theatre and art.

How to justify your magicians props

If you are going to use a strange prop, justify why it's being used through your presentation and storytelling. If it's not clear why a prop is there, your audience may assume it's there because IT is how the magic trick is done.

What possible reason is there for anyone to even use one sponge ball, let alone a whole hand full of them..? Why are they made of sponge in the first place? Can you think of a justification for using them in your magic act?

"Have you noticed that you don't see many clowns these days? They used to be everywhere! It's a little known fact that for years clowns have been hunted by magicians. It's a cruel blood sport, but so much fun. Look.. We take their noses as trophies.."

3 things you should ask yourself about your magicians props

Take a look at each magic trick you perform and ask yourself:

Why do you perform it?
Why should the audience care about it?
How could you build a story around the objects to give them more significance and meaning?