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Metal Bending – 5 Reasons Why Metal Bending is Strong Magic

Metal Bending is a genre of Mentalism that has become a lot more popular in recent years. For many years however, it was very rarely seen and only ever spoken about when people mentioned Uri Gellar in conversation.

What Uri Gellar did with some simple and direct demonstrations of metal bending was amazing. He inspired almost everyone who owned a television at that time to believe in the power of mind over matter. Millions of people worldwide would be heard shouting “BEND” at their TV screens on a Saturday night just willing a fork to bend in Uri’s hands!

This is how powerful metal bending can be.

Here are 5 reasons why metal bending still is some of the strongest magic you can perform.

1) A lot of people still believe telekinesis is possible.

To a lot of people telekinesis is an ability we all have but just can’t tap into, so if you can portray the illusion that you can tap into your ability then it instantly is more believable than say, a card repeatedly coming to the top of a deck of playing cards. Metal bending is believed to be a real phenomenon, (which it may be, who knows?!) to a lot of people. Therefore, if a spectator were to encounter metal bending in real life then this experience would be much like if they spoke with a psychic or fortune teller. They automatically believe that it is real as their primary belief is that it IS possible to do.

2) It cannot be explained as sleight of hand by a lay person.

Any card trick can be explained in the eyes of a spectator as ‘sleight of hand’. Now, nearly everyone who says this does not understand what sleight of hand really is. Sayings like ‘the hand is faster than the eye’ or ‘very good with your hands’ are the extent of the explanations you will receive from a lay person when asked what they think sleight of hand is. Metal bending does not fall into this trap (unless performed very badly). It cannot be explained as ‘being clever with your hands’.

3) Some visual bends are undeniable.

Thanks to some amazing minds in magic such as Banachek, Morgan Strebler and Dee Christopher there are some very visual bends that can be performed with regular metal cutlery that are undeniable. What do I mean by that? I mean that the spectator sees the metal bending before their very eyes. It is the old saying, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ the spectator’s see it, so they believe it.

4) There is lasting evidence of the magic that occurred.

Metal bending is one of the types of magic tricks that finishes with evidence of what has just happened. You begin with a straight, regular fork or key, coin or nail, and you end with it bent, distorted or twisted, it is proof of what has just occurred. Also, it is a very bizarre sight, no one in their right mind would actually bend their cutlery, so the image of a twisted and bent fork is a very strong and bizarre image.

5) Metal Bending is still shrouded in mystery.

Everybody has seen, or knows a simple card trick, even if it is just the one with three piles of seven cards! There has been tonnes of exposure and trick decks sold in toy stores; There are whole sections in magic books for beginners on Card Magic Tricks, some are common knowledge, and although most of the secrets are still secret the mystery has been lost, the performer, with his or her performance, can bring back the mystery and feel of magic, but card tricks especially are seen as tricks, not magic. Metal Bending is still mysterious and not common place in magic sets, toy stores or even in magic shops, this certainly helps gives you the edge as a performer.

As mentioned previously, metal bending has become more popular in recent years, thanks to magicians such as Banchek, Dee Christopher and Morgan Strebler. So studying and learning some of these secret techniques is easier than ever before.

Expert Mind – Beginner Mind – Thinking About Your Magic Tricks

by Merchant of Magic 3 Comments

By Dominic Reyes

Professionl Magicians - Expert mind beginners mind

The more we know about magic, the harder it is for us to view it the same way we did when we first started to learn magic tricks as a beginner.

Over time, we build up our knowledge, and that changes us in the process. Our tastes change, and our opinions about what constitutes good magic shift to reflect this.

The building up of good taste within any subject should be positive. The wine expert builds his pallet and is better for it. However, magicians are different. Magicians are creating something to be performed to spectators who are by nature, complete beginners. Magicians have to become experts catering to beginners. This paradox can cause some serious problems with your development as a professional magician. It’s one of the reasons that many professional magicians end up performing magic only to other magicians. They become experts to such an extent that they become a ‘magicians magician’.

Language

Being an expert in a subject doesn’t mean you will be a good teacher of it. Sometimes, an expert assumes parts of the subject are so basic that they are common knowledge. The professor rushes his lesson. The expert uses jargon, without realizing that the students don’t understand. No matter how hard he tried to simplify the lesson, he fails to make his class understand. He is so deep into his subject that he has forgotten what it is like to know nothing of the subject.

Magicians face the same problem. It’s most often seen by the language some magicians use when giving spectators instructions.

“Please cut the playing cards.”

“Please sign the face of the playing cards”

“For my next effect…”

The magician becomes so familiar with the jargon of magic that they assume it is common knowledge. They need to remember what it was like before they became an expert. They need to go back to the mind of a beginner.

Interesting Magic Tricks

Beginners and the general public often have very different ideas of an entertaining magic trick. Magicians can fall into the trap of thinking a classic magic trick is just too simple to be entertaining. They forgot how much those magic tricks fooled them when they started out. Sponge magic tricks, thumb tips, Svengali and stripper decks are some of the best close-up magic tricks ever invented. However, the expert loses touch with the experiences of the beginner, and those magic tricks get written off as ‘too basic’. Instead of being driven to learn more and more complex routines, the expert has to retain the mind of a beginner so that his or her judgment doesn’t become clouded by experience.

To become an expert magician, you need to develop the mind of a beginner and keep that view as the guiding force in your judgments.

DO THIS:

Go through your magic scripts and look for jargon that could be simplified.

When you next perform try to be aware of moments, when you make assumptions about what your audience does, and doesn’t already know.

List the top 5 magic tricks that amazed you, before you started to learn magic. Do you perform variations of them?

Listen to spectators talk about the magic tricks they have seen on TV. What were the themes that are most popular? Think about how you could create your own magic that captures the essence of those themes.

Examine each magic trick you perform and honestly ask yourself if they are really magic tricks designed to fool other magicians. How could you simplify them for a beginner?

Close Up Magic Vs. Stage Magic – Problems All Magicians Deal With

by Merchant of Magic 3 Comments

Close up magic and stage magic have several different problems. Let’s look at a few of the differences:

Choice

The audience in a stage show has chosen to see you perform your magic tricks. With close up magic, the audience does not know who you are and often that you will be performing.

Location

The audience visits a theatre to watch a magic show. They make the decision to come to you to watch your show. With close up magic, you go to them. Because of this, the locations are very different. With a stage show, you create the environment that the magic tricks are ‘staged’ within. Close up magicians fit in to a larger event, so your magic needs to be designed to complement an existing event. You need to be prepared for location surprises at close up magic gigs.

Lighting

Stage magicians can ensure that the lighting for the show is perfect for the magic tricks they will present. If you need a ‘dark’ area you can make sure that happens at just the right moment. If you need the lighting to focus attention away from an object or from you, for a few moments, this can be easily built into the show.

The main disadvantage for stage magicians is that the lighting makes it hard for them to engage with the audience. Lights can stop you from seeing the audience. Because of this, careful rehearsal needs to be done, to ensure the act is engaging without as much of the personal contact that close up magicians can create.

Close up magic happens in random locations, often in restaurants and busy bars. The lighting can be too dark, or very bright, and you will have no control over it. You need to make sure that the magic tricks you can perform are suitable for as many lighting set ups as possible.

Sound

Stage magic is supported by a PA system so the whole room can hear you. Sound effects can be added, as well as backing music. This can be used to change the mood and attention of your spectators when you need that to happen.

Close up magic takes place inside a larger event. It’s social in nature and happens in and around conversations. A band or loud music may be the background to your magic tricks, so you can’t assume that your audience will even be able to hear you. This creates a real challenge for you as a close up magician. You need to engage with the spectators and entertain them, but at the same time, you need to make sure that your magic can be understood, even if the spectator can’t hear you very well.

Good close up magic is presented in designed sets of magic tricks for different sound conditions. You should have at least 5 or 6 magic tricks ready to perform, should you find yourself in a situation where nobody can hear what you are saying. If you don’t do this, you may find you are limited in locations that you can work at a gig. You really don’t want to be forced to be positioned in the bar area away from the ‘action’ simply because the magic tricks you do, requires people to listen to you.

Set

Stage magic has the advantage of being able to control the environment to reinforce the magic or the presentation within a particular magic show. Everything can be arranged exactly how you want it, to present your magic tricks for maximum impact close up magic has no set. It may be the street, a bar or restaurant. However, this doesn’t need to be a disadvantage. The restaurant has objects, rituals and a structure that can be used to your advantage. Choosing magic tricks that compliment the situations you perform in, can turn the restaurant or bar into a perfect set. You need to be much more flexible and design your magic tricks to use the settings you have access too, in a way that will strengthen and highlight your magic tricks. Part of your job as a close up magician is to define your performing area, and communicate that to the spectators very quickly when you join each group.

Costume

Stage magicians can tell a story as much through their costumes as the magic itself. From a Chinese 19th century royal court, through to a sinister torture chamber. The act is set in a theme that communicated the story of the show.

Magicians that perform close up magic either wear a suit or dress down for street performances. They match the costumes that their spectators wear. The goal is to integrate, rather than stand out. It’s important that you think about what is best for a close up magicians to wear.

Seating

When a stage audience is seated, they have been arranged in a position to pay full attention to the show. Close up magic is often performed strolling magic, or magic at restaurant tables. The audience isn’t going to be seated so everyone can see you. When you perform close up magic, you need to move around. You need to engage different groups and capture peoples attention. It’s very important that you take some time to practice this and examine how your magic will work when your audience is not all sat directly in front of you.

Beginners often struggle with this, as they practice their magic tricks as if the audience is watching a stage show. When it comes to performing in a real world situation, they become confused and unsure how to present their magic tricks as people move around or are seated in a way that could expose their magic secrets.

Attention

The moment the lights go down at a stage magic show, everyone is paying attention. The stage magicians job is to keep that attention and stop the audience either leaving or falling asleep.

Close up magicians need to win the attention of the group, and then keep it. Spectators can be interrupted, become distracted by everything else happening. The food could be just about to arrive, an argument could be simmering between the group. Your spectators could be in deep conversation or even simply show no interest in your table magic at all. Social skills are very important for close up magicians, probably more so than good technique. The audience has no obligation to pay you any attention, so you need to give them as many reasons to like you and find your magic entertaining as you possibly can.

Misdirection

Stage magicians are being watched from the moment they arrive on stage. Many of the techniques of misdirection are different from those of magicians doing close up magic. Close up magicians, by definition, are closer to the audience. You will need to use misdirection techniques specifically designed for this situation. Tactics like eye contact, crossing gaze, positioning and questioning can all be used much more effectively in a close up magic setting.

Applause

We have all been trained from an early age to clap at the end of a stage performance. This is not so much the case for close up shows. Because close up magic is much more intimate, spectators tend not to use applause. They simply tell you how much they liked the magic trick they just say.

Unlike stage magicians, close up magicians need to train their audience to give them applause.

Do This:

Take a moment to think about these differences. List the magic you currently perform and next to each trick or ‘set’ answer these questions:

1) What practical steps can you build into the magic tricks you already perform that can communicate the need to clap after you show a group your magic tricks?2) Which environmental conditions would be ideal for each trick?

3) How can you adapt various performing conditions to enhance the magic?

4) What could you say or do, to capture attention and keep the spectators engaged?

5) How could each magic trick be adapted to increase the amount of participation and connection from the spectators?

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