performing for the public Archives

Why Magicians Need to Learn More Than How to do Magic Tricks

How to learn magic tricks - The most important part

Learning how to do magic tricks is only part of the process for developing your skills as a magician. Magic is about interacting with people and entertaining them. Is it wise to spend the majority of your study time learning technique? Is there something else just as important for magicians to develop?

Dominic Reyes recorded this short video explaining why he thinks many magician focus too hard on how to do magic tricks, and forget the real secrets of performing magic to the public:

'Sometimes a magician comes to The Merchant of Magic for private tuition, and during the assessment stage, it's clear they don't need any work on their mechanical technique. It's already at a working stage

For magicians like this, we need to switch focus away from sleight of hand, and teaching them how to do magic tricks. We have to help them develop techniques to improve their presentation and how they interact with the audience during their magic tricks. This can be a difficult subject to work on. We are working with aspects of themselves that they view as their own character or nature. Reviewing how they approach people, conduct themselves, interact and engage others.

Despite the work involved, that can take many sessions to bring about a lasting change in their performance, this is one of the most worthwhile parts of magic tuition, and brings the most dramatic benefits to the magicians we help.' – Dominic Reyes

DO THIS: Personal magic tuition is not right for everyone. It's easy to start learning presentation skills by yourself:

1) Act
We recommend that every serious student of magic starts taking some form of acting lessons. These could be from a local collage, acting group or community theater.

2) Read
Start reading books on acting and make notes of tips and suggestions that would relate to live performance in front of an audience. Read Acting for magicians. Look for books by Stanislavsky, Uta Hagen, Sanford Meisner, Stella Adler, Michael Chekhov, Viola Spolin, Simon Callow and Cicely Berry.

3) Move
Think about taking voice, singing, dancing, movement, classes. Your local community centre will be able to suggest local classes.

4) Watch
Do you live near somewhere that has really good actors performing live. Go to the theater and make a note of the stage craft in action.

Re-watch all the magic DVD's or downloads you have. This time ignore parts of the DVD's that show you how to do magic tricks. Focus on the presentation sections and look for live performance. Make notes of the interactions you see.

How to Arrive and Leave When Doing Magic Tricks For Kids

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Arriving and Leaving - Showing Magic tricks for Kids

Magicians doing magic tricks for kids put in a LOT of time and effort into creating a fun and magical show. They carefully choose a persona, select just the right magic tricks, and build an act that flows and entertains. But what happens at the end of the show? Do you view your act as having a set start and finish time? As soon as the show ends, do you switch out of character, pack up and leave?

How you arrive and leave a kids magic show does make a big difference.

Professional Magician Roy Charles, is one of the most popular children’s magicians in the UK as Charlie the Clown. He took a few moments before starting one of his children’s magic shows, to record this valuable tip for you:

In the theatre, the stage doors are positioned at the back or side of the building. Partly it’s to stop crowds pestering the actors, but it’s also designed that way so that the audience won’t see the actors arriving and leaving whilst out of character. Seeing an actor as themselves, just after you have enjoyed them as ‘someone else’, breaks the image of that person being the character you have connected with.

When you arrive at a gig to perform magic tricks for kids, you are probably setting up before the party or event has started. However, there’s a good chance that some children will already be at the event.

Rather than arriving as your normal self, then transforming into your ‘character’ when the show formally starts, why not arrive already in character. Set up and do the show, then pack up and leave whilst still in your character.

You don’t need to continue performing magic tricks for the kids, playing games, and interacting when you should be packing up, but you don’t just change back into normal clothes whilst your audience is still there. Doing magic tricks for kids professionally is all about the little details.

Arriving and leaving in character creates a little bit more work for you. It may mean that you have to change in the car if you are on your way to your next booking. However, it’s a small professional detail that can make a huge impression on your clients, the children and the probability of getting repeat bookings.

What Magicians Do if They Run Out of Time at a Gig – Podcast 4 Transcription

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A discussion taken from a transcription of the Merchant of Magic Podcast 4, Dominic Reyes, Ben Williams and Paul Knight discuss running out of time at a wedding booking.

Dominic Reyes: Hi everyone! We’re here in the magic shop with Ben Williams.

Ben Williams: Bon Jour.

Dominic Reyes: And Paul Knight.

Paul Knight: Hello.

Dominic Reyes: And myself Dominic Reyes.

So, Ben, how’s you week been?

Ben Williams: It’s been good. Busy as ever which is good – I won’t complain.

Dominic Reyes: What happened?

Ben Williams: I was at a gig at the weekend. It was a wedding and there was a good 12 tables to get around, and I did a bit before they sat down and then the speeches started. So, I had a limited time to get around all these tables, the speeches went on a bit longer than I had hoped and I think there was about three or four tables left to do when my contract time ended.

Dominic Reyes: Was this because they had the speeches at the beginning?

Ben Williams:Yeah, literally – as soon as I came and sat down for the meal the speeches started and they were 40 minutes long. It’s a nice little break to have, but I was sat there twiddling my thumbs, thinking I wish I could crack on with somebody’s table.

Paul Knight: Were you clock watching … during your break?

Ben Williams : Not so much, no. You just find a quite place out of the way that you can make sure that you’re ready, prepared and set to go as soon as they stop. You’re battling with the meals as well, because as soon as they stop the waiting staff are doing the same thing. They are waiting to get their starter out. It was a case of – as soon as the speeches stop and the applause ends and everyone settles down a bit – just go and hit a couple of the tables which are not going to be served first.

I had a good few minutes to do each table. I’ve seen all the guests during the walk around session, so there was a lot less ‘getting to know the people’ and they were all kind of anticipating me coming. But you get to the end of your contract time and what do you do? Technically, do you say ‘My time’s up?” Or do you do what I actually did, which was stay an extra half hour?

Dominic Reyes: Where were they in the course of the meal?

Ben Williams:By the end of the time allotted, they were eating the desserts. I had about 40-45 minutes to get around 12 tables.

By the time the desserts came, my time was up, but I’ve never liked to leave a gig and feel like, Oh! I hope I don’t get an email saying,

“we had some people complain that they didn’t see some magic”

I can do the tables, I didn’t have anywhere to go, so I was quite happy to stay on an extra half hour and make sure that everyone saw some magic. Make sure the client was really happy, the bride and the groom were really happy. You end up getting much better testimonials, much better references. People understand that you’re staying an extra bit of time, so it just reflects a lot better on you.

Dominic Reyes:I think an issue can arise if you’re going from that gig straight on to another gig and you’ve built in sort of an hour and a half for travel, so that you can get there.

Ben Williams: I fully understand that, and I agree. If that is the case, then you should be addressing that with the client at the beginning of your gig. If they turn around to you and say, “When we sit down and speeches are happening” you have to almost explain it to them before the gig, so they understand that. But, I don’t know for certain, but I can certainly assume that some magicians may use that as an excuse to just get out on time, because they don’t want to do extra work.

I find that going that extra mile really reflects back well on your character, reflects better in repeat bookings.

Dominic Reyes:So, before the event – maybe a few days before – or do you do this during the gig?

Do you ask for a plan of how the the day is going to run? Such as, if the speech is going to be at the beginning or in the end?

Ben Williams:Yeah, of course. Most of the time, if I do a wedding booking, I will have seen the people either at the wedding fair or at least spoken to them on the telephone. It’s fine doing everything by email, but it kind of a bit impersonal

Dominic Reyes: And plans can change last minute.

Ben Williams: Plans can change last minute, but if you speak to somebody and you reassure them on the phone, they feel a lot more comfortable, than if you just reassure them via email. But yeah, certainly, I’ll ask what the plan of the day is. If I haven’t got that information before, as soon as I introduce myself to the client – as soon as I arrive, that’s one the first things I say. What’s the format for the next few hours. What’s the layout?

Paul Knight:It’s important to touch base with them.

Dominic Reyes:Especially, the restaurant manager, if you go into the room where the tables are being set when you arrive, maybe while everyone is outside and the photos are starting.

Ben Williams:Yeah.

Dominic Reyes:Just take a moment to speak to a restaurant manager or wedding planner, and ask what time do they come in to sit down.

Ben Williams: Exactly, yes. Sometimes you arrive at a gig and you won’t see the person that booked you. They’re busy. They’re off doing things. They’ve always got some sort of wedding organizer that is taking care of the day, who works for the venue, and you can always find them. You can always introduce yourselves to them. That’s a great thing to do for your future business.

What we can learn from this.

If you find that you have limited time at an event, it’s vital to discuss this with the client Sometimes the timings for an event can change last minute. If this happens:

Check timings with the client a few days before the event. Don’t leave it to chance.
See the planner or client when you arrive
Stay extra time whenever possible.
Prepare your material so you can scale your sets down.

Do you have any tips for magicians who suddenly find they don’t have enough time at a gig? Do you have any experiences of this you can share? Let us know in the comments section below: