performing magic Archives

How Much to Charge for a Magic Show?

Analyzing financial data

Would you like to make a living out of performing your magic? If you are going to do that.. You need to decide how much to charge for a magic show.

Most people that learn magic tricks, do so for the fun of it. It’s a wonderful, rewarding hobby. You may, however, be planning to earn a small income as a magician or even turning your obsession into a career and become a professional magician. If you do decide to start performing magic for money, there is some important information you should think about first:

Will you be Professional or Semi Professional?

The vast majority of working magicians earn an income from magic on a part-time basis. They have a current employer and supplement their wages by doing magic in the evenings and weekends. As the weekends tend to be the most popular time for social events that require a magician, semi professional magicians can fill their diary quite nicely through the year, and still maintain a full time job. The aim is often to build their reputation over time before being able to move into doing magic full-time. There are several advantages to starting off semi-pro:

There is little financial risk.
You can maintain your current lifestyle.
Income from magic doesn’t have to be used for living expenses.
Time can be taken to build and develop your act and reputation above the average magician.
You can perform when you want to, not because you have to.

What type of magic act will you perform?

This isn’t about the types of magic tricks you perform or your performing persona. You need to look at your act as a product. What type of product will it be?

Will you directly market your services yourself, or focus on working with an agent?
Where will you market yourself, only local, or are you happy to travel?
Will you work alone, or will you be using an assistant?
Do you intend to have a secondary income doing film or TV work (Perhaps as a consultant)?

Who will your customers be?

Understanding your customers is essential for determining both the product you will offer and the fee you can charge.

Will you be aiming at companies and venues, of focusing mainly on private individuals with wedding and party events?
What level of affluence does your target/local area have?
What is the persona of your average client? Professional/family/retired etc.

What is the competition doing?

It’s important to understand what level of fee’s your competition has achieved in your local area. Getting some quotes from other magicians will help, but take the advice of fellow magicians with a pinch of salt, as they tend to exaggerate. Getting quotes from local entertainment agencies tends to be more reliable. Bare in mind, that in any area there will be magicians charging at the top of their ‘payment ceiling’ and others who are underselling themselves. Never try to be the cheapest, it tends to work against you over the long term. The aim is to be in the middle or towards the top of the fee structure in your area as quickly as possible.

When can you work?

If you are performing semi-professionally, and holding down a day job, you may have to limit your gigs to the weekend, or only take bookings that start later in the evening. Even then, if you have a family, it’s essential to spare time for them too. If you intend to make your full time living from magic, you will need to be able to commit to working evenings and weekends. It’s great having your days free, but your friends and family may not think the same. It’s very important to discuss the implications of being a magician with your family, and to have their support.

How much money would you like and how much do you need?

The first step in setting a professional fee, is to determine how much money you NEED. This is quite different from how much money you WANT.

Make a list of all your outgoings. Get your last 12 months bank statements and note down the total that went out of the account each month. It’s important to use a year worth of bank statements as some expenses are annual. Group the debts into categories so you see exactly how much you spend on the following on average each month:

Rent or mortgage
Utilities and services
Average monthly spend on food
Clothing
Travel
Loan or card repayments
Club memberships
Insurance
Pension and monthly savings
Car payments such as tax and insurance

Now use the statements to calculate how much money you spend on entertainment and small impulse purchases.

You should now have two figures. The first is for your essential fixed expenses. This much money HAS to be earned each month just to live at your current comfort level. The second figure is your leisure or fun money. This second figure is not as fixed as the first and can fluctuate over time. Think of it as your ‘buffer zone’.

Once you have these figures, if you add them together, it will give you the total amount of money you need to earn each month to continue your current lifestyle. This figure is very important for the next step.

How much you NEED to charge.

Nobody is the same. We all have different commitments, responsibilities and interests. A young single person can have much more disposable income whilst earning far less than a person who has a mortgage and needs to support a large family. The old saying ‘It’s not how much you earn that’s important, it’s how much you spend’ is very true. That makes it hard to give any examples of income, as we are all different. In this discussion, I assume the average monthly income in the UK, so simply correct these figures to fit your own income needs and commitments that you calculated by looking at your bank statements over the last 12 months. The average household income in the UK is currently £2000 per month, so I will use that figure as a baseline.

The most important question of all.

How many gigs will I need to do each week and how much do I need to charge for each gig, to bring in an income equal or greater amount than my expenditure?

Let me introduce you to a great website that is free to use: Your Rate

Your Rate is a website that asks just three questions:

How much money you need to earn every month
How many hours you can work each week
How many weeks of holiday you intend to take.

Fill those in and get an hourly rate to charge. Your Rate calculates this for you, and builds in how much you should include for savings and how much is needed to pay your tax on the earnings you make. Because tax rates vary by country, and it is allowing for savings, it multiplies the actual rate needed by 2 to give the final total.

As a magician you are going to use it in a slightly different way. In your mind, change ‘How many hours do you want to work per week?’ to ‘how many gigs do you want to do each week’.

Let’s say the average close-up magician does 3 gigs every week and has 2 weeks holiday. What fee would he need to charge each gig to earn him an income of £2000 per month with taxes and savings covered.

To earn £2000 per month the magician should charge £347 per gig, doing 3 gigs per week and having a 2 week holiday each year. This included taxes and savings built in.

Let’s say the magician averages 2 gigs per week. What fee would he need to charge per gig to make the UK average income of £2000 per month after tax and savings.

How much should a magician charge for perfroming magic tricks?

To earn £2000 after tax and savings, a magician should charge around £500 per booking and do 2 shows per week.

Let’s look at a different type of magician. Children’s shows start from around £100-£200 per show.

If a children’s magician charges £150 per show and does 7 shows every week (with a 2 week holiday), it will bring in an income of £2000 per month after taxes and savings.

You can use the Your Rate website to enter your own figures and play with the results.

DO THIS: Use Your Rate to see how many gigs you would need to do, with your area average fee per gig to earn the income you made over the last 12 months. See if the fee you would need to charge is viable for your reputation, the number of gigs you think you can average over a year and the fee’s your competition are charging.

Kieron Johnson on Growing Up and Being a Magician

by Merchant of Magic Leave a Comment

Right now, pretty much every good magic shop is busy telling its customers about the new magic trick from Kieron Johnson : To The Max. The trick has solved a problem that has confounded magicians for many years. How to make cubes of ice appear on your spectator’s hands, in a way that works to walk-around close up magic conditions. The trick has caused quite a buzz, so we thought we should take a closer look at its inventor: Kieron Johnson.

Dominic Reyes caught up with him for an interview:

How did you get into magic?
My friend took me to a magic shop in Southport called Magic 4. I was 21 years old, unfortunately it’s no longer open.

So you didn’t do magic as a kid?
No. To be honest, when my friend told me about the shop, I didn’t want to go. I thought magic was cheesy, but my friend begged me to go with him. I’m so glad I did. That was the best decision I ever made.

What was your childhood like?
For me childhood was quite tough. I was held back a year at primary school and at high school, I was sent to a special school for kids with severe learning difficulties, in a different county. It made making friends quite hard. I spent most my time inventing stuff from old junk, but the funny thing is, what made me an outcast when I was younger, is now the thing people love when I perform. I’m happy my life has turned out this way.

I think younger magicians have it easier, as magic is much more available online. I think it’s possible to be good technically, within a year. As for being a performer it takes much longer. I do think learning with DVD’s makes it a lot easier though.

So, do you think performing skills are more important? What’s your view on self working tricks Vs Sleight of hand?
I’m not a big fan of putting labels on magic, for me all magic should be treated in the same way. In my experience, if you want to fool a magician, do a self-working card trick, I do a mix of both. Take for example, the Invisible Deck, self-working, but there’s a reason Dynamo Magician Impossible does this too. It’s a powerful trick, and an instant reset. It is the same reason why I perform Cardtoon, It is easy to do, works for all ages, resets fast, and never fails to make your audience smile. I do like flourishing as well, I think a good balance and an open mind is what it take to be a good magician.

What was it about that experience that changed your mind?
Well, the shop was amazing, I think they could tell I was a beginner, because the shop owner Rob Graham absolutely bamboozled me. The one magic trick that really impressed me was Cardtoon 2 by Dan Harlan. I still carry that with me today. I was very lucky, he taught me how to do it in the shop and didn’t let us go until I could perform it, we were there all day. That really taught me about the importance of practice.

What was your first performance like?
Well, funny enough, it was the same day that I visited the magic shop. We had to get a local train back home. We were chatting excitedly about magic shops and playing with our new tricks, when a bunch of lads asked us to do a trick for them. I performed Cardtoon and they went mental! I got asked for my phone number and ended up getting a gig. Those two experiences made me fall in love with magic.

Wow, you discovered a magic shop, were recommended a trick, got taught by the shop, and got a booking at the end of that day. That’s one of the fastest jumps into professional performing I’ve every heard.
Ha-ha, Well, actually I was a hobbyist for three years before I turned pro. I was lucky enough to work at illusions magic bar for two years which I highly recommend. While I was working there, it forced me to think outside the box, and to invent my own magic tricks. Best of all, it taught me how to handle hecklers I highly recommend getting a residency in a bar or restaurant. That helped me get a grip on what works and what doesn’t. The added bonus, is that you will get more work once people start to hear about you.

How about your first paid gig?
For me, that’s a hard one. Because I really count my first ever gig as performing in the Illusions magic bar in Bristol. Even though I had done gigs before, I always think of that day as my first time. It’s amazing to think that three years of performing magic parties, and weddings couldn’t of prepared me for that day, it was a bit of a shock to the system. The music was loud, and the people were there to see good magic. Most of my material didn’t play to the crowd. It was like being a decent swimmer, then all of a sudden, someone had erased my memory of how to do it, so for me, this will always be my first gig, and the place I became a magician.

Who are your influences in magic?
My two heroes of magic are Richard Sanders and Max Malini. Richard was the first magician I saw do a lecture. He was engaging and his magic was so strong. On top of that, he’s a really nice guy and the Richard Sander Show series are the best three DVDs I own. I have watched them a lot.

For me Max was awe inspiring to hear about. He was one of the original close up magicians, and fooled some of the greatest magicians in the world. Houdini, Dai Vernon, Charlie Miller, and if you look out, his name is often mentioned in magic films and TV shows. As far as I can tell, he was the first to produce ice, in a world were refrigerators in the home didn’t exist, amazing! I would have loved to be able to see Vernon’s face, when he produced that ice. Check out the Magic of Malini

Where do you get your ideas?
That’s a hard one. Sometimes they come in my dreams. I keep a pen and paper nearby just in case, but mostly I start working on one idea, and develop it by working it in my act. I do this to see how it turns out. Some of the time I end up with something totally different, but that’s the fun of being creative.

What are your favourite tricks to perform?
I am big fan of metal bending. I love Liquid Metal by Morgan Strebler and Metal by Dee Christopher. I also love magic with thread. Tarantula is great!

Magic Books or Magic DVD’s?
Both! I love watching a good magic DVD, you get to see how it plays in the real world, and it’s always nice to see what you are learning.

Books are wonderful too, I love Tarbell and the Apocalypse series . These are all things you don’t get on DVD. You can find some card tricks that are hidden gems, in these books. As a magician, I think that The Royal Road to Card Magic should be banned. I hate it when someone new asks for advice, and they say Royal Road. It has some great material in it, but the English language has changed a bit since then. Why doesn’t anyone ever recommend Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic book? It’s a lot easier, and is full of great ideas for a beginner.

What advice would you give to fellow magicians?
Practice your craft, and have fun. If doesn’t go well the first time, try again because every great magician you see has had to fail to succeed. Another important thing, I would say, is to get some business cards and make sure when you are at a gig you dress smart. It took me four years to learn that, but believe me, it makes a big difference!

_________________________

The Merchant of Magic would like to thank Kieron Johnson for taking the time to talk with us. if you have not already done so, check out his new release To The Max

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
Kieron made some very good points in this interview. He used the character that he developed through his experiences as a child to create a performing persona. When you watch the demo trailer of To the Max, you can see the pacing and presentation are very much his own. He hasn’t tried to clone himself into someone else and that authenticity in his performance shines through.

Kieron, doesn’t seem hung up on the issue of sleight of hand. For him the effect is his central concern. He seeks out magic tricks that get stronger reactions, rather than being loyal to the methods alone.

Most valuable from this interview, is his view that his early performances to friends and family, didn’t count in his training. He regards his real schooling to be his work with the public.

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Doing Magic Tricks with Shaky Hands

by Merchant of Magic 1 Comment

‘I’m struggling with my hands shaking when I do sleight of hand magic. What can I do to help?.

If you find that your hands start to shake when you are performing a trick, don’t worry, you are not alone at all. It’s a common problem that beginners face when learning how to do magic tricks. Assuming you are healthy, and it’s not a medical issue, those shakes come from three sources:

Nervousness
Hand Tension
Concentration

It’s OK to be a bit scared.

It really doesn’t matter how much you practice your magic tricks in private. The moment you try to perform it for a spectator, it’s going to be a bit scary. Suddenly the smooth flow that you have when you run through it on your own is gone, and you feel like you’re taking an exam rather than doing card tricks.

The ONLY way to fix this problem is to become relaxed doing the trick in front of people. The more you do this, the less anxiety you will feel. If you are just starting out, you probably won’t have a large audience of spectators to practice on. Your family and friends are not ideal for this type of training as you need experience with total strangers.

DO THIS: Get out and perform to a large number of total strangers: Look through your local newspaper of what’s on’ websites and find a local charity event or festival. Contact the organiser and ask if you can attend for free to perform some walk-around magic tricks. Many events will be very open to receiving free entertainment, so you should find this quite easy to set up.

Avoid doing this in bars and just on the streets. Bar’s and clubs have their own social dynamics and are not so good for cutting your teeth as a beginner. Street magic requires a license, but more importantly the spectators are very wary, busy and generally not there to be entertained by someone stopping them on the streets. You want to choose a location, where the spectators are already open to being entertained by a performer. You want to focus on performing the tricks for people happy to stop and watch them, and not have to deal with selling the idea of stopping and watching first.

Check out this information on reducing nervousness when performing magic tricks

Relax your hands.

Learning a new magic trick means that you have to concentrate on every move. Your focus is on the technique just as much, if not more, than the performance of it. Once you add a total stranger staring at you while you perform, the tension you will feel increases considerably. You may look relaxed and happy, but tension builds up in your hands, and can express itself, through shaking.

DO THIS: Before you start the magic trick, shake your hands around and stretch out your fingers. Now try to remember to keep a relaxed grip on the props as you hold them. Imagine they are made of glass, and just need a delicate touch. Being aware of tension building in your hands, will greatly reduce any hand shaking that may occur.

When is the magic trick ready to perform?
Before you perform a trick to spectators, make sure you fully understand it. If you rush into performing it before the moves have become fully ingrained, you will be at a disadvantage. You need to be able to forget about the moves, and just enjoy the performance and interaction with the spectator. This comes from practice and rehearsal of the magic trick over and over. If you find you freeze when you start performing, or get shaky, it’s a sign, that more work has to be done, running through the whole trick as a routine from start to finish.

DO THIS: Don’t practice just the moves in silence. Once you learn the moves, push your practice to the next stage, and run through the whole trick in full with the patter, as if you were doing it to a spectator. Don’t stop to adjust a move or the set up of the props, just go through the whole routine. The more you do this, the less thinking you will need to do, when you perform the magic trick live. Concentration on the process, creates an inner dialogue of self doubt, which builds tension. Familiarity comes from repetition, and that will help solve this problem.

Best wishes

Dominic Reyes

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