The Magic is Not in the Props Magicians Use

by Merchant of Magic 4 Comments

How do you present the ‘magic’ happening within your performances? Some magicians perform tricks and some magicians perform magic…

Master magicians seem to define magic with every movement they make. The performance is enchanting and for a few moments, even their fellow magicians forget to think about the methods.. I’m sure you can think of several famous magicians that have that effect on you. What do they have, that you could use to create a similar impression on your own audiences?

It’s NOT the tricks they choose to perform.. It’s not the props magicians use.. It’s the way they present the tricks!

I really believe that you can learn a lot from watching as many famous magicians perform as you possibly can. You will learn SO much from doing this. Obviously, the secrets to the tricks will not be revealed. Don’t worry about searching for ‘method’. The tricks in and of themselves are not important for the point we hope to highlight here. You can learn so much from the performer.

Look at the way the performers conduct themselves, their posture, their pacing and timing, and the way they focus the spectators’ attention at times when needed. Forget the props magicians use.. Instead notice how they PRESENT the magic and give it meaning.

Studying showmanship is vital to your magical studies because it allows you to create the magic in a spectator’s mind, not the method for the trick. The presentation is more powerful than the method. Self working card tricks can be just as powerful as complex sleight of hand if you apply the right presentation.

DO THIS: Next time you are packing your pockets full of magic tricks, spare a moment to think about how you will perform them to maximize their potential. Try not to rush through your tricks if you don’t immediately get that amazing reaction; these things build. Your spectators can be blown away time and time again by the same effect as they are reliving the moment in their minds. It is tough to remain silent or bring the focus back to yourself at a time like this, but it is worth it! Always make the most out of your performances, be confident and believe in your skills, and you will only improve the magic.

Best wishes

Dominic Reyes

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Magicians Fingernails – A Quiet Word in Your Ear

by Merchant of Magic 3 Comments

By Dominic Reyes

“Psst.. Over here… Listen! I’ve got some advice that you need to know. You won’t hear it from your family and friends, your agent probably assumes you already do it, and your clients don’t really want to think about it… It’s your fingernails, seriously, you need to do something about them!”

What would you think, if someone took you aside on a gig and told you that? It would be very embarrassing, but it does need to be said.

If you perform close up magic tricks in restaurants or at tables, you need to make sure your hands look good. I’m not just being metrosexual here, it’s a basic level of professionalism and hygiene that really should be followed if your hands are on show. A restaurant puts a lot of care and attention to every detail of the table, the plates, the cutlery and the food. Your hands also form part of that display and should be pleasing to look at.

Magicians Fingernails

I was working at trade show recently with another magician and got into conversation about how often he changes his deck of cards. The magician told me he makes sure he uses a new deck of bicycle playing cards at every gig, as his cards go grey at the edges and he feels they don’t look professional. I couldn’t help noticing the state his hands were in. His nails were a homage to a gardening TV show hosted by Freddy Krueger.

Your hands are the tools of your trade, showing pride in them is not vanity, it’s something that reflects on your whole act.

Many barber shops now offer a nail service too. You can get your nails done and cuticles removed every other week with your haircut. If you are nervous about going to a nail bar to have a manicure, there really isn’t any need to. Most of their customers are female, but they all have a LOT of male customers too. Just tell them you are a close up magician and relax. If you prefer, do a quick google search and it will bring up a load of mobile manicurists that can pop over to your home and fix your nails in private. You can even do it yourself.

Check out this guide for the perfect magicians fingernails

There’s no need to have clear vanish applied to your nails, although many professional men do, but you should at least have them trimmed shaped and the cuticles removed.

Still think it’s only for girls? Just be aware of it for a few days:

Notice how many of the male TV presenters have perfect nails.
If you have a stack of magic DVDs go though them and sort out the ones featuring top working professional magicians. Check out their hands.
Watch the shopping channels and look at the hands of the presenters. Even the DIY guys have great looking nails.

While I’m on the subject of personal hygiene and magicians fingernails, I should also add that a clothes brush, and can of deodorant should also be in your close up magic case. Sometimes a long gig in a marque can get very hot. And looking and smelling your best should be a standard feature, not an added bonus.

There… I’ve said it… I’m glad we could have this little chat…

Do You Hate Magicians Using Scripts?

by Merchant of Magic 12 Comments

By Dominic Reyes

“It usually takes three weeks to prepare

for a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain

You practice a trick, master the moves, get the timing perfect, and the misdirection faultless, now what are you going to say as you perform the trick?

You have two basic choices:

‘Wing it’ and see what happens
Create a script

If you look at ‘world class’ public speakers, comedians and even politicians, they can look like they just chat informally to their audience, moving from topic to topic as the presentation flows.
Actually, they are often highly prepared, rehearsed and scripted in everything they do on stage. They work hard to understand, which words they should and which words they should not use.

If you want a convincer about the power of magicians using scripts,we recommend that you go and see Derren Brown perform live next time he is appearing in your area. Make an investment and buy tickets to the same show on two different nights. Noticing when the parts that seem to be ‘ad-lib’ or ‘off the cuff’ are repeated. They are carefully built into his performance to look completely natural. He’s an expert at this and you will learn a great deal from just the price of an extra ticket.

We will be covering the ‘winging it’ approach in a future post, but today we want to look at the following common objection to using a script:

I don’t want to sound scripted!

You really don’t have to at all. The secret is an additional step, often overlooked when magicians work on their magic tricks. It’s the extra work that professional actors and public speakers use to set themselves apart from the competition.

Magicians Using Scripts – The extra step:

Rehearse your script until you sound very ‘canned’

Then rehearse and tweak it until you sound natural and organic giving the lines.

Once you have the script memorized, the real work starts. Listen to how you sound when you say the script. Record yourself reciting it and play the recording back repeatedly. Note the pace and the tone of your delivery. Ask yourself what you could adjust to make each part sound natural and organic. When you say something funny, does it sound forced? If so, how could you deliver that line better?

The payoff for putting in this extra work will show in your performances almost instantly. It may seem like a lot of hassle when it’s far more exciting to start learning the next magic trick instead. However, that’s the whole point. This work on your presentation is part of the process that will set you apart from the average performer.

If you would like to learn more about creating a script for your magic, we recommend the following book Scripting Magic by Pete McCabe

Please let us know your thoughts about magicians using scripts in the comments section below: