One Shot: What would you do?

Nov 7, 2008
295
0
Hofstra Univ.
You have one shot to impress a celebrity. Keep in mind celebrities have probably been exposed to a bit of magic considering how many events, and entertainers they have met.

Also consider that this could be an incredible opportunity for a demo reel.

What ONE trick do you do in this situation? Is it a tried and true card trick? Maybe more along the lines of bizzare?
What do you think?
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
Depends on the situation. If I just ran into them, I'd probably just leave them be because I'm guessing they're pretty sick of no one giving them a private life. If they were at a party I was performing at, then I'd probably do some kind of mind reading (at the moment I'd use a peek, or maybe Rich Ferguson's Alpha Pack, but that will change as I develop my skills).
 
May 3, 2008
1,146
4
Hong Kong
I would float up to the sky and explode in a rain of fireworks!
but i forgot how to do that one...

I really don't know. If it is a local celebrity, I would probably perform a commercial piece of magic... giving them my business card, Probably something along the lines of.. Jay Sankey's Piece De Resistance with my business card. Gary Kurts (i think) also has an effect where your business card switches with theirs inside your wallet... which is always fun...

If not a local...
Then maybe Smile by Justin Miller... with a polaroid camera. You get a photo with them and you can probably get it signed as well... Although I do think card tricks feel a bit tacky to them... but what would I know.
I would really go for a... unusual magic trick. Unusual in the sense which they wouldn't have thought it was possible to use a polaroid camera for a trick... not unusual in the sense where you produce a monkey with a fruit hat from their handbag. Just generally the most... unseen trick from the public... So no levitations or telekinetic or pyrotechnics... I may perform Smoke as thats new and seems quite fun. PK touches also looks fine... just anything that they probably havent seen before is fine... And most desirably self working or minimal work needed so I can really beef up the patter and connect with them rather than regurgitate a written script.
 
Jan 5, 2010
658
2
Alabama
Wow, this is something that I've actually done!

When I was at Magic*Con, I was sitting at a table with two friends during the reception on the first night. We were just sitting there having a good time, and David Blaine joins our table! One of my friends showed a cool flourish, and I did Geoff Williams' "Devastation". It went over really well and I pretty much nailed it, unfortunately at the time I was only about a year into magic and didn't have any KILLER effects that didn't require a set-up, but this was the first in mind and I think it went great.

David then went and showed me an effect that blew me away :p He said he only does it on magicians, because we over-analyze everything and are actually fooled easily haha.
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
64
Northampton, MA - USA
My "Welcome to Hollywood" experience says it all...

I was freshly moved to town and my first steady gig was a popular steak house in Beverly Hills that was heavily patronized by Hollywood's leading VIPs, so seeing people of interest was kind of normal. The night that killed me however, was about three weeks after I'd started working there and they hosted a special event; a tribute to a Big Band guy named Horace Heidt, who seems to have been the guy responsible for launching numerous careers in Hollywood given that the "low end" celebrities present were Pat Bucktrum (Mr. Heany from Green Acres), the Van Patten and King Family's with people like Bob Hope, Carey Grant and Lucille Ball representing the top of the heap...

To put it kindly, I was shaking in my shoes for most of the night in that I was doing table magic. Donna King however, took a liking to me and started dragging me all over the club introducing me to folks and having me perform... it was nuts!

What did I do?

Sponge Balls, Cups & Balls, Matrix... classics all the way around and every single one of them loved it. Carey Grant (who happened to be on the Board of Directors for the Magic Castle) patted me on the back and said that he appreciated those that weren't trying to do all the show-off stuff and simply presented solid, simple and elegant magic.

I rarely get star struck but that particular night was very overwhelming for a kid from the Midwest that only dealt with major celebrities one on one a few times a year, not being in the middle of a herd of them and feeling very, very insignificant...
 

Luis Vega

Elite Member
Mar 19, 2008
1,838
278
38
Leon, Guanajuato Mexico
luisvega.com.mx
well..I had some chances..

as I said in a earlier Journal I had the chance to perform for Jeff McBride..and I decided to perform only my material..and it turns out it is original...he really liked it ...to quote him..."I LOVE your card to Wallet!!"

and when I had the chance to perform for the Mayor of my city I perform Liquid Metal...and he was blown away..."I CAN´T BELIEVE THERE IS PEOPLE DOING THIS THINGS IN MY CITY!! CONGRATULATIONS!!"
 
Nov 8, 2007
1,238
3
All I'm going to say is if you have one shot to really impress a celebrity and get them to really take notice of you, you aren't going to be doing a damn card trick.
 
Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
Depends on the situation. If you are performing at a party then I'd probably just do something with an ID or a brainwave deck.

If I just ran into them at some random place. I'd probably just leave them alone and let them have their privacy.
 
Jul 18, 2010
210
0
All I'm going to say is if you have one shot to really impress a celebrity and get them to really take notice of you, you aren't going to be doing a damn card trick.

But do you think they will remember the guy that had a great personality and was kinda funny or the guy that FREAKING PULLED THREAD OUT OF HIS EYE WTF?!?!?!?!
 
Nov 8, 2007
1,238
3
I think if you had one shot to make a piece of magic truly memorable you'd want to get in as deep as possible--like borrowing an object, altering it magically, and then giving it back in an impossible condition, or using something personal and/or private like a name or a memory.

Just my opinion on the subject.

Happy Magic

PS - If anyone is interested in pursuing Michael Ammar's thoughts on this subject he has an excellent audio book you can download on his site here. Like all of the things Mr. Ammar has released, this too is great stuff.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mar 28, 2010
36
0
Maryland
You have one shot to impress a celebrity. Keep in mind celebrities have probably been exposed to a bit of magic considering how many events, and entertainers they have met.

Also consider that this could be an incredible opportunity for a demo reel.

What ONE trick do you do in this situation? Is it a tried and true card trick? Maybe more along the lines of bizzare?
What do you think?

I would do something really artistic with loops or make something random appear somwhere random. :)

Edit: Nevermind! I would make a big block of ice appear under there hat like Malini!!
 
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