Stand Up Act Questions.

[YRAMagicMan]

I've been working on a stand-up act for while now. It took me forever but I finally decided on what tricks to do. Now my issue is practicing the act. The tricks I've chosen are tricks that I've either been doing for a while, or tricks that don't require any moves and are entirely presentation, so the issue isn't learning the tricks. The issue is practicing the entire act.

I designed the act to work anywhere and pack into a shoe box. Right now, I plan to do the following tricks:

1. 3Fry either to a short clip of Beethoven's Fur Elise, or with patter, depending on the availability of a sound system.
2. Cards Across, specifically Las Vegas Leapers. (One phase)
3. The 3 Way Test from Mark Wilson's book, modified to use the props available. The first prediction made before the Cards Across.
4. Professors Nightmare, with a twist in the presentation that I'm not going to reveal.
5. Sponge Balls.
6. The Cups and Balls.

My act is designed around the loads for my cups and balls routine. My loads are such that they tie the entire act together by reproducing a number of the props used for the act. Due to this fact, I can only eliminate 3 fry and/or the Three Way Test without changing my final loads. Which means that the shortest possible act, without changing the loads, would be Cards Across, Professors Nightmare, Sponges, and the Cups and Balls.

What do you guys think of tricks in general? Do you seen any changes in the order of the act that you think would improve it? What limitations do you see? What do you like? What do you not like? I know the tricks seem to be completely disconnected. I've carefully considered this and planned the transitions so that I can move from trick to trick very quickly. (hopefully with no more than 30 seconds of "dead transition time") Perhaps the most important question, and my reason for posting this, is how would you practice this act? I'm at a loss as to how to practice.

 

[RickEverhart]

Now when you say stand up act....are you thinking more of a small parlour style show or a full blown stage show for 300+ people?
Just curious because some of that seems a bit small if you are thinking a full blown stage show.

The only thing I noticed and it may just be me, is that you are going to do a spongeball act...which now shows that these balls can be hidden very easy in hands and then go into a cup and ball routine where a spectator might think, oh well, he is just putting them in there from his hands because we just saw him able to hide these other little red balls in his hand and make them appear.

Just food for thought but I could be wrong.

 

[YRAMagicMan]

True, some of its small, but I've seen someone do a cups and balls routine in an auditorium with 300+ people in it. He was using my props, and I was standing in back and could see with no difficulty. I've also seen a magician do professors nightmare for a large group of people with small red strings. Another one I'm not too worried about. I'm using eisenhower dollars for 3Fry, and people do the misers dream with half dollars usually, and that's a stage trick. Cards across has also been done on stage a number of times, as well as the sponge balls. The only one I'm really worried about is the three way test and that's an easy one to overcome by having an audience member on stage to confirm what I say.

Your point about the Sponge balls hinting at a method for the cups is a good one. I'll have to consider that. I'll probably move the sponges to an earlier point in the act.

 

[RickEverhart]

I've seen Johnny Ace Palmer do his sponge balls and cups and balls close together and it was fine so maybe I am just over thinking it.
Any way you could have someone have a video cam feed to shoot it up on a big screen or not?

Let me know how this goes.

 

[William Draven]

I don't think the spectators are going to go there Rick. You may be thinking too much like a magician. As long as his misdirection is solid,and perhaps if he really wants to demonstrate how solid the cups ball is he drops it once or twice to show it doesn't squish up he should be fine. I think.

I'm interested in hearing how this goes as well. Do post a performance review for us?

 

[YRAMagicMan]

I'm still developing this. I'll post a video eventually. I don't have any gigs to use this act in yet, but I'll get something eventually. This is something that I've been thinking about for a long time.

 

[Justin.Morris]

I would agree with Rick about the size of the crowd. If the audience cannot clearly see what is happening, the effects are lost. I'm thinking effects like 3fry and las vegas leapers. Too small for more than 50 people to actually enjoy. Think of ways to make them big (Use colourful poker chips, jumbo cards etc.). If you can't do that, then replace them with effects that you can. There are some good thoughts on this in the book Maximum Entertainment. A must read.

With most starter acts, people say their transitions are good, but in reality that's the most difficult part. Make sure you script it (ACTUALLY write it down). This will be the best way to work on the show.

You also mentioned sound systems. Find a way to do this yourself. Do not just give the sound guy your music and expect him to know what he is doing (even if they are professional DJ's). They will let you down. Provide your own sound system. One friend of mine says he uses his laptop and hooks it up to his amp for sound. He then purchased a little remote for his laptop, and builds the music into a power point slideshow. Super smart way to do your sound on the cheap.

Great start!

 

[YRAMagicMan]

I would agree with Rick about the size of the crowd. If the audience cannot clearly see what is happening, the effects are lost. I'm thinking effects like 3fry and las vegas leapers. Too small for more than 50 people to actually enjoy. Think of ways to make them big (Use colourful poker chips, jumbo cards etc.). If you can't do that, then replace them with effects that you can. There are some good thoughts on this in the book Maximum Entertainment. A must read.

I've got a way to make Las Vegas Leapers really big by having the spectator move a good distance from me, and having them count the cards in a way that makes the entire effect much more visible. RRTCM talks about how to count cards on stage during the lesson on how to do the Cards Across. My ideas are based on what's discussed there, but modified to work in the hands. I could also do it with Jumbo cards, but I'll have to do a little bit of testing to see how necessary that is.

As far as 3Fry goes, I may cut that, but I do have an idea of how to make it big. Also, Max Maven in his 2010 EMC presentation made a reference to a magician who closed his vaudeville act with the transposition of a penny and a nickel. (I assume these were American coins.) If someone can do that successfully, why not make 3 silver dollars vanish and reappear on stage for large audiences?

With most starter acts, people say their transitions are good, but in reality that's the most difficult part. Make sure you script it (ACTUALLY write it down). This will be the best way to work on the show.

I'm aware of how difficult transitions are. I have not figured out exactly what to say between tricks, but I have figured out a very easy way to get people on and off stage and make the most of the movement. For example, I'd have a spectator on stage for the Cards Across and Three Way Test, and as they were going back to their seat, I'd have them take the ropes for the Professors Nightmare out into the audience for examination. I've also figured out how to get the ropes back, but I'd have to hint at my presentation twist for the trick to explain that, and I don't want to do that.

You also mentioned sound systems. Find a way to do this yourself. Do not just give the sound guy your music and expect him to know what he is doing (even if they are professional DJ's). They will let you down. Provide your own sound system. One friend of mine says he uses his laptop and hooks it up to his amp for sound. He then purchased a little remote for his laptop, and builds the music into a power point slideshow. Super smart way to do your sound on the cheap.

Great start!

You have a good point here. I only have one effect that I'd do to music, and I can do it without if music if I don't think that the sound guy is competent/trustworthy. Plus, with the way I'd do the effect it would be difficult to start the music and get the trick off smoothly due to timing. Of course, there are ways to "hack" this, but it's a little easier if you don't have to deal with all of that.

Thanks for your advice! I'm hoping to get Maximum Entertainment sometime soon, it's on my "read before the end of July 2012" list along with more books than I can hope to finish in that amount of time. (Like Scripting Magic, Strong Magic, The Five Points of Magic, all must reads.)