Talent show effects HELP!

[ArmanMagic]

Hey guys,

So I'm doing a talent show at my school and while I was doing my audition, I realized my routine just did not flow at all. I was wondering if you could help me in some way. I was planning on doing dresscode, multiple card find, insurance policy and fraid knot. I feel like I need a better patter and just overall better effects. Does anybody have any ideas?

 

[AndyW]

I have a bit of advice, slow everything down, build up more patter, and cut one or two of the routines. You could make a multiple card find last 5 minutes or more if you script it well. With dresscode, you could make an iron-on shirt with a card on it, and force that card for one of the cards in your multiple card find routine.

Also, how long of a spot do you need to fill? How many people are going to attend? What is the environment? Is it an auditorium? The last talent show I did, they put a camera on me and projected it on a big screen so all 500 people in the auditorium could see everything clearly.

 

[ArmanMagic]

I have up to 10 minutes. It's on a stage. Multiple card find might not work. I will have to ask if it is possible to have a camera on me. It would be so awesome it it happens but it might not. Maybe 300-500 can fit in the auditorium

 

[AndyW]

Hmmmm. When's the show? Do you have time to learn new material?

 

[JokerZingo]

Hey, to start off in my opinion you shouldn't start with dresscode if you don't have any other SICK tricks after that the first trick I usally do when I do shows is to force a card on the spectator and than read their mind to warm them up abit and than u starting to go for the big shoots.

I don't know what tricks you know but it looks like you switch to much items you can start of with dresscode and than do ONLY cards or ONLY coin tricks but don't switch items too much it gets the specator confused and it will be hard for them to understand the connection between your tricks.

I also think that's why you don't have any flow in your preformance.

I wish you the best =)! - JokerZingo

 

[ArmanMagic]

Hey, to start off in my opinion you shouldn't start with dresscode if you don't have any other SICK tricks after that the first trick I usally do when I do shows is to force a card on the spectator and than read their mind to warm them up abit and than u starting to go for the big shoots.

I don't know what tricks you know but it looks like you switch to much items you can start of with dresscode and than do ONLY cards or ONLY coin tricks but don't switch items too much it gets the specator confused and it will be hard for them to understand the connection between your tricks.

I also think that's why you don't have any flow in your preformance.

I wish you the best =)! - JokerZingo

Well here's how I'm thinking about presenting it. When I start off with Dresscode. I don't talk. I just go up on stage with Taylor Swift's Red playing in the background and make my shirt change in a red dress shirt with a tie. Then the music stops and I'm thinking about doing this arm twist trick with the audience which is like an IQ test to see if the audience will be able to understand the next trick I'm going to do. I'm thinking of doing two prediction tricks. One that is turns into a magic insurance policy routine and then one then is a legit prediction. Does anybody have any ideas about prediction tricks?

 

[Delusional]

Hey,

Good old fashioned invisible deck would do well. If you put it in a box at the front of the stage. Or maybe a voicemail prediction (ipremonition) that could be cool- hold the mic up to your phone. I'm no mentalist tho, but I hope those ideas help!
-JP

 

[ArmanMagic]

Hey,

Good old fashioned invisible deck would do well. If you put it in a box at the front of the stage. Or maybe a voicemail prediction (ipremonition) that could be cool- hold the mic up to your phone. I'm no mentalist tho, but I hope those ideas help!
-JP

See I want to do invisible deck but I don't really want to buy a jumbo invisible deck for this because it just's too expensive for that kind of trick.

 

[ii3randonmagic]

i'm good friend with the media teacher so I am performing a tabled card effectsl, starting with mnemonica and ending with michael vincents two different deck of finding the selected card, this will all be displayed through a camera leading to a projector which will be on out wall so they can see it. If you're looking to do a close up effect that is something you can do.

 

[4ofClubs]

Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz is really helpful in thinking about these questions. As Joker mentioned, continuity of props is really important and switching from item to item can be really confusing. If you are going to do multiple tricks that produce the same effect, you need a really good reason for doing so. One possibility is to do a prediction one way, hypothesize a solution, and then present it the other way to disprove that possibility. Finally, the idea of build is really important. Often in my impromptu sessions, I end up doing a trick or two too many, and end on a weaker note than I should have. Make sure that each effect is stronger in impact than the one that came before it.

 

[ArmanMagic]

I now have a good idea of what my routine will consist

Opener: Dramatic Music will play, but then I will storm on the stage and yell at the sound guy for getting the track wrong and tell him to switch it. It then goes on to Taylor Swift's Red and I re-enter the stage and I just point to the shirt. When the song starts saying Red over and over I change my shirt into a Red Shirt.

Middle:
I say hello to the audience and say thank you for coming blah blah. I then proceed to tell them that they will participate in group IQ test to see whether or not I should perform the next trick. I then do the Arm Twisting trick and they will not get it. I'll crack a joke about that and then go into Jumbo Moving Pips.

Closer:
I then point out the Envelope that has been in full view the whole time. I use a beach ball and pick three random spectators. One of them names a place, another names an activity, and then the last names a person. I then take down the envelope. It has another envelope, and another, and another and then a prediction. The prediction completely matches the named person, place and activity.

I say that that wasn't my last trick. I have one last IQ test. I tell them all to stand up. I tell them to put their hands together and start clapping. I basically trick them into giving me a standing ovation. And that's the show.

 

[RealityOne]

Arman:

You seem to be too focused on the tricks and not the presentation. It's like saying you are hungry and then picking four random foods - Cheese Doodles, Coco Puffs, Sushi and Ice Cream. Yeah, individually they are good, but there is no reason for eating them together, let alone in that order.

Pick an effect you like and decide how you will present it. Then, pick other effects that complement it and are consistent in style. Start with something that can anchor your act.

By the way, that something isn't Dresscode. That isn't a routine, it is just something flashy.

See I want to do invisible deck but I don't really want to buy a jumbo invisible deck for this because it just's too expensive for that kind of trick.

Watch Wayne do the effect using a purse frame and a single card:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPX37l1vNWM

You can use a paper bag for them to get the invisible deck out of. At the end they put it back in and you pull a real deck out. If you have a brainwave deck, you can do the tossing of the cards and then have them insert the remaining card upside down in a deck with a different color. If you know how to make an invisible deck, you can set it up so that they actually pick which color card they have. Otherwise, just ask them to pick a color, red or blue. Whatever they pick, you tell them whether it goes to the card or the deck.

Also, if you know how to make an invisible deck, you can make it with blank face or blank back cards, so their card is the only card that has a face or a back on it.

 

[RealityOne]

I now have a good idea of what my routine will consist

Opener: Dramatic Music will play, but then I will storm on the stage and yell at the sound guy for getting the track wrong and tell him to switch it. It then goes on to Taylor Swift's Red and I re-enter the stage and I just point to the shirt. When the song starts saying Red over and over I change my shirt into a Red Shirt.

Middle:
I say hello to the audience and say thank you for coming blah blah. I then proceed to tell them that they will participate in group IQ test to see whether or not I should perform the next trick. I then do the Arm Twisting trick and they will not get it. I'll crack a joke about that and then go into Jumbo Moving Pips.

Closer:
I then point out the Envelope that has been in full view the whole time. I use a beach ball and pick three random spectators. One of them names a place, another names an activity, and then the last names a person. I then take down the envelope. It has another envelope, and another, and another and then a prediction. The prediction completely matches the named person, place and activity.

I say that that wasn't my last trick. I have one last IQ test. I tell them all to stand up. I tell them to put their hands together and start clapping. I basically trick them into giving me a standing ovation. And that's the show.

You posted this when I was typing my prior post. Let me give you my thoughts.

First, the opener seems way to contrived for a justification for you to change your shirt.

Second, the arm twisting trick is a great opener for a longer show, but seems inappropriate for a 10 minute performance. Also, do you really want to make your audience seem dumb?

Third, what does Jumbo Moving Pips have to do with Dresscode or the Arm Twister gag? Is that the most powerful effect you've got?

Fourth, how does the prediction effect build on or complement the other effects? How did you get the power to make a prediction? Was it your ability to quickly change your shirt, your ability to bend your arms in a strange way or your ability to manipulate the pips of a jumbo card? It just isn't consistent. Mentalism shouldn't be used just because it can get a strong effect. It has to be consistent with your character.

Last, the applause thing isn't a good as you think. Be subtle. If your act is good, they will applause. Otherwise, you make the audience feel like a bunch of suckers.

 

[ArmanMagic]

I figured I'm not doing dresscode but I do really want to include a nice prediction mentalism routine. I'm trying to see if I could do the invisible deck and have my friend film me on a projector.