Best Opener
- Thread starter ElisG
- Start date
Depends what environment you're working in
An opener should be short, simple and amazing. Usually the 2nd best trick in your arsenal.
May I ask how much experience you have?
An opener should be short, simple and amazing. Usually the 2nd best trick in your arsenal.
May I ask how much experience you have?
What kind of stuff do you do?
If it's table hopping in a restaurant setting, i would usually do a card through table to open. In a bar setting, something more flourishy. Maybe a kick out card revelation.
The most important thing to remember is that your opener is part of your introduction, so you want it to kind of set up, in the spectator's mind, how you will be performing, the typ of material you will do, and your general style, personality and attitude.
If you don't do card's, try a short snappy display of mental prowess. Never fails to grab the attention.
CL
If it's table hopping in a restaurant setting, i would usually do a card through table to open. In a bar setting, something more flourishy. Maybe a kick out card revelation.
The most important thing to remember is that your opener is part of your introduction, so you want it to kind of set up, in the spectator's mind, how you will be performing, the typ of material you will do, and your general style, personality and attitude.
If you don't do card's, try a short snappy display of mental prowess. Never fails to grab the attention.
CL
Something that resets almost instantly.
Some people will tell you to do a trick that more based on skill like the queens or something as opposed to getting someone to pick a card. Personally for my first piece I practically don't touch the cards. Catch a peek or glimpse and hand the deck to the spectator. Then a quick explanation of psychology then a simple lie detector test always goes down nicely.
Some people will tell you to do a trick that more based on skill like the queens or something as opposed to getting someone to pick a card. Personally for my first piece I practically don't touch the cards. Catch a peek or glimpse and hand the deck to the spectator. Then a quick explanation of psychology then a simple lie detector test always goes down nicely.
About 4 years now, and it's at a wedding.
And Chr!s:
I do mainly card, some coin, rope, sponge ball etc.
I also do mentalism, but don't plan on doing any that night, til now I've done a hotshot cut to top change, but I don't think it's powerful enough.
Hmm. You do ropes and coins you say...
How about Troy Hoosers Charming Chinese Challenge routine?
It's very visual, it can be framed like a 'puzzle' rather than a magic trick (regardless of the fact that it look VERY magical), and it's not too advanced in handling.
You can find it in Troy's fantastic 'DesTROYers' book, or in it's very own one effect DVD, featuring a bunch of different handlings from the likes of thomas wayne, shoot and appollo.
CL
How about Troy Hoosers Charming Chinese Challenge routine?
It's very visual, it can be framed like a 'puzzle' rather than a magic trick (regardless of the fact that it look VERY magical), and it's not too advanced in handling.
You can find it in Troy's fantastic 'DesTROYers' book, or in it's very own one effect DVD, featuring a bunch of different handlings from the likes of thomas wayne, shoot and appollo.
CL
YOU + GIG = AHAHAHAHA
Nuh all jokes aside, I would have a look at David Stones Real Secrets to Magic, it has routines and advice for a table hopping magician.
JDEN
Nuh all jokes aside, I would have a look at David Stones Real Secrets to Magic, it has routines and advice for a table hopping magician.
JDEN
What?
Anyway Chr!s, does Charming Chinese Challenge require a gimmick? Or just the ropes and chinese coins?
Cheers.
Cheers dude, I'll have to check a preview out.
EDIT: Ah, wow... I remember this, Joshua Jay was selling them at his lecture, I wish I bought it now
Yeah, Josh does it very well (But Josh does everything very well!)
It's cool man. The books out of print now, but you might be able to get one from somewhere.
CL
It's cool man. The books out of print now, but you might be able to get one from somewhere.
CL
Meh, one've my mates bought it at the lecture, so maybe he'll be able to lend it to me for the night, thanks for the reccomendation.
I would Usually do SHowOff By Brian Tudor for an opener
I know you are probably not going to do that anyways so I would recommend
Buying Flash Paper and doing the whole Flash Deck Production
David Stone Recommends too
I know you are probably not going to do that anyways so I would recommend
Buying Flash Paper and doing the whole Flash Deck Production
David Stone Recommends too
My advice is a very powerful ambitous card routine or witness. Im not quite sure what the rest of your routine looks like, but your gonna want to tailor your first trick to be like it. For example, If your routine is hard hitting out-of-the-box magic, then Witness is the way to go. I would still say witness over anything as it fits the bill for an opener perfectly.
I hate that Hypnotic routine by Tudor, it's ridiculously fast and not engaging. After the first couple of dribble passes i just get very bored. It seems like a "look what i can do" and "i'm the best in the world" kind of routine.
If you're good with angles, i suggest doing DnD's Commercial. Lengthen the trick with some patter and introduction. It sets up your magic to be visual and fun.
If you're good with angles, i suggest doing DnD's Commercial. Lengthen the trick with some patter and introduction. It sets up your magic to be visual and fun.
Honestly, what kind of question is this....
Imagine something more serious - I am a doctor, and I perform surgery in a few weeks, any of you guys recommend the best incision? So, perhaps magic isn't as serious as cutting someone open....but really dude, you should already have a concept of what material you are goind to do.
You are going to buy a DVD, and have down your own patter and perfect the method in a few weeks? Garbage.
I would say - do something you have been doing for awhile, and do it well. Vernon said, "Do one thing better than anyone else, and you will be remembered", more importantly, do something good to start and they will want to see more.
So this brings me to my next point - a more important question is: What would be considered good criteria for an opener?
For me, I want something that is solid - that can't be caught even if they try their hardest. This will set up the..."you are wasting your time burning me" concept for the rest of the set. I want humour and a few jokes involved in the opener....and I want it to be strong - very strong....almost as strong as a closer. In short...which is odd...because this post is long-ish, anyhow, I want my opener to represent all of what I am about to offer - if they only see that effect, they would be able to know my magic and my personality.
Hope this is of more help than naming an actual effect to choose.
On that note - Chr!s, if you are doing CCC by Hooser, and feel that it is easy...you may not be doing it right. I thought I was doing it right too...until I saw Troy do it, and realized how truly skilled it could be, when convincers are added. Great effect choice though, but I wouldn't say it was "easy".
Imagine something more serious - I am a doctor, and I perform surgery in a few weeks, any of you guys recommend the best incision? So, perhaps magic isn't as serious as cutting someone open....but really dude, you should already have a concept of what material you are goind to do.
You are going to buy a DVD, and have down your own patter and perfect the method in a few weeks? Garbage.
I would say - do something you have been doing for awhile, and do it well. Vernon said, "Do one thing better than anyone else, and you will be remembered", more importantly, do something good to start and they will want to see more.
So this brings me to my next point - a more important question is: What would be considered good criteria for an opener?
For me, I want something that is solid - that can't be caught even if they try their hardest. This will set up the..."you are wasting your time burning me" concept for the rest of the set. I want humour and a few jokes involved in the opener....and I want it to be strong - very strong....almost as strong as a closer. In short...which is odd...because this post is long-ish, anyhow, I want my opener to represent all of what I am about to offer - if they only see that effect, they would be able to know my magic and my personality.
Hope this is of more help than naming an actual effect to choose.
On that note - Chr!s, if you are doing CCC by Hooser, and feel that it is easy...you may not be doing it right. I thought I was doing it right too...until I saw Troy do it, and realized how truly skilled it could be, when convincers are added. Great effect choice though, but I wouldn't say it was "easy".
i usually like to open with something very simple... i find that if you start out with something complicated it makes the spectator feel a little bit threatened which then leads then into heckling you a little bit... also, i dont usually like to start out with something that involves an obvious gimmick... some undercover ones, feel free...
here is my latest routine that i've been performing the most:
opener: 2 card monte (gets them thinking about gambling)
2nd trick: (sometimes they'll ask me to do 3 card monte so i will) otherwise Invisible palm... a smooth transition from 2 card monte
finisher: i usually like to do some form of mentalism at the end of my routine... i'll usually do stigmata as my finisher for all routines
here is my latest routine that i've been performing the most:
opener: 2 card monte (gets them thinking about gambling)
2nd trick: (sometimes they'll ask me to do 3 card monte so i will) otherwise Invisible palm... a smooth transition from 2 card monte
finisher: i usually like to do some form of mentalism at the end of my routine... i'll usually do stigmata as my finisher for all routines