Scripting Notation

[4ofClubs]

So I have been reading a lot of theory lately (Designing Miracles by Darwin Ortiz & essays by Ascanio) and I have been putting much more time into the particular nuances and subtleties of a few individual effects to try to maximize their magical impact. To do this, I have been doing VERY thorough and detailed scripting. I was wondering what people use as a form of notation in their scripting.

One thing that I have been using is two columns, one for inner reality (what I know is happening) and one for outer reality (what the spectators perceive). This allows me to identify those critical moments and identify ways to establish cover while maximizing presentation. Additionally, I use two columns to record my speech and my actions.

What formatting/notation do you all use? How do you go about detailing/recording your effects? Any particular strategies/insights worth sharing?

 

[lax047]

For me personally I go through the tricks I plan on performing and see if I do things inconsistently at any point. for example in my ambitious card I used to do a double life one way and a single a different way, no one pointed it out but its something that I thought should be consistent.

 

[RealityOne]

"What I say is in quotes but [raises finger to make a point] what I'm doing is in brackets [smiles]."

I don't focus too much on the "inner reality" as part of the script. I typically have a method section before the script.

In fact, most of my scripts have the following sections:

Prop List (for packing)
Set Up (to check that everything is where it is supposed to be)
Method and Subtleties (If you don't perform the effect regularly, this is a great refersher)
Script
Reset (if necessary to reset the effect after performing)

 

[Diavo]

Good topic! I like the idea of 2 columns for the perceived actions and the actual-deceptive-secret actions.

When I was starting to learn magic in college and writing down tricks (either simple ones I was creating at the time or something I saw and wanted to put in my magic journal so I wouldn't forget) I would write in a paragraph form similar to how many magic books are written. I'd put special notes in parentheses, such as pointing out the true nature of what's happened for my own reference:
"Snap fingers with right hand and then point to the deck. Double-lift turn over the top 2 cards showing the Queen. (The King is behind the Queen with this double)."

Now after many years in the professional IT [that's Information Technology not Invisible Thread!] world, when I'm writing down tricks I've created, it's alllllllllllll bullet points:
* Snap fingers.
* Point to deck.
* Double-lift turn over the top 2 cards showing the Queen.
* Note: the King is behind the Queen at this point.
That's how I like to receive information-filled emails at work. Just the facts, don't waste my time with verbose filler. ;-)

Now if you want to design an entire show from the first hello to the final goodbye, have you looked into real play/movie script writing? The format might not fit perfectly for a show, but you may find something interesting.
Trying googling the name of your favorite movie and add the word "script" and take a look. =)

 

[Randy]

Everybody scripts their routines differently. I tend to have what I say in quotes and what the audience sees (as well as minor actions and movements) in italics. But that's pretty much it.

 

[Steerpike]

I start out with a method or type of presentation and work from there. Mainly, I write out the dialog and actions like prose. From there, I hammer out the method almost entirely by feel. I never use more than a couple of sleights per routine, so this is comparatively easy to the time I spend re-writing the actual presentation itself.

At one point I tried writing out my blocking, but that read awkwardly. I tried maybe twice to make crude sketches of audience perspective and that looked like I drew it with my nostrils so that got scrapped in a hurry. These days I don't even bother writing it down. Now I just commit it to memory.