Common Theme?

Sep 7, 2017
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Hey there! So I've been reading a few books that talk about routining. All the books say that a routine needs to have a common theme. I'm kind of confused on what this means. What are some examples of a "common theme?" How do you find the common theme?
 
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Dec 31, 2019
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Hey,

So pretty much means having cohesiveness in your routine. Sometimes it’s very direct, like a card under box routine( it would be odd to do a haunted deck in the middle of that). If you are stringing together a few separate tricks together it can simply mean the story line flows (patter or trick based or both )

I think it’s easier put this way .

Routine 1.( predictable but works)
You go to see a double feature . The first movie is kill bill 1 . The second is kill bill 2

Routine 2. (Justified by theme)
The second movie is Ip man.

Routine three(no thought just another movie. Still sometimes enjoyable to the right crowd )
The second movie is finding nemo.


Sometimes it doesn’t matter if your whole routine is this long story . It can be nice to break it up . But at least knowing the trick well enough to know the ins and outs so your natural and having a good time with the people.
 
Dec 31, 2019
28
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Should’ve said this all is affected by where your performing . Street, walk around , stage, kids show .

Example .

Say your favourite loud band is playing a small show . I’m sure they will cater their set and sound to the venue.

I generally find In most things, developing a theme is tricky and works pretty closely to being authentic.


Best
 
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RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
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Hey there! So I've been reading a few books that talk about routining. All the books say that a routine needs to have a common theme. I'm kind of confused on what this means. What are some examples of a "common theme?" How do you find the common theme?

I'm curious as to which books you are reading... that may help with the answer.

So, there are two different meanings for the word "routine."

One is a series of phases of an effect using the same props. Think about an Ambitious Card routine, a Cups & Balls Routine, a Coin Matrix routine or a Wildcard Routine. The common theme between those routines is that there is a variety of effects which are similar in nature performed with the same props.

The other meaning of a "routine" is a series of different effects performed in sequence. What ties the effects together is that the effects make sense to be performed in sequence and that there are logical transitions from one effect to another (i.e. avoiding the Rocky and Bullwinkle "and now for something completely different!"). For example, the same selected card can be used to tie a routine together (e.g. it turns face up in the deck, has its back change color and then teleports to the performer's shoe). The routine can build on itself by starting with a four ace production, using the produced aces with coins for a Matrix and then doing a coin trick. Another way to tie the routine together is through presentation where the effects could be presented around the same idea (e.g. about how you are just lucky or how you always lose things) or could be tied together with a singular story. In that context, I think the idea of "theme" means that the effects make sense to be performed together for some reason.
 
Dec 31, 2019
28
16
I'm curious as to which books you are reading... that may help with the answer.

So, there are two different meanings for the word "routine."

One is a series of phases of an effect using the same props. Think about an Ambitious Card routine, a Cups & Balls Routine, a Coin Matrix routine or a Wildcard Routine. The common theme between those routines is that there is a variety of effects which are similar in nature performed with the same props.

The other meaning of a "routine" is a series of different effects performed in sequence. What ties the effects together is that the effects make sense to be performed in sequence and that there are logical transitions from one effect to another (i.e. avoiding the Rocky and Bullwinkle "and now for something completely different!"). For example, the same selected card can be used to tie a routine together (e.g. it turns face up in the deck, has its back change color and then teleports to the performer's shoe). The routine can build on itself by starting with a four ace production, using the produced aces with coins for a Matrix and then doing a coin trick. Another way to tie the routine together is through presentation where the effects could be presented around the same idea (e.g. about how you are just lucky or how you always lose things) or could be tied together with a singular story. In that context, I think the idea of "theme" means that the effects make sense to be performed together for some reason.

I sometimes have a odd way of explaining things. I liked your explanation
 
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Jun 18, 2019
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West Bengal, India
Hey there! So I've been reading a few books that talk about routining. All the books say that a routine needs to have a common theme. I'm kind of confused on what this means. What are some examples of a "common theme?" How do you find the common theme?
Pick any idea or a word you want to communicate or speak about respectively, and stick with it.

Whether the word/idea is PERCEPTION or ''This is why I hate eating oranges", or "This is why my profile picture looks like I'm trying to throttle myself", it's a common theme.
 
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