10% Trick, 90% Magic

[oldavid1]

Hello.

I just wanted to share a small story of mine (nooo...not another one) that demonstrates the difference between what magicians see, and what the audience sees.

In Art class, I usually perform magic and mentalism (mostly mentalism now) for my fellow classmates. I didn't have a deck on me one day, and didn't know any more mentalism effects I could show, so I took a cutter and broke the tip off. It was quite sharp, and my classmate eyed me suspiciously. I false-transferred it to my other hand (palming a sharp object is not painful) and paused for a beat.
Then I just tilted my head and "swallowed" it.
She gasped. "Take it out, take it out!" She said.
At this point I could have spit it back out, or fulfilled my morbid pleasures. I did the latter.
I gulped really loudly, and she screamed.
To make a long story short, for the next 5 minutes, I pretended to be choking, gagging, spitting, and then asked for water. She couldn't sit still.

When you compare the amount of "trick" in that effect, all that was required was palming. When you put that amount alongside the reaction I got, it was probably a 1:30 ratio.
If you can do that with something so small and understimated in our magic society, please let me know as well. And the TRUE amount of impact happened a few weeks after that effect....

We were in Art class, and Natalie (my classmate) suddenly said to me, "You know, David, you shouldn't go do MRI scans when you grow up."
Me: "Why?"
Natalie: "I heard that if you have metal on you, they will magnetize and attach themselves to the scanner."
She had me lost up until this point. I had no idea where she was going with this.
Natalie: "You swallowed a CUTTER! It'll probably slice your stomach or something..."
I couldn't help but laugh, and the true impact of my tiny trick dawned on me.

I hope you guys enjoyed that read, and please share any that you have had. My ultimate goal in presenting this story is this:
What's simple isn't always good,
But what's good is almost always simple.
- Bob Cassidy

This is magic, for me.

::dAvid

 

[CaseyRudd]

I highly agree with everything you said. So much of today's magic is branched from the Dan and Dave sleight-heavy tricks and dragged on performances. What hits 'em hard are the simple tricks. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. I love doing the simple tricks, it lets you focus on your performance, like you said. So much of the trick comes from the performance itself and the way you bring it about. I'm waiting for the day when I start to see kids like me doing the simple tricks. I see about 10-15 sleights in almost every video by a kid. They are working way too hard and wasting their time learning sleights they will forget later, just to perform for a camera. I don't see how productive it is, but that's just the way I see it.

Cheers everyone,

Casey

 

[Sean.Cinco]

It only shows that presentation is the key in making magic. I also have a story in relation to this topic.

There was one time during my sophomore year in college, I was on the shuttle going back to my apartment and I was showing a friend of mine some magic. She saw a friend of hers and asked me to show her some magic. So I saw a love bug on the window and mentioned that one flew in the bus. Of course it was on the outside, but the way it was positioned made it look like it was inside. Anyway, I placed my hand over it and "pushed" it through the window and when I removed my hand it flew away (talk about perfect timing). I originally did it to be cheesy, but the girl was seriously freaking out after that and fell into the seat behind her because she really believed that the bug was pushed through the window. My friend knew what I was doing, but when she saw how her friend reacted she was nice enough to play along. It totally wasn't the reaction I was expecting, but it hey, I'm not complaining.

 

[Luis Vega]

It only shows that presentation is the key in making magic. I also have a story in relation to this topic.

There was one time during my sophomore year in college, I was on the shuttle going back to my apartment and I was showing a friend of mine some magic. She saw a friend of hers and asked me to show her some magic. So I saw a love bug on the window and mentioned that one flew in the bus. Of course it was on the outside, but the way it was positioned made it look like it was inside. Anyway, I placed my hand over it and "pushed" it through the window and when I removed my hand it flew away (talk about perfect timing). I originally did it to be cheesy, but the girl was seriously freaking out after that and fell into the seat behind her because she really believed that the bug was pushed through the window. My friend knew what I was doing, but when she saw how her friend reacted she was nice enough to play along. It totally wasn't the reaction I was expecting, but it hey, I'm not complaining.

ok...what is a love bug? is one of those that like to be around the light?

edit: tomorrow I´ll post one story...I am tired and I am going to bed

 

[Sean.Cinco]

ok...what is a love bug? is one of those that like to be around the light?

edit: tomorrow I´ll post one story...I am tired and I am going to bed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovebug

That is a lovebug.

 

[oldavid1]

And as I'm journeying into the realm of mentalism, the perspective has shifted from being "look down at my hands, you'll see magic in my cards" into "look into my eyes, and I'll change everything you believe in".

As the Mentalist, I am everything that I perform. If I can make myself magical, my audience will feel it. With just tricks, you CAN NOT show them something that disproves or questions their beliefs - what they consider to be normal. With presentation, I can open up doors for them - what they consider to be PARAnormal.

4 Queens disappear one by one. The only belief of the audience that will be altered by that trick is that "that guy's hands can make cards turn facedown without me noticing".

That's what separates the magicians from the mentalists. The goals they wish to achieve, and the way they achieve it.

 

[TheatreHead]

And as I'm journeying into the realm of mentalism, the perspective has shifted from being "look down at my hands, you'll see magic in my cards" into "look into my eyes, and I'll change everything you believe in".

As the Mentalist, I am everything that I perform. If I can make myself magical, my audience will feel it. With just tricks, you CAN NOT show them something that disproves or questions their beliefs - what they consider to be normal. With presentation, I can open up doors for them - what they consider to be PARAnormal.

4 Queens disappear one by one. The only belief of the audience that will be altered by that trick is that "that guy's hands can make cards turn facedown without me noticing".

That's what separates the magicians from the mentalists. The goals they wish to achieve, and the way they achieve it.

I disagree about the last comment. There are many magicians who focus more on their presentation than their technique/trick.

 

[oldavid1]

I disagree about the last comment. There are many magicians who focus more on their presentation than their technique/trick.

What presentation you focus on will Never be the focus of your tricks. Taking the example trick of the 4 Queens, the focus will always be the 4 Queens, no matter how you butter it up. Grandpa's Aces - another prime example - had a wonderful presentation. The Aces were the main focus after everything was said and done, not Copperfield's Grandpa.

For Mentalists, presentation is Everything. Thus my title "10% trick, 90% magic". That could be tweaked a little to produce another truth, "10% sleight of hand, 90% Mentalist". Switching a billet (piece of paper) is Nothing to the spectators, but it achieves what presentation that the Mentalist is portraying (aka reading minds, influence, etc). If magicians were to look at that trick, they would consider the main aspect to be switching the billet without anyone noticing - for Mentalists, the switching is just the means to an end, of ultimately proving their abilities. The switch is essentially Nothing. The focus, also, is definitely NOT on the billet, but on the Mentalist.

 

[Sidekick]

I do both magic and mentalism, mentalism on a whole is stronger but there are tons of magic tricks that are more powerful than some mentalism tricks.

It is ignorant to look at magicians as a whole and say they only care about sleight of hand while mentalists use a "billet switch" as a means to the end.
I personally look at sleight of hand as something that can achieve the impossible by technique its only a small part of what I do, the other part is I try and work so hard on presentation and making sure that both aspects are perfect.
I dont agree with focusing more on something than the other, have a balance, and in my opinion everything would work out, given all the time you have practiced the sleight of hand and worked out the presentation.
See the audience don't know what technique you are using, so thats why technique in the eyes of a spectator is NOTHING...

 

[worldwideme]

not trying sound rude and insensitive, but from what i can see, all the switch from magic to mentalism did, was make presentation easier, and a focus for you. because like you said, there are fewer sleights and its more about you.

but. the same ratio can and is achieved by many magicians, there are just more sleights so you need to work harder at presentation.


for example:

mentalism you do a billet tear, like mentioned before, now all you need to achieve your ratio of 1:9 is (we'll go with hours of work spent) 9 hours of work spent to create a solid presentation.

magic: we'll say we have 100 sleights. (because the numbers are easier) now all we need to create the desired ratio is 900 hours spent on presentation.

with me?

 

[oldavid1]

Mhm.

But I beg to differ that "presentation was easier" - I never said that. The focus is just different. Making it more about the Mentalist than about the sleights he does. Sorry if I couldn't convey that clearly.

And about the ratio comparison - it's not just about the ratio of tricks to presentation, it's more about WHAT you presenting. Magic is presenting something you can do, mentalism is presenting something about the Mentalist and, in some instances, about the spectators themselves.
It's not about how "hard you work at presentation", but rather WHAT and HOW you present your stuff - mentalism or magic.

 

[KeoSilver]

That's what separates the magicians from the mentalists. The goals they wish to achieve, and the way they achieve it.

Well I thought this was going to be something worth while but I am disappointed to find that it is only a mentalism is better then magic debate.

 

[worldwideme]

and magicians (are supposed) to make it more about the magic than about the sleights they do.


(i feel you keosilver, severely let down)

 

[oldavid1]

Well I thought this was going to be something worth while but I am disappointed to find that it is only a mentalism is better then magic debate.

Did I really say that? I really didn't mean to say that if I did somewhere down the path; I'm just trying to say that magicians and mentalists have different goals in mind, and different focuses.

@Web - I agree, they are supposed to do that. A handful actually achieve that, especially those that make a lasting impact on their audiences, rather than just learn a trick, practice, and go perform it. Without working on presentation and what they want to achieve through that trick.

 

[worldwideme]

@Web - I agree, they are supposed to do that. A handful actually achieve that, especially those that make a lasting impact on their audiences, rather than just learn a trick, practice, and go perform it. Without working on presentation and what they want to achieve through that trick.

so your basically saying that mentalism is easier for you and magic is more difficult?


EDIT: (before this starts a fuss, i clearly stated FOR HIM)

 

[oldavid1]

I'm getting slighly confused now.

The main point of my thread is really just to express my views on what I do. And no, Web, mentalism is much harder for me than magic. But I really think it's a personal opinion, and in truth we can't compare what is "harder" or not.
End of my opinions.

 

[worldwideme]

I'm getting slighly confused now.

The main point of my thread is really just to express my views on what I do. And no, Web, mentalism is much harder for me than magic. But I really think it's a personal opinion, and in truth we can't compare what is "harder" or not.
End of my opinions.

ok i misunderstood you then. my mistake

 

[oldavid1]

No biggie.
I just hope you got something out of my little story.

 

[KeoSilver]

Did I really say that? I really didn't mean to say that if I did somewhere down the path; I'm just trying to say that magicians and mentalists have different goals in mind, and different focuses.

Enlighten me, what are the different goals between mentalists and magicians? You seem to be implying that magic is lower then mentalism presentation wise. Furthermore great story, everyone loves a cheeky prank. *Sarcasm*

"And as I'm journeying into the realm of mentalism, the perspective has shifted from being "look down at my hands, you'll see magic in my cards" into "look into my eyes, and I'll change everything you believe in...With just tricks, you CAN NOT show them something that disproves or questions their beliefs"

"What presentation you focus on will Never be the focus of your tricks. Taking the example trick of the 4 Queens, the focus will always be the 4 Queens...For Mentalists, presentation is Everything."

"Making it more about the Mentalist than about the sleights he does."

"And about the ratio comparison - it's not just about the ratio of tricks to presentation, it's more about WHAT you presenting. Magic is presenting something you can do, mentalism is presenting something about the Mentalist and, in some instances, about the spectators themselves."

 

[Sidekick]

Presenting something about the mentalist?

I am confuzzled, in mentalism I find most effects are demonstrations of what the mentalist can do....Reading body language or psychic powers etc etc. Same with magic but as most magicians present their magic...Sleight of hand and the ability to deceive.
Or other effects are experiments, i.e. if the the mentalist is experimenting with ESP cards or whatever.