I know this is going to start an all out bash fest on me, but I was reading a post that someone wrote about what magician needs to know. And I agreed with every point but one of the points that has always bothered me is the one about how a professional knows 3 tricks perfect and an amateur knows 15 tricks just ok, and how you should not go and perform until you get those 3 tricks perfect. I do agree with the fact that every magician learning a new effect should practice practice practice, but once the machanics is worked out and a little patter...then its time to get out there and perform. I am not a professional magician, but there is not a pro out there than can convince me that their biggest learning tool was NOT performing for real people. There is no mirror or video camera that is going to prepare you for dealing with real people with different personalities, angle problems, people who like to be grabby, people who just burn your hands, weather, lighting issues (bar, club etc.), drunk people, kids.. etc..etc..etc.
So, my point is, I feel like any good performer needs to know more than just 3 trick well, so that you can change up a trick in a routine if you realize you are dealling with a certain type of person. If someone is just there to catch you and just burning your hands then you can go into soemthing that does not require as many slieghts and more in their hands. Also, you can just put the cards away and do something with some object borrowed or some type of mentalism effect, because I find that when you pull out a deck of cards some people feel like it is a game of "try and catch me" rather than "watch and enjoy". I feel that if magic is love or passion of yours then you need to be versitile in what you can do. Ideally, you should work on your own material, but I am sure that you will find a trick or two that you will buy or read that you just HAVE to do because you love the effect so much.
Anyway I am getting off the point a bit. I feel all magicians needs to stay versitile in their magic. And have enough material to perform in different situations, and that WILL BE more than 3 tricks. If anyone out there has the UltraGaff video and cards from W:H and D:G, in the beginning of that video they even say that the effects on the DVD and gaffs were made under a time contraint they were given from ellusionist, and i feel they performed the effects well. So anyway... what do you guys think?
So, my point is, I feel like any good performer needs to know more than just 3 trick well, so that you can change up a trick in a routine if you realize you are dealling with a certain type of person. If someone is just there to catch you and just burning your hands then you can go into soemthing that does not require as many slieghts and more in their hands. Also, you can just put the cards away and do something with some object borrowed or some type of mentalism effect, because I find that when you pull out a deck of cards some people feel like it is a game of "try and catch me" rather than "watch and enjoy". I feel that if magic is love or passion of yours then you need to be versitile in what you can do. Ideally, you should work on your own material, but I am sure that you will find a trick or two that you will buy or read that you just HAVE to do because you love the effect so much.
Anyway I am getting off the point a bit. I feel all magicians needs to stay versitile in their magic. And have enough material to perform in different situations, and that WILL BE more than 3 tricks. If anyone out there has the UltraGaff video and cards from W:H and D:G, in the beginning of that video they even say that the effects on the DVD and gaffs were made under a time contraint they were given from ellusionist, and i feel they performed the effects well. So anyway... what do you guys think?