A Little Mistake That Can Ruin Your Performance...

[Luis Vega]

Hello Everyone...

I`ve seen that this forums have recently being overwhelmed by a lot of begginers...though I don`t consider myself a pro...I certainly have some experience and I think I have something to share with all of you...It`s a little mistake that can destroy a whole performance..I used to do it a lot when I was starting...here is a little story...

I was on a party and I got a set of great tricks...but I had the lattest trick in the store...I think it was factory sealed...it was a coin thru bottle effect that could literaly destroy somebodie`s mind...it`s a great trick...

I started doing some magic, you know the drill...some cards, everybody was having fun and I was having a great time practicing and having some attention from some girls...awesome time

then I got ready to perform Factory sealed...and then I did it...shazam!! the coin went thru the bottle....silence...wait for it...wait for it...screams and people laughing histerically..great job...

"oh that was great!! can you show us another one?" mmmh..I hesitate a little then I remember I have rubberhands in my wrist and I proceed to do a little rubberband routine...

up until now everything was going great...did it?...NO!! what the heck was I thinking!! I did a super-strong effect and then a so-so effect...I destroyed my whole performance by doing that trick...

the reason is that once you have reached a point where everybody is thnking of you as a demi-god you reminded them that you are only human...

I read something that it was something like "for a comedian, the moment the audience is laughing histerically, it`s the moment when he should leave" in magic should translate that the moment the audience is really amazed and laughing and sometimes even silent is the moment where you should stop performing...for a mentalist, the moment the audience is afraid you might read their deppest secrets is the moment when you should leave...

Got it? unless of course you have a better trick, but we all know how it is...people is amazed, they beg for more and then you want to be nice and give them a little more...and more...and more...this is NOT the way to go...trust me...it`s better to leave them with that feeling for them and for you...

I´ll post some more later...but I wanna hear comments and thoughts...

 

[JButterfield]

A good performance should build, and end at its highest point. This is why routining is important - you should at least plan what your last trick will be, the one that you just can't follow. A good road map of "these are my openers, these are my middle tricks, this one is the closer" will serve you well.

 

[Erdnase1902]

Thats why I ALWAYS carry an invisible deck around but never break it out except for emergencys like that. I dont use it in my set..but its my "escape pod" I could do a KILLER card through window..or healed and sealed or many other "mind freaking" illusions...and when they ask for ONE more...i break out the invisible deck...the build up of the effect that can be done can be life changing to a spectator..have them call someone and ask them to think of a card and have that be the one. you can go ANY direction with that effect. Anyway, ive been where youve been and it sucks to say NO, but it sucks more to do sponge bunnies after you've blown everybody away by levitating. Trust me. Invisible deck. I keep one in my car. one in my bag. Just in case.

 

[Ashrei]

I am glad you were brave enough to share that with us, Luis. That is an excellent point, giving into peer pressure to do this 1 more, it may actually create more disappointment than if you did otherwise. I am absolutely certain we can all learn from this (and you learned it yourself) that if you can't top what you did, then just saying, no thank you, I just want to enjoy your company as party guest from now is more prudent. Great post.

 

[mehar]

I love this post, it's a fantastic note that I will be sure to take into account!

 

[Haunter]

Awesome post Luis.

I typically have sets of three effects and just leave it at that. Certain sets I will occasional allow for an encore effect that is relevant to the set. I like for the encore to meet or exceed the 3rd effect in impact but I also want the encore to change in some kind of dynamic yet still be relevant.

An example could be for a set of pure card effects: Open-2CM Body-Biddle trick Climax-Lapse and the encore would be something like Stigmata, usually the deck method. The deck keeps it relevant to the set so far but the mind reading element makes them aware that the dynamic is shifting. The final reveal on the wrist at this point is explosive.

 

[Chris W]

I think people of all skills levels can appreciate the advice. So thanks. Your story reminds me of Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz (if someone doesn't have it, get it now!). He was always about making a routine stronger as you go along, much like you said.

One piece of advice that I learned the hard way when I was a couple months into magic was to never do the same trick twice! No matter what. Hope some people new to this art don't make the same mistake I did.

 

[RikAllen]

This reminds me of a magician/mentalist I saw new years eve last year. He was damn good at what he did, the whole show was building and I actually thought he did a good job with magic effects and mentalism and mixing them into a good show. He ended with a triple prediction, a movie-song-playing card drawn onto a cardiographic style board. So you had ET holding a card while singing 'I'm too sexy for my shirt..." (hilarious image, but correct prediction) he then made the correct card rise out of the drawing and took an applause.

Great show...he then asked to do one more thing...

While wonderfully done, your average spongeball routine just doesn't compare to the last 3 things he did, let alone the buildup of a triple prediction taken from slips of paper at the beginning of the show and left in view the entire time.

I'm sure I've done it before as well, but none come to mind right away.

 

[Justin.Morris]

Ha ha, I've made that mistake lots!

Great tip to keep in mind when building your sets.

 

[Luis Vega]

Thanks to everyone that has answered this thread

I think we all can relate to this...as Justin said...is useful to plan for doing one more trick when the audience keeps begging and do it like it wasn`t planned...that could be the moment when you do the strongest trick in your "impromptu" set...that could be the weakest in your paid set...

As a quick story...well...actually this has happened before when I was a begginer...and I think this has can happen with any of you...well only males...when girls are begging and they try to use their appeal to get other trick it was difficult to me to say no..now...I don’t let women use their looks to gain anything from me. There are no special privileges.. and I mention this reason because I have seen lots of young and old magicians to fall for them and ruin their perfomance...

 

[Justin.Morris]

Very true Luis.

Even at this last cocktail party I did. I found I would do the second effect in my set and have to stop, because the reactions were so good.

You can also use this to your advantage: This worked well for my twisted sisters set. I did the first two and they asked for more. I glanced over my shoulder and asked them to come closer. "I don't normally do this effect, but let's try something weird". I then did the last effect as an afterthought. Interestingly enough that seemed to draw the largest group too. It was surprising (I've got so much to learn!).

 

[RikAllen]

You can also use this to your advantage: This worked well for my twisted sisters set. I did the first two and they asked for more. I glanced over my shoulder and asked them to come closer. "I don't normally do this effect, but let's try something weird". I then did the last effect as an afterthought. Interestingly enough that seemed to draw the largest group too. It was surprising (I've got so much to learn!).

That's actually a really good ploy to build suspense. Have great effects and then make the third one (which you were planning on doing anyway) seem like a super-secret effect that you don't usually do. I usually do this when I'm at a party with friends and want to do something more serious (control, prevaricator..etc). I stop doing magic and when they ask for more I tell them I will try something I don't often attempt because of how real it can be or that it can fail.

I usually stop afterwards and let everyone talk about it for the rest of the night.

I learned how to structure routines at a retirement community where most of the residents enjoyed the magic very much (and told me how great it was to have a visitor...etc) but there always seemed to be comments 'I liked that first trick he did best, I have no idea how he did it and it was entertaining.' (gotta love loud talking because of hard hearing) so I would move that trick to the end of my sets and see how it played. A half dozen visits doing the same tricks (in different orders with different presentations) I was getting much better reactions both at the community and everywhere else I performed.

I started asking people 'So what'd you think of all this.' after performances to see what they liked best and what I needed to work on. It's amazing how much you can learn from a complete stranger who has seen 3 or 4 of your tricks.

I can remember doing a card trick I didn't find super mindblowing and following it with an effect I thought was killer...I was wrong, laymen (time and time again) saw it the other way around. I'm still trying to learn how to structure them, but I've definitely made progress over time.

 

[b_08]

Thanks to everyone that has answered this thread

I think we all can relate to this...as Justin said...is useful to plan for doing one more trick when the audience keeps begging and do it like it wasn`t planned...that could be the moment when you do the strongest trick in your "impromptu" set...that could be the weakest in your paid set...

As a quick story...well...actually this has happened before when I was a begginer...and I think this has can happen with any of you...well only males...when girls are begging and they try to use their appeal to get other trick it was difficult to me to say no..now...I don’t let women use their looks to gain anything from me. There are no special privileges.. and I mention this reason because I have seen lots of young and old magicians to fall for them and ruin their perfomance...

What an excellent point, Luis. I never quite thought of it that way even though most of us who have some experience always try to bookend our performances with the strongest effects; open with a great one, close with the best one.

But what you said is so true, it's a let down for the audience and you don't leave them with the last strong imagine.

 

[jerryjimenez]

great advice Luis! Will definitely keep this in mind.