April 2009 :: Proudly Presenting

[Steerpike]

Anyone can write, "Be GOOD and perform well" but none of that is helpful to anyone trying to emulate those things, and yet threads like this on this forum so often descend into that kind of drivel.

What else can we expect? The internet has a way of tricking people into thinking they're experts.

 

[Deleted member 2755]

Here's my input on this. I think the reason why people aren't getting the reactions they want is because their trick doesn't have any meaning. Most of the tricks are just "Hey, look what i can do!"

There was a phrase used by Darwin Ortiz that summarizes what i'm saying. I goes "So you can do magic. Why should I care?"

I agree with that. The first few moments of interaction are very important. The performer must prove him/herself to be a good performer and not some moron doing bad card tricks.

Does the spectator really care that you can pull out 4 aces in a flourishy way? Do they care that you can make balls travel from one cup to another? Do they care that you can make a bunny appear out of your hat? Of course not! It doesn't pertain to them. The magician's ability to to those tricks wont help them in any way.

I kind of disagree with you there. Sure, I can't stand effects that require getting all 4 aces to appear. Even so, many performers can pull it off very well and do entertain their audiences. Making balls go from one cup to another can be entertaining to laymen. (I'm still entertained by watching videos on Youtube of these routines.) If you're going to do a routine like this, it should be done well. If not, then yup... What will the spectator care?

The trick people care most about are ones where they're emotionally hooked. For example, bill switches like Prophet or Extreme Burn are really strong simply because people like money. They can relate to it. When the see that you can multiply money with a snap of your fingers, they'll react because they've been emotionally hooked.

I agree with that. I always love effects that use objects other than cards. It's always good to throw in a routine without cards. If you do use cards, maybe do an effect that is different than the standard "Let me lose your card and find it in a cool way." Mix it up. Immaculate Connection by Paul Harris is one of my favorite close up effects. 3 cards are ripped in the center and then linked and unlinked in some cool magical ways. Effects that go away from the norm are wonderful to perform and I think spectators can commonly find them more entertaining.

Same thing applies with selected cards. Why do card revelations have such a big impact on audiences? Because they picked a card. It's THEIR card. It personal now. This is enhanced if you can have them sign the card. People care about themselves more than anything else so they're emotionally hooked.

Yup! Care about themselves though? Speak for yourself.

So all in all, it's important to have good character and audience management. But if you're trick fails to appeal to the audience, than everything else won't matter. Just remember this important question: "So you can do magic. Why should I care?"

Yup!

I think most magicians are lacking that crucial little bit of humor, audience participation, and variety. Add in those and your presentation and the audience's perception of magic will be improved. It's important to choose what's good for the right audience; connect. For example, it might be better to talk perverted jokes for adults, rather than children. Etc.

I agree with you with the exception of where you said "crucial little bit of humor". I don't think magic is required to have humor. This is a big debate on its own. While I think it is good to add some humor to your magic, it is not ESSENTIAL. Many magicians can pull off just being serious. Watch some Blaine performance. David commonly can just go up to someone and say "Let me show you something." Bam. Humor depends on your style. If it fits you, then throw it in. If it doesn't fit you, don't try to work it in. You performance would be better without it.

There's more to it than just an emotional hook. The whole thing has to work, from the second you say hello to the second you say goodbye.

To use a topical example, look at David Blaine. He rolls up to someone, with a bit of an awkward weird manner, seeming a bit nervous, eyes invariably covered by glasses and says in a somewhat stuttery tone. "Can I show you something?" Not "Can I show you a card trick?" or, "Do you want to see some magic?" but, "Can I show you something?" or, "Do you want to see something that transcends the mind?"

I am typing this as I read through the thread. Cool that you used the same example as I did! It's a good one.

This is incredibly psychologically powerful, because immediately the person is thinking.....what...? What is he going to show me? Some may even be made slightly nervous, unnerved by his manner and his approach, wondering if he's about to unzip his pants and whip something out they don't want to see. All are wondering who is this guy....and is something bad about to happen or something good, and then.....he pulls out a deck of cards, or some other object, but they are still in a highly suggestible state, due to being somewhat confused. Normally the words magic are mentioned with a deck of cards, but in this case.....its never been said.

Then the dialogue stops, a cascade of "watch watch watch" and subtly included non-sequeters in his speaking, "Hey why don't you do this so you can sign it big....big big!!!!, now give me it back so you can take it again......right....watch now watch...." "Hey why don't you shake your own hand" as he reaches out with his hand and they shake it....but miss what he said, but itjust once again thrusts them into a highly suggestible state of mind.

So now the audience is emotionally invested as their card has been signed but are completely confused on a psychological level as to what exactly may happen, maybe still freaked out......then bang the effect happens and suddenly all of their confusion melts away into a certainty that they have just seen something that brings it all together which has a huge impact.

It's thinking about your performance on -those- kinds of levels that separates David Blaine from your average magician. It's -all- intentional. That's why the reactions are good, not because the trick is amazing, or the sleights are flawless, but the whole presentation screams what the heck, and people leave thinking they've seen something magical.

That's what's missing from a lot of performances, which is a tragedy. I'm not saying anyone could replicate that, but there are aspects of that in a lot of good magical performances. In Poker you'd call it 3rd level thinking, whereby first level thinking is, if I approach say hello and do a good trick it'll get them. Second level might be, if my slights are better the reaction may be better, 3rd level thinking may be, how I say hello, or if I confuse them here, or if I do this here it may cause a reaction before I even pull out the deck.

That's what draws people in, and as a magician, misdirection is about more than what's in your hands.

Another example, Copperfield on stage, he gets a bunch of random numbers from the audience and tells a story about his grandads car (which later appears on stage) but what's amazing is the numbers on the number plate are those selected by the audience. Now the story is more than just an emotional hook (which it is) but its also a way of making the number plate perminent in the eyes of the audience. It makes it seem even more impossible because they understand in an emotional and a historical way where the number plate comes from (even if its not true) and thus it brings the house down rather than just being any other number prediction plot.

Basically its lack of thought about the performance. Do you want to be someone just doing card tricks? Or do you want to be someone that is magical? Sure be yourself......but be yourself and think about everything you say. Every part of your act should be thought about, from hello to goodbye when you hand them back their signed card, or their quarter, or you give them the ticket you tore up in front of them in one piece...whatever it is.

So yeah...if you don't put a bit of 3rd level thinking into your magic, you're just another guy with a deck. Everyone needs to find their own way of doing that, that works for them, but its the presance of that X factor that makes miracles possible.

I agree.

What else can we expect? The internet has a way of tricking people into thinking they're experts.

Oh don't get me started on that. We see WAAAAY too much of that on the internet.

-Doug

 

[Deleted member 2755]

What are magicians most lacking in performance?

Being a performer. In order to give a performance, you must be able to perform. There are too many videos I see of people using word for word patter from the original artist. Make things your own. If it isn't something you would normally say, then you shouldn't say it. Don't have a performer personality and a "normal" personality. Be yourself. Make effects you perform your own. Even if the presentation is completely different, you may end up giving a better performance than if you performed using the patter given to you. As a matter of fact, you should TRY to make patter different than the original. Then you know the effect is really yours.

What can we do to enhance our presentation?

Exactly what I sad above.

Further, how can we - as magicians - change the public's perception of magic, through presentation?

By simply being a performer and not some guy who can do some neat card tricks. Pick up a book on presentation. I know Wayne is doing his first Junto Session on a book that has some magic, but is mostly meant to improve a performer's performance. I'll hopefully be participating. Considering this goes hand in hand with what we are talking about, I think it would be great to see some people there.

-Doug

 

[blahblah]

Don't have a performer personality and a "normal" personality.

like derren brown/david blaine/criss angle?

I think the thing is you have to have a personality but it has to be you, but BIGGER.

if you are a little bit interested in Sherlock homes, why not make a performance around Sherlock homes?
lots of people are boring in real life, whats special about someone being normal? its completely NORMAL.

add something special to it?

 

[Tarvi]

Even now when I am a bit older I try my hardest to present each piece of magic as a unsolvable piece of mystery, something that will test even the most hardened of spectators.

I think that is what magic is, and always should be, about...... correct me if I'm wrong! That should always be your attitude, anything less isn't magic.

 

[Steerpike]

Well, this is stagnating. Let's see if I can't get a little momentum going in my typical incendiary way.

What are magicians most lacking in performance?

Humanity. The majority of videos I see of performances of Dan and Dave material or whatever single-trick DVD that came out this month are bland, derivative and stultifying. There's a problem when your performance appears to be broadcasting live from the uncanny valley (if anyone gets that joke, I will be very surprised).

What can we do to enhance our presentation?

Think of your audience first and then the show. I know for some that's an alien concept, but just go with me on this. There's a 99.999% chance that you are not so fascinating that people will drop what they're doing to watch you juggle cards like a trained monkey.

Further, how can we - as magicians - change the public's perception of magic, through presentation?

How about putting together a show I'd actually want to see? I don't care how much shallow, fawning praise you get on YouTube, no one who matters is going to have standards that low. Most magicians think only of what they want to see and then proceed to get up on stage and perform the equivalent of waving their junk at the audience for half an hour and talking about how great it is.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but what's in it for me? What do I get out of watching you do your little spiel? And if you can't answer without making some reference to how mysterious/mind-blowing/entertaining/edgy you are without further elaboration, start over and try it again until you can give an answer that doesn't make me want to smack you.

 

[MitchellStafiej]

Funny you ask this. There's a performance video of Pressure on the main page. In almost every video I see I see the same thing. It's lacking any heart. They're not throwing themselves into the effect. It's like they're standing a few feet back because they're uneasy about themselves. If you put heart into everything you do it'll at least show effort and be incredibly better!

It's all about heart.

Mitch

 

[OneCardWonder]

This community is a part of the problem I'm afraid. That and YouTube.

What people do is they sit down with a DVD.....and they practice sleight of hand for hours, days, weeks, months, years. They then are faced with a huge problem. No matter how hard you practice, no matter how good you are at a sleight, Erdnase makes a very good point. "There is no pass in existence that requires no movement of the hands."

Basically, no matter how good you are, or think you are, if someone is burning your hands you're going to get busted. Period.

What communities like this promote (not intentionally but its the effect anyway) is people posting and battling their clip shift, or their color change, or their pass and everyone jacking off over how good it is on the forum for several hours, or cussing their handling, or whatever. The truth is though that good feedback on a forum doesn't make you a good magician, and bad feedback doesn't make you a bad magician.

In Huggard's card manipulations, he points out a simple truth. "Most successful magicians don't use a cover pass at all."

They do it in front of the spectator, knowing exactly where the spectator is looking, with the certainty that no eyes will fall on the cards." (their pass being a little half shuffle in their hands, just a literal transposition of the 2 packets, open and obvious, but done whilst talking to the spectator, chatting to them. Even if the spectator sees it, their mind should be firmly -elsewhere-.)

Erdnase makes a similar point, which is that the activities of a magician and the activities at a card table as a cheat are 2 very different things. Whilst a card cheat has to do everything in the scope of the game and be natural, a magician can wield unnatural behaviour like a weapon to take attention away from the cards in his hand at any moment.

It's like, a good stand up comedian may know a lot of jokes, have a lot of funny observations, but if you tried to just recite the contents of his act no one would laugh. That's what's happening in magic. People are watching DVDs, reading books, then locking themselves in their rooms and practicing to death, until the sleights are good, then they expect the audience to be aware of the awesome display of skill that is being put on for them. That the audience knows how much work went into the practice and that will impress them. Sorry guys, that's just not the case. The goal of a magician is to make all the sleights invisible, through, sure, making them the best they can be, but also through misdirection, in transit actions etc etc etc. Thus no matter how good your classic pass is, or how good your SWE shift is, the spectator doesn't care. What they do care about is how well you entertain them. How well you relate to them. How well you involve them in your performance. Like the script of a stand up act is secondary to how good the performance is, how good your sleights are, is absolutely secondary to how good a magician you are. You can't be a good magician practicing in your room and then spanking the results on YouTube, or on a forum here and getting props. As Aaron Fisher says, "You have to go out and take your licks performing for real people, and after a while, you'll notice something. You'll notice that even if you flash, no one will notice."


It occurs to me that only a handful of people on this forum actually put themselves in their spectators shoes. Some guy comes up to you and starts flourishing cards. Now as someone that does some magic, I'm like wow. As a spectator I'm like.....that's kinda cool, but what the hell does it have to do with me?

All you're doing is revealing that you are capable of fishy moves at will, giving the spectator an instant out.

Fact is, performance is the key. The routine is the key. Everything about it. If you are going to interrupt and bother someone with something, it better be more than just showing how awesome you are and waiting for applause. That may get you props on a ****ing forum, but it's not going to make a spectator want to watch you perform. "Do you want to see a magic trick?" equates to, "Do you want to stroke my ego with how ****ing amazing I am?"

That's the problem, and there is no easy fix. Until people start reading more books on performance theory than on sleights then this problem will persist. How many times have people said, "I don't like easy magic, it's just basic crap."

Easy magic is working magic. It's impossible to have a good trick that involves 5 cover passes and a SWE shift then a diagonal palm shift and a color change for good measure. You're too busy ****ing around in your hands to even think about what the spectator is thinking and feeling. Sure you should practice tricks like that, because the sleights in them are ones that are needed, but your entire act should not be an effort to hide what you're doing.

So yeah....really what do you do to make the magic magical to a spectator? How do you interest them? How do you make them enjoy themselves?

More importantly than this, how do you involve the Spectator?

Aaron Fisher makes a very good point regarding search and destroy. There's nothing like it for a spectator when the magic happens in their hands. When that happens -share- the credit with the spectator.

Bleagh I've wandered off message and point, but still. If you aren't thinking about engaging the spectator with your hello, and how you introduce yourself, right through to how you say goodbye, then you're only ever going to be a card juggler. Or to go back to the comic analogy, a hack.

 

[Steerpike]

Easy magic is working magic. It's impossible to have a good trick that involves 5 cover passes and a SWE shift then a diagonal palm shift and a color change for good measure. You're too busy ****ing around in your hands to even think about what the spectator is thinking and feeling. Sure you should practice tricks like that, because the sleights in them are ones that are needed, but your entire act should not be an effort to hide what you're doing.

Case in point: Last weekend I was out at a bar with friends. I did a mind reading trick for a girl using only a key card and a swing cut. I schooled my face to a blank mask so that she could project any emotion she wanted onto me and slowly thumbed through the deck while staring directly into her eyes.

At the revelation, she was smiling, laughing like a little girl, and hugged me.

Do you think a card location done with your eyes staring down at your hands as you did two minutes of Sybil and her slutty sisters would create the same emotional connection? Balls no! And let me tell you right now, half the people reading this could do the exact same combo of moves I did and still wouldn't get that emotional connection because they'd omit several important details.

 

[Mentalizing]

Same way anyone else does. Even a child can empathize and say something meaningful. In fact, despite the inherent selfishness and ignorance that come with being a child (and I'm not saying that in a pejorative way), kids are typically better at empathy than a lot of adults are. With a little direction and focus, they too have the ability to do something artistically profound.

How can a 15 year old understand how to do that properly? I mean through personal experiences also, and even in that question could the actual spectator who is a 30 year old female able to truly take the kid seriously. The presentation the teenager pulls could be great but it also lies on how receptive the woman is to magic especially the stereotype one gets when they see a magic trick from a younger person. There are to many stereotypes and obstacles to cross for a younger person, it is achievable to create an emotional hook but it is far more demanding.

 

[Steerpike]

How can a 15 year old understand how to do that properly?

Magicians underestimate children even more than audiences do. We like to imagine that the real secrets to our art are some arcane tradition passed down through the ages to only the worthy practitioners. Truth is, a monkey could do what we do.

A clever young person can figure out how to twist expectations to his advantage. Doc Shiels had a few things to say about this.

 

[Shakutau]

Seems people should take a few months away from magic, and their masturbation of praciticing sleights, looking at themselves in the mirror thinking they're cool with the stuff they can do.

To be honest people, for the ones who havent sat down and thought about their magic - the internal and external aspects, then you should. 99% of the stuff you review, would shame you to your core.

No one owes you, no ones to blame. Ask yourself. Why and hows.

Also peeps. Dont know if this was asked before but, how do you personally approach someone with your magic? Dont tell me stuff like flourishing, im not interested in none of that. Like OneCardWonder said, from the moment you approach impacts their view on you humongusly. It is a key moment. What is your approach?

There were many topics on this issue, but most of the time people gave bland answers - to whom everyone answered near enough the same. "Scuse me ma'am, wanna see a trick?", or "Hey, check this out...", "Erm Sir. You wouldnt have the time would you? Oh great! Just in time to choose a card!".

Great. They see you as a monkey. Now dance.

If you're one step late, you're always late.

 

[RikAllen]

I've read through the posts, agreeing with some and questioning others, it's almost half past midnight two nights after my 21st birthday, and I'm going to make this post as coherent as possible. I don't promise anything.

What are magicians most lacking in performance?

Most lacking?

In a stolen word, Humanity.

Humanity sums up the lack of character, emotional hook, and originality missing in performances today. Robotic hands executing sleights to meaningless words all building up to a sub-standard climax. If you want to claim you can do miracles you have to first believe miracles exist.

What can we do to enhance our presentation?

Start believing in miracles.

Too much? You're probably right. Not everyone can do the same thing in order to grow as a performer. However, everyone can take a look at who they are and why they perform magic. Most magicians started learning after another magician influenced their life. How did they, the famous magician, do that?

How can we do that?
It varies from performer to performer, but creating something worth holding onto is a good start. Russian roulette, for example, is a good concept; it grabs attention with the immediate danger, creates empathy as the odds of failing increase, and when done blindfolded (or with cookies) becomes more than just smoke and mirrors (even if it is, in fact, just smoke and mirrors).

But I don't want to put my, or my spectators, hand at risk. Okay, create a different emotional hook. Use real mythology or modern spiritualism to create interest in your deck of cards. Talk about celebrities or American Idol if that's what you (and your audience) are interested in, I know I'm not. Anything impossible done in a spectators hands, or mind, is better than the majority of what is seen by aspiring magicians recently.

Further, how can we - as magicians - change the public's perception of magic, through presentation?

Bad magicians presentations, or lack of, is what's killing the perception of magic right now.

Too often people forget that the best defense is a good offense.

By identifying the problem we can make strides towards fixing it. The general public has a skewed vision of what magic is-either based on bad performances or even good performances of bad, corny, magic.
How do you combat this?
You keep the video cameras for practicing and professional promotions and start performing for real people. Not your mom and dad, not your best friends little sister, and not other magicians.

Go out and find a stranger.
Spark a conversation, ask them if they believe in whatever the hell it is your hook is.
Proceed to blow their mind.

Don't have a hook? Get one.
Afraid of people? Get over yourself, they already love you-and don't you go forgetting that.
Can't find any strangers? ...you have deeper issues to conquer before you get onto performing.

The first step in making a presentation yours is to first step out of your own head, consider your target audience, and realize that they're all asking, "What do I get out of this? What's in it for me?"

I am what some people call a social butterfly. Go me. -does whitest dance in the world- (no really, I can't dance...)


I make friends with 90% of the people I interact with, the other 10% are people who are inherently bitter or just don't want to be my friend (their loss I suppose).
From the old man who was hitting golf balls beside me at the driving range to the the tellers at the bank, I make new relationships wherever I go. I talk to everyone, get comfortable with people who are intelligent and engaging, and then I create moments of magic out of natural, sometimes influenced, conversation.

I once asked someone I had met, and done a quick mind reading routine for, if he enjoyed what had just happened. He said something to the effect of
"Yeah man, I'm here making conversation thinking you're quick witted and then come to find out you were cheating, reading my mind so you could prepare all these little comments."

He was sincerely perplexed, and even said in jest had an air of truth to his statement. He never said he believed, but never doubted my power to read minds. He's still on the fence about it, as he's seen more magic and only dug himself deeper into the rabbit hole.

He has gotten my friendship, and everything that goes along with it, as well as some sort of inquiry into what could be. I keep telling him there are no such things as psychics, and he keeps telling me that real psychics would only tell everyone that no such thing exists. Again, doesn't think I'm psychic, but he wouldn't doubt me if I told him I was.

I have no idea if what I just said answered either of your questions.

And with that I'm done for now. Feel free to ask questions or challenge my post.

-Rik

 

[Shakutau]

Don't have a hook? Get one.

Exactly. Once you sat down and really thought about the way you want to present your magic, the way you want spectators to see your magic - this hooking thing becomes the gate for magic that is nobody elses but yours. I feel people need to define their magic, they need to look under the label.

Too often people forget that the best defense is a good offense.

This sparked up some thoughts. How can that be applied to magic?

 

[DrGonzo]

Practice, knowledge, adaptability, and more practice. I think these are at least great starting points to answer the three questions.

Practice in the sense of knowing your effects and presentations, patter, slights, moves, enunciation. I have seen many of video and live performances where the effect is broken or lost by poor presentation. Take the time to learn the effect flawlessly, learn the patter you want to use flawlessly, and learn the whole presentation flawlessly. Once you have done that, QC your performance with people close to you that already know your magic (ie family, friends, magic buddies). Since they are used to your style, they can often provide great feedback. In this world of instant gratification, it seems (especially the younger generation) that this piece is gone. It seems that people want to be the first to show that they can do Tivo or Queens, but often times, it is poor and unrehearsed. I myself have made this mistake a coupe of times...i am by no means perfect.

Knowledge. This is a very broad topic, but I will discuss the points I see are the most relevant. Firstly, as well as learning and buying all of the latest and greatest effects on the market, learn some of the classics. Understand the history of the art and skill. I am not saying you have to be a magic historian, but know of the greats like Vernon, Scarne, Erdnase, Huguard, and know some of their effects. After all modern magic is based on tons of the work of the past greats. Also learn knowledge of other skills of life, not just magic. For example, public speaking, psychology, and people skills. These will help in approaching people, and honing your presentation.

Adaptability. This goes hand in hand with practice and knowledge. As I said earlier, know your routine forwards and backwards...but also be able to adapt it. Situations will come up, something will happen and being able to adapt will make you a better performer. There is also adaptability to your audience. I am not going to use the same patter and performances that I would use in a bar or party that I would use in front of my grandmother.

And in closing. More practice. There is no such thing as too much practice. Being able to perform flawlessly to people, to give the “emotional hook,” or just to flat out entertain them will give them a higher amount of respect for you and your art.

 

[RikAllen]

Too often people forget that the best defense is a good offense.

This sparked up some thoughts. How can that be applied to magic?

I meant it as the beginning of changing the publics view of magic. Don't make up excuses, 'You must have seen an amateur magician to think magic is lame'. Just do something amazing, change peoples minds, and continue with the next victim...uhhh spectator.

In terms of presenting or any other application of magic, let's see, be bold about what you're doing. Magic is about you and your ability to do the impossible. The freaking impossible people. Sure, you don't want to be arrogant, but you have to conduct yourself in a manner that commands respect. If the guy making smart comments is getting better reactions then you are as the performer, you're not being aggressive enough.
What is the excuse of magicians? "There was this heckler messing me up."

Hecklers and people who steal your light due to envy or jealousy should be planned for. Just like when you plan out any routine there should be an alternate ending in case something goes wrong.
Have two sure-fire outs when using cards, have the Advocate and an Invisible Deck handy(or whatever else you may use).Now you can forget what trick you were doing, lose their card, drop the deck into a lake and still complete the trick with amazing reactions. "I meant to do that, but in my pocket I have another deck of cards..."

I hope that helps clarify and spark even more thought into my sports analogy.
Because magic is like any sport:
You practice until you're sick of it
Then you practice some more
You then present your hard work on a stage(field), big or small, and you amaze the hell out of your audience with your talents and dedication.

-Rik

 

[visualartist]

The trick people care most about are ones where they're emotionally hooked. For example, bill switches like Prophet or Extreme Burn are really strong simply because people like money. They can relate to it. When the see that you can multiply money with a snap of your fingers, they'll react because they've been emotionally hooked.

Id like to add that I hope people here can come up with different emotional hooks than greed or vanity.
Everytime someone says emotional hook they immediately go for money.

What about things like truth,freedom,lies,love? or any other number of things.

 

[Steerpike]

Hooks go beyond just the emotional as well.

It's disingenuous to keep saying, "emotional hook" when you not only can't expand on the concept of emotions, but you don't know that there are other types of hooks in the first place. If the emotional hook was the only kind, we wouldn't need emotional as a qualifier.

 

[RikAllen]

What about things like truth,freedom,lies,love? or any other number of things.

Karma, dreams, relationships, life and death - to name a few more.

It's disingenuous to keep saying, "emotional hook" when you not only can't expand on the concept of emotions, but you don't know that there are other types of hooks in the first place. If the emotional hook was the only kind, we wouldn't need emotional as a qualifier.

Dinosaurs, card cheats and poker, technology...

 

[visualartist]

Now we're getting somewhere with the emotional hook ideas.

Now lets use 'em.