Boring Magicians, Boring Rumbles

[coastaldude]

If you take this personal, oh well. If you take this the right way then good for you.

If anybody can link a good battle that would be great. It seems like people are missing the patter part, I don't know if people are lacking personality or a decent script or what. I really don't want to be to harsh but this music stuff is getting out of hand (no mic then I understand.) People can have some decent music playing where it's slightly heard and the person talking HAS the attention of the spectator. The past 10 or 11 battles I just went back to watching T.V. and this shows a few things. When that magicians performs in front of spectators they are most likely just interested when there is nothing else in front of them at the time.

I am not a great magician and don't claim to be, but when I do my magic I get the person's attention w/e means necessary and hold it. Remember there has to be some suspense, some reaction that you can see and capture and build on. Obviously you won't be able to do that for camera but if you practice the effects to a real person first like you should and practice and build on it then you know when to stop, go, build, react, etc.

This seems to be the thing that many magicians just don't see and just don't realize how much your patter and performance really helps. Find a trick you love to do and work on a script, nothing fancy but something you can follow and build on in the midst of the effect but in case it gets boring or you seem to ramble then you can switch to something. It requires obviously a few things which include practice, practice, practice, and trial and error.

Again I may not be the famous magician seeing this and saying something but I know that many famous and not so famous magicians understand where I come from and why I am writing this. Being famous may not have a whole lot to do but then again they must have done something right. So please try and get that I am trying not to be to harsh, although I would be usually but there's this whole respect and chill out theme at T11 so I try and play along.

Btw this is a response to every battle rumble that has bored me, you, and anybody else that you know. Sorry but you know who I am talking about.

 

[TheKingOfCards]

I agree with what you're saying. My take is that a lot of magicians or people who practice magic (there IS a difference!), for some reason or motive, like to battle each other online with videos. Great, if you LOVE competition. Horrible if you're trying to up the standards of the magic community. I don't see it as a way for people to get better at what they do, and I don't see a neagtive side either (people getting frustrated over losing battles and such?). My stance on Battles is neutral because I see neither how they benefit us nor how they can be a negative experience. Collaboration is the answer that I don't think most people understand or can grasp. So what if My muscle pass is farther than yours or my Sybil cuts are faster?

Fred Kaps - There is no place for challenge in professional magic.

Now this guy knows what he's talking about. I think Battles are immature and pointless, and one is better off reading a book like Strong Magic or something from Vernon or Marlo. Much better time spent and you'll at least FEEL that you don't need to prove yourself over some patterless video. Since when have you performed silently in front of spectators on the street or at a gambling night? Yup, nada.

I also see lots of battles for single sleights. Great! Now practice more and stop showing us how much better you are than others. Rather, why not post a video of your progress with a sleight and ASK for suggestions or improvements from fellow magicians? Since when do you perform a single sleight alone without a routined set of effects and patter? Yup, nada once again. Unless... you're one of THOSE who goes out and says, " hey look at this card change *clipshift*!" If that's you, then go ahead and continue battling because no one can help you then haha.

All in all, I MUST sound like an ASS but it's how i feel. Sorry if I'm grumpy, but I am. Some magic videos send me into awe like the T n R video posted a few months ago with a scenery in the dark and a lantern or something in the foreground. Silent videos like those are amazing and well thought, and the actions speak like patter. That's decent and respectable, and I terribly enjoy those kinds of things when they are well planned and effort is put in to look elegant. I do get bored very often scrolling through people's stuff nowadays. I have no videos to back up my own skill and whatnot, but I don't feel I need to post any to know how good (or bad) I am.

 

[Squ!rrel]

What you say is very true, although we get threads about it very frequently. I'd simply advise not watching the battles if they annoy you that much, I don't bother. The whole system is a joke in my opinion, people give out stupidly specific challenges obviously based on what they've just been practicing. I think battles should be purely for flourishing, magic battles just don't really make sense.

 

[Donald C.]

What you say is very true. I am one of those magicians that more than not have music on my video. I like to have my videos edited a certain way sometimes I am in the mood toinclude the patter but most of the time I like the music better. Please do not judge me for this. I perform on the streets, riverclubs, YMCA's, malls etc. at the very east twice week, I am not one of those magicians who make up huge scripts for one trick I am a straight forward and try to make it very visual magicians. That is one reason I do not have huge stories to tell beause in my opinion thatbrings down the magic, some people think with big stories it raises the magic and thats fine that is your own opinion.
I hope you see my point
- Donald

 

[Justin.Morris]

Heh, if you've ever watched a Derrek Dingle teaching video, you've tried to claw one of your eyes out.

 

[Close-Up Expert]

I couldn't agree more with the OP. A lot of times, a lot of magicians just say what they're doing, which to me is kinda pointless.

"Here, I'll just put your card in the middle of the deck" <<-- Said as the magician puts the card in the middle of the deck. IMO, if the audience can see you doing something, there is often times no need to re-enforce it verbally. When in doubt, shut your mouth. That's worked for me so far.

Scripting. It can be a very big help if done properly. A lot of newer/younger magicians tend to overlook this, and think it's pointless. For me, the point of scripting is that it is something to rely on when things aren't going good. The more you perform, the more you have those bad nights, or those shows that you'd rather not remember. I script because on those nights, it's something to fall back on to make sure the show is still a success and the audience still had a good time.

Just because you script doesn't mean you can't venture away from it every now and again if things are going well. It just means that if you have to, you have it in memory and can go right back to it to ensure you don't mess up too bad. And also, when you script, it helps to memorize your routines inside and out, and you remember what you need to do (i.e. certain sleights, ditch, etc) based on what you're saying at a certain time.

Anywho, I've rambled on long enough. Long story short, patter is crucial to the overall success of a routine. Without it, there's no emotion, suspense, drama, nothing. It's just a series of moves that leads to a mediocre ending.

Just my thoughts..
Steve