Close-up magician...what to perform on stage?

[Lord Magic]

Okay...so there is a small programme on teacher's day in school and I am asked to perform some tricks. It shouldn't be too long, kinda like 2 tricks?...around 15 minutes (at the most 20). Am 13 and have been doing magic since 5 years and I am actually a close-up magician. I have a fine arensal of card tricks, but they don't grant visibility and won't be seen. I was thinking of a simple "Is this your card?" for opener (without the key card ;-) ) and then a book test using the cards as well. Any suggestions please?

PS:-New user...srry if I ranted...help appreciated O

 

[Maaz Hasan]

Wait 2 tricks lasting for 15 minutes? That seems way to little. You could put on a full show.

I would say do some sponge balls, because everybody loves those. Will probably take you 5 minutes or so.

Then you can go into some card magic. How big is the audience/venue? Remember, spectators don't care about the method, so a simple "is this your card trick" wont entertain unless you have a nice presentation, and a unique way of doing it. Regardless of key card or not. It should be big and hard hitting. Do this for 5 - 7 minutes, or however long you want.

Then finish with a big closer.

 

[Timewise64]

Cut and restored rope trick and/or Professors Nightmare rope trick. Both easy to perform, very visual and good magic! If not that any routine you have learned on Sponge Balls...

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

What do you already know well?

How long do you have to prepare for this?

What resources have you studied?

What size is the venue and audience?

For most magicians 2 tricks in 15 minutes is going to leave about 10 minutes to fill. Most of the magic on the market today, particularly card magic, is very short. More like stunts than routines.

 

[Lord Magic]

Wait 2 tricks lasting for 15 minutes? That seems way to little. You could put on a full show.

I would say do some sponge balls, because everybody loves those. Will probably take you 5 minutes or so.

Then you can go into some card magic. How big is the audience/venue? Remember, spectators don't care about the method, so a simple "is this your card trick" wont entertain unless you have a nice presentation, and a unique way of doing it. Regardless of key card or not. It should be big and hard hitting. Do this for 5 - 7 minutes, or however long you want.
Then finish with a big closer.

Well, I would love to be able to perform high-impact stage magic within 5-7 minutes...but as I am a "Too close-up" kinda magician (if a term like that exists) and so I perform tricks without things that look way out of the ordinary like maybe sponge balls (maybe that doesn't make sense but, excuse moi).
Am performing in a medium-sized hall btw, for around 550 people or so.
Would love to pull on a full show in a short amount of time :-D and patter is not a problem.

 

[Lord Magic]

What do you already know well?

How long do you have to prepare for this?

What resources have you studied?

What size is the venue and audience?

For most magicians 2 tricks in 15 minutes is going to leave about 10 minutes to fill. Most of the magic on the market today, particularly card magic, is very short. More like stunts than routines.

Am quite good on card magic and I guess that can be sorta incorporated in mind-reading or something.

Teacher's day...so 17-18 days.

Read a lot on street magic, coin magic and impromptu close-up stuff. You-tube's been a friend for a while as well.

Medium-sized hall, around 550 people.

Even though I love card tricks, the card stuff (the one that I know at least) is not good on the visibility part (as I mentioned).

 

[Lord Magic]

Fine, so I see everyone's like "You can do a lot of magic in 15 minutes" , which is fine by me. But since this is a performance for a programme, there needs to be some relevant patter and I guess that will consume some time. Also, it is in a SCHOOL and unfortunately, cameras can't be arranged to show what's happening...say on a table-top...so whatever everyone is seeing, everyone is seeing. Am mostly into impromptu stuff as that is what I perform. And that's the reason am in a fix.
I guess I should add that there will be songs and dances as well (just every class thanking the teachers) so I need to make myself memorable B-)
Thus, I would love suggestions on high-impact magic AND on how to perform a handful of them in a short period of time.
Appreciate help

 

[Maaz Hasan]

Well, I would love to be able to perform high-impact stage magic within 5-7 minutes...but as I am a "Too close-up" kinda magician (if a term like that exists) and so I perform tricks without things that look way out of the ordinary like maybe sponge balls (maybe that doesn't make sense but, excuse moi).
Am performing in a medium-sized hall btw, for around 550 people or so.
Would love to pull on a full show in a short amount of time :-D and patter is not a problem.

There is no way 550 people can see a close up effect. You will probably need to either
A) Take some close up effects and move them into larger effects. Eg. Take a simple in the hands trick that is hard hitting and do it with multiple people.
B) Learn some other strong illusions and make a routine or show out of them. Eg. Dress code used as a mentalism reveal.

 

[Lord Magic]

There is no way 550 people can see a close up effect. You will probably need to either
A) Take some close up effects and move them into larger effects. Eg. Take a simple in the hands trick that is hard hitting and do it with multiple people.
B) Learn some other strong illusions and make a routine or show out of them. Eg. Dress code used as a mentalism reveal.

Exactly
I was wondering if I could fit in more than 2-3 in the small amount of time I have (because the patter needs to be good).

 

[HectorE1]

Okay...so there is a small programme on teacher's day in school and I am asked to perform some tricks. It shouldn't be too long, kinda like 2 tricks?...around 15 minutes (at the most 20). Am 13 and have been doing magic since 5 years and I am actually a close-up magician. I have a fine arensal of card tricks, but they don't grant visibility and won't be seen. I was thinking of a simple "Is this your card?" for opener (without the key card ;-) ) and then a book test using the cards as well. Any suggestions please?

PS:-New user...srry if I ranted...help appreciated O

Since you have about 15-20 min. I would recommend you do at least 3 effects streamlined into a full routine, act... Since your going to be doing a book test using cards the act could be mentalism based, example, this is what I would do in your situation, first maybe open with a mystery card or prediction type effect, second you'll be using cards so there's you're motivation to use them for the book test, third effect I would close with a PK touch involving two spectators using the a single card for the "touch" the whole routine imo would play great for crowd this size...

 

[Maaz Hasan]

Exactly
I was wondering if I could fit in more than 2-3 in the small amount of time I have (because the patter needs to be good).

The patter needs to be good, but at the same time, it shouldn't be boring.
The patter should just kinda... flow.
And beyond that, if you are making a routine, you can easily do 5 - 6 effects. Just figure out how much you can and cannot do. Some effects take 5 or more minutes. Others take 2. Regardless, it should all flow.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

The first thought that occurs to me is that you are like two objects attached via an inclined plane wrapped helically around a central axis.

Ok. With a crowd this size you cannot depend on the value of the card being important at all. No one will be able to see it it clearly, and you'll lose the impact of the reveal because people will have to wait for it to be confirmed. Unless you're really good at getting the volunteer on stage to convey the emotion to the audience.

Mac King does a cards across that's absolutely hilarious, but if you copy him you'll clearly be copying him. You can take inspiration from that, though.

Book tests are awesome, when done right. They're downright boring when done by most people, though. Mentalism in general is much more difficult than most people think it is, which is why most of it out there is horrific and dull. Sheer Luck is one of those that can be done pretty well without having to hone it for too long.

Predictions have to be delivered well, and again, most people don't deliver it well. Watch Derren Brown's reveal in ... Evening of Wonder I think? The long scroll at the end of the show. Excellent Reveal. Max Maven has done this great reveal of a prediction where he basically says, "This big envelope has been in view the whole time. I told you it's a prediction. If my prediction is correct, then I shouldn't even need to touch it to show you, should I? In fact ... I don't even need to be here." And then he walks off stage and let's the audience decide what to do. That is not an easy thing to pull off, though.

PK Touches is a great routine. I've done a version for years. It only took me about 6 years to really fine tune it to be the showpiece it is now. You can learn the basic version in a few minutes and probably have that rehearsed to proficient execution in a day. However, that will fall flat. You need to learn how to deliver a script that connects to an audience before that routine will really hit hard.

A little less than 3 weeks is a very short time to try to learn anything new. My biggest piece of advice is look at what you already know and do very well, and see if there's something you can take and have it conveyed to someone who cannot see what you're holding.

 

[RealityOne]

Invisible Deck - Put the deck in a lunch bag on stage. The presentation is about how you like to read the last chapter of a book so you know how it ends. Put the invisible deck in a brown lunch bag that you introduce at the beginning of the effect and explain that you know how the impromptu skit you are going to do with an audience member ends and you put proof of it into the bag.

Six Card Repeat - Presentation is about how you hope your math teacher can explain this one because the magician you saw perform it told you that it based on advanced mathematics.

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

Magician's Insurance Policy can be a very entertaining trick if you dress it up and play the "Magician in Trouble." Talk about how the card trick you are about to attempt is so hard that you had to buy insurance in case it fails. Show the folded up policy and place it on the tale or give it to a spectator to hold for you. You are proficient with cards so you can easily f _ r _ e
a card. For the person you bring up on stage to select the card I would choose someone with lots of personality, maybe a bubbly female. You can bring several people up to help to make it all play bigger. Try to choose friendly people with personality, but not anyone who people know is a close friend of yours. Ask the crowd to give your magical assistants a nice round of applause. Ask their names. Talk to them and ask them about themselves. Maybe joke with them. Give them each something to do. (One chooses the card, another shuffles the deck after the card is "chosen", a third holds the insurance policy.)

Then go into your act. You can fail to get the right card several times (e.g. try reading the spectator's mind, but fail; try cutting to the card or doing a hot shot or some other move to pop it out of the deck, but fail to get the right card; pull a card out of your shoe, and it's the wrong card; palm off a card and reach into the spectator's pocket and "pull out a card," but it's the wrong card). You can really milk it - just use your imagination. For example, when you try to read the spectator's mind and they tell you that you failed to name the correct card, ask: "Are you saying that the _____ of ______ is the wrong card?" When they say yes, you could ask, "Well - If I promise to give you 50 bucks after the show, would it still be the wrong card?" You could have book up there and pretend like you are trying to remember how to do the trick, by picking it up and looking in it, saying something like, "Hmmmm, let me see, the secret to this trick was on page 105 I think..." etc. Finally, after failing several times, act like you have completely failed and have the spectator who "selected" the card to announce to everyone what the card was. Then ask for the Magician's Insurance Policy, open it up part way and read some of the funny lines that are written on it, or have the spectator who was holding the policy read them. Finally, open up the insurance policy all the way to reveal a big color picture of the card. Act relieved and say something like you sure are glad you bought insurance. Ask the crowd to give your helpers a big round of applause for helping. This routine could last up to 5 minutes or even more if you play it up. You can purchase these Magician Insurance Policies for cheap online.

 

[Timewise64]

Bla, bla, bla....so I guess you do not like rope tricks? Perfect for an 'on stage' performance and easy to do!

Do you know rope tricks? Do you know sponge balls.....?

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

Bla, bla, bla....so I guess you do not like rope tricks? Perfect for an 'on stage' performance and easy to do!

Do you know rope tricks? Do you know sponge balls.....?

Is this a different suggestion than the earlier one that you made in this thread stating:

@Timewise64 : "Cut and restored rope trick and/or Professors Nightmare rope trick. Both easy to perform, very visual and good magic! If not that any routine you have learned on Sponge Balls..."

 

[Lord Magic]

Thank you everyone!
Also, I was wondering about the fact how the reveal of a card may lose its lustre because the volunteer would have to confirm it...

 

[Lord Magic]

The first thought that occurs to me is that you are like two objects attached via an inclined plane wrapped helically around a central axis.

Ok. With a crowd this size you cannot depend on the value of the card being important at all. No one will be able to see it it clearly, and you'll lose the impact of the reveal because people will have to wait for it to be confirmed. Unless you're really good at getting the volunteer on stage to convey the emotion to the audience.

Mac King does a cards across that's absolutely hilarious, but if you copy him you'll clearly be copying him. You can take inspiration from that, though.

Book tests are awesome, when done right. They're downright boring when done by most people, though. Mentalism in general is much more difficult than most people think it is, which is why most of it out there is horrific and dull. Sheer Luck is one of those that can be done pretty well without having to hone it for too long.

Predictions have to be delivered well, and again, most people don't deliver it well. Watch Derren Brown's reveal in ... Evening of Wonder I think? The long scroll at the end of the show. Excellent Reveal. Max Maven has done this great reveal of a prediction where he basically says, "This big envelope has been in view the whole time. I told you it's a prediction. If my prediction is correct, then I shouldn't even need to touch it to show you, should I? In fact ... I don't even need to be here." And then he walks off stage and let's the audience decide what to do. That is not an easy thing to pull off, though.

PK Touches is a great routine. I've done a version for years. It only took me about 6 years to really fine tune it to be the showpiece it is now. You can learn the basic version in a few minutes and probably have that rehearsed to proficient execution in a day. However, that will fall flat. You need to learn how to deliver a script that connects to an audience before that routine will really hit hard.

A little less than 3 weeks is a very short time to try to learn anything new. My biggest piece of advice is look at what you already know and do very well, and see if there's something you can take and have it conveyed to someone who cannot see what you're holding.

Your first thought's right...am in a VERY trying situation right now
Also, can I was thinking abt how revelation of a card might become anti-climatic...wonder if you can suggest a solution eh? :-D

 

[Lord Magic]

How about if I go about something like this...first, simple revelation of a card.
Then I continue with the same volunteer and have him/her choose a card and select two more volunteers. They select cards as well and first one's value and second one's suit give us the ID of the card the actual volunteer picked (he/she did not see the card at the beginning). Other two volunteers are thanked and sent back.
Lastly I have a new volunteer or maybe continue with the same volunteer and make them strike a line on a clock kinda drawing I make in front of them on a sheet of paper ( on a clip-board) which would indicate a particular time. They would do this behind their back. Say if a line is striked almost thru the middle of 7 and 8, I will suppose it to be 7:32 or 7:29 or something. And that time will match with a prediction I had made before and was kept in front of everyone since the beginning.
Theme will be how magic is all about establishing connections and I'll make sure with the patter that nothing seems to complicated.
So...how's that for an idea? Any good?

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

To make a small revelation larger you either have to increase the size of the item showing the reveal (Which can change the nature of the trick) or you have to rely on the volunteer to give a big reaction.

One way to help increase the level of reaction from the volunteer is to surprise them. I will explain with an example: I do a routine that has a phase where one volunteer mentally transmits an image to the other. So when I am ready to do the climax, this is the scenario: I know what the image is, the volunteer to my right knows for sure what it is, and the one on the left is the one who may get it wrong. I tell the one on the left, "In a moment I'm going to count to three, and after I say three I want you, in your loudest clearest voice, so the people at the back of the back of the crowd can hear you, I want you to say what it is. Not yet. But when I count to three. Ready?"

Then I do count and they shout, and the person on the right will almost always act surprised. I then immediately step back, and gesture to both of them, so they can bounce their reactions back and forth for a moment and the crowd can assimilate what just happened. As soon as it feels like it's peaked, I step up and take the routine on to the next phase. It's a subtle balance that involves a lot more than I can completely convey through text, as some of it is vocal inflection and gestures that cue either the volunteers or the crowd to react certain ways.

Now, going back to making the revelation larger - You can use things like Jumbo Cards. They even make Jumbo IDs. That will make it more visible than poker sized playing cards. But you're still going to have it so that anyone who's not close has to process the image and conclude it matches and then react. The way to help this is to get the volunteers on stage worked up, first. Try to get them psyched out about it not being possible, then hit them with the truth - that it has happened. To paraphrase Teller, "Convince them that 2+2 = 5, then hit them with the revelation that 2+2 = 4."

You can also do something like have a big back drop with the selected card, then force it. But that changes it from a location of a lost object to a prediction.