First Post/Remembering Effects

[Dominus Magicus]

Hello fellow magic persons!

Some of you might know me (although, it doesn't really matter), and you other people WILL know me eventually. O_O

[Basically, I just wanted my first post to be special]

Anyways, so on to some other topic so that this will be relevant.

It's been really weird with magic these days for me. I'm still performing, though not that much. The number of magicians in my school have almost quadrupled (from 2 to 8 is a lot). Plus, I am starting to lose track of the effects I know. For example, when asked to do a card trick, I often don't know what to do, and am at a loss for words. Eventually, I do something, but it's often very stupid/cool. I know that I should probably script, but....you get the picture.

At the same time, these days, since I can't remember most of my impromptu effects, I am almost always caught off guard. (Although, they always ask me, "Dude, make this (insert object here) disappear!")

Also, when planning a performance, I am always confused, and I forget what I know...

Any advice to remember at least a lot of my effects? I was thinking taking inventory of everything but that's just...you know. I also have at least one or two effects that I always love and I use constantly, but I can't find anything impromptu that I absolutely love.


(By the way, I know this post is long. Those who might know me know that I have a penchant for writing long and boring posts.)

 

[Brewery Rabbit]

(By the way, I know this post is long. Those who might know me know that I have a penchant for writing long and boring posts.)

*dozes off while reading8

*wakes up suddenly*

"the monkeys did it!" *Looks around* "Oh.. Sorry"

=P

I know how you feel. I dont do magic at school as much anymore simply because the others arent really magicians. They have been doing magic for about a month. and it pisses me off because if they mess up they tend to explain what they were supposed to do if they mess up. And it is retarded.

Errg.

Welcome to the forums by the way.

 

[Dominus Magicus]

Erm, about that... One of 'em's actually an accomplished magician. He was featured in the local town newspaper, he knows his stuff, and he's part of the whole SYM thing. I'd say there's a chance he's better than I am. (Keyword=CHANCE)

But yeah, some of them are doofus'...erm, how do you spell the plural form of doofus? Doofus' doofus's doofi? Whatever...

 

[Brewery Rabbit]

Erm, about that... One of 'em's actually an accomplished magician. He was featured in the local town newspaper, he knows his stuff, and he's part of the whole SYM thing. I'd say there's a chance he's better than I am. (Keyword=CHANCE)

But yeah, some of them are doofus'...erm, how do you spell the plural form of doofus? Doofus' doofus's doofi? Whatever...

Doofuses

anyway..
At our school i am the acc magician.
They are the newbs =P

Hmm.

 

[Sean_Raf]

Hehe, I often have this trouble with remembering effects. What I did one day was sit down and compile a list of all the effects I know (or could remember at the time) Then I made small routines out of them, utilising the advice T11 gives us.

Learn 3 Tricks and Learn Them Well - Something to that effect.

That way, when asked to perform a trick, you can do a small routine and have a different one ready each time! The way I structured the routines is so one flows into the next (which is what I'm sure most, if not all of us here do) So, to remember a routine all you have to do is remember the first effect, and the other 2 will follow on naturally. As I'm sure you've worked out, that's drastically reduced the number of actual effects you have to remember

Hope that's helped maybe a little.

- Sean

Also: Doofuses is correct... But Doofi sounds so much better, so I'm gon' use that. Thankfully there's only 2 other magicians in my school that I know of, one of whom doesn't perform at all, but knows his stuff damn good. The other performs quite a lot, but sometimes... Yeah can be a bit eager to try a new effect. Personally, I've turned a new leaf and I don't perform as much, and when I do I try and make it my best.

 

[Dominus Magicus]

Hehe, I often have this trouble with remembering effects. What I did one day was sit down and compile a list of all the effects I know (or could remember at the time) Then I made small routines out of them, utilising the advice T11 gives us.

Learn 3 Tricks and Learn Them Well - Something to that effect.

That way, when asked to perform a trick, you can do a small routine and have a different one ready each time! The way I structured the routines is so one flows into the next (which is what I'm sure most, if not all of us here do) So, to remember a routine all you have to do is remember the first effect, and the other 2 will follow on naturally. As I'm sure you've worked out, that's drastically reduced the number of actual effects you have to remember

Hope that's helped maybe a little.

Nice. Thanks Sean!! Yeah, I do have at least 3 effects that I know like the back of my hand (Wait a sec, THAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE!!)

But, the routine thing is good. Only problem is, I just can't make routines. Oh well, practice makes perfect, eh?

 

[Brewery Rabbit]

Also: Doofuses is correct... But Doofi sounds so much better, so I'm gon' use that. Thankfully there's only 2 other magicians in my school that I know of, one of whom doesn't perform at all, but knows his stuff damn good. The other performs quite a lot, but sometimes... Yeah can be a bit eager to try a new effect. Personally, I've turned a new leaf and I don't perform as much, and when I do I try and make it my best.

Its like nemesis.

Is it nemesise? nemesie? =P

The only time i perform at school, is in fron tof my personal group of friends. The ones who i always show tricks to first. make sure everything is right.

because they can be A-holes about things but in a strangly nice way. "Like nice ninja palming there bud."
Or "so your flipping the deck.. am i supposed to be impressed?"

 

[Dizzi]

lol. Small town for the win!!! I ,ive in a small town and am, the only magician! And I have a great memory.

 

[The Dark Angel]

I've bought so much stuff, but the 4 tricks I use the most are the ones off of Born To Perform, they're all so versatile, classic effects, I love them.

 

[Brewery Rabbit]

The only trick i perform if i am asked to do anything.

is coin bite.

It always get an oh and an ah.
plus..
most people know how its done.

Sadly.

But its not like.. Stigmata, where if someone finds out... it ruins the whole trick.

~jordan

 

[The Dark Angel]

I usually have the Scotch and Soda/Dime and Penny gimmick with me, and will do make the dime appear in a bottle of water.

 

[Sean_Raf]

The only time i perform at school, is in fron tof my personal group of friends. The ones who i always show tricks to first. make sure everything is right.

because they can be A-holes about things. "Like nice ninja palming there bud."
Or "so your flipping the deck.. am i supposed to be impressed?"

Man, you're like me... Go us! *high five*

Yeah, I do have at least 3 effects that I know like the back of my hand (Wait a sec, THAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE!!)

But, the routine thing is good. Only problem is, I just can't make routines. Oh well, practice makes perfect, eh?

Was that a 'Robots' quote I spy there?

Making routines isn't as hard as it seems at first, I must've sat in bed with the laptop for a good half an hour before finally thinking of something to start with. Take the three effects you think will work well together, and apply them in such a way that builds to an ultimate climax where you can picture yourself being lifted up on a bed of human arms with them chanting your name; or you know, where they say "That was cool." Whichever works for you.

Then you want to build a rough patter/strict patter around those effects, my patter for instance tends to be VERY loose and I find that it can hinder me because I get caught between patter and doing the sleights. You might find that it works for you to have loose patter, you might not. The only way to find out is to try it in the comfort of your room over and over again until you feel it's right; FEEL it's right, don't just think. Then you can try it out on a close friend and if you come across patter problems or anything like that, you can adapt; whether that's through a joke, a small break in the magic (no pun intended) whilst you have a quick chat to them about what your patter is based around or what have you.

I hope that makes sense, I know we all have different ways of constructing routines etc. What I've written is the way I tend to construct mine... If you structure yours differently let's see it!!

- Sean

 

[Brewery Rabbit]

Man, you're like me... Go us! *high five*



Was that a 'Robots' quote I spy there?

*Hi fives

And it was indeed a robots quote

 

[Dominus Magicus]

Thank you...er..I think both of you?? (Har, only two people...) I'll be sure to make the most awesomest thingamajig-effect-routine ever.

(Robots quote?? From me? Naw. I'm just the master of coincidences.)

 

[Shodan]

I used to have this problem...of not being able to remember effects when "put on the spot" as it were. Nowadays I don't, and the difference is that nowadays I am performing professionally. I had to actually settle down and work on some effects that I really liked, single them out from the hordes in my library and work on them until they were as smooth as silk.

Nowadays something has to be REALLY special to make it into that repertoire!

I think when you stop just collecting tricks and practising sleights and move on to perfecting a few special items, it gets a lot easier. Of course, in the school environment (performing as an amateur) you are under pressure to always have new stuff, all the time. When you are always in a different place, with different people...performing as a professional...you can afford to have a small repertoire which you use over and over again.

 

[MitchellStafiej]

Get a notebook! One of the most useful tools in magic. Just like you take notes for school, take notes for magic, write down all of your tricks/effects not only will it be a reference point to check your magic, it will also help your memory. Writing notes down always helps me remember what I'm writing down.

Mitchell