Help With a Show

[Cedric Taylor]

Hi guys,

Its me Cedric. I've been prepping for my pre Halloween Show. I have so many effects lined up. A lot of new ones. The thing is, i'm only to receive 45 minutes. Giving that time frame. How many effects should I perform. I want to give them a good time. Yet I don't want to overkill. Any suggestions???

 

[RickEverhart]

A 45 minute show should be about 10-12 effects tops if you are performing them correctly, with patter, interacting with the crowd, etc.
If you do any more than that...you are basically just working straight down your set list of 20 effects and you are not giving them a show. In that case you are showing them tricks one after the other.

I hope that makes sense.

You are correct....DO NOT overkill. Give them just enough. If you have worked your routines correctly so that they have a nice flow and transitions between them you would even be fine with less than 12. I have seen many pros do a 30 minute show with just 5 effects.

 

[CalvinTan]

For me, I'll fit about 8 effects in a 45 min show. I would agree with reverhart and work on 10 to 12. You can always cut out effects if you're running low on time. I usually have some filler effects that would take a few minutes as a backup.

If you're good at interacting with people, and feeding off their responses, you can really drag out some effects. It also makes the magic more personal and less robotic. The audience will get into it more, and most important, they'll have fun and you'll have fun.

 

[Cedric Taylor]

Thanks guys,


I really appreciate that!!! You've been a big help. Well I think I have more than enough. they are essentially PK demonstrations and other effect that i've been incorporating into the show. The media is going to be there. So, I kinda wanted to do some really good visuals...

Thanks, your the best!!!

 

[RikAllen]

While never doing a 45 minute show, 8-12 sounds about right. If you have one big demonstration going on at the end that you want to build up and stretch out then make sure you have enough time to do it at the end.

After you figure which ones you want do use Ced you should do a run through with full script and pauses to see how much time it takes...and figure in time for audience participation on effects that have them working with you. Also figure in time for reactions in between the end of an effect and the start of the next one (applause, gasps...silence...etc)

Message me here or on FB if you want to run the set-list by me before you settle 100% on it.

 

[Robert//Livingston]

I had two 30 minute shows last Friday, and only did 6 effects.

My line-up was: The Web, Spongeballs, French Kiss Variation, Triumph, Fiber Optics, Thread. If I would have done a 45 minute show, I would only have to add in maybe 2 more effects. Or, add 1 more effect and do a longer version of Fiber Optics.

Also, make sure you don't burn through your effects too fast. Let them have time to sink in, and interact with the audience. Don't get into the mindset of just letting them watch you do stuff.

 

[RickEverhart]

Robert is probably a bit more precise with 8 rather than 12 Cedric, but I bet he knows how to interact with the crowd and make it work. If you do not feel confident with yourself to drag out 8 effects then I would make sure you have closer to 10 or 12. You don't want to be hired for 45 minutes, get into a rush due to nervousness and then burn through everything in 30 minutes and not fill that last 15 minutes that you were contracted out for. We had a guy in our IBM ring get reamed because he was contracted for a 30 minute show and the lady who hired him ACTUALLY timed his act with a stop watch and ran up to him afterwards to tell him that she was cheated by 3 minutes. Now that is a bit extreme but make sure you indeed cover 45 minutes.

 

[RealityOne]

If its the first time doing a particular show you want to make it so that you have effect that you can cut or add depending on how fast or slow the performance is going. If you think about that ahead of time, it makes it easy to make adjustments on the fly. Also know where you expect to be at 15, 30 and 40 minutes so you can get a sense of how fast or slow you are going compared to your timing in rehearsals.

As everyone else said, less effects and more patter and presentation is the way to go.

 

[Cedric Taylor]

Thanks guys,

I'm taking this all in like a sponge.


I do perform on the fly but its like organized chaos as well.

I have 3 to 5 openers based on how i think they will react and what they want to see

some fillers

some to go as planned

and 3 to 5 closers based on how they reacted to all the others


I intentionally do not perform everything i have on stage because i know this will happen:

"Hey Ced, make that spoon bend again." Or Hey you, show my friend how you move water."

I probably not will do it again, but i'll do something just as impressive....its says i have more than that up my sleeve so to speak

 

[D ICE R]

Currently my 45 minute show has 5 effects and it has been like that for years. Whilst this may sound like too few it really plays about right. The hardest transistion I have noticed when people go from close up to more stand up work is that it is exactly what you said being chaos. With a show of any decent length you really need to tell a story have a definative beging middle and end.