Help!

Umbelino

Umbelino

Elite Member
Jun 14, 2013
33
10
I am really having trouble putting together kinda of an act to weddings and such. My aim it's to create a fairly extense set of tricks suitable for table hopping in a wedding and so. I have invested tons of money in magic products so if you can help me putting together this I would be very grateful... You can name anything, just bear in mind I am not fancy of coins and such, but every other close up material I am quite comfortable... Cheers! :)
 
W

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,879
2,945
strudles said:
The first thing people will ask for is the material you already have. They will also want to know how long you have until you must perform.
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Give this man a cookie. Or woman. Strudles is pretty gender neutral as far as handles go.

I will add - what is your style? How do you like to perform? Do you have any videos of you performing? What is your goal for your performance at these events?
 
Umbelino

Umbelino

Elite Member
Jun 14, 2013
33
10
My first event is in August, I was thinking of performing Gipsy Thread, Thread and the Ring in Rope by Wayne Houchin, Crush and Rizer by Eric Ross, I've acquired the Sean Fields Trilogy I was thinking of perfoming Saw. Originally I am a card guy, and I have a bunch of routines from my own, Paul Gordon, Daniel Garcia (Card in Balloon, Pressure and William Tell), Caleb Wiles (Reswindled), Adam Wilber (Backup Plan), Justin Miller (Autograph), Mark Mason (a fooling monte effect from his Penguin Lecture), the classics Invisible Deck And Mental Photography Deck, some Loops and some pieces from Jon Leclair's Who's Afraid of Invisible Thread?, Bill Malone's card material, Counterfeit Hollingworth from Wayne Houchin (that's how I give my business cards) Out of This World from Lennart Green, A Jon Armstrong's idea using the Extreme Fuzsion Pen, one trick of mine using the WOW gimmick and much more... This will be my first paid performance and I want it to be really good... :) Thanks for the awesome advice guys... You can also mention products that you think that would be effective in this kind f performance situation that aren't on the list... :D
 
slicksleights

slicksleights

Jan 11, 2013
168
2
Dubai
First off I would steer clear of any effects like Saw or gross out effects, a wedding isn't really the setting for that, but thats my opinion. Find out how many people you are performing to and when your are performing i.e the gap between the photos and the meal, during the meal or both? With this information you can work out how many acts you will need. On average you should have about 3 acts containing 3 or 4 tricks, if your table hoping between courses that is more than enough material to get around the tables (depending on how many people are there), by the time you have done 3 tables and get to your fourth you should be far enough from the first table to start on act one again. Obviously if you are doing the 'dead' time between the photos and the meal you will need a few more effects/acts. Don't add anything new, just practice and get slick with the effects you have and routine them and script them well, its this that will make you look professional rather than just a amateur showing up to do some 'tricks' and hence could get you more bookings.
 
W

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,879
2,945
Ace Spades said:
My first event is in August, I was thinking of performing Gipsy Thread, Thread and the Ring in Rope by Wayne Houchin, Crush and Rizer by Eric Ross, I've acquired the Sean Fields Trilogy I was thinking of perfoming Saw. Originally I am a card guy, and I have a bunch of routines from my own, Paul Gordon, Daniel Garcia (Card in Balloon, Pressure and William Tell), Caleb Wiles (Reswindled), Adam Wilber (Backup Plan), Justin Miller (Autograph), Mark Mason (a fooling monte effect from his Penguin Lecture), the classics Invisible Deck And Mental Photography Deck, some Loops and some pieces from Jon Leclair's Who's Afraid of Invisible Thread?, Bill Malone's card material, Counterfeit Hollingworth from Wayne Houchin (that's how I give my business cards) Out of This World from Lennart Green, A Jon Armstrong's idea using the Extreme Fuzsion Pen, one trick of mine using the WOW gimmick and much more... This will be my first paid performance and I want it to be really good... :) Thanks for the awesome advice guys... You can also mention products that you think that would be effective in this kind f performance situation that aren't on the list... :D
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This is a big, messy pile of tricks with no connection or theme.

First thing you need is a theme. What do you aim to create with this performance? What feeling are you trying to leave each table with?

Also - things to keep in mind during table hopping include: Is it messy? Can it reset by the time I take the 5 steps to the next table? Will I need table space? Will people be eating at any time when I'm performing? Are they going to be getting up and wandering around?

Slicksleight's post was good - read it again.

Right now you are not ready for this gig. But you have enough time to prepare. You need to figure out everything, though, from when you're performing (what point during the wedding and how long) to what you're actually aiming to do here. It might help to find out if the wedding has a theme.
 
Craig Browning

Craig Browning

Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
64
Northampton, MA - USA
Most everything has been noted; you need to know your persona (character) as a performer and work material THAT'S YOU and not just random effects or the top ten most talked about tricks on line this month. . . you've spent loads of cash but how are your basic skills? How clean is your French Drop or Classic Palm? Can you pull off a Classic Force and Dbl. Lift without it looking suspicious?

LEARN YOUR BASICS and you will go much further than a bunch of off the shelf CRAPOLA. Develop you coin, card and sponge work so you are smooth enough to sell foundation routines like coins across, matrix, assembling aces, etc. don't worry about all the other STUFF, especially iffy effects like CRUSH. . . it's too clumsy for this environment and one of the least practical trick out there... one of three "recent" releases that have totally ticked me off.

You're not there to do tricks, you're there to entertain people while they are waiting on food, a transition in activities, etc. you don't need a massive arsenal to do this; 3 simple 10-minute routines is more than enough. You rotate things so that people seated near a table you just worked get to see something totally different and too, so you don't get bored to tears doing the same schtick over and over again.

Watch the Harlan material noted above; read Magic & Showmanship and pay attention to what it's saying; while you're at it, pick up Chris Carey's book DO THE STUFF THAT'S YOU and embrace the hard questions. Finally, study the Bill Tarr books on slight of hand so you can actually be a magician vs. a guy doing tricks (Now You See It; Now You Don't).
 
krab

krab

Apr 17, 2013
885
4
I should maybe explain the Harlan thing I linked. It is how to organize your stuff and routine out your show. It is also about setting up your gigs. It;s really handy with the list charts worksheets and contracts.
 
slicksleights

slicksleights

Jan 11, 2013
168
2
Dubai
krab 1 said:
I should maybe explain the Harlan thing I linked. It is how to organize your stuff and routine out your show. It is also about setting up your gigs. It;s really handy with the list charts worksheets and contracts.
Click to expand...

I bought this after you linked it, your right I can see this being very handy, nice one for the link!
 
krab

krab

Apr 17, 2013
885
4
slicksleights said:
I bought this after you linked it, your right I can see this being very handy, nice one for the link!
Click to expand...

I'm glad it helps. I'm sorry I didn't get the link to the books before you picked up that one but if nothing else I know where some good stuff is.
 
Austin24

Austin24

Aug 30, 2012
232
1
The Dan Harlan PDF is great! It really is helpful for organizing your thoughts and explaining how and why you perform certain effects and when.
 
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