How do you go from "a guy who knows a few tricks" to a "magician"?

Dec 28, 2017
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Like how do you know that you are a magician and not just someone who can show tricks?
What is your criteria? At what point do you consider someone a good magician and not just a person with tricks?
 
Aug 15, 2017
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Like how do you know that you are a magician and not just someone who can show tricks?
What is your criteria? At what point do you consider someone a good magician and not just a person with tricks?
One criteria is that they should amaze you...
I know that the guys who knows a few tricks may know some SUPER amazing stuff...he might get good reactions, but his spectators won't really be amazed. Think about it, has it really NEVER happened with you that you go ahead and say, eat some kind of food, and it tastes SO AMAZING that you:-
1) Don't wanna stop eating it even to give compliments.
2) Feel as if saying "Delicious" or any other adjective, no matter how superlative, would be insulting the food?
When this same thing happens with magic, you know you saw a magician, regardless of whether the person is professional or not. The moment people become so speechless that all they can muster is some loud sounds, to show their amazement, you know you are a magician. When all they can do is laugh at something albeit the fact that the effect was COMPLETELY UNFUNNY, you know you are a magician.
The biggest criteria for ME would be a brand. By brand I don't mean you need to have merchandise on shops with your name on them (that sure helps tho :) )...but I mean, your performance style should become your brand. If anyone even SPEAKS like that, people should remember you. Your performance should have something NO ONE else has, that is essentially how you develop a brand. Developing a brand is both, easy and difficult. It is difficult for most. But if you develop time to your magic, it is easy. So a 'brand' becomes a very obvious indication that the guy does not just know a few tricks, ladies and gentlemen...



He is a magician.


(Or she, no sexual discrimination at work here :) )
 
Jan 2, 2016
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This might sound mean and I'm not saying you aren't, but you just have to be good at what you do. It's what sets you apart from that one guy in class who knows the 21 card trick and always shows it to people when cards are pulled out.

As RealityOne said, make each trick a performance piece rather than a "trick". That's why a lot of professional magicians prefer to call them "effects" rather than "tricks". Trick implies it's just some cool thing you can do, almost like a bar bet. Once you add a presentation to it, it becomes more memorable in the mind of your spectator and you become a magician in their mind, rather than a kid who knows some card tricks. At least that's how I see it.

Your title (which includes "A guy who knows a few tricks") also implies that you might think the quantity of tricks is important. I'm not sure if this is actually a concern of yours but it is a trap many new and young magicians fall into. You do not need to know a lot of tricks to be a good magician. A lot of teens who just got started in magic will always want to buy the newest, most visual thing from SansMinds or whatever. They usually only perform for friends as well so they look for new tricks for the same people, which is kind of a mistake. You should focus on getting REALLY good at a few tricks and show those to new people. There's a story about Dai Vernon (I think) where a young magician approaches him and brags about how he knows dozens of card tricks and The Professor says something along the lines of "Oh I only know 3 myself".

So, in short, practice. Remember quality over quantity. Make your tricks your own and make each one a memorable, miniature miracle (alliteration not intended). That's what will make you a magician and not just "a guy who does tricks"
 
Jan 26, 2017
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Very true what you said. The only thing I would add is:
This might sound mean and I'm not saying you aren't, but you just have to be good at what you do. It's what sets you apart from that one guy in class who knows the 21 card trick and always shows it to people when cards are pulled out.
This is true, and it doesn't necessarily mean sleights. A lot of the best magicians can have a great performance using all self-workers, because the presentation is good.
 
Jan 2, 2016
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Very true what you said. The only thing I would add is:

This is true, and it doesn't necessarily mean sleights. A lot of the best magicians can have a great performance using all self-workers, because the presentation is good.
That's exactly what I mean.

I already mentioned the 21 card trick which is usually the one trick most lay people know. Once again, not to sound mean since most people don't know this but the 21 card trick usually sucks. It's not an issue with the trick itself it's just most of the people performing it don't know how to present it properly. I'm sure there are plenty of magicians who can make it entertaining despite how easy and well known it is.

Speaking of self workers, I recently got Woody Aragon's book "A Book in English" which is excellent by the way. Highly Recommend it. One of the best tricks I've found in the book is an 18 card poker trick that is almost entirely self working. There is one part toward the end that requires some basic sleight of hand but the rest is all how you present it.

Side note: Self workers are also good for hecklers. There's often nothing for them to catch.
 
Jul 26, 2016
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I think that this proves what Antonio said about the 21 Card trick and other tricks - that they can be made entertaining depending on the performer.

It also supports the comment of Reality One as to character and presentation, and Maaz's comment about self-workers. I have seen quite a few magicians (both live and on video) who can perform the most knuckle busting sleight of hand, but lacked presentational kills to the extent of boring the audience to tears.

Magic is a performance art. It's Show Biz! The issue goes above and beyond whether one can be called a "good magician." I believe what is truly important is that he/she is a good (or preferably great) magical entertainer. There is extensive discussion in Expert Card Technique about the importance and art of presentation. It is emphasized in the RRTCM, as well. Other magicians may put a premium on how many moves and sleights another magician knows and how well they can execute them, but laymen care most about being entertained - at least in my experience. A good self-working effect will baffle laymen (and many magicians, as well - in fact, the magicians will often give you tremendous credit because they "saw nothing'). But the most important element in any trick, whether it is self-working, depends on sleight of hand, or subtlety, or any combination thereof, is the presentation. Did the spectators laugh and have fun? Were they involved in the magic? Were they fascinated, intrigued, uplifted, and/or entertained? In my opinion, is super-important that the answer to one, and preferably more than one, of the above questions be "Yes."
 
Feb 1, 2017
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"I'm Korean and you're Vietnamese, but to the rest of the world, we're Chinese"

If you're performing tricks for entertainment, the masses will call you a magician. They're familiar with that term, so if you look and do the things of a magician...you're a magician. To answer your question, assuming the "guy who knows some tricks" actually performs for people, him and a magician are synonyms. Laymen will see it that way at least.

The difference to me personally is that the first one is what it is: a guy who knows some tricks. The other [the magician] is a student of magic.
 
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obrienmagic

Elite Member
Nov 4, 2014
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Jeff McBride has an explanation on this that goes as such.

1 trickster: Someone who learns tricks to show their friends and just likes magic and trying to do the impossible.

2 Sorcerer: Someone who takes the next step and actually starts to truly learn about their art and how to build routines, props, edit music, lighting, etc.

3 Sage: Someone who passes knowledge off to the next generation of magicians

4 Oracle: Someone who is more in tune with the mystical side of magic and more into the supernatural side of it.

I would say when you go from Trickster to Sorcerer would be what you are looking for here. It isnt a hard line but in fact a very grey area i think.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
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A magician is someone who does magic. I don't think it needs to be more complicated than that, personally.

However, to me, a good magician is one who is able to elicit the reaction they desire from the material they perform (Which is admittedly a different way of wording what RealityOne said).
 
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