Job

[UnknownMagician93]

Summer has just started for me and I was wondering if anyone would be able to answer some of my questions.

I have been thinking about getting a job doing magic, most likely at my Dad's work parties or a resturant. I wouldn't want to do kids parties because I don't do tricks that little kids would like (sponge balls, etc.).

My question is: I do mainly card magic with a few coin and rubberband tricks. What types of tricks are good to perform in resturants and parties where adults are the main age group?

I was thinking of later on buying a hard hitting "gimmick" type trick. My two choices are Gecko and Tarantula. Would these be good to perform in the situations described? Which would be better?

 

[ajp500]

First off don't get the gecko.... please don't get the gecko, its awful.(Also it's summer and you need a jacket for it)

I did a review on it along time ago and liked it, but once you try using it in the real world, its the worst vanishing tool you can buy. If you want to vanishes somthing just buy topit and use it when the season is right.

Also it's more of your opion as a performer, do you think your ready? Have you put enough time of praticing and script writing?

 

[UnknownMagician93]

Yes, I think I am ready. I'm going to be doing lots of performances and if all goes well, I am moving on to a job/parties.

Myquestion is what types of card tricks are good for these situations

 

[penguincdude]

I don't really reccomend the Tarantula. It can do some great effects if it works but it's too unreliable. Imagine if you tell someone you will make a bill fly from one hand to the other but then nothing happens. It's also really hard to keep the thread from breaking or tangling.

 

[chriswiehl]

my friend just got the tarauntula, and he loves it.
not sure how reliable it is, but its just as reliable as using any thread trick, so its up to your own judgement.
get the dvd live at the jailhouse. its all bout resturaunt magic. also check out sankeys Kelidascope (sp) dvd. lots of good, quick, practical tricks with normal, every day objects.

gecko sucks. i have it, i have used it, zero times, raven is better, and it can vanish the same things you will be vanishing. yea the gecko can vanish bottles and bigger things, but you wont be doing that at your parties.

get spongeballs! i just got 2 packages of them! and i love them!. try them on some adults who are newer to magic. they LOVE THEM.
i actually just got a gig (pretty big one too) using spongeballs for my audition! and it isnt a kid party.
i always carry spongeballs around if i can. dont underestemate them.

if you are doing 1 hour shows. the rubber band tricks are cool, but i only use rubber bands to teach the audience a trick. the one where the band jumps from your pointer and middle finger to your other 2 fingers. but thats it.
i do metal bending (banachecks psychokenetic silverware (sp), lit (sick trick, very easy for the audience to get) also u can follow that with warning, biddle, sponge balls, im hoping to get some rope things in my rep, autograph is a SICK trick, trust me. and that is about it. maybe some quick tricks like motion.
there you go.

 

[datskanars]

hmmmm well it depends ....... YOU can make every single trick hard-hitting ...

but anyways here are somes uggestions:
Angle Zero
David Stone's version of reset
Lapse
Indecent
Distortion
out of this world ( iperform Derren Brown's version
The standard 2CM
and tons of others


George

 

[Ineski]

YOU can make every single trick hard-hitting ...

No. That simply is not true.

 

[cm763]

I would suggest performing anything that you're comfortable performing. I would definitely advise against learning anything new for the sake of learning something more 'adult-like'. Adults love effects that range from simple sponge balls, to two card monty, to pretty much anything else (depending on the individual, of course). My suggestion would be to put together two (MAYBE three) routines (about 5-7 minutes, each--i.e., 2-3 tricks) using effects that you already know (they can by pretty much anything, but tricks that reset or are impromptu would be your best bet, as you'd probably like to repeat the routine again for multiple groups/tables), and make sure you're really comfortable with those. That would cover you for any strolling gigs, whether they be parties or restaurant.

 

[emagician]

I would definitely reccomend getting a solid, well-practiced ACR routine down and a sponge ball routine put together too. Stigmata is also good, but my personal favorite thing to do if you have the right angles (note: the angles on it are very good), is HOVERCARD!!! With the right presentation, the reactions that you get from that are INSANE! It is well worth it to get it if you don't already have it because you WILL use it!

 

[ajp500]

Cards

For cards do effects with no prep work or much gimmicks. The best card tricks (atlest i think) for partys are....

1.Biddle Trick
2.Triumph
3.ACR

The reason for those is because they require just a deck, no gaffs no other decks or other gimmicks.

I never really liked sponge balls until i gave them a try and loved them. I reccomend jay noblezadas sponge DVD.

 

[William Draven]

No. That simply is not true.

Given your signiture I'll assume you've not been in magic too long. It is very true. Everyghing comes down to the presentation, not the trick.

 

[Sean_Raf]

Given your signiture I'll assume you've not been in magic too long. It is very true. Everyghing comes down to the presentation, not the trick.

Probably shouldn't judge people by their signatures alone Before you leaped onto Ineski like that, a simple 5 minute search through his posts would have told you where he stands in magic.

Not that Ineski needs defending or I have something against you... It's just somewhat of a pet hate of mine when people latch onto others so quickly without checking properly who they are or what tone they might possibly be holding behind their posts or signatures.

I'm jussayin'.

- Sean

 

[joshrobarts]

Probably shouldn't judge people by their signatures alone Before you leaped onto Ineski like that, a simple 5 minute search through his posts would have told you where he stands in magic.

Not that Ineski needs defending or I have something against you... It's just somewhat of a pet hate of mine when people latch onto others so quickly without checking properly who they are or what tone they might possibly be holding behind their posts or signatures.

I'm jussayin'.

- Sean

well said, and if you had spent much time on here you would definitely know the name of Ineski (miika) and show proper respect.

back on topic though, if your looking into a job in magic, especially in a restaurant atmosphere i have two words DAVID STONE

 

[KatieKenner]

Here is something to maybe think about:

If you have to ask what kind of card tricks to use, maybe you aren't ready for a "real" job doing magic.

I would suggest doing what you know and learning your performance by trial and error. You will learn a lot more by just going out and doing something than what you will read on a magic forum.

After a few test runs, and you still feel like you are lacking something in your performance, then start with something new.

Sure, some of these guys have great suggestions, but more than half probably don't get paid doing magic.


Just a thought.

Love,

Katie

 

[William Draven]

Probably shouldn't judge people by their signatures alone Before you leaped onto Ineski like that, a simple 5 minute search through his posts would have told you where he stands in magic.

Not that Ineski needs defending or I have something against you... It's just somewhat of a pet hate of mine when people latch onto others so quickly without checking properly who they are or what tone they might possibly be holding behind their posts or signatures.

I'm jussayin'.

- Sean

Meh.

Word count

 

[Randy]

No. That simply is not true.

Actually it is true. Mike Ammar can take the simpliest effect that everybody would think they knew how it was done, and turn it into a miracle.

The same can be said about a ton of pro's out there.

Also for effects, I suggest you look less for effects and more for advice on how to handle different situations in bars and Restaurants. Jim Pace has a book full of advice on that. Jay Sankey has a nice DVD on that and Then there is live at the Jailhouse.
Once you have watched or read one of those. Simply search through the effects you already know/have and start performing them in different routines and just seeing how they mesh together.

 

[joshrobarts]

Here is something to maybe think about:

If you have to ask what kind of card tricks to use, maybe you aren't ready for a "real" job doing magic.

I would suggest doing what you know and learning your performance by trial and error. You will learn a lot more by just going out and doing something than what you will read on a magic forum.

After a few test runs, and you still feel like you are lacking something in your performance, then start with something new.

Sure, some of these guys have great suggestions, but more than half probably don't get paid doing magic.


Just a thought.

Love,

Katie

a very good point katie. and also its good to see you posting again, haven't heard from you in awhile.

 

[Ineski]

First things first; High five, Sean!

Given your signiture I'll assume you've not been in magic too long. It is very true. Everyghing comes down to the presentation, not the trick.

I've been to magic for a while now and I say that it's not true. Why? Well, carry on reading.

Actually it is true. Mike Ammar can take the simpliest effect that everybody would think they knew how it was done, and turn it into a miracle.

People seem to disregard the fact that there are such things as bad tricks. All tricks simply don't pack the same amount of punch. Invisible Deck for example is a trick that is extremely powerful no matter how much you lack presentational skills. I've seen my fair share of bad performances of that trick that still manage to amaze people. That simply doesn't happen with all tricks. Take Fallen for example. Even when the creator himself performs the trick he can't amaze people (confusion is not magic). Not mentioning other hobbyists trying to perform the trick. A good presentation is needed there to make something of the trick, but you still can't make it nowhere near as powerful as Invisible Deck.

Sure you can make bad tricks better with a good presentation, but why would you want to do bad tricks in the first place? You can improve good tricks with a good presentation and make some killer magic.

Some tricks simply have more impact than others. It is stupid to think that all tricks are on the same line and only the presentation matters. And yes, the secret and how well it is concealed matters too, but that's a subject for another thread

Everything matters.

 

[James Smith]

1. ACR
2. ThreeFry
3. The Chicago Opener (World's Greatest Card Trick)
4. Designed for Laughter (Trick Switch from HTDSM)
5. Banacheck's Psychokinetic Silverware (book)

If you're doing table magic that's pretty much all you need. I don't own or know the last one, but I've heard very good things about it.

 

[Maj]

To be honest, I'd take the money you were going to spend on the new gimmick and buy a book, like one of the classics such as AoA or The Collected Almanac. There you'll find tons of usable material.

M