Let the magic speak!

Sep 2, 2010
9
0
This is not one of the "i need help" threads. I wanted to bring up something that I think is very important- the types of magic we do, and why we do them!

The type of magic we do to an unknown audience member tells a lot about us. For example, if you do Bizzare magic effects, then this SCREAMS mysteriousness about you..But you have to have a image that will sell these effects as real magic. However you CANNOT be ten years old and using loops and say a cheesy line like "I will, with MY BRRAIN move this deck and find your card in a normal everyday dekc!" You just cant!! The magic you do should fit you, and you should fit the magic to you. So let's say you want a little Bizzare effect. Can't you fit Dan and Dave's Autocatch to a nice Bizzare presentation. Ofcourse you can- a card separetes, JUMPS in the middle of two face down cards. So make the laymen believe that their card represents themselfs. It separets itself from the deck. Use your imagination- how can that effect not be put in that kind, or whatever kind of magic you do..

"Be yourself, be creative".. we are told that all the time and yet we still stand in front of a monitor watching Youtube performances and try to recreate them. People are limited in case of creativity. We look up to Wayne Houchin, Chris Kenner, Daniel Garcia, David Blaine even and try to be just like them! Stop. Many magicians have this problem and even I tangle myself in these strings sometimes. That's when i give myself a reallity check. Beeing youself doesn't mean you should be half-dead (like saying "pick a card.. and.. Here it is") You should not lack character in the performance, still you should not use Criss Angel's to cover your's!

So, go over who you are. What kind of person are you ina a normal conversation? What conversations do you like to be into? What are your qualities? These kinds of questions could lead you, well they work for me.

At the end, i like to see what kind of magic do you do and why? How do you adapt an effect to your style? Any process you go over to do that?
 
Aug 4, 2010
167
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what kind of magic do you do and why? How do you adapt an effect to your style? Any process you go over to do that?

I find myself doing more and more technical magic as the years go by...now that I have mastered most if not every single traditional card technique out there I find it extremely easy to execute many effects that rely heavily on sleight of hand...I'm not a huge fan of gimmicks or lying to my audience...what they see is what they get....someone with superior card handling abilities who can create magical effects with a deck of cards...I don't act mysterious or like a clown...I leave that to the amateurs...I really do let the "magic" speak...
 
Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
CurvyLines (lol),

You have touched on an important aspect of mentalism that seems very well known to serious practitioners, but almost completely unheard of within the less experienced magical community - namely, that of persona. This is the key thinking, that you've talked about, that explains the need for a persona. Those who say "I'm just myself" are by and large talking crap. It's just an excuse because they haven't thought about it. You may well be yourself. But if you can't articulate what that means, then you don't know who "you" really are, and haven't given it any thought.
 
Sep 1, 2010
5
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He went puff and got out of jail. But that was after the boy stopped believing in his heroine addict purple friend. Dragons are really cool ... but not so hot when they barbecue your family for dope money.
 
CurvyLines (lol),

You have touched on an important aspect of mentalism that seems very well known to serious practitioners, but almost completely unheard of within the less experienced magical community - namely, that of persona. This is the key thinking, that you've talked about, that explains the need for a persona. Those who say "I'm just myself" are by and large talking crap.

I think it is almost time for another, what is your character thread. Or maybe I won't, depends if I need a depressant tomorrow.
 
Sep 2, 2010
9
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I think it is almost time for another, what is your character thread. Or maybe I won't, depends if I need a depressant tomorrow.

What is your character is a pitiful topik ( no offence) - it is like asking someone who they are. That's why i wanted the magic to spoek for the character and posted this thread in the first place. The character in my opinion is the entertainer in all of us, and I'm not saying the clown, but the "magician".In conclusion the magician persona is one that we have to sell, and by that I think we sell ourselfs and our effects. The persona, character is something that we can fit to ourselfs.. So, while we're talknig about that, okay, what's you character then? How do you chose it? Why? :D Let's keep this going. :)
 
Sep 1, 2007
340
1
Ontario, Canada
He went puff and got out of jail. But that was after the boy stopped believing in his heroine addict purple friend. Dragons are really cool ... but not so hot when they barbecue your family for dope money.

You hit the nail on the head. That is exactly what I was gonna say!
 
I understand what you are saying and that is exactly what I am asking these magicians. Who the heck are they? You say you want our magic to "Speak for themselves" But if you do not understand who you are in the first place, how are you going to sell your persona through your magic? You don't have a persona to sell!

I used to be one of the people who said "I am myself" when I perform. It was only six or seven years back that I realized that just doesn't cut it any more. What I am when I perform is actually myself and even more. My character as Mordecai does magic, but doesn't claim that it is magic, instead he explains it is only reality. That is the subtext of my character, the way my persona views magic. My persona is very flamboyant, psycopathic, sadomasochistic, comedic, sometimes very dark and prefers to greet everything with a smile.
 
Nov 15, 2007
1,106
2
35
Raleigh, NC
As far as what magic I do, I do what interests me. Why? Because it interests me. :)

I'll answer your questions below this but I wanted to make a comment on why people responded the way you did. Magic in and of itself is boring and lifeless. If you watch a stage illusion on mute it almost kills the presentation because there is nothing to build the suspense. It's like watching a horror movie while on mute, it takes the the horror right out if it.

Much like music builds the suspense of what's going on in illusions and movies, what you say builds (or fails to build) the suspense needed to bring your magic from 'ooo trick' to 'wait, no...that's impossible'. Who you are makes your magic worth doing, not what magic you do. Sure, there are bad tricks out there, but more often than not bad tricks are actually good tricks in the hands of bad performers.

They get bad reviews from bad performers and the magic community accepts the fact that it's a bad trick without trying it out first. Oh thank god and her infinite wisdom to provide us with brains of our own-with which we can try out tricks and contradict what those original performers said.

I'll use an example. If you say 'I'm going to make your card rise out of a pack...that I've drawn on this notepad' and then proceed to do so it's a neat trick. If you instead say 'I've predicted your card...and written it here on this notepad' 'That's not my card!' 'Oh, it isn't? ...hmm...I know, it's the front of the pack of cards (draw lines) and your card is inside.' (then you make it rise) it's a much better effect with a surprise ending and seems more impossible. It's the same trick, just wrapped up differently.

With that said I'll indulge into questions about who I am, and then who I am as a performer:

I have a very dry wit in most casual conversations. I'm interested in almost anything and enjoy listening and learning about other peoples interests. I read fiction and non-fiction equally, I feel too many people read one or the other, and keep a good balance of fantasy and factual knowledge floating in my head. I grew up in a family that tells stories constantly and have become an avid storyteller myself (mostly recounting events from the past, things that are funny or interesting).

All of this comes out in my magic. I do make bold claims like 'I will now read your mind'...but do so in a very tongue in cheek way. The strange thing is most spectators end up believing I have some sort of powers or special ability because they know that what I just did isn't possible. I'm not 100% myself when performing, it is my personality overall, but a lot of what I say is going to be different and make me seem almost insane in most cases. My mannerisms increase and help enhance any magic moments I want to be done.
 
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