Hey everyone. I am here to just ask a quick question about patter. Recently, I have just started work on Royal Road. Since I jumped ahead to advanced tutorials and downloads instead of books when starting out. I am sort of re-learning and restarting. Anyway, I was wondering about patter with magic. I personally find that in books the patter is sort of formal and lengthy. But when you look at Dan and Dave, they just announce what the effect is going to accomplish or what they are going to do. So, I was wondering what is more impactful, modern day patter, or past patter? Also, is it necessary to memorize patter with a certain trick word for word? Like in the effect, Topsy-Turvy Cards? Thanks in advance.
Patter?
- Thread starter JPillard
- Start date
That's a good question. Honestly, it all depends on your character--the patter will follow.
Honestly, I find it very tacky to announce what you're about to do. The spectators aren't daft, they can see what you're doing and don't need every step announced. I think a notable exception would be if a spectator is very involved in the performance and you need to give them
Clear and concise direction I. Oder to get the desired result to happen.
But, in order to make this look less robotic, you need to utilize your character and spend some time scripting out what to say and when to say it and allow yourself room to improvise.
It sounds like a bit much, but it comes down to this: how do you want to be portrayed? How do you want others to see and know you?
Honestly, I find it very tacky to announce what you're about to do. The spectators aren't daft, they can see what you're doing and don't need every step announced. I think a notable exception would be if a spectator is very involved in the performance and you need to give them
Clear and concise direction I. Oder to get the desired result to happen.
But, in order to make this look less robotic, you need to utilize your character and spend some time scripting out what to say and when to say it and allow yourself room to improvise.
It sounds like a bit much, but it comes down to this: how do you want to be portrayed? How do you want others to see and know you?
I think it would depend on the source. If you're copying a performance verbatim from another performer, I'd give you the eye of skepticism. But if you're getting your ideas from books, or acquiring inspiration from visual media in efforts to create a completely unique performance of your own; then I don't see why not. It sounds like you're reading the steps, and I think those are the basic building blocks of how you should go about it at first.
I'll give you an example. I work with a lot of prop magic that is meant for Laymen to perform to other laymen. I'll usually watch demo videos and individual performances of how they are done just to get an idea of how it IS performed. Once I acquire the prop, I'll read over the instructions and see what limitations the gimmick possibly has for how I would perform it and try and work my idea around it.
even in the instructions, there is a generalized, basic idea of how it could be performed. Of course, if you take a bit of time and try to apply your character and your own patter to make it a unique performance, you will be ahead of the curve.
But like practicing sleights, you need to spend a good amount of time and practice towards a great performance piece.
Congratulations on starting Royal Road. It will give you a great foundation as you progress. My favorite effect is Intuition With Cards.
The presentation in Royal Road is somewhat dated. It is very formal and reflects the way magic was presented in the 1940s. I wouldn't follow it word for word. Rather, come up with your own presentations.
On the flip side, my pet peeve is magicians that use say-do-see patter. They say what they are going to do, they do it and then tell the audience to "see" what happened. It is what Eugene Burger calls "the adventures of the props in the performer's hands." Other than magicians, nobody finds an deck of cards inherently interesting. Also, say-do-see patter leads spectator's to try and guess how you do it... if all you give them to focus on is what you are doing, it isn't a big leap for them to focus on how you are doing what you are doing.
I typically perform parlor magic (groups from 30 to 100) and my presentation to those groups is highly scripted. However, I can present the scripts so that my presentation seems spontaneous and have the ability to respond to the audience and assistants when they say or do something. For close up magic, I feel that it should be a conversation. I do magic just like you would talk about an interesting movie you saw or book you read. Sort of like sharing an interesting thing that happened to me. Life is about stories... make magic about stories.
The presentation in Royal Road is somewhat dated. It is very formal and reflects the way magic was presented in the 1940s. I wouldn't follow it word for word. Rather, come up with your own presentations.
On the flip side, my pet peeve is magicians that use say-do-see patter. They say what they are going to do, they do it and then tell the audience to "see" what happened. It is what Eugene Burger calls "the adventures of the props in the performer's hands." Other than magicians, nobody finds an deck of cards inherently interesting. Also, say-do-see patter leads spectator's to try and guess how you do it... if all you give them to focus on is what you are doing, it isn't a big leap for them to focus on how you are doing what you are doing.
I typically perform parlor magic (groups from 30 to 100) and my presentation to those groups is highly scripted. However, I can present the scripts so that my presentation seems spontaneous and have the ability to respond to the audience and assistants when they say or do something. For close up magic, I feel that it should be a conversation. I do magic just like you would talk about an interesting movie you saw or book you read. Sort of like sharing an interesting thing that happened to me. Life is about stories... make magic about stories.