Presentation, Routining, and Persona problem

[SinCera]

Dear brothers and sister of the Magic Industry.

I've encountered a problem lately, a very crucial and urgent problem.
I admit that I was off performing lately, either professionally or not.
It's been 2-3 months since I last performed for a live audience.

Yesterday, I tried to perform again. The trick was executed perfectly. But,....

The routining, the presentation, my persona is totally of the grid.
I stuttered in my presentation, I lost contact and lost touch with the spectator.
I'm ashamed of myself, and I stopped performing as quick as the trick is done.
I walk away with my head bowed down.

I know, maybe the trick was executed perfectly but I'm the kind of magician that was more proud of the presentation and persona than the trick and the gimmick itself.

Are there any of you that encountered similar problems to mine?
If so, what do you suggest or recommend to overcome them?

I was happy to be referenced toward several links, books, or even video performance that might get me back to the game again.

I'm sorry if this sound stupid, but I really-really need the help.

Sincerely,
SinCera

 

[KonTW]

The only way you can overcome this is performing.
Just go out and keep on performing and you will get a lot
more comfortable soon.

You may be ashamed of yourself, because of your presentation, but
I don't think the spectators think the same way.

Many people do focus more on the effect, that on the presentation.
I don't want to say, that the presentation is less important, but if your effect is good,
most people will like what you do.

So you don't have to be afraid of going out and performing...

Just do it and I promise you will get more comfortable in front of an audience soon!

Good Luck!!!

- Konrad

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

First suggestion is never perform unless you're completely confident in the performance. The physical sleights are only a small fraction of that.

You also need to rehearse your script, and make sure it's something that meshes with how you perform.

I think this was just a case of being unprepared.

 

[ZachMueller]

First suggestion is never perform unless you're completely confident in the performance.

I don't think any single person performing their first ever effect for people has been completely confident in their performance.

Is it better to be completely confident in the performance? Sure, but you will get better and better the more you perform, and it may take a while to get confident.

My advice would be to simply work on your people skills - both with magic and outside of it. I did my magic castle act for 3 years, and eventually it got boring for me, I felt like I was going through the motions. So I took a break, and invested myself into improv classes and performances for a year. It boosted my ability to adlib, improvise and be comfortable with just being myself. It improved my interaction skills immensely, and now when I do my act I have way more fun, and can feel the audience having more fun as well.

Hope that helped! Good luck

 

[SinCera]

Thank you, Christopher, Zach, and Konrad for the advices!
It is much appreciated.

A question to Zach : Is there any reference or books that could improve my own interaction toward people?
it could be much more efficient to me rather than taking classes.

 

[tpscot]

I think the best way of improving your interaction with people is by interacting with them more. Something I always consider when reflecting on a performance is whether the audience would have been happy to have me there and speak to me regardless of whether I was doing any magic, if the answer is no then I'm doing something wrong. I find it to be helpful to have a bit of a chat with people before going into the first effect (although the extent to which this is appropriate depends on the situation you're in) I think this helps disarm them a bit and is particularly useful for the types of people who see your magic as a challenge to them or think you might be showing off. It also allows you to get a sense of who the people are, how to speak to them and may often provide you something to work with for later conversation or a joke at some point.

It's also worth remembering that while preparation is exceptionally important, it's just as important to know how to improvise and divert from it if necessary. For example, if a spectator makes a joke and you just stand there waiting until everybody has stopped laughing then steamroll ahead people aren't really going to warm to you. If the 'beat' of your presentation isn't in line with that of the room it's going to feel quite awkward which will throw you off.

The final thing I'd say is to remember that we all have bad days, where we just aren't really in the mood and aren't 'feeling it' for any number of reasons and there's not much that can be done about this. There's no point beating yourself up about these things (although obviously this shouldn't be used as an excuse for something which is lacking), you should analyse it, learn from it and work out what you can do to mitigate it when it happens again and move on.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

Zach - I understand what you're saying, but counter it with this - The reason most people aren't confident when they perform a trick for the first time is because they have not properly rehearsed it. Every magician I know (myself included) has done a trick before they were actually ready to do it. Most magicians I know do not rehearse enough or properly. They learn the moves and maybe write a script, then wing it from there and hope it goes well. This, I believe, is a major contributing factor to why so much magic is performed so poorly.

But I agree with you 100% about personal skills. I think this is more important than sleight of hand in many cases. A person with mediocre sleight of hand, but excellent personal skills will do far better than someone with excellent sleight of hand skills and mediocre personal skills. Learning to improv off of the audience reactions is a skill that is worth so much I can't even come up with a good metaphor.

tpscot is also right. If your performance doesn't mesh with how the audience interacts with each other and you, you'll fall flat. Quickly building rapport is incredibly important and unfortunately there's not many ways to learn this other than getting out there and talking to people. Even before that, if necessary, you may just have to spend a lot of time observing how people interact and learning to mimic that. It really depends on where you're starting from.

 

[Austin Fields]

I'll offer a couple things, I hope they help.

Somethings that have helped me a lot;

- Don't open with a trick, talk to them, be a human being before starting something. My performance "character" is an extension of myself, so it's very easy to ease into "performance mode".

- Ease into a performance. Groups have a pace, and when you enter their space, you need to match that pace and acclimate yourself to who they are. Speak in their rhythm, match their movement speeds, etc. Don't come off like an intruder into their environment, it'll single you out and "put you on the spot".

- Relevant tricks. Try to select your effect on a topic that they're interested in, or you/someone has brought up. Launching into "patter" is...strange.

- Part 2 of that is to create some interest or mystery around what you're going to do before you do it. So many people forget this point, because it's difficult to see an effect outside of the start and end of our "script".

That's some relevant tips I can think of at the moment, now to address some other things.

Christopher, I agree and disagree. I've found that "properly" rehearsing something is very different for everyone. It's taken me a long time to find what type of material really fits me, my character, and goals. There are definitely times when I depend on the audience to accomplish a method, or to find a moment of misdirection, etc. Thus, I have venues I use to test those things, lots of people, casual, non-paid, who don't know who I am.

I feel like people need to find their own way. Dani Da Ortiz mentions that he always tests new material in front of an audience, but he pillows it between two strong effects in case it falls.

Now, there are things that are 99% consistent with magicians that I think you should do until you find a good reason not too.
#1 Film yourself practicing, script and all.
#2 Practice like you play, clothing, hair, pockets full, talking to imaginary people etc. The whole sha-bang.
#3 Film from different angles, take LOTS of notes as you watch yourself
#4 Watch magicians you like, take more notes.
#5 READ. Performing is not a gift, it is a skill. I've seen so many naturally good performers dwarf their talents because nobody told them it was acceptable to read performance theory. I'm not sure what it is about magic, but magicians hardly ever talk about these skill sets.

Suggestions: Maximum Entertainment - Ken Webber, How To Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnagie, Stanislavsky's "An Actor..." series, The Fitzkee Trilogy, Ascanio's first book....

Oh, and the one thing that has helped me the most, but it took the longest for me to begin applying;

Go For It. Don't be afraid of failing. Ask yourself, "what's the worst that could happen?" when you answer (realistically), then ask yourself, "can I live with that?".

You realize the world doesn't end, your keep your parents, you don't spontaneously combust, you look 'stupid' (by failing something that's, by definition, IMPOSSIBLE.), or whatever absurd thing people think happens when you mess a trick up.

Failing is a VERY natural part of what we do, fail a lot. Failing is a blast! I've done so many culls + card to pocket saves I've lost count. Yet I know I'm better because of it. I can see it in my practice recordings, I can feel it when I perform.

Don't feel like you're alone in magic because nobody ever talks about all the script/comedy writing books they bought to make that joke funny, the performance theory books they spent all their time on that turned their show around, or the list of improvements they desperately need to make and tricks they're too afraid to try.

Thank you for being honest about your insecurities in magic. I hope you find my honesty helpful and encouraging. If I've been any help at all, please let me know if I can be of any further help.
Cheers.

 

[TheCardEater]

Hi guys,
I had the same problem a few months ago (I am a beginner magician, I admit, only 3 yrs of practice/performance)
I read Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz. It is amazing, it changed my view of magic and performance. This book includes tips on h to perform/to sript your magic. It tells you how to make magic interesting, giving it a substantial meaning. It gives clues on how to present strong magic and to maximise your impact on the reaction and the memory of the spectators.
I strongly recommend you to buy it, you will not regret it.
Hope this helps
Eliott