Too Many Predictions!

[The Budding Artist]

Hello!
I’ve been creating tricks that focus more or performance and presentation, rather than the magic trick itself. For example, I created a trick that’s a choose your own story, with a reveal that I predicted the story all along. Another one is a dance off between two spectators, where people rate their performance. Then I reveal I predicted it all along. I am struggling to figure out how to make magic effect besides predictions work in these types scenarios. After all, it’s boring to do several prediction tricks over and over again. Any advice? Thank you for your time! Have a great day

 

[Arconik]

I'm a bit late and I don't have much advice as the tricks can only really be done as prediction tricks without changing the entire format. You could however mix in a, 'ooo i got it wrong' (and show the incorrect prediction), then change it to the correct prediction, idk maybe writing the prediction on a card and a colour change🤔. It can be good done well; especially if your routine includes a lot of predictions it could catch your spectator off guard and therefore strengthen the idea you actually got it wrong.

 

[The Budding Artist]

I'm a bit late and I don't have much advice as the tricks can only really be done as prediction tricks without changing the entire format. You could however mix in a, 'ooo i got it wrong' (and show the incorrect prediction), then change it to the correct prediction, idk maybe writing the prediction on a card and a colour change🤔. It can be good done well; especially if your routine includes a lot of predictions it could catch your spectator off guard and therefore strengthen the idea you actually got it wrong.

Thank you so much for the reply! That's a great idea, I hadn't thought of that.

 

[Pistry]

I would definitely read the Jerx. He has a lot of stuff with interesting presentations. Maybe try using things like dance as a ritual/process to make something magical happen.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

The key to creating material that isn't focused on the trick/method, is to think of the audience's experience first, then worry about method later.

Tommy Wonder discusses this in the Books of Wonder. The way he did it was to script it out, then physically pretend to do the routine without doing any form of 'method'. As an example, if he was going to make something vanish, at the point in the presentation where the item is meant to vanish he would just drop it and continue as if he'd vanished it. Once he had the structure of the routine basically down, he figured out methods that would fit within that existing frame work.

I also am a big proponent of never doing any trick or routine as it is taught in the instructions. Which is a big part of why I stopped buying videos - it's much easier for me to create my own presentation from scratch if I learn the methods from books. It separates the creator's personality from the methodology.