I must admit that I think this is a VERY GOOD question! It might almost be as good a question as: “What makes a good ‘Opening statement’?”
As Performers/Magicians, we all SHOULD be asking questions of our audiences, even if the question is ‘only’: “Are you following me so far?” Or does someone disagree with me on this point?
“Questions”:
• Build the relationship (rapport if you like) between the Performer and the audience member
• Improve communication and should lead to clearer understanding of ‘the presentation’
• Strengthen the climax
• One of the best maxims in Magic “If they like you, they’ll like your Magic”

IM(ns)HO questions should have a purpose, you should WANT them to lead you ‘somewhere’ – somewhere where YOU want to take the conversation/dialogue/presentation/relationship between you and the audience.

Let’s think about the second question you can ask: the FIRST question should always be “What’s your name?”
(If you don’t know it, using a person’s name is empowering to any presentation. It is much easier to build a positive relationship with someone when you use their name. Clearly this advice does not apply if you already know their name – but you still have to use it!)

Your ‘second question’ can and SHOULD lead you where you want to go! So, the question “Have you ever seen Magic before?” gives you information about that audience member. By implication, it also conveys the impression to the audience around you that you are going to do Magic! This is another point that can be made here: a ‘question’ can also convey information!
BUT – where does this question ‘lead us’? What do we gain as a “Performer/magician/Entertainer from this question? Certainly, we gain information about ‘this individual’ which can help us tailor our presentation and make it more meaningful or powerful. In and of itself, this is useful information to have.

As an opening line Eugene Burger asks the question “Would you like to see the best trick of the 20th Century?” . . . or words to that effect!
WHAT a question! How much does this question say to the audience! What a ‘hook’! Of course, behind this question lies the fact that you’d better bloody well have an effect that lends some credibility to the question . . . THAT IS WORTHY OF THE QUESTION. If you don’t, you’ve just shat all over anything else you might say for the rest of your set.

In ‘Stand Up comedy’, a branch of the Performing Arts that is very similar to ‘street magic’ or ‘walk-a-bout magic’, a good comic ask the questions that lead them to their next punch line. A ‘set up question’ that Ross Noble uses is:
Do you have a pet?
Now this is an innocent enough question for most people – leading to a simple yes or no answer. If Ross gets a “Yes . . . a dog” answer, his immediate follow up question is “Do you pick up after it?” This question always gets a good laugh (yes, I only have one tape of Ross Noble saying this line: but it ALWAYS gets a good reaction every time I listen to it!)
If the answer to this supplementary question is “Yes”, he immediately replies “Liar”; which again gets a good response from the rest of the audience.
This is an example of ‘a good question’; it leads the performer to ‘where they want to be’.

Now you may be thinking: what does he do if he gets a different answer that doesn’t let him use this line? Here are some of his alternative lines in reply to a different answer.
“No.” he can either follow up with a supplementary question of “Did the R.S.P.C.A. take it away?” or ask the question of someone else . . . remembering that the ‘next person’ has just seen a ‘non-threatening’ or non-insulting interchange between the Comic and an audience member. They will feel safer about replying.
“No, I have a cat” in which case he can reply “Cats are good . . . they clean up after themselves!” This is a very good follow up line after his “Dog question”.
“No, I have a pet bird.” in which case he could answer: “a Chicken?” Now I quite like this answer as it can take a few seconds for the contradiction of the answer to register with the audience, building up a longer laugh line.

Conclusion.
Questions that contribute to the ‘unfolding of the journey’ between the performer and their audiences would be considered “Good questions”. Questions that build a positive bond between the Performer and their audiences are the same, good questions. Questions that have been incorporated into the Script, to heighten the effect may even be Great Questions.

So what I have been learning is that I have not appreciated the potential of questions within ‘my performances. Mostly this new awareness has come from my involvement in ‘Stand up comedy’, it translates very well to ‘Magic’.

- Who most inspired you to start doing magic?

I was always a fan of David Copperfield but the performer who actually
inspired me to start learning magic was the original masked magician,
the Mystery Magician. I rented a video around 1989 called The Mystery
Magician. It was a secrets exposed tape which explained the zig zag
and several other big illusions. I was really excited to learn those
secrets. At the end of the video, the Mystery Magician did Al
Schnieder’s Matrix routine and then explained it. He didn’t simply
expose it, he taught it and I learned it. That was it for me, I was
hooked. From there I went to the public library and checked out every
magic book they had. The Milwaukee public library had a load of great
books, many classics of magic. I read them all cover to cover and
learned to perform almost every close up routine in them.

- Where do you start when creating an effect?

Sometimes it starts with the effect I want to produce. With my
Fantastic Floatation I started with the intent of creating a
levitation that could be done close up, and without any props. After
deciding what the requirements would be, then I start exploring
methods. Same thing with the Floating Cigarette. Other times it
starts with a gimmick or method that shows potential to create an
effect. The Laser was kind of like that. It started out just toying
with my Floatation gimmick and evolved into a sawing illusion.

One thing I always try to do while working out new effects is approach
it from the most unexpected, twisted angle possible. The first half
dozen methods get tossed aside immediately because they’re the most
obvious. I try to work in the space that nobody else has before.

- To be a bit controversial but with no disrespect, many have said
that your ideas are incomplete and impractical. How would you answer
these critics of your work?

If they had the nerve to say it to my face I’d slap the crap out of
them. Seriously though, If I had marketed the Laser, many would have
called it impractical. There’s an old saying about throwing pearls
before swine. I’m not saying every idea I put out is a gem. But I
have put out a few very solid tricks that got slammed by people who
weren’t bright enough to realize their potential. My Goodbye Vanish
is a prime example of something that was initially trashed online.
Apparently for $6.95 people expected more than a workable effect based
on a proven method, with a bonus of a full scale illusion. For every
person who has said that trick is a rip off, I have another who uses
it regularly and loves it. I received an email recently from one of
the UK’s top illusionists sharing his presentation ideas, he performs
the Goodbye Vanish nightly. I knocked heads with 2 of magic’s most
brilliant inventors while creating that trick and we all took it very
seriously. So who am I to believe? Headliners and professionals or
the very vocal beginners and hobbyists who frequent the forums?

To answer the question, there are three things I think people need to consider.

1. If you pay under $10 for a trick don’t expect a damn miracle.
2. Don’t knock it until you tried it. And not just once or twice.
All magic takes practice.
3. Just because it doesn’t work for you doesn’t mean it won’t work for others.

- What is your opinion about exposing tricks?
(Someone believes that exposing old tricks helps to create new ones by
inspiring the creative mind)

In my opinion exposure is part of magic. As long as magicians act as
though they are protecting sacred secrets, there will be a desire to
see these secrets exposed. It’s part of the game.

Does it hurt magic? No.

The proof of this is evident in the fact that exposure has been around
as long as magic and magic is still going strong.

Does it hurt individuals? Sometimes.

In the case of marketed effects exposure can have an direct effect on
sales. It can spoil some one’s act if the audience saw the effect
exposed the night before.

Does it help magic? That’s debatable.

I think the only person who ever said exposure helps magic by
inspiring magicians to create new effects was Valentino. Frankly
that’s a load of BS he came up with when his balls came off with his
mask. Magicians will create new effects regardless, we don’t need the
motivation of having our marketed effects exposed.

I do believe exposure can benefit magic, at least in the form of a
show like the Masked Magician specials, by raising interest in magic
in general. When those specials air, sales go up just as much as when
a David Blaine special is on. And as I’ve already mentioned, the
exposure shows can bring new people into the art.

So regarding exposure, I can’t be a hypocrite. I like to know the
secrets. All magicians do. So do many magic fans. If someone
exposes an effect after I’ve done it hopefully the audience will
appreciate that I did it well. It shouldn’t necessarily take away
from what I’ve done in their eyes. Now exposing some of the recent
magic on TV is a different story. I’ve heard some supposedly
reputable folk in magic say that camera cuts and edits is the new way
of doing magic. They’re digging their own grave though. When this
stuff is exposed as camera tricks, magic has taken it’s final bow.
Part of the fun in watching magic is trying to figure out how it’s
done. Once you start using camera tricks, what’s the point?

- Do you agree that most of the time in mentalism you buy the
presentation, because the method is based on an old (and practical)
principle?

I think all magic is like that, not just mentalism. Very few
principles are new. A long time ago someone told me something that I
didn’t quite understand at the time but it’s true. That is, that
there is nothing new in magic. Everything is a variation on a
variation. Even if you come up with a new principle, it’s still a
variation of the original MAGIC TRICK. Once upon a time there was
someone who came up with the idea of fooling someone. Of using
deception to create the illusion of magic. Everything that came after
that is just a variation of the original idea.

- What do you think about hype and false advertising?

I would like to believe that I am the father of hype in magic
advertising. And also that I have never participated in false
advertising.

Writing magic ads is fun. It’s like a little game that’s played
between the seller and the potential customer. We get tell you as
much as we can without you figuring out the secret. If we can tell
you just enough of what it’s not to drive you nuts and convince you
that you don’t know the secret, you buy it. If you can figure it out,
odds are you don’t buy it.

Magic is advertised by telling you what it isn’t. Imagine going into
an electronics shop to buy a tv and the salesman approaches you and
says, “you gotta have this tv, you won’t believe the picture quality”

“Is it high-def?”

“It’s better than high-def, it’s not LCD. There are no CRT’s no
remote controls. None of the traditional methods are used.”

You say, “Can you turn it on for me?”

“No, not until you buy it. I’ll tell you this though… it’s not like
any picture you’ve seen before.”

“Oh yeah, and there are no returns.”

Amazing isn’t it? If it were any other business it would be illegal

- Do you have any advice for someone who wants to start doing less
street magic or close up magic and more stage and parlor magic?

Yes. Invest in some spandex and refrain from using masks if possible.

I wish I had more advice to give you but stage is not my area of
expertise. The only thing I’d say is pursue some training in theatre.
Try some acting or dance to learn how to use a stage.

- There is a rumor about a recent film production by you, whats this about?

If it’s a rumor about me you can bet I started it.

- Do you recommend practicing sleights separately or practicing it
along with the routine?

Some moves require so much practice they must be learned outside of

the routine. It may take a thousand times to get the knack of a
certain sleight, you certainly don’t want to plow through the entire
routine just to learn the single move. I say learn the difficult
moves outside of the routine, then work them in. There are certain
moves that I remember practicing all the time, palming while grocery
shopping for instance. There’s that move where you spin a card on the
fingertip, it’s just a flourish really. But that one I practiced
while driving.

- How do you structure your practice sessions?

When I was developing my act, contests were a great motivator. I’d
set up at the table and rehearse the act from start to finish. I’d
video tape each performance and review it immediately. One
interesting thing about contests is that they are timed. Rehearsing
within a specific time frame added another dimension to the practice
session. You end up learning your routine with military-like
precision.

Video is probably the most valuable tool you can use when rehearsing.

- I heard you wanted back the Laser from David so you could release to
the public. Did you solve that or David avoided your request?

Sometimes I wish I had it back, other times I don’t. Once in a while
I think it was a bad financial decision because it seems like everyone
is eager to buy the trick. On the other hand I realize that people
only want what they can’t have. David paid a lot for it. If I would
have sold it, it would have come and gone by now and probably nobody
would be talking about it.

What does frustrate me is seeing people sell variations and knock-offs
of the effect and apparently getting away with it. It does seem like
the only person not allowed to work with it is me.

- Do you feel guilty for selling the Stationary Document and for
falsely advertising it?

Of course not. The Station Manager document is still popular and the
routine included is super strong. All in all it’s a great value. It
was never falsely advertised either. There are certain things
discussed in it that irritate the living hell out of a certain type of
person. Let’s just say that skeptics and Atheists are advised not to
read it. It seems to drive them straight bonkers. So much so that
they will feel it is their duty to discredit it and steer others away
from it in which case they miss out.

The document did make certain predictions which have all come to pass.
That has helped squelch the protesters. Really, the truth behind the
Station Manager document is more shocking than the document itself.
I’d love to say more but should hold off as we have another
installment on the table that explains a lot. It was meant to be
released in January but I’m holding off just a bit. It’s touchy
stuff.

- What is, and has been, the largest part of your work in magic, that
is, is your time most devoted to doing shows or in the development and
promotion of your magic effects? If you spend a lot of time doing
shows, what type(s) are you doing, where and how often?

I got into magic late compared to a lot of performers. I was about 21
years old. I spent over 10 years performing and lecturing. I did the
magic circuit and of course the contest thing. For several years I
was really focused on winning the IBM and SAM awards. For me
performing was a necessary evil. What I really wanted to do was sell
magic and making money performing it enabled me to spend time creating
new effects to market. Winning the contests using the effects I’d
created was something I wanted to do so I could mention it in my
advertising. Along the way I ended up lecturing all around the world,
got my own special in Japan and met a ton of great people. My
professional life outside of the magician/convention circles was
private parties and a lot of restaurant work. I was the house
magician at TGIFridays in Milwaukee for quite a few years. For a
while I was working a couple 7 hour shifts a week.

Somewhere along the way I got the idea in my head that I wanted to
create a trick that David Copperfield would perform on television. It
took several years before that materialized. He did call me at one
point, curious about my Floating Cigarette routine. Unfortunately
since I had sold so many already, he couldn’t work with it as he is
always looking for fresh material. A few years later though I had the
Laser, or the Splitting Image Illusion. I had done it just once in
Japan for a tv show and was booked to circle the world with it,
performing it on a few tv shows. Long story short, we made a deal and
that tour never happened.

Today I’m no longer performing and haven’t for quite a few years.
It’s not something I care to do. I’m more interested in the Internet
and seeing how many ways we can plug magic into it. I’ve been working
with computers since I was 11. My first was a Timex Sinclair, that
was 30 years ago.

- If I’m not mistaken, did you not collaborate with andrew mayne at
some point? what do you think of him? what does he think of you?

I’ve never worked with Andrew Mayne. Never even met him.

Judging from some of his effects I suspect I’ve been an inspiration to
him. No idea what he thinks of me. I would assume he finds me
inspirational.

Some From Me Personally

- What is your favorite effect?

Maybe Copperfield’s Death Saw. Or Harry Anderson doing the Needle
Through the Arm. If I was in a Devil went down to Georgia situation
though, I’d bet on my Floating Cigarette.

- What type of magic do you like most?

I like the kind that fools me so badly I get all concerned and
confused. Harry Anderson doing the Needle through the arm on Saturday
Night Live was like that.

Really, the most intriguing magic I’ve seen is when somebody tries to
pull it off as if it was real. I saw James Hydrick on That’s
Incredible when I was like 13 years old, nothing has impressed me as
much as that since.

- How long does it take you to come up with effects

Some effects take years to complete. The Laser illusion took almost 2
years working literally every day. Another trick I’m not currently
selling, Static Elevation took 1 1/2 years. And by this I mean I
couldn’t come to a satisfactory solution for the entire time, but kept
working on it. Other tricks appear in an instant, sometimes two at
once. A good example of that is Amagazing, which is one of my best
effects and Easyfloat, which has been one of my best selling effects
for many years. Both popped into my head at the same moment, in their
entirety. So much information I had to scramble to write down all the
details. I’m of the school of thought that there is a universal mind
and when we create we’re simply dipping into it. Sometimes it cops a
squat without warning, other times you have to pry it out or feed it
laxative for months before you get a taste.

- What is your honest opinion about Secrets of Magic Forum?

I hate to see you get harassed about your site. I’ve already given my
views on exposure, I think it’s basically harmless. If an individual
creator has an issue about a currently marketed effect that’s one
thing, and probably something you should take into consideration. But
the main problem you face is with hypocrites. These people reside on
sites like the magic cafe which are basically no different than SOMF.
They just go about sharing secrets more discreetly. Instead of “how
is this done?” they say, “any thoughts?”. They don’t want you to
blatantly expose the trick, just give them enough information so they
can figure it out. How is this any different?

The magic community is full of freaks who seem to think they are like
a priest of a certain denomination. Magic is like God to them and
they want to stand between you and God so that the only way to Magic
is to pass through them. They want you to discover magic their way
and in turn they can teach you to push their own personal agenda,
whatever it may be.

So let’s not choose words here… Magic doesn’t belong to these
losers and most of them haven’t contributed squat to it. They have
absolutely no right to tell anyone how or where they can learn about
magic, or what terminology they should use when discussing it. “Lean
magic” is no different than “Secrets Exposed” when it comes down to
it. And none of them have a problem with any magic site advertising
the latest tricks performed on tv by David Blaine or Criss Angel.
Just as long as they don’t use the word “exposed”?

Good magic and good performers deserve respect and it will come
automatically if it is deserved. I know it already happens on your
site. If someone is marketing something that is truly clever and
worth the price, people will say just buy it because it’s worth it.
If it is a scam it will be exposed. What is more ethical, that or a
forum sponsored by magic distributors where scams can run their course
because supposed “exposure” is not allowed?

The funny thing about your site is that it’s not even public. You
have to join so what’s the big deal? I see dozens of magicians
putting up secrets where all you have to do is answer a question to
prove you’re a magician. And the question is always something simple
anyone could look up on google. They all want to share secrets, just
in their own special way.

I remember back in the 90′s I was working on selling magic online. I
wanted to do video demos but I was concerned about the fact that video
demos break the second rule of magic, “Thou shalt not repeat a trick”.
I was worried I would catch flak from every magician on earth, there
literally were no video demos of magic online. Eventually I just went
ahead and did it. The next issue was selling invisible thread online.
How in the world could I say the forbidden words in “public”…
Invisible Thread? I did catch flak for a while with that one. But
guess what? The only people who give a hoot about Invisible thread
are magicians. If you know nothing about the Internet you think every
exposure site is seen by every layperson on the planet. Don’t we
wish? Getting traffic is hard as hell! Point being, the only people
who really find exposure online are people who are really interested
in magic to begin with. The majority of your visitors are already
registered at every other magic forum online. Even the number of
people who really watch the Masked Magician specials is not very
large. And they are mostly magicians and die hard magic fans. Who
else could sit through that weirdness?

My opinion about SOMF is the same as my opinion regarding exposure in
general. And that is, we should be glad there is interest. When
people stop wondering how it’s done, magic is really in trouble.

All my best!

Steve Fearson

Regarding others who share my views on this stuff… probably a lot do
but not many would go out on a limb to say so. Then again, maybe I’m
the only one

If any other well known magicians or creators would like to be interviewed, feel free to contact us. Hope you enjoyed this exclusive interview brought to you by Secrets of Magic Forum! Be sure to sign up on SOMF if you haven’t already and subscribe to our RSS feed!

Mike

All of us began with hardships
Some had girlfriends, we had card tricks.
We thought pompoms were just great
while our friends were getting laid.
One thing is indeed quite tragic
Many people do hate magic.
But in here we feel alright
Watching coin routines all night.
Here we love magics tradition.
And we hate the masked magician.
From day one my faith was strong.
It is here where I belong!

CHORUS:
FISM is the place to be.
Geeks and pros are running free
It is where magicians mingle
And the linking rings will jingle
There are many acts to see
Cards are palmed extensively
Its where fooling feels so nice,
Cheating is like paradise
So for strange men such as we
FISM is the place to be.
FISM is the world convention.
Look at magics true dimension…
Spanish come and Portugese
This time even more Chinese.
The most famous magic guys
Never won a FISM prize.
Outside this convention hall
Few of us are known at all.
But were known internally
So for guys like you and me

CHORUS:
FISM is the place to be.
Geeks and pros are running free
All the dealers sell the same
Never mind from where they came.Only here on every car your contact number
Only here a ‚Magic sticker on your bumpers
Only here no one uses cards to play.
And no one thinks that scarves are gay.
Only here Himber Wallets dont need leather.
Only here snowstroms dont rely on weather.
Only here a zombie is a trick.
Not undead, but on a stick. On a stick!

CHORUS (with choir):
FISM is the place to be.
Geeks and pros are running free
When we meet were dressing formal
Only here were feeling normal.
So much creativity
Came from this fraternity.
FISMs best for acts to start
And to celebrate the art.
So Im sure we all agree:
FISM is the place to be.
FISM for eternity!

Hope you all enjoyed this quick post, look for more to come!

Be sure to sign up on SOMF if you haven’t already and subscribe to our RSS feed!

Mike

When it comes to motion, everyone notices it. We always turn to anything that is moving. Learn to move the object that you want the audience to see and keep the concealed object still. Likewise, we will find it difficult to detect two motions at the same time. A small motion is covered over a large one. With that said, the magician moving a card to the back of his/her hand moves the whole hand in an arc. Our eyes keep track of the arc but lose the motion of the card within it. It just vanishes from our view.

As you are doing your magic act, notice the eye movements and attention patterns of your spectators. As you become accustomed to the way people watch you, you will begin to have a feeling on how to manipulate their focus.

If you watch a baby’s eyes, you can see that he/she focuses on you for several seconds and then seems to lose you. The eyes begin to drift off. It takes some effort for a baby to find something in her field of vision. Adults, however, focus quickly and easily. Their attention is sharp, and they can catch any movement in their view but there is set of patterns to our eye movements, which means that visual attention can be easily misdirected.

For example, we can’t focus on something close and something far away at the same time. When a card is held close to our faces and slowly turned over, we can’t see the slight motion in the magician’s other hand. When we change focus from one place to another, we are blind for about a fraction of a second. That brief amount of time is likely enough time for the magician to make a secret move. The paddle move, for example, is a trick that seems to show both sides of a card or an object but in reality shows the same side twice. The rotating action happens within that small period of blindness.

We keep whatever we are doing in the short-term memory. The short-term has two basic essentials that assist in misdirection. First, it has a limited capacity. It only holds about seven things. Second, it is action focused. When you turn people’s attention away from what they were doing, their short term memory gets rid of whatever it is holding and prepares for new information. Just as you touch someone’s arm, ask a question, or move near his/her personal space, the audience begins to pay attention to that. This change in attention empties the short-term memory. They can’t follow your movements and are unable to reconstruct your steps within the trick.

Here is an old example that illustrates this process of tricking the memory. “A cross-town bus with twelve people on board stops and lets two people off, one person gets on. Two blocks later, one more person gets on. At the next stop, one person gets off. Three blocks later, one person gets off and three get on. How many stops did the bus make?” Of course, you were led in a false direction. Details kept you focused on the more difficult math than on the simple number of stops. Your diverted memory finds it difficult to reconstruct easy facts because you were not focused on them. The magician leads his audience in the same way but with more subtly.

Note: Since I did not know the majority of this information, I researched most of this at my disposal.

The above post is credited to Brandon.B of SOMF. He was kind enough to contribute this article for the blog. Be sure to sign up on SOMF if you haven’t already and subscribe to our RSS feed! Look forward to even more blog posts from him in the future!

Mike

- Build a hat http://www.instructables.com/id/Party-top-hat-made-of-playing-cards/

What better way to spend an afternoon than ruining countless decks of cards to make something everyone loves? A top hat. Made of playing cards…

- Make a card wallet http://www.instructables.com/id/Playing-Card-Wallet/

Awesome. Maybe if your Mr. Coin guy, you can hold all of your gaffs in here.

- Start a fire with them

I’d like to see them card guys do their stupid little tricks without their CARDS! Burn away, the more the better. Provides warmth and comfort, especially if you live in a box, cheap affordable heating.

- Write on them

I remember a while back, I read about something to help the process of creating new magic effects. You wrote down random items and objects you could use in a magic effect, on the back of playing cards. Say you had 52 different objects written on 52 different cards. You’d then shuffle the deck up, and deal yourself three cards. With those three random items, you must try to think of an effect you could create with them. This really helps your creativity! Otherwise, you can just draw pictures, if you are simple minded like that…

- Coasters

Cheap, easy to package, easy to use, coasters. Have all 52 of your coffee mug collection on display, without scratching your priceless table.

- Cat toy

Own a cat? “Borrowing” a cat from a neighbor? Well put a deck of cards down in front of some cats and watch them fight over it. Seriously, they do. I’ve tried it.

- Makeshift Targets

Want to sharpen up your shooting skills, pin these bad boys up and aim right for the King of Hearts Crot- I mean head.

- Paper Towels

So absorbent that you’ll umm… who am I kidding, they couldn’t clean up even a drop of water, damn glossy protection.

- Pooper Scooper

Fan these like a pro, and you’ll be cleaning up entrails.. like a pro. Your dog will finally love your magic.

- Confetti

Rip them up to your hearts content, then use them as confetti in another magical effect. Like making several decks of cards disappear, and turn into.. ripped up cards.

- Cut cheese

I heard some cards are so thick, you can cut cheese with them. On an unrelated note, ellusionist.com sucks.

- Perform Magic

Wait scratch that last one, that is not a viable use for cards.

If you enjoyed this post, leave a comment either on here, or the forums! Be sure to sign up at SOMF if you haven’t already and subscribe to our RSS Feed!

Mike

It’s all about the angles.

Be sure to use mirrors when trying to find the right and worng angles. Discover what angles will work best for you and of course, the audience’s perspective. If you think there will be spectators beside you, learn how to cover your moves from the sides. There are some rules of thumb that you can follow but always check them in your mirror. During this process, your mirror is your best friend.

Keep in mind that children will see things at a different perspective. They look up at things that adults look down on. If you where doing a particular sleight at adult’s level, a child could possibly see what’s going on. If you were working closely with a mix of adults and children, you could knee down or squat to their level to include the little ones in the magic. If you were working at a distance from the audience, just be concerned of all the different eye levels in your audience.

Be very cautious of people behind you, for they may figure out how the tricks work. It is possible of them to absorb attention away from you while you are working as well. It would be best if you would invite them to come in front by telling them that they will have a much better view. If someone insists on standing behind you, do not continue performing. He/she is trying to foil the trick. He/she will likely blow it out of proportion of seeing your method and blurt it out to the rest of the audience. Though he wants to make a fool out of you, he will of course make a fool of himself, but this not going to be a fun experience for the audience. It would be best if you don’t perform for these type of people.

When performing, be wary of glass, windows, mirrors, or any other reflective surface for that matter. During your act, a spectator may begin to start watching you through the window. Be conscious of the angle of the deck or hands as well. Keep it tilted so that the bottom card isn’t showing, unless you want it to of course.

When you show a card or a fan to the audience, make sure that it faces them squarely and is easy to see. Hold it still long enough for the effect to register. Sometimes you will fan the deck or hold the cards so that the audience can see that things are fair and normal. A sense of angles will eventually become second nature to you. As a magician, you will come to feel the positions of the people around you and almost subconsciously control their perspectives.

The above post is credited to Brandon.B of SOMF. He was kind enough to contribute this article for the blog. Be sure to sign up on SOMF if you haven’t already and subscribe to our RSS feed! Look forward to more blog posts very soon!

Here are some things that have worked for me in the past, and some things I think could work.

- Ask yourself, where are you performing, what is the environment, and how much money will people have on them.

Restaurants for instance can be a great place to get tips, by doing table hopping, but they can also be horrible depending on the quality of the restaurant. If you are doing magic at some low class place, you will be less likely to get that little bit of extra cash. If you are doing walk-around at a wedding, people most likely will not have much money on them, therefore be unable to tip. Instead if you are busking out on the street, or doing walk-around at say, a carnival, the tips will come easier.

- Do the people you are performing for like your magic and YOU?

If you are not liked, and your magic is not entertaining, you will be out of luck in general, especially for tips. Make sure you are energetic, enthusiastic, and you treat the spectators with respect. No ones going to tip you if you are rude to them, that’s a given.

- Do magic effects that involve money, preferably the spectators..

This includes, bill switches, bill in lemon, serial number predictions, coin effects, transpositions, changes, you name it. If you do it with the spectators money, you are more likely to get some tips afterward. Be sure to include in your patter something near the end about tips, or make a joke asking if you can keep their money or a “thanks for the tip”. You never know it could work.

- Pretend.

I haven’t personally tried this method yet, but a friend recommends I do. After doing an effect with money, shake the spectators hand and pretend to take a tip. This will subconsciously make the other spectators want to tip you. I can see this working in large crowds, but not for small groups of people.

- Have a tip jar out in the open.

If you have a tip jar, it pretty much tells the spectators you aren’t working for free, without forcing them to put money in. If you are good, they should tip. Try producing this jar, hat, or whatever during your act. The more magical your tip jar is, the faster it will fill up…

- Have a pickpocket act

If you do any sort of pickpocket act, or watch steal, consider just taking your tip. You can take whatever you feel that you deserve, they won’t notice as long as you are good. Make sure you’ve practiced on friends and family before attempting this.

(Warning, joke above, read with caution.)

- Just ask.

Buskers do it all the time, so why shouldn’t you. Just ask for your tip, if you did a good job people are usually nice enough to give back. You may want to think about when you ask though. People may think the end would the best time, but it’s not. That’s just when everyone is leaving, and we don’t want our money to leave us do we? Try asking for tips before one of your final effects. Build up how amazing it will be, and tell them you will do it.. right after you pass your hat.

In general, to make tips you must have some confidence. You need to structure your magic in such a way that it tells them to give you money, but try and do it discretely. You don’t want everyone to know you as the magician that just asks for money. I hope you all learned something from this little write up, if you have any comments or other ways to make tips, please post a reply! Thanks I hope you enjoyed.

Be sure to sign up on SOMF if you haven’t already and subscribe to our RSS feed! Look forward to more blog posts very soon!

Mike

A tool to Promote and Sell your Services

A Description (or ‘indication’) of your Performance Piece

What are the components of a Performance Character?

Name, costume, manner & nature of speech and any other ‘indicators of Character’ which are associated with the Character i.e., Sophisticated Entertainer, Italian Chef, Jewish Mother-in-law, Mage of Power, Cool guy who just happens to know some really good stuff!

What are the advantages of having a Performance Character?

Marketability.

A ‘Persona’ around which you can build an Act or Product to sell.

A contributing factor in the preparation of Scripts and Themes.

Security for the slightly insecure.

These are probably enough points to start with, so let’s have a look at some of the fun ones!

Security, for the slightly insecure.

When first setting out in the world of Performance Magic, or just entertaining people, everyone is understandably and justifiably nervous. You may have a vision of where you want to be with your Magic and knowledge of just how far short of that Goal you are – right now!

This is your first lesson and Criss Angle, David Blaine and David Copperfield have all shared this experience as you have – or will.

Some people find that ‘hiding’ behind a ‘Character” helps remove the tension and nervousness from Performing. It is NOT “John Everyday” (insert your name instead of John Everyday) performing, it is ‘Jonny Wonder’ for ‘Fred the Inadequate’ or whatever Performance Name it is that you choose to use.

If you are ‘just’ “Performing” for your friends, a “Character” may still be helpful for you. Obviously, you still have to be you at School or Work or wherever, but this is not to say that you cannot think up some elements of a “Character” that you would like as a part of your Performance Style. By keeping these elements of a Performing Style close to your everyday ‘real self’, most will not appreciate that a change is being made. The ‘you not being you’ will get caught up in the Performance and presentation.

This can be a very powerful tool for the ‘newer’ Performers to use. It can be a very wise way to help you over those first several Performances, until you get use to the pressure and the expectations.

A ‘Persona’ around which you can build an Act or Product to sell

A Commercial Character will help you get Bookings. It will assist in scripting the patter for a Show and to bring sense and continuity to the Performance. A “Character” is a useful way to have a series of different ‘tricks’ worked into a ‘sensible routine’ that has consistency and relevance to the presentation.

So, How to develop a “Character”? Good question, we are glad you asked it. If you are a ‘newbie’, you may want to make your “Character” yourself. Yes this is alright and not immodest in the least.

List three or four of the best features about you, your personality. This is the solid Foundation on which you will build your firm base. These features will be the guidelines around which you can develop your Character. If you have a love of science, you may choose to work your script around this. A love of the Language, fine – use that to define your Character. A sense of Humour – Great! – Use that. A deep knowledge of one of the Role Play computer games? Great, base your “Character” on a “Character” in you favourite RPG. Think about one or two ‘features’ of the Character that you would like to use and introduce those into the mix as well. Now we have (up to) 6 different aspects (or components) of your Performing Character.

Give your character a name, a personality, a few favorite things to talk about. Make Him – Her REAL, to you. When you have a deep enough knowledge of your Character, then you will begin to understand how they will see the world. This level of knowledge will bring your character to life. The more you know and sympathise with your Character, the more convincing it will become and this means that playing the Character becomes easier for you!

This is not as much work as it may sound. If your ‘Character” is you (with brown hair instead of blond hair) then the changes are small and easy to make. As you get more comfortable with your Character, you will build more depth and ‘likability’ into him –her. You do want to make your Character likable don’t you?

It has to be said that many people will never feel the need for a “Character” and that is fine as well. If you enjoy doing a few tricks for your friends and fooling the heck out of them, that’s great.

In Australia, there is a very fine Magician who styles himself “Al Cappuccino”, an Italian Gangster and a member of the ‘Mob’. It has been a very marketable Character for him. He is nothing like the Character in real life, in fact his job is a highly responsible one and his lifestyle is impeccable (as far as I know). As an Entertainer, the Character allows comedy to introduced is different ways. Props of the Gangster can be modified for different effects, the use of language and indiums allows a range of comedy and the ‘theme’ of the Character can be adapted to many different Performing Environments (especially Corporate and Cabaret) and presentational ‘pitches’. By ‘pitches’, I mean selling a Corporate Message at a Trade Show through to entertaining Corporate Clients at major Public Relations Function. Example have included; The F 1 Grand Prix, The Australian Open Tennis Event, Horse racing – especially at the Melbourne Cup, football finals and a number of other ‘like’ functions where the employing Company wants to thank their customers, repay past Hospitality or build new Corporate Relations.

This is why people employ Entertainers, to give friends a good time and to build or consolidate relations with other people or Companies. This is the Service that Magicians – as Entertainers – can provide. This is as true for the Corporate Entertainer as it is for the Children’s Entertainer.

If you liked the above post, please leave a comment and spread it around! Be sure to sign up on SOMF if you haven’t already and subscribe to our blogs RSS Feed!

- Grumpy Old Fart (Jason)

Example: You come up to a group of girls to perform a group close-up. Your stiff, nervous and your not really communicating with your spectators that well. Yes, the trick might be good, but just think how BETTER that trick can be with the proper forwardness!

Example for that: You come up to a group of girls to perform a group close as before. BUT THIS TIME, you’re more loose. Not like a drunken monkey or a creep, but loose enough for some positive energy. Your confident. Chicks love confidence. They are gonna be more focused on you with your confidence ALONE.You indulge them into the trick. You ask what their names are. You shake hands, and you include them into the trick the best way you can. Say their names when you ask them to pick a card. Ask them questions. Little things like that!

Now the trick you’ve been practicing at home is a whole lot better. The girls will be impressed and anyone else for that matter.

Who knows, you might go home that night with 7-digits written on your arm …

Look How Confident He Is

The above post is credited to CodeRedel from SOMF. Enjoy everyone and remember to sign up on SOMF today if you haven’t already and subscribe to our RSS Feed!

Mike