How to Get Started If You're a Beginner
Whether you've been practicing magic for two days, two years, or twenty, the only effective magic trick is one that actually "fools" your audience. This ability to create a good illusion depends in huge part on one thing: rehearsing!
Let's face it-no matter how great a trick is or how useful a magic prop is, you won't surprise or delight anyone unless it's performed smoothly and confidently. What if you drop your deck of cards or accidentally mishandle a coin? The illusion will be destroyed, and you'll have lost your audience's trust.
When you're just starting out it's understandable that you'll have to practice in front of an audience several times before you get it just right. No one expects you to be perfect right away. But you also can't expect to fool anyone unless you put in the time to practice your skills and work with your props (if you are using any).
The tricks in this chapter were chosen because they are simple, effective, fun to perform, and appealing to just about any audience. You can delight a crowd of schoolchildren with them, or you can test them out on adults. But before you do, practice, practice, practice to get it right!
For now, let's cut straight to the chase and talk more specifically about these simple yet stunning tricks. Then, at the end of this chapter I'll give you some highly effective strategies and techniques I used when I was just starting out!
Sleight of Hand
What exactly is sleight (pronounced "slite") of hand? This term refers to a broad category of magic tricks that relies on your skills and techniques as well as the facility of your fingers and hands. In other words, these are tricks that depend on your skill and dexterity to fool the audience, much more so than on props or gimmicks. It's your fingers that do the work, not a manufacturer's product.
Another way of saying all this is that a sleight of hand is a trick that is performed so well and so deftly that the audience can't tell precisely how it was done!
There's a great word for this that every magician should know: "legerdemain." This word comes to us from the old French phrase "leger de main," in which "leger" translates as light, and "de main" means "of hand." So if you perform with a light touch, that's the ideal form of legerdemain.
This deftness applies to most magic tricks, though, not just sleight of hand! In fact, most of tricks we're going to discuss involve sleight of hand, from shuffling cards to palming coins. Even levitation, which we'll discuss in Chapter 4, involves sleight of hand-although that's more like "sleight of foot!"
Just keep in mind that accomplishing many of the following tricks successfully involves not just a working knowledge of the techniques but also the ability to carry them out easily and without a lot of obvious effort. Another good reason to get in as much practice as you can!
Find out more here... Discover The Magic Trick Secrets You're Not Supposed To Know
Wednesday, January 19
Monday, January 17
Why Showmanship Is Essential to Success
Being successful as a magician relies just as much on your stage persona and your ability to be engaging as it does on the tricks you choose to perform or the technical skills you possess.
The reason for this is because tricks in and of themselves can fall flat if not presented in the right way. A sleight of hand that dazzles when performed by an engaging magician can leave an audience yawning when in the less capable hands of an under-whelming performer.
So if you want your tricks to go over well, you've got to learn how to sell them to your audience.
That means you've got to work on your showmanship just as much as you have to work on the tricks themselves. Learn how to get the audience eating out of the palm of your hand!
If you are not sure how to do this, don't worry. Showmanship is something you can easily learn and improve upon with practice. It's not necessary an inborn trait that you either have or don't have-it's a learned skill that even the best magicians are constantly honing and perfecting.
Here's how to make good showmanship part of your magic routine:
Build a Bridge to the Audience
Whether you are onstage in front of ten people or ten thousand, your success is directly related to how much your audience feels inclined to trust you and suspend their disbelief for you.
To win them over, talk directly to them. Make eye contact. Make use of volunteers. Don't confine your show to the stage. Invite audience members up, or go down to mingle with them.
Don't Wait to Warm Up-Be "On" Right from the Start!
Don't wait to "warm up"-you've got to be "on" right from the start! Most magic shows last only about an hour or less, so make it a point to create your relationship with the audience quickly.
Cultivate a Stage Persona
Ideally, magic tricks should bring about a sense of wonder and excitement, not a sense of being tricked or fooled. And you as a magician should therefore aim to be mystical and wise, not hokey.
Of course, there are many ways to be entertaining. Some of the most successful magicians in the biz are very serious in terms of their demeanor. Others, however, are jocular and love to crack jokes during their shows.
Your "stage persona" is really up to you. If you're naturally inclined toward being chatty and making jokes, go for it on stage.
If you're naturally more reserved and quiet, you can think about adopting a more "David Blaine-like" character when you're performing.
The trick (pun intended!) is just to make sure you approach it as a role or a performance. Give the audience the dazzling entertainment they want and you will always be a hit.
Just Believe
Believe in what you are doing and suspend your disbelief as much as you can. The illusions work best when you truly trust in your abilities and honestly belief that you are creating miracles! In reality you know that they are tricks, but if you act like they're just fakes or frauds then you'll never win over your viewers. Put it this way: if you don't believe in yourself, why on earth should your audience?
The reason for this is because tricks in and of themselves can fall flat if not presented in the right way. A sleight of hand that dazzles when performed by an engaging magician can leave an audience yawning when in the less capable hands of an under-whelming performer.
So if you want your tricks to go over well, you've got to learn how to sell them to your audience.
That means you've got to work on your showmanship just as much as you have to work on the tricks themselves. Learn how to get the audience eating out of the palm of your hand!
If you are not sure how to do this, don't worry. Showmanship is something you can easily learn and improve upon with practice. It's not necessary an inborn trait that you either have or don't have-it's a learned skill that even the best magicians are constantly honing and perfecting.
Here's how to make good showmanship part of your magic routine:
Build a Bridge to the Audience
Whether you are onstage in front of ten people or ten thousand, your success is directly related to how much your audience feels inclined to trust you and suspend their disbelief for you.
To win them over, talk directly to them. Make eye contact. Make use of volunteers. Don't confine your show to the stage. Invite audience members up, or go down to mingle with them.
Don't Wait to Warm Up-Be "On" Right from the Start!
Don't wait to "warm up"-you've got to be "on" right from the start! Most magic shows last only about an hour or less, so make it a point to create your relationship with the audience quickly.
Cultivate a Stage Persona
Ideally, magic tricks should bring about a sense of wonder and excitement, not a sense of being tricked or fooled. And you as a magician should therefore aim to be mystical and wise, not hokey.
Of course, there are many ways to be entertaining. Some of the most successful magicians in the biz are very serious in terms of their demeanor. Others, however, are jocular and love to crack jokes during their shows.
Your "stage persona" is really up to you. If you're naturally inclined toward being chatty and making jokes, go for it on stage.
If you're naturally more reserved and quiet, you can think about adopting a more "David Blaine-like" character when you're performing.
The trick (pun intended!) is just to make sure you approach it as a role or a performance. Give the audience the dazzling entertainment they want and you will always be a hit.
Just Believe
Believe in what you are doing and suspend your disbelief as much as you can. The illusions work best when you truly trust in your abilities and honestly belief that you are creating miracles! In reality you know that they are tricks, but if you act like they're just fakes or frauds then you'll never win over your viewers. Put it this way: if you don't believe in yourself, why on earth should your audience?
Sunday, January 16
How Do They Do It? Learning from the Great Magicians
Just what is this thing we call "magic"? Let's consider the definition that comes to us from Webster's dictionary:
"The art of persons who claim to be able to do things by the help of supernatural creatures or by their own knowledge of nature's secrets...
Something that charms; any seemingly hidden or secret power; as, the magic of a voice; the magic of a great name...
Sleight of hand...
Seemingly requiring more than human power; startling in performance; producing effects which seem supernatural..."
Pretty interesting stuff, right?! In this definition we get a whole bunch of different ideas, all of them working together and yet somehow contradicting each other.
On the one hand, we have the idea that there's something supernatural at work. Something superhuman, or "out of this world."
But at the same time we are meant to understand that it's only "seemingly" so. Magicians "claim" to have special powers, but whether they actually do is up for debate.
Nevertheless, Webster's definition of magic helps to give us a starting point for our journey through this ancient art form.
What Is Magic?
At its most basic, the word "magic" carries with it the idea of special powers, or at least the illusion of possessing such powers.
At one end of the spectrum, the word implies someone who has the ability to do things that few other mortal beings can do. A magician in this sense would be someone who, for example, is able to walk on fire, levitate off the ground, or read other people's minds.
The other end of the spectrum, however, has a more practical or even cynical understanding of the term. It takes the view that magic is a form of trickery, even deliberate deceit. A magician in this sense of the word is someone skilled at lying and who is cleverer than his audience. He is intent on "pulling the wool over" others' eyes.
In reality, and for our purposes, let's come to an understanding of magic that takes the middle ground. Magic isn't pure supernatural power, but it isn't garden variety mean-spirited deception, either.
A good magician is one who gives the appearance of possessing special powers, an impression that both he and his audience agree to believe in together. Magic is meant not to outwit, fool or upset anyone-it's meant to surprise, astonish and delight.
In this view, magic is something wonderful and enjoyable, both for the practitioner and for the audience members who are also involved. It is an entertainment, a diversion, an escape from our mundane, ordinary lives. It is a chance for all of us to brush up against the possibility of something greater than ourselves!
The Magic Superstars
Just as there are movie stars, super athletes, and Nobel Prize-winning authors, there are also some magicians whose talents and skills set them apart from the rest. All of us amateur magicians admire them and can stand to learn a lot from these magic superstars!
"The art of persons who claim to be able to do things by the help of supernatural creatures or by their own knowledge of nature's secrets...
Something that charms; any seemingly hidden or secret power; as, the magic of a voice; the magic of a great name...
Sleight of hand...
Seemingly requiring more than human power; startling in performance; producing effects which seem supernatural..."
Pretty interesting stuff, right?! In this definition we get a whole bunch of different ideas, all of them working together and yet somehow contradicting each other.
On the one hand, we have the idea that there's something supernatural at work. Something superhuman, or "out of this world."
But at the same time we are meant to understand that it's only "seemingly" so. Magicians "claim" to have special powers, but whether they actually do is up for debate.
Nevertheless, Webster's definition of magic helps to give us a starting point for our journey through this ancient art form.
What Is Magic?
At its most basic, the word "magic" carries with it the idea of special powers, or at least the illusion of possessing such powers.
At one end of the spectrum, the word implies someone who has the ability to do things that few other mortal beings can do. A magician in this sense would be someone who, for example, is able to walk on fire, levitate off the ground, or read other people's minds.
The other end of the spectrum, however, has a more practical or even cynical understanding of the term. It takes the view that magic is a form of trickery, even deliberate deceit. A magician in this sense of the word is someone skilled at lying and who is cleverer than his audience. He is intent on "pulling the wool over" others' eyes.
In reality, and for our purposes, let's come to an understanding of magic that takes the middle ground. Magic isn't pure supernatural power, but it isn't garden variety mean-spirited deception, either.
A good magician is one who gives the appearance of possessing special powers, an impression that both he and his audience agree to believe in together. Magic is meant not to outwit, fool or upset anyone-it's meant to surprise, astonish and delight.
In this view, magic is something wonderful and enjoyable, both for the practitioner and for the audience members who are also involved. It is an entertainment, a diversion, an escape from our mundane, ordinary lives. It is a chance for all of us to brush up against the possibility of something greater than ourselves!
The Magic Superstars
Just as there are movie stars, super athletes, and Nobel Prize-winning authors, there are also some magicians whose talents and skills set them apart from the rest. All of us amateur magicians admire them and can stand to learn a lot from these magic superstars!
Thursday, January 13
Reading Minds - What Is Mentalism, and How Can You Perform It?
Many people have heard of mentalism, but few know exactly what is involved. So let's start with a clear definition.
Mentalism is defined as a sub-category within the field of magic. It has to do with tricks dealing with the mind's power. Rather than relying heavily on tools or grand illusions, it has more to do with try to give the impression that the magician can tap into the minds of audience members, or use his or her own mind control to cause objects to move, etc.
Some people think that mentalism actually depends on some spiritual connection between the supernatural realm and the magician. While there might be a very remote possibility that some magicians actually do have some insight into the spiritual world, most illusionists use mentalism tricks and strategies just like in any other type of magic. Over the next few pages you'll learn some of them!
For example, remember at the beginning of this course when we talked about Derren Brown and his ability to make people fall asleep over the phone? It's not that he actually has the power to control other people's minds - he just knows tricks to get people to do what he says.
There is definitely a difference between the two. Derren isn't dabbling in the occult or anything like that; rather, he's using human psychology to create intriguing and mystifying illusions!
For many reasons, including the fact that the old "pull a rabbit out of a hat" type of magic is not as surprising and interesting as it once was, mentalism is one of the fastest growing and most popular forms of magic being practiced today. There are many fabulous and highly talented magicians who specialize in this form, Derren Brown being just one of them.
A Brief Explanation of Hypnosis
Hypnosis is one very highly popular form of mentalism. Psychiatrists actually regard hypnosis as an everyday activity or state that we undergo when we are watching movies, reading books, or driving down a long empty road. When we are doing these sorts of activities we enter a trancelike condition in which we are very vulnerable to the power of suggestion and feel extremely relaxed.
Some people are mistakenly under the impression that hypnosis is like being asleep, but it's actually a hyperaware, hyperattentive state. It's also a state of total consciousness.
You know how when you get engrossed in a book you tune out the outside world, paying attention only to the story itself? It's similar to that. You're tuning out extraneous stimuli and focusing in only on one source, the subject or magician who is speaking directly to you. Thus you are very likely to do whatever the magician tells you to do when you're in a hypnotic state!
Find out more here... Discover The Magic Trick Secrets You're Not Supposed To Know
Mentalism is defined as a sub-category within the field of magic. It has to do with tricks dealing with the mind's power. Rather than relying heavily on tools or grand illusions, it has more to do with try to give the impression that the magician can tap into the minds of audience members, or use his or her own mind control to cause objects to move, etc.
Some people think that mentalism actually depends on some spiritual connection between the supernatural realm and the magician. While there might be a very remote possibility that some magicians actually do have some insight into the spiritual world, most illusionists use mentalism tricks and strategies just like in any other type of magic. Over the next few pages you'll learn some of them!
For example, remember at the beginning of this course when we talked about Derren Brown and his ability to make people fall asleep over the phone? It's not that he actually has the power to control other people's minds - he just knows tricks to get people to do what he says.
There is definitely a difference between the two. Derren isn't dabbling in the occult or anything like that; rather, he's using human psychology to create intriguing and mystifying illusions!
For many reasons, including the fact that the old "pull a rabbit out of a hat" type of magic is not as surprising and interesting as it once was, mentalism is one of the fastest growing and most popular forms of magic being practiced today. There are many fabulous and highly talented magicians who specialize in this form, Derren Brown being just one of them.
A Brief Explanation of Hypnosis
Hypnosis is one very highly popular form of mentalism. Psychiatrists actually regard hypnosis as an everyday activity or state that we undergo when we are watching movies, reading books, or driving down a long empty road. When we are doing these sorts of activities we enter a trancelike condition in which we are very vulnerable to the power of suggestion and feel extremely relaxed.
Some people are mistakenly under the impression that hypnosis is like being asleep, but it's actually a hyperaware, hyperattentive state. It's also a state of total consciousness.
You know how when you get engrossed in a book you tune out the outside world, paying attention only to the story itself? It's similar to that. You're tuning out extraneous stimuli and focusing in only on one source, the subject or magician who is speaking directly to you. Thus you are very likely to do whatever the magician tells you to do when you're in a hypnotic state!
Find out more here... Discover The Magic Trick Secrets You're Not Supposed To Know
Saturday, January 8
The Business of Magic
Magic may be an art form, but for many of us it's also a way of life-and a way to make money. For all you who are interested in turning magic from a hobby into a career, there are several things you need to know about the business side of magic.
Develop a "Hook"
What makes you different from all the other performers out there?
What is your unique angle? What makes you shine and stand out from the crowd?
Ideally, your show or your persona should strive, in some way, to differentiate from everything else that's out there at the moment.
Now I'm not saying you should go out on a limb and try something totally crazy and overly ambitious. But it's smart to give clients even more of a reason to hire you and not someone else.
So, for example, you could concentrate on one particular area within magic and cultivate it as a specialty. That would ultimately allow you to market yourself as, say, "The Mentalist Magician" or "Merlin the Mind-Reader" (okay, you can probably come up with something a LOT better, but this is just to give you an idea of what I mean!).
Give Them What They Want
Yes, it's important to cultivate a show and a career based upon your own interests. Being passionate about something is the only true pathway to success.
But at the same time, I see so many magicians who are going out of their way to do tricks and illusions that they love-but that audiences hate. Try to steer clear of wildly unpopular areas of the magic profession or of tricks that everyone knows the secrets to already.
Instead, pick tricks that are proven to win people over and that there is great demand for, especially in your region.
Find out more here... http://discovermagic.com
Boost Your Confidence and Your Income with Magic!
Boost Your Confidence, Your Reputation and Your Income, with "A Dream Business in Magic" by Iain Legg and Johnny Blue Star.
Get more details about the Dream Business in Magic Manual here: http://www.magicbusinessdreams.com
I recommend it for any performer, salesperson or anyone who just wants to give pleasure to others using the Fine Art of Magic!
Develop a "Hook"
What makes you different from all the other performers out there?
What is your unique angle? What makes you shine and stand out from the crowd?
Ideally, your show or your persona should strive, in some way, to differentiate from everything else that's out there at the moment.
Now I'm not saying you should go out on a limb and try something totally crazy and overly ambitious. But it's smart to give clients even more of a reason to hire you and not someone else.
So, for example, you could concentrate on one particular area within magic and cultivate it as a specialty. That would ultimately allow you to market yourself as, say, "The Mentalist Magician" or "Merlin the Mind-Reader" (okay, you can probably come up with something a LOT better, but this is just to give you an idea of what I mean!).
Give Them What They Want
Yes, it's important to cultivate a show and a career based upon your own interests. Being passionate about something is the only true pathway to success.
But at the same time, I see so many magicians who are going out of their way to do tricks and illusions that they love-but that audiences hate. Try to steer clear of wildly unpopular areas of the magic profession or of tricks that everyone knows the secrets to already.
Instead, pick tricks that are proven to win people over and that there is great demand for, especially in your region.
Find out more here... http://discovermagic.com
Boost Your Confidence and Your Income with Magic!
Boost Your Confidence, Your Reputation and Your Income, with "A Dream Business in Magic" by Iain Legg and Johnny Blue Star.
These men have been involved in magic and entertainment for over 40 years, as a full time Cabaret performers at the height of the cabaret and variety theatre and club scene and also well known as a musicians, public speakers and all round entertainers.
Packed with information and illustrations, the Dream Business in Magic manual will take you by the hand and show you step by step how to turn your passion into magical profits. For the first time, they'll show you how YOU can make a successful living in this amazing industry.
Get more details about the Dream Business in Magic Manual here: http://www.magicbusinessdreams.com
I recommend it for any performer, salesperson or anyone who just wants to give pleasure to others using the Fine Art of Magic!
Lord of the Ring(s)
Bizarre, as I have said several times, does not always have to be about the ghastly, the gory, or the ghoulish.
This is another venture into the combination of bizarre and comedy.
It plays on the current popularity of the movie Lord of the Rings, based on the first of the Tolkien books. Since there is a trilogy of movies planned, to match the books, this should be able to stand up for a while.
Effect and Presentation:
The mage shows a gold ring with strange symbols engraved on it, as he relates the story of the Lord of the Rings, Froddo the Hobbit, Gandalf the wizard, and so on.
"In the J. R. R. Tolkien classic, Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, Froddo, is entrusted with a gold ring - like this one - to destroy in the fires of Mount Doom. In the wrong hands, the ring could enable the forces of darkness to rule - and, eventually, destroy - the world.
"Froddo and his band of fellow Hobbits must take the ring to Mount Doom and destroy it in the fires of the volcano, where it was forged.
"The ring has strange and mystic symbols engraved around it, inside and out. The wizard Gandalf says that Froddo cannot read the engraving because it is written in the language of the elves - Elvish.
"The Lord of the Rings trilogy of books relates Froddo's adventures as he tries to reach Mount Doom and destroy the ring.
"Froddo carries his precious cargo in a box, for safekeeping."
Place the ring in a wooden box, show it around, and close the box.
"Unfortunately for Froddo and, possibly, the world, during the travels of the Hobbits, the ring is lost at one point."
Open the box again and show it empty; the ring has vanished!
"Froddo is beside himself with despair; the fate of the world is in his hands and he has allowed the ring to disappear.
"But Gandalf the wizard reminds Froddo that the ring bears an inscription in Elvish around it.
"And what the disappearance of the ring simply means is that: "Elvish has left the building!"
Pause here for reaction to the dreadful pun! (Resume your tale before a lynch mob is formed, though.)
"Eventually, however, Froddo recovers the ring and is able to resume his task."
Open the box again and the ring has returned.
Method:
As usual, let's keep things as simple as possible.
The ring is just that: A ring with symbols engraved around the outside. It can be larger in diameter than a normal ring - since Hobbits are much smaller than humans and this is how big the ring looks to Froddo.
I use a half-inch section of one-inch copper tubing, polished to look like "gold", and with "Elvish" symbols scratched on the outside and inside.
The box in which the ring is stored is simply a small drawer box.
This box is wooden and small enough so it will appear that the ring can't be hidden anywhere inside it.
Open the box and place the ring in the load chamber; close the box and adjust the mechanism to retain the chamber. Then, when you come to open the box again, the ring appears to have vanished!
Reverse the process to make the ring reappear.
Second thoughts:
If you do this, please read the books or, at least, see the movie so that you will be able to intelligently talk about the plot to the audience, if needed, afterwards.
And, for the drawer box, don't use a plastic one. It should be wooden and should also look old and battered - the sort of thing a Hobbit would have. (Use your imagination as to what THAT might look like!)
Have fun with this and, above all, be entertaining!
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