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Steve Brooks Founder / Manager Northern California - United States 3780 Posts |
Doug,
Just to get a few thinking caps turned-on, can you give us a brief description of effects which you feel have a great premis and why? While you're at it, what effects do you feel have absolutely the worse premis and why? I ask these questions because as magicians we sometimes fail to really study and analyze some of the tricks we perform for an audience, often presenting them because we think they are cool and never really taking into consideration how a layperson will view such strange happenings.
"Always be you because nobody else can" - Steve Brooks
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doug brewer V.I.P. 1142 Posts |
The best tricks with the "best" premise, are usually the simplest:
Coins Across (coins travel from A to B) Ring & String (ring goes on and off a string) Thought Card to Pocket (how did the magician know what card I was going to think of) Torn and Restored Anything (Hollingworth's is still the best T&RC, in my opinion) Chop Cup (simpler in premise than 3 cups & balls) [I'm not advocating we all do these effects, but they are clear examples of clear premise and simple plots] The problem is "why" these effects happen. Sometimes it doesn't have to be cloaked in presentation. I get a little nervous when "experts", with little or no performing chops, say we must create Presentation (with a capital P) around our effects. I'm seeing this more and more in magic magazines, articles written that imply that "story" MUST be around our tricks. I don't think this is good magic. Set the premise (e.g. these are right-handed coins - if I hold them in my left hand they jump to the right) then crack-on! Get the magic happening! A clear give-away of a newbie in magic is over-presentation of magic effects (I was guilty of this too). As you get more seasoned you will try to cut out chatty-ness and will streamline not only methodology, but presentation too. People don't want to see a talking head. They want to be amazed! I recently saw a magician at the Close-up Room at the Magic Castle who fancied himself a motivational speaker. He spent the last 5 minutes talking about himself and why he became a magician - with not a single trick performed! 5 minutes! An unbelievable experience for all the wrong reasons . . . |
MagicMason Loyal user 300 Posts |
Hi Doug
Can I ask you, which coin effects from your experience play really well for spectators? You mention coins across. Any others you suggest? What would you say is most important to keep in mind when performing coin magic? Thanks Doug! Love your insights so far! Very helpful. Tom Mason |
doug brewer V.I.P. 1142 Posts |
No doubt one of the strongest routines I do is Right Handed Coins, which is my tabled 3 coin version of Translocation (Kennedy's original version is fantastic too!). Box Thru Hand is also nice because it is easy to understand, moves quickly and ends very strongly. Coins across into the spectator's hand is a classic and does play nice. Matrix is visual (but requires table space). I'm not big on opening productions - I do them occassionally - but for the most part I'm using coins as an opener so I'm talking at the same time, trying to break the ice. Producing a coin at this point is a distraction and kind of "pulling a coin from your ear" type of thing.
My recommmendation is to start early with coins in your set because they typically are "visual" with very little audience interaction. This is fine to start with and allows the audience to see you have chops and are someone to take serious. If you start with "pick a card" you have to take the deck out, show the cards, spread the cards, have them select the card, put the card back, control the card - and no magic has even happened yet and you're already a few minutes in! |
Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
This is a great topic. I have always thought that one of the reasons that a trick is considered a "Classic" is that the premise is simple and easy to understand by virtually anyone. It is direct and has impact. Think of the Linking Rings. A limited number of solid metal rings are linked and unlinked after being examined. It almost doesn't get any better.
The Card in ANY IMPOSSIBLE place is another simple premise that can really only be ruined by over complication. Card selected, card signed, card lost card found in a place it could not possibly be. Until they really come up with a Star Trek transporter type device (never), it will continue to be a classic. I have always recommended learning the classics of magic if for no other reason to learn what makes a great trick or routine great. Best,
Brad Burt
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