Hello, i´m Tomas from Argentina. I´ve just turned 18 years old and i´ve been doing magic for about a year. Almost all of the magic I perform is with card, but i´ve been studying recently other fields of magic (like mentalism) to improve my repertory. I can say that my techniques and the magic tricks I know are really good, but my audience management, my charisma, the gags are really bad while performing magic tricks (i´m indeed a funny person and i´m not shy in "life"). I can´t get people really focused, interested and entertained as I wish I could. Are there any books or videos out there to learn these things? Can you give me some tips from your experience?

Thank you very much and sorry for my english

Tomas

Hey Tom, maybe I can suggest Premise and Presentation by Joshua Jay .

I would suggest that a few fundamental questions be asked about what you hope to achieve in your presentation by asking why, when, who?

Why:

Why am I doing this?
Why would anyone want to watch this?

What:

What is this piece about?
What would this look like if it was real magic?
What’s my motivation?

Who:

Who are you doing this for, who is your audience?
Who are you in this presentation, your character?

Once you have fleshed out those basic questions then your can explore the many paths that a chosen avenue can take, my approach it outlined in my extensive post about presentation found here: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=41

When you find an avenue you wish to take during your exploration and want to put your presentation together I recommend a presentation structure of:

1. Introduce the props and plot.
2. Develop the plot with word and actions – get the audience involved.
3. Build to the climax
4. Point Up the Climax (the results)
5. End with applause cues – a style off and/or tagline.

Here is an example I posted some time ago for another member of the magic Café where I use his trick to illustrate the steps, you can see a performance of his trick here: http://youtu.be/CcBAXtLQFbI

Step 1 Introduce the props and plot:

When we come into this world we are blank slates, much like these blank cards here {show the four cards blank}. It’s not until we are exposed to family and community values that we develop a sense of our own identity {Spread the deck face up to show the mixed nature and values of the deck then place it face down again}.

Step 2 Develop the plot with word and actions – get the audience involved:

When we are exposed to family and community it’s at this moment our first impressions are made {a blank card is placed face down on the deck}. If you’re born into working class family, things of a practical nature such as finances, possessions and the attainment of material goals might be a value you adopt {have the spectator press down on the top blank card to help establish the impression then reveal the ace of diamonds}.

Or maybe you come from a loving family were passions of the Heart are encouraged like dreams, desires, love and relationships {again a blank card is placed on a face down deck and turned over to reveal the ace of hearts}.

On the other hand maybe a tradition of things of an intellectual nature like high education, Literature and politics might be your thing {a card is impressed and turned over revealing the ace of clubs}.

Maybe you’re the type of person that has a strong sense of purpose that compels you to dig into issues like your community or the less fortunate {reveal the ace of spades}.

Step 3 Build to the climax:

Now let’s see what type of person you are {take the four aces and place them on the table face-down and have the spectator place their hand over them}. Who a person is, is more than just our influences in life, it can also be our choices. Life is a series of choices; we choose our occupations, our friends and even the people we marry. Sometimes the choices in life can be between the path less taken and the road most traveled. Even predictions of the future is a choice of what will happen and what won’t. Please turn over the four cards {revealing them all to be blank again}.
Performance Note: you might need a packet switch a bank of blanks to facilitate this.

Step 4 Point up the Climax (the results):

It seems that who you are is yet to be determined.

Step 5 End with applause cues – a style off and/or tagline.

So choose wisely.

[END ROUTINE]

Before I go here is another link that you can check out that has views on presentation from many other people:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=41

I hope this has been of help.

Magically

Aus

"EVEN the people we marry"? Lol

Tomas I would also ask where are you getting your gags from? There are some stock lines that work but often people cannot present other people's gags effectively. Nor is comedy magic the only magic out there.

You say you know the tricks really well but do you know them well enough so that you can perform them without thinking? This will allow you to concentrate on your audience.

When you practise how do you do it? There are two types in the main. Phase 1: I learn the mechanics of the trick. Phase 2. I rehearse the trick, make the moves, say the lines....ideally with a video camera. Look at the film and remove the garbage and polish the rest(there is usually a lot of trimming to be done). Rehearse again, and again and again. Try it in the real world. Evaluate.

Focus on your audience (this is more people than the person who is helping you with the trick), build a rapport, SMILE and have fun.

If you want a book: The book Maximum Entertainment by Ken Weber (in English - I don't know if there is a Spanish version) is a good one, but for the moment practice, rehearse, answer Aus' questions and get out there and perform. Ultimately the more you perform the better you will get.

Hey, the spectator might be a polygamist alright? haha

On RedHatMagic points on taking action I will concur, you need to right balance between planning and action, because Plans are useless without action. Take a page from history as an example.

Do you know why Wright Bros, beat out all the mega-corporations they were competing with in the race to taking the first flight? Action.

The Wright Brothers had a tight budget and were forced to make small, cheap tweaks to each model. They would fly a plane, crash it, tweak it, and fly it again quickly.

The corporations had budgets that allowed them to go back to the drawing board (i.e. abstraction) with each failure. They spent a ton of money and time on each redesign.

The Wright Bros. had a hundred test flights in the time it took these big corporations to complete a handful. Every test flight taught lessons – the one who failed fastest gathered the most information,and that is exactly the same approach you should take in working out your presentation and other performance aspects.

Magically

Aus

What sort of setting are you usually performing in? Impromptu / street, staged at a venue, dinner party, etc? Perhaps those you are attempting to entertain are not fully engaged in the moment you are trying to create? Managing expectations (both yours and the audience's) is pretty critical in having a successful performance.

Normally impromptu and street magic, and sometimes at some family or friends meals. How can I improve the management of expectations?

Thanks

I'm not well versed in the comedy side of magic but I'm in the process of learning, after 20 years in magic there is always something new to learn. From reading between the lines in your first post, I guess comedy might be something you inject into your performances. I got some great advice from a Café member here some time ago about starting out in comedy that might apply to you and your expectations issue.

Credit goes to Café member SeaLegs, here is what he says:

The best advice I can give for any would be comedy magic act and something that would make the vast majority of comedy magic acts instantly funnier is: don’t pitch yourself as a comedy magic act.

If you pitch yourself as a comedy magic act, comedy and laughs are expected and essential… If you don’t deliver, you fail... and you and the audience know it.

But if you pitch yourself as a magic act, and you also include some comedy it comes as a bonus. The pressure isn’t on for you to be as funny….. and the audience doesn’t feel let down by little or merely smile inducing comedy. Indeed, the comedy content that might be a flop in a comedy magic act, and drag the entire act down, might be taken as a unexpected and welcomed extra by an audience not expecting anything in the way of comedy content.

Introducing comedy into your performances in this way (as opposed to stepping directly into the world of being a comedy performer) is a much easier and more productive way to learn where and what sort of things you can get laughs from. It gives the performer confidence and gives the audience a better experience.

Magically

Aus

Saludos amigo Tomas!

Aus has given you some excellent advice about presentation. Especially this last post! Neal Austin (Sealegs) has made a very important point! The late Jack Benny was one of the funniest comedians in the U.S. He died at almost 100, a few years ago. He began in Vaudeville as a young man. He "survived" when Vaudeville "faded", and became a star in radio in the late '30s. When TV "arrived" he became a star in TV. I grew up listening to Benny's Sunday radio show. As a young man, I seldom missed his TV show. I learned, by watching Jack Benny.

You may be able to find VHS tapes of some of his shows. You may be able to find DVDs of some of his shows. They are well worth your watching--and STUDYING! Jack Benny didn't tell many jokes!!!!! He developed a "persona" which the public could "believe"! (He acted the part of a vain, miserly person. The other people on the show, got the laughs, at Benny's expense! He knew exactly what he was doing!

He once said,"Comedy is like a soap bubble. When you get "inside" it to examine it, it no longer exists!" He also said, "It's not important that the audience laughs at every gag, what is important is that, when you leave the stage, they still like you!" He, and his comedy writers, created situations which were inherently funny.

I can tell jokes in informal situations, and get nice laughs. I do very few verbal gags in my show. I create humorous situations, the audience smiles, laughs, and thoroughly enjoys themselves. I'm 83. I've done this all my life.

So! READ! --books about comedy. Study the great comedians. See--and listen to--as many magicians and comedians--and comedy magicians, as you can. DON'T COPY! Observe their technique.

Don't promise something that you aren't "ready" to deliver (Sealeg's advice!). Just be a nice, pleasant young man. When I was your age (Egad! that was in the late '40s and early '50s!) I tried to be suave and debonair. (I wasn't!) When I stopped trying to be something that I wasn't, I began to have some success.

Don't expect to be an "over night success"! It takes time and experience to develop your personality so that you will be an entertainer. In the modern world, "we" are ENTERTAINERS! The problem is, that MAGIC is not inherently entertaining. Our task as magicians is, to make magic entertaining, by the way that we present it to the spectator(s).

Ken Weber, wrote and published, "Maximum Entertainment" about ten years ago. It's about $40.00. There are NO TRICKS explained in it. I wish that I had had that book when I was 18! It would have saved me much time, and money! If this sounds interesting, advise, and I'll get you Weber's address.

Meanwhile, read and study what Aus has written. Read and study what Neal has written.

Best wishes!

Dick

Dick Oslund's comments about Jack Benny are very true. Much of his radio show is available today, even for free online or with an app. He would be well worth learning from. His radio show was much better than the later TV version, which was very limited due to technology. Oddly enough there were far fewer limitations with radio than TV. With radio, shows could convincingly travel the world. TV was limited by their budgets, and what they could realistically show. Radio just needed to create a picture in your mind.

Some comedy from the 30's and 40's seem very dated today. For example, Bob Hope was known for his one liners, which were often tied to current events. Hopes work doesn't seem as funny today. However, much of Benny's stuff holds up very well. He was one of the biggest influences for people like Johnny Carson as well as more recently Jerry Seinfeld. Benny's work had a great influence on the Seinfeld TV show which is one of the most successful comedy shows of all time. People who do it best are worth studying. Benny was not concerned about people thinking he was funny, he wanted people to think his show was funny. He made everyone on his show stars. If you want to learn about timing, and creating humorous situations, there is probably none better. His timing was perfect, and he turned ordinary situations into comedy genius. It is where Seinfeld got the idea for a show about "nothing", just ordinary dull life turned into comedy gold. Jack Benny was long before my time, I am in my 40's, but still I can appreciate his comedy.

Even someone like the amazing johnathan at that matter, with him its almost like the magic doesn't even matter , he's obviously more capable than what he leads his audience to believe but he's more dedicated to making his audience laugh and he knows his audience. he has the greatest one liner when he drinks a bottle of what appears to be windex and says "I want to run around naked" then finishes with " this prevents streeking" . It works cause he makes his audience think before he gets the laugh. He's just one example and his show just seemingly goes all over the place and yet it's polished and he knows exactly what he's doing.

Thank you all guys for your advices, i´m really thankful and i´m gonna start to apply them as soon as I can

Hola Tomas!

Something that has worked for me lately is for me to think about funny things in my life or unusual ways to present something.

Here's an example. For the longest time, I really did not like packet tricks. However, in the back of my mind, I sometimes thought about how there really wasn't a good reason to not like them, other than they didn't seem organic, like the audience would think there was something "fishy" about it. However, recently, I came up with a presentation about showing people my "card collection". This is based on how I used to collect things as a kid, like coins and stamps. The routine is based on the effect "Your card is...", but it is significantly modified. However, it is basically a packet trick of four cards that all appear identical. Therein lies the humor in talking about how I collect four of the same card. I then ask an audience member to give me their honest opinion of what they think of my collection. Not only is that a humorous moment, it is also the perfect misdirection for the one more difficult move in the routine (I don't really do knuckle busting magic moves much). This has now become one of my favorite effects.

KJ

@TomasKancyper - Keep it simple my man. I think magic is more powerful when you present it as something real, and not as a "trick". So I always think to myself, "How would I be acting if I actually had supernatural powers?". And I avoid fancy cuts and flourishes so it doesn't seem like I can manipulate the cards in a fishy way.

This is a 3 year old thread. The OP hasn't responded in three years, but, I'll add few thoughts...

PRACTICE to improve SKILLS.

REHEARSE to improve PRESENTATION!

KIS - MIF! (Keep It Simple - Make It Fun!)

I just saw this thread. There are more experienced magicians than me on here all with great advice. Here is my advice for what it's worth. Build up life skills. Learn to mix with strangers and feel comfortable around them.

When I left school in the 80's I was a shy 16 year old. My first job was working as a salesman in a shop. This involved approaching customers. I never used the line "Can I help you" we had to come up with ways to engage with the customer. I learnt so much from this job for my life skills. As for presentation, it taught me how to be myself.

I now work full time as a broadcaster on the radio in the UK. I started my path to radio by volunteering at a hospital radio station. Not only did this give me the skill to present a radio show. I learnt about timing, how to talk while doing complicated things with my hands. I learnt more about using my voice. I would record each show and listen back. I believed it improved my speech.

I also run my own mobile disco biz. This has also helped me improve my path to magic

The point I am making is that there are many ways other than reading loads of books. All of the above means that I have something to the magic that's about me.

My advice would be to watch as many professional magicians as you can, so attend live magic shows. If that's not possible watch the magicians on Penn and Teller Fool Us. Also the Penguin Live lectures have some great information on presentation and performance. Good luck!