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aussiemagic
Special user
693 Posts
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Posted: Feb 18, 2008 7:43am
Anyone got some good methods for memorizing scripts?
Recording my scripts and playing the back to myself seems to work well but I want to make this process as efficient as possible. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks
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Lyndel
Inner circle
wrote the theme to the TV show COPS!
1596 Posts
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Posted: Feb 18, 2008 8:57am
Here's what works for me...
I memorize the first paragraph by reciting it over and over.
After I have it down cold, I recite the first paragraph again and add the second paragraph. Then I add the third and so on. If at ANY point I mess up, forget the words, or stumble over any of the script, I punish myself by restarting at the top. This forces repetition and for me repetition seems to be a good teacher!
Learning it in chunks like this also helps me visualize the paragraphs in my mind and triggers my memory as to what comes next as I remember seeing it written on the paper script.
Lyndel
Lyndel
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aussiemagic
Special user
693 Posts
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Posted: Feb 18, 2008 9:09am
Thanks Lyndel. I agree that working with your scripts in chunks is a good way to go.
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Shnarker
New user
Pittsburgh, PA
89 Posts
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Posted: Feb 18, 2008 9:18am
Aussie,
Although the number of my magic performances pale in comparison to most everyone else on this board, I have given a number of speeches, without using notes. I use this process when memorizing a script. This has worked for me extremely well.
First, the writing. Write from the heart first. That step alone helps in the memorization process. Then rewrite and edit from the head. Many times, what reads well does not sound well when the words are spoken. That's okay. I go as far as writing stage movements in brackets, italicizes (sp?) and bolding.
Second, rehearse the script without perfroming the effect, verbatim. The reason is, there will be more edits, etc. The hardcopy of my script resembles a chalkboard describing a football play. You will naturally learn this in chunks, at least I do.
When I feel I have a satisfactory script, only then do I incorporate the "effect" when I rehearse. By this time, you will have most if not all of it down.
After sufficient rehearsal, I will go through the entire effect without stopping, even if I goof up. You'll know you got it down when you can lose your place for a second, and get right back on track with the script. You still want to clean it up, but that will be light years ahead of someone who sounds "verbatim".
I hope this helps. Best of luck.
Regards,
Shnarker
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Skip Way
I.B.M. forum Staff
Raleigh, NC
2750 Posts
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Posted: Feb 18, 2008 9:33am
While trying to learn the script to "Stan, Kate & Edith" I was advised by an old pro to learn one new stanza each day adding the new stanza to the ones already in memory ala Lyndel's method. I'd learn the new stanza first thing in the morning then repeat the complete set throughout the day. By next morning, I was ready for the new lines.
On the down side (and I don't know if this is just me) but, if I'm interrupted part way through this verbatim routine (Not an uncommon occurrence) I tend to lose my rhythm and my place. This rarely happens with my memorized stand-up comedy routines - but with verbatim, word-for-word pieces like "Stan, Kate & Edith" its a problem.
"I'm nuts and I know it. But so long as I make 'em laugh, they ain't going to lock me up."
-- Red Skelton
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Big Daddy Cool
Inner circle
1566 Posts
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Posted: Feb 18, 2008 11:20am
Unfortunately there is no one method that works for everyone. You have to find your own path. But one thing that I do suggest you do is learn the "story" first. If you know where you need to go, then the script acts as the map, and the performer is the vehicle... (wow, that is really profound)
This weekend I performed in a Valentine's show. For some odd reason the director wanted me and another guy to do Who's on First? I'm kind of known for it in the Nashville theater community... Anyway, it's a hard script to learn - for many reasons. But I told my co-actor Pete that as long as we both know where we need to end up, we can work through it to get there. Yes, we made a few mistakes, or detours, but we knew where we were going and could find our way back on track. That's what a script does.
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MrMajestic
New user
24 Posts
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Posted: Feb 18, 2008 12:25pm
Lyndel's method is virtually foolproof. I know many actors beside myself who use the chunks and returning to the top after a mistake method. And make certain that you're saying it out loud, even if it's under your breath (if you're in line at a store or something), because reciting it in your mind won't do it.
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aussiemagic
Special user
693 Posts
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Posted: Feb 18, 2008 8:22pm
Thanks for all the tips!
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Tim Hannig
Special user
Chicago area
537 Posts
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Posted: Feb 18, 2008 8:36pm
I use the same method as Lyndel.
It works!
Funny Pre-Show Announcements cd available at
http://www.behindthecurtaindvd.com
tim@showmethefun.com
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Lyndel
Inner circle
wrote the theme to the TV show COPS!
1596 Posts
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Posted: Feb 18, 2008 10:14pm
Quote:
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On 2008-02-18 09:33, Skip Way wrote:
...but with verbatim, word-for-word pieces like "Stan, Kate & Edith" its a problem.
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Skip,
That's funny you bring that particular routine up! I know Kate Stan & Edith like the back of my hand, but once, I got interupted by someone laughing so hard that they fell backwards in their chair - I completely and totally "blanked" on the rest of the routine! LOL!
After stammering for a little while and the audience was still laughing at the chair incident, I just put it way and said, "Let's just move on shall we!? I was soooo MAD at myself for blanking and I recited the whole routine over and over on the two hour drive home! LOL!
Lyndel
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Thomas Wayne
Inner circle
Alaska
1713 Posts
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Posted: Feb 18, 2008 10:46pm
Quote:
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On 2008-02-18 22:14, Lyndel wrote:
Quote:
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On 2008-02-18 09:33, Skip Way wrote:
...but with verbatim, word-for-word pieces like "Stan, Kate & Edith" its a problem.
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Skip,
That's funny you bring that particular routine up! I know Kate Stan & Edith like the back of my hand, but once, I got interupted by someone laughing so hard that they fell backwards in their chair - I completely and totally "blanked" on the rest of the routine! LOL!
After stammering for a little while and the audience was still laughing at the chair incident, I just put it way and said, "Let's just move on shall we!? I was soooo MAD at myself for blanking and I recited the whole routine over and over on the two hour drive home! LOL!
Lyndel
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Lyndel describes a very good method for memorizing a script, but for a routine like Stan, Kate & Edith, once you have the basic memorization down, try connecting segments of the routine to certain actions (or steps) in that routine. Done properly, this allows you to pick up "where you left off", if interrupted.
TW
MOST magicians: "Here's a quarter, it's gone, you're an idiot, it's back, you're a jerk, show's over." Jerry Seinfeld
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Tim Hannig
Special user
Chicago area
537 Posts
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Posted: Feb 19, 2008 4:49pm
Memorizing "Rindercella" was a challenging one for me at first.
But now I can't say the story the "right" way!
Funny Pre-Show Announcements cd available at
http://www.behindthecurtaindvd.com
tim@showmethefun.com
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JackScratch
Inner circle
2151 Posts
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Posted: Feb 21, 2008 9:20am
Only one method. Repetition. At some point you need to memorize your blocking as well.
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HappyJay
New user
Akron, OH
13 Posts
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Posted: Feb 27, 2008 8:12am
I also use the same method as Lyndel, but rather than starting at the beginning, I start memorization at the final paragraph. I have found that the extra familiarity at the end of the work gives me something to move toward if I get away from the script; I have to improvise a bridge to the ending rather than the ending itself.
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Donal Chayce
Inner circle
The City of Angels
1160 Posts
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Posted: Feb 27, 2008 11:09am
I read the script aloud and record it on a cassette tape or, my recently, on a CD. Then I keep it in my car and speak along as it's playing. (This is similar to how I learn the lyrics to a song.) If/when I make a mistake, I rewind the tape/CD a bit and repeat.
Fortunately, with the advent of Bluetooth technology, folks think I'm talking on a hands-free cell phone. At least that's what I'm choosing to believe...
It's amazing how much practice I can get in just driving to and from work. In just a few days I usually have it down. WRITING the script is what often takes me a very long time to do.
The Macgician™
***********
I never know how much of what I say is true.
-Bette Midler
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marty.sasaki
Inner circle
1118 Posts
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Posted: Feb 27, 2008 3:06pm
Two things:
"It is impossible to make anything foolproof since fools are so clever."
The other is something that I've heard from several folks during lectures. Practice the routine together with the script. That way the script will help you remember the routine and the routine will help you remember the script.
Marty Sasaki
Arlington, Massachusetts, USA
Standard disclaimer: I'm just a hobbyist who enjoys occasionally mystifying friends and family, so my opinions should be viewed with this in mind.
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Cyar
New user
96 Posts
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Posted: Mar 14, 2008 11:25am
As an actor, I've used several methods. I'll tape record a line three times before moving to the next and doing the same. At some point in the recording I'll go back to the beginning of the text and record up to where I am as a review.
Also, I've memorized by first starting with the key terms, those that carry the most weight in order to gain the logic or thought process of the monologue, and then fill in the rest from there.
Hope this helps.
I told those f***s down at the league office a thousand times that I don't roll on Shabbos!
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Lawrence O
Inner circle
Paris France
3955 Posts
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 5:50pm
Gerald Edmundson wrote a book about this called The Ostrich Factor - A Practice Guide For Magicians. You may try looking into it. Even if it doesn't solve 100% of your problems, it should solve at least a good 80%.
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Gerald
Loyal user
Texas
233 Posts
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Posted: Oct 11, 2008 6:30am
Lawrence O,
Thank you for recommending The Ostrich Factor! Here is a url link for information about the book.
http://www.theostrichfactor.com
Thanks again!
Gerald
www.geraldedmundson.com
www.sidestreetcircus.com
THE OSTRICH FACTOR: A Practice Guide for Magicians
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George Ledo
Magic Café Columnist
SF Bay Area
1786 Posts
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Posted: Oct 11, 2008 3:30pm
You can memorize words or you can memorize a story which has words in it. Back in high school, the only way I was able to memorize stuff like "To Be or Not To Be" and "The Raven" (among lots of other stuff) was to visualize what was going on, and then use that as a mental crib sheet to help me remember the words.
Later, when I had to take acting classes (kicking and screaming  ) as part of my theater education, I found it worked there too. By understanding the overall scene and what the other guy was saying, and how my character was supposed to respond, the words became more natural, like of course that's what my character would say.
Aside from that, the gist of the method described by Lyndel has been in use for years, and it does work.
That's Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
Latest column: "CAD, Sketchup... and a pencil"
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The Great Smartini
Inner circle
Canada
2265 Posts
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Posted: Feb 24, 2009 10:45pm
I practiced Kate and Edith every day for about a week while I was walking my dog. The other method I used was to play it on my I Pod with the repeat feature on. Didn't take long to learn the script and of course the next step is to make it feel natural, fun and playful.
Be realistic...plan for a miracle!
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MaxfieldsMagic
Elite user
Leesburg, VA
499 Posts
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Posted: May 13, 2009 5:14pm
Quote:
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On 2008-02-27 08:12, HappyJay wrote:
I also use the same method as Lyndel, but rather than starting at the beginning, I start memorization at the final paragraph. I have found that the extra familiarity at the end of the work gives me something to move toward if I get away from the script; I have to improvise a bridge to the ending rather than the ending itself.
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That's a great practice method that is often used by classical guitarists to memorize lengthy instrumental pieces. It ensures that you'll end strong, since the farther along you go, the more you've practiced the routine. It also helps eliminate some of the "linear thinking" that can lead to blanking by forcing you to memorize the chunks in a different order than is natural.
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funsway
Inner circle
used to observe magic -- now I live it
1787 Posts
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Posted: Jun 3, 2009 4:14am
One advantage of performing at Assisted Living Centers is that no one cares if you remember your lines or not. All that matters is seeing their eyes light up.
"there is real merit in the magician who tries to be creative – from such endeavors magic sustains its life energy." Harold Rice
ShareBooks at www.eversway.com * questions at gusarimagic@comcast.net
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Bill Palmer
Eternal Order
Only Jonathan Townsend has more than
19601 Posts
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Posted: Jun 12, 2009 7:44pm
Punx used a method that I recommend highly. He would record his entire script on a cassette (use an iPod or mini cd, if you have one). Then he would practice the blocking as he listened to the script. This way, he had all the mechanics of the routine worked out flawlessly after a few repetitions. By the time the blocking was perfect, he also knew the script.
A method that works for me with longer pieces is to break the piece up into sections. You can call them chunks, you can call them chapters, or anything else you wish.
Let's say your routine has four chapters. Learn chapter 1. Do this by repeating it as many times as necessary to memorize it. If you have trouble memorizing chapter 1, break it down into sentences. Let's say that chapter 1 has four sentences. Memorize sentence 1. Then memorize sentence 2. Then recite sentence 1 and sentence 2 sequentially several times, so that they flow correctly. You can practice the moves that go along with the routine, if you wish.
Now learn sentence three. Then learn sentence four. Now, recite sentences three and four sequentially several times, until they flow as well as sentences 1 and 2. Then recite sentences 1 through 4 several times until they flow together well.
Now, go to the second chapter. Learn it the same way you learned chapter 1. Then practice chapter 1 followed by chapter 2, until they are perfect.
Now we go to the second half of the script. Learn chapter 3. Then learn chapter 4. Then learn to perform the two of them sequentially. Then and ONLY then, go back to chapter 1 and perform the whole thing as a sequential piece.
Here is the advantage of this method over going back to the top every time you make a mistake. If you go back to the top each time you mess up, you will have the first sentence down perfectly. The second sentence will be pretty good, and the last one will be rotten. By learning it in small segments and stringing the small segments together into slightly longer pieces, you learn all the pieces equally well. And the routine will be as strong at the end as it is at the beginning.
If you find that your routines are too long for you to remember, you might think of the implications for the audience. They may be too long to hold the audience's attention as well.
The "Swatter"
http://www.cupsandballsmuseum.com
curator@cupsandballsmuseum.com
CODBAMMC - Founder
My Chickasaw name is "throws money at cups."
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Scott Cram
Inner circle
1874 Posts
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Posted: Sep 17, 2009 6:29pm
Just today, I released a free web app that may be of help here. It's called Verbatim, and is geared to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Palm Pre and Android users should be able to use it, as should users of WebKit-based browsers, such as Safari and Google Chrome.
The memorize text section of the web app uses the approach taught in J. J. Hayes' article, How To Memorize a Poem.
The recall text section then quizzes you by cueing you in various ways such as giving you only the first letters, giving you only the word lengths, and using a Fill In The Blanks approach.
Grey Matters: Blog|Mental Gym|iPhone/iPod Touch|Presentation|Store|Search
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alfvallarta
New user
Mexico City
12 Posts
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Posted: Oct 6, 2009 12:19pm
Just recently I wrote me first script for a routine and have had some luck with the method used. Ever saw "Reservoir Dogs" by Tarantino? "It's like a joke. You remember what's important, and the rest you make your own. The only way to make it your own is to keep sayin it, and sayin it, and sayin it, and sayin it, and sayin it. "
There are no facts, only interpretations.
-Friedrich Nietzsche-
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Servaas Koomen
Regular user
103 Posts
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Posted: Oct 6, 2009 3:40pm
I use mindmap for study. its very good. and since you don't go into detail when writing stuff down (at least that's what I would have done), you have some space to improve and thus make it more natural
"The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That's what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they'll go through the pain no matter what"
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Davidmagicman
New user
65 Posts
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Posted: Nov 8, 2009 2:28pm
I read my script over and over again.
/
David The Magicman
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MagicBH
Regular user
170 Posts
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Posted: Nov 10, 2009 4:09am
This method has gotten me thru countless college exams:
Use more of your senses, it helps recall you back. example:
Write it by hand not type: sense of touch
read it out loud while writing it: Sense of eye site, speech and hearing.
The more senses you use at once the more information is stored in the brain.
You may have to repeat this 15 times, but on number 16 you will be amazed on how fast your writing hand is moving. That is proof that you know have it in physical muscle memory and now all you have to do is perform it.
works for me.
WWW.MagicBH.com
MagicBH@Gmail.com
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Mary Mowder
Regular user
197 Posts
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Posted: Nov 10, 2009 2:38pm
I recently got an Ipod nano and it has helped to walk through the act physically while listening to the recorded script. I connect the touch of the things or the position I'm in to the lines I'm hearing but I like that more for a prompt if I lose my place than for memorization.
If I think about the sense of what I'm trying to say and I've practiced my script enough those words are the first to come to mind as I speak. If they don't, at least I know what I'm trying to say in general so I don't get that blank moment.
Lots of good ideas here that I'm sure I'll try. Thank you.
-Mary Mowder
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