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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
If I concerned about the trick, I am a trickster and NOT an entertainer.
It's nice to fool them, but much more important to ENTERTAIN them, make them LAUGH, and allow them to have FUN. If they know how the trick works ... eh, no big deal as long as they are having FUN!!!! |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
Your job is to fool them AND to entertain them. They go together.
If on extreme rare occasion someone already knows a trick, so be it, but your technique at fooling should be equal to your entertaining skills. If not, you're only making an awful excuse for your lack of skills and shame on that magician. "I don't fool them. I just entertain them" is the biggest cop out in magic. If you can't fool them, you're probably not entertaining them either, and you have no business performing. I don't mean YOU = Starrpower, I mean ... well, you know what I mean.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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shaneking New user Sydney, Australia 61 Posts |
When a child shouts out "I know how you did it" you could either ignore it (probably best) or respond with "I know you do. Guess how I know you do? Because I am a magician!"
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jackturk Elite user 463 Posts |
I think you need to fool them AND entertain them.
It's a combo package. Fooling them without entertaining is a total loser. Entertaining "as a magician" does require establishing some level of the mysterious. Recognize, however, that unless you are performing completely unique, 100% original material/props/effects etc. you will encounter audience members who have accessed YouTube, online magic shops, library books, masked magician, and so on and have learned the secrets. Which makes the "fooling" subordinate to the "entertaining" in my opinion - as you only have limited control over this. Sure, you need to do the hard work of practicing the mechanics, watching your angles, having quality props, and so on. But to my mind, what's even more important is the context in which you deliver a polished, professional set of magic tricks. Mechanical perfection is still dull as crap if there's nary an element of personality and creativity. I became a much superior magician when I gave up the notion that I had to "fool" everyone. My goal instead became to make sure the experience was incredibly fun for all - myself included. So 1 + 1 = 3 and you need at least that many to offer a quality show. --Jack Turk
"59 Ways To Recession Proof Your Entertainment Business -- FREE!"
http://www.GetLeadsLikeCrazy.com "How To Make $25,000 a Year Doing Birthday Parties Part-Time" http://www.magicmarketingcenter.com/birthdayPT |
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-07-27 14:49, Frank Starsini wrote: YOUR job may be that ... not mine. It took me 30 years to figure it out. Seriously, I couldn't care less if they know the tricks. My job is to ENTERTAIN them. "But you're a magician!" Well, partially. Some of the world's greatest entertainers could not really be pigeonholed into a category. And those who can are not necessarily the best. Is Schwartzenegger the best actor you've ever seen? Stallone? Was Madonna the best singer? Was Jolson? No. In fact, they might be at the bottom of their respective talent pool, but they can ENTERTAIN people. I don't give a rodent's posterior if I fool 'em (well, maybe a little.) As long as they have FUN with me, I will continue to be employed. Class dismissed. |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
Are you saying that you don't work on your sleight-of-hand and misdirection until you make sure nobody will be able to "catch you"?
Or do you leave that to "the other folks"?
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
If that's waht it takes to entertain them, sure.
Are you saying that "entertainment" is a cop-out? Too bad. I am proud to be an entertainer first; magician is WAAAYYYY down the list. Sometimes I entertain with magic. Other times, I use jokes, gags, balloons, slapstick, whatever it takes. Do you think Gene Simmons is a singer first? Do you think Mr. T is an actor first? Do you think Liberace was a pianist first? I'm not trying to convince you Frank. But that's my philosophy. I guess I am not your typical "magic geek." I've seen some KILLER magicians who bore the daylights out of people. And many of them are "heroes" to people on this forum. |
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jackturk Elite user 463 Posts |
Starrpower, we are definitely in the same ballpark here,
however, I will add the wrinkle that if you bill yourself as a "magician" I think you kind of have to do some "magic." By definition, that means "the art of producing illusions as entertainment by the use of sleight of hand, deceptive devices, etc." If there's no illusion i.e., mystery, there's no magic. And I'm not disagreeing with you at all - great magicians can SUCK in terms of entertainment value. Honestly, most magic acts bore the hell out of me too. But if you don't even give it the old college try to do some "magic" you maybe shouldn't use the moniker. Of course, I'd wager you could in fact create an outstanding and incredibly fun act that never fools a single person, while performing all the stock in trade classic magic effects. Would we call that person a "magician" - dunno, but it's certainly possible. As I recall from my college profs in my writing classes, the adage about using the language is: "First learn the rules and know how to use them flawlessly before moving on to showing your creativity by breaking them." Do everything you do the best you can. --Jack Turk
"59 Ways To Recession Proof Your Entertainment Business -- FREE!"
http://www.GetLeadsLikeCrazy.com "How To Make $25,000 a Year Doing Birthday Parties Part-Time" http://www.magicmarketingcenter.com/birthdayPT |
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
The question was what do you do if someone knows your tricks. My attitude is I don't really care.
I never said that I don't try to good a good job. I do. I do not intentionally reveal methods, or screw up effects by not practicing and rehearsing. But if someone knows a trick, or figures out a trick, well ... the secret is such a small part of what I do that it really has little affect in the overall show. In fact, recently I hacve stopped referring to myself as a magician because it seemed too confining. I prefer to think that shows I am progressing and advancing professionally. |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone gets caught. But if you get caught and shrug your shoulders and think "Who cares, at least they are laughing" and do nothing to correct the mistake so it does not happen again, you're dead wrong.
I'm as much about entertainment as you are. I won't perform a trick until I know that it will be highly entertaining for kids, adults and anyone else watching. But, I also won't perform a trick until I have the technical aspects down pat. Why? Because it's the right thing to do. If I make a mistake it bothers me horribly, even if nobody else knows about it but me, and I work to make sure that does not happen ever again. Quote:
"If you're a magician, you must FOOL 'EM in order to ENTERTAIN 'EM" I agree with Ron. Notice Ron says "If you're a magician". Starrpower, Yes, I've seen the awesome technical BORING magicians. Many of them have DVDs out. I know exactly what you mean. I watch them when I have a hard time sleeping. Your latest post makes more sense to me. Someone that "knows" a trick is a different situation than making mistakes without caring.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
But Frank, you're assuming they know the trick because you screw up. That was not a criteria stated here. I think you might be reading too much into this.
BTW, I don't agree with Ron (in fact, I don't even know who Ron is! LOL!) Balantine entertained 'em for decades and never fooled a blasted person. Harry Anderson is a great magician and on more than one occasion tipped the method in order to entertain. I could go on, but you get the point. I hate to beat a dead horse, so I'll give you the last word on this ... but IMO, entertainment trumps "tricks" all day long. |
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TheAmbitiousCard Eternal Order Northern California 13425 Posts |
I agree entertainment trumps tricks. I agree 100% percent.
But if you're doing a trick. Do it correctly. That is what magic is about. Yes there are exposure routines. Those, however, are done on purpose. Sounds like we 'mostly' agree. Especially for the criteria of someone knowing the method from past experience, as opposed to learning the method from YOU due to a mistake. Now we can have a beer.
www.theambitiouscard.com Hand Crafted Magic
Trophy Husband, Father of the Year Candidate, Chippendale's Dancer applicant, Unofficial World Record Holder. |
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TomBoleware Inner circle Hattiesburg, Ms 3163 Posts |
Frank, I agree, a bad magician shouldn't wear a mask or a clown nose.
I think those hiring a "magician" expects to see some magic. While we say it's all about entertaining, it's not. If you hired as a magician it's about "entertaining WITH magic." Tom
The Daycare Magician Book
https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/amazekids/the-daycare-magician/ My Blog - https://boleware.blogspot.com/ |
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