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The Amazing Pog Veteran user 372 Posts |
Hi Folks,
as a beginner I find myself relying on simple, often self-working, tricks. But it seems that even simple magical effects can be made stronger with a few additions or changes. I'm interested in seeing what more experienced magicians think about the following: 1) Increase the distance - say, getting someone to pick a card over the phone etc 2) Make it personal - use a person's name/birthday etc in a trick 3) Add a flashy bit - instead of saying 'Your card is the 9D' or whatever, reveal it in a 'cool' way What else can be added/changed easily to add to a trick?
'One of the safest ways to make a good performance is to have tricks which work so easily, that mechanics can be forgotten and every attention devoted to presentation' - Corinda
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satellite23 Elite user 424 Posts |
Pause before the climax of each trick. Let it sink in, and build the suspense. Just a simple one-second pause really adds to the suspense.
Also, be confident. That builds the best suspense of anything. Be confident, and then your audience will be relaxed and enjoy the trick more. |
Ray Bertrand Inner circle Ottawa, Ontario 1452 Posts |
Making it personal always adds to the overall amazement of the spectator.
Mentalism in Ontario.
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DWRackley Inner circle Chattanooga, TN 1909 Posts |
Making it personal can involve more than just using their name. You can use their person as well.
Something I learned to do in college was to palm TWO coins for the “pull-a-quarter-out-of-your-ear trick”. As I was reaching for the ear, I’d drop the second coin into a breast pocket. Then later, when the coin from their ear vanished, they could find “it” in their own pocket. The “ear reach” was enough misdirection (or distraction) that they never felt the second coin going in. Be a good story teller. You don’t necessarily even have to talk, just convey the idea in such a way that the visuals start happening in their minds as much as in front of their eyes. One more, from my alternate dimension, but still applicable to some magic effects… …one of the tools mentalists use is “reframing”, that is reminding the audience of what has just happened, but with a spin. It sounds elementary, but you can actually change what they remember about the effect. In one of my “pet tricks“, I’ll recap, but change the order of events, and surprise! That’s the version they remember. (If I disappear for any reason, the other mentalists have found me. I am not afraid. I am not afraid. I am not afraid.)
...what if I could read your mind?
Chattanooga's Premier Mentalist Donatelli and Company at ChattanoogaPerformers.com also on FaceBook |
The Amazing Pog Veteran user 372 Posts |
Great stuff, D W Rackley, especially the reframing. Where could I find out more about that?
'One of the safest ways to make a good performance is to have tricks which work so easily, that mechanics can be forgotten and every attention devoted to presentation' - Corinda
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Jim Sparx Inner circle Far Out, Texas 1144 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-05-10 06:26, DWRackley wrote: Weekly $50 payments in small bills for the next 6 months, otherwise your post finds its way into the Penny forum. PM for directions. Other than what Mr. Rackley just disclosed, practice until it becomes part of your persona and your not doing just a trick, but being yourself. Reframing is discussed at NLP sites with lots of free material, but don't overwhelm yourself and make it more difficult than necessary. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reframing
Et tu, Spartacus?
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/chispadeelpaso.html |
Ray Bertrand Inner circle Ottawa, Ontario 1452 Posts |
Reframin is taught in the process of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). It is useful in many ways as Mr. Rackley so eloquently mentioned.
Ray
Mentalism in Ontario.
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Ray Bertrand Inner circle Ottawa, Ontario 1452 Posts |
Reframing sorry about the typo
Mentalism in Ontario.
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The Amazing Pog Veteran user 372 Posts |
So, from people's contributions we now have:
4) Pause for effect before climax 5) Be confident 6) Use their person 7) Tell a story - don't just do a trick 8) Reframing 9) Make the trick an extension of your persona, not just a 'thing' you do I also have: 10) Leave them with something - let the spec take away a trinket, coin, card, napkin origami or something Keep them coming folks!
'One of the safest ways to make a good performance is to have tricks which work so easily, that mechanics can be forgotten and every attention devoted to presentation' - Corinda
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Vu Nguyen New user 26 Posts |
Here's my absolute favorite. Pretend to mess up. Forget their card. Then just when they're about to laugh at you, BAM! Instant reveal.
People like it when the person who is trying to "trick" them fails. But we always get the last laugh... muahaha |
Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
I have made this suggestion many times. It works for some...me included! The book Tales Of Enchantment: The Art Of Magic by Walt Anthony! This teaches you the basics of how to develop a story for your magic. Incredible value for $35:
http://www.leapinglizardsmagic.com/tales_of_enchantment.htm Hope this helps! Doug |
shellgame-al Veteran user Arizona, USA 352 Posts |
I like the magic effect to happen in their hands if I can, not always in my hands.
Manufacture of 3 Shell Game Sets & 3 Disk Monte Sets
3shells.com and magicswindles.com |
Gypsyprince12 New user 51 Posts |
Cool advice! Thanks Dwackly! peace out peeps <
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The Amazing Pog Veteran user 372 Posts |
11) Pretend to mess up, then the reveal
12) Magic with a story 13) Have the effect happen in specs hands, not the magi's How about: 14) Increase the number of participants - involve more than 1 spec in the trick
'One of the safest ways to make a good performance is to have tricks which work so easily, that mechanics can be forgotten and every attention devoted to presentation' - Corinda
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Akil New user 53 Posts |
Hey Mr. Pog I understand your concerns, I have found that you can also apply some NLP techniques to your performance to really enhance the effects. If you can check out the book Pure Effect by Derren Brown. He explains how using skills like anchoring can really make the simplest of tricks seem very profound.
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