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Lefebure Loyal user Lille, France 202 Posts |
Dear fellows,
When I began to perform my table hopping gigs in restaurants, I followed a rule I had heard : no tricks with a reset. Well, a 2 seconds reset ok, but no more than that. And now I have really good effects to show, but they need 30 seconds for reset, sometimes one or two minutes, and I really would like to perform them... What shall I do ? Definitively let them for other kinds of gigs...or break the rule, ask the restaurant's manager for a small closed room (away of the eyes) in order to make my resets... What do you think ? |
davidpaul$ Inner circle Georgetown, South Carolina 3086 Posts |
When working restaurants, it's always a good thing (a must) that your repertoire has instant or minimal reset. I store my my close-up bag in the manager's office just to the rear of the dining room. I will, on occasion, for that special table or family that comes in week after week grab what I normally don't perform on a regular basis. ( items too big for my pockets etc.)
The manager wants you out there performing NOT hiding somewhere resetting your miracles. When you go from table to table you look much more professional than hiding for a few minutes between sets. It's OK to have some more involved effects but just for those certain circumstances and not as a general rule.
Guilt will betray you before technique betrays you!
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Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
Have duplicates of some of your effects.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
When doing strolling magic anywhere, my preference is for a 2-3 second reset at the most. I don't do card tricks that involve more than a 2-4 card stack so I can easily reset at the end of the trick as I put the deck back in the box. I used no gimmicked coins...only 4 regular silver eagles. The reset is they go back in my man purse and I'm set for the next table.
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
pepka Inner circle Uh, I'm the one on the right. 5041 Posts |
My regular strolling set can be reset in about 3 seconds, AND right in front of the specators who just witnessed the magic. Usually moving one coin or ball from one pocket to another, adding a stranger card to the deck from my pocket etc. Like David, I also keep my bag hidden from view and when there is a bit of a lull, I might go grab a fresh deck or something. I also always keep a few things on hand for VIPs. Chop cup or Unshuffled usually are done for special friends of the owner, a big tipper who wants to book me for something, or a local celebrity or politician.
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Daz Buckley Elite user Australia 469 Posts |
I'd echo Christopher Lyle. The manager wants(and expects) to see me on the floor at a table, not in the baack room resetting my material. I charge a good fee for my work, but the downside to this is I have to be seen giving value for money. reset time doesn't allow me to do that. The one issue I have with strolling is that there are some tricks I will NEVER do and I would love to do them.
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Dimitri Mystery Artist Veteran user Israel/Ukraine 355 Posts |
Hello dear fellows,
I have a different perspective on restaurant magic, I live in Argentine and most of my income is from table hopping in a bar, I perform 2-3 times a week in different bars, using some classic routines and some original magic that I hope to publish one day. Some of my routines require a reset, sometimes more than a minute or 2. as I know it is not the mainstream approach and I would like to take the time to explain my thoughts about it... I understand that the owner is not paying me for hiding, but he doesn't pays me to show people nice magic, he pays me to leave people amazed, so my first concern is clients having an extraordinary moments, I actually prefer to do less tables but make people appreciate the time I have spend with them (they deserve nothing less than the best routine! after all they have sacrificed a valuable time that they have planned to spend with their dear friends or family). in all the bars I work, I have talked to the owners and asking their priorities, I made it clear that I can try to do more tables and work faster but it might means that I will have to work in a more artificial way. So far they are fine with the way I choose to work. It doesn't mean that I do a reset before every table, but I have with me several strong routines that I use 1-3 times a night that I will go take something from my close up bag. David said that you look more professional when you are not hiding for several minutes, I actually doubt that people pay so much attention what the magician does, I hope they will judge my level from the time I spend with them rather the time I have been away. I must say that ofcourse when there is a lot of pressure in the bar,i do my best to help the stuff and do more tables,dedicating less time per table, I develop my work in 3 group of routines: group A are emergency routines that I don't need to reset anything, group B are tricks that takes few seconds to reset and even can be done in front of the audience, group C are the special routine. I assume that the main reason magician choose reset-able routines is so they can work fast and do all the tables, in my opinion there are really only few good moments to approach a table and I don't like to approach a group of strangers automatically, when possible I try to see the dynamic of the group and the table status so I can avoid approaching tables waiting for the food/check/having serios conversation/just arrive,etc. I believe that there is something more important than the routine that I must reset, and this is my state of mind, I want to say that sometimes I take few moments to reset MYSELF, especial after a routine that didn't work as a planned, or after I felt I didn't behaved well at the table...magic in bars as far as I concern is all about interaction and I want to fill the table with energy, be friendly and smiling, I don't want to look nervous, in a hurry or that my mind is floating somewhere else. there is also a cultural element involved explaining why I choose carefully the routines and why for a good timing approach a group: In Argentine it is very common that someone approaches a table, offer clients something for their money (including magicians working just for tips). It means that people that haven't got the chance to watch my magic won't be offended on the bar as they believe I work independently, however it makes it harder on me to impress people that WILL see my magic (lack of prestige). hope my English is fine, I have done my best to be intelligible |
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
I don't think there is a rule. But why not be able to do things with skill?
Some of the most incredible tricks I can even imagine require no reset. I would suggest buying more books and fewer tricks. In over 20 years I have never done a single trick that required a reset. That doesn't make it right it simply makes it my preference. But I would find it uncomfortable if I was working and every time I finished I had to run like superman to a phone booth to reset. I have seen guys like that. I'm sure there is a happy medium.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
MagicJuggler Inner circle Anchorage, AK 1161 Posts |
I have a few tricks that take way too much time to reset, that's why I spend time making up the gaffs in advance. An hour of preparation and I have all the gaffs I would use in an entire night if not more depending on how busy I am. Most everything else has no reset at all, but this trick is such a stunner that I decided to put in the extra work needed to perform it table hopping. I have one pocket dedicated to all the gaffs that I made up for the trick so I can do the trick at every table if I so choose with no hiding for a moment while getting ready.
It's also like that with tricks like the black envelope. Just set up about ten black envelopes and have them set in your jacket pocket, so you only have to reset once in a night, or better still give away the envelopes and have extras set up in your bag so you can just grab some more and continue working.
Matthew Olsen
I heard from a friend that anecdotal evidence is actually quite reliable. |
Ken Northridge Inner circle Atlantic City, NJ 2392 Posts |
I find it almost imperative to have tricks that are instant reset, or a 2 or 3 second reset. I understand the question because I think we all have routines we’d like to do, but in the table hopping situation its rarely feasible.
"Love is the real magic." -Doug Henning
www.KenNorthridge.com |
Bad to the Balloon Inner circle Clearwater Florida 2116 Posts |
What is resetting????
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy As seen on the TODAY SHOW www.balloonguy.net Creator of Bad to the Balloon DVD series Go to my store: http://tinyurl.com/Bad2theBalloon |
iwillfoolu Special user Upstate NY, USA 746 Posts |
What Pete said.
Mark, Resetting is what you have your kids do when they sort your balloons into bundles Joey D |
Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
LOL! Resetting is in essence reloading for the next presentation. For me that means doing tricks so they come back out exactly like I need the to perform at the next table. It takes planning. Carrying multiple prop sets is an alternative although a poor one.
Bob |
MichaelDouglas Special user Portland, Oregon 766 Posts |
I just started a restaurant gig this week after being away doing other types of magic for a while. They've asked me back next week, so I'm hoping it will become a regular thing. With that said, I fully understand some of the comments about having some killer effects that you'd love to use but they take too much reset time. Instant reset is the rule as others have wisely stated. However, I may take one or two those jaw dropping slow-reset effects and perform it at a regular table just to get more time performing it with a live audience. I can only do it once that night but that's ok. Every bit of practice in front of an audience helps. And yes, the vast majority of what works best for me are things with an instant reset or no longer than the time it takes me to walk to the next table.
@ Dima...your english is understood just fine. You're doing much better than I can do with Spanish. Nos vemos. |
djurmann Inner circle thinks time to practice and stop writing 1481 Posts |
Here is a thought. I was at a wonderful lecture given by James Prince (who has over 20 years as a restaurant magician). After EVERY table he recommends going up to the bar to take a sip of water. This gives the waiters time to tell you that they need you to cover table x where the food is late/there is a birthday or whatever and to plan the next table you will visit even if none of the previous happens. It occurs to me that this would also be time to reload your envelopes or whatever.
Danny |
Bad to the Balloon Inner circle Clearwater Florida 2116 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-07-09 09:39, Bad to the Balloon wrote: Ya know I was being sarcastic.... And I do more than balloons..... All my magic goes back into the pocket it started with or the trick doesn't need a set up.
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy As seen on the TODAY SHOW www.balloonguy.net Creator of Bad to the Balloon DVD series Go to my store: http://tinyurl.com/Bad2theBalloon |
MHamel New user New Hampshire 71 Posts |
All of what was said above is great. One thing I also practice is the reset itself. It might not be a direct part of any effect but if you plan on using it for table hopping then you should practice how you are going to reset it. This way you can take a "2 minute reset" and get it to the fastest time possible. That being said when I perform at restaurants it can be different amounts of time between tables depending on the night.
I hope something I said helps... |
Lefebure Loyal user Lille, France 202 Posts |
Thank you everybody for your tips and comments ! I came to the conclusion that every gig is different. Sometimes no reset tricks only are possible. Sometimes you can work with a 5 seconds reset, sometimes more. I'll adapt my magic !
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