I've been studying up on the effects to include in doing restaurant magic, and the general consensus is dazzle them at the start, then finish by blowing them away. To me, this sounds like the same thing. How do you distinguish between a trick that is a good opener, and one that's a good closer? If they are both mind-blowing tricks, wouldn't they be interchangeable??

I'm not asking for specific tricks (except as examples). I just want to know what makes a good opener, and what makes a good closer.

For one.... a closer can be a longer effect.
Openers should be shorter in length.
Openers should be easier to understand.

You have not earned their attention...even if they've paid to see you.

That's how I feel about it.
Most of the effects I do are pretty short anyway.

Openers should be quick "attention getters". Closers can be a little slower than openers, but should end with a bang. Openers should start with a stunning effect. Closers should build up to something spectacular. No reason for building up when your doing an opener because you trying to grab attention and you don't have enough time before your first shocker to build up anticipation because they may lose interest before you get to the punch.

If your options aren't outweighed any by the above paragraph because they both start and end with a punch or something then you should put the strongest one last and the second to strongest one first.

If they are both just as good as each other then maybe begin thinking about how you want the routine to flow. It, for example, may make sense to do the Benson Bowl routine (sponge ball and bowl) and then have a deck of cards as your final load to lead in to your next effect - as Johnny Thompson does on his video. It just depends on how you want the routine to feel and flow. Learn as much as you can from the spectator's reactions and remember what they react to and why and try to make your whole routine a reaction routine. If people aren't drawn to something, or laughing, or involved in some way to any part of your routine then change it. You only get a few minutes with these people, use it wisely...remember you're trying to sell yourself...it's all about you more than the effect...

---The following paragraph is a personal opinion, so I hope I don't get bashed, but it's just my thoughts.---

When you create your routine, remember the rules that apply to how you should normally routine something, but remember you can break them when it makes sense. Let me give you an example:

I've always heard everyone say, "Don't start with a card trick!" Well, guess what, whenever I perform for just adults I begin with a card trick...ok, well, not a card trick per se, but a card box trick. I start with John Cornelius' shrinking card case. I intentionally put a blue pack of cards in a red shrinking card case so that they will remember and think, "Hmmm, something a little strange with the deck already, the deck is blue, but the box is red." I do this as I'm saying, "Great, finally some adults, I can do some card tricks and you'll actually understand them." or something like that.

My key is that I want them to REMEMBER the box openly coming out of the case and hopefully the different colored deck of cards does this. Then as soon as anyone may be thinking, "oh boy, a card trick guy" (sarcastically) the case shrinks. So if anyone has looked away for an instant, they've missed it. This is my way of saying, "Hey folk, you better pay attention because you'll miss some really great magic if you don't."

Occasionally someone does glance away and not realize until after the fact what has happened, but you better bet that they start watching really close then, then I go into a really knock-out card effect. This in my opinion makes opening with a card effect Ok...actually better than ok - strong.

Now, if there are teens, and sometimes even smaller kids at the table, I'll begin by pulling the cards out of the box and shrinking it and follow up with a matrix routine - a visual routine that is easy to understand and gives me a reason to begin with the shrinking card case. I've only been doing restaurants for about 6 months so I'm still experimenting and learning myself, but that's my thoughts on the subject.

Just be sure and build up to an end and leave them completely stunned if possible.

sd

My take on this is the "dazzle" is fast, visual, easy to understand. You establish that you can do marvelous things.

"Blowing them away" means that they were involved, or they have to think about what just happened, or that the routine builds to a big climax.

I know you didn't ask for specific effects, but on the street, the fast visual opener might be a production or color change, or something like sponge balls (easy to follow, visual). The closer is widely held to be cups and balls. The routine builds to the big loads, which are a very incongruous surprise.

That's my understanding of the difference.

Yours,

Paul

Great responses, everyone. Thanks for the feedback. Drwilson, thanks for the examples. I just didn't want the thread to turn into a list of what people used for openers and closers. I really needed the REASONS for each.

Thanks, all!

The opener is used for winning the crowd over.

The closer is used for completely blowing them away.

Now, that being said, there are a lot of things involved in choosing your opener and closer.

From a technical standpoint, you shouldn't use something like a classic force, an elmsley that has a discrepency, or any descrepencies for that matter.

The opening effect, should not only be DIFFERENT and amazing, but be extremly clean, so much so that you can talk about how clean and fair you are, so later on, when you aren't being so fair, they will have already accepted that you are a fair guy.

Here is what I look for in an opener(I'm a card guy, and I use those to open):

-Don't make them pick a card, or put cards in their hands. The opener should be something that they can watch, rather than be forced to participate in before you have won them over.

-Something visual that is easy to understand. In case they weren't really listening, they shouldn't have to remember any numbers or cards yet, the magic should speak for itself.

-Something that highlights your personality!!!

- First impressions are important, so the effect should be clean and fair and never leave them even suspecting gimicks or any foul play by your part. If you can convince them that you are trying to be completly fair and still amaze them, getting away with things later will be that much easier.

-Something short that immidiatly seperates you from their Uncle Charlie and his card tricks / coin tricks.


Anyway, for closers, you have a bit more leeway, but here are some important points:

-Don't Leave them with any explanations or questions about something that could have happened differently. If its a prediction type effect, make sure that they won't think its a coicidence.

-It should be something that logically closes your routine, they shouldn't be expecting anything after that.

I'm of a different school of thought. I like them to be amazed, involved and having a good time right from the start. I use sponge balls to open which has all three in my routine. THe routine hits hard, is very visual and tactile, and it has GREAT surprises. It gets them laughing and wanting to see more. That's the key, you want them to have a good time and want to see more. From there I move onto something that is a little more involved and I have a "running gag" through my routines that is directly involved with the revelation in my final effect. Think Mike Closes Big Surprise. Basically a Closer should be something that you've built up to and looks so impossible, smooth, and clean that they cannot possibly reconstruct it in a logical way.

In the restaurants you have to deal with interuptions. So it is not like when you do stage magic. The waite staff can come over at any time and kill your climax to your magic routine.

I like what Don Alan used to say. Hit them with tricks that are sock-O...

Short sweet to the point and most of all entertaining...

In restaurants I opened with the chop dice cup with a load of big dice and I closed with the cups and balls. Another trick with big loads...

I hope this helps...

Glenn Bishop

Openers= Quick, Visual, and Engaging

Closers= Longer, Cerebral, and Baffling

Openers should be quick and visual, without much need for conversation. This help in determining general receptivity which will guide you well in your selections for the other FEW routines you will be doing.

A good closer would be anything that leaves them with something (with or without your name on it) and a “thank you” for their time.

A good pen throu a barrowed bill is (for me) a good opener.

Card Warp or Zig Zag card with my name on the back of either hand out is simple and leaves them showing the card around the table.

Bob

Do people really give out money for an opener? I see this posted quite a bit, and I can't understand how anything can be borrowed for an opening effect.

An opener needs to get you accepted, rather than another annoyance while dining. Most times they don't even know you are a magician, establish not only that, but get their interest. If you succeed, then you are welcomed, accepted and can do what you do best. The closer is something that would be hard to follow. There are a number of tricks that just cant be followed, make a list. There have been many mentioed already.

Ed Groleau:
Actually, this is the perfect “ice breaker” for table work. In 45 years of doing magic, I have never had anyone refuse to let me do something with their dollar bill.

If the person I ask, says they do not have a dollar, there is ASLWAYS someone at the table with the curiosity to let me have a bill.

Every magician has a different effect on people at first blush. In my case, I usually start out by saying “does anyone have a 50 or 100 dollar bill that I can use to show you an interesting magic trick?”

Many magicians I know find this to be an excelent way to start an interaction with a new audience. As I mentioned above, it gives you an excelent sence of any space parameters you will be working with.

Bob

I've found that using a borrowed bill for an opening effect such as Pen thru Anything, often provides immediate oppurtunities for humor and drama in a close up atmosphere.

When the bill is restored at the conclusion of the trick it also establishes a certain amount of trust. It is quick, visual, clean, and extremely strong- what more could you want?

I say a good opener is something that grabs there attention. Lets them know you know what your doing. Shock them so they cant stop watching. Then for your closer, hit them extra hard with something they will never forget, or believe.

The choice of the opener is important, but we have to pay attention on this: the opener should not be the strongest effect, thet sound stupid, but...