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CENDRE Veteran user FRANCE 334 Posts |
This subject came to my mind when I realized (it took me many times to realize this) that I have a library full of potential « Killers » but I only use 5 % of them in my magic stories. I must admit I only really master these because they are part of my work.
It’s funny because I’ve often read (on this forum) fears about exposure or fears about magicians who give the secret to other magicians. For example, Magicians who are afraid because « too many » magicians know one specific trick, and, according to them, it’s not good because it kills this effect. But, have we practiced everthing we have in our library? Of course not. And is it because a lot of magicians know the « how to do » of a killer that laymen know? Of course not. So I will ask you only 1 question, which requires a honest answer. Among all the « Killer Tricks » you know (in theory, because you know the method) and you debate (in theory, because you have read the method)on this forum: How many do you REALLY use regularly? See you soon,
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Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
Cendre,
There was a time when I had to learn every new move and trick and, consequently, never was really able to rehearse most of them. Now that I've whittled that list down considerably, I have a dozen or so in each of my kids', adults', bizarre, etc. acts that I do regularly. So, out of the hundreds and thousands of tricks around, I probably only really USE about three dozen. If I get one idea a YEAR out of all my magic magazine subscriptions, I consider that a lot! Right now I'm more interested in polishing the material I use. |
CENDRE Veteran user FRANCE 334 Posts |
I follow you on this point Peter :
Polishing an effect to transform a trick in a gem. But sometime I think it's difficult, because it's so tempting to want to learn every great effect magicians write about every year. But I try to restrain myself and try to focus on what I really want to do. I tried (2 years ago) to change this temptation I had to reproduce what I thought great from others. But it's difficult. When I take a look to the great amount of brilliant ideas produced month after month... I think it's natural to want to do the same. But in fact, I accepted (difficult... so difficult) only 2 years ago that I won't have time enough in my whole life to practice all of these beautiful ideas. So I decided to stop practicing everything and try to do properly only the things I wanted to use for my stories. When I write this I doubt if I'm an adult because probably the major part of you (magicians among this forum) have known that for a long time. That's the reason I asked this question: "How many techniques do you really practice?" Because I want to know if I'm an idiot when I consider I only practice regularly less than 2 dozen of the effects... Thank you for your answer Peter
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Callin Regular user Portland, Oregon 123 Posts |
Actually, you are doing the one thing that separates the great magicians from the others. I can't remember who said it, but someone said, the difference between a professional and an amateur is the amateur performs many different tricks for the same audience and a professional performs the same tricks for many different audiences.
There was a major leap in my abilities when I decided to take a single trick and perfect it. I worked for about 2 months on the three card monte. Soon after, I won a contest with it, and was asked to lecture on my technique. It was so sucessful, I made up my mind to apply that kind of work with all of my professional material. I can't tell you the major change that happened when I decided to stick with and perfect a single show. And though I show many tricks to people at my store, when I work as a professional entertainer, I do the same 9 effects each and every time (actually, I have a couple of shows for different venues, but they are all well rehearsed and don't vary) The consistancy has made my show very tight, fun for me, and highly entertaining. So, I think choosing and perfecting a few tricks is quite the opposite of being an idiot. Good Work! Thanks, Richard Green
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CENDRE Veteran user FRANCE 334 Posts |
Thanks a lot Callin !
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Bascomb Grecian Loyal user Redding, Ca. 202 Posts |
This is a very good question!
I have seen killer effects with rubber bands, and then I have seen killer effects with equipment that is very spendy. Do the material you like, make it personal, and do it well. I know this is an overstatement. Why do we call an effect a killer? Because we were fooled! I am trying to make even the simplest card trick a killer, isn't it in the presentation?
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Matt Graves Special user Huntsville, Alabama (USA) 504 Posts |
Let's see, the few tricks that I do that I think are "killers" are . . . coin through ring, spelling-their-name-to-find-the-card, a four-ace assembly with all the cards face up, copper/silver transposition in their hands, handkerchief through arm, sympathetic coins, coins through table, cups and balls, and a coins across . . .
I've only got twelve tricks that I really rehearse a lot. I worry about having too few. Maybe if that quote Callin said is true, I'll be a pro someday! One "killer" I've thought about adding is "Tic Tac" from Art of Astonishment Book 3. I tried it out on my brother, and it was one of those where I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. Cheers . .. |
Bizzaro New user 21 Posts |
Well, killers, depending on who you ask, is subjective. I work the cynical crowds. What is a killer to some magicians just blows right by some people (especially if they are drunk). I try to make everything I show someone and do in my shows, crazy nuts impactful. Mind you, I do some of it for myself. That stuff tho', due to my very virogistic tendencies, is made to be effective as anything else.
I do not perform for magicians. My techniques and ideas are so simple they will scoff at me. (But they work and work well. You should see my latest card control. You would laugh.) |
Alan Wheeler Inner circle Posting since 2002 with 2038 Posts |
Here's my additional question: at what stage should a magician begin to focus only on the few "killers" he will really use?
I would think that beginning and even intermediate level magicians need more exposure to find their special areas of interest and style, as well as learn the fundamentals of misdirection and presentation. I guess, however, it's good for even a fledgling magician to know that at some point he needs to focus his attention on a limited number of "killers." alleycat
The views and comments expressed on this post may be mere speculation and are not necessarily the opinions, values, or beliefs of Alan Wheeler.
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CENDRE Veteran user FRANCE 334 Posts |
Bascomb said : "I am trying to make even the simplest card trick a killer, isn't it in the presentation?" You are perfectly right. Many magicians forget that it's not the technique which makes the killer, but the magician. And what you answer, Bascomb, are words of wisdom : We must think, if we can built a powerful routine with all the "tricks" we already know. In fact, there is (in my opinion) a kind of "quest of new tricks" in magic. This neverending quest is dangerous because it kills the desire to go deeper in a technique we already know. Because you will probably do a much more powerful effect with a technic you can do without thinking (because you have worked it for months or years) than with a "new best trick" you received 2 days ago. serling307 said : "I've only got twelve tricks that I really rehearse a lot. I worry about having too few. Maybe if that quote Callin said is true, I'll be a pro someday! " I'm sure you will be a pro someday ! The only problem you can have with only 12 routines is you must change audiences. That's the problem of doing magic only for our familly and our friends: they want to see new tricks every month. That's why I stopped doing magic for my friends Bizzaro said : " What is a killer to some magicians just blows right by some people (especially if they are drunk). I try to make everything I show someone and do in my shows, crazy nuts impactful [...] I do not perform for magicians. " I totally agree with you Bizzaro. Laymen are not magicians, and most of them don't like technique for technique's sake (even if this technique is "killer stuff for magicians"). Nevertheless, your words mustn't be translated into "Only do simple tricks for laymen," because a lot of hard techniques are also very powerful. It's only a question of choice: Choose the routine adapted to your current public. Or, if you have the opprtunity : Choose your public adapted to your current routine !!! (I'm joking !...) alleycat said : "I would think that beginning and even intermediate level magicians need more exposure to find their special areas of interest and style, as well as learn the fundamentals of misdirection and presentation. " I don't really know if you are right or wrong, alleycat... I didn't follow this way. I retired from magician's circles many months ago because of this too big amount of exposure : I wanted to do everything I found good... and it killed my own vision of magic. That's why I chose a simple way : Now, I think of a routine (or a story), without thinking of the technique... as if everything was possible. I begin to write the routine, and only at this moment I try to find the "how to do" (the technique part). With all the good techniques on the market, I often find one adapted to my story. And if I don't find such a technique, then I try to build mine. Sometime it works, sometime it doesn't, but everytime it's a consequence of something I really want do. Thank you all very much for your answers and don't hesitate to continue the thread ! See you soon, Cendre,
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Samuel Catoe Inner circle South Carolina 1268 Posts |
How many "killers" do I actually perform? I currently perform The Haunted Deck and have had this effect freak people out completely every (almost) time. Another is Kolossal Killer. This has slayed some people. Usually the more intelligent, the more slayed they are. I have also performed a book test using a borrowed book. This one literally had the fellow looking like this . He even dropped the book. Well not really, the book fell out of his hand which did not move from the position it was in. Those are the killers I have performed. I like them because they can be repeated (Kolossal can be if you give a minute to "reload" with a different card ) almost immediately with a different result.
Samuel
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Uli Weigel Inner circle Berlin, Germany 1478 Posts |
There is so much "killer" magic in countless books, magazines and videos, that I wonder why anybody should perform anything BUT "killer" material. There is no reason to waste time on bad or even mediocre stuff.
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CENDRE Veteran user FRANCE 334 Posts |
Amen !
But don't forget what we already said : An effect can be a "killer" in someone's hands and a poor trick in another one. Nevertheless, your suggestion is good if we use it to eliminate what seems really useless (and there are a lot of useless tricks). But sometimes, the real value of a method appears after we have fully understand its principle. I'll give you an example : A lot of people seem to appreciate the "killer impact" of the original KK. But how many among you use this method for other things than "cards in wallet". Because when we understand the principle behind the original KK, we can use it in many other ways. IMHO, that's the big point that makes (for me, of course) the difference between a method I will read and a method I will practice in the real world. Because I will do more than 1 thing with this principle. That's not the case for Tenyo tricks
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Geoff Weber Inner circle Washington DC 1384 Posts |
We don't always have to "kill them." Sometimes it's ok to make them laugh, or feel special, or nostalgic. Magic can evoke so many emotions. I think we get tunnel vision sometimes on only trying to evoke surprise/fear/paralysis/stupification/puzzlement.
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CENDRE Veteran user FRANCE 334 Posts |
Geoff Weber : I agree with your comment.
When I put "killer" in my topic headline, that was because it seems to be the most employed term to describe a strong effect. And moreover, people read a topic as soon as "killer" is put in the headline ! But I don't like this term very much because : * I don't want to fool people * I don't want to kill them ... I want to make them dream (it's not easy but sometimes I succeed). The word "killer" seems to imply a challenge between the spectator and you. And IMO it's absolutely not a good beginning for a show. There's some kind of lack of respect. So, we can change the headline by : "How many strong effects do you REALLY practice ? ! ! ! !" See you soon,
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