|
|
Beezer109 Regular user 123 Posts |
Hey everyone. about 2 yrs ago I recieved the art of card manipulation series by jeff McBride as a gift. After about 2 yrs of practicing I think I am ready to put it all into a routine. I know how to routine. But what should I do first? Decide what music I want and build the routine to the music? Or Make the routine then MAKE the music for it. What do you guys think? Thanks.
|
Pavel Regular user 121 Posts |
My advice is folowing: First- choose your manipulation style, then find music, that would be good for the style and then build a routine around the music.
"Truth without Magic does not exist" J.Faulz
|
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
I would not even do that yet. I would take a HUGE step back and drop the manipulations and the sequences and the music. Before any of that you need to decide who you are to become when you are on stage? Who is this character that you are creating? What is he all about and why should the audience like this character? Defining your stage character is a crucial first step in developing any kind of manipulative act.
Once the character is defined and really refined, then everything in the act must go back to this character. You start to ask yourself what would this character do with this object and how would he react in this situation? Then the process of building the routine and the music becomes a much easier procedure. Even the music will relate to the character you define for yourself. So I ask you to think who you want to become. Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
Beezer109 Regular user 123 Posts |
Wow Kyle, thanks so much!
|
Pavel Regular user 121 Posts |
Yes, I completely agree. I have some manipulative acts, but have a different persons character play in every of them. While reading your post, Kyle, I remembered Cardini, and how he reacted to his Card manipulations, this was COOOOL!
"Truth without Magic does not exist" J.Faulz
|
George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
Kyle, you have just said a lot in three short paragraphs. In fact, you've probably just written the Cliff's Notes version of Showmanship for Magicians in three short paragraphs. Okay, okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit...
The only thing I might add is the question, "Who is this magician that you want your audiences to think that you are?" Great post.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
kregg Inner circle 1950 Posts |
There was a clown by the name of Emmett Kelly. As a child I watched him perform every time he appeared on TV. His character was always the same, but, his routine was always different from the previous show. Audiences loved him, when he was sad, they were sad. He had a way drawing you into his world. To this day I couldn't tell you what kind of music he used, but, his character I will remember forever.
POOF!
|
George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
Emmett's secret was that he made us care about his character and therefore care about what was happening to him and how he resolved it. No different from the classic formula for a story or a movie, where we start out by meeting the characters and developing a specific feeling about them, and then -- and only then -- getting hit with their problems.
Great entertainers have a way of doing this. Emmett, Jack Benny, Red Skelton, and so on and on, all made us care about them and therefore take an interest in what they were doing.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
Thanks guys. I just find so many manipulators and stage magicians forgetting the golden rule I strive for in my magic. That is that your magic needs to entertain your audiences and NOT YOU!!! This sounds harsh, but how many times have you seen a manipulator do 15 variations of vanishes just because he or she can?
We fall in love with our own methods and we forget that we need to use these ONLY as mere tools in the process of entertaining our audiences and giving them something they can enjoy. Just because you know 100 ways to vanish a card, does not mean your audiences needs to or wants to see every single one of them. Instead, think of who you are and who you want to portray when you reach that stage? What character are you and how does this character react and handle things and situations presented to him or her? Development of character and theme are huge steps I always pursue in my manipoulative routines. I call these layers. These layers are like toppings of a pizza. Each one adds a bit more for the audience to enjoy. Emmet used pantomime and a layer effect I call emotional response. This is where the character is so well refined that ehat he or she does in the course of the act gets and touches the audience on a personal level. An emotional repsonse is anything that your character does on stage that the audience can directly relate to. Everyone can relate to a first lost love. Everyone can relate to being a kid and having dreams. There is so much to touch on just on wmotional repsonse alone. I have written about these things I call Layers before, but I will post them here if anyone might find them interesting or could benefit from them. It would be my pleasure. Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Finger/stage manipulation » » All of these card manipulations...now what? (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.02 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |