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fingerjack Special user CT, USA 574 Posts |
The following is an original essay of opinion. Hope you like it.
Magicians, especially beginners, are always on the hunt for the perfect trick; the one that will bring them fame, envy, and recognition; the one that will prove to all that he is an exceptional and competent wizard worthy of the name. He searches through magic catalogs and gazes in wonder at the vast amount of tangible miracles before him and figures, “Well this one sounds great! It will surly fool and amaze everybody if I had this, it’s perfect!” So he saves his money and finally gets the perfect trick only to discover one of several things; 1) the trick is well beyond his current level of skill and knowledge and will take months of research and practice to master, or… 2) when the trick is performed, it doesn’t even remotely resemble the incredible description that he had read several weeks earlier, or… 3) Upon learning the secret (which is often disappointing), the would be magician figures that it won’t fool a monkey, never mind a layman, and he loses interest in it, or… 4) The trick performed does not bring the applause and bewilderment that he expected it to. In any event, the end result is usually the same; it’s back to the catalog in search of the perfect trick and the cycle continues on and on, often and sadly, endlessly. What is the perfect trick? Does such a thing even exist? The answer in my opinion is both yes and no. The perfect trick probably exists right under your nose; it could be on your bookshelf, in your junk draw or maybe even already in your repertoire. It is often difficult for magicians, who after learning the secret to a trick, to discern the magical or entertainment value of it. It takes on a whole new light when they see it performed by someone else, even when the method is known to them. How many times have you been fooled and wowed by a trick performed by someone else only to discover it’s in a book sitting on your bookshelf? You may have even read through the effect before and found it uninteresting and not worthy of learning. I know this has happened to me a number of times. Magicians are a hard group to please. Most do magic that appeals to them only, often forgetting that it is the audience that allows them to exist in the first place. Of course it’s important to enjoy what you are doing, but their needs to a compromise somewhere, because effect without vision is sheer drudgery. The real professional is not a magician’s magician (unless of course you are Daryl). He combines personality and skill and uses time tested tricks that he knows will both fool and entertain his audience. Have the pros we admire found the perfect trick? Take sponge balls for example. I’m not particularly fond of them, but you know what? If performed well, audiences love them, and I will debate with anyone who thinks otherwise. A sponge ball appearing in a spectator’s hand is going to brink more shrieks and laughter than an Ace assembly ever will, I guarantee it. Are sponge balls the perfect trick? Sometimes it’s necessary for the magician to step outside of the box and really think about the effects and how the audience perceives them. Why are so many magicians bent on showing of sleights and moves to other magicians? Why are they so obsessed with trying to fool each other? What about the audience? Fooling an audience is not difficult at all, either. you can fool them with a simple key card, never mind triple lifts, gambler’s cops and Tenkai palms. I think one of the best card tricks in existence is You Do As I Do. It has everything; an interesting theme, audience participation, suspense, a baffling climax, and not a single sleight. But how many of you perform it? Too easy, you say? Not flashy enough? Is this the perfect trick? The perfect trick is not the cups and balls, or the Zig-Zag illusion, or the professor’s nightmare. It’s not a card trick, a coin trick, or a mental effect. It’s not something you find on a magic TV special or on a stage or at a magic convention. You won’t find it there. It doesn’t exist in these places. Yet the beginner will wander aimlessly in these places wondering where or what the perfect trick really is. The real truth is that the perfect trick is simply a metaphor for what you already know. The perfect trick is you. It’s not the tricks you perform or the type of magic you do. This is one of the hardest single lessons a new magician has to learn, and it’s something I still grapple with after doing magic for almost 15 years. All the expensive and finely crafted gaffs and gimmicks in the world don’t mean a *** thing if you can’t use them in a magical and entertaining way. All the moves and sleights you learn from books and videos are useless unless you can put them together in a rational, coherent way that the spectator can benefit from. Look at music; eight basic notes, but you can compose symphonies and operas with them. Look at our alphabet, only twenty-six letters, but you can not only form words to communicate, educate and entertain with, but can also be used to move nations and conform religions. Your magic should be no different, but it is because magic needs two things to be successful; skill and personality. You audiences should be remembering you, not your tricks. Any serious magician should be practicing your relationships with people as well as your sleights and moves. Learn about people and how to relate to them. Understand them and think of how they perceive the magical experience. Everybody is indeed different; what is magic in one man’s hands is a buffoonery in another’s, but it doesn’t matter because your personality should be winning them over, not your tricks. Win the audience, and everything else falls into place. Think carefully about the tricks you perform and don’t think about what a fellow magician or what a “guy in the know” is going to think. Think of only the audience and how they see YOU. That’s where the real magic is and has always been in the first place. In the famous but often ignored words of Dai Vernon- be yourself. Once you realize these things and apply them, then your quest for the elusive perfect trick might just actually come to an end. I hope so. Good luck.
MAGNAPALM - The World's first psionic magnetic implants that is changing the future of magic http://youtu.be/EDmg2bp_Cas
WASHED AND DRYED - An squeaky clean incredible full deck transformation! http://fingerjack.wix.com/washedanddryed |
Dennis Michael Inner circle Southern, NJ 5821 Posts |
Done very well. It took me until I was forty to discover the importance of studying personalities.
Most have no clue about them and how they fit into our social environment. It explains why one love a comedy and another hates it. It explains why some like magic and others can't be bothered. Most importantly, it explains you and how you fit into the scheme of life and gives you all the answers to why others are different.
Dennis Michael
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MattSedlak Regular user 162 Posts |
Good essay. However, given that an audience has never seen an ace assembly and you use the O'Henry ending (all four aces appearing in the last emitter packet rather then the collector packet)you can make an ace assembly happen in their hands, and while it may not be as strong as the sponge balls, it would certainly come darn close. On another note, I noticed you were from Connecticut. Just wondering what part.
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p.b.jones Inner circle Milford Haven. Pembrokeshire wales U.K. 2642 Posts |
Quote:
The real professional is not a magician’s magician Why? do magicians not deserve to be entertained by magic too. I am a full time pro and work for lay audiences. However, I do not feel that this makes me any more a Real Professional than some one that works mainly for Magicians Quote:
Why are so many magicians bent on showing of sleights and moves to other magicians? Why are they so obsessed with trying to fool each other? What about the audience? For many magicians other magicians are there audience. Why should they then not put there efforts into refining what works for there audience (magicians)? Not everyone that is interested in magic is in it for the same reason. Some just enjoy the practice, the company and friendship. Whilst I think your essay points out several good points for those who wish to be successful lay person performers, I feel that it is rather negative to those who do not fit inside your box of what a magician is. phillip |
Paul Inner circle A good lecturer at your service! 4409 Posts |
Another good posting from Fingerjack.
Phillip said: Quote:
However, I do not feel that this makes me any more a Real Professional than I think it does Phillip, how many are there that earn a living simply performing for magicians? Are there any professional magicians that do that? Re: Quote:
Not everyone that is interested in magic is in it for the same reason some just enjoy the practice, the company and friendship Yes, but there are not professional magicians merely hobbyists, they are professional bankers, carpenters, photographers etc. Re: [quote]some just enjoy the practice [quote]Ha ha. Yes, I'm sure some do. No, I didn't find the original posting negative at all, I'm surprised you did Phillip. Might save some newcomers stop and think and save a bit of money. Though I do hope the quest for the perfect trick doesn't end until after they have visited PH Marketing. Paul Hallas |
p.b.jones Inner circle Milford Haven. Pembrokeshire wales U.K. 2642 Posts |
Hi Paul,
I agree with what you say based on the textbook meaning of professional. However, I interpreted the word Proffesional in this case to mean "Good or worthy" a lot of people would say "oh yes he was very professional" meaning that he did a good performance that they enjoyed. Not that he got paid for what he did. If as you say your interpretation was meant then I apoligise to fingerjack. If my interpretation is more what was implied then I stick with the comments on my last post phillip |
fingerjack Special user CT, USA 574 Posts |
Interesting observations, Phillip. I would like to reiterate that these essays were originally written for the beginner, not for the seasoned pro like I see so many of here at THE MAGIC CAFÉ. I did not mean to post a negative essay, and I’m sorry you took it that way. I’m simply trying to enlighten those who may have faced this problem.
Of course magicians have the right to be fooled and entertained. I can’t say that I know of any magician (besides the elite names) that is hired to entertain only magicians, but such a person has his or her work cut out for them. My observation was solely based on from I’ve seen and heard in the shop and at magic conventions in respect to magicians trying to fool each other. Of course it’s fun when magicians congregate and they are going to try to fool each other, but I can honestly say that I know performers who put MORE thought into trying to fool his fellow conjurer than into entertaining a lay audience. This, in my opinion, is simply a reverse in logic. Nothing wrong with that, of course, just my opinion. The likes of Daryl and Lennart Green may enjoy fooling magicians because of their exceptional skill. I’m not that good. I prefer to concentrate on fooling the layperson. That’s all I meant. Thanks to all for your comments and feedback. I appreciate and value your opinions here Oh, Matt, I’m from SE CT, but spend most of my time around Old Saybrook, where I work.
MAGNAPALM - The World's first psionic magnetic implants that is changing the future of magic http://youtu.be/EDmg2bp_Cas
WASHED AND DRYED - An squeaky clean incredible full deck transformation! http://fingerjack.wix.com/washedanddryed |
Dave Le Fevre Inner circle UK 1666 Posts |
Thanks for your two very insightful posts, Corey, this one and the Svengali Deck post.
From now on, I shall certainly be on the lookout for any posts by you. Some people enjoy fooling magicians. Other enjoy fooling laymen. I personally enjoy entertaining laymen, or at least trying to do so. I think that's an important distinction. Conjurors are fooled by conjuring, laymen are (hopefully) entertained by conjuring. To conjurors on the receiving end, it's often solely an academic exercise. Thanks again for posting those articles, Dave
The Ozzy Osbourne of the 34x27
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Platt Inner circle New York 2011 Posts |
Very nice essay.
I've gone through all the motions and think most others have too. Magic stores must thrive on those on a quest for the "perfect trick." I have to say this phenomenon is not unique to magic. As a drummer, for many years I gobbled up instructional drum videos searching for that perfect lick, trick or move that would make me the envy of all. Just when you think you found it and the world will never be the same, you haven't. And even if you did pluck a cool lick off a tape, nobody cares! But magic takes that mentality and puts it on speed. We all love to be fooled. When we learn a back palm, it doesn't fool us and there must be a better method. And it goes on and on. Yet the entire time, our spectators couldn't care less about the method because(if you perform it well) they're blind to it anyway. With that said, I believe there are the few and far between gems that are in a league of their own- The "perfect effect" league. Only due to the above commentary, they of course are no longer perfect. I read somewhere(I believe from an inventor) that everybody is always disappointed with the latest floating gimmick. I think the following sums up our quest: "People buy the latest, hottest floating effect, thinking this time...maybe...just maybe... the gimmick will really make the match float."
Sugar Rush is here! Freakishly visual magic. http://www.plattmagic.com
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fingerjack Special user CT, USA 574 Posts |
Great analogy! I was the same way with guitar. I suppose it's like that with many professions, not to mention life in general. I also love that floating match quote. Very funny.
Thanks for the great feedback. everybody, I appreciate it.
MAGNAPALM - The World's first psionic magnetic implants that is changing the future of magic http://youtu.be/EDmg2bp_Cas
WASHED AND DRYED - An squeaky clean incredible full deck transformation! http://fingerjack.wix.com/washedanddryed |
thelastdoctor New user Dayton Ohio/USA 70 Posts |
Another excellent post from fingerjack. Thanks.
I would suggest that all Magicians learn to tell stories. Stories that have nothing to do with Magic. Learn what grabs an audience and keeps them on every word. What makes a singer hold the audience? What is IT? What's the quote from the great Sage Willy Wonka? "We are the dream makers....and we are the dreamers of the dreams. -- Willy Wonka" fingerjack is right, the magic is YOU that of course includes the audience. Just my two cents... Thanks again fingerjack. Keep on dreaming. The Last Doctor ?who? :stout:
The Last Doctor
?who?:stout: I’m always looking for the perfect pint or sugar free Jelly Babies... |
Matt Graves Special user Huntsville, Alabama (USA) 504 Posts |
Very good essay. I hope I can get my little brother to read the part about the "perfect trick" - he is always searching for it, and he ignores the books I gave him and the props he already has, lots of times. The part about personality really hit me in the gut. It's something I've been thinking about for a long time. The truth is that I'm sort of a backward, shy type , suspicious of people . . . and I really don't know how to take it when people are nice to me. The few times that I actually perform what I've been practicing for family or friends, my hands get so sweaty and shaky . . .many times the cards and/or coins will stick to my hands or I'll nearly drop them. I give new meaning to the term "stage fright". I'm the type of guy who gets nervous saying "hi" to someone in the hallway at school . . .
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ColinB Regular user 129 Posts |
An excellent essay, FJ.
It made me think of David Blaine, doing store-bought gaffed tricks on TV yet still achieving top-of-the-heap status in the public eye simply because he found the right way (for the right time) to present them. |
Alan Wheeler Inner circle Posting since 2002 with 2038 Posts |
I believe David Berglas listed the importance of the elements of magic performance in this order: Personality, Presense, Presentation, Method.
The views and comments expressed on this post may be mere speculation and are not necessarily the opinions, values, or beliefs of Alan Wheeler.
A BLENDED PATH Christian Reflections on Tarot Word Crimes Technology and Faith........Bad Religion |
Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
Quote:
they should remember you not your tricks... Actually, it would be best if they remembered both 'you' and 'your tricks' connecting the two in a fashion similar to a 'peg' in memory systems. Then when they see either that routine, something similar or something just magically good they will...hopefully...remember 'you'. Like having a first love that all others are matched against, 'you' become the measure for folks of what is a 'good' magician or magical entertainer. The problem with the 'perfect' trick is that it doesn't exist except as a point in time in which any particular trick or routine is found wonderful by an audience. Best,
Brad Burt
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Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-01-16 21:08, Brad Burt wrote: Perfect. |
Pakar Ilusi Inner circle 5777 Posts |
Good thoughts here...
But, a question... Why didn't anyone tell me this 20 years ago? Ok... Now that I got that off of my chest... This quote helped me a lot... Quote:
Magic is not about doing tricks, it's about entertaining people... Don't know who said it though...
"Dreams aren't a matter of Chance but a matter of Choice." -DC-
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Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
The more you blow their minds apart, the greater a magician they will proclaim you to be...
There are a lot of ways of entertaining people, but to do it with magic means blowing their minds. |
tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
So the perfect trick would be a magic mushroom. Treat them like mushrooms; Feed them on BS and keep them in the dark.
:)
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
BarryFernelius Inner circle Still learning, even though I've made 2537 Posts |
At one time in my development as a performer, I searched endlessly for the perfect trick. This was like trying to climb a greased pole. Finally, I concluded that perfect tricks don't exist. Not surprisingly, I haven't found any perfect people either.
These days, I'm focusing on using my skill and personality to create the best performances of magic that I possibly can. I'm trying to become as close to a perfect magician as I can be. I'll never attain perfection, but it's much more satisfying than climbing a greased pole.
"To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time."
-Leonard Bernstein |
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