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Socrates Regular user 197 Posts |
Greetings!
Just curious to know how many of you guys and girls out there are improvising when it comes to card work? Over the years I have been experimenting with improvisation, both in script and effects. It keeps things fresh and appeals to my creative side. Obviously I have a bunch of stock effects I can fall back on, but the thing with improvisation is it allows miracle effects to come about. Books that have been useful to this approach: Anything by Harry Lorayne Justin Higham's 'Kosbe System' The David Berglas books. Impro by Keith Johnstone Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. Anyway it'd be good to hear from others out there who approach cards the same way. I look forward to hearing from you. Al... "To succeed, planning alone is insufficient. One must improvise as well" - Isaac Asimov |
lord_wallmotto Loyal user 291 Posts |
Improvise in what way?
The nice thing about working from a script is that is that if you are well rehearsed it will allow you to improvise and respond to the audience without getting lost. Once you are done with that one can safely get back on track without the risk of loosing focus. I do think that improvisation is one of the most misunderstood aspects of performance ever when it comes to magic, comedy and music. Unprepared and improvised is not the same thing. Most great improviser are great improvisers because the structure of their script and their show allows for it. On most tours Bruce Springsteen usually improvises maybe about 30% of his show in front of audiences of 30.000 to 100.000s of people but what allows him to do that is the structure of the show allows for it and if the improvisational parts are not as successful as he hoped for, he has his extremely well rehearsed big numbers to fall back on. However, I do like to improvise when I'm just hanging around friends if I don't feel like going into "performance mode". |
Woz New user 77 Posts |
Good post wallmotto. Sometimes if I feel that a particular effect would be significant to the situation then sure. It's good to bounce off your spectators and react to opportunities.
I think improvising new effects on the spot is a bad idea. At least in my experience. |
Socrates Regular user 197 Posts |
Improvisation is based on experience, like a musician needs a basic knowledge of chords, scales etc. before they can improvise. A card worker must understand card magic and basic effects before being able to improvise.
As you mentioned with your example of Bruce Springsteen. Existing scripts can be seen more as templates and improvised with in order to cater for each new, and different audience we encounter. Effects/tricks can be have multiple opportunities to improvise during performances allowing to be taken in many different directions, rather than using the same formula each time. Kenton Knepper calls it 'Outs On Purpose'... The ACAAN of David Bearglas, along with his other work relies on mulitple outs. JC Wagner's Estimation and Think A cards, Dai Vernon's 'The trick that cannot be explained' are some examples of the kind of things I am referring to. Hope this helps. Al... "Never play a thing the same way twice" - Louis Armstrong |
lord_wallmotto Loyal user 291 Posts |
Quote:
On Feb 1, 2016, Woz wrote: I agree. If you plan ahead and have a clear goal of where you are heading it is quite difficult to get lost. A tight and well structured script which allows for improvisation in between the most essential "stops" on the road towards your goal is ideal in my opinion. I think that this method works well when doing lectures, performing magic or music. |
Socrates Regular user 197 Posts |
We are then referring to more or less the same concept. Here's something from a recent post by Pop Haydn which is relevant and may help:
"Every magic trick is a little play. We should look for the places where an intelligent, well informed person might want to object to a procedure and make sure you can handle what they throw at you - make sure you have strategies and outs so that no matter what they do you are okay" It seems from you initial replies that you assumed I was talking about completely making things up. What I was actually referring to was recognising opportunities to take the effects in different directions, deviate from the norm... improvise, much like a musician does. Al... "We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails" - Dolly Parton |
marc_carrion Special user 639 Posts |
A while back I was in Florida with my six years old boy. He has shown interest in magic (like most boys) so I took him to magic shop. And the guy there was very nice and perform some tricks for him and a couple of other boys that were there. One of the tricks was the fanta-stick (similar to a hot rod). He ask my kid to say a number... my kid seeing the color stick said 'RED' instead of a number, and the magician basically told him, 'No, not a color, a number', I don't remember the exact words. My kid said 5, the magician, counted, and it got to the color... you guessed... RED... and the whole fanta-stick transformed to red color. The effect was nice, kids liked it, and had fun, but I was going crazy... the kid just handed the best possible option... he gave you a color instead of a number, and the color that you needed!!! I don't even call that improv, but magicians need to be aware of the input from spectators and respond based on those inputs and feedback... don't go into a full scripted routine and miss opportunities that would make your effect seem more magical.
My hope is that the young guy thought about it after, and has incorporated that into his 'script' |
fonda57 Inner circle chicago 3078 Posts |
That's why having a rehearsed routine is important, even if it's just for a friend or two. Since you know the routine inside and out, you can get back into at moments where you might be interrupted. And you can make it wound non rehearsed.
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Mike Powers Inner circle Midwest 2983 Posts |
Marc_carrion's comment is about not being so rehearsed that you fail to notice things that take you in a better direction than your scripted journey. For sure, this is extremely important. There should be a part of the brain that's looking on for those opportunities to leave the scripted version and really blow some minds.
A good example is when you accidentally get a peek at a spectator's card. I had this happen when the deck was spread on the table for a selection. You can't get more free than that i.e. no possibility of a force. I had planned to pick up the deck and control the replacement etc but now I could have the spec put the card in and shuffle. My brain immediately went to work on where to go from here. I don't even remember what I had planned, but because of the enhanced sense that I couldn't know or do anything, the final effect was very strong. I forget what it was, but the point is that I went in a new direction based on an unexpected event. We should always be ready for that. Mike
Mike Powers
http://www.mallofmagic.com |
Socrates Regular user 197 Posts |
A couple of links regarding Improvisational magic:
http://www.magicweek.co.uk/magic_reviews......ic_2.htm https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=umlxiIEfZTw These are with reference to Justin Higham and his book. Improvisational magic is a mindset. Mr. Mike Powers has kindly given an example of this approach above. If you guys haven't thought about it before, it's definitely worth investigating. All the best, Al... "Opportunities multiply as they are seized" - Sun Tzu |
terrillific Loyal user San Antonio, TX 292 Posts |
I've been doing improv comedy for the last 20 years. I recommend taking some improv classes. To really learn how to improvise you need to improvise. You won't really learn it reading a book. Once you understand that principles of improv you can can apply to performing your magic. The books recommended all good resources. Check out if there are improv classes offered where you live. I recommend www.comedysportz.com That's where I learned how to do it.
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Prahlad New user 96 Posts |
I tried improvising today and it was fantastic! I think that the chapter from Eric Mead's Tangled Web is a good source for improv card magic. I was inspired by this video and the one that follows it (whether all of the magic was improvised or not):
https://youtu.be/V0MLJ1u0_KE |
Socrates Regular user 197 Posts |
And here's part two of the Juan Tamariz video mentioned above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3YqC93GPHM "You have to practice improvisation, let no one kid you about it!" - Art Tatum |
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
Thank God five years later we have part two.
It is sad just how many magicians misunderstand improvisation. They fall for the gimmick.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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