Hello everyone,
This comming 29, I will have to do walk around mentalism. It is a big birthday party with 300 guests. No table. Kind of open party. Celebrities are comming too. What it should look like? Gather a few people then do one effect and move on?

I never do this kind of work before. I only have a few experience doing short palour and small table to table work.

Any advices and tips would be appreciate!

Thank you in advance

Best

Are you actually being paid for this gig? Because it's four days away and you are absolutely not prepared.

My advice is to cancel to save face.

However, because I doubt you'll do that, what do you already do very well?

The timing is frightening given what appears to be an utter lack of preparation.

In my opinion, the absolute best reference for close-up mentalism is Bob Cassidy's "Close Up Killers." If you are determined to do this gig, even with little time for preparation, if you cram the information in this package you at least have a chance.

Is it absolutely impossible to ask to have a table set up in the corner so that people can gather around you if they wish? Then you would be able to perform a mix of your parlour effects and your table hopping -and it would be a more powerful arena for your work.

Look at the entertainment value and mystery Luke Jermay creates with a relatively straightforward effect in this clip.
https://vimeo.com/19349761

The key with walkabout is to be organized and go in with the understanding that walkabout is COMPLETELY different from stage work.

You've said there's no table...so you're either going to have to 'claim' a place to perform from or stroll the audience.

If you're going to claim a spot and essentially work there for most of the night, your best bet is to call over an expressive looking female and do effects designed to draw powerful reactions from her. I use my pendulum for this. It's visually arresting and it always sparks curiosity in the eyes of the audience. Also if your volunteer is vocal and expressive it will help you to do what you're REALLY about in the early part of the night: draw a crowd. Once you have a group of five or six people watching it's simply a matter of keeping their attention. More will come. Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd.

You don't say if you have effects designed purely for close up or not. This is important because the close up 'stage' is a completely different proposition from the main stage. You also don't say how long you are booked for. So let me suggest that you make a list of all the potential close-up effects you have mastered for performing in a close-up situation and divide that list into half hour segments. For example in a three hour set, you would divide your effects into six groups. (You won't need more than two or three per 'set' if you are doing the classic strolling entertainment.)

You create sets so that you are always performing 'fresh' material and you don't have to stand there wondering if you have done this effect for this person before. It also allows you NOT to waste valuable time thinking "gee...what should I do next?" Also you won't have to fumble around looking for the next prop or item. Knowing where you're going with close-up and staying focused is critical.

If you're comfortable with col* read*ng, it is a HUGE help in doing strolling. Built it into as many effects as possible because that's what stats the 'buzz' -- people talking about you to other people.

Usually when 'strolling' you'll do a maximum of two effects for each group of people -- especially within a group of 300. So start with something entertaining (like maybe 50:50 Fantasia/FIFTY 50 and move onto something more impressive like a CT.)

Avoid staying with the groups that LOVE you if your intent is to stroll the whole event. This is always a temptation...but you owe it to your host to entertain as many of his people as possible.

Speaking of 'possible': consider having your picture taken as you entertain celebrities. This can give you some outstanding material to put on your website and reference sheets.

Remember that doing close up mentalism is a completely different art than stage work. You need to consider all the sight angles...and the effects you choose need to be more fluid (adaptable to changing situations) than stage work. Also: the effects must be simpler in scope because the close up environment is often noisier...and it's usually much more difficult to get and keep their attention than in a stage show. Complicated effects -- even slightly complicated effects -- usually won't fly in that environment.

Finally: make SURE you have something remarkable prepared for the guest of honor that COULD be performed for the whole group if the situation presents itself. In any case, ensure that you get to them at some point in the night and make them feel special.

Good luck. Hope this is helpful.

David

You posted videos of you doing walk around material a few months ago, this is exactly what you should be doing.
The material was strong and the girls all seemed to enjoy it.

Tony

I agree very strongly with two points raised in this thread:
1) Go with what you know. Your video from before showed good material, well-executed with solid responses from audiences.
2) For future performances, never wait this late to prepare. Prepare early, not for your sake, but for your audience's sake. They are spending their time and money, they deserve material that is tried and tested. They deserve your experience.

That said, the show must go on. Like David said, you don't need a whole lot of material for strolling, you just need to know what material you're doing and when. When I did strolling, just a handful of material completely filled four hours:

- AN
- ODDS
- Sneak Thief
- Relic

I used the Relic maybe two times and the vast majority of my time was spent doing Sneak Thief. So essentially the entire time was successful with three routines using nothing but index cards and pens.

They say in card magic that if you know one f*r*e and 50 reveals, you know 50 tricks.

You seemed to be comfortable with AN from your video. If I were in your shoes I would spend the next four days developing four to five different, but credible looking ways of revealing information you get from AN. Cell phone passcodes, lie detection, contact mind reading (practice for real if it's your presentation anyway), pulse reading, deduction, drawing duplications--anything. Your options really are limitless. Remember, you need to have a process. Even if you are wrong on the information, the process should be interesting enough to be entertaining on its own. In this way you do not need to learn new methods (there's not enough time to sufficiently master new methods), you build from what you know.

If you're new to strolling and aren't sure how to transition from group to group, sometimes it's helpful to playfully ask the current group who you should see next. They'll often excitedly pick targets for you in another group (e.g., "Heather's gotta see this! There she is!"). This helps you flow from group to group. Sometimes you'll even get an icebreaker/introduction as the person from the first group introduces you to next group. It allows you to feel more like a member of an in-group rather than an outsider attempting to awkwardly make conversation.

Anyway, best of luck to you. I'd be interested to hear how it goes.

Keep it simple. People will be drinking, they will not want to follow a convuluted mentalism routine.
Keep it short. Five to ten minutes per routine is ample. You need a quick opener to grab attention. This is super hard with mentalism. If you don't have their attention within the first minute you'll lose them.
Avoid playing cards if you want them to believe you are a mentalist. Cards may have their place on stage for mentalism but close up if you approach a group holding a pack of card they will immediately think magician and you don't have the time to make them think otherwise.
You don't need much material, 2 routines will be plenty. Maybe a couple of extra effects in case amyone asks to see something else.
On stage with mentalsim you can risk a failure, close up you can't, you don't have the time for something else to ensure ending on success so avoid propless etc.
Try to include everyone in the group for your opener, the classic major effect. If anyone is not interested don't try to fight them or force them to join in, let them go. The hardest part of working close up is knowing who to include in your routines, unfortunately knowing only comes from experience.
Always have a back up in case of failure. Say you're doing a drawing dupe and something goes wrong be prepared to do something like a booktest because maybe they are better with words thqn images.
Expect a few a holes, try not to punch them

If you are worried then I agree with setting up a table and those that are interested will be there. It will be akin to you putting your toe in the water.

It's not necessary to get soaked.

good luck,

J

First of all, some really great advice here, particularly from Thiel (GOLD info there man, read every word he said!).

Don't panic, you can do it. It's simply a situation you haven't been before but you have the tools you need to do it. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't cancel it at all. It's a huge opportunity for you, specially if you can take pictures with celebrities as Thiel said. Those are certain to boost your popularity later. All you need is planning, and you do have time to plan.

Go prepared to do both close-up and parlour material, those are the 2 situations you will find there (material fitting in pockets is a win). If you can, check the place before... not only this will bring familiarity with what you're going to face when it's not crowded (which could make it much harder to understand the enviroment), but also will help you plan routes and even use the ambient in your favor (even a pool table can be a great platform for your work).

Do a list of things you can do there. Close-up/parlour, fast-paced/involved. There's nothing like being prepared and one can never be too prepared. I recommend material that you can do a lot of stuff and fit your pockets (billets and cards are my bread and butter and would be more than enough for me to do a full show). A small dictionary could render you a book test and some combos, envelopes also fits pockets and render great stuff.

Think about how to set effects for situations. For example, let's say you have the opportunity to do something for everybody, what would you do? Or, let's say you have to do something to call their attention, what would you do? Figure out situations you might face and how to react to them, that way your only focus will be on presentation. Be prepared for the worst and you will be 100% prepared.

Best of luck!

David Thiel. Always a gentleman. Positive. Encouraging. Always willing to help others. Thank you, David. You bring good energy here.

You should watch the DVD - Dynamic Walkaround by Anthony Owen and Paul Andrews if you can get your hands on a copy. The effects are great but there is more magic than mentalism on the DVD. However, there are great live action performances of them working a room in a walk around cocktail party format with no tables and they go into the theory of that type of gig in the explanations with lots of tips.

How did it go? I would have advised that you should not do it, since you admitted to having no(!) experience in this area, and I am sure you did it anyway...so, how did it go? What did you do?

I to would like to know? Tony seemed to feel like you knew what you were doing and referenced a video? Would you min giving me the link? I'd love to see your work

Why would you advise not to do it?
How else would anyone get experience performing of they didn't do something they have never done before.

Agreed,

Imo, that's true only when your lack of experience can damage the gig. That's the only case you should get experience from non paid presentations before taking the gig. But if you have enough experience on what you should do in a situation you haven't been before, you can definitely do it. For instance, let's say you're going to perform close-up on TV... you have experience in close-up but not on TV... you have no reason not to go and do it. Otherwise, you would never get that experience for real.

David, following you suggestion about Fantasia/FIFTY 50 I googled it as I am interested in ono on ones and find that it is only recommended for advance metalists and not beginners. As I'm a beginner I wonder why.
rich

RichLind,

I think I can answer that. It's meant to experienced mentalists (as written in the official page) because they will get the most of it in terms of mileage.

You can find more about it here: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......c=622376

Hello Eveyone,

Sorry for late reply. I have been thinking about reply this post because I am shame of what happen at the event.
I want to say I appreciate everyone to taking time reply my post and give me nice and warm advices.

Here is how it goes,
I read everyone advices and decided to take what Tony said. Basically, I used something I familiar with.
It was unpaid event. Yes, I have been told not to do this gig but I want to try. It went very wrong.
First of all, I didn't event have a chance to talk to an event producer. They sent a staff to talk to me. Staff put me on a bad spot.
My spot was a foyer in front of a ball room. Nothing wrong about tricks but situation was very wrong.
A foyer area is an area for guests to take a photo and meet friends. Performing there was only disturb them.
They don't event have event host to introduce me. I was trying hard to force myself to perform but I feel so bad for the whole 45 minutes walk around
When the ball room opened, I was told not to perform inside. When nobody there on the foyer, I left(told a staff before).
I think you guys can imagine how wrong it was. Lesson learn.

I usually work with another performer(comedian, not magician) on a paid event who set up the audiences and give me a nice introduction. He is my agent who pick the event for me.
When I went solo I don't know how to deal with a situation, I guess.

What do you think? I embrace any comments.
Again, Thank you you all. What a warm community here

PS. For paul180, here is a link
https://youtu.be/GC6-Mcz3HOY

Thanks for sharing your experience. Sorry it went the way it did. Sounds like a useful experience nonetheless. Write down some post-show notes for yourself to improve your next function, shake it off, and press on. As they say, the master has failed more times than the novice has ever tried. The most successful of us aren't uniquely talented, just persistent.