|
|
TheMetalMagician New user 87 Posts |
Forumites,
Conventional wisdom is to practice a trick in front of a mirror until you "have it down pat" and can do it in your sleep, THEN go out and start performing it for spectators. Is there value in performing for spectators even if you only have it, say, 90% down pat just to get experience and practice performing for spectators (especially strangers) in general? Hope the question made sense. |
Signet Loyal user 257 Posts |
In Patrick Page's book,"Magic Page by Page", he says you need to perform a trick 100 times, before you know it well enough for the audience. Some of these 100 have to be for people, instead of a mirror. I usually do it for people I run into during the course of the day. Sometimes I mess up, but this is part of the learning process. There are always things that can go wrong, that you didn't figure on. You also learn how to recover from these. Just make sure you have it down with the mirror, before showing anyone. One thing you don't want to do is expose the secret due to lack of practice.
|
TheMetalMagician New user 87 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 27, 2019, Signet wrote: This is about 90% of the reason I asked the question. Funny example: Yesterday I was in a long, slow line at Six Flags. In front of me was a mother with her 2 daughters. One was about 3 feet tall and looked 5, the other looked 12. I decided to do some tricks for them to get some practice and pass the time. One of the tricks I did involved doing a double-lift and then losing the "top" card in the deck. The 5-year-old was so small she was actually BELOW my hands, and when I took the top card off she looked UP at the card and said, "Hey, that's not the same card!" On one hand, I agree 100% about not exposing the secret, but on the other hand, that's an example of a mistake I'd never make in front of a mirror no matter how much I rehearsed. Is occasionally exposing a secret like that just "collateral damage" so to speak? |
spatrick Special user Tom Sawyer let me whitewash these 517 Posts |
This is also one of the reasons that magic clubs exist. You can practice a routine in front of an audience of magicians who can give you constructive critisim, and props. You can also flub up in front of them before you flub up in front of real people. Kinda like a safety net.
I belong to three different clubs and get to practice my routines (after allot of in home practice) allot! S. Patrick |
todsky Inner circle www.magicstore.ca 2354 Posts |
I often test out new tricks in front of my birthday show audiences, and these tricks are usually not perfected simply because I have to do them for real people to perfect them. Yes, there will be the odd exposure happening, but even then it usually flys by without notice.
Todsky's Magic Shop: over 15,000 tricks, books, DVD s and Card decks. www.magicstore.ca
|
Mindpro Eternal Order 10587 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 28, 2019, spatrick wrote: Great siggestion! |
HofzinsersFan New user Scotland 81 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 28, 2019, spatrick wrote: I haven't really had the problem yet, that is accidentally revealing something to someone when out somewhere and deciding to show an effect- but itnwas happened with closfriends and fsmily(that harshest of audiences!) But I am thinking I really should join a local club. There's one not too far from me here. Truth is I felt more screen to join one than to actually stand with a group in the pub showing effects I can do with my eyes shut... My Handling of Dr Daleys, Vernons Twisting the Aces, that sort of thing... but the thought, for me, of standing in front of fellow magicians who KNOW what you are doing already seemed to me like the most critical audience ever. But reading this thread has ooened my eyes to the value of it and I am kind of looking forward to It now! Thanks for posting, you've helped me. . . What do you mean you don't read? . You need to read FITZKEE - Dick Oslund, 2019. |
kcmagic1 New user 78 Posts |
Let me start by saying that I believe that there are two parts to learning a trick. There are the moves or mechanics and there is the presentation. Typically, I practice and learn all of the mechanics prior to performing it in front of people. Once I have the mechanics, then I go in front of an audience and I do the trick. I don't really write a routine until I am in front of live people. Every time I do the trick, I change up the presentation and see what gets the best reaction. After doing that about 20-30 times, I have a solid routine that, in essence, was written by the audience reactions. Local magic clubs are a great way to work out moves for the trick and make sure that you have the mechanics down but I find that figuring out what to say or how to present the trick, that is the most important part! After all, other magicians don't pay your bills, lay people do!
Designer of the 1000-G cups - the most durable cups in magic www.kristiancharles.com/1000-g
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » New to magic? » » Practice to perfection BEFORE with spectators? (1 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 < |