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tedari New user 23 Posts |
Hi everyone.
I am wishing to start performing parlour type mentalism shows and I wonder how you get started in such a thing. Do I invite a bunch of friends over to my place first of all and then show them all of my tricks? Once I have done this, what is the next step and how do you firgure out how much to charge etc? I have been checking in my city and local area and there doesn't seem to be much a presence for magicians and mentalists and I would love to fill that gap. I just feel massively unprepared and would like to get a few performances under my belt first of all. Thanks, Danny |
jstreiff Special user 701 Posts |
Performing mentalism is not about doing tricks. It is about creating a believable audience experience, and that works best when your audience does not know you well. By contrast, magic is about doing tricks, so your audience's prior knowledge of you is less important.
You probably want to be doing mental magic and not mentalism. If you don't yet appreciate the difference, do mental magic. If you continue to study the art, you will eventually come to understand this advice.
John
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tedari New user 23 Posts |
Thank you. I think you're right but should I just do these tricks while walking around or set it up like a parlour event?
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Scroll back up to jstreiff's comment! Read it again!, Then, one more time. Let it "soak in" for a moment or two.
Magicians perform TRICKS. but, S.H. Sharpe said, many years ago: "Those who think that magic consists of doing tricks, are strangers to magic. Tricks are only the crude residue from which the lifeblood of magic has been drained." Mentalists DON'T perform TRICKS!!! Mentalists, even performers who perform mental magic, need to create mental experiences. Until you can grasp that, I would not advise your attempting "walkaround mental presentations", or, even formal "sit down" performances.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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tedari New user 23 Posts |
Guys. I've read the 39 steps and downloaded th recommended books. Could someone please tell me where to start with actual sully practicing? On my own? With my wife at home? On the street?
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friend2cptsolo Elite user Spent all this time on the Cafe' and all I have to show for it is 445 Posts |
If you have not practiced on your own....then do that. What are you going to say? How are you going to say it?
are you funny? confused? a mind reader? Intro= who you are and what you do and why you do it/ or why you are able to do it Friends and family will work as a good starting out point. But there are hurdles with doing mentalism for friends and family. I am also a big fan of joining a local magic group, a good group should help. I saw another post you had that you go to public speaking groups, yes you should try something there. Pick something simple!!!; before you start into something like a Q&A piece. Pick something that is either self working or nearly self working that you can focus on your performance. You will not have to worry about exposure of the secret and the audience will at the very least have a mystery to think about. The performance, as Dick points out, is what is creating the actual mental experience. that's ABOUT YOU! That is the SECRET to effective magic. But yes at some point, if you want to perform, you must just dive into performing. The "tricks are on me" section is filled with people discussing this same topic, where to go? who to show your effects to? The "words we use section" yes is all about what you say and how you say it The way you dress makes a difference; first impressions, right? |
cosermann Regular user Indiana 144 Posts |
Quote:
On Feb 6, 2017, tedari wrote: All that said, the magician's/mentalist's wife test is not to be undervalued. ;-)
Regards,
Eric |
tedari New user 23 Posts |
Thank you for this in depth direction. I'll check out those areas and build a repertoire.
Quote:
On Feb 6, 2017, friend2cptsolo wrote: |
ThSecret Regular user 147 Posts |
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On Feb 6, 2017, tedari wrote: I think part of it is to simply, as nike puts it, "Just do it". If you are out and see someone sitting by the bus stop bored, or someone to sat down in the middle of the mall to take a break, see if they might be interested in being mystified. It sounds like you are just starting out - exposure and practice.....get all that you can. Eventually someone might see you perform and ask you to do so, or maybe you will find an opening or create one for yourself. The advice above is awesome. Not just about finding people to perform about, but the contextual aspect of it, understanding yourself, really makes all the difference. Banacheck (aka. Steve Shaw) has a some material on mentalism you might want to check out, and is he pretty well up there in the world of mentalism. I'm not sure about the validity of this but, google suggests he (Banacheck) invented the original buried alive stunt......and Penn/Teller's bullet catch, that's pretty darn cool!
"A play does not take place on stage but in the minds of the spectators."
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