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The Great Smartini Inner circle 2280 Posts |
Look for a trick that has some versatility...when I say this I mean can the trick be used/presented in a number of ways for different shows...this gives it more worth to me because I don't need as many effects in my repetoire and in my magic inventory....remember wife!...also, the effect must be entertaining and when I say this I mean that lay people like it...be careful that an effect isn't something that's just a cool method...surprisingly, many of the commercial effects aren't the one's we expect...experience will give you some help here...you should also start with the show/need first and the trick fills the need...tricks presented in isolation end up in the magic drawer/shelf because you have no context to perform them....several people have already talked about uniqueness and this is important...you can't be the next criss angel/blaine etc. but you can be the next YOU...this applies to presentation as well as trick selection...i like what eugene burger has to say about seeing things that are on tv or popular...stay away from them...another consideration is to try and improve on the texture of your show...this is different than just doing tricks of a different type ie. transformation, card revelation and so on but gets into the theatre of the effects that you're doing...think emotions here and think about setting a theatrical tone with each of the effects/routines that you do...final comment is to spend the money, if necessary, and only after taking lots of time to consider the effect and how you will use it...so many unwanted effects that just didn't work...do your research on the Café and other sites, magazines, colleagues and so on...you can also save yourself some money by buying second hand...many people will buy things and then not use them or need to sell...be careful about who you buy from so you don't get ripped off...use paypal to protect yourself...put a wanted post on the effects thread or just be patient and watch for the item that you want to become available...if it never does or doesn't come at a significant reduction then buy it new so you know for sure that you won't get ripped off....lots of rambling but hopefully something that is useful for you
smartini ps. final thought from a eugene burger lecture...(burger speaking)"We are all literally drowning in magic. The last thing that most magicians need is another trick." Consider taking your money and spending it on a book on presentation or attending a masters magic class or private lessons if you have the opportunity. Doing this will improve your magic act way more than any new effect. |
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sethb Inner circle The Jersey Shore 2719 Posts |
One more thought . . . in order to choose effects intelligently, you need to know what's out there, and what the full range of magic is. Looking at dealer's ads or catalogs is helpful, but it's sort of a shotgun approach.
It might be more useful to invest in a good set of books, such as the 7-volume Tarbell Course in Magic. Tarbell covers all the classics, from close up to illusions, plus all the sleights, routines and articles on presentation, comedy, misdirection, etc. you could ever want. At $25 a book, it's less than the price of many tricks, but each book contains hundreds of effects that you can use. It's also a classic reference work that you will come back to again and again. Tarbell is available at most magic shops; see http://themagicwarehouse.com/tarbell.html#bk8095 for more information. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC |
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Foucault Elite user New Jersey, USA 424 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-08-18 14:14, The Great Smartini wrote: Could you give me an example of this? Quote:
On 2005-08-18 14:14, The Great Smartini wrote: Sounds like great advice. That's why I'm a little reluctant to follow the path that Seth suggests, that is buying a complete set of Tarbells, since I have access to many many tricks - which is what my original problem was! |
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pasharabbit New user 73 Posts |
I thank Annabelle for the link to Burger's interview. I am sort of in the don't know beginner stage. I see that choosing the type of effects that I would like to do is very sound advice from a master teacher and magician. Looking at my books and ads as a catalog of effects is very interesting advice. Everyone's input has been very useful to me. I don't agree with everything but they are all beacons in the fog.
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jnrussell Loyal user Michigan 207 Posts |
We've all bought way too many new tricks that looked very cool when demo'd only to get them home and say, "I can't use this in my act".
When I'm trying to select something new to add, I first ask myself, "will this fit?" and "where will this fit?". Second, "can I routine this somehow?". Third, "what will this effect bring to my act that I'm currently lacking?" Once I've got it, and added it into my mix, I pay very close to audience reaction (I'm always monitoring that anyway, but particularly when I have something new). I had what I thought was a brilliant routine using multiplying golf balls and cups & balls. I practiced hard, wrote original patter, and unveiled it only to watch it fall like a lead balloon. Snoozer to the audience. |
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