Hi:

I'm currently working on a show, and am trying hard not to make it just a series of effects. I'm working on a through-line, something that will allow all the effects that will congeal together nicely. Something that will allow me to connect everything, and will give me nice pacing that will bring the audience from one effect to another.

Just curious what other people do about this. I'm assuming most of you don't use the "here's a trick, here's another trick, okay, here's another trick" approach. Do you use stories? A theme? What holds your show together (besides the regulation duct tape and crazy glue...).

--Jon

A running gag is one possible way to add continuity to your show. One possibility is the Lota Bowl. Another is Trevor Lewis' Clap-O-Meter.

- Donald

Hi Jon:

I think you're on the right track - a storyline or theme seems to be the best way to avoid doing a string of tricks. I'm trying to do the same as you, and have found Brian Flora's audio tape, "How to Routine Entertaining Magic" helpful.

Brian died a few years ago, but I believe his wife still sells all his tapes via the website http://www.floraco.com

Good luck with your routining.

Ron

Can be as complex as a story or theme (Harry Potter effects, the magic of Merlin) or as simple as "Should we have a magic show? Well, what do you think we ought to do, maybe pull a rabbit out of a hat?" (Of course, the hat is not where the rabbit shows up) - ANYTHING other than "Here's a trick - here's another - bye kids!"

Personally I use the "Should we" throughline ... "I think it's time I made a special Billy birthday present, 'cause you guys all brought Billy presents, right?" and "Should we have some games and prizes before we pet the bunny?" I do it that way because trying to overlay some hoked-up kiddie story seems a little "Gee whillikers, kids, I'm going to tell you a story as generic as the last boring $3 bargain-bin kiddie video your grandma bought you!" - but of course that's probably because it's just not in my nature to be able to sell it to the audience, and maybe you can.

Hi,

Notice in this topic how the "hi" at the beggining of each post is on and off.
you don't have to say "HI" when you post but some people do.
The same is with routining. You don't have to have anything in-between two different tricks.
Think of it like a D.J playing track after track without anouncing the next song - just simply intertwining with music.
I have a solid 40 minute show with lots of magic and affects. The first 4 start like this:
* Can every one hear me? Can everyone see me? is every one here? good. Before I begin my show I need to warm up a little (here I perform a quick trick).
* Now that I've warmed up I would like to begin the show but not before I introduce a good friend of mine (here I produce "Dino" the baby dinosaur).
* So I'me warmed up and we've all met Dino, now I'd like to start but not before.... "good evening boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen - my name is Dani the Magician......."
* my first trick is the one where a handkerchief turns into "the crazy ball" (here I perform a multiplying ball routine).
* O.K, we warmed up, we met dino and we went a little crazy with the crazy balls but do you know that you can do magic with all sorts of stuff? like string and rope for instance (here I perform a 2 rope version of proffesors nightmare).
* Now it's true that everyone can do magic, although if we realy want to be magicians we must undergo the test (here I pull out a guilotine and get someone up to take the "test")


I hope you get the gist of where I'm going here. I don;t actualy use the gags in between tricks - I use them during the various routines to make them funnier. In order to go from one routine to the next I simply take them their myself.
Another example is:
* After my 4 ball juggling routine I draw some circles on a board sting that that this is the way I "plan my magic" - I first draw it and then I can know if you"ll like it (here I add some lines and turn the circles into a smiling face). I then rub out the face and draw a hat and a rabbit pops out (axtel special f.x board).

The show goes on...

Enjoy,
Dani the magician - Danis magic