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magicmind Inner circle My fence has 20, 3218 Posts |
At some point during restaurant / strolling magic years ago, I wondered why I worked so hard to learn the latest things (moves) and only too fool them (the specs). I began thinking about why people do the things they do hen seeing a trick. I wondered how to change that. I began to purposely tweak slight things, since my standard effects where done with motor skill and with brain on cruise control. I noticed some remarkable things.
A few years after college, I was no longer performing, but reading anything I could find on linguistics, body language, and mentalism. I figured out that my magic was fun, but I wanted to know why. I wanted to understand my specs. My library became less about magic and more about people/mentalism. Is it just me, or do all "mentalist" (in quotes b/c I am not one, since I do not perform at this time) have this interest, hence the choice of mentalism over/including magic? Why choose mentalism? Discuss away please..... would love to hear from YOU on this thread. YES, you..the one reading and not sure if you should post. |
Virungan Inner circle Here and There 1156 Posts |
I think that certainly mentalism by it's very nature provokes these kind of thoughts, mainly because, as you said you are never working on cruise control and using nothing but motor skills. (Well, I'd hope not!)
But it's certainly an interesting fact that reactions to mentalism experiences vary widely, and sometimes the slightest tweaking of effects make a radical and noticeable difference. I've enjoyed playing around with this, and find that while a good knowledge of psychology helps, a well honed ability to read people is valuable. There is such a reactive variance between people- moments that floor some people are lost on others. If you spend a bit of time in conversation with a group before you start, I often find myself guaging people and how they are likely to react and compiling mental notes of what I feel will best work with whom- and the more I do this, the better success I find in eliciting and managing reactions. Of course sometimes you still get surprized, but that's what makes it s much fun. Certainly I'd recommend grabbing a copy of Darwin Oritz book on the subject, Designing Miracles, which is a cracking good read..
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth...
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AJX New user 65 Posts |
Nice topic. But what did you tweak, for example ?
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magicmind Inner circle My fence has 20, 3218 Posts |
I tweaked patter and movements.
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AJX New user 65 Posts |
Yes, I understood that. But could you give an example of one which worked especially well ? I mean a tweak that you kept because it was so good.
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magicmind Inner circle My fence has 20, 3218 Posts |
I did not "keep" anything specifically. I played with reactions and minds. I did this, not to make magic better (necessarily) but to study the reaction. things like putting cards on table before reveal, or in the hands of spec. Executing a slight on the offbeat with or w/o patter. Eye contact, working within the "frame" and outside the "frame"...staging if you will (although close-up)
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John C Eternal Order I THINK therefore I wrote 12943 Posts |
I'll say this. You find out very quickly what performing is really about when you get to a 2 hour walkaround magic gig and find out that you forgot your case.
I did this last year and paniced. I found a few items in my jacket from a previous gig and I bought some stuff from the hotel gift shop. The playing cards in a hotel gift shop are not the best quality BTW. I did the gig and talked a lot. Did some stuff on napkins and wrote some stuff down. Really, stretched the routines out more. Butmade me realize how important it is to KNOW people. To be able to be in there presence without feeling awkward. If you can't walk up to a complete stranger and strike up a conversation then you will IMO have a hard(er) time performing. But yes, magic/performing isn't about props etc. It's about understanding yourself and what impact you have on other people. It's about the way you interact and inludence and persuade people. Your ability to do that in an engaging way is what will determine your success. We're all looking for the "perfect" props and trick that will make it easier to be a performer. It's not just in magic that this is the case. I used to do a lot of programming. Programmers are always looking for big shiny text editor environements to create program code that will make them the next Bill Gates. But it's not about better tools it's about what you can do. Real programmers, I mean the good ones, aren't preoccupied with shiny coding enviroments they use Notepad. They don't get distracted with the "tools" They don't spend their time searhing for new and better "tools" they buckle down and just do the work. Ok, enough on that. Where can I get a real good trick that is easy to do and will make ME a star? John |
cloud Loyal user Lincolnshire, England 206 Posts |
I recently changed the way I perform an effect.
The old way was that I would offer a spectator a pack of ESP cards, he/she was to choose any symbol (free choice, unseen by me). I would then (secretly discover the chosen symbol and) deliver a short 'reading'. I would base my 'reading' on the chosen symbol and try to make a connection to the character of the spec. Regardless of how accurate my reading was, I was assured of a hit as I finished off by revealing/divining the symbol they had chosen. The new way I now go is to give the reading BEFORE I know what symbol they have chosen. In my mind I take a guese at what symbol they have selected. Just before I finish my reading I use my secret method to see what they have actually chosen. A safety net if you will, and finish with the revelation. I realise that in part I'm still 'cheating', but it seems more real to me, and I'm sure it does to those whome I perform for. cloud. |
Virungan Inner circle Here and There 1156 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-03-28 12:15, johncesta wrote: Very very true John, many people underestimate the importance of really talking to people- and this is something that you can practice anytime anywhere. Nothing makes a performance worse than someone who struggles to get messages across, makes no connection to their aud, or talks TO them rather than WITH them... Know how to tell a good story and you're halfway there
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth...
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Virungan Inner circle Here and There 1156 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-03-28 12:15, johncesta wrote: :lol: Too funny...
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth...
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Sleeveless New user 89 Posts |
I found this out years ago when I was hired to perform walkaround for three hours for a party of fifty. I've always enjoyed talkin with folks and getting to know them. So, I did just that and spiced up my end of the conversation with some magic. I remember at one point a woman came up to the group I was entertaining and asked, "Is he showing you some magic?" Another woman in the group replied, "No, we're talking about chocolate cake recipes." Performing is really all about your audience. Anyone who says they have never had a bad show surely isn't listening to the audience. Sometimes one realy has to work at getting through to an audience. At other times it's a piece of cake.
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magicmind Inner circle My fence has 20, 3218 Posts |
Wow, thanks for the responses. We seem to be now talking about relating to people with verbal communication (realting to people) and small talk. Maybe my post was not very clear. Can you guys please elaborate on not relating to people, but why the interest in unspoken communication and how it effects your performance. Why choose mentalism?
Great responses here! Thanks again Best- |
AJX New user 65 Posts |
Again I don't really understand the question here.
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magicmind Inner circle My fence has 20, 3218 Posts |
A lot of performing is not was is happening via talk most of the time. It is reaction based on body language, the way things are worded, and building on that. I found that using these things when I used to perform magic, lead me into mentalism. Is this why most people get into mentalism?
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magicmind Inner circle My fence has 20, 3218 Posts |
Anyone else?
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