I have a few tips for practicing. I personally avoid the mirror. It provides a bad angle and it's too hard to focus on doing the trick and seeing how it looks.

I usually get a person I can trust to watch and then tell me how it looks. You can also tape yourself doing the trick to see how it looks. This is a tedious job, but it's one of the best so you can self-critique and immediately know what to fix. So how do you guys practice and do you have any tips?

There are many threads already existing on this topic. I suggest you do a little search, you will find some great answers.

I do the whole mirror thing by the way...

I videotape myself. Not only does the camera not lie but you can go back and look at certain effects you might have forgotten about.

I generally practice just by doing magic for fellow employees or passengers at the airport where I work. Just don't tell my boss.

I usually practice in front of a mirror or my family. I also use the neighborhood kids to practice as well.

For me, yeah I use a mirror to practice. Or sometimes I use my trusted friend or confidant to review my tricks...

I use a camcorder. Thought I was doing pretty good till I taped it and looked at it.
Film does not lie!!

I use a close-up mirror. This mirror is actually three mirrors connected together. Practicing with this kind of mirror setup allows you to check all your angles.

I practice sleights on commuter trains and subways. Most everyone is asleep or not paying attention. I just keep repeating every day. Works for me, although I have to do the patter in my head to avoid really annoying people.

I videotape my self. I also show someone that will not tell the trick and I use a mirror.

Video taping is great because you get to evaluate yourself as an audience, as opposed to the mirror which is always good to use, where you perform and watch at the same time. The best thing for me is having a magic buddy. I also love mental rehearsals. I go through a mental script which involves my patter, my sleights and subtleties and also possible ad libs when problems arise.

Peace,

Rannie

Camcorder.

I also use the close up and large mirror.

I know some professionals who practice during their show proper.

I use a large mirror and then when I get the routine down I videotape it.

Bob Sheets gave a lecture at the Castle the other week and mentioned that performing in front of a mirror can have an adverse affect on yourself.

He wouldn't name the person but said that 'ticks' can develop because of the way you check yourself out and possibly through things like 'muscle memory' and stuff you start moving in certain ways which harken back to trying to 'see yourself' and angles and such in the mirror.

Video cameras are cheap today. You don't need a fancy one.

I use the three mirrors to catch the angle. I have thought about the camcorder but have not gotten around to it.


Later <><

Webcams can be had pretty cheaply these days, $20 or so, and are good for watching yourself from multiple angles (move the camera, try it again). The frame rate is a little slow on them, though, meaning any tricks involving fast motions (like a snap change) may look better on a webcam than they do in reality.

Me, I practice for a mirror.

I tend to break the trick/routine into sections and pull out the things I feel are the important points. These can be sleights or misdirection and focus on those and build the rest of the trick and patter around them. To practice a trick you have to understand the trick from the inside out and how it all fits together. I constantly play with the patter. I have a script and then add or delete bits as the whole thing comes together. Once I'm pretty confident with it I will videotape myself, I tend to avoid mirrors and then perform to a few close friends. It may seem a bit long winded but you do learn if the effect you are trying to learn is for you and will suit your style. Hope it helps.

If I could afford it, I'd take the best of both worlds and use 3 camcorders at slightly different angles ! For now, 1 of each will have to do.