|
|
scooter magic New user Fredricksburg, VA 73 Posts |
I've looked around the Café` and I can't seem to find a straight answer to what an Impromptu effect is (in general) I know this is most likely not a straight answer question but I'm hoping you all can make it a little less confusing.
Thanks, Ashley
Ashley Taggert
moving up in the world of magic |
CdnAndrew New user 80 Posts |
Impromptu means, "without preparation or advance thought" (according to Websters New World College Dictionary)
Impromptu magic requires no previous set ups, extra gimmicks etc. Basically, you can just.. "do it" (assuming you have the knowledge and skills). For example, magic with a borrowed deck of cards, effects with coins, elastics you find in a drawer, etc. As long as it doesn't require any setup, it's considered to be impromptu. I hope that helped! |
eddieloughran Special user 942 Posts |
I think it might be fairer to say that it is magic that appears to be performed without preparation and with unprepared props.
Really we have to know the trick we are going to perform, and there is nothing to stop us planting gimicks beforehand. |
Noel M Loyal user San Rafael. CA 208 Posts |
Impromptu can simply mean that you are called to perform something at an unplanned time. If you carry a packet trick such as Color Monte you could perform it at the spur of the moment. Sometimes dealers advertise that an item is a good impromptu trick. That means it's easy to carry and has little ot no preparation.
As mention above impromptu magic is often best done with common, unprepared objects found in daily life. |
Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
In the strictest sense, an 'Impromptu' magic effect IS as is mentioned above, "Any magic routine that can be done with props borrowed and ungimmicked and without any advance preparation to said props." Impromptu, means 'done on the moment.'
A TT is NOT an impromptu magic gimmick. Scotch and Soda is NOT an Impromptu effect. The best Impromptu magic effect I have seen in 36 years in the business is the Quarter in Soda Can that has just been released. Chriss Angel did it on one special and is on the DVD. http://www.nexternal.com/bburt/Product500 For those unfamiliar with this truly remarkable routine all I can say is that it is in every possible a virtually perfect piece of magic. One of the things that originally pushed me toward sleight-of-hand was my desire to be able to DO magic anywhere and anytime. Toss me a deck of cards and four quarters and two pennies, along with a shoe lace and a borrow ring and I can do a nice 20 minutes of professional magic. Most any living area is a treasure chest of things to do magic with. Best,
Brad Burt
|
Jaz Inner circle NJ, U.S. 6111 Posts |
So far I agree with all of the opinions above.
Truly, you will have to decide what impromptu is yourself as these folks have done. Can the 'little or no preparation' part of the definition of Impromptu really be applied to magic? Not in my opinion. You need to prepare by practicing technique and presentation quite a bit for even the simplest of effects. To me there is the True Impromptu magic where the object used is borrowed or found and no gaffs, or gimmicks are used, just skill. There is Apparent Impromptu. Items, gaffs, and gimmicks may be used but should appear to be common, everyday objects. I honestly don't feel that bringing forth a deck of cards fits the bill but if you can borrow a deck then fine. Overall, my feelings are that if the spectators feel in their mind that you have done a miracle, on the spur of the moment and without preparation then you have. It don't matter if I feel it was impromptu or not. As far as preparation goes, I suggest that you prepare by practicing routines and effects with common, everyday objects as well as the gaffs and gimmicks that appear common or are unseen. |
Noel M Loyal user San Rafael. CA 208 Posts |
I was referring to preparation of set up. I agree that one should be prepared to prerent the effect well.
When I was a teenager a magician told be that to a professional you needed to be able to perform with what ever is around you at any given time. |
Bob Johnston Inner circle Philadelphia, PA 1251 Posts |
Another way to look at it, it would be anything that LOOKS impromptu to the audience.
I, for example, always carry Thumb Writer, Pen Through Anything, and a mismade bill in a TT in my pocket. From the spectator’s point of view, it is impromptu. It seems to me that some people put too scholarly and too fine a point on the word “impromptu.” Bob |
Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
All Jaz and Wellington have said is that 'Impromptu' can have no meaning when it relates to magic. If the audience is to decide what is and what is not Impromptu then the word has no meaning in a magical context. That's fine. If your definition of the word excises the meaning from the word, well, o.k.aaaaaaaa.
But, the definition of 'Impromptu' in or out of magic is something that can or does happen on the spur of the moment with little or no preparation. Heck, just look it up. If you HAVE to have a TT to do 'X' effect then it's not Impromptu whether the audience thinks it so or not. The audience may come to the conclusion that a particular performer is a bank robber, because he used patter with a bank robber theme, but that doesn't make it true. This isn't mere niggling about terms. In this case the term properly applied allows one to properly catagorize a trick and do so for a host of reasons. If you borrow a deck of cards or one is tossed your way and you take a brief moment to set the deck up in some manner this is still an Impromptu routine, because it is not dependant upon someone tossing you a Stripper or Svengali deck. The problem may be this: You have magic effects that ARE totally Impromptu, but you also have performing situations that can be impromptu. In other words, you can be walking around doing your daily routine all set up with a Card in Wallet Wallet that is also filled with 2-3 bill tricks. You have your half dollars and your TT and man you are READY! You may or may not have some tricks on you that could in fact be done Impromptu...let's say you borrow four quarters and do Harris's PDQ Coins Across instead of using your own Half Dollars. But, you are set for more than a mere Impromptu magic peformance. But, that can be exactly what happens. In other words the show you do may not be made up of Impromptu magic in any sense of the word whether it appears so to the audience of not, but the SHOW itself is indeed impromptu in that you had no idea that you would be doing said show. Again, this is not mere niggling about tiny points of magic law. The kind and type of prep, the kind and types of tricks and routines, the reason you are set do a small anywhere anytime show and HOW YOU COME ABOUT DOING IT will vary from what you are ready to do in a set performance to which you are contracted. You may do some of the same routines, but certinly and hopefully not your full show. Why? Because that's your product man! You don't give it away for free. Any Impromptu show you do, assuming that you are a working pro or semi pro should always be looked at as part of your promotion. You want to wow them, but no one does their best stuff just fooling around for folks. You do some great material and then hopefully get booked to do the whole enchilada. Impromptu is both a style of trick and a performing situation. I know many, many magicians that only do Impromptu performances, but NOT ONE Impromptu trick in those performances. I have also known some peformers that could do an hour long show of killer material made solely of stuff borrowed from the venue in which they perform. Best,
Brad Burt
|
CdnAndrew New user 80 Posts |
Thanks Brad, that was the point I was trying to make (although I didn't do nearly as good a job as you just did!)
"prior knowledge" of moves, sleights and performance are not part of the definition.. in that, it's assumed you have that knowledge, at the very least. Crazyman's handcuffs would be an impromptu effect. You can just pick up two elastics (that fit the requirements, obviously) and perform the effect... since you know 'how', and ideally have a presentation. Thanks again Brad for your clear and easy-to-master post! =) |
jayhoward New user 59 Posts |
As most people don't walk around with or have a permanent Sharpie marker on them, would Brad still consider "Quarter Thru the Soda Can" impromptu?
Jay |
abc Inner circle South African in Taiwan 1081 Posts |
In my opinion there are two types of Impromptu in magic.
Impromptu in appearance and Impromptu in execution. I do not think that there is any trick with a deck of cards that would be considered impromptu if performed by a magician yet in execution it is very possible to be impromptu. On the other hand you can borrow a dollar bill and make it levitate. The appearance is entirely impromptu but the execution not. But considering how I feel when I read that an effect is impromptu I want to know that it requires nothing from me other than something I can borrow that is around us all the time. This could be cups and balls with plastic cups and balls made from newspaper or the quarter thru soda can since you can certainly find something to mark the quarter other than a sharpie. Having to carry a TT or a coin bite gimmick may appear impromptu but in my book I do not consider them to be. |
Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
To JayHoward: Sure. There are many ways to mark something without a Sharpie. Sharpies are used only for their utility and that they leave a clear mark. Nails, pins, crayons, another coin, bit of rock, etc. I have NEVER not found something to leave a mark on card, coin, et al, if it was really necessary to the execution of the routine.
To ABC: Any trick with a deck of cards that can be borrowed is by definition Impromptu in nature. The biggest secret is to simply not mix the nature of the method with the nature of the type of performance. David Copperfield books a series of shows. You buy a ticket and show up on the night noted on the ticket only to find that instead of doing the BIG tricks that he is famous for Mr. Copperfield has decided to do a show that consists of ONLY magic with borrowed objects from the audience. Is this AN impromptu show? The answer is NO, certinly not. Are the tricks performed Impromptu in nature. The answer is YES, they are, but the nature of the tricks has not mutated in some way the nature of the show. The show is in no possible sense AS A SHOW ... impromptu having been booked in advance, etc. But, the show is made up of items that could in fact be performed anywhere, anytime, etc. and thus the nature of the 'tricks' themselves is that of impromptu. They are Impromptu in type within a show that is not. If you are stopped on the street and asked to do a quick show and you pull out Chinese Sticks, Svengali Deck and 20th Century Silks. You are doing an Impromptu show, but not impromptu tricks. The fact that the tricks are in no manner impromptu in nature does not transform the show into a paid, booked show. Now a confession...I have found this entire discussion extremely stimulating. Mostly because I think that is valuable to have solid definitions of things down and not get one thing mixed with another. I have thought and thought about it which may in fact be a huge waste of time. That said, I can't for the life of me figure out why it's important! If someone wants to call the Zig Zag Illusion an Impromptu trick and that goofy assignation in no way keeps the performer from doing a superlative Zig Zag...well, ok. I keep wanting to say something like, "This discussion is valuable because....." And, that's where I come up completely and comically blank! I can TELL you why it's important to not mix up the catagories of 90 year old grandmother and stocky, dark compected, 20 something middle Eastern terrorist for instance. But, not why I care so much that the Impromptu performing situation and the impromptu nature of a trick matters so much to me!!! Confesssion over. Off to have beer. Best,
Brad Burt
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » New to magic? » » Impromptu? (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.04 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |