|
|
|
|||
| Go to page [Previous] 1~2~3 [Next] | ||||||||||
JackScratch Inner circle 2151 Posts 
|
Quote:
On 2007-06-04 18:40, Jaz wrote: I suspect you are correct. I really hope that you are wrong. |
|||||||||
|
Bob Clayton Loyal user 245 Posts
|
Quote:
On 2007-05-29 11:37, Craig Peterson wrote: No guiding principles that I know of. It depends on what you want to communicate, and whether you can more effectively communicate it through non-verbal means. From a recent BusinessWeek article: “Only a small percentage of communication involves actual words: 7%, to be exact. In fact, 55% of communication is visual (body language, eye contact) and 38% is vocal (pitch, speed, volume, tone of voice). The world's best business communicators have strong body language: a commanding presence that reflects confidence, competence, and charisma.” Check out the following link if you have time. Nonverbal dictionary Or better yet, consider signing up for acting classes for an in-depth study on communication techniques and skills. |
|||||||||
Josh Riel Inner circle of hell 1995 Posts
|
I am listening, and I don't necessarily disagree with you Drew. However your sweeping generalizations and pronouncements I find irksome. Shown here:
Quote:
On 2007-06-04 10:42, JackScratch wrote: However, be that as it is. I could not be silent when performing. But my shtick aside, others may choose to do otherwise. It is alright to buck convention. If it ain't gonna work you'll know it. Give silence a try if you think you could do it, It would certainly be a more difficult form of presentation than any I could think of. I would never suggest a person go silent when beginning, if for no other reason than the pure difficulty I see in it. Not because I think it would be evincing a personality disorder.
Magic is doing improbable things with odd items that, under normal circumstances, would be unnessecary and quite often undesirable.
|
|||||||||
|
Bob Clayton Loyal user 245 Posts
|
I saw Teller’s solo act at the Maryland Renaissance Festival years ago, back when it was held in Columbia, Maryland and before he hooked up with Penn Jillette. Had to have been more than 25 years ago, as I am 44 now and I saw him when I was still in high school.
Unlike today, where he has Penn to do the talking, this act was all silent. His act at the festival was that of a street performer and one of his routines was the needle and thread. The other routines I no longer recall. I do remember him being surround by a large crowd and my friends and I were very impressed. Wish I could tell you more but it was too long ago. |
|||||||||
|
JackScratch Inner circle 2151 Posts
|
Quote:
On 2007-06-07 18:42, Josh Riel wrote: Please stop applying emotion to my text. If I didn't write it, then it's not there. If you disagree with what I have to say, then feel free to make your debate. To be fair, I treat everyone exactly the same way I'm asking you to treat me. |
|||||||||
|
Josh Riel Inner circle of hell 1995 Posts
|
What in the world are you talking about?
Did I misquote you by quoting you correctly? Bye Drew, till next time.
Magic is doing improbable things with odd items that, under normal circumstances, would be unnessecary and quite often undesirable.
|
|||||||||
dpe666 Inner circle 2895 Posts
|
I think that many magicians would benefit greatly by remaining silent during their acts.
 |
|||||||||
Adam Milestone Regular user 189 Posts
|
Dpe666 I 2nd that! watch some other magi perform and you'll notice that they may start off by saying a few words, but once the illusion commences the routine is performed silently to music. This of course is better suite to stage/parlour rather than close up. As has been mentioned close up almost always requires some talking, so it would be unadvisable to do a whole set silently. Find a balance between silent and verbal communication within your act and your routines and don't be afraid to try something new and see what comes of it; you may be pleasantly surprised
|
|||||||||
Prof. Alexander New user 68 Posts
|
Whether you use words or stay silent and use movement your still communicating. In other words even if you are not using words you are still saying something! We are always communicating something to those around us - always!
So think about what it is you are trying to communicate. Rather than think of words and sentences try thinking about atmosphere and emotion. How do you want people to feel about a particular effect? Do you want them to find it funny? Or do you want them to find it mystical? Try and find an adjective that sums up the effect on them you want to achieve. The other thing to consider is your character. Is your character a funny character or a serious character is the character smooth and charming or bumbling, or whatever? A trick is a trick....the magic resides in you, what you do or say creates the magic. I really think you would gain a great deal by taking some acting or mime classes. I hope this is helpful. Prof. Alexander
I met this chap at the Olympics. I said to him, "Excuse me but are you a pole vaulter?" he replied "No, I'm German, but how did you know my name was Walter?"
|
|||||||||
|
ChristopherM Special user UK 844 Posts
|
This thread just reminded me of Marc Oberon's close-up act which won last year's International Convention ('Ron MacMillan's Day') in London. He mixed both pieces to music and some spoken routines. For instance, the Zimmermann Dancing Ring/Rope was performed to music, which really aided the dance-like feel, naturally; in contrast, the any named card in wallet ('Bang On') featured direct verbal communication with the audience member who named the card.
|
|||||||||
|
Bob Clayton Loyal user 245 Posts
|
Jean-Pierre Vallarino doesn't say a word in his act and the routine is a brilliant work of art. Words would only deminish its beauty.
Jean-Pierre Vallarino |
|||||||||
|
JackScratch Inner circle 2151 Posts
|
Quote:
On 2007-06-12 21:41, Bob Clayton wrote: I do not disagree that his act does not need words, but how do you know that words would detract from it? Maybe they would. If something is complete, it is often a flaw to try to make it more complete, but leave us not forget the road to that point. Did he make his act silent because it was easier that speaking? Did he make his act silent because he was unable to communicate with his audience? Or did he make his act silent because it was the medium that best created the feel he wished to achieve, and he happened to have the tools and knowledge to use that medium? The quality of an act can not be determined by the nature of it's content. Speaking or not speaking in a routine can not, and will not make it good. You must first create a message you wish your audience to receive, and then devise a way to communicate that message to them by whatever means prove most appropriate to the nature of the piece. One should never take a routine in which they have been unable to communicate their message to the audience through spoken word and think "Maybe if I didn't say anything, they would get it." No one is saying silent routines are bad, they are saying that making a routine silent is unlikely to solve a problem with communication, if it already exists. |
|||||||||
|
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27300 Posts
|
Quote:
On 2007-06-06 23:23, Bob Clayton wrote:...From a recent BusinessWeek article: As it happens that is a complete misrepresentation of the finding. Yet folks continue to parrot the words as if they understood or wanted to believe them. Go find the original citation and then we can discuss what was discovered. grrrrr And while folks are looking things up, try the Pareto principle. Interesting story there. So in direct answer to the original question: The adage about it better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt does not apply when one is not playing the role of a fool onstage. But before writing in public... reading remains fundamental.
...to all the coins I've dropped here
|
|||||||||
|
Prof. Alexander New user 68 Posts
|
Hi
I would be interested to find out what Craig Peterson's reaction to all these posts is and if any of the suggestions is helping him to create magnetic routines. All the best Alex
I met this chap at the Olympics. I said to him, "Excuse me but are you a pole vaulter?" he replied "No, I'm German, but how did you know my name was Walter?"
|
|||||||||
|
Bob Clayton Loyal user 245 Posts
|
Thanks for the insulting comments Jonathan. That has certainly killed any further discussion on the use of emotional cues in magic performances.
|
|||||||||
|
JackScratch Inner circle 2151 Posts
|
Quote:
On 2007-06-18 08:59, Bob Clayton wrote: Not at all. That isn't what he's saying. What he is saying is that the report you cited doesn't EXACTLY say what you allude to it saying. What everyone who quotes it alludes to it saying. The report goes in to some particular detail about what information can and usually is transmitted without the use of linguistics. He's saying that you and others have taken what is an extensive look at communication and condensed it down to a catch phrase. In particular a catch phrase that does not properly represent the findings of a very important study. |
|||||||||
|
Craig Peterson New user Utah 89 Posts
|
Quote:
On 2007-06-15 06:38, Prof. Alexander wrote: Well, I really appreciate some of the posts - especially Jonathan and Photius' replies. They directly addressed the topic. Really, my question was which kinds of effects were especially well suited to silence. I have never intended to do it in complete silence, but sometimes I feel like what I am saying isn't really adding to what I do. I was looking for guiding principles based on experience. That said, I appreciate all those that have tried to help. I have always spoken when performing. I like the interaction with the audience and feel like the audience appreciates my talking to them, but I was wondering if maybe I was missing an element by never exploring the silent possibility. Just because I spend months hashing out a script and consider that the most grueling part of the routine development doesn't indicate communication issues. Script writing is grueling. You really don't write a script, you rewrite it. After I have written something, I need to put it down for several days before looking at it again so I can get a fresh perspective. Then there is the process of testing it out on an audience and judging their reaction. Then on to revision again. Script writing is a truly difficult process. |
|||||||||
|
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27300 Posts
|
Quote:
On 2007-06-18 08:59, Bob Clayton wrote: Had I wished to be insulting I could have cited the study directly and suggested that the use of inferior sources can easily lead to inferior opinions. But by now the serious students have found out more about the study and probably also the story behind the Pareto finding. Getting back on track, what is the story you want them to tell after the show and do you need words to convey it?
...to all the coins I've dropped here
|
|||||||||
|
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27300 Posts
|
For the benefit of the curious here is a link to some pertinent discussion on the communication of meaning and the oft misused soundbyte.
...to all the coins I've dropped here
|
|||||||||
|
Big Daddy Cool Inner circle 1604 Posts
|
To my students - If you don't have anything to say, then don't.
|
|||||||||
| The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The words we use » » When an Effect Would Benefit From Being Silent (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
| Go to page [Previous] 1~2~3 [Next] | ||||||||||
Posted: Jun 6, 2007 01:52 pm 
| [ 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 < 
|