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abc Inner circle South African in Taiwan 1081 Posts |
All I can say is Tom Mullica.
His magic is simple and he has the worst sleights ever but there are very few magicians who can come close to him. Performing a simple effect in an entertaining way is what you are suppose to do. |
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Froste New user 88 Posts |
One way I've found is to concentrate on how the magician is presenting the effect. I visit some local magician's "on the job" to learn what I can about presenting magic by example. Even if I know the effect, I'm not watching for that part. I'm focussed more on what is happening (the effect and presentation) than how it's being done (the method), if that makes any sense.
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Mystyk New user UK 2 Posts |
Being a beginner, I find that most tricks still have me in awe. However, watching a couple of demo videos the other day, I couldn't help but notice hand posistions etc. whilst watching, and this in turn led me to see how the tricks were performed.
With this in mind, perhaps not paying too much attention to the hands of the magician involved will help people sit back and enjoy the magic all the more? |
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mitchb2 Elite user 455 Posts |
One of the things that's slightly "ruined" for me is cups and balls.
I can't watch any performance, regardless how good, and NOT see the loads. In fact, some of them seem so blatantly obvious, that's it's hard for me to believe that everybody doesn't see it. Especially when the cups are handled a certain way throughout the routine, and then the handling suddenly changes towards the end. |
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Jaxon Inner circle Kalamazoo, Mi. 2537 Posts |
I know what you mean mitchb2. It's hard for me to watch a cups and balls routine to because they are usually pretty much the same (small balls travel then large loads). But I'm so glad you brought that up because I found a video that directly applies to it and will allow us to look at another great lesson in magic.
Below you'll find a link to a video of a cups and balls routine being performed by one of magic greats (unfortunately we lost him not long ago). Tommy Wonder was was a magician who really understood how to think like a non-magician and this is one of many routines he's done that shows that. First of all I'll bet there will be a load or two you won't catch on this video. I know something that happened toward the end fooled the heck out of me. This video also has some great shots of the spectators reacting. If you want to see the difference between a good magician and a great performer. Watch this video. http://youtube.com/watch?v=MJ6qT8JvaMY Ron Jaxon |
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blackartman New user 54 Posts |
Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz is a great book for teaching magicians to come up with their own effects that wow any laymen.
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tony2514 Regular user Yorkshire, UK 162 Posts |
Thanks Ron for a great post.
It is often very difficult to be a spectator and a magician at the same time, but this goes back to one of my particualr favourite themes. The trick is nothing without the performance. I have watched magicians (as you all have) and mentally ticked off the name of each trick as it is performed or thought to myself "I could do that using a...." I have also watched magicians and been so enthralled and entertained by the PERFORMER that it has never occurred to me to think along those lines. We ca all spend too much time in front of the mirror (who am I kidding - we can never spend too much time perfecting our moves) worrying about being caught out when the best misdirection of all is our personality or stage persona. Tommy Cooper was the best exponent of this. I have yet to meet a magician who wasn't thoroughly entertained by him yet even novice magicians knew 'how it was done' from the point of view of the trick - none could come close to emulating the presence and humour of the man. Therein lise the difference. |
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tnscot Loyal user 220 Posts |
Well said. I agree completely. Tommy Cooper is absolute perfection as an entertainer. His tricks were not particularly impresive, on the whole, but it just didn't matter, since the tricks themselves werent the point of the show. Brilliant. I watch him, and wonder how I can learn from his performances rather than picking it apart.
As Always,
Scot Legdermain |
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LauraCalder New user 79 Posts |
That's good advice. I keep on trying to learn new things to 'outsmart' the audience, like the mem deck stuff I'm studying now, but I'm starting to learn that that kind of thing isn't neccessary as once in a while I'll do something like a DL or a riffle force and a 'mind read' and it'll totally amaze the spectator, much more so than if I'd showed them my fancy moves.
Reading too many non-theory magic books has got me thinking far too much with my magic mind, and I suppose I also have a dedication to increasingly intricate methods just because by employing them I feel like I'm growing as a performer. Oh, to be innocent again. Laura. |
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