Howdy Guys,

I did a show a few weeks ago, and I actually had a live band with two drummers! Here's a video if anybody wants to check it out. Also, if you have any constructive criticism about the illusion, I'd love to hear it!

Thanks,
Matt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTal6CWnsqE

Nice switch. The song played by the band was not my cup of tea but that's my personal taste.

Your technique is good but just try to work on your choreography. There were a few hesitations from time to time. If you watch the pendragons, every move is studied.

Good luck with your illusion

So the band got to see the trick I believe? Your curtain was three sided I think? Also, I do think the trick is stronger with the bag. I also didn't like the live band because, for me at least, it distracts attention from you because there are other lives bodies and live performers up there.

Jim

Why wasn't the inside of the trunk shown to the people from the audience, or the 2 ladies that came out, tip the box to show the inside?

Why did you have steps for the girl? Can't she hop up on a trunk? Just no energy from anyone on stage.

Why did the male performer have to find the keys, the other girl just stood there, couldn't she have the key ready to unlock the lock?

Not very classy to pull a girl off stage. You may have thought it maybe would be funny, but it made you look as an abuser of women. It is not funny to pull women around any longer. It would have been even more magical to have here escape from the cuffs. If you can't do that, just unlock her and both take a bow together.

The girl that did the transposition with you, should have had a more apparent role as one of the main characters in the trick. Very poor stage movement and how you should project yourselves on a stage.

I think it is great effort!

Personally I don't think a bag is necessary if the switch is really fast, but I do think that you have to be mindful that the act isn't just about the switch. As many above correctly pointed out, you might have to think about other things before and after the switch. How you find your keys to unlock the lock is part of the illusion too.

I have the Pendragon's DVD and it is highly recommended if you want to understand and study subtrunk.

PS. this is just a thing that I noticed for many subtrunk act - the assistant looking down just before the switch. I never like that because it tips off that something is happening just below.

An instrumental piece would have been better.

Jim

Where to begin?

first I am not the end all to the subtrunk but ihave performed it for over 10 years in thousands of shows so I have a little experience with this illusion,

first although I have not seen the pendragons DVD I would highly recomend view it.

I will say that you di much better then many who just buy the prop and think they are now one of the big boys.


the first thing you need to do in my opinion is work out the routining. every move evey popsition must have a reason. to me it looked like 3 people got togeather and did a trick not something that was flawlessly rehearsed. there seemed to be no connection with you and the girls on stage let alone the audience

I am not a fan of having the locks on the floor a small table off to the side will help this and there are other ideas as well but I will leave that to your discovery.

you also need to work on your staging as you never turn your back on an audience (for putting the handcuffs on that was fine) iam refering to you and the girls as they open the box at the end all we see are the backs of you and when the girls locked the box they had their backs to us. they easily can have a pose angled form the side so that we can easily see the locks going on and still see their faces.

why not have them lean over form the corners and put the locks on or work out some chorgrophy and h ave them lay on the box fromt eh back and lean over the front to put the locks on. just brain storming here,.

now this might be just me but why not have the girl have the hand cuffs on behind her back as well. and yes I think the bag makes it MUCH stronger but that's my opinion not fact!

as mentioned before tilting the box to show empty is just a good thing to do and not liking the strps up the back if your gona use steps have them on the side but I woudl rather see her jump up on the box. thus that leads me to my biggest comment. ther ewas nothing to this other then the quick change meaning no energy of any kind. it seemed as th ough you were all wondering around the stage verses putting on a performance.


I know its tuff to hear these things and turst me I have been there - my coments are only meant to help you and not hurt or bash you in any way.

over all you did a good job but needs to be tighteded up a bit.

that's all the time I have for right now got to get back to work

have fun in w hat ever you do!

sam

***! Very Harsh but true advice. I wonder if he will ever post anything here again. I hope so as he has a love and passion for Magic. I guess it wouldn't hurt if we here were less ***holes when we critique.

Overall, it made the audience go crazy so it was not all bad. He will grow and take what has been said and improve.

Patrick

Wow, guys, first and foremost, thank you for taking the time to give me some great advice. I really appreciate it. Some of the things mentioned, were things that never crossed my mind, but now that I'm looking back, would have made the illusion much better. I'm going to seriously rework it. As for pulling the girl off of the stage at the end, that was not my idea. I actually felt very awkward pulling the girl off, but the choreographer of the show insisted upon it. He would not let up about it. The steps in the back was the girls idea. She had an extremely difficult time getting up there, and really wanted a little step-stole. I will indeed move it to the side for next time. Once again, I appreciate the energy you guys put in to help me, thanks!

Matt, your ability to separate the wheat from the chaff and hopefully extract the nuggets of good information from what you see online here should serve you well and I think you will do very well in this business, good luck!

Matt,

Break a leg!

Our (Chalet) trunk has a steel step that hooks into the back. It is a great help. (For travel it unhooks and goes into the trunk with the four-sided curtain, the cuffs and the mail bag.) The trunk is even on locking casters to make for happier stagehands that have to move it.

Personally, I like live music in the stage shows Lucy and I do too. We frequently use a live drummer even with recorded music. It gives the "live band" feel to the show. A good drummer can really help drive the audience. Finding the right piece of music takes time.

Keep on keeping on!

Unless the critics are commercial talent buyers, I would think twice about giving much intensity in considering their negative comments and also critique their presentation of criticism for professionalism. Professionalism is usually very evident if it is there. The most credible critics buy tickets or pay to contract for your show.

Enjoy your magic.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

I saw a live magic show once where the band was behind a scrim. They were visible, but not distracting, and I thought it was a nice touch.

Matt you took the critisim very well. As Ray said, you have to find the wheat amongst the chaff here. There are some guys who seem to ONLY dispense chaff, and offer very little wheat. But you can learn from the chaff just as well. (I liked the analogy Ray) My trunk is too tall for the assistant to step onto, so she sits on it, then swings her legs over the top of it one at a time and then stands up. It is choreographed great and it is sexy and classy at the same time. It would definitely fit your routine better than the steps.

The band was a little distracting for the eye....you might want to try and offset them stage right or left. Do you work with them every show? If so then it's probably not a real big deal that the trick was exposed to them. It may even sell it more to the lay public that you have this band behind you so "nothing sneaky could be going on behind the curtain"....though I don't think that is powerful enough to justify having them right behind you. We never have anyone behind us and we still astonish the crowds.

I replaced the locks on mine with large eye bolts....they eliminate the need for keys, they are faster to put in and take out and look a lot better from a distance. I got real long ones then cut off the threads so they wouldn't get caught on the latches as we put them in and took them out.

Your switch was very fast!! That is excellent, however your assistants needed a little bit more practice with the curtain. She fumbled with it too much and she kept looking down. At least that is the way it came across in the video. If she still needs to look down, or is still fumbling with the curtains then it means she needs more rehersal.

All that being said, you did a great job on your performance. Just a few minor changes and improvements and it will be a perfect routine. Bravo!!!

Scott

One of the differences between a pro and an amature is the ability to take feedback and move forward. You have shown that professional ability and it speaks well for your future.

Also, your comment about the stage director wanting you to pull the girl off stage--it is hard sometimes but you have learned that your instincts were correct. Remember that lesson.

Jim