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Acoustical New user 13 Posts |
What is the best way to go about practicing a trick on people? How do you get them on board to be willing to help you? Is it even possible? Every time I try it I'm met with general disinterest or a remark to the effect of "That wasn't very good, I knew how you did it". It puts a damper on things when you're just getting started. How do you work around this? This trick I've been trying to practice btw is the french drop.
Thanks Acoustical |
Wheeler New user Switzerland 9 Posts |
Hello Acoustical - nice name btw
I would honestly say that the french drop is a good trick but it needs steady practice over and over to make the move itself and the misdirection really good so that it fools people. I would personally exercise the french drop over and over and try to find a (maybe selfworking?) trick that has a good kicker at the end so that it really fools people. However, I know what you're talking about with the general disinterest of people in magic. In my opinion there are just some people who are genuinely not interested in magic because they just think of it as"tricks" and not as entertainment. First of all I always practised my tricks in front of a mirror or my mother (haha) and then when I felt really good enough I showed it first to my friends. If the trick was really good enough or well done they would sooner or later tell it to other friends they have and so I can show it once more to those people. You probably just need a good opener to attract the attention. If someone, for example, showed you an apparently impossible looking trick - you would be willing to carry on and helping this person and show interest in the next tricks - even if they are not as good as the first one In a nutshell, try to find a trick which is very difficult to explain unless you know the some of the principles in magic and show it to those people but still continue to practise your french drop, I think it's an awesome trick when it's well done |
rocky424 New user Boca Raton, FL 54 Posts |
Welcome to the Café,
I would first suggest practicing the effect/move by yourself in front of a mirror, or better yet a video camera. Get it down solid until it's nearly perfect and you feel completely confident in the way you perform the move. Perform it exactly as you would in front of an audience. Then, work on your patter, your script, for the effect. Make it sound good and make sure you can speak fluidly without stumbling or hesitation. Afterwards, add the patter into your effect and practice the combined result. Ensure that both your actions and words support each other and flow. A lot of people have trouble connecting their words with their actions, and physically hesitate whenever they verbally hesitate as well, like learning to play the piano with both hands. It can be easy playing either part, but put both parts together and it requires more effort to keep it smooth. When you finally decide that both of these aspects and your performance as a whole is solid, begin to show it to people. I do not recommend showing effects or moves to people once you've just started learning it, or still in the process of learning it. At this point, you'll have the mechanical aspects of the effect and the presentational aspect of it (patter). Only through performance will you be able to take your already-good effect into something better. Through experience and performance, you'll gain the nuances and subtleties needed to perfect your routine. You'll gain insight into what the audience believes by looking at their actions and their reactions. Evaluate the way they responded to the effect, and afterwards continue working on the effect aiming to eliminate any pitfalls or anything else that you felt was unclear to the audience. If they are close family members or friends, specifically ask them how they thought the effect went and what was unclear or quirky. This will also aid you afterwards when you continue to finesse your effect. Place priority in practicing in front of a mirror or video camera, to get the mechanics and the patter down. This will make the effect good. Add in performance critiques and experience, and you will make your effect great/near perfect. Hope this helps! |
rocky424 New user Boca Raton, FL 54 Posts |
I would also suggest adding some theory/presentational books into your library, if you havn't already done so.
These include 'Strong Magic' by Darwin Ortiz, 'Maximum Entertainment' by Ken Weber, and 'Five Points in Magic' by Juan Tamariz. These will take your act to the next level and aid in making your presentation the best that it can be. |
mlippo Inner circle Trieste (Italy) 1227 Posts |
I am not a coin guy, but in my opinion just doing a vanish of a coin or ball or whatever is not good. People see you picking a coin with a hand and then it's gone. If they tell you they knew how it works it doesn't mean necessarily you performed badly (although it COULD be true). They just thought of the most probable explanation.
I think you should learn and practise more different techniques/moves and then put together a routine using a coin or more coins. Done well and smoothly a well constructed routine will not give the opportunity to them to figure out your methods. The various effects would come one after the other, without rush, but in such a way that each effect destroys any possible explanation your audience might think of and in the end send them in a state of confusion. Why not try cards? A good routine of self working cards should not be too hard to master and could start giving you the confidence you need to start performing in front of an audience. mlippo |
Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
Part of the problem is that the French Drop is really not a trick by itself. It's a technique for vanishing something small...but, then you have to either reproduce the item OR have some reason, not necessarily stated verbally for it's not being reproduced.
Try something that would stand on it's own. An example would be the classic betting routine with Scotch and Soda. Or, put in the time and learn how to do Color Monte. The problem with just doing a vanish when you are just starting is that it's something that folks have seen. I just saw an actor do it so-so on T.V. the other night! And, there are not that many ways to 'play' it other than...."Look I can fool you!....Or, at least try." Most of the time when you 'DO' fool folks they won't react with a "No you didn't" response, so that response tells you something. Look for something that has a good solid 'hook' to it...see the examples above. Gambling stories and 'betting' stuff is EASY to get into. Folks are interested in 'winning' something, etc. "Hey, Bob, I was in Hollywood the other day and there was a guy doing the old Three Card Monte on the street....I got a book and learned how to do it...want to see?" And, then you give them the Color Monte routine. See the difference from, "Hey look I can fool you?" Keep working on your overall technique. You can't go wrong there. Nail down the basics with cards, coins, etc. There are some killer DVD's with Rubber Band magic for instance. Best,
Brad Burt
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scottds80 Special user Victoria, Australia 730 Posts |
Take a good look at the choreography of Jeff McBride. He also sells DVDs with tutorials for this. Search google & YouTube. Like Brad Burt said, the Sleight is not a trick in itself, it needs a lot of meaningful purpose and even acting. This is what makes a magician rather than a guy who does a trick.
"Great Scott the Magician", Gippsland
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bowers Inner circle Oakboro N.C. 7024 Posts |
I practice a lot with my coworkers.after I have
did extensive practice at home first.the performence at work with my friends helps build my confidence with the effect I'm working on.to later perform this at a show. todd |
trancework New user 28 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-09-08 14:04, rocky424 wrote: I've just started 'Strong Magic' -- a chapter or three in, it's very thought provoking stuff. |
bigcheese New user Sacramento, CA 56 Posts |
The tips above about practicing in front of a mirror, and then a video camera, are solid. Once you feel confident that you've mastered your techniques while alone, you're then ready to go and "peform" them for others.
I would also suggest that rather than just learning one trick by itself, learn several tricks that you can perform together as a routine. The reaction you get from others will be much more powerful with a flowing routine comprised of several tricks, rather than one trick standing alone. |
DWRackley Inner circle Chattanooga, TN 1909 Posts |
To expand a little on the direction Burt was going, What’s your story?
In other words, WHY are you vanishing a coin? Are you telling how a smuggler got it out of a museum? Is you uncle forgetful and he’s always losing things? Is the coin cursed and it was supposed to be inside your great-grandfather’s coffin? My very first “mail-order” trick was the vanishing key. It was hooked and the sleight was, you guessed it, the French Drop. With the hook I was always “clean”, but that still didn’t make it a good trick. Very few sleights can stand on their own. You have to create an interest. In one sense, the magic is secondary to the story. You may be able to cut any named number of cards from the top of a deck, but why would anybody want to watch you do that? Get them interested in you and your story, THEN bring on the Magic!
...what if I could read your mind?
Chattanooga's Premier Mentalist Donatelli and Company at ChattanoogaPerformers.com also on FaceBook |
Andy Young Special user Jersey Shore, PA 813 Posts |
I hve a person or persons that I try my effects on. I usually do them in the middle stage - not quite good and the patter isn't always there. I do that in order to get my patter right. So there are a few people that think I am a average magician, but that is what some friends are for.
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magicman491 Veteran user 326 Posts |
I try them on my family, and ask them for their honest opinion, then I will test it out on my friends... also, whenever I have relatives or people around to our house, I will perform a trick to them, not to difficult and not to risky, but gets good reactions... I do this just to work on my nervous side of performing, it really helps
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