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MagiCol Special user Dargaville, New Zealand 929 Posts |
I've just been reading at Mario Morris' blog [at a new address, so you may need to update your 'favourite' listing] his comments on working without an Edge rope, at
https://mariomorrisblog.wordpress.com/page/3/ Mario's got good arguments for the seasoned street magician not needing an edge rope. I remember back six years when I started out busking. Was I naïve!! One good bit of advice from Jimmy Talksalot was using the edge rope. Keep in mind, Jimmy's book is ideal for the beginning street magician. I remember standing out on my driveway and working out the circumference of a half circle a couple of metres out from me. Then I measured the length of rope needed. I went and bought some. It turned out to be far to much, but at least I was started on the idea. It definitely gave me somewhere to get people to stand at. Gradually I got more authorative, more assertive, at arranging people to stand where I wanted them. I cut down the length of my rope to just a few metres to put across out a couple of metres from me, and that sufficed for the first few people who turned up. The idea was that from that I could arrange a half circle that far out for new folk turning up. Using a rope also has the advantage of having something to do before starting up and having people notice what is going on. Sometimes rain would fall during my time out busking and soak the rope [a dry rope sucked up any nearby water]. I learnt to put the rope into a plastic bag. Then it needed drying. And washing from time to time. After maybe half a year or a year of performing part-time I stopped using the rope, mainly because I was in control of my crowd [just a few people, most of the time]. Confidence is a major thing we buskers need to have. Confidence to go out on the street and be at ease at any location even if conditions are not the best [impinging noise, other activities nearby]. Confidence to lie/deceive/misdirect. Using 'out's to escape a boo-boo we made. Umm, I'm getting a bit off topic here. I think all readers of this thread will be interested to hear other folk's comments.
The presentation makes the magic.
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gallagher Inner circle 1168 Posts |
Greetings to all of my friends in Dargaville!
I won't argue for or against; each Show, each Performer has their own needs, I feel. In our Show, we don't use a rope, a chaulk line,... we don't even go about building an edge. On the 'day to day' Streets, we'd get stopped for "demanding space". In Germany, the city has a right to charge you for the space. More importantly, though, our show-concept; I prefer as much unmanipulated self-committment, as possible. Our Show is not 'animation',... giving life to the dead. We simply want to present our skills and our emotional view. I feel, the more we get into the 'build-up',.. the more 'hype' the Show becomes. This distracts from our intent. Also, this 'Self-committment', from a free-grazing free-thinking persons.... I like this. I like these kind of peoples. They are who I want to play for/with. ,again,... each Show,.. each Performer has their own needs. ahh,. I must point out, we DO have our Basket always present, always in front of us. This DOES create a 'stage'. of sorts, where few dare to enter. We've found, creating OUR Space IS important,.. for us. for the Show. for our audience. Boundries are somehow important,.. reasuring(!). I just like them, as subliminal as possible. hmm,.. re-reading this,.. it might be a bit contradictrally confusing,.. just ask any of my friends in Dragaville,.. they'll set you straight. Enjoying a peacefull,.. SUNNY day,.. with my mother-in-law (true!), gallagher |
fireperformer911 Special user 547 Posts |
I think depends on Your build Type. If you stop a lot if people like Jimmy Talksalot and move them in helps to have an easy to expain land mark to move them too like a rope. If you do close up magic on table them move table back as audience grows and do paulor magic them rope is not helpful.
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fireperformer911 Special user 547 Posts |
Gallagher please post some video of Your show as I would love to see an artist show.
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thomasR Inner circle 1189 Posts |
My experience is at festivals but I've never used a rope. I form a half circle as the crowd builds and then just back up if needed. Sometimes I'll get kids who get a little close for comfort but it really has never bothered me much. All I'm doing is rings, cards, coins, and ropes. no table or props..
I've seen other performers who really use the rope to their advantage.. but they also have a bigger set up and really need the space. |
Angela P New user Baden Baden, Germany 26 Posts |
I would be interesting to hear more thoughts on this subject. Most shows I see do use ropes.Often making there opening with amusments.
Gallagher I find your approach very daring. Have you used a rope as well in the past? Can you compare? I concider an idea to use my rope after drawing an audience. Useing my rope for a magical trick. I have concidered making it shorter and shorter and shorter. Can anyone offer suggestions? I believe a rope will be to long for to cut and restore so I believe first to shorten and shorten and shorten it. Then I believe to cut and restore work with it. Can anyone have suggestions? Thank you for help. Please tell more thoughts on using ropes or chains or water. I am very thankfull. Angela |
MagiCol Special user Dargaville, New Zealand 929 Posts |
Hi, Angela.
If you want to depend on a rope for your edge to bring people up to, try using just a short rope rather than a long one. I'm not aware of how good you are at about controlling your front line of your crowd. Because that control of people really dictates whether you need an edge rope, or how long it would be. I like your idea of using your edge rope for the Cut and Restored rope because it is novel. I just have my rope and scissors in my magic bag of goods and bring it out when I want to use it. I work the classic Cut and Restored rope and because a bit of rope gets cut off each time, I start my first time with a cord about three metres long. When I lift it up at the start of the routine it is a big U shape hanging from my hands down onto the pavement a bit. Each time the trick is done the cord gets shorter. That three metres of rope is enough when you lay it down straight across in front of you at your pitch to use as an edge line for your first few people of your crowd. When more people arrive, make them join on the ends of the line in a gradual curve. If the crowd gets big, then move yourself back a couple of metres to allow more people at the ends of the front line. If you want to use a longer edge rope than, say, three metres, make the line multiples of 3 metres and make marks every three metres on the rope with a marker pen. Then you can walk up to the rope and cut off one end a 3 metre length for the first time of showing the trick. What's to say you can't, at home, cut several three metre long bits of rope and put them in your gear to take to your pitch. Then when you set up your gear at your pitch, catch people's attention by standing there tying those rope ends with a knot to join them into one long length of rope. Then lay this down as your edge rope. When you move onto the C&R trick walk up to the edge rope and undo one length of 3 metre rope and do the C and Restored rope trick. I certainly wouldn't cut a long edge rope down from both ends just to get to a suitable length for just one Cut And Restored Rope length.
The presentation makes the magic.
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Angela P New user Baden Baden, Germany 26 Posts |
Thank you for your thoughts Magicol. It never came to me to use more then one peaces of ropes for my border. In pasts I have worked with my partnerin as clowns and we have useds rubber cord. As our spektators were settled we useds the cord for our presentation. The show peace is of her walking through the spektators pulling the end of the cord while I have the other ends. Our comedy was a joke that she will put one ends in her mouth and I releace my end. When I asks is she ready she says yes and the end is releace from her mouth and hit me. We have much comedy build up and it works fine. But we want now new and some mystery.
Using our border will remain a part of our show. Angela |
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