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Mik-Kado New user Antwerp, Belgium 31 Posts |
Hi,
I've been asked to give a kind of workshop in the local school here (almost in my back garden, I can see the school yard here from my window). The target of the workshop should be to teach the kids (15 kids of 10 - 12 years old) some magic they can show on a stage act at the yearly school fest for family and friends. The theme of the fest this year is "talents". The act should only run from 3 to 5 minutes, so it's very short. Because it's gonna be performed on a stage for a crowd of +/- 100 to 150 people, it's not a big deal to teach them "jumping rubberband" or something... Are there some easy to build (prefered cardboard) stage "illusions" that not reveals to many secrets of our art? I prefere cardboard because that way the kids can create the illusion from zero by themselves. My first idea was the illusion where 2 panels come on stage, 1 at left side and 1 at right side, showed at both sides and when they cross each other the 2nd time, a person is produced 'out of nowhere'. They can create the panels easy, decorate them with some symbols of the school or so. The principle is quiet simple, just need to teach them the good choreography, speed and timing to cross and produce. Because the act is short, I was thinking to produce the whole group this way. So 2x2 kids walk with the panels, maybe 1 boy and 1 girl as magicians to make magic movements and presentation. So the group to be produced should be 8 childrens or so. You think it's possible like that, to produce more people than only one using this principle? Biggest struggle will be the angle I think? Do you have any more ideas of involving the whole group of kids in a short act like this? They want something "amazing" because the act is very short. I look forward to hear some good advice, like I always read here in the Café. Greets.
Live your most beautiful life.
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A Show By Joe Elite user Long Island 405 Posts |
You can some good ideas in Tarbell, or Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic.
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TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
Mark Wilson's book has what you need.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
Mik-Kado New user Antwerp, Belgium 31 Posts |
Thanks for the information. Indeed, in Harlan Tarbell's course I found some interesting materials. Unfortunately, I don't have the Mark Wilson's course, but I think I really need to look out to buy this one somewhere, because it seems to be probably ths most named book pointed to for a lot of things.
Greets.
Live your most beautiful life.
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arthur stead Inner circle When I played soccer, I hit 1773 Posts |
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Howie Diddot Inner circle San Francisco & Los Angeles California 3288 Posts |
Quote:
On Apr 22, 2015, arthur stead wrote: Thank you Arthur I appreciate you posting the link. About five minutes before you posted the information I accepted two shows from a booking agency and I was wondering what tricks I was going to teach. |
ChrisG Elite user Batavia, Ohio 448 Posts |
Howie if you have a used book store in your area check them out first. I have picked up 8 of them for $10 and under, to give to young and old interested in magic.
"Consensus is the negation of Leadership"
M. Thatcher |
Daniel Ulzen Elite user Berlin/Germany 490 Posts |
Although the following tricks are no illusions they work very well in such a project and show:
Ganga/Lota Bowl (highly recommended) Vanishing Ketchup Bottle (succker-version with a pringles-box inside that is emoty at the end) Milkpitcher (frighten the kids when the performer pretends to stumble and the newspaper with the milk is directed toward the audience) Hippity Hop Rabbits It is also possible to use a video camera and a beamer and to perform such great close-up-tricks like paper to money for a big audience. |
Sam Sandler Inner circle 2487 Posts |
Not sure how much time you have with the kids to teach and work with them but I will offer some things that work well.
i have been teaching performance art camps for 15 years as well as after school programs. Siberian chain escape - but make it a comedy bit with getting in and out of and back in again. similar to tony clarks in and out rope tie rope thru body. 2 kids tie up a volunteer and pull the ends of the rope and it passes right thru the volunteer body (not a stooge) 6 card repeat. easy to make and kids love it snap silks to silk fountain to large finale silk mind control but stage version. we made the entire thing. it was awesome square circle with lots of fun stuff to produce . these were some of the favorites of the kids that I had each year. I had about 40-60 students each summer. hope this helps sam ps the real key is to work with them to make sure they are really comfortable with what they are doing. don't just teach them the tricks teach them how to enter and exit a stage how to properly use an assistant or volunteer. explain how to talk to the audience or look at or acknowledge them. these are just as important if not more important as the magic itself.
sam sandler- America's only full-time DEAF Illusionist
http://www.samsandler.com http://www.deafinitelymagic.com |
Daniel Ulzen Elite user Berlin/Germany 490 Posts |
One more advice:
Children often believe they can do a magic trick when they know how a trick is done. Maybe tell them they can do a trick when they can perform a trick 15 times after another without one big mistake. Only then a trick should be performed for an audience. This can help to avoid a negative experience when a trick goes wrong on stage. |
Mik-Kado New user Antwerp, Belgium 31 Posts |
Thanks for the advice giving here to me (and maybe others).
Because they needed to practice the trick in a short time (5 workshops of 2 hours each), I thought it was a good choice to teach them a nice effect what makes it "spectacular" through it's simplicity. I also wanted something they could still use after the School Fest, with as less props as possible. So I teached them a card trick and provided them with a Jumbo Deck for the performance on stage. A card trick without telling them too many secrets of the real art and without any sleight of hand: I've teached them "Out of this World". Because the School Fest was outdoor and the weather here in Belgium is never predictable, I gave them the advice to calculate that there could be wind on the day of performance. To keep the cards visible for the audience, they made (yes, on my advice, but they made it themself) a "Card Display". 2 rows of cards upon each other and made an elastic lenghtwise over the place where they'll put the cards. So they could put the cards behind the elastic, and the problem of wind was solved. To keep the trick going in tempo they created "color signs", black on one side, red on the other side. Thode where numbered so each person knew it was their turn to put their sign in the air. They decorated everything nicely with stars and created their own costumes and magic hats! I was not able to attend the actuam performance myself, but I've sended my girlfriend over there to record the performance. And they get a loud applause after the revelation! So, then I think: mission completed! ;-)
Live your most beautiful life.
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Grasshop34 Veteran user Cincinnati, OH 308 Posts |
I love teaching magic camps and giving the students an opportunity to shine on stage.
I've been teaching magic camps now for 12 years and it's so rewarding. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s4X_ciYSWf4 Jason Jacobs |
Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
Get Mark Wilson's Illusions video(s). They are very good, with some great ideas and the kids can actually SEE the impact of the trick before performing it. I worked with kids doing illusions shows for many years and they tend to miss out on the "wow" factor if they cannot experience the wonder prior to performing.
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arthur stead Inner circle When I played soccer, I hit 1773 Posts |
Mik-Kado, I wish you hadn't taught them OOTW. In my humble opinion, it's the sort of strong effect that should be cherished and kept secret by professionals.
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Al Kazam the Magic Man Inner circle Living in Perth Western Australia 1042 Posts |
Great video clips Jason Jacobs. I enjoyed that.
Magic guy in Perth Australia
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Al Kazam the Magic Man Inner circle Living in Perth Western Australia 1042 Posts |
Great video clips Jason Jacobs. I enjoyed that.
Magic guy in Perth Australia
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