Glad it is working out for you and you are happy with your progress. Yes, Personality-based engagement in a show can go a long way in all aspects. For me, I check out the minute I see cards in a magic show - I'm done.

I am tremendously confused. The show doesn't have a beginning, middle and end? A build to the end and such? Is it just a random series of tricks?

It is fine if it is. I guess I just never understand why it is done that way.

I think that is one of the concerns (and dangers) when thinking of and approaching what you do as routines rather than a show or performance.

Sorry I was giving high level overview of the Fringe show where the audience picks the tricks. It's not really random.

Originally, I pitched idea of a truly random show. We'd have props or posters on table and really let the audience select the routines we do. My cousin had same concerns noted here, that there would not be any structure to the show. So as we brainstormed, we came up with idea of using clear forcing bags to drive the selections and their order. So we have an intro (who we are, what the shows about), a middle (routines building), and an end (strong finally routine, along with a reveal of prediction of the tricks that were selected). The ending prediction is a nice call back to the beginning, as well a referencing the whole show. We've also got several running bits throughout the show that tie into the various routines. The tricky balance is having a cohesive show structure, without having it very apparent (after all it's supposed to be randomly chosen effects). I workshopped ending reveal at my condo show, and it killed. In addition to the prediction reveal, I had a billet box out at start of show. As people came in, I had slips with 52 numbers on it, and had them circle any three. Then during show I had a portion where I let audience "select" which tricks I'd do using Blake Voght's Fource Bag. I marked them on a board. Then did the tricks. Then showed a prediction that had been sitting out the whole show, and how it matched the selections. Then had spectator choose a billet and it also matched the order. It was a strong finish.

So TLDR: Show's not truly random, there is a structure with call backs and an ending that ties it all together.

Regarding my close up show using cards. I know quite a few magicians who also said they check out with play cards. So few things...
1. It's amazing how many people have not seen a live magician these days. They're no longer at scout banquets, or local shows, or other live opportunities. They see magicians on TV, but when live, it's a different feeling of excitement and anticipation. And cards are so closely associated with magicians, they expect it...
2. I avoid process heavy routines. No spelling or counting out tricks. And avoid repetitive "pick a card find a card" routines
3. Use hard hitting routines...chicago opener/red hot mama and C3 and others that have hard impact.
4. I don't only do cards, I have some coins, rope, and some mentalism bits in between
5. It's not about the cards...I tell the story of how I got into magic, how I'm not a move monkey, and use the cards as a tool to help tell the story
6. The show builds to a climax...it's got structure
7. It's adaptable, I can changes things, add or drop as needed
It's always evolving, I learn something new every peformance, and always writing up "after action reports" to keep me thinking about it, and capturing lessons learned and any new lines or bits.

And the coffee is wearing off, so I'll wrap up here. Thanks for letting me ramble...

A lot of magician's thinking going on there...

So I am watching a show and I am taken by the fact that it "seems random" throughout and they present it in such a great way NOBODY knows. It feels random like we are picking everything. THEN it is revealed that I can throw that feeling away and it was all nothing more than a trick the whole time? To what end?

This seems like a lot of effort to go to in order to swerve them at the end for no reason. You have no way of knowing what reaction you would have ended up with if you had just let them keep thinking they had put the show together. Magicians thinking. Maybe it is right, maybe it is not. I have no clue, I am simply pointing it out.

As for cards I have no opinion. I believe it should be your personality that carries the whole performance. The tools used are not important. It is a poor craftsman who blames his tools. Use cards. Use beginner plastic cups and balls for all I care. Use all Tenyo products. Use clippings from the grass cutter bag for all it means to me. Just entertain people. The last sentence is what seems to trip up most people.

Most shows that are "adaptable" suffer from what is added to make them adapt longer. (Usually what helps most shows is editing anyhow.)

This is exactly what happens when magicians try to do mentalism (mental magic).

For the Fringe show, with the “random selection” of tricks…there is a purpose and theme. We, as magicians want to challenge ourselves to our abilities, and, as Fringe festivals are offbeat, we’ll do this by allowing the audience to pick the tricks. We explain this, So the audience know what’s going on, they understand their role in the show.

The reveal at the end is a magical twist to wrap things up. It played very well in the workshoped performance, so I’m quite happy with it.

That is all which matters. I’m glad you’re happy with it.

You make one incredibly incorrect assumption though. The whole magicians want to challenge themselves to our abilities is storybook stuff. If you are in front of an audience, even at the Fringe, your responsibility is to them. Period. Not about challenging yourself or any other drivel you read in magic books. You have a debt to pay. Not only have they spent their money but they spent their time. You can NEVER get that back to them. It really is far more than most think.

In other words challenging yourself is about you. Performing for another for an audience should be about the audience. Just one way to look at it.

Sorry, I guess I'm not clear...we are not really "challenging ourselves" it's just become the schtick of the act.

Originally we'd thought about having tables with props laying out, and letting the audience choose. A true random selection.

But we realized, to Danny's point, that would not be a solid show. There's no way we could rehearse and get down 20+ routines. And the show would lack structure...no build up, and possibility of them picking all weak, or similar tricks. So we decided that format would not provide value to the audience, but we liked the premise.

So we kept the format...of "allowing" the audience pick the tricks. But in reality we have a list of routines, and are using Blake Vogt's clear "Fource Bag" to force the routines we want selected. So now we only have to work on 6 or so routines, and they build upon each other, and have call backs...we will have a set and structured show. Forcing the the routines also allows us to end with a prediction of what the audience had selected.

As we've got to do three shows over the four days of the festival, we can change the numbers and/or names of the tricks, or swap order, to give appearance of a different show every time (just in case we get repeat customers).

Concur with Danny's point, we realized as cool as it would be to try to "challenge" ourselves, it wouldn't give the paying customers value. So we just using it as a theme...but we control the order, allowing us to give the best show we can...

What value does that format have when you serve them at the end for… reasons?

Ha ha, we got another one over on you. That is their lasting memory. Are this point you are simply another magician and have thrown away every single thing that makes you special out stand out.

I’ll give you an example. A famous mentalist did a Broadway show. His name rhymed with Brown. The entire show there were posters hanging in the rim that IF you noticed them they would make a lot of sense. BUT he never pointed them out. It was a bonus feature to could discover and few did. He went saying HA! That reveal, no matter how well you believe it plays in whatever you are calling workshops, seems an odd choice.

As much as I hate to admit it...I see the point. The end prediction of which tricks had been select was to be a kicker ending. Had concerns the audience might back track..."gee, maybe that clear ziploc bag had something funny going on..." But thought that we could have several different billets picked at once, and there'd be time between selection and prediction, that the risk of back tracking would be minimal.

But yes, at the end it serves as a "gotcha." But still feel there's something there...guess it's back to the drawing board...

The problem with magicians is the seemingly irresistible impulse to constantly “magic” everything.

It reminds me of something I’ve read about Buster Keaton said when talking movies came out. “There’s nothing wrong with sound, that a little bit of silence couldn’t fix”. It had been attributed to him, maybe it wasn’t not sure. But the sentiment is correct.

Magicians think everything has to be magic and it just doesn’t.

The Fringe Festival has asked for marketing material by April 19th. The twist being no AI generated material. Evidently the venues at the festival are against AI. So we decided we'd take some photos. A fellow member of IBM allowed us to use their small theater. Originally we were just going to have friend use iPhone to take pictures. I wondered how much it would cost for a pro. Reached out to 6 photographers in the area. Only 1 was available. They have a $500 package (with $100 spring discount). Was a bit pricey, but they said they'd do a "Mini session" of 30 minutes, 50 photos for $250. So booked them.

Best money spent! Turns out it's husband and wife team, and they both love magic. Ended up spending an hour with use, and over 250 photos...with lighting, poses, and angles we would have never thought of. Not only do we have more than enough for the festival, but also plenty to feed our social media, and have promo shots for our individual acts.

We might have them shoot and film one our shows at the festival. But we're weighing the cost...we were hoping to make money with the festival, which we are in good spot to do. We've pretty much bought props and accessories we think we need, and spent little on them. So watching other expenses at this point...

Yeah, producers of events and even myself at my agencies all are not at all thrilled with AI for many things/aspects for performers including promotional materials.

At my agencies, we get submissions every week (whether we are actively looking for them or not) and they are all terrible and quite misleading. Since the beginning of time we could tell so much by the promotional materials that were sent to us. We could tell who was a pro and who wasn't. Who was an amateur or beginner trying to present themselves as something they are not, those claiming experience when we could tell they weren't, those who worked in a particular performance market and those that would say they have but in reality never did, those that new industry procedures and those that claimed they did but it was clear they didn't, and so much more.

We could easily tell all of this and so much more in less than 15 seconds without even reading much of it, as their actual level of experience and indicators clearly showed.

However, now with AI everyone's promo comes through as very plastic, antiseptic, and claiming an amazing level of skill and proficiency. They present themselves to be something the are clearly not. But because it is more professionally created than they could likely ever do themselves, it over-sells them, and actually misrepresents them. Then on top of that they make the wild and crazy claims almost all magicians do (many of these) and they think it looks great, but to those of us in the know, it actually makes them look like a fake, phony, and grossly misrepresented.

So, yeah, it is a big thing to those of us who use and rely on such things.

In my Entertainer's Business Toolkit book, so much of this is addressed and you are shown the whats, whys, and why-nots behind creating the best promotional materials, demo video, contracts, emails, and so many other tools a performer needs to operate as a professional and an entertainment business. https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/view......615749#3

Also, remember, photos are only a small portion of what is needed for your promotional materials or a promo kit. Especially staged shots. Yes, they have a place and a purpose, but it is real live performance shots and videos that are most important (also covered in the Toolkit).

If you do hire them to record an videotape your show(s) there is a right way to do this and another way that usually leads to disappointment, money not best spent, and often regret (also covered in the Toolkit, lol).

I applaud you for being proactive and taking the advice offered you (no AI Promo) and seeking the resources to help you do this perhaps much better than you could do on your own. I wish more magicians would do this as it makes a huge difference and often pays great dividends for your efforts.

I hope this works out well for you. Keep us posted as it has been interesting following your journey.