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magicman02 Veteran user 304 Posts |
Does age really matter if you are a mentalist? If you are 21 and have a show and try to market it to the corporate market (college market would be good, but too hard to get into it now) will the corporate market think you are too young to really believe you can really read minds? Most mentalist are really old people (no offense and I don't mean that in a bad way, the youngest mentalist I can think of who is big is derren brown, most mentalist are in their 40s and up.) So can age affect you getting shows in a mentalist?
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David Numen Inner circle 2070 Posts |
I don't think age matters as much as some would have you believe - experience is important and that isn't necessarily tied to age.
I think it depends on how you present yourself - there's no reason on earth why a 21 year old can't portray a convincing mind reader but they may not be so convincing if they try the "psychological master" route favoured by many current mentalists. Regards, David. |
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Andy Leviss Inner circle NYC 1179 Posts |
If you do a search, I know this topic's been talked about here in the past on more than one occasion. Try searching for "young mentalist", maybe, or "age mentalism". One topic was within the last week or two.
Note: I have PMs turned off; if you want to reach me, please e-mail [email]Andy.MagicCafe@DucksEcho.com[/email]!
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123majik123 Regular user nowhere 180 Posts |
Hmmm..... In my opinion (and experience) I have found that a younger mentalist can almost build rapport much quicker with an audience. I believe the reason for this is most of the audience you are targeting as a mentalist are the adult generation. therefore there is almost a hint of subconscious patronizing on their part and if you are good you catch them off guard and thus build rapport much quicker. Also the women of the audience tend to sympathize much more with a young performer but by god you have to have the stage presence or it will not proceed beyond patronizing and sympathy!
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majhra New user Australia 61 Posts |
I guess it depends on your style. If you are a 6 year old, it's going to give the audience a very different idea than if you are 60.
Chance are, if you are 6, you can't do the act of a 60 year old. Likewise the reverse... (Of course you can still do a 'medium' themed show, which gives you the reasoning) Some ages are better suited to some audiences. Understand who the people are that you naturally attract. Understand what it is about you that attracts them. You'll be well on your way to getting more shows than you can handle... Enjoy, M. |
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MentaThought Special user 615 Posts |
Personally I see someone of 21 having some advantages in mentalism.
For example, you'd be right at the age to appeal to a very valuable demographic group which marketers desperately try to appeal to: the "hip-hop" crowd. I would think that a young mentalist could try and bill himself as a "street mentalist" much in the same way that Blaine was marketed as a "street magician." For myself, although I'd been interested in mentalism since at least the early-1970s when I was a teenager, it wasn't until I saw Blaine perform (while in my early-40s) that my own interest in mentalism, and to a lesser but significant extent plain old magic, was rekindled. I think a young "street mentalist" in their 20's could appeal not only to teen aged and 20-something hip-hopsters but also to old fogies such as myself in their 40s. ALSO, a fresh new, young mentalist could help bring additional fans to the art of mentalism and they may remain fans for the many years they have left to live. Which is great for professional mentalism performers!
"A good mentalist ... will teach you a miracle because he understands the subtleties ..." -- Banachek
"If this works it'll be BEAUTIFUL!" - The Amazing Kreskin on a stunning effect he performed on his 1970s television series (PS: it worked) |
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magicman02 Veteran user 304 Posts |
I am a twin and want to do a twin mentalist act which I think hasn't been done before and gives a very unique and interesting aspect.
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Dr_Stephen_Midnight Inner circle SW Ohio, USA 1555 Posts |
As far as characters go, the younger mentalist can get plenty of mileage out of the 'naturally gifted' individual who does not truly understand his abilities; he just demonstrates them (ala Geller).
Older individuals have enough years under their belt to play the experienced, "Dr. Henry Armitage" occultist role, and regale their audiences with arcane, 'metaphysical' speculations. Steve
Dr. Lao: "Do you know what wisdom is?"
Mike: "No." Dr. Lao: "Wise answer." |
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Eight Spades Elite user Ohio (northwest) 482 Posts |
Well this is great. I'm 21 and I just so happen to be a mentalist. Well, mainly mental magic and precog.
I feel I have the advantages that you all have previously named, but the disadvantages are tough. Sometimes it's very hard to get an older audience to take you seriously until you've really blown them away. However, I really enjoy that moment! The angle that I like working is part of a theory in actual psychokinesis. Most successful PK experiments have been younger test subjects. That's a very true fact, so I can use that to my advantage. I bet Dr. Zodiac would have something to say in here! -Christian
"Tricks are only the crude residue from which the lifeblood of magic has been drained." -S.H. Sharpe
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Kenn Capman Regular user Southwestern Michigan 196 Posts |
In my experience, I've found that over the years I've been taken more seriously as I've aged. I don't know if my mental magic has just been honed over the years or if there's a built-in credibility to being a bit more 'seasoned.'
Not sure why this is. I've seen young performers do mental magic and just blow people away. Conversely, I've seen many more fall flat with the same material. Mike Rogers used to say that he stopped doing the dancing cane after a certain age because it ". . .was a young man's trick." I wonder if mental magic has a reverse dynamic.
"The thermometer of success is merely the jealousy of the malcontents."
- Salvador Dali - |
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Joshua Quinn Inner circle with an outer triangle 2054 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-08-31 23:27, magicman02 wrote: Will you be performing as twins, or will the audience be aware of only one of you while the other acts as a conveniently identical-looking secret accomplice?
Every problem contains the seeds of its own solution. Unfortunately every problem also contains the seeds of an infinite number of non-solutions, so that first part really isn't super helpful.
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Blackwood Special user Mind-Play 528 Posts |
I think a twin act could be very cool. I'll bet most people believe that twins have some form of non-verbal communication anyway, being so close. I'll also wager that audiences would be more likely to accept that twins could read others' minds as well.
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Laughing Otter Loyal user Behind you! 205 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-09-04 03:12, Kenn Capman wrote: As a general rule, I don't tell the fortune of anyone under 16, because they have no real "life experience" to draw on, and most of what I have to say is lost on them. If a young mentalist presents demonstrations of a gift that is little understood but very powerful, I can buy that. But it will take a few wrinkles, gray hairs, or something behind the eyes to convince me that the performer has mastered and harnessed this gift, using it at will. It's a matter of who is in charge, and I think that only age can allow one to believeably cross that line. |
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randomdan Regular user 107 Posts |
I think I'll agree mainly with what's been said.
But it does make me sad to see 15 or 16 year olds using patter/presentation along the lines of "I studied NLP and Hypnosis, and have developed this great skill" - and expecting an audience to believe it. If they're presenting it as a natural talent that they happen to have (X-men style!), then yeah, age is no problem. But many younger mentalists simply don't have enough "life experience" [great phrase otter], to create a believable or charismatic persona - nor to deliver their lines with enough conviction. And as we know, mentalism is 99% presentation. |
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magicman02 Veteran user 304 Posts |
Yea I will be doing a twin telepathy act basically.
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Osiris Special user 610 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-08-31 23:27, magicman02 wrote: I forget where they hail from, but there is a set of twin girls who have had their father coaching them for some time now... the act is based on the sympathetic connection shared by twins, etc. As to the question on age... there are many schools of thought but, in the past few decades (since the 70s I guess) more and more successful acts have featured younger performers... let's face it, Banachek made world headlines when he wasn't much older than you (as did Geller) The reason some believe that age matters is the fact that life-experience in and of itself allows the performer to know a thing or two that lends to he/she a bit of an edge. Some young people in today's world have a natural savvy or street smarts that more or less covers most basis. The only real problem the would have is with older audiences and the act of trying to be too "deep" and "mystical"... the college market on the other hand (as well as High Schools) might be a great venue... just keep in mind that it's lots of hard work, constant hustle, and will take a while to get established in. Your best resource would be to PM Banachek or shoot an Email to Karges... that's the markets they work and they can give you all the dirt. Best of luck! |
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Jordan Waller Special user London 610 Posts |
Quote:
But it does make me sad to see 15 or 16 year olds using patter/presentation along the lines of "I studied NLP and Hypnosis, and have developed this great skill" - and expecting an audience to believe it. Hey I am 15 years old. I absolutely love all areas of magic especially the area of mentalism. Now although I do understand what you are saying, I do have a slight gripe. You see I perform mentalism a lot and would actually call myself a mentalist if the lay people knew what one was (but that's a different discussion). Now anyway I get great response from my mentalism, amazing responses in fact. Now I do not, and I make this clear, I do not take the psychic approach. It's just not for me. Nor however do I take the psychology approach. I never really say what it is, though my stuff does have a hint of psychological techniques though I don't make a habit of saying it uses certain psychological techniques like Derren Brown. I let my audience decide, and they will more often decide that that I am using things like body language and sometimes nlp depending on how educated my audiences are. My spectators are at the end of my performances amazed and have no doubts about my performance or claims, as I don't make any claims and I hope I give an enjoyable and unbiased performance.
One day I will write a book
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Kenn Capman Regular user Southwestern Michigan 196 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-09-04 16:03, randomdan wrote: The 'X-Men' angle is great for the younger performers. Especially if they back it up with 'evidence' that psychic abilities are stronger in the adolescent years. (a popular theme in a lot of paranormal literature)
"The thermometer of success is merely the jealousy of the malcontents."
- Salvador Dali - |
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magicman02 Veteran user 304 Posts |
I thought my brother and I were the only set of twins in magic working on a mentalism act, interesting to see that there is someone else out there.
About the character thing, if you are young, can't you say that you are using psychology, like psychology that you are learning in college, but it is applied psychology. Won't that be more believable? |
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mindhunter Inner circle Upstate NY 2280 Posts |
I think that is a valid point, magicman. My "hook" is that coming from a law enforcement perspective I am very attuned to using kinesics, persuasive linguistic techniques during interviews, and generally "being a student of human moves," to quote Fast Eddie Felson.
Applied psychology is something that we are doing after all to a certain degree. For those those that leave it up to the spectators to speculate how the effect was accomplished, no harm, no foul. HOWEVER, in my opinion, for one to claim "the true gift" as the reason reason how they accomplish our effects they had better bring a whole other set of credentials to the table. (although now that I am thinking about it is age actually one of them? Didn't everyone believe the little girl when she said "THEYYYYREEE HHHEEEREEE...." or the little boy who saw dead people?..LOL)
Bryn D. Reynolds, Author of:
"The Safwan Papers" & "The LOGAR Scrolls" Mentalism ebooks - PM any interest. My artwork: https://darkmountainarts.com |
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