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Ten Basics of Magic |
Okay so you want to delve into the world of magic. Before you buy yourself your first set of trick cards or magic wand, heed these ten guidelines to steer you in your magic career.
First, never ever reveal the true nature of your trick. Good or great magic tricks will only remain so if you keep them a secret. The minute you reveal the inner workings of the simplest of tricks, the "magic" of it all will be forever dispelled. Magic trick secrets are on a need to know basis and your audience doesn't need to know--ever! If you tell them, you will only shatter the aura of mystery you worked so extremely hard to create. To be a good magician means making the audience "believe." If you take the mystery out of the magic, then you destroy the illusion and to them you are just a trickster and the profession is belittled.
Second, don't ever repeat a trick. Aside from the fact that inquiring minds are going to try to pick apart the trick, remember that doing a trick for a second time is never as good as the first. Why? Because the element of surprise is gone. Don't give your audience a chance to figure out the illusion. Change the subject or move on to your next trick. If you keep dazzling them, they'll stop begging you for answers to questions you don't want to answer.
Third, know when to start. Sure, when you are still a magician-in-training it's okay to bug your spouse or siblings with your annoying magic tricks. Practice does make perfect and there's no better test if the magic is getting better than to do it in front of a living, breathing audience. But when you are out in public you have to contain the knee-jerk reaction to show off your magic abilities. You don't want to interrupt dinners or birthday parties just so you can show off. Wait until there's a lull in the action or until someone asks. Don't be a magic busybody.
Fourth, know when to stop. Just as important as knowing when to pick up that wand is knowing when to put it down. You can never be wrong by stopping too soon. Guaranteed, if you do one solid trick and stop, you will be a success. It's always better to leave the audience wanting more than to have them "overloaded" with the magical experience.
Five, build up your audience. You need your audience to appreciate and marvel at your magical feats. Don't alienate them by making fun of them. They want to feel as though they were a part of the experience. Involve them. Build up your audience whenever you can. Credit them with helping you to make the magic work. Bring up volunteers and praise them for being instrumental in making the illusion work. An audience loves a magician who is generous and secure as an entertainer.
Six, you have to suit your tricks based on your audience. There's all kinds of magic and sometimes certain kinds of magic will play better with certain audiences. Be ready to adapt your magic to the crowd. So if you're performing for pre-schoolers, then skip the "thinking" tricks because the stuff will be way over their heads. Or if you suddenly find yourself performing outdoors instead of indoors, you might have to can a trick that wind or inclement weather may affect (like tricks with matches or cards).
Seven, remember that one really good trick is worth a hundred not-quite-ready-yet tricks. Even the best of magicians in the world only perfect about five new tricks a year. And they're professionals with years of experience. So find a trick or two and practice it until your eyes fall out and your hands fall off. As mentioned before, practice does make perfect. And you'll be the better for performing one solid trick than a bunch of duds. That one trick will entertain and dazzle the audience rather than have them half-entertained and unimpressed.
Eight, you have to work through the bad times. No matter how much you practice and no matter how many times you've pulled off a trick or illusion, there will be a time when something will go wrong. Just like a comedian who tells a joke that bombs, learn to laugh at yourself and say you are only human. Audiences appreciate that you can admit your mistakes especially if you're funny doing it. You might want to rehearse a clever, self-deprecating line to pull out of your hat in these situations.
Nine, be an actor playing the part of a magician and always act the part. Don't belittle a trick or make fun of an illusion unless you want the audience to do the same. If you want them to value what you are doing as a magician, then you must value your act and it's magic the same way. The audience is giving you the opportunity to delight them, it is your job to put on a show and not let them down. Just think how disappointed you would be if you went to a Broadway play and the lead actor just came on stage and recited his lines in a monotone voice. You can never phone in a "performance." It's all part and parcel of the illusion.
Ten, and lastly, make the trick yours. Learn from the great magicians. Be inspired by a great performance. But don't copy someone's act. Your performance should reflect your personality and your style. As mentioned before, when you are on stage you are creating an aura. Behind the tricks and illusions, an audience wants to connect with the performer. Like a hero in a film, the audience needs to sympathize or empathize that there is a human being up on stage. Nothing helps an audience connect better than a great stage personality.
If you are respectful of these ten guidelines and work to embrace their meaning, then you will be well on the way to becoming a successful magician performing outstanding magic tricks.
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