Ok, so I post something educational, enlightening and humorous in response to a question on a message board - I mean, you know it's the definitive answer because, well, it's me, right? Then I go back later and there are 17 responses after mine. A number of the responses mimic exactly what I've said, adding nothing, or say, "Me too!" A few say, "No way!," but provide no further information. Several point out spelling mistakes to some of the responses following my response. And at least one is a non sequitur that says something like, "But what about camera edits?," when the question asked about good books on mentalism.
Even if I gave the Rosetta Stone of answers to the poor git's question it'd be lost in the noise. But at least this blog's link would still show up in my signature, which was the whole point anyway.
Showing posts with label rants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rants. Show all posts
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
What's the word?
It was session night with a friend, so we met at the usual place. (In truth, I'm not sure he's still a friend. I performed the cardinal sin of magic - I offered my honest opinion about something he was involved in. Haven't heard from him since.) Anyway, he brought along another guy, a relative newbie to the art of magic. After some general conversation the guy made a strange request:
"Show me a sleight."
Keep in mind I'd never seen him perform, didn't really know his interests or skill level, and even if I did it would be an odd request. Kinda like meeting a piano player and asking him/her to play a note for you!
I wish I could say the guy asked this because he was relatively new to magic. But stranger things have come out of the mouths of experienced magicians. I have heard (and been asked) this question more than once: "What's the best palm?" Now let's assume for the sake of a family audience that we're talking about cards - it's still way too open a question. Here is a partial list of the things you need to take into consideration before deciding which method to use to palm a single card:
Are the cards starting out face up or face down? Will the card need to end up with its face against your palm or with its back against your palm? Will it be held out for a very short time or for an extended period? What will happen to the palmed card - put back on the deck, loaded into a wallet, slid into a spectator's pocket? How many people present - one, five, two hundred? How big are your hands? What happens just before you want to palm the card? What palming methods are in your repertoire? etc., etc., etc.
It's a bit like being in the middle of a conversation and having someone say, in no particular context, "Give me a word." Well, I think the best word at that point would be, "huh?" In other words, context is everything.
Want a word? OK, the word for today is "lagniappe."
Want the best palm? It's the one that serves your purposes at the time.
"Show me a sleight."
Keep in mind I'd never seen him perform, didn't really know his interests or skill level, and even if I did it would be an odd request. Kinda like meeting a piano player and asking him/her to play a note for you!
I wish I could say the guy asked this because he was relatively new to magic. But stranger things have come out of the mouths of experienced magicians. I have heard (and been asked) this question more than once: "What's the best palm?" Now let's assume for the sake of a family audience that we're talking about cards - it's still way too open a question. Here is a partial list of the things you need to take into consideration before deciding which method to use to palm a single card:
Are the cards starting out face up or face down? Will the card need to end up with its face against your palm or with its back against your palm? Will it be held out for a very short time or for an extended period? What will happen to the palmed card - put back on the deck, loaded into a wallet, slid into a spectator's pocket? How many people present - one, five, two hundred? How big are your hands? What happens just before you want to palm the card? What palming methods are in your repertoire? etc., etc., etc.
It's a bit like being in the middle of a conversation and having someone say, in no particular context, "Give me a word." Well, I think the best word at that point would be, "huh?" In other words, context is everything.
Want a word? OK, the word for today is "lagniappe."
Want the best palm? It's the one that serves your purposes at the time.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Waiter, there's a man in my soup!
Once upon a time my wife's car died so she drove me to work in my car. My work has a security gate that requires a badge to enter after 5:00 p.m. There were several problems with that, especially that particular day:
1. I get off at 6:00 p.m., and
2. I had my badge, which I needed to get around the building, so
3. my wife stopped outside the security gate, which is 150 feet or so from the building proper (remember my bad knee) and
4. it picked that day, at that time, to rain like hell. I was soaked when I got to the car.
We decided to go out to eat. My first stop was to the restroom to towel off as best I could (read: I was still sopping wet).
The restaurant had a strolling magician. The food was good. The magician was not. I'm not even particularly talking about his tricks. I just cringed at how he approached the table and how he treated the patrons. Some examples:
The sad thing is that I'm sure if I asked the guy he'd say he had a very successful performance. After all, he stayed at the table for twenty minutes, right? And that gave him one more notch in his belt - one more "successful" performance.
I was discussing magic with a friend one time, and the various skill levels among people despite the fact that some had been in magic a very long time. He then said something that stuck with me, and that I think of when I see someone like our strolling clueless wonder (worker). He said, and I'm paraphrasing, that some people have thirty years of experience in magic and some people have one year of experience thirty times.
I once did restaurant magic for a living (for a very short time). I was very hesitant to approach a table. People were there to eat - I was a surprise, and, contrary to most magicians' beliefs, not everyone likes surprises, and not everyone likes magic. I tried to be in tune with my audience, and if they weren't up for what I was doing I would cut it short and thank them for their time. I also tried to work from my pockets, and I seldom set anything on the table. I never touched plates or utensils that were still in use. That just struck me as wrong. Still does. If food came I wrapped up and moved on unless I was specifically requested to stay. In that same vein, I kept my routines short, and the few routines that ran a bit long were modular so I had several stopping points in case I needed one.
If I were to do restaurant work again I think I'd have table tents printed (or talk the restaurant into having them printed) that say something like, "Place this card near the end of your table if you'd like to see the magician." Something like that would be relatively cheap at your local Kinko's, and it'd serve a dual purpose: it would inform the patrons that a magician was on premises, and it would give them a method to signal said magician and let him/her know they were up for a performance. Then you could approach a table and know you weren't interrupting.
Do that.
*************
Since writing this I've been informed that several performaers have used the table tent idea. I've heard the names Don Alan, Scott Guinn, and Eugene Burger, among others, mentioned. Great minds...
1. I get off at 6:00 p.m., and
2. I had my badge, which I needed to get around the building, so
3. my wife stopped outside the security gate, which is 150 feet or so from the building proper (remember my bad knee) and
4. it picked that day, at that time, to rain like hell. I was soaked when I got to the car.
We decided to go out to eat. My first stop was to the restroom to towel off as best I could (read: I was still sopping wet).
The restaurant had a strolling magician. The food was good. The magician was not. I'm not even particularly talking about his tricks. I just cringed at how he approached the table and how he treated the patrons. Some examples:
- He carried a large wooden case with a drawer that contained his props. When he approached the table he touched peoples plates (with food on them) to move them to accommodate his case. Don't do that.
- He then asked people to shift their chairs around and pay attention to him rather than their food. Don't do that.
- He started his routine by saying, "We're going to play a game, and you can't win." Don't do that.
- He then did an incredibly long routine while the people were trying to eat. Don't do that.
- He invoked religion in the middle of the routine without gauging his audience. Don't do that.
- He performed for more than twenty minutes at the one table. Don't do that. (I could tell they wanted him to leave, and other tables wanted him to perform for them. He was oblivious.)
The sad thing is that I'm sure if I asked the guy he'd say he had a very successful performance. After all, he stayed at the table for twenty minutes, right? And that gave him one more notch in his belt - one more "successful" performance.
I was discussing magic with a friend one time, and the various skill levels among people despite the fact that some had been in magic a very long time. He then said something that stuck with me, and that I think of when I see someone like our strolling clueless wonder (worker). He said, and I'm paraphrasing, that some people have thirty years of experience in magic and some people have one year of experience thirty times.
I once did restaurant magic for a living (for a very short time). I was very hesitant to approach a table. People were there to eat - I was a surprise, and, contrary to most magicians' beliefs, not everyone likes surprises, and not everyone likes magic. I tried to be in tune with my audience, and if they weren't up for what I was doing I would cut it short and thank them for their time. I also tried to work from my pockets, and I seldom set anything on the table. I never touched plates or utensils that were still in use. That just struck me as wrong. Still does. If food came I wrapped up and moved on unless I was specifically requested to stay. In that same vein, I kept my routines short, and the few routines that ran a bit long were modular so I had several stopping points in case I needed one.
If I were to do restaurant work again I think I'd have table tents printed (or talk the restaurant into having them printed) that say something like, "Place this card near the end of your table if you'd like to see the magician." Something like that would be relatively cheap at your local Kinko's, and it'd serve a dual purpose: it would inform the patrons that a magician was on premises, and it would give them a method to signal said magician and let him/her know they were up for a performance. Then you could approach a table and know you weren't interrupting.
Do that.
*************
Since writing this I've been informed that several performaers have used the table tent idea. I've heard the names Don Alan, Scott Guinn, and Eugene Burger, among others, mentioned. Great minds...
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Primate motivate
I don't know where he first heard the phrase, but I'm sure it's not original with him. We were watching a young magician who (so far) had learned all his magic via video. He apparently knew no complete effects, but he could shuttle pass, Sybil cut, and Sylvester Pitch with the best of them. BS Andrews turned to me and said two words:
"Move monkey."
Perfect. Those two words said it all.
I still chuckle when I think about that moment.
"Move monkey."
"Move monkey."
Perfect. Those two words said it all.
I still chuckle when I think about that moment.
"Move monkey."
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
A night on the town
Yeah, I'm ready, baby! Ready for a night on the town. I've got my derby, my vest, my rainbow suspenders, my "I'm a Magician!" button and my bunny button with the flashing eyes. My rainbow silk shirt is clean and my dice cufflinks are ready to go.
My pockets are loaded:
two thumb tips, sponge balls, sponge bunnies, sponge ding-dong, hot rod, color changing knife, two thimbles, eight pieces of rope prepared for cut 'n restored, one pair of scissors (ooh, better move those a little...), breakaway wand, mini set of linking rings, a Kiss the Magician packet trick (strangers love to do that, ya know!), and fifteen assorted trick decks.
I know all the gags:
"Show me your hand... no, the clean hand.... oh, I guess that was your clean hand."
"Show the card to all your friends... that shouldn't take too long!"
"Hey guys, this ever happen to you?" (Show breakaway wand "wilting.")
Man, Taco Bell will never know what hit 'em!
******************************************
Disclaimer
This is obviously fiction, because:
A. nobody knows anybody who really acts like this, and
B. the batteries on my bunny button are dead.
My pockets are loaded:
two thumb tips, sponge balls, sponge bunnies, sponge ding-dong, hot rod, color changing knife, two thimbles, eight pieces of rope prepared for cut 'n restored, one pair of scissors (ooh, better move those a little...), breakaway wand, mini set of linking rings, a Kiss the Magician packet trick (strangers love to do that, ya know!), and fifteen assorted trick decks.
I know all the gags:
"Show me your hand... no, the clean hand.... oh, I guess that was your clean hand."
"Show the card to all your friends... that shouldn't take too long!"
"Hey guys, this ever happen to you?" (Show breakaway wand "wilting.")
Man, Taco Bell will never know what hit 'em!
******************************************
Disclaimer
This is obviously fiction, because:
A. nobody knows anybody who really acts like this, and
B. the batteries on my bunny button are dead.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Investment
Back when my bum knee wasn't such a bum I also juggled. One day at the juggling club I ran into a guy who used to be a magician. I asked him why he got out of it. He said he was disappointed that anyone could walk in to a magic shop, buy the props he was using, and essentially do the same act. With juggling he knew he could do something someone off the street couldn't do.
Unfortunately what he said about magic is true for far too many of us. Anyone could buy our props and do our act. Magic has what at first looks like a feature but often is a liability; it has an inherent interest. Even incompetent magic can fool and, barring that, there is always the fun in busting the magician. Juggling, after the first few minutes, doesn't carry such inherent interest.
Why is this a liability, you ask? It means the performer isn't required to invest as much of himself to get a nominally positive response. Buy a dove pan, produce a bunny, get a few "ooh"s and "ahh"s. Instant magical gratification. One can (and many have) earn enough spare change to call one's self "professional" without doing much more than that.
Why are magicians and not jugglers fictionally portrayed as incompetents? Because the jugglers that make it do so based on their act and the work they put in and not on how their props look or work. (That being said, I want to acknowledge some jugglers who have raised the level of their art. Michael Moschen. Viktor Kee. Viva and Olga. And I really want to pass on a personal debt of gratitude to the now-defunct trio Airjazz, for their kindness, professionalism and artistic vision.)
So what does this mean to you, O Worker of Wonders? It means you need to make an extra effort to insert yourself into your magic. Be brave. Open yourself up and let the audience see who you are. Have an opinion, and state it. Make an emotional investment in your art. There is a quote I've always loved regarding how easy it is to be a writer. I've reproduced it below. Make a couple of changes (most acts, for example, don't use a typewriter) and it applies to the ease of being a magician.
Unfortunately what he said about magic is true for far too many of us. Anyone could buy our props and do our act. Magic has what at first looks like a feature but often is a liability; it has an inherent interest. Even incompetent magic can fool and, barring that, there is always the fun in busting the magician. Juggling, after the first few minutes, doesn't carry such inherent interest.
Why is this a liability, you ask? It means the performer isn't required to invest as much of himself to get a nominally positive response. Buy a dove pan, produce a bunny, get a few "ooh"s and "ahh"s. Instant magical gratification. One can (and many have) earn enough spare change to call one's self "professional" without doing much more than that.
Why are magicians and not jugglers fictionally portrayed as incompetents? Because the jugglers that make it do so based on their act and the work they put in and not on how their props look or work. (That being said, I want to acknowledge some jugglers who have raised the level of their art. Michael Moschen. Viktor Kee. Viva and Olga. And I really want to pass on a personal debt of gratitude to the now-defunct trio Airjazz, for their kindness, professionalism and artistic vision.)
So what does this mean to you, O Worker of Wonders? It means you need to make an extra effort to insert yourself into your magic. Be brave. Open yourself up and let the audience see who you are. Have an opinion, and state it. Make an emotional investment in your art. There is a quote I've always loved regarding how easy it is to be a writer. I've reproduced it below. Make a couple of changes (most acts, for example, don't use a typewriter) and it applies to the ease of being a magician.
There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a
vein. ~Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith
Monday, November 20, 2006
Improving it worse
"He improved it worse." [Al Baker]
The effect known as "botania" used to be a thing of beauty: vines would spring forth from a previously empty pot, then roses would sprout on the vines. Real roses. Then someone decided it would last longer if the roses were made of cloth. Someone else decided the effect could be made more cheaply by covering the pot between each phase, lifting the cover to reveal the results. And so on and so on, ad nauseum. It is no longer a thing of beauty.
Once upon a time I set out to learn the Paul Rosini impromptu thimble routine from The Dai Vernon Book of Magic (now how is "Dai" pronounced again?). I had trouble getting that fifth thimble to cooperate, so I did the effect with four. I figured people who had never seen the effect wouldn't know the difference. The guy who suggested I learn it was seriously unhappy. I got mad at him at the time but he was right.
Don't take shortcuts in your magic. Don't "improve it worse." Take time to work out all the details, and don't succumb to the temptation to cut corners. Our art is worthy of our respect and attention.
By the way, I handle that fifth thimble like a charm now.
The effect known as "botania" used to be a thing of beauty: vines would spring forth from a previously empty pot, then roses would sprout on the vines. Real roses. Then someone decided it would last longer if the roses were made of cloth. Someone else decided the effect could be made more cheaply by covering the pot between each phase, lifting the cover to reveal the results. And so on and so on, ad nauseum. It is no longer a thing of beauty.
Once upon a time I set out to learn the Paul Rosini impromptu thimble routine from The Dai Vernon Book of Magic (now how is "Dai" pronounced again?). I had trouble getting that fifth thimble to cooperate, so I did the effect with four. I figured people who had never seen the effect wouldn't know the difference. The guy who suggested I learn it was seriously unhappy. I got mad at him at the time but he was right.
Don't take shortcuts in your magic. Don't "improve it worse." Take time to work out all the details, and don't succumb to the temptation to cut corners. Our art is worthy of our respect and attention.
By the way, I handle that fifth thimble like a charm now.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
...but don't take my word for it...
You'll find plenty of experts on the internet. If you don't believe they're experts just ask 'em. And the qualifications for "expert" seem iffy at best.
An example from MySpace: A young gentleman went on to several magic groups asking how to get booked. He was given several pieces of advice, ranging from really bad to...adequate. A week later this same young man came back to the same groups touting himself as an expert, saying he was going to put out a newsletter with tips on various aspects of the magic industry, including (you guessed it) the best way to book shows.
More than once on similar groups I've seen posts of this type: "I just got booked for a show next month at the Poobah Lodge. What tricks should I do?" People then offer up advice on what kind of tricks they think the Poobahs would like. I don't think I've ever seen the answer I'd like to see: "You mean you took a paying gig without having an act ready? Call them back, cancel, and apologize profusely for wasting their time. Then create an act before ever accepting a paying gig."
Magic is a wonderful hobby, and once you get caught up in it it's only natural to want to share it with the world. And knowing the best way to do that is tough if you haven't been at it for very long. So how do you go about polishing your act, putting on shows, and then maybe even charging for those shows?
I submit that you don't ask in a group on the internet. Read the classic books on magic. Find a mentor. Go to a magic club. Seek out successful magicians and find out how they did it. If you go on to some group and get advice from some anonymous member with a user name like "crayzee4majic" then you're liable to be getting information on what new tricks to add to your first gig next month.
An example from MySpace: A young gentleman went on to several magic groups asking how to get booked. He was given several pieces of advice, ranging from really bad to...adequate. A week later this same young man came back to the same groups touting himself as an expert, saying he was going to put out a newsletter with tips on various aspects of the magic industry, including (you guessed it) the best way to book shows.
More than once on similar groups I've seen posts of this type: "I just got booked for a show next month at the Poobah Lodge. What tricks should I do?" People then offer up advice on what kind of tricks they think the Poobahs would like. I don't think I've ever seen the answer I'd like to see: "You mean you took a paying gig without having an act ready? Call them back, cancel, and apologize profusely for wasting their time. Then create an act before ever accepting a paying gig."
Magic is a wonderful hobby, and once you get caught up in it it's only natural to want to share it with the world. And knowing the best way to do that is tough if you haven't been at it for very long. So how do you go about polishing your act, putting on shows, and then maybe even charging for those shows?
I submit that you don't ask in a group on the internet. Read the classic books on magic. Find a mentor. Go to a magic club. Seek out successful magicians and find out how they did it. If you go on to some group and get advice from some anonymous member with a user name like "crayzee4majic" then you're liable to be getting information on what new tricks to add to your first gig next month.
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