Making Your Magic Commericial - Robert Bone

When I made the decision to turn professional I decided that I needed repertoire of tricks that I could perform for my close-up act, but I realised that I couldn’t just do a pile of card tricks, or do tricks that I liked doing.  I would need to shortlist tricks, and then have those practised constantly and work on the patter, knowing that as they got performed to real live paying customers they could be developed.  As the tricks developed I could add new ones and take away the lamer ones, but I needed something to start things.

So I looked at what I already performed, what I liked performing, my character and the way my magic had already naturally evolved since I started learning.

I mainly thought of myself as a mentalist, and started to pursue that direction and learnt mentalism tricks and routines (probably due to Derren Brown...). However, I had come to realise that although it looks cool on TV, no one is going to book a moody arrogant twat who can 'read your mind' and wear a black trench-coat at their summer wedding. However, they are more willing to pay to have someone come along and tell them that black ink is heavier than red ink.

Now, personally, I couldn’t stand this type of trick. I've got sponge balls, I've learnt a sponge ball routine, people actually LIKE my sponge ball routine, but it just didn’t feel comfortable at first.  It just didn’t feel magical, I mean, they are just some sponge balls.

What I've now decided is to hit on a compromise, well, at least for the time being. Basically, I'm essentially dumbing down my magic for the mainstream audience. One way to describe what I mean is that a band wants to create their own music their own way, but writes pop-songs to get noticed and sell records, once they've got a fan base they can then 'go back to their roots'.

Another way to describe this is to use Derren Brown as an example. He is known for his mentalism, but many years ago he used to table-hop round restaurants doing the ambitious card routine! Slowly he evolved, and his magic evolved with him.

So how do you do this, well, pick about 6 tricks that YOU feel comfortable doing and that others will like and practise them.  Also come up with patter and script the trick.  Each time you practise you perform like you are performing for an audience so you practise the lines, not just the moves.  I personally chose tricks covering many styles of magic, so my style and short-listed tricks could be refined using the Darwinian principle of Survival of the Fittest.

I came up with a set of rules and criteria to help me shortlist my tricks.  When I was short-listing tricks there were many tricks that packed a punch and went down really well with the audience but I had to get rid of.  These rules are:

1. NOT be a card trick
2. Packs small and flat (ie can be stored in a jacket pocket)
3. No re-set (or very quick and simple to reset)
4. Something that doesn't need lots of explaining
5. Big enough to be seen by everyone round a large table (ie up to 10 foot away, not little fiddly things)
6. Colourful would be nice (to get attention)
7. Multi-stage would be great (so people who missed the beginning still understand the effect)
8. Can involve spectators, but doesn't have too (ie have the magic happen in their hands is always nice)
9. Simple sleights or even self-working (so I can concentrate on the presentation).

Of course, I now apply this list of criteria when I’m looking to buy new tricks.  This has saved me money by not buying something because I want it, but will never use it.  Maybe as time goes on I’ll adapt the list to fit my changing needs and style (just as you should).

Although many of the rules are self-explanatory, I will explain the first one, as this one may worry some magicians.  I’m not saying don’t do card tricks, but when looking for new tricks try to avoid card tricks.  A couple of card tricks are great, and no magician should leave the house without a pack of cards in their pocket.  Everyone expects you to do card tricks, so you should.  But it is this reason that you should also avoid them.  The chances are the average layman has an uncle that performs some card tricks (quite badly), and they naturally assume that your card tricks will be similar.  Your card tricks may be great and amazing, but some people will just turn off at the sight of a pack of cards.

Try doing a card trick at a table after you have performed something else and you have their attention.  This is why big and colourful tricks are good, especially if you can get people involved.

When I say big, I mean they look big, but fold away small and flat.  Pocket space is a commodity to the professional table hopper.  You can’t be going to a side room after each table to get your next trick (and reset things for that matter).  In the eyes of the booker, you are being paid to perform magic, not spend half your time prepping.

This also means that I don’t use gimmicked decks.  When I listed all the tricks I could do for close-up I found that I would need to carry about ten different decks with me if I was going to perform all my effects, (i.e. invisible & brainwave decks, one-way deck, three-way deck, Svengali Deck, various gimmicked decks and of course a standard deck.

Once you know what tricks you are doing and have enough space in your pockets without your suit bulging too much, work out what pockets the tricks go into.  Now always keep the tricks in the same pockets.  For example, if you keep a deck of cards in your left jacket pocket, put them back into your left jacket pocket after you finish.  If you have to fumble for the next trick it will ruin the flow of your performance and make it look un-rehearsed.  If you can glide effortlessly between tricks you look more polished and it doesn’t give time for your audience to lose attention.

The person who is paying your bill will look at you from across the room, and although they can’t see the quality of the magic or hear your great lines, they will see that you have a group of their guest entranced in your performance, which is what they are paying you to do.

© Enigmagic 2007