choosing effects

[jjqidding]

Hi,
I have a problem with all the effects i can do i always have the feeling that i forgot an effect that i used to do or don't know anymore how it works, is there a max number off effects i should keep with or how do you guys handle these problems?

Thx and sorry for my bad english

 

[Josh Burch]

There are a lot of guys that will tell you that 7 tricks is a good number. I agree to an extent. If you know 7 tricks well and can do them perfectly than you will be a step above most magicians.

Personally I keep a Google Doc of all of the tricks that are in my repertoire. I also have documents organizing my set lists for various shows. I have all of the tricks along with alternative routines I do for birthdays, adult shows and close up shows. I also keep a list of the sets I perform in walk around. On top of that I keep a list of effects that fool magicians, effects that I could perform on TV or just effects that interest me in some way whether or not I plan on performing them or not.

A lot can be said of weeding things out though. If you focus on doing just a few things well it is much better than performing a hundred things poorly.

 

[RealityOne]

There are a lot of guys that will tell you that 7 tricks is a good number. I agree to an extent. If you know 7 tricks well and can do them perfectly than you will be a step above most magicians.

Personally I keep a Google Doc of all of the tricks that are in my repertoire. I also have documents organizing my set lists for various shows. I have all of the tricks along with alternative routines I do for birthdays, adult shows and close up shows. I also keep a list of the sets I perform in walk around. On top of that I keep a list of effects that fool magicians, effects that I could perform on TV or just effects that interest me in some way whether or not I plan on performing them or not.

A lot can be said of weeding things out though. If you focus on doing just a few things well it is much better than performing a hundred things poorly.

I think the seven tricks comes from the David Devant quote at the beginning to Royal Road which focuses on the difference between knowing how a trick is done and being able to perform that trick well. Before any performance, I have to rehearse the effects just to make sure I remember how to do it correctly (a consequence of performing less than regularly and rotating effects in my shows).

I think the take away from Josh's post is that you have to keep track of tricks in different ways. There are the lists of tricks that interest you (whether you've learned them or not) and the tricks that you perform. I have a list of routines that I've scripted and developed. Much like Josh's lists, my lists of routines are broken down into close-up, parlor / stage and kids show effects and include the presentation script, methods and blocking [actions that I do]. I also have an idea list -- effects that I like but haven't yet fully developed into performance pieces (like the miser's dream using ice cubes rather than coins with a final appearance of a bottle of champagne) and lots of scripts (like the script for my martini olives cups and balls routine) that need to have the magic put into them. The rest of the effects and methods, I just try to remember because you never know when you need a method for a routine.