Hey guys I’m new to theory 11 and I am really excited to be here! I’ve been recently working on a card magic show and workshop charity event that I am running at my local library for December 15. I’ve been getting more serious in card magic (not as a career though) and am wondering how I should run or organize my show, what tricks to teach at a magic workshop, and how I should market myself. If anybody could help me maybe come up with ideas for marketing myself, if a magic name is necessary, and maybe what tricks are good for teaching kids, I would really greatly appreciate it. I would really appreciate any and all of your feedback, thanks.
Organizing a magic routine and show
- Thread starter yourmagicalbrother
- Start date
Welcome to the forums.
Can you give us more deatails about the show? How many people? What ages? How long? What is the performance space like? Those factors influence what effects you can perform.
My one concern is the age of the audience. It takes something more than card tricks to entertain children under age 13.
Also, how about some details about yourself? Are you under 16, 16 to 18, 18 to 21 or older than 21? Your age relative to the audience greatly affects how you structure your performance. How long have you been studying magic and what is your performance experience? What resources (books, DVDs, effects) do you have?
As for teaching effects, I typically avoid teaching anything that a magician would use. I have actually found that teaching even simple effects “ruins” the magic performance that people have just seen. Not knowing is more magical than knowing. That said, I’d be glad to share some effects that are easy to teach with you. I’d also recommend getting a copy of Scarne on Card Tricks and Mark Wildon’s Complete Course which have some good self working effects.
Can you give us more deatails about the show? How many people? What ages? How long? What is the performance space like? Those factors influence what effects you can perform.
My one concern is the age of the audience. It takes something more than card tricks to entertain children under age 13.
Also, how about some details about yourself? Are you under 16, 16 to 18, 18 to 21 or older than 21? Your age relative to the audience greatly affects how you structure your performance. How long have you been studying magic and what is your performance experience? What resources (books, DVDs, effects) do you have?
As for teaching effects, I typically avoid teaching anything that a magician would use. I have actually found that teaching even simple effects “ruins” the magic performance that people have just seen. Not knowing is more magical than knowing. That said, I’d be glad to share some effects that are easy to teach with you. I’d also recommend getting a copy of Scarne on Card Tricks and Mark Wildon’s Complete Course which have some good self working effects.
So the show itself is going to be between 30-40 minutes. I am doing the show as a charity event at my local library. I know it's not the most exciting place to have my show, but it is really the best opportunity I have right now. I said that the show will be for family and kids of all ages because logically the library cannot refuse certain ages, but I am targeting it for people ages 8-14. I am 16 years old and I have been studying card magic for about 2 years, but more intensely and seriously for 1 year. I have realized that I am more of a card mechanic and love learning new slights and skills, but I have worked on a routine and have performed for a few people, but definitely not enough. I know it sounds silly, but almost all of my tricks I have learned from Youtube, and I have created originals and variations.
Pertaining to the workshop, I was thinking to just teach very simple magic with ordinary objects that is self working as well as card tricks that are self-working. If you have effects that are easy to teach, I would be very happy if you shared them with.
The reason why I am doing card magic specifically is because my tricks are much more advanced and skilled in comparison to the few tricks I know with regular objects that are not nearly as impressive. I am also interested in cards because they allow you to create magic and effects impromptu and completely on the spot as well as allow you to be creative.
Pertaining to the workshop, I was thinking to just teach very simple magic with ordinary objects that is self working as well as card tricks that are self-working. If you have effects that are easy to teach, I would be very happy if you shared them with.
The reason why I am doing card magic specifically is because my tricks are much more advanced and skilled in comparison to the few tricks I know with regular objects that are not nearly as impressive. I am also interested in cards because they allow you to create magic and effects impromptu and completely on the spot as well as allow you to be creative.
Let’s start with YouTube. It is not a good place to learn magic and not a place to seriously study magic. I suspect that much of the technique you have learned, you have learned incorrectly. Put the first two volumes of Card College on your holiday wish list.
Let’s move on to your audience. I hear magic show and library and I’m thinking 5 to 10 year olds and their parents. Be prepared for that. You might get an older audience if it is advertised as just card magic.
My best advice for you is to vary your effects and include as many tricks with cards (card to impossible location, torn and restored, cards across) rather than pick a card / find a card tricks or ace assemblies. Also, be aware that it will be difficult to perform on a table if you have a larger crowd. Be prepared to perform standing up.
You should also add some presentation to your effects other than saying what you are doing. You should aim to have each effect be around 4 minutes. That would mean you need around 8 effects.
My sense is that you should cancel the workshop and instead teach a trick as part of your show. If you do the workshop, you should not teach anything that involves sleight of hand because the audience won’t have enough time to learn the sleights. Also, having learned from Youtube you may not have learned correctly. I have three card tricks that are simple and no magician would perform that I will send you via PM.
What effects are you thinking about performing and in what order?
Let’s move on to your audience. I hear magic show and library and I’m thinking 5 to 10 year olds and their parents. Be prepared for that. You might get an older audience if it is advertised as just card magic.
My best advice for you is to vary your effects and include as many tricks with cards (card to impossible location, torn and restored, cards across) rather than pick a card / find a card tricks or ace assemblies. Also, be aware that it will be difficult to perform on a table if you have a larger crowd. Be prepared to perform standing up.
You should also add some presentation to your effects other than saying what you are doing. You should aim to have each effect be around 4 minutes. That would mean you need around 8 effects.
My sense is that you should cancel the workshop and instead teach a trick as part of your show. If you do the workshop, you should not teach anything that involves sleight of hand because the audience won’t have enough time to learn the sleights. Also, having learned from Youtube you may not have learned correctly. I have three card tricks that are simple and no magician would perform that I will send you via PM.
What effects are you thinking about performing and in what order?
Okay, thank you so much for your feedback and help.
I am actually advertising the show specifically as a card magic show, so hopefully there will be an older audience.
I was planning to do 10 effects that add up to maximum 40 minutes.
I was planning to do my routine in sets:
SET 1
1. Seek and Destroy
2. Transportation trick (card sandwiched between 2 red queens ends up sandwiched between 2 black queens in closed box)
3. Panic+ homing kings
This is my show so far, and I am planning for each set to be probably 10 minutes. I plan to do a walk around for the first set, and then magic that does require a platform (or maybe I can use a computer stand?) but vary it up so I am always standing up or walking around.
I completely understand your point about excluding the workshop; however, I just feel that it will be able to raise more money for the charity that I am fundraising for. It is requiring a $5 ticket ahead of time or the day of. I was going to recommend a $3 donation as well for the performance. However, depending on how many people sign up for the workshop, you're right that it might be a better idea to just do it during the show or market it maybe. Either way, I should use self-working effects, but should I only do card effects, or stuff with everyday objects as well? I mean, if it is a card magic show, would it be bad to do just card magic self- working effects? Also, if you can, I would greatly appreciate if you can send the card tricks that are self-working, and thank you so much for helping me out with this, because I am still a beginner in the field!
I am actually advertising the show specifically as a card magic show, so hopefully there will be an older audience.
I was planning to do 10 effects that add up to maximum 40 minutes.
I was planning to do my routine in sets:
SET 1
- Have spectator choose the card, say it in their head, and then know the card, as well as have them end up with their card in their hand (variation)
- Ambitious card routine
- Chosen card moves to a book with the page number having the word they also selected from a lyric sheet or word sheet (original/variation)
- Card through dollar
- Triumph
- Time Paradox
- Dark horse (Original)
- Spectator Finds Own Card
- 5 card mentalism
1. Seek and Destroy
2. Transportation trick (card sandwiched between 2 red queens ends up sandwiched between 2 black queens in closed box)
3. Panic+ homing kings
This is my show so far, and I am planning for each set to be probably 10 minutes. I plan to do a walk around for the first set, and then magic that does require a platform (or maybe I can use a computer stand?) but vary it up so I am always standing up or walking around.
I completely understand your point about excluding the workshop; however, I just feel that it will be able to raise more money for the charity that I am fundraising for. It is requiring a $5 ticket ahead of time or the day of. I was going to recommend a $3 donation as well for the performance. However, depending on how many people sign up for the workshop, you're right that it might be a better idea to just do it during the show or market it maybe. Either way, I should use self-working effects, but should I only do card effects, or stuff with everyday objects as well? I mean, if it is a card magic show, would it be bad to do just card magic self- working effects? Also, if you can, I would greatly appreciate if you can send the card tricks that are self-working, and thank you so much for helping me out with this, because I am still a beginner in the field!