Performing...

[darosa.justin]

So ive been into magic for about 2 years now...and i basically do card tricks only.

i recently got in the beginning there were coins by penguin, but i havent really been paying much attention to coin magic..yet.

i was just wondering if doing only card magic would be enough to ...perform- in the street, at gigs/shows, restaurants etc.

Of course you'd probably say "whatever is right for you"..but hopefully ill get better advice than taht..(or not haha)

also, i only perform 3 card tricks regularly (of course to different people)

-Here then There/Ultimate Transpo
-2 Card Monte
-Biddle Trick

and at times ill perform whatever comes into mind...but im just wondering if those 3 tricks would be good enough to perform at restaurants, in the street and yeah...so any tips or advice would be appreciated..thanks!

 

[Avancer]

maybe for a start, but if you want to get serious, you'll need more.

 

[Twozwozer]

Well Im an all card guy (Besides D.D), You should check out Pyrotechnic Pasteboards, a brilliant Card Routine by Greg Wilson, I found it on Penguin Magic.

And of course you can go out on the streets with just cards. No one is going to say to you, "Nope, I dont want JUST a card Magician"

I brilliant card effect I alway do is the ACR, I highly recommend Crash Course 2. Its a brilliant routine that every card guy should know.

Cheers, Tom

 

[DannyT]

Hey Darosa,
I'd think about getting some other tricks to perform to go along with the rest. 3 tricks is good, but what if they want more? You got to give the people what they want, right? So I'd pick up The Royal Road To Card Magic by Paul Wilson. There are some great tricks in there. He also teaches card moves like forces and the pass and others. He's a great teacher, so I recommend picking this up.

 

[darosa.justin]

Oh yeah!

I forgot the ACR..i do taht as well..haha

i did think at first that i need to learn more..but then i realised (after hearing i think chris kenner? say that you only need a few really good tricks) that being a great magician is not about having a multitude of effects..but a few AMAZNG ones..

i was just wonderin what you guys think

 

[darosa.justin]

Oh and...i kno quite a few more tricks...those are just the ones i perform most of the time...most regularly..i.e. if someone asked me to show them tricks..id show these.

 

[Ritt1223]

I've been into magic for about three years now and at first i was a "collector" of magic rather than a performer of magic. i always wanted more. Long story short i ended up wasting a lot of time and money. One sure fire save all that i use and recomened if you don't already have, is an Invisable deck (ID). I cary mine everywhere. Now along with my ID. i only use maybe five card effects when i feel like using cards. Hope this helps brother.

Ritt

 

[MitchellStafiej]

Those 3 tricks seem to be the main stay for MANY new magicians now. If you are looking for some great effects to use, pick up AoA and/or Card College. They give such a variety of tricks/effects to use that will blow your spectator's mind. After a while those three tricks will become boring and you will want something more. A strong routine can't be based around those 3 tricks alone.

Mitchell

 

[Jack The Magician]

A performance involves a routine. A routine is not the performance of three tricks, but instead is the intertwining and weaving of the three tricks with patter and entertainment. Knowing more than three tricks is not a prerequisite for performing in the streets, in restaurants, etc., but knowing how to perform the tricks that you know well, confidently, while keeping the interest of the audience is most important.

There are other factors that affect performance, such as professionalism, but a routine with three tricks performed well will suffice.

Cheers.
JTM

 

[clllllust]

To comment on you stating you only do Card magic. Well it is up to you to do whatever you like, but it is fun to mix it up. I know I perfer card magic but, being able to do both and knowing skills with coins is very good if you have a skeptical audience who seems to figure out card tricks. As for routining, it should depend on how long you'd be performing for. Lets say your doing a restaurant gig and your table hopping, you want to pick maybe 2 or 3 ( at the least) tricks which are strong and flow together well. What I mean is that after performing one, your set-up for another trick or it involves the same principles. Lets say you do a trick which produces the 4 aces, like a spectator shuffles to the aces routine. Then you go from there into Lee Asher's "Asher Twist". It's stuff like that which makes a routine effective as well as patter. But, I won't go into that.

Hopefully I helped out a bit, and good luck.

-RA69

 

[Chr!s]

Before even considering working on a professional basis, you need a full arsenal of material that you are comfortable with. i worked on my stuff for 6 years before even thinking about paid work. I think the best way to judge yourself, at this point in your studies, would be to film your effects, built into a routine, then watch it through and ask 'would i pay to watch a magician do this?'. Alot of people (myself included) would pay to see a magician do his stuff, even if he was doing material i knew, so long as it was entertaining. basically, if it fools a magician, if your sleights are perfect, it doesn't matter, but it MUST be entertaining.
just my tuppence.

Chr!s

 

[Medifro]

There are many pros who earn a living with decks of cards alone. That being said, I was working on a 45 min.s close up act with cards only, I asked for advice from someone who firmly believes card magic can be entertaining on its own. Anwser: Get more experience performing none-card magic beforehand.

Go into other types of magic and perform them, coin magic is particulary good for you ( you're 2 years cards only ) for one big reason. In coin magic, in almost every effect you depend on misdirection and attention of your gaze, something many card tricks ( because the way they are taught in many resources ) doesn't have.

Experienced card magicians know the important of this and give misdirection and gaze their worthly attention, but the below-average card handlers usually do not because they think that misdirection is only part of the method, and if the instructions didn't have the word misdirection, then they perform the trick without knowing the Fred Kaps quote "Misdirect all the time" ( Check Card College 2 for detailed study of this ). In fact, if the trick had to use some misdirection-dependant sleights, they won't learn them.


To make my point even more clear":
How many card handlers don't like card palming? Alot.
How many coin magicians don't like coin palming? Almost zero, because coin magic is dependant on coin palming techniques.
----------------------------------
Another point, sometimes you will be in a situation where you don't have any deck of cards on you ( this happen even to pros ), learning magic that can be done anywhere anytime is essential too.
"Hey! you're that magician we hear about! Do a trick!"
"Sorry, I don't have my deck on me .."
----------------------------------
Yet another point, how many times this happens:
"Hey, we're having a birthday party this weekend, and we want to book you as a magician"
" Thanks! Though keep in mind that I perform for adults only"
"Don't worry, its an adult-only party"
You go and find there are more kids that adults there. Everyone had to bring their kids.

Spongs balls! Adults and kids love em.

---------------------

Hope this helps man.