Hey big spender...

So today I needed to make a prop more visible from stage, however I needed something that would be flexible and durable. I only needed maybe a shot glass full but had to buy a large container to get that shot of yellow goo. So 9$ later my prop is finished and I have a huge container of tool dip that I have nothing else to do with.

This is the joy/pain of creating your own stuff and trying to make the magic better. However I am here to say to you now: Don't be afraid to spend the money on something you need!

Do you only need an 1/8th of a can of spray paint in a color you won't ever use again? Will it be worth it or make a prop better because of it? If so, BUY THE DAMN PAINT! It might seem like a waste to you, but it's actually an investment (and tax write off) that will make you look better in the end. O course if you don't have the funds to grab simple stuff like paint or whatnot, ask some friends. You never know what they have lurking in their garage. Also check online for cheaper prices.

Sometimes however, spending the money can't be avoided so you just have to save up to get that part you need. Just make sure you know FORE SURE it's what you need. It sucks to buy something that you can't use.

So the next time you grimace at that 5$ you have to drop on some bauble to improve a prop, just remember it's all worth it in the end....

Maybe.

Now hear this!!

Are you sick and tired of sound men blowing a cue so simple as "Pause"? We all suffer from this affliction. However there is a product I have found (and successfully used) that will help alleviate all of this. It's called Ijet. If you own an ipod, iphone or an itouchmyselfwhenIthinkofyou then this is a must have to those who have music or cues in their act.

Now back to the show...

Snip, snip....

Dear magicians,

Please stop using your fingers like scissors to "cut" rope. It's insulting to the audience's intelligence and gives away the method. Find another joke that is not so tired and over-used.

Thanx,

The mngmnt.

PS: If I went back in time and Killed Tabary, what do you think modern rope magic would look like?

Who was that masked man?

I was recently at Magic Live talking with Steve Brooks (Yes THAT Steve Brooks) about the silliness of magicians and anonymity on the internet. Anyone who has been reading this thing for.. however many years it's been now, knows I will gladly own up to anything I say and defend it. If I didn't mean what I say, I wouldn't say it. Sure it might not make me many friends but if someone is going to get in a snit over something someone says about them on the internet, I don't want to be friends with those people anyway.

On the flip side, there is a certain bit of truth in being anonymous. (Just ask those anti-scientology people) You can find out just how they feel and get a better truth when they are protected. In some ways it's the only way for some people to be themselves... by NOT being themselves. It's an odd dichotomy. The main drawback of course is that if you get too mouthy and then found out, you can have a world of hurt brought down upon you.

So for you magi out there who think yer hot shit because you are a faceless entity in cyberspace just remember there are people smarter than you with better toys and if you push the line too far, you just might be in a bit of trouble for a while.

Now here's Tom with the weather...

Fly you fools!!

Before I toddle off to my (very) late night gig, I want to share with you one of the thoughts that crossed my mind at the recent PCAM/CAM convention (Which was killer might I add).

I have talked about how we know the end of the trick so we forget that the audience doesn't also share this arcane knowledge. This fact tends to put us into a rut of crap performances and I hit upon a reason why...

We forget to make the journey interesting because we already know the destination.

we just want to get to that wow moment. Like an over-zealous teenager who tries to undo that bra too soon, we jump the gun and just leave the best moments flapping in the breeze as it were.

A lot of times stepping back from out material and looking at it as if we had never seen it before can be beneficial. Look at the build up (if there is any) as if you didn't know the end game. You might find some ways to make the outcome more interesting and the ride there more exciting. Let's face it...

Getting there is half the fun.

Resist!!

In my lecture this weekend I tried to hammer home the ability to be creative is to put restrictions on yourself. If you have read my Creativity Notes then you know what I mean.

As an example, have a look at This. The makers of the short films were allowed to ONLY use the same 6 lines. This makes them focus on how to tell a story without saying too much.

As magicians we tend to be wordy bitches and rely and over-explaining things. Why not limit yourself to as little dialogue as you can and see if you can tell the same story. You never know...

It just might change your life.