I'm more amazed than you are...

I recently saw a magic show and was reminded of a bad habit some performers fall into and want to share it with you so maybe you don't fall into the same trap.

Don't know what has happened before the audience does.

What do I mean by this? Imagine You are doing a drawing duplication and before you ever see the drawing your helper has done you pronounce "and the drawings match" THEN you look at them both and THEN show the audience. This usually happens when you are following a script too tightly or have been doing a routine for so long you just speed through it (or you have not been taught anything about being theatrical AT ALL).

Now there are times when this is ok. When you cause the magic to happen on purpose and you know ahead of time what the outcome is supposed to be. The problem comes into play when the magic is supposed to be a "surprise" for you and the audience. I don't mean you have to act surprised, but you discover something at the same time as them.

If you know what has happened before you are supposed to know, it lends itself to the fact that there was no free will on the part of the audience and can even point towards a method.

So be aware that even if you are playing the part of a mind reader, you shouldn't get ahead of your audience.

Don't Be This Guy

Social Disease...

The past week, (hell the past few months), have been rough on magic. A lot of magicians are in a period of mourning and if you don't know why you might just need to look into it.

I could do one of my usual waxing poetic posts about who we lost like I have in the past and I still might but today I decided to do an experiment... a social experiment.

I thought to myself, "I wonder if any of the high profile social media guys have posted anything about any number of the people we have lost."

Did I find anything you ask?

Male, female, none of the people whose social media I slogged through said word one about Johnny, Dusheck, Sonny, Denny, or any of the others who have recently passed. Actually, I take that back. One person mentioned Johnny. So that means I could find 7 whole words across 4 platforms about one of them.

Why is that you ask? Could it be because the current crop of people using magic to garner attention couldn't be bothered to acknowledge that which has come before them and pay respects to the shoulders of those who they are treading all over?

Most of their pages are just a glut of "LOOK AT ME BUY MY STUFF LOOK AT ME!" To be fair I didn't see EVERY page they post on. Some have their personal FB profiles hidden well (or don't exist). However, you would think that even on their "official" pages they would mention the passing of SOMEONE to the public out of respect. I don't care if you have millions of invisible fans or won a TV show competition, you should take your blinders off and look around sometime.

Acknowledge the knowledge that has gotten you this far.