Hey magician, leave those kids alone...

This is a post I have been sitting on for a while.

Someone associated with the SAM (which stand for "Some Are Magicians" I think) in an online podcast asked for ideas on how to get younger people to come to magic conventions. The problem with asking something like this is they are going to get many answers, but will ignore the ones they don't agree with even if they are right.

My one big piece of advice is actually hire people younger kids wanna see. No offense to Johnny Thompson, but how many conventions a year does he do? Why not do some research or maybe even ask who they younger generation would care to see? Who would they shell out cold hard cash to go hang out with in person? Why not fire these close minded gits who don't know jack about the modern magic world and just keep hiring who THEY want to see?

This brings me to other sad truth about all of this... The younger generation doesn't need conventions anymore!!

They have skype, facebook ,and even online lectures now. They no longer need to shell out cash they don't have to interact with performers and friends. They don't need a dealer's rooms. They can get all they need on the internet. If your convention cannot offer up something they can't get elsewhere you will NEVER get your numbers up. There is no incentive anymore.

This is one of the many reasons so many magic conventions have died over the last year. We don't need them. Evolution is weeding out the sick and old. Oh sure you still get younger kids coming out who are actually serious about the craft, but your hobbyist market is done for unless you can deliver and let's face it, most magicians could barely deliver a pizza.

Time to grow some thumbs or get left behind.

Suck it up...

Saw this on Jeff McBride's twitter - "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." ~ Albert Einstein

There is a good lesson here and a story. I recently resurrected an old idea I have been toying with for almost a decade.  I would come back to it and see if there was a way to improve it. However I didn't know what it needed, I just knew I would know it when I saw it. The other day I finally got it. It's visual and easier than the original concept.

The moral? Don't give up. If you believe in something or if you just REALLY wanna do it don't give up. It might take you half your life but one day, if you are patient enough, you will get it.

It's all just a matter of time.

Get down on it...

Let's say you come up with a great idea for a trick. You don't think anyone but you would like it so you keep it to yourself and eventually get bored with it and it fades into the back of your brain. A few years later you see someone else releasing the same idea and making money off it. Now you kick the hell out of yourself for not being a whore and selling it. What do you do hot shot.. what do you do?

 

Well there isn't much you CAN do. Oh sure you can bitch and moan on the forums and to your friends. It might get you somewhere but chances are you will look like an idiot. You just have to sit back and let it go.

However, I think this is one of the factors that started the "get to market" first attitude of many magicians today. They are afraid they will be left behind or ripped off so to protect their ideas they are forced to sell it and therefore devalue it a bit. It's a fine line a magic creator walks. Mind you if they are a truly creative person losing one idea to someone else is not that big a deal because by the time everyone is catching up they are still 3 steps ahead.

It can be a frustrating ho' however.

A Marked Man

So the winner of the Marked Man contest is Brendan Croft from Australia. He was sneaky and got the closest to guessing how many posts this blog had.

For the rest of you, feel free to go to www.bizzaromatic.com and purchase the new DVD for yourself!

While you're doing that, let me regale you with some thoughts I have on tricks like  the ones I have on the MM DVD. One thing I am sick of seeing is when magicians sell one effect that is a 10 second thing that would work great as an opener or bit of business in the middle of a routine. However these little fucknuts can't spell the word routine let alone put one together so they just slap something together without road testing it and try to make a quick buck.

Usually these things have merit but weren't thought thru enough. Regardless, something that lasts the blink of an eye is not magic by itself. (Unless it's DAMN good) By adding these little moments into your existing effects you can create a more thought out picture that makes you look like a competent performer...

Even when yer not.

I, card trick...

What does magic look like? No one knows right? However we all have a picture in our mind of what it should look like and it's always different from person to person. One will think that something appearing should fade into existence. At the same time another will picture it just blinking into existence.

I don't think anyone will argue that the former seems more mystical or mysterious. The problem with the latter is it can very well end up looking, well... mechanical.

The problem is we have seen things move faster than our eye can track. It can easily be dismissed by a certain "something". Sure it might still get a reaction but I'm not sure it looks magical in the end. I have seen a few tricks on the market that suffer from this mechanical feeling. It's like a sleight done too fast. It will look like a move. How do you fix this? Perhaps with a wave of the hand or a magical gesture or some moment that looks like YOU caused this to occur and not a rubber band.

To each they own...

I feel the same way...

While you count the posts here is some amusement

Write on!

In the name of technology and progress on April 15th the "Marked Man" CD-ROM will be going away. Don't be sad. Wipe those tears from your eyes little Timmy. We are replacing it with a brand new DVD!!

20 ideas using Sharpie markers and even tips on sleeving (including something I've never shared). It will also come with a double ended sharpie marker gag. (Demo Here)

Thus I have decided it has been far too long since we had a contest and now Dun dun dunnnnn the time is NIGH!! Riddle me this Batman - How many posts have I made in this blog since it started?

The closest answer wins a free copy of A Marked Man. Contest ends April 14th. First person closest wins. GO GO GO!!

Ever seen the movie Sneakers?

There is a great moment in that movie that I have never really seen in another film. The main character is thrown in a car trunk and can only hear the road on his way to the baddies place. Later he is dumped off somewhere and heads back to base. It's there that his blind friend asks him "What did it sound like?". They narrow it down using the sounds he hears and hijinks ensue.

The reason I bring that up is because I want you to engage in a little exercise. Go grab a couple of magic props you have that serve no real purpose other than to be magic props. Sit them on a table in front of you. Stare at them hard and think to yourself, "What do they LOOK like?"

Find a way to make these innocuous props make sense to you. When they serve a purpose or resemble something people recognize, it's then you are free to create something new with them and perhaps find your own way to somewhere unknown.

This kind of exercise will help you down the road when choosing new props or tricks to perform. If you can't justify it's existence then maybe you should leave it be.

You might just change your world.

Free?

Everyone loves free stuff. Paul Romhany knows this. Hence the first issue of his new cyber magic mag is available for anyone to peruse. Need more of a reason? I have an article inside BOO YAH!

Remember, the first one is free...

Sweet release...

Here are a couple of phrases I am sick of seeing on the internet regarding magic.

"When are you going to release that"
"You HAVE to release that!"
"OMG WTF I WANT!!"

This is what magic has come to. Not "Good job. That looks great". No. It's "when can I do that so I don't have to think for myself?".

It's not just the fault of those people. It's also the fact that almost anything put on video tends to eventually be sold. Why else would you put it out there for people to see right?

This kinda shit drives me crazy and even makes me angry sometimes. "Lemme get this straight? You want me to put this out so you can take credit for all of my hard work and research and development so you can hack it to pieces with your mediocre performance of it? How about you go fuck yourself instead! Please drive thru"

But I digress....

Classy...

Nothing says magical like a fallen comrade...

It's like they read my mind...

And by mind I mean the Magic Cafe...

Almost like magic...

I wonder if this is how some people feel when we try to show them a trick we "invented".

He's not heavy, he's my table...

Ok I want to have a very Frank discussion. It's about Losander's floating table. I know you do it. Don't try to hide it. It's ok, I know it's easy, amazing, and readily accessible. I know you don't think you need to do anything with it right out of the box and that it seems to be one of those "self-working" effects you hear so much about on the news nowadays.

I have some notes...

I'm not going to start out by saying, "Stop doing it!!!" (I'm going to end that way) However I would like to point out that I am sick of seeing it done with no kind of thinking behind it or customization. The two best FT I have seen are done by the guy who created it and Dan Sperry. Losander because, well he invented it, and Sperry because he treats the table like it's a cumbersome heavy object, made it match his look and gave it his own motivation. (Also he does the turn around move off to the side which looks less awkward)

So how do we fix yours? Well we can start with the easy stuff. The look. I'm not saying you should revamp the paint job (even though that wouldn't hurt). All it would really take is to have the table cloth remade to match your own personal look. Take it to someone who knows how to sew and have it recreated in a fabric that matches the rest of your props.

Speaking of the rest of your props, if you have the table on stage with a bunch of other tables you better have a DAMN GOOD EXCUSE as to why you are not floating those other tables too. Don't just pull the table out and do it without motivation.

Now here is something that will take a bit more effort on your part. Go move a HEAVY table for once in your life. The magic in the table, much like the original zombie ball, is in the fact the object is cumbersome and heavy. Put some tension in your arms when you need to pick it up. When you scoot it across the floor, use your foot to push the bottom and well as your hands for the top. This is how weighty objects operate, especially top heavy ones.

Many of these simple yet difficult tips will help make your floating table that much better. (You know aside from the obvious ones like make up your own routine, learn how to float it straight up and not at an angle, etc) Also don't EVER buy a knock off from China. I don't care how cheap you can get it. You get what you pay for.

Oh by the way, JUST STOP DOING THE DAMN THING!!!

Control yourselves...

Oh what a wondrous time it is for magicians in this day and age. If only I was young again and could sit in my bedroom on mom and dad's dime and practice card sleights until I came up with something I could sell to idiots my fingers bled.

Was it Vernon who said that sleights are not tricks? (Correct me in the shoutbox if I'm wrong) So many of these things are flashy and elegant but A: They look like moves. Like you're hiding something II. They are putting the focus RIGHT on the moment of technique.

I don't care how invisible the move looks (on or off camera) it still looks like a move. You might as well just drop the card on top and do some fancy false flourish. I guess what I am saying is it's not for me, but if it works for you go for it. Just remember that fancy pasteboard handling is no substitute for a personality or presentation.

"Watch" is not patter.

I can't look away...

Laid back...

We rely on card tricks too much. There I said it.

There is a lot of card magic out there.. and why not? They are portable and there are so many options literally at our finger tips. However, for as much card magic as there is... there is very little good card magic.

Oh but I hear you bemoan, "My card tricks are good. My mother tells me so!" yes yes that's all fine and good, but really. Think about how many BAD card tricks you have seen compared to how many actually looked and felt like magic.

Card tricks can be inelegant. A throw away if you will. However they can be amazing and memorable. It's when we stop relying on them as a crutch, onl then can we focus on the good stuff.

Here is an exercise: Try to create 15-20 minutes of magic with ONLY one card trick in the entire set. (None would be preferable but I'm not that mean) We get lazy and sloppy when we create because it's just SO... DAMN... EASY to plug a deck of cards into an idea. How about this... instead of someone picking a card, why not have them select a soda can? Need to force something? Try a book with pictures in it. Let the cards inspire you but then look beyond what they are and what your magic could be.

Oh and as for that one card effect I allowed you? It better be damn good. I don't wanna see an ace assembly in there or some half-assed card force revelation. I want to see something unique. Something that fits who YOU are. It's not that hard. You just have to think about it. Look outside the magic world for your answer. it's there. You just have to search for it....

I will however permit an invisible deck. That's just good magic.

Slow magicians at play...

For those of you who know the more recent trends of the Asian magicians to be speed demons with their magic it's nice to see one slow down to Shimada-like proportions.

What's in a name?

,In today's magic marketplace there are many factors that will make or break your product sales. One is a good demo of course. The other is to make sure any video looks like it was shot competently (even if it wasn't). A big one of course is the product name.

There are some tricks with some terrible and/or unoriginal names. Much like promo material, you want something that will draw them in to see more. On top of that, do your research for previously used product names. Someone could look for your item, find someone else's that sucked and think it's yours. Now two people have lost out on a sale. You and the person who was going to lose it anyway.

When picking a name make sure it's something YOU like as well. You will be stuck with it the rest of your life if it's a hit. You don't want to be like the Goo Goo Dolls do you? So get creative and do your homework. People will show their appreciation by buying your products.

You don't want to be left with a bunch of these laying around do you?

The wrong company...

Here is a fun fact you might not know. Corporations don't care about you.

Do you know why someone incorporates? So if they screw up, the corporation takes it in the ass and not the person running it. They are not held accountable. (usually)

Here is another tidbit. They are in it only for the money. This holds true everywhere including magic. Theory 11, Ellusionist, Penguin, Murphy's and most any big time magic retailer, they are all out to get your money. Have been since day one. They don't care how good your magic is. They don't give a fuck about your "art". They want your money. They will be nice to you so they can take advantage of you. When you have outlived your usefulness they will move on to the next bigger and better thing.

You.... are... expendable.

PERIOD.

Oh sure they can spin it anyway they like. "We help the community, we give them what they want. We help blah blah blah" It's all two-faced BS. So why not stop giving these ass clowns your money and spend that money making yourself a better performer? BUYING THE NEWEST MAGIC DOESN'T MAKE YOU AN ARTIST.

Don't get me wrong. There are many fine tricks released by individuals who truly want to contribute with something unique and supplement their lives a little bit when things are slow. Support the little guy and go right to the source and buy from the creators. Don't support the worshipers of mammon any longer. (Sorry I have read too much Hellblazer lately I think)

Oh sure, you will read this and think "That's cute. The angry magician is ranting again. I wonder what's on Netflix." Well that's fine. This is my place to vent and always has been but hopefully this will reach someone's ear and enlighten their brains.

I gotta be me.