Well, I think that doing magic is not as easy as it seems. It involves good magic presentation skills and also needs to be creative so as to capture the audience attention. Anyone has encountered problems on how to create a good story lines(impromptu) for the tricks that you like to perform? Feel free to share with us. :)

your question abit vague leh. Care to elaborate?

ZiAn

I think unless you're very very experienced or a natural performer, you're not going to be able to create a good presentation and plot impromptu. It's probably better to have a script for the tricks you perform and rehearse it. Then after each performance, re-evaluate the presentation and see how it can be improved and work accordingly.

Yeps, even though it's an "impromptu" performance, when u practise at home, u can practise with ur patter. so when u perform, u can use that memorised patter if u cannot think up any good story plots on the spot.

If u really cannot think of a good storyline for that particular effect, u can always leave it aside for a while and wait for inspiration to come over and hit u in the nose. :P

I've got this crazy idea and I've never tried this but maybe u can say something like, "I am going to do a silent performance so u all can concentrate on the magic/ listen to the sounds of magic etc." Then u go ahead and perform slowly, using gestures and timing to let them know what's going on. Like an ACR. ^_^ Sometimes silence can seem so loud.

Yeps, i usually use jokes to engage the audience. Lame jokes. :off:

Aaron

For good presentation to be possible, the magician must believe it himself.

e.g. if you truly believe coin is in your right fist, your body language (80% of human communication) will echo your belief and convince your audience far better than all your words can.

As for good patter... I can't claim to be an expert, as I am still struggling to come up with something for my ACR that reflects my personality. But what I found really helped me is watching as many different versions as possible performed by different people. I thought I would end up copying other people's material, but what really happened was that looking at so many different versions provided a fresh perspective.

My 2 cents worth. Hope it helps.

Oh..thanks for all your comments guys. Ya, sometimes when i do an impromptu trick, I would suddenly feel that I do not know how to continue with my "story" and thus make the presentation interesting. Well, guess I have to work hard on it ya. Haha. :)

Thanks

You can always try the David Blaine patter: "Look...Look....Watch...." with a half-dead face.

Try to have a script for every trick. That script should form the basic or draft of your presentation. You can add some stuff impromptu to the basic draft and make the trick seem more impromtu and interesting. For example I performed some card switch after watching the movie Scoop and I used some of the lines in the movie and add it to my basic script.

Card magic presentation or any other presentation would probably be as important as the sleights used to perform the effect.

With that in mind, an impromptu effect, should also be preferably pretty well-rehersed, together with the presentation. Thus, giving you an effect that can be done almost instantly when called for.

As for making a story or a patter for the trick that you wanna do right on the spot, I seriously think that you shouldn't do it. (At that point of time) Do something else that you are more comfortable. Practice the patter, just like you practice your sleight, till it's almost perfect than perform.

My 2 cents

dry_gin

i would think of some script and rehearse at home first before performing. Through some experience, i come to realize what are the things that work (keep and improve)and which doesn't(throw out). I also find out which patter or performances gets the most reactions after a while and i just tweak from there.

BTW when rehearsing my patter at home, i do it so much that my sister asks me 'Who are you talking to? don't scare me leh!" hahaha :lol:

A script is most important in order to present a polished professional routine. I spend as much time developing scripts as I do developing sleights and effects. I practice what I preach. In my coin book, 21st Century Coin Mechanics you'll find detailed scripts which engage the audience and make them care about what you are doing and what they are seeing. My new book which covers magic with cards, coins, balls, bills, dice, rings etc. called Kingdom of the Red also provides detailed scripts for the effects.

My new book Kingdom of the Red with Companion DVD is at the printer and we will be shipping bu Aug 31. I am accepting orders now for the regular edition and the special leather edition. Check my banner at the Magic Cafe in the book and coin sections. I'll be running a 1/4 page ad in MAGIC Magazine starting with the October issue. Only for those members of the Singapore Magic Circle Forum, I will be offering a special deal. Anyone who purchases Kingdom of the Red and 21st Century Coin Mechanics in one order will get FREE Airmail shipping.

Larry

This is what most card magician face when performing an effect.

The tips is that you will have to sit down and think through what are you going to say and like others said, do up a script and try to memorise it.

You can watch some videos of others performing and get some ideas but the best is to be original. The more you perform, the better you get.

All the best!

It really really depends on where u're performing usually and also strongly on ur opinion !

and i've seen 3 schools when it comes card magic presentation and this is my personal opinion from what i've seen.

1: Theatrical storytelling style

You'll see this style from guys like JC sum , uncle bob who use great storytelling to convey the effect.

This style is great in a card set scenario i feel , when u know u have time with the audience or u want to make the session a longer and engaging.It is also good when u're going to perform many card effects because the difference in ur storytelling for each effect will make the card effects all have their own unique spin.


2. visual style :

Guys like shoot and apollo ( on cultural exchange ), DB and dan and dave

the effects are visual on the eye , require little patter and have their place when u wanna do quick entertainment or when the enviroment is not condusive for much talking.



3. In between :

guys like justin miller , DG , David stone , Oz perlman . They blend in visual stuff with some storytelling.



What kind of style/school u want to use depends on ur scenario and ur personality.

choosing the right effects for the right audience at the right place requires u to perform at many places over a long period of time to gain the experience to know what works for u and what doesn't

invisible , u have the chops for sure going by seeing u perform at the last last SMC meeting , so just go out and perform a lot , script some stuff and see when it's appropiate to use the full length version or to cut it down


good luck

Roland

Roland, once again I must disagree with you, rather unwillingly.

This time it's on the point of Derren Brown, whom I believe you referred to as DB. I prefer to think of Derren Brown as somewhere in between, as he does do some visual stuff but patter is most certainly one of his strong points.

But generally very good and sound advice you've given him. Personally, I try to make it something the spectator can relate to, or involve him in the presentation of the trick itself, making it appear that the little piece of magic works for him only. My patter for the ACR somewhat is based on that.

Roland has some good points up there. But seriously it still depends on you.
What kind of character do you have and how do you present yourself normally. You don't want to make your friends feel like you are not being yourself. The best is try to be yourself. You will not feel comfortable trying to act as others and the audience might not enjoy it too.

About Derren Brown, although it's out of topic here, he has a good sense of humour too although you see his face always look so serious. But he has real good presentation skills too. Maybe I find his simplicity in presentation is the beauty of his magic. He seldom tell long stories and his effects are visual+straightforward.

Just my thoughts. Good luck!

Hahah LOL

no no no !

DB = David Blaine , not Derren Brown :P

and Mista Blaine is a man of few words.

Derren Brown is a freakin charismastic smoooooothh talker.


B) tha'ts why he can hypotise people.

I think that when everyone first started out,
They would face this difficulty.

It's always not easy when you perform for a real spectator or audience.

While practising in the mirror is good, and mastering the exact routines and patter is essential...
When performing your nerves may just screw up everything!

I remembered my hands shaking soo much in the final phase of my first ACR for a group of friends.
I was almost more concerned if I would unknowingly expose the effect.
In fact I think I kinda got nervous and spoke too fast...

But since then, it's very different now.
I think problems that arise from presentation can be reduced simply through experience.
Performing for yourself in the comfort of your own bed all the time isn't going to help.

Magic is sometimes like riding a bike.
Sometimes one HAS to fall in order to LEARN to get up....
and that's how each of us become stronger in this art we do.

I used to be afraid to perform,
but the more I did... the more I learned so much more.

R™

I'm pretty much a newbie, and recently started performing to strangers, it's totally different, when you are performing for friends, platter is not all that important unless there is a good story line like the fred kaps homer card trick or you really need the attention to catch a break or any other special moves.

And it seems to me, if you have a story whereby you give cards name or what to present the trick, I do not think it's very good, I believe most of us agree that by saying out what you are doing itself is a good platter, like u want to do the tu**over pass, you come up with something like "I'll show you everyside of the deck, use the platter to make people believe that nothing funny is going on. And platter is not all about timing, it should incorporate timing, like when to reveal, build the level of suspense, and when to hit them with the ultimatium.

I'm still new but this is my 2cts worth and i really need some advice on my ACR if anyone can help me. Maybe can meet up one evening.

cheers and have some beer.

Well for me i'm pretty new to magic. But i guess on thing about me is that i can really talk cock. So when i do a trick i incorporate jokes nad just things to spice up a performance. Like what my magician friend told me, the performance begins even before you take out a deck of cards.

but i suppose it depends on what ur good at. I mean if u know that talking isn't one of ur strong suits then just go for minimal patter. From years of being a layman spectator i've found that poor patter can totally screw up a trick. At the same time, sometimes too little patter for some tricks doesn't bring out the full effect either.

At the end of the day it is about practice. Like what everyone else here has been saying. Sometimes u gotta practice the patter of a trick as much as the techniques involved!

Cheers!

P.S
Kuang89, it's patter on platter :)

Haha, I believe there are no rules as to how you present a card effect, it all depends on what you want to achieve and what you prefer...

My personal liking is slanted towards more direct presentation, to present a card trick as a card trick rather than storytelling. For example, I would just say "Here are the 4 jacks, and I lose them in the deck very fairly, and with a snap of my fingers, they're now back on top!" rather than "There were once 4 burglars who entered a rich man's house..." You get my point.

But again, it's your preference. I just personally prefer to stay out of overbearing stories. Or maybe it's just because I can't carry a story well.

I guess some advice, if you need, is probably let your patter be short, sweet and most of all, understandable. You can have very long patter for a single trick, all about how our lives are linked by the stars etc (think Eugene Burger) but I think the audience must be interested and they must understand you. That's the most important point...

I want to use that line again: Patter in magic is like a girl's skirt. Keep it short enough so that people will be interested, but long enough to cover all the important parts.

I go for the short ones. :P

- harapan. magic!

I am somewhat facing the same problem as TS. Sometimes I don't know what to say and end up just gesturing i.e. for the person to turn over the cards, etc. Or when I patter or do the wayang actions like "butterfly fingers" I do it half heartedly because I know deep in my heart that all this hocus-pocus is crap and the trick is already set.

I realised that actually believing in your "storyline" and delivering it in a convincing manner with all your effort really helps.

Just my 2 cents worth. Hope this helps!

I think this is very important! Other than that its just acting. :P