Putting on a show

Kieran Oloughlin · 07-25-2011, 05:20 AM

Helloooooo
In a week my family is am going for a two day drive down to my grandarents house for the 50th wedding aniversary. Last time my autine came to visit us I showed her daughter (my cousin) so magic and she thought it was great and just kept asking to see more. Now they must of told my grandparents because on the day we are going to have a party I have to put on a magic show

.
It will mostly possibly be all card magic because I am a card magician and have little experinece in other areas so yeah...

WHat suggestions do you guys have to help me put on a decent show? I am thinking starting of with a trick using a stacked deck (cant remeber the name) that is resembly long but amazing, but I am not so sure about this because arnt you meant to start a perfromance with a short and sweet trick?

I think I then will do an oil and water trick followed by maybe betwixt by hedler (look it up if you dont know it) then a triumph card trick then maybe finish it with something (not sure what though). I might chuck something else in there like a version of out of this world or togther at last by harry loyrane (seems to suit why I am performing). What do y'all think?

DONT REPLY SAYING THAT A PREVIOUS POST WAS DONE ON THIS TOPIC! I KNOOOWWWW. BUT I WANTED TO DO AN MORE UPTODATE ON WHERE I COULD ENGAGE IN THE CONVERSATION MORE.

la0o9 · 07-25-2011, 06:17 AM

if it were me, the very first trick would need to be a bit hard to figure out, but not too long and not the best trick you know( oil and water would be too hard hitting for them to appreciate anything besides the Triumph i think), so i think pulling something out of the "Tricks" DVD would be fine( i think Card to mouth or Subway would be sufficient). Besides that, i think the rest of your performance sounds fine. But you have to think a bit about the style that you have, doing something and then abruptly moving onto the next would be a bit silly( i think, if you manage to make the shift between one trick and the other as smooth as you can, they will take both of them as 1 trick and the after effects from the previous trick will be folded onto this one, thus overwhelms them and let themselves let loose and truly enjoy your magic).

If you don't understand what i just wrote up there... sorry for that... i tend to circle around a subject too much

Kieran Oloughlin · 07-25-2011, 08:07 AM

No I understand.
Maybe I should leave the oil and water trick to near the end aswelll as the triumph trick. I think my last trick will be 4,5,6 packet trick by steve forte (I think thats who its buy) because apparently its the mother of all closers. Still not sure about the opener though.

I have NO idea what my curren style is. It is not dan and dave nor ed marlo so I thought I cross between the two but that reminds me of jonh banon and for some reason I really dont like his magic

la0o9 · 07-25-2011, 01:27 PM

like i said, the opener, no matter the style, should be quick and direct, for me, it's a simple card to mouth or card to head routine. About your style, it's the type of routine that makes you the most comfortable when performing, there's a simple way to know which is the style for you, you come to class, go up to someone, and ask if they want to see a card trick( better be someone you don't know or haven't performed to before), with out thinking of any in mind, then, when they say yes, perform the first trick that comes to mind, and later on, see what style that trick is.

MarkoViner · 07-25-2011, 04:20 PM

This was my old routine :

1) "Chicago Opener"
2) "Cutting to the Aces"
3) "Twisting the Aces" (my variation)
4) "Transposition between Aces and Kings" - I can't remember the name of the trick but it's the one you say spade's are the leaders and when you switch the aces for the king packet, all kings become aces...
5) "Box jumper" - John Banon
6) "Triumph"

Hope this helps

Fin · 07-25-2011, 11:37 PM

If you've got a marked deck you could also do some very quick and easy "mind reading" effects. That sort of thing works well for larger audiences that include kids as they don't have to concentrate for too long. Younger children are easily distracted, so depending on their age I would personally be inclined to keep all the effects short, sweet and to-the-point, especially if you are mostly doing card tricks.

Albert · 07-25-2011, 11:53 PM

As Marko said before, the Chicago Opener is a very powerful and fun opener that really opens up people's curiosity to your show and makes them want more. As suggested before, the opener should be somewhat hard hitting, enough to ignite people's interest, and amusing if possible.

Also, your tricks depend on your setting and the amount of people. I've performed countless times for family parties and such so I have a rough idea of what works and what doesn't. Things like Oil and Water may not be such a good idea if you are planning on performing with children sitting in the front, if you are not too confident in crowd control over kids yet. Also, Oil and Water requires the full attention of the spectators to truly be hard hitting and/or appreciated, so kids can get in the way, especially since younger children may have a harder time understanding the concept behind it and it's boring to them.

Additionally, you want to make sure your routines somewhat flow. It's good to have some sort of natural development between each trick. For example, I have routine set up for a small crowd, where it goes from a 1 person involvement, to a 2 people involvement, to a 3 people involvement. I justify this routine by saying I'm going to make this more impossible to make it work while at the same time, more people can get involved, keeping them interested mean while in the performance. That's the gist of it. It doesn't have to flow completely. Just try to avoid jumping from one style of magic to another too quickly.

Visual tricks like the Triumph, Ambitious Card Routine, 2 Card Monte, 3 Card Monte, Colour Changing Deck, Colour Changing Card (like the Chicago Opener) and so on are good choices for performances. These are easy to understand, fun, and most importantly, they keep interactions with your spectators and are visual.

Just some food for thought

Good luck

Kieran Oloughlin · 07-26-2011, 09:13 AM

Yes maybe chigargo opener would be a good effect to start off with. I will be perfoming for abouttttttttttttttttttt (counting on fingers) 10 people only. Also they expect the show to go for half an hour which I think might be just right amoutn of time, two of them kids. I think I will also include a spectator trick like search and destroy somewhere in the middle.

Oh and one more thing in two days the two day drive begins (dun, dun, dun)

What can I practice in the car (card wise), I am thinking a couple of sleights like the repulse control but mainly flourishes to help pass the eight hours of driving each day, is it a good idea to do this?

la0o9 · 07-31-2011, 09:53 AM

first question: why do you sit in a car driven by someone else for 8 hours everyday?
second question: do you have a good place to catch the cards if they drop when you sit in the car( the floor won't do) for those 8 hours( you can't use the seat either, because after a while your body will begin to move back to it's original position)?

Suggestion: if you're a hardcore fan of the art( i am one, so i call flourishing an art), then fine, go ahead and practice flourishes for the heck of it, i not, i recommend attaching an old pillow to a flat piece of wood and put that on your thigh while in the car so you can practice table moves

Kieran Oloughlin · 07-31-2011, 11:19 AM

DAHAHAHA I dont sit in a car for 8 ours EVERY day just the days traveling to and from where we are going which we do not do often (once a year max). I will put a pillow down to catch the cards that I drop, (card floors yuky)

I was not planing on practcing table moves just moves that dont require a table.
What I should of asked was:
Wont the slight shaking of the car effect me?

la0o9 · 07-31-2011, 12:21 PM

it will surely make you dizzy and light-headed, but your handling will be the same( speaking from experience).

Fin · 08-08-2011, 06:13 PM

I just spent several days learning Daryl's "Hot Shot Cut" from the comfort of the seat of my taxi. Having to perform the move in a confined space has helped me to control the flick's power and speed better. BUT, when then trying to do the move standing I did have a few problems adjusting. Your arm and hand position are effected quite alot when you sit down and do many sleights.. so I think it's best to be sure that if you are practicing a move alot in a car or sat on the sofa, be sure to ALSO practice the same move whilst standing so that you are ready and prepared for all situations.

TheMisdirectingHand · 08-08-2011, 06:26 PM

Fire a card out of the window, Fin!

But, all jokes aside, Albert's suggestion is very good. If you do plan to go on for half an hour, be sure to have good patter, or else you may bore them, even if your handling is fine.

Kieran Oloughlin · 08-15-2011, 09:19 AM

I did the show it went well.
My routine was this

Chigago opener
Betwixt
(Something here cant rember what)
Out of this world
Stigmata (family version)
Toghter at last
Oil and water
Triumph
4,5,6 packet trick

As for practcing in the car, that did not work so well

07-25-2011, 05:20 AM	#1
Kieran Oloughlin Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Australia Posts: 414	Putting on a show Helloooooo In a week my family is am going for a two day drive down to my grandarents house for the 50th wedding aniversary. Last time my autine came to visit us I showed her daughter (my cousin) so magic and she thought it was great and just kept asking to see more. Now they must of told my grandparents because on the day we are going to have a party I have to put on a magic show. It will mostly possibly be all card magic because I am a card magician and have little experinece in other areas so yeah... WHat suggestions do you guys have to help me put on a decent show? I am thinking starting of with a trick using a stacked deck (cant remeber the name) that is resembly long but amazing, but I am not so sure about this because arnt you meant to start a perfromance with a short and sweet trick? I think I then will do an oil and water trick followed by maybe betwixt by hedler (look it up if you dont know it) then a triumph card trick then maybe finish it with something (not sure what though). I might chuck something else in there like a version of out of this world or togther at last by harry loyrane (seems to suit why I am performing). What do y'all think? DONT REPLY SAYING THAT A PREVIOUS POST WAS DONE ON THIS TOPIC! I KNOOOWWWW. BUT I WANTED TO DO AN MORE UPTODATE ON WHERE I COULD ENGAGE IN THE CONVERSATION MORE.

07-25-2011, 06:17 AM	#2
la0o9 Move monkey atm Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Not where you'd want to go :P Posts: 747	if it were me, the very first trick would need to be a bit hard to figure out, but not too long and not the best trick you know( oil and water would be too hard hitting for them to appreciate anything besides the Triumph i think), so i think pulling something out of the "Tricks" DVD would be fine( i think Card to mouth or Subway would be sufficient). Besides that, i think the rest of your performance sounds fine. But you have to think a bit about the style that you have, doing something and then abruptly moving onto the next would be a bit silly( i think, if you manage to make the shift between one trick and the other as smooth as you can, they will take both of them as 1 trick and the after effects from the previous trick will be folded onto this one, thus overwhelms them and let themselves let loose and truly enjoy your magic). If you don't understand what i just wrote up there... sorry for that... i tend to circle around a subject too much __________________ "Doubt isn't the same as saying people are bad, it simply means you actually care, 100% trust is nothing more than ignorance"~ Akiyama Shinichi- Liar Game "It's not the destination but the road to it that is worth the trip" "Be careful what you wish for... it might just come true"~ old saying "It's a small world, but only relatively" "Reality is not the world, it is the way humankind depicts the world, thus when you alter a person's way of seeing the world, you alter reality itself"

07-25-2011, 01:27 PM	#4
la0o9 Move monkey atm Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Not where you'd want to go :P Posts: 747	like i said, the opener, no matter the style, should be quick and direct, for me, it's a simple card to mouth or card to head routine. About your style, it's the type of routine that makes you the most comfortable when performing, there's a simple way to know which is the style for you, you come to class, go up to someone, and ask if they want to see a card trick( better be someone you don't know or haven't performed to before), with out thinking of any in mind, then, when they say yes, perform the first trick that comes to mind, and later on, see what style that trick is. __________________ "Doubt isn't the same as saying people are bad, it simply means you actually care, 100% trust is nothing more than ignorance"~ Akiyama Shinichi- Liar Game "It's not the destination but the road to it that is worth the trip" "Be careful what you wish for... it might just come true"~ old saying "It's a small world, but only relatively" "Reality is not the world, it is the way humankind depicts the world, thus when you alter a person's way of seeing the world, you alter reality itself"

07-25-2011, 11:53 PM	#7
Albert DarkSleightZ Artist Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 671 Donor Score: 110	As Marko said before, the Chicago Opener is a very powerful and fun opener that really opens up people's curiosity to your show and makes them want more. As suggested before, the opener should be somewhat hard hitting, enough to ignite people's interest, and amusing if possible. Also, your tricks depend on your setting and the amount of people. I've performed countless times for family parties and such so I have a rough idea of what works and what doesn't. Things like Oil and Water may not be such a good idea if you are planning on performing with children sitting in the front, if you are not too confident in crowd control over kids yet. Also, Oil and Water requires the full attention of the spectators to truly be hard hitting and/or appreciated, so kids can get in the way, especially since younger children may have a harder time understanding the concept behind it and it's boring to them. Additionally, you want to make sure your routines somewhat flow. It's good to have some sort of natural development between each trick. For example, I have routine set up for a small crowd, where it goes from a 1 person involvement, to a 2 people involvement, to a 3 people involvement. I justify this routine by saying I'm going to make this more impossible to make it work while at the same time, more people can get involved, keeping them interested mean while in the performance. That's the gist of it. It doesn't have to flow completely. Just try to avoid jumping from one style of magic to another too quickly. Visual tricks like the Triumph, Ambitious Card Routine, 2 Card Monte, 3 Card Monte, Colour Changing Deck, Colour Changing Card (like the Chicago Opener) and so on are good choices for performances. These are easy to understand, fun, and most importantly, they keep interactions with your spectators and are visual. Just some food for thought Good luck __________________ "Bluffing is an important act to all strategies." - Lelouch Lamperouge

07-31-2011, 09:53 AM	#9
la0o9 Move monkey atm Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Not where you'd want to go :P Posts: 747	first question: why do you sit in a car driven by someone else for 8 hours everyday? second question: do you have a good place to catch the cards if they drop when you sit in the car( the floor won't do) for those 8 hours( you can't use the seat either, because after a while your body will begin to move back to it's original position)? Suggestion: if you're a hardcore fan of the art( i am one, so i call flourishing an art), then fine, go ahead and practice flourishes for the heck of it, i not, i recommend attaching an old pillow to a flat piece of wood and put that on your thigh while in the car so you can practice table moves __________________ "Doubt isn't the same as saying people are bad, it simply means you actually care, 100% trust is nothing more than ignorance"~ Akiyama Shinichi- Liar Game "It's not the destination but the road to it that is worth the trip" "Be careful what you wish for... it might just come true"~ old saying "It's a small world, but only relatively" "Reality is not the world, it is the way humankind depicts the world, thus when you alter a person's way of seeing the world, you alter reality itself"

07-25-2011, 08:07 AM	#3
Kieran Oloughlin Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Australia Posts: 414	No I understand. Maybe I should leave the oil and water trick to near the end aswelll as the triumph trick. I think my last trick will be 4,5,6 packet trick by steve forte (I think thats who its buy) because apparently its the mother of all closers. Still not sure about the opener though. I have NO idea what my curren style is. It is not dan and dave nor ed marlo so I thought I cross between the two but that reminds me of jonh banon and for some reason I really dont like his magic

07-25-2011, 04:20 PM	#5
MarkoViner Join Date: May 2011 Location: Serbia,Novi sad Posts: 78	This was my old routine : 1) "Chicago Opener" 2) "Cutting to the Aces" 3) "Twisting the Aces" (my variation) 4) "Transposition between Aces and Kings" - I can't remember the name of the trick but it's the one you say spade's are the leaders and when you switch the aces for the king packet, all kings become aces... 5) "Box jumper" - John Banon 6) "Triumph" Hope this helps

07-25-2011, 11:37 PM	#6
Fin Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 530	If you've got a marked deck you could also do some very quick and easy "mind reading" effects. That sort of thing works well for larger audiences that include kids as they don't have to concentrate for too long. Younger children are easily distracted, so depending on their age I would personally be inclined to keep all the effects short, sweet and to-the-point, especially if you are mostly doing card tricks.

07-26-2011, 09:13 AM	#8
Kieran Oloughlin Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Australia Posts: 414	Yes maybe chigargo opener would be a good effect to start off with. I will be perfoming for abouttttttttttttttttttt (counting on fingers) 10 people only. Also they expect the show to go for half an hour which I think might be just right amoutn of time, two of them kids. I think I will also include a spectator trick like search and destroy somewhere in the middle. Oh and one more thing in two days the two day drive begins (dun, dun, dun) What can I practice in the car (card wise), I am thinking a couple of sleights like the repulse control but mainly flourishes to help pass the eight hours of driving each day, is it a good idea to do this?

07-31-2011, 11:19 AM	#10
Kieran Oloughlin Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Australia Posts: 414	DAHAHAHA I dont sit in a car for 8 ours EVERY day just the days traveling to and from where we are going which we do not do often (once a year max). I will put a pillow down to catch the cards that I drop, (card floors yuky) I was not planing on practcing table moves just moves that dont require a table. What I should of asked was: Wont the slight shaking of the car effect me?

07-31-2011, 12:21 PM	#11
la0o9 Move monkey atm Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Not where you'd want to go :P Posts: 747	it will surely make you dizzy and light-headed, but your handling will be the same( speaking from experience). __________________ "Doubt isn't the same as saying people are bad, it simply means you actually care, 100% trust is nothing more than ignorance"~ Akiyama Shinichi- Liar Game "It's not the destination but the road to it that is worth the trip" "Be careful what you wish for... it might just come true"~ old saying "It's a small world, but only relatively" "Reality is not the world, it is the way humankind depicts the world, thus when you alter a person's way of seeing the world, you alter reality itself"

08-08-2011, 06:13 PM	#12
Fin Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 530	I just spent several days learning Daryl's "Hot Shot Cut" from the comfort of the seat of my taxi. Having to perform the move in a confined space has helped me to control the flick's power and speed better. BUT, when then trying to do the move standing I did have a few problems adjusting. Your arm and hand position are effected quite alot when you sit down and do many sleights.. so I think it's best to be sure that if you are practicing a move alot in a car or sat on the sofa, be sure to ALSO practice the same move whilst standing so that you are ready and prepared for all situations.

08-08-2011, 06:26 PM	#13
TheMisdirectingHand David Nguyen Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Rosemead, California Posts: 406	Fire a card out of the window, Fin! But, all jokes aside, Albert's suggestion is very good. If you do plan to go on for half an hour, be sure to have good patter, or else you may bore them, even if your handling is fine. __________________ "There are three types of people in this world; •People who talk and never do: The Lower Class •People who talk and do at the same time: The Middle Class •People who do before they ever talk: The Upper Class A real man does not need to talk. We are the upper class." -Joseph Lau

08-15-2011, 09:19 AM	#14
Kieran Oloughlin Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Australia Posts: 414	I did the show it went well. My routine was this Chigago opener Betwixt (Something here cant rember what) Out of this world Stigmata (family version) Toghter at last Oil and water Triumph 4,5,6 packet trick As for practcing in the car, that did not work so well