Ask me about magic/performing

[magical mike]

Yeah, I am an Illusionist/comic, I have been mainly busking and doing shows for churches and stuff for about 2 years now, but I have been doing magic since I was like 10. I am 16 know.. So I just wanted to give people an opportunity to ask a somewhat experienced magician, maybe some questions on performing, what its like to perform, and stuff like that. and any magic related questions...

[Replicon]

Neat! That sounds like a lot of fun. Is there a youtube video of a performance somewhere?

[magical mike]

Metacafe.com I had a bunc of other videos on but I took them off, I dont really like posting video on the internet because theres no way to really socialize with your spectators (the whole world lol) http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1675479/factory_sealed/

[panta-rei]

Favorite trick Illusion? A trick is something a whore does for money... <.< Anyone pick that up?

[magical mike]

aha.. Probably David Blaines card switch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5Tq9l8ZWTc Or the raven http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfzHU_gcvZg I love his reaction in the raven!!! Priceless! lol

[panta-rei]

LMAO at raven... The card switch got good reactions too...

[magical mike]

Yeah I use it all the time. When they want me to do it again, I usually will for old people. But if its teens Ill have them step on it, so they don't turn it over before climax. Magic, is like strategy you know? Its more than tricks.. Like David Blaine, he uses speech techniques to gain peoples trust and stuff like that.

[poog]

Hey, Mike! I was wondering if you could critique my, I dunno, palming? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDrThcQFxuU What's your method of palming something from one hand to another to make it disappear? Thanks!

[Ilumirath]

Nice bottle coin trick

[ClouD]

Do you do any passive gimmick stuff? Like black-widow/raven, loops, even Yigal's electric thingy? Also, in the case of busking, do you do any bigger circle stuff, or stick to close up?

[magical mike]

Hey, Mike! I was wondering if you could critique my, I dunno, palming? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDrThcQFxuU What's your method of palming something from one hand to another to make it disappear? Thanks! certainly! That would be called the French drop. Usually used with coin. After you do a French drop, the object ends up in Finger palm. Only thing you need to do -Draw the hand that "Has" the coin up and away from the hand that truly is if you catch my drift.. -Drop the hand with it by your side, with your fingers as loose as possible. Other than that your presentation was great!!! Most people dont even use presentation in magic, We call them Crotch Magicians, Because all you see is there crotch. If you are getting into magic, you should pick this book up http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=535 Its a great book by a French Magician J.B. Bobo! Nice bottle coin trick Thanks The support is great! Do you do any passive gimmick stuff? Like black-widow/raven, loops, even Yigal's electric thingy? Also, in the case of busking, do you do any bigger circle stuff, or stick to close up? I dont have a black-Widow, But I sometimes use a raven, and I dont normally use loops, there so expensive! And yeah I do use Yigals Electric touch! Normally when I go out and busk, I start with close-up effects to draw my edge crowd, I then tell them to clap and cheer for me, and thay get a free show, well let the ones after them pay.. This lets them know that there suppose to pay, and its not really a free show. You only pay if you like the show, I tell them to. But yeah after the close-up and I get my edge of about 15-20. I do a Quick head count, But make it into a joke, Ill say something like "Ok ralph we have enough, everyone line up in a single file line, and get int the truck" (if theres a truck near. But I let them know its a joke) I dont perform to many tricks, I want them leaving wanting more. I normally hop around saying stuff like "Come here watch this!!! Its great! Trust me I seen it before!!!" "Its ok to come close, I am an American" stuff like that. I get alot of those lines from Gazzos book "read between the lines".

[Venomblood]

What do you do when a trick doesn't work?

[magical mike]

aha, I love these questions! A trik always works! I prctice till I get it right everytime! But there is always a back-up, I have back up lines, and things I am supose to do at certain points in a routine. Like my routine called ACR (Ambitious Card Routine). Its when there chosen top card rides to the top of the deck, and various other places. In that trick a double lift is used alot, if they catch me on a double lift I say something like "Ok you people from I see how you did that land shut-up! Its magical!" But I make it into a joke and it makes everyone happy, Thay wont fell bad that I told them to shut-up in a jokingly way, because thay know how that part of the routine is done. or if I drop the cards I say "Gosh thanks alot mr.newton" or something like that. Theres ALOT of things that could go wrong, such as people rejecting you.. Like if I already have an edge crowd, and I call along for more people and thay keep walking I say, come one this is the best show here! Trust me I seen it before! its great!" but if I am just blaining (Not busking just showing random crowds of people like David Blaine) And they just ignore me. Ill normally look at the camera man (My sister, mom, or dad and Ill say "Oh, they dont wanna see no magic, magic no no" Or something really retarded like that. It makes everyone fell like there having a fun time. You can really only learn from experience, so after every show you write down, everything about your show (Unless you record it) and you learn from it, you change your show for the better! Theres a great trick I use from Derren Brown, that I do in restaurants, that uses hypnosis, and a confederate, but thats were the hypnosis comes in.. well the trick is that your at a table, and you talk about hypnosis and report.. Report (forget how to spell it right) Is basically building trust with people almost instantly, and this makes people drink at the same time, and basically subconsciously do things at the same time as you.. Then you tell the person to turn around or close his eyes, and when ever you lift your hand they will lift there hand, and lower it when you lower it.. Basically all your doing is pressing on the persons foot with your foot when you want them to raise it, then realizing when you want them to lower it... But in the end, they dint know you did it because of hypnosis (I dont wana reveal that part) And if you see a magician perform this. DONT HECKLE THEM! Just act amazed it makes magicians fell good!

[poog]

Theres a great trick I use from Derren Brown, that I do in restaurants, that uses hypnosis, and a confederate, but thats were the hypnosis comes in.. well the trick is that your at a table, and you talk about hypnosis and report.. Report (forget how to spell it right) Is basically building trust with people almost instantly, and this makes people drink at the same time, and basically subconsciously do things at the same time as you.. Then you tell the person to turn around or close his eyes, and when ever you lift your hand they will lift there hand, and lower it when you lower it.. Basically all your doing is pressing on the persons foot with your foot when you want them to raise it, then realizing when you want them to lower it... But in the end, they dint know you did it because of hypnosis (I dont wana reveal that part) And if you see a magician perform this. DONT HECKLE THEM! Just act amazed it makes magicians fell good! Derren Brown is amazing!

[magical mike]

Yeah he is! I love him, his presentation totaly rocks xD I wish I could watch some of the trick or treat episodes on TV..

[poog]

Yeah he is! I love him, his presentation totaly rocks xD I wish I could watch some of the trick or treat episodes on TV.. I wish I knew some of his influential tricks... I got a change bag for Christmas. I was wondering if you used one and how you integrated it into your performance.

[magical mike]

I got a change bag for Christmas. I was wondering if you used one and how you integrated it into your performance. Hey I do use a Change bag for kid shows!!! I have a double compartment (Chang it one time) And its a zipper. I normally have silks in it, Ill put a green silk in, turn it to red, then turn the red into sponge balls, and do my sponge ball routine. But I said I can only change one thing one time, so i just keep the balls in the bag underneath were I keep the red! Just use your imagination! you could turn someones selected, and hole punched playing card, along with 2 silks, tie itself through the hole punches.. Yep

[poog]

Hey I do use a Change bag for kid shows!!! I have a double compartment (Chang it one time) And its a zipper. I normally have silks in it, Ill put a green silk in, turn it to red, then turn the red into sponge balls, and do my sponge ball routine. But I said I can only change one thing one time, so i just keep the balls in the bag underneath were I keep the red! Just use your imagination! you could turn someones selected, and hole punched playing card, along with 2 silks, tie itself through the hole punches.. Yep Awesome!

[magical mike]

Yep, what change bag did you get? And were?

[Jeff777]

Yeah, I am an Illusionist/comic, I have been mainly busking and doing shows for churches and stuff for about 2 years now, but I have been doing magic since I was like 10. I am 16 know.. So I just wanted to give people an opportunity to ask a somewhat experienced magician, maybe some questions on performing, what its like to perform, and stuff like that. and any magic related questions... How did Criss Angel do this...

[magical mike]

Wires, Green screen, cuts, video editing, thats why i dont liek criss! Notice thay dont show the shadow, and criss at the same time.. that much, thay do things like slow down the camera, and play it backwards and stuff like that. Plus everyone who was there as "Spectators" were actors..

[Paradox-db3]

Magical Mike, you're alright! I can't stand Criss. He's the king of using stooges and camera edits. I've been a magician since I was 12, and I prefer the good ol' sleight of hand. Here's a funny video I made ("funny" is subjective). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoDkMZZB7do

[magical mike]

Ah! thanks for the suport xD I liked your video! Your presentation was great! In the first part with the hotrod, when you picked green, I thought "Why is he picking green?" And itrs great how you dint refer to numbers! And when you revealed it being red, you just casualy showed both sides, like it was nothing Really great! Oh because you shaved your head, I was wondering along time ago if I should shave my head, because I love doing mentalism, and it makse people look more serious. Maybe I should wait till I am older lol. aww you dont like David Blaine? bah, (I am watching your video while I type this) Your great! I loved it Thanks for posting! lol

[Paradox-db3]

David Blaine uses camera tricks, too. The Balducci levitation he uses in front of the three girls is a combination of both the original effect and the girls' response to it, as well as a wire suspention edited in later. He also positions the camera in his favor for certain card tricks (card through the window). He says he's been doing magic since 4 years old? That's a bit of a stretch! But, I guess otherwise he's okay. Definitely better than Angel.

[magical mike]

Yeah, i noticed the camera angles in the card through window to. But uh yeah.