Magician

Have you ever completely botched a trick in front of an audience? What's the worst magician-FAILyou've ever seen?

Asked by TonyQ almost 13 years ago

Yes, every magician has, and if they say they haven’t they are lying. Sometimes it’s possible to save the routine and allow it to take a different direction, and often I hear people say afterwards, ‘Oh I thought he had messed that up, but it must have been part of the trick.'

The two cases that spring to mind where I personally have messed up are once where I had four cards, but the audience only knew about three of them. I accidentally revealed the extra card and everyone saw. By this point in my set I had got to know the group I was working for, so I made a joke about it saying, ‘Oh look! What’s that on the ceiling?’ and I reset the trick and carried on as normal. A worse case was when I set a trick wrong at the start, and there was no-way out of it, again I just laughed it off and moved on, ‘This trick has gone completely wrong! It’s a rubbish one anyway, I’ll show you something much better instead.’

If you can get the group to like you then they are more likely to forgive you if you should slip up - mistakes do happen.

Saying that, I’ve seen a lot of bad magic, and although I can forgive mistakes, I hate every magician who doesn’t take the time to fully prepare for a performance. The worst I’ve seen involve placing a spike (or a knife) under one of four upturned cups and them slamming your hand down on the three empty cups. I would never ever do this routine. My hands are my livelihood, and no method involving a sharp object is 100% safe. I’ve seen a magician push their hand through a spike, but worse than that, I’ve seen a magician push a spectator’s hand though a spike. It pays to have insurance, and I believe this idiot didn't. I think it’s on youtube, but I haven’t checked. I’ve also heard of a kids magician that hit a kid. Again, totally irresponsible.

Do magicians respect David Blaine?

Asked by peter almost 13 years ago

Haha, they sure do. David Blaine is a great magician. Yes, his performance style can be a bit moody, and abrupt, but that’s his style. If non-magicians like him, then that’s the most important thing. Don’t forget that he is also mega-successful. I respect anyone who can make money in magic. There is a guy in the UK called Dynamo, and he is quite popular now. Some magicians talk down Dynamo and David Blaine, but it just makes them look jealous and bitter that other people have the success they want. As I’ve said, people who bring magic into the world, are OK with me.

How much do magician's make performing at a typical party or event?

Asked by graham almost 13 years ago

What do you mean by a typical party or event? There are a lot of variables including type of magic, distance to the venue, number of guests, am I performing in one block or am I waiting in around? Close up magic is usually three times what I charge for children’s magic. My prices are fair, but are not the cheapest or most expensive. I believe I provide a quality experience and a professional service. My clients are paying for that and for my experience. I believe it's better to pay a little more and get exactly what you want than to pay less but receive poor value, and in this case a poor magician who may not know what they are doing. I do offer discounts, if I’m booked for longer, so for example if you book me for three hours, then my price is closer to what you would pay for children’s show. Saying all that there there are a lot of popular extras which I can add on. These increase the price. In short, it’s complicated.

What's your take on those TV specials where masked magicians reveal how tricks are done?

Asked by DC1 almost 13 years ago

Oooh an interesting discussion point. Magicians secrets aren’t as guarded as you might think. Anyone can learn a magic trick, but you have to put in some effort. Maybe you have to go to the library, find a book and actually learn the trick. You would hope that seeing as you took the effort to learn the trick, you won’t just reveal the secret to all your friends, who are too lazy to find out for themselves.

One of the real secrets of magic though is that it doesn’t work unless it is secret. You wouldn’t watch a comedian if you knew all his punchlines, right? The first thing a magician must learn to do is to fool you. If they can’t do that completely then it’s not magic. The second thing to learn is how to engage people. For a magician, knowing the secret is only the start.

The main problem with the masked magician was that the show was about only the secrets. And the show was God awful! That's why no-one actually cared about it and the series got cancelled. If the secrets were so interesting then the masked magician (Valentino) would be making more money than all the other magicians. Hes not by the way and people still go to see actual magic shows.

Most people don't actually want to know how it's done.

Have you ever had a heckler shout out the secret of one of your tricks during a performance?

Asked by Alan almost 13 years ago

Most of the time people want to interact with me and interrupt with their own jokes, that’s all fine. However some people just don’t like magic. If I can I just perform for the other people in the group, and that person sits quietly, then it’s fine. Once this guy was shouting out random things, ‘it’s up your sleeve,’ ‘it’s magnets,’ ‘those are trick cards,’ etc.. whatever he could think of. The key thing with a heckler is not to attack them too early. If you attack too early then you look mean, and the whole group join on the side of the heckler. If you wait until the other people in the group are frustrated with the heckler too, then they will be on your side. In this case, I finished the routine I was doing, and then I left. That’s the simplest way to deal with that situation. I get paid to entertain, not argue. Later that evening, the table with the heckler called me back, apologised for their friend and told me they had sent him on an ‘errand’ and could I show them some magic. Of course I spent ten minutes with them showing them some of my best routines. For me it’s more disappointing when on rare occasions, someone will ask at the end of a routine, does it work like this...? I try to make my routines engaging enough that people don’t care about the secret. Even if they are right with their guess, I always say no. I hope that answers your question. Feel free to ask another, if not.

Who are the magicians that you look up to the most? Have you got any magic heroes?

Asked by Certainly Not Damon almost 13 years ago

It’s easy to reel of a list of magicians well known in the magic world. However, the people who inspire me the most are my friends, who are a similar age to me, and are doing the same as me, working on their magic, working on their business, and going out and performing shows. I have a of of good friends in magic, from all over the UK and the world, and despite different cultures, we have similar ideas and similar paths. That inspires me the most, and pushes me to create better magic and do more shows.

What's a simple but impressive magic trick that anyone could learn, perhaps just to entertain at parties or something? Asking for, um, a friend ;)

Asked by Shane C almost 13 years ago

There are lots. If you ...I mean your friend, goes to the local library, then there will probably be at least one general magic book with card tricks, and little tricks for parties, just like you asked for. The DDC number is 793.8 - Did I say magicians were all big geeks! They are usually with indoor games but if they can’t find any, ask the librarians and they’ll help.

What's the biggest misconception people have about magicians?

Asked by sd neil almost 13 years ago

Maybe that we’re all just big magic geeks. Oh wait, you said mis-conception! One that I hear often is, do you do children’s shows? A lot of people think magic is just a kids thing. I do perform children’s magic as well as close up magic, and I love both for different reasons, however I know that some close up magicians get a bit annoyed by being seen as ‘just for the children.' My advice, lighten up! Magic is not just for children, it’s only for children - it’s for the child in all of us. The misconception that really annoys me is that magic is easy. My prices reflect a lot of time practicing and perfecting my routines into a performance of magic, not just doing a trick. I also have a lot of experience and know how to interact with groups and how to work a crowd so that everyone gets the maximum enjoyment from my show. Some people hear my price and think it’s not worth it. They may choose to hire a cheaper magician, however unfortunately for them, cheaper doesn’t mean better value, and a lack of experience in performance art shows. I’m regularly told that my shows are worth every penny. By the way to find out more about me, or to book me, check out www.edsumner.com The other thing that happens sometimes is people think they can do my job. Again, not true. Magic is performance. It’s about the personality of the performer and how he or she interacts with their audience. Just doing a trick, as it says on the instructions is the worst thing you can do. That’s what you get when you book a magician cheap. You get someone who has been interested in magic for two weeks, is already calling themselves a magician, has a website and business cards, and is looking for paid gigs. It’s ridiculous. Yes, magicians only get better by performing, but beginners need to find the level for a beginner, instead of trying to run before they can walk. Swayed a bit off topic there, sorry!

What do you see as the future of magic? Is technology making some illusions possible that weren't in the past?

Asked by xxxl almost 13 years ago

Absolutely it is. Magic rides on the wave of technology. The idea is to find some new technology that isn’t so mainstream and use that in a routine, before it become common knowledge. I’ve seen routines that use augmented reality, and they look great, but when / if that becomes common place, it won’t seem so magical. Magic evolves with time. Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, who is commonly known as the father of modern magic, used to release ether into the theatre during his levitation routine. At the time ether was starting to become known about, but the properties were not fully understood. He claimed that he could float his son, by giving him a sniff of the ether. Of course, that’s not how he really did it. Sometimes magicians ask if magic will die out with technology, and the answer I always give is no. Magic seems to go through times when it’s very popular and not so popular but as long as people like live entertainment, they will like magic, and I can’t you see live entertainment dying out? Can you?

Why do people hate magicians?

Asked by Alright, I Give Up, It's Damon almost 13 years ago

I could write on this topic for a long time, and I may do when I have the time. In short, it’s important to remember that when someone sees a bad magician, it sticks with them, as there are fewer magicians around, so we all get grouped together. Unfortunately some magicians let us all down. Bad magic traits that some magicians have include, concentrating too much on fooling people and forgetting to entertain, challenging audiences, being arrogant, being cocky, embarrassing spectators and being rude, using sexual innuendo, being unoriginal, stealing material from other magicians and passing it off as their own, using corny lines that are as dead as Ken Dodd’s dad’s dog, need I go on, ok... trying too hard to be funny, being cliched, wearing playing card ties, treating adults like children, treating children like babies, having no sense of structure in a magic routine. For me everything is structure and performance. You can make a really simple trick, into a masterpiece if presented the correct way. Arghhh... Trust me I hate bad magic. I think as magicians we should be doing more to tell people who are rubbish, that they are indeed rubbish. Never mind about their hurt feelings, they are hurting my livelihood.

Why are there so few female magicians?

Asked by adam_sm almost 13 years ago

Firstly let me say that some of my favourite magicians are female and some of my good friends in magic are female. They have a different slant on the art and it’s refreshing to see new ideas and different styles of performing. I wish there were more female magicians, and I think the magic community could be doing more to encourage girls to take an interest in magic. To start with magic is male dominated which doesn’t help to invite females in, and doesn’t provide many positive female role models. The reason I believe for that being the case is that really magic is about power. It’s a case of ‘I know something you don’t'. Magic tends to draw in a lot of boys who are shy, reclusive, solitary types, who obsess over the secrets, learning and studying, and figuring out things which other people don’t have access to. When they finally get to perform, the magic allows them not only to show off, but also gives them something to hide behind. To start with at least, magic is performed from a very tight script. Girls are very sociable. They want to be with their friends, they want to be in groups and fit in. If the other girls aren’t interested in magic, then they are unlikely to be the odd one out. Remember that at the start, it’s a secretive art of studying by yourself. Of course some girls are different and enjoy the study and the secrets, however many female magicians who I’ve spoken too have found magic later in life, perhaps through dance, through circus, through theatre, or perhaps by meeting a magician when they were older and less inclined to follow the path of their friends.

Do you ever pull out magic tricks in non-performance settings? Perhaps in a pub or at a party?

Asked by abracdabrbarababra almost 13 years ago

I try not to. There is this joke between professional magicians, that we don’t perform outside of work, because we get bored of performing the same routines all the same. It’s partly true. It can get quite annoying when everyone says, ‘show us a trick.’ I do have some routines that work well when I’m not at a gig, but it’s a different situation when everyone knows you’re a magician, and they sort of expect it. If pushed I might perform one or two quick things. Usually I try out something new, as my working repertoire only extends so far. Generally though, when I’m with friends, I prefer people to get to know me as a person. When I’m at a paid gig, it’s my personality of course, but it’s different. You have to get in the zone. I’m not sure if that makes sense? I hope so, but it’s difficult to explain.

What's the most amazing magic trick you've ever seen, to the point that you couldn't figure out how it was done?

Asked by Carol d almost 13 years ago

Quite a few have fooled me. Often when I watch magic, I try to watch the performance, but if I want to I can work out how it's done, if I think about it later. I don’t know a lot about stage illusions, but I’m hoping to learn about them. They can fool me pretty well. One close up effect that sticks in my mind was pretty simple. A collection of pens are placed carefully on a table so they are standing up. The magician stands about two metres away from the table and says ‘fall’. The pens fall down one by one. He can also make an individual pen fall down, i.e. the one in the middle, or the one furthest away. I remember buying the secret to the trick on a DVD and for weeks I just didn’t want to watch it. When I finally did, I was like, ‘that’s amazing, I love it!’ I still haven’t performed it in public yet, but I will do one day. It’s a simple idea, but the best things are. Easy to understand and beautifully done!

If you had to assign percentages, how much of being a successful magician is attributable to the actual magic versus the magician's personality and showmanship? 50/50?

Asked by Big Finn almost 13 years ago

Great question! One other thing to think about is, not only does the trick fool someone, but how is the trick structured? Too many magicians buy a trick, and perform it as it is sold, without any thought about how they can improve the presentation to make the key moments stand out more, to make them more magical. The thing to remember is that if everyone just buys the tricks, and performs them as sold, then all you have is a group of performers no better than karaoke singers. The better magicians, place some of their personality in to their performances. Not only does this offer them a unique presentation that only they do, it makes the trick more real to them. They connect more with what they are performing, rather than just repeating it word for word, the same as everyone else. I think creativity in any art form is more than important, it’s vital, and I wish that magicians understood this, instead of stealing from each other, and copying bland, too often repeated, standard routines. In answer to the ratio, there are some awful magic tricks, that wouldn’t fool anyone, but there are also a lot of overlooked effects that given the right structuring and the right routining can be masterpieces. I use an effect that is so simple, and a lot of non-magicians know it too. I’ve added two tiny little things, and written my own script, and it’s one of my favourite things to do, because it’s very powerful, plus I’m proud that I came up with those additions. For me the for trick : personality importance ratio should be 5% : 95% Anyone can learn to do the trick, but the successful magician, can make it interesting, engaging and entertaining too.

Do you think TV talent shows are good for magicians?

Asked by Definitely Not Damon almost 13 years ago

Well, I will presume we are talking about the “got talent” shows as I don’t know any other TV talent shows with magicians on. I know that in America, they have had some great magicians on, and they even had David Copperfield do a guest spot, so that’s great. Magic on TV is always good for business. Charlie Caper won “Sweden’s Got Talent” and I have a friend who performed on “South Africa’s Got Talent”, so it can work, if the magicians are good to start with. However, the problem I think is that there aren’t a lot of magicians, so when one of the bad magicians (and I hope everyone knows what I mean), appears on a show, there is a tendency to see all magicians like that. No-one sees a bad singer, and then hates all music, but you can see a bad magician, and hate all magic. With TV the situation is amplified because the audience is a lot larger. In my shows, I expect people to make their mind up after they’ve seen me perform. Unfortunately, some people don’t always give you the chance. It’s their loss, I tell myself. Going off topic slightly, I performed to a family once and the daughter said, ‘I don’t like magic, I saw a magician once and he scared me.’ I showed a few tricks to her brother, and eventually she joined in too. At the end, she wanted me to stay and perform a trick just for her. Prejudice ain’t nice.

Have you ever performed shows that involve pulling bunnies or doves out of hats? That is one part of a magician's performance that's intrigues me. Care to share your "secret?"

Asked by Curious24 almost 13 years ago

I haven’t performed any routines with animals. I do perform children’s magic as well as magic for adults, but I wouldn’t want to use a rabbit as a regular part of my show, as rabbits don’t like being transported in the car, so it can be quite stressful for them, especially if you have two or three shows to do in a day. I love animals though and would love to do a routine with rabbits (or some other animals) in the future, but I think it would just be for a promotional event, for example a large show with a lot of people to impress. A TV show would be good, because it’s filmed too, so then it would definitely be worth it. As for the secret to magic with animals - give your animals the best care you can, and make sure that your audiences know that you care for them. I’ve seen one dove magician and he grabs the birds and snatches them and throws them about, and it’s not a pretty thing to watch.

Why do magicians say abracadabra, tada, presto?

Asked by prisc about 12 years ago

Generally, magic words are used by children’s magicians. It’s a great way to show the moment the magic happens and to involve the children in the show. Abracadabra is very well known and has a lot of history attached to it, with it previously being used as an incantation to cure illnesses. Check wikipedia for more information. I’m not sure on the others, but Hocus Pocus was the name of an early magician.

In my children’s magic show, I use the words Ready Steady Magic, as my show is the Ready Steady Magic Show. This way the children get to remember who am I and what show they’ve seen. You can see more about my children’s magic at http://www.readysteadymagic.co.uk

First, I have to say I love your answers! Thanks for doing this!! Are magicians super protective or jealous when it comes to their routine? Like, is trick-stealing a big problem in the industry, and is there anything you can even do to legally protect or "own" your tricks?

Asked by ErikaL almost 13 years ago

Well that is a great question too. Stealing other magicians’ tricks and routines is a big problem in magic. The main problem is that when I create something, I’ve put part of my personality into the routine. I believe that art is a way that we connect with people, a way to reach out to others and say, ‘This is me, I was here!’ Just ripping someone off is lazy, but more than that it shows in their performances. It doesn’t seem believable. Magic has to be unbelievable, but you have to be able to believe that it’s unbelievable. Confusing, right? Of course some magicians release their routines to other magicians. That’s fine, but when I use commercially available routines, I still change the scripting to fit my own style and what I want to say. In short, no-one in the world performs the magic I do. If you want to see the magic of Ed Sumner, you need to hire Ed Sumner. There is little that can be done to stop someone from stealing your words, your jokes or your script. Ideas can’t be copyrighted, and they just had the same idea as you, yeh right!? All they have to do is watch you perform it once, and write it down. Like I said though, it shouldn’t be much use to them, and thinking up something for themselves would serve them much better. To overcome this, magicians should keep their secrets more secret. Magicians freely share effects with each other, but maybe we shouldn’t share information so easily. Maybe when another magicians asks for a method, we should just say, ‘No I’m not showing you.’ That’s difficult, because it seems rude. Also we have an accepting stance towards it. In stand up comedy, stealing a joke is a huge faux pas, but in magic we just seem to ignore it. Finally some illusions can be patented, which in theory protect people from making and selling them, but there are still people who will try to rip them off. These people don’t care about the art of magic. They just care about themselves. For me the best way for me to preserve my own magic is to keep it only for my non-magician audiences. There are some things I share with magician friends, some things which I plan to release to other magicians too. However my A grade material is exclusively for the eyes (and ears) of the people who pay me.

What's the closest you've ever come to seeing something that you thought was, dare I say, "real" magic?

Asked by Inga doll over 12 years ago

That’s a difficult question to answer because I know a lot of the methods now, that even if I don’t know exactly how it works, I could figure out how it may work, or even how I would do it. Also, some magic fools me in the moment, but then I can go back and work it out later, so I guess that doesn’t fit your criteria either. If I think back to when I first started magic and the first time I saw a professional close up magician. That had me up all night thinking about how it was done and that felt like real magic. I think that to create a moment of real magic, the effect has to have meaning to it. There is a trick David Blaine did where he picked a drinks can from a bin and restored it. That makes sense, ‘Im thirsty, I want a drink, I’ll restore this one.’ It’s closer to what a real magician might do, rather than a card trick for example. In reality, magicians use props such as cards and coins to discuss a theme and to entertain, and some people say that magicians just create the illusion of the impossible. For me, I don’t want people to experience an illusion, I want them to believe they have seen something impossible, both in terms of what they physically see, but also logically as discussed above. Having said all of that, I’ve heard stories of people seeing real magic in India or China and maybe it’s the environment, that they don’t expect some old guy with a beard all the way down to the floor and sitting in the street to be able to do magic, or maybe just maybe it’s something else?

Are there certain magicians that other magicians hate?

Asked by Chrissy about 12 years ago

Where to start? There are a lot of magicians that I could name and shame for various reasons, ripping off members of the public, exposing secrets, ripping people off with shoddy magic products, stealing ideas, accusing respected magicians of stealing, unethical marketing techniques, using banned techniques to boost their search engine rankings, etc... I won’t name any here, except to say that there is a website called weekly magic failure that has a lot of them on. The main one people usually name though is the Masked Magician. Most people pretty much agree he’s a jerk. Personally, I agree with Sumner’s Law (I made it up) which states that 90% of magic is crap (maybe more).

If someone wants to be a magician for a living, does he have to be a one-man business, or are there magic "companies" you can be employed by?

Asked by The Shogun about 12 years ago

An interesting question, often asked by beginner magicians. There are some companies that will employ you for short periods of time from a few weeks to a few months, but usually these still require you to be self-employed, i.e. you have a regular contract with them but you invoice them for your time. Mostly they are bars or holiday resorts and they are pretty poorly paid. I work for a bar once or twice a year for a few weeks as it’s money that I can rely on and it’s good fun. I try to go on a quiet week as I can earn more from my private bookings. The second part to this answer is about children’s magicians. There are some franchise companies that will allow you to buy their franchise and use their branding.

Do you see any kind of magic renaissance in the future where it gets really popular again, and what would have to happen for that to come about?

Asked by twillz about 12 years ago

I'm not sure what you mean about popular again!? It's quite popular already. In the UK we recently had three television shows on prime-time TV and the first live magic show on TV for twenty years. Right now we have two major magic programmes on a satellite channel (one close up magic, and one escapes), so I think it's doing alright.

I hope that also answers your question - when there is quality magic in the media, on TV, on the internet, in magazines, when it's being discussed by people, that encourages people to think about a magician for their event and it ultimately increases the business for all magicians.

The time that quality magic stops being interesting to people is when live entertainment stops being interesting, and I don't see that happening any time soon.

I am having a problem understanding the instructions to the Pro Cheer's comedy rope trick.
Everytime I try when I do the trick it seems to get tangled up. Can you help?

Asked by Harry the Magicman about 11 years ago

Unfortunately I don't know that trick, sorry! Your best bet if you're looking for help online is to ask on a magic forum. There will probably be someone with some experience of it.

What kind of non-disclosure agreements do magicians make their assistants sign? Is there ever a concern that a scorned assistant is going to reveal secrets?

Asked by DavidLevinsky about 12 years ago

I don’t work with an assistant, so it’s not something I know a great deal about. I did hear a great piece of advice about assistants and that was ‘never marry your assistant.’ If you want to create a magic act using assistants, then the first thing you might think is to use your partner or your friends, however you need to consider if you would go into business with these people if it wasn’t magic? I make money from magic, so I wouldn’t want to jeopardise that by creating an act with someone who I had a personal relationship with. If that relationship falls apart then so does the income. I know that that has happened to magicians before. My recommendation would be to team up with another professional magician to create an act, or if one can’t be found, another performing artist, an actor, a dancer, a singer, and to train them in magic. I think a non-disclosure agreement would be useful here. Certainly they wouldn’t want to to give away secrets while they were in the act, and if they left the act, I’m not sure such an agreement would even have any legal binding. Magic secrets generally aren’t the highest priority in legal courts.

Do you remember the first time you ever really amazed someone with a trick and did you know right away that you wanted to do it professionally?

Asked by Trac1M3rgan almost 12 years ago

In short, not really. I started when I was about 15 and I remember amazing people with little bits of magic, but I always knew that I was only a little step up from there knowledge of magic. Most people can show you one or two tricks.

When I was 18 I started doing a few gigs for friends and family for free, and I did a big show at my school for my entire year and the year below. The show went really well and lots of people told me they were impressed and more so than with my close up magic. I guess around that sort of time was when I thought I could do something in magic professionally. It was still a few years until I really started concentrating on it though because I went to university to study, although I haven't really done anything with my degree (Cell and Molecular Biology, just so ya know).

Does getting older make it harder for a magician to perform his act? Like do reflexes and mental shaprness start to slip at a certain age?

Asked by Emma almost 12 years ago

Probably. I'm not old enough to be at that stage yet, but I'm sure that you get less dexterous with your hands as you get older.

On the upside, the more magic that you do the better a performer you are. So in that sense a more experienced magician might actually be quicker with jokes, lines and entertainment and might be able to react better to mistakes.

Having said that though, it seems that there needs to be a balance. People do enjoy a youthfulness to their entertainment even if the performer isn't themselves young, and I think people can relate better to an entertainer who is close to them in age.

With all that in mind, does that bring us close to answering what the perfect age for a magician is? Who knows?!

I am 14 years i have done table magic for a few poeple i want to do street magic i am feeling a little nervous because poeple all sorrounded and can know my trick what can i do?

Asked by Stephenmachado over 11 years ago

Nerves are just something that you have to get over. There's no alternative way except to perform. The best thing I can say is start small and easy (i.e. just a few people at an event that doesn't matter) and build up to larger more important audiences. Also, no-one should know the secrets if you have practiced enough.

As for street magic. If it's busking style, gathering a crowd and getting people to pay at the end, then that's really difficult (I think), but worthwhile and can be fun if you get into it.

If it's David Blaine style, run up to people in the street, show them a card trick, then run off. Don't bother unless your a famous TV magician. I've done it a little bit, but found that in general people don't want to be bothered.

Do magicians avoid certain types of people. I don't mean that in a racial way, but rather do magicians look for people they feel might enjoy magic and avoid those that don't, by looking for visual cues?

Asked by jc-nimmer over 11 years ago

In short, yes. In long, when I'm at an event, I will try to scout out who looks like they are having fun, or will be fun and that will be the second group that I go to. I pick the second most fun group to warm up on, and then go to the really fun group. The idea is that everyone sees those two groups having lots of fun and is more likely to be receptive when I get to them.

Fun groups are usually a group of friends, sometimes a group of girls, maybe they are celebrating something, smiling and laughing before I even get there.

If it's a big event and I'm not required to cover every group, then I will avoid the groups that look less fun, but if I have to show magic to everyone then I will do. I have routines that are suited to different energy levels, so if someone is sitting quietly by themselves I can sit with them and show them something a bit slower, more conversational, in contrast to a big group where I might have eight cards selected and try to find them all in two minutes.

Less fun groups are usually smaller, quieter or interested in something else that's at the event.

That all being said, you never know and the groups you think are less fun turn out to be a blast and the groups you think are fun just aren't into it, so everything I said is completely nullified really! You've just got to be adaptable.

I once had a magician tell me to think of a card (and not tell him what it was). Note - I did NOT draw the card, I merely THOUGHT of it. Sure enough, he yanked it out the deck on the first try. How is this even possible?

Asked by B. Fuddled about 12 years ago

It's not possible. That's why it's magic! All the best magicians can do this.

Is there anything you do to take special care of your hands, given that they're basically your livelihood?

Asked by theHarold almost 12 years ago

Yep, I wash them and I make sure that my nails are kept short and tidy. Furthermore, I'm very careful with knives (good advice for everyone, not just magicians).

Occasionally I use some hand lotion after I've washed them and when I'm doing balloon modelling (which isn't really magic, but is great fun) I have to use a lotion after about an hour because the powder inside the balloon can really dry out your hands.

I guess some magicians might have insurance on their hands, but I can't name anyone who does.

Why do magicians use doves and rabbits? Is there something about THOSE animals in particular that make them good "accessories"?

Asked by TPL almost 12 years ago

They squash up really easily!

Just joking, there may be some historical significance that I'm not aware of but as far as I know the reason is simply that they sit quietly during transporting and during the show.

Some magicians use other animals and goldfish are also popular (although they obviously need water when travelling too).

As for whether animals should be used in performance at all. Personally I think that animals should be used less often in magic. Not never, but I wouldn't want to use an animal every week as the travelling can be quite stressful on the animal. I would use an animal, maybe a rabbit, for a one off performance, perhaps for television or for a large stage show, so that many people can have the chance to enjoy it. It seems more justifiable then.

Have you encountered any magicians who really, truly, 100% believe that they're capable of performing ACTUAL magic?

Asked by spunktard about 12 years ago

In short, no. There are some magicians who play to the audience that it is actually 100% real magic i.e. Uri Gellar, but whether he actually believed it himself, I doubt it. It's an interesting idea though, that I've played around with. I certainly like to think that what I do is magic and not 'just being clever' but there is a line somewhere on how much an audience will believe before it starts to sound too implausible. In magic, even the unbelievable has to be um... believable.

Can you do magic like Harry potter and how

Asked by Alex over 10 years ago

That's a different kind of magic. I don't know much about it, but from the half of one film that I've seen - I think you have to fly around on a broomstick, say expelliarmus, and hang around with some nerds.

Are there any tricks that are considered really hack, and that you'd lose respect for a magician if you saw him performing them?

Asked by beyond almost 12 years ago

In theory there are no bad tricks. Even the most simple of tricks, the ones that everyone knows could be changed and wrapped up in an interesting and engaging presentation. That's what matters right?

There are some tricks that might be more difficult to adapt to an interesting presentation and if they are very simple it might be difficult to hide the known method in order to make them magical too.

By way of an example I occasionally perform the very very old pulling your thumb off trick. I do it quickly and I doubt anybody is genuinly fooled by it, but for a moment it creates a quick illusion, a double take and it gets a laugh. Not the strongest thing I do, but when the situation is right, I'll perform it.

Another thing to consider is practicality. Some tricks performed by amateurs include very long set ups or counting procedures, like the 21 card trick. The way that I often work, it's not ideal to have to take ten minutes between each performance to reset the trick. Likewise with dealing tricks, you need something to fill that time while you are dealing cards.

Certainly I can also think of some tricks that I would find difficult to work with, but that doesn't mean that someone else might not have a fresh outlook on it.

Do friends and family ask you to perform at their events, and do they ask you to do this for free? How do you handle that kind of situation?

Asked by slowburn about 12 years ago

Interesting question. Possibly one that might be asked by another magician? When I started out I did a lot of shows for family friends and friends of friends and other people who I was connected with for just a nominal fee, maybe £20 or £30. Maybe just even my travel.

Now I charge those sorts of people my full fee, which I think is only fair, seeing as I have the experience to provide the full service, and magic is my only income.

For direct family, it's not always appropriate to perform magic and of course having magic at every family event would get tiring, however if I'm asked to do magic for family then I will perform for free and try to fit it around my paid bookings if I can. I tend to find that for any gig that I do for free (for family or otherwise) I will usually get something back in return, even if that isn't my full fee.

How is the revelation mind reading trick done?

Asked by Deanamo almost 11 years ago

Sorry, I don't reveal secrets. If you seriously want to learn magic, then I suggest you buy a book and learn it the same way everyone else did. As with anything, it takes time and effort to master it.

How often do magicians die while performing tricks / illusions, and is it a big deal around the global magic community when that happens?

Asked by COQ over 10 years ago

Good question. I don't have an exact answer. I guess that it's a bigger deal if the magician is famous within the magic community. One trick that does often get publicity, even when it's just set to be performed, is the bullet catch (where the magician tries to catch a fired bullet in their mouth). There are ways to perform the trick, of course, but working around guns and live ammunition is dangerous. 

Legend says that at least 12 magicians have died performing it. One magician had a 'safe' method but died simply because a stage hand used the 'wrong' gun. Another, Chung Ling Soo, is one of the most famous bullet catch deaths. He was an American magician who led everyone to believe he was Chinese. On stage, after being shot he spoke his first and last words, in English in public, ""Oh my God. Something's happened. Lower the curtain."

there is a trick where you give someone a deck of cards in the box and they name any card and somehow the card they named is turned up right in the deck. What is the trick called and how do you do it?

Asked by Magic Sam almost 11 years ago

Sorry, I don't reveal secrets. If you seriously want to learn magic, then I suggest you buy a book and learn it the same way everyone else did. As with anything, it takes time and effort to master it.

Whats my race?

Asked by Pepe over 9 years ago

Give the 400m hurdles a go.

???? How long until I get a responce to my hole in the head question

Asked by illusion over 10 years ago

Sorry, but I can't answer questions about specific tricks.

I saw a simple trick in Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige". About 30 minutes in, we see the main character do a sleight of hand trick: He has a ball in one hand, waves his hand over it, and then the ball vanishes. How would one do this?

Asked by Chris over 10 years ago

Sorry, I don't reveal secrets (not even 'simple' ones). If you seriously want to learn magic, then I suggest you buy a book and learn it the same way everyone else did. As with anything, it takes time and effort to master it.

Is being a magician everything you thought it would be? What's something you wish you knew when you first started?

Asked by davis.pierce over 10 years ago

I didn't know what to expect! It's good fun though, I like meeting people and I like performing. Sometimes it feels like showing off, which is fine. I got into magic because I was interested in lots of showing off things, acting, comedy, circus, but magic was the one that stuck the most.

I guess the things I didn't realise is that it would involve so much driving. The performing time is just a small part of everything I do. I actually enjoy the running the business side, but I could do with less driving around. Wouldn't it be great if all my shows were within 15 miles.

You should teach me some magic tricks. I would like that!

Asked by Rach over 9 years ago

That isn't a question, but thank you for your kind words.

Maybe you should start with a book from the library.

I am writing a story about the strange world of dreams. One character is a magician. What magic trick he should perform? I am searching for something extraordinary almost impossible, any ideas? Pretty please? I need inspiration!

Asked by Myrto over 9 years ago

As it's your creative output and I don't know anything about the rest of the story, I don't know if I should give an answer but if it's a dream then surely it can be actually impossible. I would go for, magician flips coin on the ground, when the coin lands it turns into a hippopotamus.

I'll take 10% of all royalties forwarded to me once a quarter. Thank you! =P

Sorry I don't have a question

Asked by NateTheGreat about 11 years ago

That's great, because I don't have an answer.

Do you have assistants, and do you make them sign a non-disclosure / secrecy agreement so they don't reveal your tricks? Are those actually enforceable in any way and how would you even calculate damages? (Yes, I'm a lawyer:)

Asked by Randy almost 10 years ago

I don't personally work with an assistant but although I think non-disclosure agreements are used, I don't know if they are enforceable. As I'm sure you're aware, unless it's actually tested by case law, it's difficult to say if it would be effective. I imagine that damages would have to be calculated based on loss of earnings, but again... how do you start to calculate that?

As much of magic's secrets have a long history and many people are adapting them for their own use, a better place to start would be with what is original to the show - trademarks, copyrighted performances and scripts, performance rights, can all be protected. And where there is a unique method, patents are worth looking at. You might want to read up on Teller's legal battle over his Shadow Act.

Here's one more thing to consider. I heard a great piece of advice once, which was "Never marry your assistant." It was at an event and was one of those throw away lines that got a bit of a chuckle, but actually has some reasoning behind it. Too many magicians decide to set up their show with their wife / girlfriend. If magic is your full time job, that can be a big mistake. If the relationship breaks down, and you don't want to work with your ex-partner, then how do you decide who owns what from the show. Magician's assistants these days aren't, or shouldn't be, just the pretty stage hand that brings on props. They have creative input too, even if their name isn't on the poster. Sooner or later there is going to be a divorce settlement where the ex wife says, I'm having the car, the house, the kids, half the magic props and worldwide performance rights.

My advice is hire a professional dancer and pay a professional fee. Then you can write a contract that says that the dancer is employed as part of the show, and has no right to claim any ownership of it.

Thanks for your question. Hope I got you thinking about the complex issues, even if I couldn't quite answer your question exactly.

Edit: I answered a similar question to this earlier too. I said the same thing! Good to see I'm being consistant.

Will I go for studying to Italy in May 2015

Asked by Anna over 10 years ago

*Shakes magic 8 ball...

"The outlook is probable"

I was watching TV and I saw a magician do the "spike in bag" trick. Normally I think the spike is knocked down and put back up, but in this case I noticed the spike bag always had a 3rd fold on the bottom https://goo.gl/dMsSY3 What do you think?

Asked by JR about 9 years ago

I think that you should enjoy the performance. As I have said in multiple other answers - I do not reveal secrets. If you seriously want to learn magic, then I suggest you buy a book and learn it the same way everyone else did. As with anything, it takes time and effort to master it.

I can not find a mentor and do not wish to learn a few magic "tricks" here and there. Instead I am more interested in actually learning the foundation and philosophy's of magic. Are there any books you can suggest?

Asked by JosephG almost 10 years ago

Firstly Joseph - you have the right attitude! Knowing the secrets to hundreds of tricks, does not make you a magician! Instead it's best to learn a small repertoire of routines that you can do really well. For a beginner, I usually say six to eight routines is a good start. I regularly perform about 15 different routines, with about another 15 as my back up material that I perform occasionally.

There are many books that I can suggest to learn routines from, but that really does depend on what type of magic you are interested in.

For the magic theory, I suggest Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz. The principles in there can be applied to all types of magic.

For some interesting essays on the philosophical, theatrical or moral issues in magic, I suggest Shattering Illusions by Jamy Ian Swiss (I think it's out of print, but his second book is still available).

I also enjoyed Kid Control by Julian Franklin. That's focused more on managing the behaviour of children at birthday party shows, but... as magicians we are often interacting with people so I found it quite useful across the board.

I've also heard good things about Maximum Entertainment by Ken Webber, but I haven't read that myself.

And lastly, for a real education in magic, don't just stick to magic books! Read about or take classes in drama, public speaking, confidence building, clowning and dancing.

how does dynamo transform a whole deck of cards into one card by slamming his hands together

Asked by tom almost 10 years ago

Sorry but I don't reveal any secrets here. Especially ones that aren't mine to give away. You'll have to ask Dynamo.

What, in your opinion, do you think a magician is?

Asked by Marian over 9 years ago

A magician is someone who creates the experience of magic in another person. Magic is a feeling of fully knowing that what you have witnessed cannot happen, and yet you just did - the only possible explanation for it is magic! You don't have to believe it's sorcery, but you can't step off the fence easily either way.

The important points about my definition of magic are 'no other possible explanation' and 'fully knowing.' Some magicians are happy to tempt their audience by telling them that they are using distraction, fast hands or sleight of hand. This is all wrong if you ask me. If an audience feels as if they have been distracted or that the magician was just using fast hands, then that is not magic. Likewise magic should relate to the audience, they should be clear that what they will witness is impossible, because something similar does not happen in their everyday life.

Have you worked in different countries, and are there any weird differences between what various audiences are impressed by?

Asked by LB about 10 years ago

Yes, I have worked in other countries, and for different cultures within the UK. Those of Afro-Caribbean descent are often very expressive. Those from Asian descent are usually a bit more reserved. And in the Indian culture they like you to stop after the show to eat with them. That's nice unless you've got another show to get to, and then you have to politely explain.

The differences are minimal really though. The show doesn't change! And certainly no variation in what is impressive. If it's magic, it's magic! Within Europe the hardest thing to overcome is the language barrier.

Where do you perform your magic tricks at?

Asked by Rach over 9 years ago

I perform close up magic at weddings, anniversaries, family celebrations, corporate celebrations and hospitality events. I also perform my magic as a way to market other's businesses. This is often at trade shows and exhibitions or during an on street marketing campaign. Finally, I provide magic workshops for staff training days.

I perform magic for children at birthday parties, christenings, weddings and family fun days. I am also sometimes asked to provide shows for schools during the end of term.

If you want to see a little of my magic, you may want to look at my YouTube channel by searching for Ed Sumner Magic.

Where can I buy a hanky/serviette which can change colour at the flick of the wrist.
(Not the kind that you push into your palm to change its colour)

Asked by Peter1965 over 9 years ago

I had an idea for a trick like that, but I haven't fully developed it yet. Even though I create much of my own magic to suit my use, there are often similar items available commercially. Why not try going to a real bricks and mortar magic shop and explaining what you want? I'm sure someone there will be able to help you out further.

How often do you learn a new trick, and how many times will you practice it before deciding it's ready to incorporate into your act?

Asked by David almost 10 years ago

I'm always playing around or learning something new, as that keeps my skills sharp, and widens my experience and knowledge of magic. Those routines usually don't make it into my working material though.

My working material is quite well rounded but if I want to try out some new ideas then I will work to create my own routine that fits the specific requirement.

Once I've learnt enough to not give the secret away, I'll start performing it. Not at paid shows straight away, but for friends, family, other magicians and on the rare occassions I have a charity show where I'm helping out for free or for a reduced price, then I will try some new material there too. Finally when it gets to a paid show, I'll put that routine alongside other more established material. That's a nice way to ease that material and learn some of the timing and the presentation.

hi I want to know what does it take to have that magicians reputation?

Asked by darren over 9 years ago

My friend gave me some great advice the other day. The best way to be perceived as an expert in something is to first become an expert in that thing.

So in short, read a lot, practice a lot and perform a lot.

Are there any common tricks done by other professional magicians that you won't do because you just think they're too hack?

Asked by hacky over 10 years ago

Well any trick no matter how 'hack' it might can be turned around and made presentable. It just needs a new idea. For example, there's a trick called Six Card Repeat - every magician does it at the start of their show! Most magicians just do it the same way, "I have one, two, three, four, five, six cards and I threw one, two, three away and I still had one, two, three, four, five, six, so I said, NO WAY! How can I have one, two, three, four, five, six cards, throw one, two, three away and still have one, two, three, four, five, six." etc... It's boring!! But others have created something new from it - Tim Ellis has a great rap version, Joshua Jay does a version with credit cards instead of playing cards. And I have a parody version for magicians!

The defining thing about hacks is that they don't have any creativity or originality of their own, so they just copy others, use lines that weren't funny the first time round, "Hold your hand out, no the clean one." etc... That's part of the reason why in my children's show, I don't use a magic wand, even though it's expected. I haven't found a way to make it novel for me, yet.

Many years ago I saw a B&W video, (perhaps from the 50's). It showed a magician illustrating slight of hand. He was at a table with 4-5 other people using crumpled up balls of paper. I'm trying to find that video to watch. Does it sound familiar?

Asked by LoriSue almost 10 years ago

That's very unspecific, but why not have a look at Don Alan's Magic Ranch? That's the right sort of era and was a show where Don performed close up magic to a group of celebrity guests.

Do you make up our own tricks or do you learn them somehow?

Asked by I might have 2 questions over 9 years ago

Both! I think of it a little bit like cooking. Once you know the basics eg. how to saute, whisk, and fold etc... and how different flavours combine, then you can put down the recipe books and start making up your own meals.It's similar with magic. I can still learn from a book, but because I know how to control, misdirect, ditch and ring in, etc... I can make up my own routines, which is all the better as they are uniquely mine, and a display of my personality. That's important as I think people are more interested in other people than they are magic tricks!

How does levitation work am bit confused is illusion or a trick

Asked by Fazy over 9 years ago

Sorry, I don't reveal secrets. If you seriously want to learn magic, then I suggest you buy a book and learn it the same way everyone else did. As with anything, it takes time and effort to master it.

Besides giving away tricks, what are the other no-no's in magic? Like what would get you ostracized from the community?

Asked by Ripz about 10 years ago

I would say that copying other magicians should be something that should be a big NO-NO, in the same way that stand up comedians are protective about their material, because it's so personal to them.

Unfortunately, it's not like that though and there are hack magicians who just copy off others, and use lines that weren't funny the first times round. That's upsetting.

One thing that people in the magic community do get annoyed about is people copying without crediting others. It seems almost like it's all right to copy as long as you don't pass it off as your own to other magicians. So you might say, "This trick isn't mine, I learnt it from..."

But if you try to sell a trick or routine that you've blatantly copied and not credited, then we really don't like that, and it happens.

Are the doves and rabbits that magicians use specially bred in any way, or can you pretty much teach any bird or bunny whatever actions are needed for a trick?

Asked by beisbol almost 10 years ago

I answered a question similar to this previously. In short, we use those animals because they will sit quietly whilst waiting to appear. I don't use animals in my shows because I travel a lot and I don't think that stress would be fair on the animal. If I had a static show in a venue, or I could use an animal for a one off performance for a large group or for TV then I would consider it.

As for breeds, I can't say for sure as I don't use them, but I imagine so. Flemish Giant Rabbits would need a much bigger hat!

What would be good for close up/small talk magic. Card flourishes levitation or disappearances what's your Mo on this?

Asked by Explanation, magician as well about 9 years ago

Well card flourishes are not magic, but they can be magical. They tend to work better on video than live, but I do know of magicians that have a lot of flourishes within their close up magic routines. 

The best route for you is to work on anything that you enjoy and can be passionate about. If you enjoy it, you can find someone else who enjoys it too. Start with your personality and your character not the tricks.

For example, I have a lot of self-deprecating humour in my show (I mean it's only magic tricks, right). Occasionally I come up against people who hate what I do (with a passion) but I'm OK with that because last week I met someone who said I had the exact same sense of humour as them. I like that challenge of risking the polar opposite, win or fail scenario, but others might want to play it a little safer. What on earth is my mo?

How can i get back my girl friend pussy

Asked by Yusuf almost 5 years ago

I read of an effect in an old book about slate writing. If you dissolve zinc in hydrochloric acid and write on a slate, it will appear blank when wet, but writing will appear as it dries. I have tried it, but can't get it to work. Any ideas?

Asked by Andrew John Daly over 3 years ago

I bought an Acro Index Stage Dry Erase from Blake Vogt. I used a whiteboard marker which google said was the same as dry erase and it wont come off. Any ideas? There is no platform to contact Blake to ask how to fix this.

Asked by Brett 5 months ago

I've managed to get the centre out of a two pound coin and it clicks in and out what magic trick would you do with it .

Asked by Mike about 8 years ago

I've got a 2 pound coin and the centre clips in and out what tricks would you do with this

Asked by Magic mike about 8 years ago

How does Bewildering Blocks work?

Asked by Paul Turner about 4 years ago

Can the 2004 Nimitz UFO incidence be an elaborate illusion or "magic trick" perpetuated by parts of the government to secure funding? How would you create such an illusion?

Asked by Buzzman over 5 years ago

What are some good ways to switch a card in a sandwich for a card on top of the deck?

Asked by Kaveh Navidi over 4 years ago

What are your known uses for Teflon discs in a vanishing reel?

Asked by The Doctor almost 7 years ago

Did i ever going to win a big prize money

Asked by iry.rey5250@gmail.com over 6 years ago

There a a illusion I would love to learn to do but can not find any information on it. I've only ever seen it preform by Asian magicians. The effect uses cloth masks many of them and the change from mask to mask is instant. Hope you can help me.

Asked by 9tails over 2 years ago

How does a magician change a 20 dollar bill to a 1 dollar after sliding their fingers on top of the 20s, I do not mean the magic trick where they fold the bill no, its different, he slides his fingers and it chamges price, thank you for your info.

Asked by Maria over 3 years ago

How go this trick?
He wrote down 3 cards on my arm, then from a pack I shuffled and down words spread on table he said now you’ll take those cards for me. And the 3 cards I choose were the ones he said to pick. How did he do this?

Asked by Nah293&3&3& about 5 years ago

Did u ever failed a trick hard?

Asked by Leon74 over 6 years ago

Have u fixed teeth and scars

Asked by Jeremy Walker over 4 years ago

Have u fixed teeth and scars

Asked by Jeremy over 4 years ago

Have floated in air

Asked by Jeremy over 4 years ago

How was this done? I picked a card from a deck and signed it and put it back. My friend did the same. He some how finds and pull out both cards and hands them to us. We then put our hands together and they merged. Ace on the front 4 on the back.

Asked by Ga over 5 years ago

I need to know how to do the thread proposal from the movie stepmom

Asked by Tiffany Kinney HELP HELP over 4 years ago

Need directions to do thread proposal from movie stepmom

Asked by MOTHER TRYING TO HELP DAUGHTER over 4 years ago

How to do thread proposal from movie stepmom?

Asked by Help over 4 years ago

How old i am

Asked by Yvonne over 7 years ago

Is it late to start to learn magic tricks at 20?

Asked by Andro almost 2 years ago

What are the lotto numbers for tomorrow night in Aucklank New Zealand

Asked by Yvonne over 7 years ago

Can you make a magic wand appear with magic?

Asked by Laura over 4 years ago

How does Lior Suchard guesses the pin or name someone thinking of. Where can i buy or learn this from

Asked by Thinker Pro about 5 years ago

I collect magic tricks. Recently purchased a Jack Hughes....Joey The Clown trick. It’s awesome but right foot was slightly damaged in shipping. Problem is the initials JH were rubbed off. Does this affect value?

Thank you

Asked by Tom almost 4 years ago

I was 12 when this happened we had a man who said he has seen god and god enter him when he wants further hindu gods..
So his hairs grew from 3 inches long to 100 inches voice changed when god came in
He threw fruit at photos and fruit disappeared

Asked by Ayush pandey over 7 years ago

How old am I

Asked by Felix KWAKU FRIMPONG over 6 years ago

How old am I

Asked by Felix KWAKU FRIMPONG over 6 years ago

Where do I come from which country?

Asked by Felix KWAKU FRIMPONG over 6 years ago

I am trying to locate a B&W clip from the late 50's - early 60's showing people around a table being shown how a slight of hand illusion is done using crumpled up pieces of paper. Does this sound familiar??

Asked by LoriSue Charles over 6 years ago

how did wes iseli fool penn and teller

Asked by Jj over 4 years ago

is there a card trick I can do with cards that are 2m tall?

Asked by MAC Band over 7 years ago

Is it possible to make a person disappear and appear in another place?

Asked by Ray about 3 years ago

What can I use on my hands to do coin magic I have a hard time controlling the coins they are alway slipping

Asked by Domenic about 6 years ago

I’m having a hard time controlling coins they are always slipping of my hand through my fingers it seems that the coins are slipping all the time is there anything I can do to prevent this

Asked by Domenic about 6 years ago

How do you speak so smoothly during a performance? I cant seem to do both the trick and the talking at the same time.

Asked by John almost 4 years ago

Hi, I’ll just take the chance and ask this. Could you point me in the right direction as far as finding out more about magic history of Finland. Or if you know anything about the subject, would you care to enlighten? Thank you

Asked by Omar G almost 6 years ago

I'm an amateur magician trying to piece together an opening for a show my question is what would you use to make a suit jacket float?

Asked by Mike over 6 years ago