Close-up magic is magical entertainment that happens right in front of you, magic you can not only see but feel and touch. This intimacy is what makes it so different from other types of magic. An expert close-up magician will involve and interact with the audience far more than a stage magician (or any other form of entertainer for that matter).
Most close-up magicians use common props such as playing cards, coins, sponge balls and rope. And all magicians perform the same basic magical effects with these props, making them appear, disappear, change, levitate, break and restore, and penetrate other objects. What is amazing about close-up magic is that it happens so close to you, sometimes while you are holding the props!
There are many standard close-up magic effects and standard routines used to present them. For example, the ‘Ambitious Card’ where a chosen card repeatedly rises to the top position in a deck of cards without any shuffling or cutting, or the ‘Sponge Balls’ where the balls move invisibly between the magician’s hands and those of the spectator’s. In fact, these routines are freely available if you care to look. Anyone can search the internet and buy books and DVDs on close-up magic, or even the props and standard routines.
What really sets one close-up magician apart from another is how they present their magic. In fact, presentation is the key - it is what makes close-up magic entertaining. A really good, professional magician will be creative and present their magic in an original and entertaining way. Sometimes humorous, sometimes mysterious, sometimes just plain weird and freaky. The magic becomes a vehicle for the personality and ideas of the performer.
This is what makes close-up magic great entertainment. An interesting, strange and funny person demonstrates the impossible, weird and wonderful, right under your nose!
Showing posts with label magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label magic. Show all posts
Friday, April 16, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Types Of Magic Tricks
Magic is one form of entertainment enjoyed by many people from all walks of life. It is something that will never cease to amaze people both young and old.
If one wishes to become a good magician, it would be a great help to know the various types of magic tricks before performing any.
Magic tricks are done in a wide variety of ways and fall into different types;
1. The first one is called close up magic. It's the type that requires the least skill and many can do it with just a little practice. It usually involves the use of simple things such as a deck of cards, some small balls or a coin. It entails making people believe in one thing but doing something else. This kind of trick proves that the hand is faster than the eye.
2. The next type is called platform magic. This is done in a much larger scale than the first. Some tricks of this type that are well-known include cutting a person that is inside a box in half or making a person who's lying down levitate in the air after the table below has been removed.
3. The third type, which is very tricky, is called stage magic. Such performances are done quite rarely but when performed, they can become one great magic extravaganza. Such type includes making the statue of liberty disappear or walking through the Great Wall of China.
Innumerable magic tricks and trick lessons make it possible for a lot of people to learn how to become one good magician. This can be accomplished by buying a magic set or reading a book. Many of these people started while at home, watching how other people do it.
Other people who have some experience have talked with others and learned a trick or two. One can start with a small audience then have a larger one later on. To those who want to do more extreme magic, one should invest more into the trade, learn from others then make a mark to be truly called a magician.
One trick of the trade is to remember that no magician, either a beginner or an expert, should ever reveal the secrets of doing a trick to his or her spectator. Also, no magician has ever become successful overnight. Practice and reinvention can help a lot in getting near that coveted status of a magician -- the famous and most loved one.
If one wishes to become a good magician, it would be a great help to know the various types of magic tricks before performing any.
Magic tricks are done in a wide variety of ways and fall into different types;
1. The first one is called close up magic. It's the type that requires the least skill and many can do it with just a little practice. It usually involves the use of simple things such as a deck of cards, some small balls or a coin. It entails making people believe in one thing but doing something else. This kind of trick proves that the hand is faster than the eye.
2. The next type is called platform magic. This is done in a much larger scale than the first. Some tricks of this type that are well-known include cutting a person that is inside a box in half or making a person who's lying down levitate in the air after the table below has been removed.
3. The third type, which is very tricky, is called stage magic. Such performances are done quite rarely but when performed, they can become one great magic extravaganza. Such type includes making the statue of liberty disappear or walking through the Great Wall of China.
Innumerable magic tricks and trick lessons make it possible for a lot of people to learn how to become one good magician. This can be accomplished by buying a magic set or reading a book. Many of these people started while at home, watching how other people do it.
Other people who have some experience have talked with others and learned a trick or two. One can start with a small audience then have a larger one later on. To those who want to do more extreme magic, one should invest more into the trade, learn from others then make a mark to be truly called a magician.
One trick of the trade is to remember that no magician, either a beginner or an expert, should ever reveal the secrets of doing a trick to his or her spectator. Also, no magician has ever become successful overnight. Practice and reinvention can help a lot in getting near that coveted status of a magician -- the famous and most loved one.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
To Be Or Not To Be A Professional Or An Amateur Magician
An amateur magician is anyone who has a minimum amount of talent, skill and knowledge when it comes to performing magic tricks. He or she may be anyone who knows one magic trick or at least three magic tricks.
But basically, a more technical definition of an amateur magician is anyone who does not in any way practice magic as their trade, even if he or she knows four, five, six or more than a number of magic tricks. This is regardless of how good, better or excellent he or she may be in performing flourishes, sleight of hand or optical illusions.
However, there are those amateur magicians who try their very best to expand their current knowledge as well as repertoire and still practice magic as their primary source of income. People who do this are usually called hedge magicians. This is in order to differentiate them from authentic professional magicians who make practicing and performing magic as a trade and make an actual living doing so.
Meanwhile a professional magician is anyone who has a little bit more knowledge and talent compared to an amateur magician. These professional magicians know sufficient magic that makes it enough for them to use it as their primary source of trade and income, as well as not using magic to assist them in a trade other than magic.
So technically, even if a barber performs his job using magic and no matter how many tricks he or she knows and is capable of, that barber is still not considered as a professional magician because his primary trade is cutting hairs and not necessarily being a magician.
Another way to differentiate a professional magician from an amateur is by the way he or she does flourishes.
According to the Online Encylopedia of Magic, a flourish is any sleight that is performed for the purpose of entertaining an audience and does not in any way contain any moves that are hidden. Most sleights that are performed are done so in order to deceive a captive audience and to do something that can not be detected. Meanwhile, a flourish is any trick that is done to draw the audience’s attention away from where an actual sleight is simultaneously being performed.
There are some magicians who consider the performance of a flourish as simply a finger exercise and not really actual pieces of performance. But those magicians who do put in and include flourishes in their act are considered by some of their fellow magicians as a seriously skilled performer.
If a performance consists of a card trick wherein the cards are spread out on the table and when a performer does a pressure card fan, the image that that performer projects is one of professionalism and experience. But a performer of magic who simply holds the cards and then spreads them slightly, may then be considered more as an amateur. Although this may or may not be true or this may not be considered as a hard fact, this is the perception and the impression that a performing magician usually gives to an audience.
Flourishes are done not just as a form of show-off to the audience, a flourish is also done for the purpose of presenting just how a performer is truly dedicated to the magic act. It also shows the degree of professionalism one has for the performance.
When a flourish is done, it makes it easier to know the difference between a magic trick performed by an expert magician and your friendly neighborhood Jim who is doing a card trick.
A skilled performer comes off as a natural and will ultimately receive more credit for his or her performance as well as recognition, not to mention that good old respect for the skills he or she has.
When a spectator is looking at a magic trick where the occasional flourish is done, that performer is also seen as more than a magician but a person who is passionate at what he or she is doing. It is therefore so much easier to hire a magician who has more skills and experience than one who needs to practice his or her craft more.
But basically, a more technical definition of an amateur magician is anyone who does not in any way practice magic as their trade, even if he or she knows four, five, six or more than a number of magic tricks. This is regardless of how good, better or excellent he or she may be in performing flourishes, sleight of hand or optical illusions.
However, there are those amateur magicians who try their very best to expand their current knowledge as well as repertoire and still practice magic as their primary source of income. People who do this are usually called hedge magicians. This is in order to differentiate them from authentic professional magicians who make practicing and performing magic as a trade and make an actual living doing so.
Meanwhile a professional magician is anyone who has a little bit more knowledge and talent compared to an amateur magician. These professional magicians know sufficient magic that makes it enough for them to use it as their primary source of trade and income, as well as not using magic to assist them in a trade other than magic.
So technically, even if a barber performs his job using magic and no matter how many tricks he or she knows and is capable of, that barber is still not considered as a professional magician because his primary trade is cutting hairs and not necessarily being a magician.
Another way to differentiate a professional magician from an amateur is by the way he or she does flourishes.
According to the Online Encylopedia of Magic, a flourish is any sleight that is performed for the purpose of entertaining an audience and does not in any way contain any moves that are hidden. Most sleights that are performed are done so in order to deceive a captive audience and to do something that can not be detected. Meanwhile, a flourish is any trick that is done to draw the audience’s attention away from where an actual sleight is simultaneously being performed.
There are some magicians who consider the performance of a flourish as simply a finger exercise and not really actual pieces of performance. But those magicians who do put in and include flourishes in their act are considered by some of their fellow magicians as a seriously skilled performer.
If a performance consists of a card trick wherein the cards are spread out on the table and when a performer does a pressure card fan, the image that that performer projects is one of professionalism and experience. But a performer of magic who simply holds the cards and then spreads them slightly, may then be considered more as an amateur. Although this may or may not be true or this may not be considered as a hard fact, this is the perception and the impression that a performing magician usually gives to an audience.
Flourishes are done not just as a form of show-off to the audience, a flourish is also done for the purpose of presenting just how a performer is truly dedicated to the magic act. It also shows the degree of professionalism one has for the performance.
When a flourish is done, it makes it easier to know the difference between a magic trick performed by an expert magician and your friendly neighborhood Jim who is doing a card trick.
A skilled performer comes off as a natural and will ultimately receive more credit for his or her performance as well as recognition, not to mention that good old respect for the skills he or she has.
When a spectator is looking at a magic trick where the occasional flourish is done, that performer is also seen as more than a magician but a person who is passionate at what he or she is doing. It is therefore so much easier to hire a magician who has more skills and experience than one who needs to practice his or her craft more.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Optical Illusion And Magic
Perhaps, optical illusion and magic are no different from each other for both share the same effects: they amaze and fascinate and deceive the human eye.
A suspecting audience will lose the chance of catching the trick if you are perfectly endowed with sleight of hand skill and interest.
Your eyes can be deceived both by magician’s hand dexterity and apparent psychological persuasion (patter). The apparent patter of a magician combined with quicksilver hand skill is a perfect match to a dubious crowd.
Practical Optical Illusions
Optical illusions can be carried out in front of a large or medium size audience or can be performed using pictures especially if you have no immediate contact with the person you are trying to communicate with.
Pictures that visibly change their color or physically modifies along the way to keeping a long stare at them or by following simple rules or instruction helps you baffle your friends and amaze them of your ingenuity.
Optical Illusion is Magic
Magic is based on optical illusion because it involves the use of deceitful tricks that tends to help you perform the unnatural. Some of the most famous illusionists of time like Harry Houdini perform magic using a technique called Pepper’s Ghost.
In Pepper’s Ghost illusory technique, the use of glass fibers are perfectly positioned to create a hologram figure of the object you are trying to hide. Special effects and the use of black background are also critical to the performance of technique.
In the late 1800s, Harry Houdini first performed his major magic trick in front of a large audience by making an elephant disappear and making if appear again according to his own willing.
Since then, a lot of his contemporaries began making use of this type of strategy until it was patented in the late 1860.
Magic is a type of Illusion
You can hardly separate magic from optical illusion because the one is characteristic of the other. Magic involves the use of tricks that involve the quick hand and the use of colors and objects that seem to block the actual image of the main subject.
Specific productions (magic types) are achieved which shadows the image of the main object being given attention to.
For example, a glass of water that is apparently empty is actually lined with a clear material while the inside is stuff with material which you may show to your audience as a product of your magic (coins flowing from an empty bottle) when taken out.
A suspecting audience will lose the chance of catching the trick if you are perfectly endowed with sleight of hand skill and interest.
Your eyes can be deceived both by magician’s hand dexterity and apparent psychological persuasion (patter). The apparent patter of a magician combined with quicksilver hand skill is a perfect match to a dubious crowd.
Practical Optical Illusions
Optical illusions can be carried out in front of a large or medium size audience or can be performed using pictures especially if you have no immediate contact with the person you are trying to communicate with.
Pictures that visibly change their color or physically modifies along the way to keeping a long stare at them or by following simple rules or instruction helps you baffle your friends and amaze them of your ingenuity.
Optical Illusion is Magic
Magic is based on optical illusion because it involves the use of deceitful tricks that tends to help you perform the unnatural. Some of the most famous illusionists of time like Harry Houdini perform magic using a technique called Pepper’s Ghost.
In Pepper’s Ghost illusory technique, the use of glass fibers are perfectly positioned to create a hologram figure of the object you are trying to hide. Special effects and the use of black background are also critical to the performance of technique.
In the late 1800s, Harry Houdini first performed his major magic trick in front of a large audience by making an elephant disappear and making if appear again according to his own willing.
Since then, a lot of his contemporaries began making use of this type of strategy until it was patented in the late 1860.
Magic is a type of Illusion
You can hardly separate magic from optical illusion because the one is characteristic of the other. Magic involves the use of tricks that involve the quick hand and the use of colors and objects that seem to block the actual image of the main subject.
Specific productions (magic types) are achieved which shadows the image of the main object being given attention to.
For example, a glass of water that is apparently empty is actually lined with a clear material while the inside is stuff with material which you may show to your audience as a product of your magic (coins flowing from an empty bottle) when taken out.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Magic Cards
Magic has been around for centuries. It has even been associated with medieval times in stories of Merlin and King Arthur, which has made religious people believe that this was evil. And people who knew it and practiced it were considered to be heretics and were burned at the stake.
Now who would ever imagine that magic has now gained a more favorable popularity? With more than a handful of famous magicians amusing innumerable audiences, magic has never been this much loved before. This popularity has made a lot of people yearn to learn some magic tricks. One of the most basic is the use of magic cards.
A deck of cards is one of the most common props used by magicians. There are many forms of magic tricks a person can do with a deck of cards. Here's what one aspiring magician has to learn in manipulating magic cards:
The first thing that a person must learn is how to shuffle. This is done using both hands and by having a certain amount of cards on each hand. Then alternately put one card over the other until all the cards are in one stack then putting them together to form a uniform pile.
After that, one can start performing certain tricks that will both fool and amaze the audience. Some well known magicians can make a cigarette go right through a deck of cards while others can make a card float in the air with no visible strings attached.
The most basic trick that anyone can master however is letting someone pick a card and after shuffling it, picking that same card the person selected moments ago. There are so many other tricks one can do with a deck of cards and all it takes is some time to get to know these tricks, practice it then show off to friends.
Other than using magic cards, there are so many other tricks, which involve other props or paraphernalia such as a coin, a hanky, or even a small ball. The use of cards in performing a trick is merely an execution of various optical illusions and manipulation, which just goes to show that the hand is quicker than the eye.
Cards can be bought at the local specialty store or ordered online. Sometimes these come with other special packages that will make tricks more fun to perform and watch.
One secret that either a newbie or an expert can benefit on while using a magic card or just about any magic props is to not reveal the secret of how the tricks are done.
Now who would ever imagine that magic has now gained a more favorable popularity? With more than a handful of famous magicians amusing innumerable audiences, magic has never been this much loved before. This popularity has made a lot of people yearn to learn some magic tricks. One of the most basic is the use of magic cards.
A deck of cards is one of the most common props used by magicians. There are many forms of magic tricks a person can do with a deck of cards. Here's what one aspiring magician has to learn in manipulating magic cards:
The first thing that a person must learn is how to shuffle. This is done using both hands and by having a certain amount of cards on each hand. Then alternately put one card over the other until all the cards are in one stack then putting them together to form a uniform pile.
After that, one can start performing certain tricks that will both fool and amaze the audience. Some well known magicians can make a cigarette go right through a deck of cards while others can make a card float in the air with no visible strings attached.
The most basic trick that anyone can master however is letting someone pick a card and after shuffling it, picking that same card the person selected moments ago. There are so many other tricks one can do with a deck of cards and all it takes is some time to get to know these tricks, practice it then show off to friends.
Other than using magic cards, there are so many other tricks, which involve other props or paraphernalia such as a coin, a hanky, or even a small ball. The use of cards in performing a trick is merely an execution of various optical illusions and manipulation, which just goes to show that the hand is quicker than the eye.
Cards can be bought at the local specialty store or ordered online. Sometimes these come with other special packages that will make tricks more fun to perform and watch.
One secret that either a newbie or an expert can benefit on while using a magic card or just about any magic props is to not reveal the secret of how the tricks are done.
Friday, January 8, 2010
A Magician’s Oath
A magic trick is created to amuse and mesmerize an audience who comes to the show knowing that all the tricks are not real and have fun because they can’t figure out how the magic was done. You won’t see a magician exposing magic mainly because telling how a magic was done is to kill the thrill and fun in watching them.
Magicians wanting to join a group of other magicians are required to give an oath to that effect. Never tell anyone who is not a magician the reason behind a trick and to never show a trick to anyone when you haven’t fully mastered it.
Once you gave your oath as a magician, it is expected that you will live up to your promise. Once you tell somebody and the organization found out about it, you may find yourself not receiving new tricks or that no one is teaching you how another trick is done.
Note though that you can tell it to somebody who is really willing to learn on how to be a magician. In fact you can see instruction videos and detailed instructions on sale in many shops. This is to help budding magicians into starting their careers or hobbies. Some of the tricks included in these instruction videos are common tricks and very easy to learn.
Some magicians also tell their tricks to misdirect others and help them appreciate a new trick that they have done. Old tricks seem to bore adult audiences that they tend to ‘bungle up’ the old tricks in preparation for their new tricks which proves more astonishing.
Magic tricks, once shown how they are done, may be posed with risk of becoming stale. Sometimes it is because you are disappointed at how easy it actually is or maybe because you found out that the trick requires a lot of props to accomplish. This is the reason no magician in his right mind will tell an audience how a trick is done. A magic told is a magic lost. Secrecy is the key and the magic is in keeping those secrets within you.
Magic is a living art, new illusions are propping up and new ways are introduced. Yes, you will see magicians telling their tricks but true magicians will always find their way around it. They will devise new illusions from old illusions and they will get more creative in how they show those illusions.
Magicians wanting to join a group of other magicians are required to give an oath to that effect. Never tell anyone who is not a magician the reason behind a trick and to never show a trick to anyone when you haven’t fully mastered it.
Once you gave your oath as a magician, it is expected that you will live up to your promise. Once you tell somebody and the organization found out about it, you may find yourself not receiving new tricks or that no one is teaching you how another trick is done.
Note though that you can tell it to somebody who is really willing to learn on how to be a magician. In fact you can see instruction videos and detailed instructions on sale in many shops. This is to help budding magicians into starting their careers or hobbies. Some of the tricks included in these instruction videos are common tricks and very easy to learn.
Some magicians also tell their tricks to misdirect others and help them appreciate a new trick that they have done. Old tricks seem to bore adult audiences that they tend to ‘bungle up’ the old tricks in preparation for their new tricks which proves more astonishing.
Magic tricks, once shown how they are done, may be posed with risk of becoming stale. Sometimes it is because you are disappointed at how easy it actually is or maybe because you found out that the trick requires a lot of props to accomplish. This is the reason no magician in his right mind will tell an audience how a trick is done. A magic told is a magic lost. Secrecy is the key and the magic is in keeping those secrets within you.
Magic is a living art, new illusions are propping up and new ways are introduced. Yes, you will see magicians telling their tricks but true magicians will always find their way around it. They will devise new illusions from old illusions and they will get more creative in how they show those illusions.
5 Tips On Improving Your Tricks
A magician is an artist. Every trick is a masterpiece and every trick requires a lot of patience and time to learn. Here are some tips to help you improve your tricks.
Practice Makes Perfect
You’ve learned a new trick and have shown it to an audience and mesmerized them, should that stop there? No! A magician always practices his bag of tricks, no matter how much he has mastered them. Bungling up a trick in front of an audience is one of the most embarrassing situations a magician can ever encounter.
You should set some time to practice your magic. Two hours every day is more than enough to help you polish up skills you’ve learned. Remember that time spent in practicing is not time wasted.
Videotape Your Act
Videotaping your act will let you see how the audience perceives you. It is important that you look at your video camera as you do it and try to think of it as your audience. Watching how you perform will let you see simple mistakes you probably didn’t know you were making. It will help in your practice and in knowing if a trick is effective.
Ask for Help
Joining a group could help you improve your tricks. You could watch how they do it. You would also have the chance to show your tricks and receive feedbacks. Remember to ask for help if you think you need it and to heed advice when given.
It’s important to realize that there are better magicians than you and that others have more experience.
Utilize Your Free Time
Going away for the weekends? Perhaps you’re going on a camping trip or fishing. Why not bring your materials with you? There will be free time on your trips where you could practice your tricks or devise new ones.
The trick is to use your time wisely. Think of every free time as a chance to practice and you’ll see improvements on your tricks.
Learning another Trick
Don’t try learning another trick until you’ve mastered your current trick. You should treat it as a painting and practice your trick until it becomes your own masterpiece.
Ask for help if you need them and try your best to finish learning what you’ve started.
A magician will always find ways to learn new tricks. It is important that they realize that a trick is not something to be taken for granted. You need to practice, practice, and practice. That is one way to ensure success in this business.
Practice Makes Perfect
You’ve learned a new trick and have shown it to an audience and mesmerized them, should that stop there? No! A magician always practices his bag of tricks, no matter how much he has mastered them. Bungling up a trick in front of an audience is one of the most embarrassing situations a magician can ever encounter.
You should set some time to practice your magic. Two hours every day is more than enough to help you polish up skills you’ve learned. Remember that time spent in practicing is not time wasted.
Videotape Your Act
Videotaping your act will let you see how the audience perceives you. It is important that you look at your video camera as you do it and try to think of it as your audience. Watching how you perform will let you see simple mistakes you probably didn’t know you were making. It will help in your practice and in knowing if a trick is effective.
Ask for Help
Joining a group could help you improve your tricks. You could watch how they do it. You would also have the chance to show your tricks and receive feedbacks. Remember to ask for help if you think you need it and to heed advice when given.
It’s important to realize that there are better magicians than you and that others have more experience.
Utilize Your Free Time
Going away for the weekends? Perhaps you’re going on a camping trip or fishing. Why not bring your materials with you? There will be free time on your trips where you could practice your tricks or devise new ones.
The trick is to use your time wisely. Think of every free time as a chance to practice and you’ll see improvements on your tricks.
Learning another Trick
Don’t try learning another trick until you’ve mastered your current trick. You should treat it as a painting and practice your trick until it becomes your own masterpiece.
Ask for help if you need them and try your best to finish learning what you’ve started.
A magician will always find ways to learn new tricks. It is important that they realize that a trick is not something to be taken for granted. You need to practice, practice, and practice. That is one way to ensure success in this business.
3 Secrets Of Magicians
agicians have their secrets but they won’t tell. It’s a sworn oath for magicians not to tell the audience how a trick is done. There are 3 secrets though that they’ve shared all throughout the years. Here are their 3 secrets.
The first secret is that some tricks are done through sleight of hand. These are ways with which they skillfully hide an object and make it reappear on another hand. New magicians hide things up their sleeves. Those are old tricks and very few used them now.
Sleights of hand require a lot of practice to master. Beginners of magic use specially created gimmicks to create the illusion. Professional magicians make use of their impressive sleight of hand. It requires a lot of time, patience and hand coordination to fully understand and do.
Another secret is the art of misdirection. See this blank paper? And as audience looks at the blank paper, he is carefully getting another piece with his other hand. This is misdirection. Another type of misdirection is the kind that doesn’t let the audience see what’s really causing the tricks. You might have seen that a magician has a lot of assistants who also do incredible stuff, but what you didn’t know is that they are helping the magician perform the magic just with their presence.
Another kind of misdirection is the appropriate use of words. For example, a magician will tell you to look at the ‘empty’ box. We tend to look at the box as empty just because he said it. This causes our mind to wonder when the magician gets a rabbit out of it.
Misdirection takes a lot of practice and lots of time in planning. It requires body coordination (one body doing something while the other is doing another thing) and quick thinking. Misdirection is an art and magicians are proud of it.
Another secret is their patter or a magician’s constant talk. Misdirection is achieved mostly because of patter. The magician will ask you to look at his right hand and as you are looking, you won’t notice what his left hand is doing. This is a really clever way to achieve the illusion that what happens next becomes so magical with the wink of an eye.
Patter usually takes the form of a story, where a magician will tell you of something that happened to him someday. Sometimes it’s so funny that we actually forget to look at what their hands are doing or what their assistants are giving them.
The first secret is that some tricks are done through sleight of hand. These are ways with which they skillfully hide an object and make it reappear on another hand. New magicians hide things up their sleeves. Those are old tricks and very few used them now.
Sleights of hand require a lot of practice to master. Beginners of magic use specially created gimmicks to create the illusion. Professional magicians make use of their impressive sleight of hand. It requires a lot of time, patience and hand coordination to fully understand and do.
Another secret is the art of misdirection. See this blank paper? And as audience looks at the blank paper, he is carefully getting another piece with his other hand. This is misdirection. Another type of misdirection is the kind that doesn’t let the audience see what’s really causing the tricks. You might have seen that a magician has a lot of assistants who also do incredible stuff, but what you didn’t know is that they are helping the magician perform the magic just with their presence.
Another kind of misdirection is the appropriate use of words. For example, a magician will tell you to look at the ‘empty’ box. We tend to look at the box as empty just because he said it. This causes our mind to wonder when the magician gets a rabbit out of it.
Misdirection takes a lot of practice and lots of time in planning. It requires body coordination (one body doing something while the other is doing another thing) and quick thinking. Misdirection is an art and magicians are proud of it.
Another secret is their patter or a magician’s constant talk. Misdirection is achieved mostly because of patter. The magician will ask you to look at his right hand and as you are looking, you won’t notice what his left hand is doing. This is a really clever way to achieve the illusion that what happens next becomes so magical with the wink of an eye.
Patter usually takes the form of a story, where a magician will tell you of something that happened to him someday. Sometimes it’s so funny that we actually forget to look at what their hands are doing or what their assistants are giving them.
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