Manning the Phone……

•December 19, 2012 • Leave a Comment

PhoneAt this time of year there is often a flurry of private dates being booked for the holiday season, I want to write a few notes about your most important prop—your phone! Chances are that over 90% of your dates will be sold and locked in over a phone line so I want to share some basic tips that I have learned through the years.

The importance of knowing how to handle phone inquires cannot be overstated in the professional magic world. It is not to be confused with the complimentary importance of having a well designed and effective website. The website has come to replace the brochure and promotional video, in fact it is pretty much shaping up to replace the business card.

The role of the website is to show people what you do, where you have done it and what people thought about it. Very few performers are booked solely through the Internet. Generally speaking once the client is persuaded that you are the act they want to book—you then close the deal on the phone. People need to discuss their personal details and needs, they also like the non-electronic, old-fashioned human contact before signing on the dotted line.

The most important part about that phone call, to the performer, is that it allows him to get the details about the gig clear, and then use them to negotiate the fee and map out a contract. If you aren’t used to doing this on a very regular basis (and even if you are) it is a darn good idea to have a little script on hand. If you have a written list of questions, then you can jot the details down for each gig as they arrive.

Using the word script is a double-edged sword in the last paragraph. It really needs to be scripted but it should never sound like a rigid format. Gary Cooper once made the statement that acting was a great way to make a living, but never get caught doing it. This is a nice parallel—have a script but never be caught delivering it!

There are certain questions that it is vital that you ask before you start to discuss money. Generally speaking your potential client will have just two questions that they want answered.

1. Are you available?

2. How much do you charge?

The way to steer the conversation in the right direction is to begin by asking the date of the potential booking. While you ‘check you datebook,’ ask a few key questions so you can prepare for the upcoming discussion of the fee. I often say that I have a tentative booking but it might be possible to reschedule it. It never does any harm to sound ‘in demand.’

Seven key questions that I initially ask include.

1 Where is the event?

2 What kind of event is it?

3 What kind of venue is it? A theatre, hotel, club, a private home, etc.

4 How many people will be attending?

5 What is your budget? This is a disarmingly direct question that sometimes gets a direct answer.

6 How did you hear about me?

7 Have you visited my website?

By the time you have answers to these questions you are in a position to make an educated estimate of the fee you wish to charge. I Nickalways make it very plain to any potential booker that there is no such thing as ‘a one size fits all’ fee for my services. Even a dog groomer charges different fees for their various furry clients! In the next blog we will discuss negotiating and contracting.

You can check out my product line, order items and check out cool videos on my website. Bookmark it, as I have three really great new products to be released in the New Year! You can find my website at www.nicklewin.com

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‘Let’s Do Magic for David Oliver’

•December 4, 2012 • 1 Comment

2david-oliverOne of my original goals in writing my blog was to talk about the various magicians I have met who have helped and inspired me throughout my magic career. That’s why I called it ‘Meetings With Remarkable Magicians,’ which is also a nod of the head to my spiritual teacher Mr. G.I. Gurdjieff.

One of the things I really tried to stress was how sometimes a brief/chance meeting could cause a huge difference in ones understanding and outlook as a magician. Along our path you sometimes make contact with an individual who just refreshes your life, just with their presence and being. David Oliver is one of those people for me. We haven’t met often, but have a lovely relationship and he is one of those people I wish I lived closer to, so a fully-fledged friendship could blossom.

David has been a full-time magician and full-time asset to magic for many years and recently has been a frequent performer at ‘Monday Night Magic’ in New York and the ‘Mystery Lounge’ in Boston. He has been an advisor and mentor to hundreds of young magicians throughout the years. One of the first things you take away from meeting David is his generosity towards magic and magicians.

In October 2008, David underwent lung surgery after contracting a potentially fatal lung affliction called hypersensitivity pneumonitis.  This ailment is also known as Bird Fanciers Lung, and it was caused by working and living with the doves that he featured in his show for more than 25 years. The August 2011 issue of Genii featured a full account of his ordeal. It also detailed a complete list of symptoms and how to avoid the same situation, essential reading and research if you are a dove worker.

David has been courageously battling this health condition since 2008 and is now facing a double lung transplant. There has been a fund established to help David, and full details of his condition and magical achievements can be reached on the Internet at www.letsdomagic.org If you make a donation you will receive a purple wristband with David’s tagline on it. I am proud to wear mine.

images A Gala event “Let’s Do Magic” is to be presented as a benefit for David Oliver on January 19th 2013. The event will be held at Clark’s University’s Daniels Theater, 950 Main Street, Worcester, Massachusetts where there will be two performances at 2:00pm and 7:30pm. Knowing those New England magicians I am sure it will be a fabulous event and jam packed with great magic and magicians.

There is also a program booklet that will be released in conjunction with this event, and it will contain advertising space for greetings and messages. ‘Advertising rates’ range from $600 for the back cover to $25 for a ‘well-wisher’ listing and ALL the proceeds will go DIRECTLY TO DAVID. It is a wonderful way to help a truly unique member of our community at a time when he could use our support and assistance. For full details of the event, exact pricing and how to reserve your space in the program contact Bob Riordan at

bobriordan@comcast.net The closing date for your kindness to be included in the program is Tuesday, January 8th 2113. Donations can be made by check, money order or electronically via the web site. You can also contact via phone at (203) 877 0157. Your contribution is very much appreciated and is a chance to help save a life. David Oliver is a true gentleman and the kind of person who glows like a beacon in our worldwide magic community. It is with respect and from the heart that I ask you to join the ‘Let’s Do Magic Team’ and take the opportunity to give something back to someone who has given a great deal to magic. Thank you.

You can check out my product line, order items and check out cool videos on my website. If someone wants to order one of my limited ‘Ultimate Linking Finger Ring’ packages from the web site I will contribute the entire proceeds to the ‘Let’s do Magic’ fund. You can find my website at www.nicklewin.com

 

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Performing Corporate Magic. Part One.

•November 18, 2012 • Leave a Comment

For over a decade, almost my entire income as a magician came from performing at corporate events. I look back on these as a very special time; the work was good and the money great. Sadly, the golden era rather wound down. I have recently noticed that there is a very welcome ‘spike’ in this kind of work at the moment and I want to share some thoughts on the topic. I am going to start with a warning and then cover some key points in a fairly random manner.

Any corporate date is booked on the strength of your promotional video; after the show you may well receive more bookings based on the strength of your performance and how well it was received. However, your potential future employer, if he is from another company, is going to need that strong video to show to his colleagues, in order to lock in the booking. I recently wrote at some blog posts about promotional videos so I’m not going to repeat the information here!

The most important thing to remember in a corporate event is that if you really mess up, it could lose the executive who booked you his job. Read that again! It might just turn out to be a disastrous show for you, but it might mean, the guy responsible for you getting your check, is out looking for another job, or out of line for his next promotion.

The above paragraph is the reason that you need to follow a very careful ‘Golden Rule,’—if in doubt, leave it out! Anything that could be offensive should be removed from the show, this particularly applies to jokes/tricks that can in any way be viewed as sexist, racist or involve bad taste/language. Maybe only one person will be offended but that can be enough. It is a sub-division of ‘Murphy’s Law’ that the one person you offend will be the most important person present, either that or they will email that person the day after the show.

Another pitfall to avoid is any trick that involves using a spectator from the group in a routine that can embarrass him/her in front of their co-workers. Also avoid using any of those ‘cutesy’ put-down lines that you find in magic books on comedy—they are all years out of date and corny anyhow. If you use a volunteer from the audience, make him look good. If you want to have a butt for your comedy—make it yourself. I’m not saying this to promote good manners, I’m saying it because it is good business, and business is the engine that drives corporate bookings.

Often the executive hiring you will give you advice that indicates you should ‘let it rip’ or even give you a list of people to ‘pick on.’ He may be very misguided in this. Do not take directions from amateurs; he certainly wouldn’t follow your advice about how to conduct his business affairs. I have also discovered that the people they suggest you involve in the show are often the very worst ones to actually include!

They do love to tell you whom to ‘work with’ though, so I have several effects that involve spectators in a rather non-invasive manner and it usually keeps your corporate contact happy if you include them in this way. This is one area that I use my ‘Linking Finger Ring Routine’ to good effect, as it includes them but keeps their participation to a minimum. On the other hand, if you perform a ‘Burned and Restored Bill’ then you are missing a good bet if you don’t borrow it from a financial officer in the company. That would never occur to the executive who hired you when giving you ‘notes.’

One thing that makes it easier to book a corporate event is the ability to customize your show around the client’s product, especially if you can add a good-natured dig at the company’s chief rival. I often use a variation on the late, great Alan Shaxon’s ‘Confabulation,’ and have found it to be very effective indeed in this capacity. I describe my handling in some detail in my lecture and include a full synopsis of the routine in my ‘Yellow Lecture Notes.’ This effect comprises a perfect framework to give the impression of a great deal of customizing without actually needing to change much at all.

Usually the client will suggest you produce the CEO, in a puff of smoke, during you show—or turn him into a tiger! Neither idea is very practical in a normal banquet room or meeting situation and it is nice to have a good pitch for a routine that includes their product and sales team. It is especially nice when it doesn’t involve much more than putting a wallet, pen and stack of index cards in your pocket.

You can order copies of my “Cruise Magic 101,’ ‘Ultimate Linking Finger Ring Routine’ books and my ‘Yellow Notes’ from my website, at www.nicklewin.com

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Looking forward to lecturing.

•October 27, 2012 • Leave a Comment

I am presently very pleased to be part of the line up at ‘The Tri-City Three of Clubs Convention’ from November 2nd-4th in the beautiful town of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. The convention links up three of my favorite cities, Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle.

Murray Hatfield first approached me about this nearly a year ago and I am very excited to be lecturing and performing at the event. Amongst others the convention features, Jon Armstrong, Eric Bedard, Tony Chris, Steve Dickson, Andrew Goldenhersh, Murray Hatfield and Teresa, Tony Pierce, Ryan Pilling and David Morris.

The convention includes 6 Lecture, 3 Stage Shows and a Close-up Show. It sounds like a blast and being based in Victoria is a serious plus point. I want to thank Murray for including me in the line-up! Come along and join us for the fun, you can get the full details by clicking on

www.victoriamagiccircle.com/convention

I am currently in Halifax and sailing towards Boston. I pick up a different ship there and continue too St. Thomas in the Caribbean. The only negative on the horizon is the Hurricane Sandy (or, as it is now being dubbed in the press ‘Frankenstorm’) is lurking along the way! Things might get rough and rocky en route to Victoria, but I’m a very good sailor.

I recently lectured at the Magic Castle, for the first time in 30 years and really enjoyed doing so. It is a little intimidating to look out into the audience at your lecture and see some heroes and inspirations sitting out front, however, the lecture was a smash and a highlight of my year so far.

I am also appearing next year at the International Battle of Magicians in Canton, Ohio. The dates of the convention are May 2nd-4th.  I have heard about this convention many times from my old buddy Billy McComb who always used to say it was one of the craziest around. Sounds right up my alley! Te details for the convention are available at http://www.battleofmagicians.com

I am very happy to be slowing down my travels and work schedule next year and getting a chance to perform and lecture at some magic events. There seems to be an entire generation of magicians who are more familiar with me from my various columns and articles than they are as a performer. After making a great living performing magic for over 40 years as a full time pro, it is great to return to my roots a little and show magicians what my work is all about. I really enjoy getting to meet and know my readers in person.

I have spent a year putting the finishing touches to my new lecture and coming up with a cool product line of commercial effects to share with the magic fraternity. The lecture includes an entire spectrum of magical routines that range from stage to strolling magic. Over the course of my career so far, I have performed just about every kind of magic there is to do. It is now a very real pleasure to share some of my secrets, information and routines with other magicians. Those stage shows and cabaret performances are really fun too!

In January, Susan and I are moving to Austin, Texas and really getting to work on booking my lecture and convention engagements. If you are interested in having me appear at an event you are involved in, send an email to get any details and availabilities. The email address to contact is

www.nicklewin@aol.com

There are more details about the lecture and some really great magical items in my online store, plus some great video that is unavailable anywhere else!

Check out my website, at www.nicklewin.com

 

 

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Video for magicians. Part two.

•October 19, 2012 • Leave a Comment

I recently gave some thoughts on promotional videos. They were of course strictly my opinions however they were based on a great deal of experience in the field. Every now and then I get involved in emails and try and give specific advice. I have decided not to do this any more!

I recently got involved in a correspondence with someone interested in entering the cruise market. His initial video, which was unavailable online, contained two items that were palpably unsuitable to send to anyone booking this kind of work, and I pointed this out. Next he wanted to know whether a video featuring needles and razor blades was suitable. NO.

This leads me to one final statement on videos that are designed to raise work in a specific area. Make sure they are suitable! With a family audience, it is highly unlikely that any booker wants a performer who presents magic that could influence young people and possibly cause them to cause damage to themselves by trying to emulate it. Look at your market, look at your repertoire and use your best instinct. If in doubt have several videos (or one video cut several ways) to cover the various markets you are interested in.

I want to continue my last blog with a word or two about the performer’s use of video support, or as it is often referred to I-mag.

It can be a wonderful blessing to have a video camera blow up the action that is taking place on stage, but there are a few points I would like to make.

1      The only point for video support is to supply close-up shots of the action, important props, selected cards, facial expressions etc. If the video is just a long shot then it does very little good. In fact in my opinion it can do harm, as the audience’s attention is split between the live action and the screen(s) and you have split the focal point of your audience.

2      The best way to improve the quality of your video assistance is to write a short, clear and simple script for the videographer. Let him know what you are going to do and when the close ups will be most useful.

3      If there is more than one camera involved, find out which one is going to be used for the close-up shots, and play the appropriate action to that camera. Play it just a little slower than you would if there were no cameras present, because he needs time to focus.

4      Try and work from the center of the stage and twist your body from side to side to display the props/action to the live audience. If you keep striding around from one side of the stage you will find the camera misses your actions and it looks bad on screen—which is where most people will be watching.

Both of these last two points can best be summed up by thinking of yourself as performing on a live TV show. You are playing to the camera, which is relaying your actions to the crowd. Concentrate on making eye contact with the live audience and occasionally really blasting the camera with your eye contact.

5      Sometimes this video assist is projected without a copy ever being made. But if it is recorded make sure that you request that they make a dub for you. This could be your next promotional video waiting to happen.  Usually, if it is a corporate event, they will keep a copy for their records, though it isn’t always easy to get one, but give it a try. It is usually the case that they edit the cameras on the spot for use during the live event. However, you can always request that they run ‘iso’ on the cameras, and that way you will get footage from all the cameras shooting plus the line edit. Offer to pay for any additional cost.

It is always useful (actually, almost essential) to get some audience reaction shots in order to edit your promo tape later. A few friendly words (and sometimes a $100 bill!) can work wonders in obtaining co-operation. You might just end up with a three thousand dollar video shoot for  (almost) free!

One other topic worth discussing is the use of a pre-show video presentation to set up the opening of a live show. These were very popular for many years and indeed rather effective. They were usually referred to as ‘credibility builders’ and contained a bunch of short clips from ones various TV appearances.

I certainly used one for many years and it was a rather fun video that combined television footage with archival promotional footage and clips of some of my friends/heroes/mentors. If you would like to view it (it is actually rather fun for magicians!) you can find it on my website at http://www.nicklewin.com/my-magical-mystery-tour.html

I very seldom use this video now as things have got much tighter in regard to copyright restrictions. Clients can be very nervous about potential lawsuits due to infringements. They were always fun though and I do miss the way they managed to let your audience know about your credits without having an MC mangle them!

More to the point now is a brief Keynote/PowerPoint clip that can run after your show to let audiences know about your website information. I general also have a very simple graphic with my name and photo that is shown on any screens prior to the show. These can both be burned onto CDs, with a back up on a thumb drive.

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Promotional Videos for Magicians. Part One.

•October 19, 2012 • Leave a Comment

Something that I get quite a bit of correspondence about is the topic of video. There are actually several aspects normally covered in these emails, so let me try and blend some answers together into a couple of concise blogs.

Promotional Videos.

Unless you have achieved a great deal of name recognition and respect for yourself you need a good promotional video. Time was a client was pleased as punch if you even possessed a videotape of your show. Now it is a must, and the DVD had better be good if you expect it to get the job done and the date booked.

The simple rule of thumb is that a contemporary promotional video should not be longer than four and a half minutes. It is also generally agreed that if it doesn’t get the job done in the first thirty seconds then it is unlikely to receive much more interest. This presents quite a challenge!

Thirty seconds—-wow, that makes America’s Got Talent’s ninety seconds seem generous! However, don’t panic, as long as you hook the buyer’s attention in those opening moments—you’ve got an extra four minutes to ‘reel’ them in. Not a lot of time—but enough.

Here are some general tips. Your opening 30-second sequence should be a fast paced and dynamic montage that captures the mood of your entire show. It is an excellent move to make it a non-verbal sequence that is orchestrated with some lively and upbeat music. Key graphics such as your name/logo/title of the show etc should be added to the segment. This way it becomes somewhat like an opening title sequence in a movie or TV show.

In many ways, the remaining four minutes should function in much the same manner. You will need to cut to the ‘reveals’ in the magic and feature them as the body of the video. Chose a few of the funniest and most original clips of the verbal comedy in your act and mix them up into an attractive blend. Three key words Cut, Prune and Tighten.

While the material on display should be representative of what you do in your show, the tricks do NOT have to be in the same order that they appear in your act. On a promotional video you are not saving up for a big finish/finale as you do in a live show. Your job when you produce/direct your ‘showreel’ is to hit the viewer hard and fast. There is often a stack of videos for a buyer to view and they can get very jaded after the first couple viewings. Hit hard and fast.

Needless to say, in this day and age, your promotional video needs to be available on the Internet, as this is where potential buyers will most likely view it. Booking agents will probably embed your video into their own web pages if they are really interested in selling you. This is an ideal situation; so let me give you a couple of hints to increase the efficiency of your video as a sales tool.

Don’t plaster your contact information all over your promotional showreel, as this can be a huge red flag and deal breaker to agents and producers. If you are sending out the DVD to a private booker then it is a different story. With the unit cost of DVDs as reasonable as they now are, have two versions produced—one with contact information and one without.

In the same vein, it is now not uncommon for successful performers to have two web sites: their regular (booking information supplied) web site, and a ‘ghost site’ that contains no contact information and is totally agent/producer friendly. In this way a producer/agent can happily direct his clients to your website as a direct link from his own corporate site. Keep your ‘ghost site ‘ short and simple and business like.

Once in a blue moon, especially for private engagements, such as house parties etc, you may find someone wants a full version of your show.  My technique to cover this was to have a DVD that contained both the short ‘showreel’ and the full-length show mastered as two separate chapters. They had their choice on the initial menu.

Be aware however; that a 50-minute video of a really great show can appear as slow as mud oozing when viewed ‘cold.’ People are used to the razzle-dazzle that is presented to them on television and you are likely to be very unexciting with a 50-minute block of video that is devoid of visual ‘wow’. If they get bored watching your video, how likely do you think they are to want to book the act?

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Steve Mitchell, one of magic’s hidden gems.

•September 24, 2012 • 3 Comments

When you read the title of this blog, I’m guessing quite a few of you said, “Steve Mitchell?” Well, that is why I described him as magic’s hidden gem! I will also bet that there are very few of you out there are unfamiliar with what Steve does and the spectacular results of his graphic wizardry! For a gem that I dare call hidden Steve’s work is on display throughout the magic world. It is awesome!

I became friends with Steve when he was designing and masterminding Ron Wilson’s delightful anecdotal history of magic, ‘Tales from the Uncanny Scot.’ In fact, he persuaded me (it must have taken about a second!) to conduct the interview with Ron Wilson on one of the two DVDs that accompanied the book. Steve became a firm friend during the luncheon that proceeded the taping; and the lunches haven’t stopped. For me, Steve’s magical Friday luncheons are one of the few events I never miss when I’m in Los Angeles.

Over the years many of magic’s finest have enjoyed dining and spending time with Steve. His knowledge of magic and magicians has a quiet authority and insight that comes from an understanding of the very deepest levels of magic. For a quiet and gracefully modest member of our fraternity, there is a slightly ‘Chinese Puzzle Box’ aspect to Steve as you begin to uncover his strangely integral role in the contemporary magic scene. There is always something new to discover!

Mitchell is an artist and designer who has contributed more to the look and ‘feel’ of magic that anyone else I can think of in a very long time. His posters, books and portraits combine the look of classic magical works with a contemporary esthetic that adds punch to what could otherwise become nostalgia. With a long and distinguished career as one of America’s top designers, it is hardly surprising that Steve brings so much to the table creating art for the magic world. This was the man responsible for packaging ‘Pet Rocks’ and turning them into best sellers, now he’s designing for a community he loves, and the love really shows.

To list all the projects that Steve has added his touch to would take several columns. He has designed books, covers, graphics and props for some of the greatest names in magic. Shoot Ogawa, David Regal, Mark Wilson, Whit Hadyn, Milt Larsen, ‘It’s Magic,’ Gordon Bean and Rich Bloch is just the tip of an iceberg of talent. He has also taken time out from his graphic work to be a Magic Castle trustee and to head up the Dai Vernon Foundation. He gets up every day at 5:00am and starts working to get it all done, I know because I sometimes phone him before I get to bed!

Walk around the Magic Castle and look at some of his portraits of iconic magicians such as Billy McComb, Jules Lenier, Charlie Miller and Dai Vernon and you quickly realize that Mitchell is as fine an artist with oil and canvas as he is with his trusty iMac. Steve was the designer of the Castle newsletter, back in the days when it was actually printed and mailed to you: That was back when I used to actually read it, instead of just glancing through the new digital version.

Steve Mitchell is also one of the key elements behind ‘Pop’ Haydn’s highly successful ‘new fangled’ medicine show. Go to ‘Pop’s site at http://www.pophaydn.com and feast your eyes on some of the delicious artwork that has done so much to turn Whit’s deranged and ‘outside of time’ brainchild into a red hot commercial reality. While you are on the keyboard clicking, stop by Steve’s website at http://www.stevemitchellgraphicdesign.com/index.html and look at his other designs and projects. They are worth more than a glance!

One of my very favorite outings is visiting Steve’s charmingly eccentric home office. It is packed from floor to ceiling and wall to wall with magic books and baseball memorabilia with just enough room for a desk, computer, a phone that rings frequently and a spare chair. Oh, and there is usually just enough room for a couple of glasses of red wine to perch on the edge of the desk!

I’m sure Steve will be slightly embarrassed when he reads this, he is a very modest man, but also a very special part of the fabric from which our magic world is woven. In other words, a gem.

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Tips from an Uber-Pro—Gary Hunter!

•September 13, 2012 • 2 Comments

This is a somewhat belated second half of a blog I wrote recently about Gary Hunter. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Gary, he is a superb ventriloquist and also one of the leading cruise directors in the cruise industry.

Gary has seen the industry from both sides, as a performer and as the man who has to fill out the report that may (or may not) get an act rebooked. He is an ultimate professional in both these capacities and I recently took the opportunity to have him share some of his insights with our readers.

I asked Gary to share five ‘golden rules’ for performers with me. I didn’t give him time to think about the answers he gave me, instead I tried to get his immediate, and impromptu responses. Although I was fully aware that Gary was speaking as a non-magician, I was delighted that his answers translated universally and seamlessly to a magical audience. Here is his list……..

1. Be relaxed onstage. The more relaxed you are, then the more relaxed your audience will be. He rightly pointed out that audiences instinctively know when you are comfortable with your material and when you aren’t. A relaxed, confident tone will let the audience know that they are in the hands of a pro, which is great basis for a strong show.

2. Really know your material before going onstage and then trust your material, this status is made easier by making sure that your act consists of largely true and tried material. Hunter says that part of his success has never trying to be too original. This certainly doesn’t mean he steals people’s jokes or acts. Gary points out that there are many universally wonderful jokes out there, which have been around for years, and are proven commodities. Your job is to figuring out an interesting route to get to the punchline, and then maybe giving that punchline a little twist. A familiar and funny series of jokes can act as ‘tent poles’ to keep your act moving in an entertaining fashion.

3. Gary is a firm believer in the comedic ‘Law of Three.’ Framing your jokes in sets of three, ‘joke-joke-BIG joke.’ He then sets up a storyline by interjecting original material and jokes to pave the way to his ultimate destination. He has written his show so that he is continually telling a story that keeps leading to his next major reaction. He lets the audience enjoy the journey as well as the destination.

4. Dress like an entertainer, and make sure that when you hit that stage you are dressed above your audience. Dress like a showman—not necessarily glitz and glamour but meticulously. Gary is a performer from the old school and never sits down prior to a show in his working pants. The only crease in his pants will be the razor sharp one on the front where it should be! Oh, and polish those shoes…….

5. Know how to get on and off your stage. Your entry and exit onstage is the most important thing you will do during the show. You must walk out onstage so that people will sit up and pay attention. You want them to subconsciously change position, doing this will help cause their blood to flow and this will energize them for your performance. You may be the third or fourth act they are watching and you want their full attention. When the show is finished you have to know how to take your bow, really enjoy receiving your applause; and then get off and stay off, leaving them wanting more. A much quoted but often overlooked state of affairs!

I really liked Gary’s list! They are simple and direct points that a worth reflecting upon carefully, and can improve any show with their application. I thank him for taking the time to share them with me and allowing me to pass them on to you.

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Good Luck Puck, but—what I really think about AGT

•September 4, 2012 • Leave a Comment

Wayne Kawamoto recently wrote an article which commented that he thought the judges on ‘America’s Got Talent’were particularly harsh towards the magicians and wondered if perhaps the format of the show was a great deal of the problem. ‘No shit, Sherlock!’ We have seen a great many pros treated harshly by these judges and I think the basic nature of the show has a huge amount to do with it. I can’t help feeling that the 90 second time limit has a great deal to do with the problems, plus the style and role of the judges.

It used to be customary to talk about how the 20-minute playing time of a sit-com had reduced the attention span of TV viewers. Then we grew accustomed to hearing about the MTV impact on the attention span of an audience. If it was longer than a music video or had less kinetic esthetics than the latest MTV offering, it was too long. Well, things are really crazy now, with 90 seconds considered a suitable way to judge who does or does not have talent!

I’m not even going to get into the question of whether these judges would recognize magic talent if it jumped up and bit them in the rear! What they are doing is constructing a ‘reality’ show using performers as their fodder. As we are becoming sadly aware from the world of politics, judging the net worth of a person through tiny sound/video bites is a very different thing from accurately assessing their actual worth or potential value.

The judges need to be entertaining and act according to their ‘scripted’ character, as the producers want them to. Their comments are part of the scripted direction of the shows; their decisions are designed to move the series along as a commercial success. The performers involved fill in 90-second units of time, and magicians have a particularly tough time achieving any kind of representation of their true talents in the process.

A promotional video that a magician used to send to potential clients used to be his act. How quaint that now seems! Nowadays, if you send a video that runs over three and a half minutes, not only will it not get watched but you run the risk of appearing to be a dinosaur for distributing it! The only thing you can do is construct a series of ‘reveals’ from your show, interspersed with audience response shots to show that the actual show if funny. AGT just wants one easily digestible ‘wow’ moment and then they will decide how they want to present/handle it. Maybe they should rename the show ‘America’s Got Wow.’

There is a whole new breed of performers in Las Vegas who want to be Terry Fator, and why not, Terry is talented and has a highly successful showroom career. There is now a bunch of Vegas shows by people who simply don’t have a 60-minute show to save their lives. They got them by creating a series of 90 second video bites that are as representative of their talents as chalk is to cheese. That is why there are so many empty (and complimentary) seats in their showrooms.

Murray Sawchuck is an immensely likable and recognizable personality, but if you watch his actual stage show in Vegas, compared to those big illusion effects from AGT—hmmmmm, it just ain’t the same. What is needed in a live magic show is pacing, personality, continuity, linkage and the development of an arc in the show. These are certainly not factors in the ‘Wham, Bang, Thank You Man’ world of AGT. You need a little more time to assess the talents of a magician. It is easier to judge a singer with half a song, but only just!

 I really wish well to current semi- finalist Puck and everyone who tries to ‘Reach the Stars’ via a 90 second AGT spot, however there is one dirty little secret that needs to be fully understood. This new breed of talent shows are only interested in discovering talent. As enticing as it might be for name performers like Rudy Coby to appear on a show like AGT, their chances of becoming an ultimate winner are astronomically low. The key to Terry Fator’s success was that no one knew who the hell he was prior to his appearance on the show. That’s just good TV.

Maybe I would be a little better disposed towards reality TV if it was more based on reality, and talent shows if they had a little more respect/regard for talent. Most of these shows started to air when a writers strike threatened to decimate the upcoming season. The lack of substantial talent fees didn’t harm things either. I guess I’m just a bit of a grouch who hankers back to the days of ‘real’ (I guess I should say, old fashioned) variety shows.

Posted in Entertainment News, Magic, Magic and Magicians
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Ken Brooke—the ultimate pitchman.

•September 1, 2012 • Leave a Comment

I really don’t think that there is anything much more exciting in magic than attending your first magic convention. There may be other great conventions you attend, but none of them will be quite the same. This first magic convention was the IBM convention in Southport, in the mid-sixties.

What made it especially special for me was that I would be spending time with my mentor and hero Ken Brooke. Not only was Ken one of the magic dealers at the convention but he was also to be featured in one of the shows. This convention was my first great opportunity to study the ‘demming’ technique for which Ken was famous. I discovered why he was considered legendary in this area.

Arriving at the convention, I received my registration package and proudly put on my convention badge. This badge would grant me admittance to the multitude of fascinating events listed on my official program.  I marveled that this amount of magic could be packed into three and a half days. I was determined to see and do everything, and if they had only had invented ‘Red Bull’ in those days I might even have succeeded!

My very first stop was the Dealers Room, which seemed like an Aladdin’s cave to this youngster. The room was crowded with small booths dedicated to the various dealers in attendance. Each booth was filled with displays of tricks that I had previously only been exposed to in magic catalogues. Seeing these tricks ‘Live and in Person’ was overwhelming, I could wander from booth to booth and mentally select the props that I was convinced could make me a star!

Of course, this was my early years in magic, I hadn’t by then realized it’s not the props or tricks that make the magician but quite the reverse. However, when you begin your magic journey, the size and brightness of your props seemed like a sure fire fast track to success. In fact, I’ve seen quite a few magicians since then, who still haven’t figured this out, even years after they should know better.

It was easy to spot Ken Brooke’s booth. It was surrounded by the biggest crowd in the large room, all pushing forward to get a better view of what was going on. I later discovered that other magic dealers suffered instant cases of deep depression when they discovered their booths were located to close to Ken’s whirlwind of attention! Ken’s presence was an electric factor to all the conventioneers.

A great magician, Ken Brooke was also a supremely gifted salesman at a magic convention; he made the Energizer bunny look like a slacker! Ken had the style and attack of a grifter selling his wares at an outdoor London street market. He talked, shouted, did shtick and performed magic; he sold a lot of magic too. The wad of money cash and checks in his back pocket grew bigger and bigger by the hour.

You never knew what Ken would do next! He would ask for ten magicians to buy a prop ‘blind,’ “Give me a ‘tenner’ and I’ll give you piece of magic you’ll use for ever,” he would say.  After the hundred pounds was in his back pocket he would pass out ten wrapped packages with strict instructions, “Don’t open them now! Don’t let these other cheap buggers know what you got…” I don’t think anyone ever grumbled over what they received! In fact often they would receive items worth two or three times their investment.

Another favorite ruse of Ken’s was to refuse to sell someone some item that they wanted. “It’s no good for you.” He would say, “You couldn’t do it, if I sold it to you anyway!” Needless to say this would cause the magician to keep working at it until he ‘persuaded’ Ken to allow him to buy the item. He mercilessly worked the crowd surrounding his booth and played them like an instrument. I remember it fondly as being pure theatre and far in the way the greatest show at the entire convention.

I attended many events during the convention but I was drawn back to the dealer’s room like a magnet to see what Ken was up to next, and I was not the only one. Long before the convention was over Ken had sold out the entire stock of product he had brought with him to Southport. You could almost feel the sense of relief from the other magic dealers present when this happened.

Posted in Magic, Magic and Magicians
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