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Rabbits for magic shows

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HOW TO BECOME A MAGICIAN!

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How to present a magic trick

August 10, 2020 Cesar Domico How to do magic tricks, How to present a magic trick No comments

One of the common things you might hear from magicians about performing a great magic trick is the need not just for great technique, but also for great presentation.

First, what do we mean by presentation when it comes to magic tricks? We not only want to impress the audience with technique, but also to leave them amazed and entertained. How can we do it?

Below, I’m going to share with you 7 tips on presenting a magic trick!

1. Master the technique for the trick or prop

Before we can even begin to think about flourishes or added elements of our performance, we must first master the technique of the trick until it becomes second nature.

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Once we do that, it will free up our brains to add on some creative elements to our performance. Some tricks or techniques are more difficult to master – particularly in close-up magic, like magic tricks with cards, coins, sponge balls and cups. With others, the technique or manual manipulation might be easier, especially if they have an automatic mechanism or can be operated electronically. Either way, technique must be mastered first since a mistake or an exposure of the secret during the performance will wreck everything else.

2. Be a storyteller

Great technique is crucial, but technique alone can be boring.

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Once technique is mastered, start thinking of creative ways to present the trick to the audience. The best magicians performing and presenting a magic trick are storytellers. A story can help you bring the trick to the next level – from great to amazing! Also, storytelling can help you add your signature to that specific magic trick.

3. Build expectation

You can build the audience’s expectations by explaining at the outset what they are about to see – the more outrageous or unbelievable, the better.

Build expectation - Magic tricks

Example: “I have a deck of cards in my hands, and I am going to read the mind of someone today. So I would like to ask someone to pick a card…. Please, take one and show it to everyone!” (For instance, one audience member shuffles the deck and hands it back to you, and then another audience member takes a Seven of Diamonds, but you don’t see it.)

4. Maintain the audience’s attention

Develop the trick by adding some meaning to it. Here you may insert your storytelling abilities.

How to present a magic trick

Modulate your voice – raising it to capture the audience’s attention. You are about to impart important information! They are all ears. Move your head back and forth, making eye contact with audience members. This also can serve to distract the audience from whatever manipulation you might be doing to the trick or deck of cards with your hands.
Example: “Since I was a little boy, I had a love of cards. So I started studying this amazing world of magic with cards. As I grew older, I discovered that I had such a deep and magical connection with the cards that if just one card was missing from the deck, I could figure out which one it was.”

5. Remind the audience what just took place in order to build expectations even higher

How to present a magic trick

Example: “Remember, you just mixed the deck of cards. The other person took one card without me seeing it. So it is impossible for me to know what the card is. But as I told you before, I have a mystical connection with the deck of cards.”

6. Slow down the rhythm – lower expectations

Lower the audience’s expectations and reactions in order to set them up for the grand finale.

How to present a magic trick

For instance, pretend to make a mistake or to struggle on the delivery on the original expectation that you had set up.
Example: “I can sense the card that you took and that the one that is missing is a…. Five… no, Seveeen… no, I apologize, this has never happened to me before. I can’t sense the card very clearly. It is a Four of Spades? No? It is not?”

7. Grand finale

Finish with a grand finale that lifts reactions to the highest level yet – revealing that you were in control the whole time, but with a twist.

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You zigged when the audience zagged. For instance, once they show you the card – the Seven of Diamonds – the audience will think that you messed up. Expectations will have dropped very low. This is where you amaze them with the reveal – the big effect! Example: “You are right! And as I mentioned, my connection with the cards is so powerful, that I can predict which one will go missing.” Here you pick up an envelope that was sitting on your magic table in view the entire time. You open the envelope and show them a piece of paper that reads – “The only card missing in this deck is the Seven of Diamonds!”

I believe these points are the most important ones for developing any magic trick or routine. Always practice the techniques, the story and a great, unexpected finale to entertain and amaze your audience!

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Illusions and tricks

Optical illusions and tricks

June 30, 2020 Cesar Domico illusions 2 comments

“Our senses deceive us”

Our perception of reality can often be tricked by our very own senses. What we see in any given situation is often first shaped by our concepts before we even begin to process the situation. However, with some analysis and a comprehending mind, the situation may begin to look different than what we first thought.

As an exercise on this tendency of our minds, below I have included some visual optical illusions and tricks that play with our senses. The tricks are then followed by steps that can help us see how we tend to do the same things in life situations – and how to overcome this tendency.

6 Optical illusions and tricks that you may want to watch more than one!

In these optical illusions and tricks, you will see that at first the images seem to show something. But after analyzing the image with deeper insight on what is going on in your mind, the image will then seem to show something else, revealing how our senses can deceive us.

Visual optical illusion No. 1: Catch the black spot.

Look at the image of any dot and try to catch the black dots.

In reality there are no black dots. The image of black squares and white dots creates the illusion of adjacent black dots as we are moving our eyes.

Visual optical illusion No. 2: The flying square

Focus all of your attention on the small square in the very middle of this picture. What do you see?

The middle square with the small squares seems to move a little bit, like it’s flying, like a 3D picture, right?

But really nothing is moving here. It is a static picture. Look at it again. The blurry spots make the solid or non-blurry square create an illusion to make it seem like it is flying.

Visual optical illusion No. 3: Moving squares

Look at any one of these small or big squares.

It doesn’t matter where you put your eyes, it looks like the squares are moving, right?

Really this is a flat picture. Look at it again. Put your attention on only one spot and don’t move your eyes.

It is not moving, right? What we are seeing is the sensation that they are moving because of the way the picture is designed with the shadows, with black lines drawn in different directions.

Visual optical illusion No. 4: What do you see in this picture?

Did you see a few trees? Perfect!

Now look at the picture again, but take more time. Can you see the back profile of the woman’s head and shoulders as she looks to her left?

Visual optical illusion No. 5: The hypnotic ball

Stay on this picture as long as you like. Is the ball moving or is the wall moving?

The picture is static. It is the colors and the way the lines are painted in curves that make our eyes see a small movement. Are you mesmerized by this? Look at the picture one more time.

Visual optical illusion No. 6: What do you see?

Are the two friends gossiping?

I don’t know if they are gossiping, but look at the picture one more time and try to see the three white vases.

Here is the real trick!

Now, think about the images as if they were situations.

Two people may have a different concept about the same situation (image) and they may not be wrong. Their concepts are based on their senses and experiences, but remember, our senses can deceive us!

Then who is right? How can we reach an understanding of the truth?

First, don’t rush to judgment.
Second, stay with the situation to see if you can go deeper to analyze if there is something you are not seeing or if there is another way to perceive it.
Third, understand that while you are experiencing reality or a situation one way, other people have other ways of looking at reality based on their own senses and experiences.

Finally, when we understand that our minds are capable of shifting our understanding of reality with the help of new insights, then we will be able to better relate to our fellow human beings, ourselves and the world around us.

Remember … “Our senses deceive us.” Magically our minds can create an illusion that feels like reality, but in the end, it’s just a trick.