As a close up magician which tricks do you have with you?

Close up Magicians sometimes carry props so that they can do an impromptu performance. There is a school of thought which suggests that if you can’t perform a trick at a moment’s notice then you really aren’t a close up magician at all.

This is not how I live my life. Although I make my living as a close up magician I really don’t live it every day. When I first started I was practicing maybe four to five hours a day but now there are many other things which need to be attended to. Once you run a professional business you find that the close up magic itself has to take a back seat.

For those of celebrity status I think the situation is different. Those people of stature are dependent on the public to support their profile and lifestyle. Those members of the public who meet the celebrity will be disappointed if they don’t behave in the way they expect. For a close up magician this really is not a problem as fame is rarer. Tj Entertain all-around the uk as a Professional Uk magician.

Although I make my living as a close up magician I feel somewhat uncomfortable performing in social situations. I know there are magicians who are genuinely obsessed with their art and will take every opportunity to perform or try out the newest gadget.

Many good books have been written on impromptu magic. In fact the classic mentalist trick revolving around the alphabet and grey animals, known by most professional magicians does not require any props at all. So essentially there is no need to carry anything.

Since turning professional as a close up magician I have found myself performing less and less when not working. However I still love conventions and meeting magicians to exchange techniques and moves.

What is the biggest challenge for a close up magician?

I was asked this question for a magazine interview some years ago and I remember my answer was “Getting the work!” I think it is even more relevant today. Due to the recession most industries have become more competitive and the work of a close up magician is no exception.

The reality is that close up magic is relatively easy to become competent at. It is very hard to become good and almost impossible to become world class. However a competent magician can wow an audience who do not see much magic. So becoming good enough to work is rarely the problem.

As I have said in other essays the close up magician can progress very quickly due to the number of repeat performances that can be achieved in a night. Anything from ten to thirty performances of a given trick are possible at the right event.

This kind of practice with short performances in quick succession really leads to great improvement in a short time. I have been fortunate to work at The Magic Castle in Hollywood many times. This is a members club for magic fans and you have the luxury of performing four times a night for a week. The quick turnaround gives you a chance to regroup and identify problems and rectify them. Long gaps between performances mean that you forget and don’t get a chance to reinforce the changes.

So getting to the required standard is not the main problem of the professional close up magician. The real challenge lies in getting the work. So it is sad, but true, to say that a competent magician with good marketing skills will do better than a more skilled magician without the ability to publicise their act.

Hiring Entertainers, Magicians and Puppet Shows for your Event’s Party

The Magic Circle Stage Competition is also open to the public and takes place every two years. The young magicians meet on Saturdays after which there is a public show which many parents and friends attend.

Membership is through examination and takes place on a Monday night before the general meeting. It is a nerve racking affair for those who decide to participate but members are genuinely friendly and enthusiastic when it is clear that the candidate has worked hard.

Magician Berkshire join as members of the Magic Circle and then are elevated through the ranks until they are awarded memberships of the Inner Magic Circle, this is by order of the president and only 200 or so members hold this honour at any one time.

For further information about the club do visit their website www.themagiccircle.co.uk

One mistake table Magician Berkshire make is that they believe they are being judged on their work rate and not on the level of their performance. Most magicians are unaware that they are being talked about throughout the evening and this is what the booker is listening to.

Guests who witness a performance while eating are unlikely to have concentrated during your performance and their feedback will be indifferent. Better to wait and give them a performance they will remember.

It is best to talk to the booker at the time of signing the contract or on the day before you start work. Explain that food is a distraction and that you try and avoid it if you can. Once they understand why

Mistakes a Table Magician can make when performing magic

Performing close up magic well is very hard to do particularly when working as a table magician. Many things can interfere with the performance due to the hustle and bustle of dinner service. Given that a magician has many tables to cover in a short period of time the process can seem very daunting.

One mistake I often see a table magician make is trying to perform when people are physically eating. This is a grave error which can make the difference between a set being well received and going completely unnoticed.

Due to our genetics food is impossible to ignore. The caveman did not wait to eat as the food could so easily be stolen by another. That innate need to eat overrides almost anything and even though people wish to be polite the temptation can be too great.

So how does the table magician in London avoid playing to guests who are eating? Well this all comes down to watching the room and working out which tables are most likely to be free at any one time. Generally food being served is worse than plates being cleared but both should be avoided if possible

Most table magician in London are eager to please and want to be seen to work, and consequently want to keep working during their allotted time. This cannot be achieved if guests who are eating are left alone.

This problem rarely occurs for long and although most magicians take a break during main course, the rest of the evening should provide work. The only time a real problem occurs is when every guest is served at the same time by waiters dedicated to each table. On these occasions one just has to get on with it however unsatisfactory that may be.

What do guests remember after a wedding?

Having performed hundreds of times as a wedding magician, I have seen the very good and bad when it comes to event organization. Given that this is the most important day of many people’s lives there is no doubt that everyone wants the best. Many weddings cost well over ten thousand pounds, with over one hundred guests. There are many variables to be accounted for and organizing all these elements is not easy even for an experienced wedding planner.

When it comes to putting together your plan for the day many things need careful consideration. When I see a well planned wedding it really is a joy to be part of the magical day.

There is a lot to be said for having a wedding planner. Like all things in life it is hard to get it right the first time. As a Wedding magician it took me many performances before I was happy and comfortable. Knowing I had the right tricks and the right presentation took time and effort. So a good professional on your side to help you organise the finer details is to your advantage. Obviously all things come at a price and you may not feel you want to spend the extra cash. So here are a few things to think about.

People like to interact and be made to feel a part of your day. Sometimes speeches are put together too quickly or the ceremony isn’t well thought through. I think people remember.

I hope it helps; anyway it’s just a few thoughts from a wedding magician who has seen a few weddings.

 

A guide to wedding magicians, wedding party magic & Close up magic

If the magician thinks it through before they leap in then the job becomes far easier and the customers have a much better experience and will give good feedback to the booker.

This all takes a sensitive approach. Understanding people and how they behave is all part of the job of being a Close up magician. Although most public functions are attended by people out to have fun the restaurant particularly at lunch time is full of people who may have a more private agenda.

The magician has to be wise to the fact that not everyone may want to see the magic. A diplomatic approach is needed here. At the banquet table I take it for granted that they will want to watch. Once a year I may be wrong but I’ll take that. In the restaurant the close up magician needs to tread carefully.

In the UK the idea of magic has to be sold to the audience, once this is done there is very little difference. A British audience will enjoy magic in the same way as the Americans. In short I think the two countries enjoy magic in the same way and to the same degree. For some reason working as a UK Magician there seems to be some stigma attached to magic. I’m not sure why, perhaps everyone has seen their favourite uncle botch a simple card trick. Perhaps some of our stars of magic now appear dated. I don’t know the reason but once this barrier has been overcome the UK, and US, audiences behave in a very similar way.

What is the difference between being a UK Magician and an American Magician?

Having worked as a UK magician and as a US Magician I thought it might be interesting to discuss the differences between performing in these two countries.

It is true to say that America looks upon magic in a less cynical light than the British. So essentially it is more difficult to be a UK magician. However magic has always been popular in the UK as can be seen with the huge success of Dynamo. Even on a small cable channel he has been able to gain a large following and is set to break into the States as well.

The main difference is in expectation. With the British you have to prove yourself first. If you approach a table at a wedding or corporate event your new audience will assume that the performance will not be of a high quality. It is very different in the States where their love of magic and positive outlook makes them much more likely to embrace a performance of magic and see the good in it.

The Magic Castle is a unique environment in which to work. A members club dedicated to the art of magic. Obviously those attending the shows have already decided that they wish to see magic and will be expecting the very best. This is also true as a UK magician at the Magic Circle. The society provides open evenings for the public, those who choose to come are expecting to enjoy and watch the very best in magical entertainment.

These are pretty straight forward places to work. The difference between the UK and the US can be seen more clearly at public events.

What do you think before you perform as a close up magician?

The close up magician really does decide when and where they are going to perform. Obviously they are booked for an event but the short shows they give will happen when and where they decide. This is very different from the stage magician who will perform at an allotted time in a particular arena.

So when I work as a close up magician my thought goes into solving the problem of how I am going to get their attention quickly. After all they have not come to see me. They probably don’t even know that I am there. When you are booked as a close up magician very often you are kept as a surprise.

So the close up magician has to find a way of introducing themselves, explaining who they are and performing for a short time without being overbearing. This requires experience and time to perfect.

The Close up Magician has problems that the stage performer doesn’t have. The cabaret magician knows where and when they will perform and often the set up helps them to gain and keep the attention of an audience. In the busy banquet hall there are many variables that can interrupt and often destroy a performance by a close up magician.

The magician has to look around the room and predict what will happen to avoid being disturbed during the performance. Waiters serving wine or food can be a real disruption as can the raffle or a speech. With experience the magician can predict these things and avoid them.

Magician Magic TJ Explains Some of His Magical Art

The Magic Circle was founded in 1905 in a small restaurant in Soho. Now it boasts over fifteen hundred members worldwide including some of the biggest names in the industry.

It is true that some of the younger well known UK Magician do shy away from the organisation on the basis that it has a reputation for being old fashioned and out of date. This I think is a shame as many great modern innovators are amongst those who meet on a Monday evening to share ideas and further the art of magic.

The Magic Circle hasn’t always helped its self in the past. Not allowing women to become members until the early nineties and appearing over formal for the modern era. However it now has a state of the art theatre and meeting rooms as well as a well stocked bar and museum right in the heart of London.

Although many members are close up magicians, stage craft and the allied arts are also discussed regularly encouraging learning for stage magicians and comedy UK Magician alike.

Much mystery has surrounded the society which on occasions has added to its prestige but it is very accessible to the public and holds many functions for which tickets can be bought. Regular theatre shows are put on as well as tours of the building and museum. So those who have an interest can see the wonderful job which has been done to make the building a worthy home.

Magicians Never Reveal Their Secrets, why?

Most people are aware that magician in London never reveal their secrets but often people don’t know why.

It is often assumed that if a magician does explain how a trick is done that the genie is out of the bottle never to return. This is not the case! When the masked magician was at his most popular many of the people I performed for were watching it. What I found strange was that even if they had seen the effect on the programme the weekend before, they were still baffled by seeing it performed under their noses.

Some magicians are protective of ideas and methods and feel that one little slip will ruin their careers for ever but most have it in perspective. People tend to remember what interests them most and although people take a passing interest in magic, they also have interests of their own. So even if for example a close up magician in London explains something to them they forget it in time.

The main problem with magical exposure is not that the secret is out and the mystery is gone forever. The main problem that faces magicians when tricks are exposed is the disappointment. Often a close up magician performing the simplest trick produces the best effect. The magician wants to achieve an illusion with the easiest of methods, the layman does not. The layman wants the method to me elaborate and when they find the solution is simple they are disappointed.