Theatrics in Scripting: Magic

[Nicolas107]

Hey I was going over this article and when I finish I instantly post the link to two friends of mine that do magic. It is very magic and really helps you improove your perception on certain areas!

Again, great post and great work Ray

Nicolas

[ibm_usa]

I'm not very gifted in scripting or giving good patter during a presentation, I have always performed simi silent. is there a exercise that could help in scripting?

[arvindj227]

Originally Posted by ibm_usa

I'm not very gifted in scripting or giving good patter during a presentation, I have always performed simi silent. is there a exercise that could help in scripting?

These links may help you out!

http://www.elusionist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67586
http://www.elusionist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16032

Cheers,

AJ

[Tempest]

Ray,

Great thread and I do believe you did write it of your own thinking, but it's cool how similiar you and Derren think alike, it is very similiar to an excerpt from Absolute Magic.

I also just want to point out that magic is only in the minds of the spectator, and you should keep that in mind when creating your pieces. Form a goal or intention of what you are trying to accomplish, and create around that. So when you're scripting, try to keep your words pointing in that direction.

|| sean ||

[Under8ted]

Ray,

What an awesome piece! I was reading some of Chris' posts on "keeping it real" and while I agree with his thoughts, the ideas you have pointed out are an absolute gem.
I tend to avoid the fictional patter in my routines, not so much because I think it doesn't work, but that it doesn't work for me.
I think magic is so much more than just getting your trick out there. Its about stirring up belief in the impossible. Its about making people hopeful and by making them think about what could be, even if it is just for that moment, then you have given them what magic really has to offer.
Yes, you are planting the seeds for them to be more open to believe and yes it does help your performance but i think, more importantly, you are urging the humanity in them to stop being held back by natural laws. Cause when that moment is over, it is an experience that they truly wont forget, as you've said.
Again, Brilliant concepts here..
Regards, CP

[I AM EVAN]

Hello Raymond!
Very interesting point of view! The first word that caught me was "scripted"! You see, I've been a screenwriter, actor for the last decade in the film making business. There is something I learned about film making that is never taught, read or learned! And that is the art of "audience manipulation". It is how you control your viewing audience in film through editing and it's also the way you plan your presentation and performance of an illusion. Through simple hypnosis, misdirection, acting and the power of suggestion you CAN CONTROL the way your spectator feels, thinks, and understands. You can alter these three senses as well. By changing the way they feel or the way they think and especially,..the way they (think) they understand! If you learn the basics of acting and observe an actor at work,..they make you feel, think, and understand the exact same way! Film is an ILLUSION! Magic is an ILLUSION! They are,..in fact,...identical.
NUMBER ONE: EVERYTHING HAS A MOTIVE!
When you watch a magician perform,..there's a motive behind all he says, all he does, all he shows you and all he doesn't show you. The motive behind all these things is generally misdirection. Have an answer to any question and a move to cover any mistake. Be prepared for anything!
NUMBER THREE: The unexpected is ten times more powerful than the expected. Use what you've learned about "audience manipulation" and get your viewers to a point where they are expecting the expected,.. but AMAZED by the unexpected!
NUMBER FOUR: The best secrets behind any great trick or illusion are the simple ones. When you learn them you will find yourself saying. "It's too easy! They'll figure it out! No. As a matter of fact,..I find the people's reactions I get, are overly complicated explanations on how that just happened. They never thinks of the simple things.
NUMBER FIVE:

BE AN ACTOR! PLAY THE ROLE! BE A CHARACTER! YOU ARE NOT CRISS ANGEL OR DAVID BLAINE! BE YOUR OWN CHARACTER! IF YOUR OWN PERSONALITY ISN'T VERY DYNAMIC? THEN MAKE UP A CHARACTER! MEMORIZE YOUR 'SCRIPTED" ROUTINES UNTIL YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY SICK OF PRACTICING THEM.

NUMBER SIX: Don't preform a trick until you're absolutely positive you're ready. If you have tried and tried but just simply don't seem to be able to master it,..drop it and move on. It will most likely be easier when you try it again later.

NUMBER SEVEN: Do your show or routines in a carefully laid out order you planned in advance. Magic isn't any different than a concert, book, story or movie. It's entertainment and you're the entertainer!

"I may not be the best magician,...but I'll act like I am the best and no one will ever know the difference. Why? Because it's all just an illusion!"
E. Hayenga

Great Blog Raymond! Great!
IAMEVAN

Originally Posted by raymondsingson

Theatrics in Scripting: Magic
Raymond Singson

All too often, I seem to hear amateurs argue that in order for an effect to truly inspire or touch a spectator on an emotional level, it needs to speak for itself. In other words, being quiet and letting the magic happen is a direct route to a spectator's initimate mind. Perhaps the popular Blaine and Angel fad inspired this type of nonsense, but I wanted to offer a different point of view so others with the energy and drive to push their magic further can attempt doing so with a great degree of success.

When writing a script, I understand how most people don't know where to start. They have no idea how to make a particular illusion hit home with a particular person. "How can I invoke this type of reaction with this type of effect?" "How do I come off as the character I want to be with this illusion in my arsenal?" There are a lot of daunting obstacles in scriptwriting that should be seriously pondered in order to truly connect with an audience on a personal level. For the sake of example-- I'll conjure a script for Michael Ammar's Floating Dollar Bill (FDB),

The FDB has always been a major favorite item of mine. In effect, the magician slowly causes a borrowed bill to levitate off his hand and undergo a series of elegant maneuvers that subtly cancel out any possibility of thread work. In the right hands, the magician can effortlessly dance with the bill having it descend all the way to the ground and then back up through his awaiting hands. It practically flies in every direction and even plays with the spectators for a brief moment. The bill gradually loses its vigor and drops into the magician's hands where he can immediately hand it out for examination. Ammar's technique obviously constructed by a careful, methodical professional who believes in strong, visual magic.

...And yet I firmly believe that the illusion presented above is a highly forgettable one. Granted, it will always be a crowd pleaser-- audiences will always be surprised and respond with applause and laughter, but I feel that they all too often go home at night and easily forget about the miracle they witnessed. Why? Because despite it being one of the strongest and most visual close-up illusions on the market today, as a stand alone effect, it sucks. It needs and craves the performer to back it up.

Step One: Planting the Seed of Emotion
"When was the last time you wanted something that you couldn't have? It could be anything-- Think about the car of your dreams... or the girl you wanted in high school. Just fall back on that memory of you wanting something to happen so much but never following through. Really remember it... and picture what could have happened if things were just a bit different-- if you believed you could do something a little bit more about it..."

The above introduction instantly plants a seed of desire in a spectator. It should be delivered with a hint of awe so that the spectator can let down his guard and feel as though you can relate to his personal experiences. Have him speak a little if he wants to share. Get him involved with his personal thoughts and memories. In a moment, he'll apply this thought to the effect and allow a simple dollar bill do something miraculous.

Step Two: Anchoring the Emotion
"For me personally-- I remember sitting in class just wanting time to fast forward. It was so slow and so boring, I wanted so much to just get out of that room and get outside. I was so focused on wanting time to fast forward, I didn't realize that [snap fingers] it was even possible."

This is a Derren Brown theory as discussed in Pure Effect. At the pivotal point in the effect, the performer triggers an anchored emotion he sublty put in the mind of the spectator. In the example above, I used the idea of something being possible with a snap of my fingers. Theoretically, when I snap my fingers again at the crucial point of the effect, the spectator will instantly be taken back to the idea that something is possible. This NLP idea is very important.

Step Three: Involving the Spectator
"Watch. Confidence is key. I understand that this may sound absolutely absurd, and I fully agree-- but I want to test just how much is possible in the world we know. I have five dollars with your name on it... as long as you do as I say and make it move using nothing more but that memory of yours. Do you understand?"

This small, friendly wager does several things. It primarily urges the spectator to cooperate with you and take the effect seriously. For five dollars, a lot of people would do anything you ask. I understand that five dollars is five dollars... but I'm sure you've spent the money on things less important.

It also catches the spectator offguard. They're so focused on the wager and offhand claim, that they automatically dismiss the use of threads. Why-- as a magician-- would you even do such a thing? No money's ever free... If you could simply attach a thread to the bill to make it float, then why would you offer to give the bill away? It makes the patter logically more sound. It pressures the spectator to believe in the miracle.

Step Four: The Magic
"I want you to take a deep breath and hold it for as long as you can. Think about the last time you wanted something to happen so much but couldn't do anything about it. Think about willing this money to move... and it's yours. Think about the last impossible thing you wanted to make happen... Think about what you wanted... And as your breath runs out, envision the possibility coming to life... Just imagine... [Long pause until the spectator releases his breath. Snap your fingers and point at the bill. Another long pause. Silence. The bill begins to move. It hovers an inch off your palm for five seconds and drops down into your hand]

This is where the theatrics come in. The moment before the actual magic happens should have tension and controversy. It should encompass the conflict of the emotion at hand. It should generate a problem trying to be fixed. And once you have the tension-- let it build with silence. Let it linger... let it make people uncomfortable. The snap the fingers-- hint that it's possible to simply move the bill... and make the bill float a few inches off your palm. Less is more. The lower the levitation-- the more subtle it is-- the more realistic, and believable it will be. Do all this while being quiet. Let the bill descend, and slowly... give it back to the spectator. Let him bask in this moment of mystery and glory. You'll see astonishment on his face. It's a much deeper reaction than the typical obsenity or sudden scream. It will most likely be a quiet, nervous look...

"Thank you. You did it. You did it..."

Walk away with the bill in his hands. If performed correctly, he'll most likely remember the experience for a long time to come.

Just some nonsense...
Ray.

[I AM EVAN]

Try doing some monologue and acting exercises. Write out a script containing the words that will be spoken. I am a screenwriter and actor. I know it has helped my performances tremendously! Keep trying and don't give up.

best regards,

Originally Posted by arvindj227

These links may help you out!

http://www.elusionist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67586
http://www.elusionist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16032

Cheers,

AJ