Appearance

I’m going to go to the gym tomorrow with a couple other magicians. It never fails to amaze me how many magicians I see who are not only out of shape, but grossly so. I don’t mean to discriminate based on a persons health or appearance. I believe that anyone should be entitled to live the way that they want. But......

Performing artists should also be aware that people are looking at them. Performers are part of their art. If you are a painter, then there is no need to worry about your physical appearance, but you should be concerned about your canvas and your paints appearance because that is what people will be looking at.

If you are intentionally not improving your appearance for a reason that improves your show then more power to you. For the most part I would like to see performers take their product a little more seriously and that would mean making themselves better. You are selling yourself. Your magic is a byproduct.

World Magic Seminar Opening

So I’m sitting in the hall of the World Magic Seminar. Its one of the largest magic conventions in the world, but I have no idea how many people are in attendance. There’s a dealer room that has a about ten percent of its contents worth a look.

So far the most interesting thing I have seen is a self contained performance space designed by Dave Pavlov. It features an overhead camera which is broadcast in real time on a flat screen TV. It has a wireless mic & full sound system. And it all packs into a case that is only a little larger then a mini fridge. It is easily to coolest item here and carries a price tag of over $10,000.

So besides all that I have a couple of complaints that I would like to file about conventions and the money they consume. First off the dealers have to pay to be there. Thats all fine and dandy but the consumers have to pay to be there too. So the convention is taking in money on both sides. I have seen a couple conventions where the dealers room is open to those who are not attending the convention and I think this is a much better model.

The convention costs around $300 (which I think is cheep). Then you have to pay for transportation, food, and lodging (I have no issues with that either). What bothers me is that you have paid for the convention and now you have to pay more money to go see lectures. You have to pay more money to attend the bowling event. You have to pay more money to see all the shows.

Why not charge $500 or $600 and include everything that people are coming to convention to experience. It feels like there is an ongoing up sell taking place. I think its misleading, greedy, and a little underhanded. OK Thats my two cents. I’m done now. How do you get off this soap box anyways?

Magical Effects

It is common practice for magicians to look for new and interesting effects to perform. Surprisingly there is a very short list of magical effects available to perform. These effects are not defined by the prop used but instead by what the audience perceives the magic to be.

There are several books that discus the magical effects. People have said their are as little as 5 and as much as 5000 different magical effects. Some people have argued that an effect like a transformation is really only a vanished followed by a production. While this view may be true in method, I believe that the perceived effect by the audience is what defines the plot.
Production
A production is the act of making an object magically appear. Productions are the most popular opening to a magic show and one of the simplest effects for an audience to understand.

Vanish:

A vanish is the polar opposite of a production. A vanish is the magical disappearance of an item. Like a production it is very easy for an audience understand a vanish. The disappearance of a coin by means of a french drop or the vanishing of the statue of liberty are popular and well known vanishes.
Transformation
More then meets the eye. A transformation is the magical act of turning one item into something else. A simple transformation could be changing an items color or size. More extreme transformations is that of turning one item into something completely different.

Restoration:

Restorations are the very simple act of repairing or restoring an item into it original form. Most restorations require the item to be destroyed before it can be restored. Performers often choose to use very expensive or complicated items to restore so that it is more interesting for the audience to watch.

Teleportation
:
A teleportation is the instantaneous repositioning of an item from one location to another. Teleportations are enhanced when there is a clear barrier between where the item is and where the item teleports to. This shows that the effect is impossible and therefor magical.

Levitation
:
A levitation is the magical suspension of an object. Levitation's may include suspensions of an item or an item performing free flight without the capability to do so naturally. A air plane that can fly is not magical but a chevrolet that can fly is an example of a levitation.

Penetration
:
Yes its more then a fun word to say. A penetration is the magical movement of one solid object through another. Penetrations can sometime be misconstrued as restorations. Where as the penetration of the object is them breaking the object and then restoring it once the item has passed through.

Transposition
:
A transposition is the magical exchange of two items. Many performers consider a transposition to be the strongest magical effect to a spectator, which is why it is often the closing effect in a show.

Liberation
:
A liberation is an impossible escape from restraints. Liberation is a stunt and not magic if it can be accomplished in a believable way. If however the escape is unbelievable it is then a magical effect. Houdini is known for his liberation effects.

Mentalism
:
Mentalism is not an effect but instead a category of effects within magic. Mentalism effect pertain to magic that is accomplished with the or in the mind. There are five primary mentalism effects.

Mind Reading

Mind Reading is the act of knowing what someone is thinking. The effect of mind reading is usually performed on a single spectator rather then on a large group of people. Although reading a group of minds can be accomplished.

Psychokinesis
:
Psychokinesis is the movement of an object by means of thoughts alone. Psychokinesis is often referred to as PK magic for short. Telekinesis is another word for Psychokinesis but is used less often.

Precognition
:
Precognition is the ability to see into the future of persons, places or things. Precognition effects require both a prediction to be made and the prediction to come true.

Clairvoyance
:
Clairvoyance is the act of knowing information about a person, place or thing without having any apparent means of knowing the information. Examples of this would be knowing where an item is hidden, what it looks like or what it is.

Mind Control:

Mind Control is simply controlling the functions of a persons mind. This may mean controlling, persons thoughts, beliefs, impulses and/or actions. Many spectators consider a hypnosis show to be a form of mind control.

So that is the all of the effects in magic. Why is this such an important piece of information for a magical performer to understand? There are lots of reasons. This information can help performers clarify their effect. It can improve a performers understanding of a routine. It can help a performer make a well rounded show by including a balance of effects. Or it can give a performer a strong character foundation by helping them decide what powers they have.

I encourage you to use this list to help you develop your magic and create a miracle... or two.

Microphones

There are so many kinds of microphones out there. With all the choices out there, I wanted to put in my two cents. There are essentially three types of mikes out there, handheld, headset, and lavaliere. All of them have different advantages and disadvantages.

Hand held microphones have come in two varieties, corded and cordless. Corded ones are plugged directly into an audio source. They give you limited mobility but also have the highest reliability because they don’t rely on batteries, which could go out, or radio frequencies, which can get interference. With todays current technology the gap between convenience and reliability has been closing.

Enter the cordless handheld. It requires batteries, it transmits on radio frequency, but you can go wherever you want with it. That means that it gives you the freedom of entering the audience, the balcony or anywhere else that the venue has. It also has some distinct advantages over headset and lavaliere microphones.

Wireless handheld microphones can be used to mic an audience member in the case of asking them a question. It can also allow the performer to control the volume by taking the microphone away or closer. Finally the performer can mute the microphone in cases when you don’t want the audience to hear you, or you want to deliver a message without everyone knowing about it.

With all the advantages of wireless handheld microphones, why aren’t more performers using them. The answer is that there are a couple of substantial drawbacks that act as a deterrent. Handheld microphones are bulky. They require you to hold them which occupies at least one hand. They make a neck holder to free up your hands but it is distracting to have something that looks like a slender ice cream cone as a necklace. The only way to avoid it is to use a mic pack.

Mic packs are the radio broadcasters for headset and lavaliere microphones. They hold the battery, a mute button, an antenna, and a couple of buttons to control the radio frequency. They are worn on traditionally on the back of the performers pants, which causes an unsightly bulge. The newer methods are to place them between the shoulder blades, on the ankle, or in a custom made pocket on the clothing. Some performers will wrap them in an non-lubricated condom so that their sweat wont be able to damage the packet (not even kidding).

Headset microphones are a popular microphone for live stage performances. They provide outstanding audio performance, and freedom of movement. Headset microphones are almost the exclusive choice for the professional singers who do a lot of movement. This is because the microphone filament of the microphone is so close to the mouth it can provide a very accurate sound.

Just like all other kinds of microphones, the headset has a drawback too. Headsets cover your face. The face is the most expressive part of your body and headset microphones put a very inconvenient protrusion right in the middle of it. They make some very small headsets out there that are nearly invisible (countryman) but you can still see them a little bit.

Lavalieres are the smallest of all microphones. They are nearly invisible when hidden correctly. The stereotypical way of wearing them is in the collar or buttons of the shirt. The problem with this is that when you move your head, the sound from the microphone changes. The other drawback is that when you are wearing a microphone on your clothing, it makes costume changes very difficult.

The more modern way of wearing a lavaliere is by hiding the microphone in the hair line of the performer and running the cable down the back of the neck. This solves the problems of costume changes and sound quality changing with head movement. It does require a lot more preparation to set up the mic in this position.

Assistants

So at this very moment, I am backstage at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. I am being distracted by four showgirls running around half naked trying to get there costumes figured out. There is the production manager looking over a cue sheet but I think he’s here just to stare at the girls.

So I thought this would be a good time to talk about the right and wrong ways to treat assistants. There are a lot of things that performers do incorrectly when handling assistance. There are also a lot of things that many performers are not doing which would make it a better experience for everyone.

The Good

Share the Outcome
Let your assistant know what your vision of the show is. Explain the end outcome you want from routines and gigs. Don’t expect an assistant to know what you want without telling them.

Pay Early
The best agents and clients I have ever had have been the ones that pay me in advance of my performance. They tell me what the client is paying and how much of a cut they are taking. If you pay your assistant up front then they will respect you and know that you trust them.

Honestly
Your assistant is your metaphorical right hand in your business. Nothing can destroy a relationship, show, or business as quickly as the catastrophes that misrepresentation can cause. I have seen performers play themselves up bo their assistants in an attempt to impress. Eventually they figure it out and it makes the performer look like a chump. Honesty is the best policy.

The Bad

Ask to much
An assistant is just one person. Assistants cant, change cloths, move props, pack equipment and run lights & sound at the same time yet there are many performers who expect that of them. If you are a performer who needs additional help, then hire more help. Don’t put so much pressure on your assistant so that they can perform even the simplest tasks correctly.

Insult Weakness
Insults don’t help build confidence. When a person is insulted, it draws attention and focus to that flaw. Here is a better approach. When an assistant has a weak area, don’t say anything. Wait for them to do something that contradicts their weakness and them compliment them on how impressed you are by it. It will reinforce the good and the bad will go away. If you must draw attention to bad things, make the criticism constructive.

Make Assumptions
Just because your assistant has worked on other peoples shows or has a degree in theatre doesn’t mean that they know what you want. They may know how to light a normal show but not know about how to light a magic show. Its much better to tell them what you need rather then expect what you have never ask for.

Why You Do Magic?

So people do magic for all kinds of reasons. Some peoples reasons inspire me. Every once in a while someone will give me a reason for doing magic that disturbs me. I think it is important to know what your own personal reasons are.

I don’t want so write about my personal reasons in this blog...at least not yet, but I would love to hear yours. I wrote down some reasons that I have heard other performers give and so I will list them out.

Curiosity
Some people want to learn about magic. They are curious about how magic works. What better way to learn something then to do it.

Its all they know
There are several performers who have told me that the only reason they perform magic is that it is the only skill that they have. To them it would be better to have a nine to five job but they don’t think that there are any that they would be qualified to do.

To Impress Others
A staggering amount of performers continue to perform for the sake of impressing others. Sometime they want to impress the audience with their skill. Other times they want to impress them about their knowledge.

To Help Others
I have met a lot of people who want to use their magic to help others in need. They will perform to raise money for charity impart knowledge or inspire and motivate.

Fame
Some people just want fame. Its not about money or power. Its just a matter of being known.

Money
Believe it or not, there is a lot of money to be make in the magic industry. I know several people who will never leave this industry because they don’t want to lower their standard of living by changing carriers.

To be Artistic
Some use magic as their canvas for expressing their opinions of art, politics, religion, social injustice, etc.

I am curious if I missed any reasons. Tell what your reasons for doing magic are. If there is a combination then let me know. You can comment back with your answer or email me at Tyas@penguinmagic.com.

Community

I just got back from a birthday party of one of my friends who just so happens to also be a magician. Most the people there where magicians or at least performers in one facet or another. One of the things that I love about magic is not only the performing but also the social aspects of it. The people we related to and become friends with are amazingly entertaining. They do it for a living.

The party was at a night club called the Cathouse which was created by a couple of magicians called the Gamersters. Along with the music, lights and dinner was all the people that know how to make others smile. Its a cool thing. If you ever need contrast to how much fun it is to hang out with magicians, just hand out with one for an hour and then spend an hour with someone else. Result is that the magician is way more fun.

We should be proud of what we do but I also think its important for us to be proud of what we are. Even when we are off stage we have the power, potential, and means to make those around us a little happier. We are experts at spreading joy, merriment and wonder. I am proud of the friends...brotherhood, nay, the family of entertainers that I have become a part of and if you are not already my brother or sister in this grand adventure, then I hope you will be soon.

Brand New Show

I recently had the pleasure of seeing a brand new magic show. That's not to say that the performer, the magic, or even the venue was new. What was new was what they show was about, how it was structured and the way it was presented. The show is called Wohscigam and was written and performed by Brett Daniels.

If you don’t know who Brett Daniels is they you probably don’t watch magic on television or anywhere else for that matter. He closed the show for wolds greatest magic V, He was the 2003 Magician of the year, and was awarded by show of the millennium (I’m not sure who gives out that award).

So enough about Brett Lets talk about his show. I had seen the demo video and wasn’t particularly impressed but it did get me interested. Then I heard the buzz. “Its a brand new concept. Nothing like it has ever been attempted before.” So I was interested but when is this new show opening. Well I had the privilege of being at the shows opening at the Sahara Casino here in Las Vegas.

The show has many interesting features. For one thing its a full stage production and yet most of the magic is close up sleight of hand. It has a plot that is full of twists and turns. There is Major production value in the show. I don’t really want to say any more out of fear that I may spoil something for those who see it.

Now it does have a lot of kinks to work out. For one thing it is not easy to pack a house in Vegas. This show has nothing for it to be compared to and so it is very difficult to advertise for. Just like any show there where lots of small elements that needed to be tightened, tweaked, and fixes.

Here's the good news. If this show works, Brett will have single handedly created a new genera of magic. He will have built the first show that is based on close up magic to be successful in Las Vegas. Brett has invested years of work into this show and not to mention an impressive budget. I can think of no one who deserves it more and wish him the best. By the way, the ending is fantastic.

We just passed 200 posts

On January 11th of 2006 Maxwell made the very first post on the Penguin Magic Blog. Since then it has been used to advertise products, promote specials, inform the public about upcoming events, provide news reports about what has been going in on the magic world and hosted competitions. Just recently it has been serving all those functions and the additional role giving out some free advice to its readers.

Yesterday was an anniversary of sorts for the Penguin Magic Blog. It has been 828 days since the first post and we just reached the 200th post. So there has been a post about every four days and I am happy to say that we at penguin are making an effort produce many more posts to come.

The Complete List of Magic Rules

The famous rules of magic where proposed in Nevil Masklyne’s book “Our Magic.” The rules are generally referred to as Masklyne’s 24 rules of magic even though they where written by partner and co-writer David Devant. Many find Masklyne’s rules difficult to interpret and so I have modernized them and included 3 additional rules that are generally agreed upon by magicians but where not included in the original 24 rules.

1. Never break one of the rules unless you have a clear reason on why you should violate that rule.
2. Anticipate why a spectator would loose interest in a routine.
3. Keep routines simple in nature so that it doesn’t require to much memory or patience from your audience.
4. Do not obscure an effect by performing a second effect or distraction simultaneously.
5. Each routine must be a distinct, separate and complete sequence of essential details, that lead to one clear effect.
6. Make sure that every action occurs because of a cause and be certain that every cause is motivated because of an intended message.
7. Make every accessory and detail relevant to the routine and its message.
8. Defects are areas of the routine that cannot be justified.
9. If an area of a routine requires additional justification, it indicates an error and requires every possible reparation.
10. Eliminate every element that is not necessary or cannot be justified.
11. Do not repeat the same effect sequentially or it will diminish its impact to your spectators.
12. Condition your audience to maximize their experience of a routine.
13. A routine may have two independent effects if one fulfills the premiss of the routine wile the other provides a surprise conclusion.
14. Do not foretell the effect in advance to your audience.
15. Create compelling transition between routines to prevent your audiences distraction.
16. Accentuate routines with combinations of actions, sounds, and lighting.
17. Utilize coincidental occurrences as a form of punctuation.
18. A routines presentation should build theatrically and use the effect as its climax.
19. Each routine is enhanced if it builds on the routines before it.
20. A routines theatrical and dramatic premiss is more important then its magical premiss.
21. Once a routines theatrical and dramatic requirement have been met, all energy should be spent on strengthening the magical effect.
22. An effect should only be performed if it coincides with the performers abilities, the characters intentions, the shows premiss, and the environmental requirements of the performance space.
23. Only perform for an audience once the routine has been mastered through rehearsal.
24. Rehearse the details of a routine before rehearsing the routine as a whole.
25. One strong routine carries a great deal more weight then several weaker routines.
26. It is preferred to keep routines short and concise rather then risk losing an audiences attention.
27. Do not jeopardize the audiences suspension of disbelief by breaking character, violating the plot, or reveling the magical or theatrical secrets.

System Check

I love systems. To me a system is a organized process that delivers consistent and expected results. I like to create systems for communication, marketing, cash flow management, customer relations and of coarse show development. I will probably go into these systems in a later blog so that you can take advantage of them but not today.

Today I am curious if you have any systems of your own. What steps do you take in creating a show or developing a routine? Do you have a marketing strategy? Do you have a system for rehearsing? Do you have ways of getting things don’t that have been effective for you that you would be willing to share?

Nothing to do with Magic

I really believe in the power of setting goals. I don’t believe that when you set goals, they will magically come true, but I have my theories on why are helpful. There are staggering and well documented statistics on the success experienced by those who set written goals regularly vs. those who don’t set goals. What the studies don’t show you is why they produce results. Here are my theories;

Clarity
There are only two problems you have have; not knowing what you want and not knowing how to get it. So there are only two solution; make it up or make it happen. When you write goals it, solves the problem of not knowing what you want.

Focus
Once you have clarified what you want, you have something to focus on. If you wanted to get a new printer and you clarified that, you will start looking for all available opportunities that come to you. While if you have no focus you may let potentially wonderful opportunities pass you by.

Simplicity
Sometimes our ambitions can be overwhelming and seem to large to tackle. When you write down a goal, it gives you the opportunity to chunk down an insurmountable tasks into very manageable tasks. Suddenly the impossible is within your reach.

Take the time to write up some of your personal goals and make your dreams come true.

Exciting Audition - Opportunity to work with Franco Dragone

Just got this in an email from Joanie Spina... I'd love to see a Penguin or two in the final cast...

What’s your thing?

Whips, knife throwing, fire-eating, walking on coals?

Are you very tall…very small…or do you hang from a trapeze by the ends of your lengthy hair? Juggle pizza?

Auditions will be held this summer in Las Vegas for an exciting new touring show, Circus McGurkus directed by world-renowned Franco Dragone. The show will rehearse in Las Vegas in the fall before touring throughout the country starting in March 2009.

Seeking all types of Daredevils, Unusualists, Specialty Acts, Fakirs, Illusionists, Contortionists of any kind, Side Show Artists, Male or Female Tight Rope or High Wire Artist, and Unique Physical Specimens.

It is preferable that the artists are multi-talented, able to act and dance or move well, or possess numerous specialty skills.

Ability to sing and/or do gymnastics, tumbling, etc. is a huge plus, but not a requirement.

Seeking a well rounded performer with a circus or gymnastics background to play young teenager Morris McGurk.

For consideration, please send DVDs/videotapes, resumes, photos to

Circus McGurkus Casting

2250 East Tropicana Avenue Ste.19-716

Las Vegas, NV 89119

Attn: Joanie Spina

A Little Extra Work

Have you ever performed at a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah? Its a Jewish celebration which is basically about the coming of age. If you haven’t you should give it a shot. Its kind of like a birthday on steroids with a Jewish theme. Basically its the Jewish equivalent of the quinceanera. They pay decent and can be a lot of fun.

Within the last week I have been booked at two of these events and found out something that is not only interesting but potentially, very profitable. Both of the kids celebrating their bar mitzvah where not Jewish. Why is this interesting? Up until this point I have only known about Jewish families holding these celebrations but it looks like that may be changing.

Just as many different religions celebrate Christmas and Halloween because of cultural, commercial and social pressure, it looks like the bar mitzvah may start becoming a common place, cross religious, event as well. My theory on why this may be happening is that when non Jewish children are invited to their friends bar mitzvah, they want to have one too.

Now so far I am only seeing this trend happening with the super rich. One party was held for the son of the owner of Stations Casinos, and the other had Sheldon Adelson attending (the fastest made billionaire in history). Just one of those parties cost over $100,000 to hold. With any luck this trend will trickle down to those who are not amazingly rich and expand the market so that we may all find a little extra work.

The Entertainers Carrier Cycle

There is a strange carrier path in the entertainment world that is much more broad in spectrum then just the magic side of it. I enjoy looking at trends within the performance industry, in an attempt to better understand what makes some performers successful and others not. One of those trends is what carrier path they are taking at what point in their carrier.



When a performer starts out, they are usually just an enthusiast who turns into a hobbyist. At some point the hobby turns into an opportunity to make some money and they transition into a part time job. It is common for part time pros to have a day job to help pay their bills.

A few select and special people will make the bold move of taking this part time carrier into the full time scene. When this happens they will usually struggle to find as much work as possible. Sooner or later they will find someone to represent them and provide them with the work that they need.

Once there is a steady flow of clients, it becomes the reoccurring business that takes over. The performer stops needing representation because the vast majority of the work they get is coming from return engagements. In fact there are times when there is too much work and the entertainment must book other acts to fill in for him.

As the entertainer grows in age and looses the passion for performance, they will give more and more of their work to others in exchange for a fee. Over time the transition is made complete from entertainer to someone who books others. This person may be an agent, a manager, or a producer.

So that is what I call the entertainers carrier cycle, although the diagram I made looks more like the little dipper constellation. Now you can find yourself in the cycle and not only reflect on where you have been but look forward at what is to come. Let me know if you agree or disagree with it. I would love to hear your feedback as a comment on the blog or via email at Tyas@penguinmagic.com.

And the beat goes on

I have been spending some extra time working on the audio of my show. For me, the music in a routine is crucial. The right music can direct an audiences emotions, provide powerful transitions, and create emphasis on dramatic and magical moments. With all of these benefits to music, I am always surprised at how many magicians are not using it in their show.

Maybe performers are not using as much audio anymore, because proper use of it can be challenging to do correctly. Maybe performers are just not interested in putting in the work required to include audio in a show. By adding sound to a show, you are taking your visual art of magic and making it multi sensory.

Have you ever watched television in a language you could not recognize? Even if the picture is good, it is difficult to watch it for more then a few minutes. On the other hand most people find it easy to listen to the radio for hours without a picture at all. I suggest that this is because our sense of hearing is more powerful and compelling then our sense of sight. If not, sign language would be are primary form of communication.

My hole point in writing this is to suggest that you consider adding more audio to your show....That is all.

Luke Jermay Workshop Interview

I got a chance to talk with Luke Jermay about his upcoming workshop. Here's a link to the podcast:

Luke Jermay Workshop Interview

This should answer a lot of the questions people have had!

Alvo

I try to provide some kind of advice or knowledge on each post but not on this one.

On most friday nights people are out seeing a movie or hanging our with friends in preparation for the weekend. For performers its a little different. As I write this, I am at a gig, backstage. I’m not the only performer however.

In the lineup is a guy who goes by the stage name of lizard man. Lizard man is covered from head to tow with green tattooed scales. He has his tongue split in half to resemble a snakes tongue, has peaces of teflon surgically implanted in his forehead, and his teeth are sharpened into points.

There is a girl wrapped with a fourteen foot python, anther who is having scorpions crawl over her body and another who is holding spiders and cockroaches. There is a sword swallower, and guy in a straitjacket. One guy is inviting the guests of the party to throw darts, real darts, into the exposed flesh of his back.

Did I forget to mention that this show is being held in celebration of a twelve year old birthday. Thats right. This is a birthday party. Its times like these, that make me understand why things that happen in vegas should stay in vegas.

Alvo Stockman's Elite Penguin Challenge RESULTS

WOW!

The entries that came in were just awesome! I was pretty overwhelmed with all the submissions! After a few days however I've been able to look over the best and make the difficult decisions and pick one winner.

The winner of the Alvo Stockman Elite Penguin Challenge is

Ryan Hogan (SpiderRy) - $50

"Eight striking Queens gasp as nine talking jackrabbits appear before a grotesque king."



At 46 cards, 73 letters it wasn't the longest entry (in fact even Ryan had submitted a longer one!) but it was overall the best sentence. Great work, Ryan!!

I mentioned earlier that I would offer a special bonus to anyone who used all 54 cards well we have taker!

Charlie Ashbourne came up with this:

"Gazzo's a street joker king: Queen Aqua squeaks, King Bob too; Jack gasps; Joker TJ quotes joking gag jabs."




Congratulations, Charlie, your creativity got you a $25 gift certificate!

And here are a couple honorable mentions that made my job difficult:

Bradley Benson (bradbj83)

"Six Jokers race nine kings for nine quiet Queens - Jack races too; Jack quits, a Joker beats nine Kings, nine Queens take Jack to a K.G.B. Jail."

With one extra 'e', Bradley almost took the 54 card bonus. Nice work, Bradley!

Jon (Xayarii)

"Patter is great for a Joker's gate"

No compromises in Jon's sentence. It's strong and has a message. Great job, Jon.

Great work, everyone! There were too many submissions to list here, but I tried to get back to everyone personally.

I'm always surprised at what we're all capable of once we set our minds to solving a problem. Thank you everyone.

Alvo

Agents, Producers, & Managers

So there seems to be a little confusion when it comes to the difference between an agent, a producer, and a personal manager. I can understand the mixup because several of the roles perform many of the same tasks. I’ll take a second to explain the differences between them.

Agents jobs are to secure you business and clients. They typically represent many performers and so everything they can to secure as much work for as much money as they can. Agents are paid on a per job basis, so if they don’t get you work, you don’t pay anything (beware of any agent who asks you for money without getting you work).

Some agents only represent a couple of clients (Jerry Maguire). In cases like this they are usually signing exclusivity with the talent. What that means is that they are the only agent allowed to get that talent work. Agents typically take anywhere from 10% to 20% depending on the work and the agent. If the agent is asking for half, its probably not the best agent.

Producers are in charge of....well.....producing. Producers often will provide upfront capital, connections or equipment to facilitate the production of a show or event. Having a producer is extremely convenient because they can provide a great deal of what is needed to overcome obstacles. Basically, producers make things happen. In exchange, producers take a percentage of the product or the products revenue. The percentage is completely arbitrary and will vary depending on what the producer provides.

Personal managers serve a multitude of purposes. They act as an intermediary between a performer and all of their business dealings. Managers will negotiate price with clients or agents, secure and mediate over an accountant, and help a performer develop their act and take it to the next level. Personal managers will customarily take between 20% to 30% of a performers yearly income.

Thoughts on demo videos

I have always suggested to people that they find someone else to edit together their demo video. This is because as a performer we often stand to close to our vision to have an objective eye. When most people edit there own demo the footage comes out to being WAY TO LONG.

Why is length important (chuckle chuckle). If you hand a demo video to a potential client, and they get bored, then they will turn it off. On the flip side, if the video is to short and they want to see more then they just may call you up to book you in an attempt to see more.

Many demo videos seem to be made with the purpose of stroking the artists ego instead of booking more shows. A demo videos purpose is not to show how cool the performer is. The function of a demo video is to demonstrate how your show can fulfill the needs of your clients.

Non Compete

I get a lot of by business from my friends. When they have a gig that would require more then one magician they will often bring me in, and I will return the favor when I have the opportunity. Recently a friend sent me a small performance agreement to secure me for just such an occasion.

On the agreement it stated that I could not work for the client who was booking the gig for 3 years. This kind of clause is there so that I don’t steal the client out from under the person booking the gig. In this particular situation, it was a client that I work independently for on a regular basis. If I signed this agreement I would (at least legally) loose the right to work for one of my best clients for the next 3 years.

I bring this up for two reasons. One I think it is very important to protect your business. Having clauses in your contract such as a non compete is very important. Second, just because you are going to get one gig out of an agreement doesn’t mean its worth it for you. Read the fine print.

A Shows Opener

When it comes to opening a show there are more ways to do it wrong then there is to do it right. I have my own personal beliefs on strong opening routines and I thought I would share them on here. They are by no means right or wrong. They are just my guidelines in an opening routine.

1. Keep it short
People have short attention spans. They make their first impressions very fast. You don’t want your audience to get board of you early on. If the opening routine, leaves them wanting more, your in much better shape then if you bore them.

2. Make it strong
This one routine has to break the state of the audience and make a lasting impact. Some of the best opening plots are appearances and transpositions.

3. Make introductions
In your opening routine you get to introduce who you are and what your show is about. You tell your audience what kind of magic you perform and what kind of person you are.

See if whatever opening routine you are using matches these these criteria. If they don’t then try and include these elements and see if it strengthens your opener. Let me know how it goes. I would love your feedback or questions at Tyas@penguinmagic.com.

I'm sorry but I'll help

I know....I know. The podcasts are not up right now. I’m sorry. We’ll fix it soon and record more. In the mean time you can still get them from my website at www.TyasFrantz.com. I am also going to be making a serious effort to post on the blog much more often. While I love the podcasts format, there are many advantages to having it in written word over audio (for one thing its searchable).

As performers and more over as human beings we run into more then our share of challenges. It is far to common for us to set lofty goals and carry high expectations only to have everything fall disappointingly short. This has happened to me (more often then I care to acknowledge) and its hard to manage. I have gathered great problem solvers into my social network who I am happy to have called my friends. Sometimes they can provide solutions and sometimes I need the help of outside sources.

If you are running into challenges and would like a little help or advice on how to handle it then please don’t hesitate to drop me a line. I would be happy to answer any questions that I can in an effort to support my fellow conjurers. You can write me at Tyas@penguinmagic.com. I just realized that I am going to get a lot of spam for putting that email up on this blog. If only there was a way to make the content not searchable (like a podcast or something).

Lets work together

Magicians have always been my family. They are the people that I hold closest to me and I consider to be the most valuable to my social network. It would makes sense that I would want to hang out with people who I share commonalities with. I went online to network with magicians that where outside of my geographical area by checking up on some magic forums. I was really upset by what I read.

It was thread after thread, post after post, of people slamming each other. There where insults to peoples personalities, beliefs, performances, friends, and appearances. Products and conventions where slandered. Companies and inventors where blasted. Not one of the criticisms I read had an element of construction within it. I am shocked.

If our community is a brotherhood of magicians then we are deeply in need of family therapy. We have the opportunity to help each other move forward as performers, colleagues, and friends. We only have each other to lean on when we need help. As of right now I am not inspired to ask my peers for help.

So in response, I propose that we ignore these negative posts. I say we out number our communities pessimism and battle it directly with our own brand of optimism, encouragement, and support. Lets persuade our negative counterparts to change their ways, or persuade them to cease in contributing their angst and despondency. Lets move forward by helping those around us and ensuring that the only criticism we provide is constructive.