RIP Magic tricks.
27, October 2024
For the past few days I've been thinking about magic and it's impact in this world, and to the people we show our tricks to.
Could a magic trick ever make us feel similar emotions as a great song by our favorite artist, or a thought provoking novel, or a suspenseful film.
At magic's current state. In 99% cases, the anwser is no.
Magic of course can elicit a certain reaction nothing else can. The feeling you get from seeing something impossible happen.
That feeling can be really powerful. But it happens in short bursts, and it's very fleeting.
We constantly keep talking about the words "wonder" and "astonishment", as if they are a given. Most of the time our little tricks and puzzles don't take us nearly as far as we think.
Why we mostly fall short on that promise of great "awe"?
I think it's because we show people magic tricks.
Instead we should show them magic.
For the wise-asses, I know, magic isn't real.
But when we perform, maybe we should think that it is.
We should try to put the participants and the audiences experience first. And that should be our main focus. To give them an experience of real magic.
Instead of focusing on performing a bunch of tricks.
Coming back to the first question, could a magic trick connect so deeply on an emotional level with others that they would cry? Feel shivers? Feel like they have witnessed something so grand that they are left speechless, and can only stare at total silence. Or be so mystified that they question the reality they know for days after your performance?
Something so interesting and unique that they would, without thinking about it, classify as it being comparable to the other forms of art and entertainment.
I know that the Aces changing places, or a card just jumping on top of the deck can't do it alone.
They might be surprised and even astonished for a moment, but that moment is almost as short than it takes them to forget about our tricks.
Looking at the lyrics of a song or reading the dictionary won't make you feel anything. Watching the raw footage of a film in the editing room isn't very satisfying.
Maybe our bare effects are in the same category.
Maybe they are just building blocks from which we can and should build something extraordinary.
I'm starting to lean on the opinion that it is more important what you say, as it is what you show them.
Yet, this is not invitation to perform mediocre tricks!
Real magic starts from the point of no explanation. When they don't even have a guess as to how you accomplished what you showed them.
We must transform our effects into something more complex if we wish to connect with our audiences on a deeper level.
There are those who say that magic is magic, that it doesn't have to have anything "extra" on top. Well... keep on doing your tricks but don't expect most to remember any of them a day later.
You can literally show your friends the same trick every few months and they have no recollection of seeing the trick before.
What should we do then?
We need to start creating presentations that become unforgettable experiences. And we need to make them associate those impossible experiences to us.
First, people form a connection with other people. They don't feel any attachment to tricks.
A slew of tricks presented one after another with the "patter" consisting of just instructions won't mean anything to them. It might be fun to witness it, for a brief moment, but that's it.
Nobody goes home thinking, "Wow, that card sure did come up to the top of the deck many times, I'll remember this for the rest of my life."
For them to have any meaningful connection to our effects they need to have a meaningful connection with you.
You need to make your effects and presentations matter. They need to be related to who you are and why you do magic – what you want to say and share with your audience.
You need to talk about something real while performing. Nobody could care less for the Jacks going into an elevator in order to rise to the top of the deck.
Think about what you could tell them. How could you inspire them? Make them question something? Surprise them? What kind of great stories you could share with them?
You need to make them hang onto your every word. Eagerly waiting for what you're going to say next.
Interesting stories make interesting people, and interesting people are worth paying attention to. And interesting experiences will stand out and be remembered.
Bland "patter" or just basic tricks make for boring experiences and uninteresting people.
And please, let's not show them multiple "good enough" tricks in a row.
Share one powerful experience with them at a time.
Consisting of one to two effects.
Only show effects worth to open and close the show.
If you give them an experience they'll remember, and they liked you, they will want you to give them a second experience next time, and so on.
"What if I only meet them once?"
Well, I hate to break it to you, if you show them 5 average tricks, they will forget you in an instant. Show them one example of real magic and they might remember you. You are free to choose which one you prefer.
Again, you need to perform the most beautiful and strong magic as you can. And build something memorable around those effects.
Even if they don't remember the individual effect, they will remember you.
And you have to be genuinely interested in them too.
They will most definitely not care about you, if you see them as just another mark you can fool with your clever tricks.
So, what's the conclusion?
We need to put "tricks" out of their misery.
Bang. Dead.
Get the shovels, and let's start digging.
Then let's shift our focus on creating unforgettable experiences of real magic.
Let's figure out what to talk about, as the things we say are as important as the effects we show them.
And let's focus on finding ways to connect with people on a personal level.
As fellow humans.
As genuine people.
As you.
- Max Arcanie