Grey Matters: Presentation: Questions for Better Magic

Questions for Better Magic

Published on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 in magic, performance

The following outline is a series of questions, based on the book “Strong Magic” and the 8-part column “Stronger Magic” in MAGIC magazine, both by Darwin Ortiz. I highly recommend reading this book, as it will clarify many of the questions. The questions are intended to help the magician think about ideas that he or she may not otherwise think about.

If you have Javascript turned off, the outline of questions will appear as just an outline. However, if you have Javascript turned on, the various sections of the outline will expand and collapse simply by clicking any blue text with an arrow next to it. Collapsing any section will also collapse all subsections within it.

Posted with permission from Darwin Ortiz and Richard Kaufman.

“Strong Magic” is © Copyright 1994, 1995 by Darwin Ortiz. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without written permission.

Effect

Clarity
1. How should the audience interpret the effect?
2. Details:
  1. Which details should be emphasized?
  2. What details should be eliminated?
3. Easing audience's burden:
  1. Could fewer props be used without diminishing the scope of the effect?
  2. What “memory hooks” could you give to the audience?
  3. How could the props be visually clarified?
  4. How could the layout be visually clarified?
  5. Could making a hidden element visible help the effect?
  6. What time lags could be eliminated?
  7. What interruptions could be eliminated?
  8. How could the procedure be made more direct?
  9. How can I eliminate magic jargon from my act?
Conviction
1. Conditions:
  1. If I were a layman, how would I think the effect was accomplished?
  2. What could I do to eliminate the possibility of those methods?
  3. Must-Believe Test:
    1. What must the audience believe if they are to view it as a miracle?
    2. Are there any conditions that are true, but hard to believe?
    3. If the above is true, how can you emphasize this condition's reality?
  4. Would the effect be maximized if two elements had no contact whatsoever?
  5. How could I dramatize the effect's major condition by . . .
    1. . . . taking a certain action?
    2. . . . having the audience participate?
    3. . . . evoking a mental image?
2. Convincers:
  1. What “accidents” could make the effect more convincing?
  2. Could weak conditions be incidentally “proven” while demonstrating a stronger condition?
Suggestion
1. Prestige:
  1. How can I build prestige before the show begins?
  2. What comments can I make during the show that would increase prestige?
  3. Does each effect in my show steadily increase my prestige?
2. Atmosphere:
  1. What kind of atmosphere will best seduce my audience?
  2. What props would be employed in this atmosphere?
  3. What language would be employed in this atmosphere?
  4. What themes could be used to promote this atmosphere?
  5. What physical or mental setting would be conducive to this atmosphere?
3. Reinforcement:
  1. Which spectator(s) will create reinforcement through emotional display?
  2. How can I get spectators to reinforce the routine to each other?
4. Desire:
  1. How can my effect appeal to people's desires? (Jump to Substantive Meaning section)
  2. How can I avoid working against people's desires?
5. Planting Suggestions:
  1. What expectations should the audience be given?
  2. How can I convincingly exaggerate these expectations?
6. Negative Suggestions:
  1. How can I avoid destroying the suggestion I've built in people's minds?
Substantive Meaning
1. How can I exploit people's inherent wishes and desires about . . .
  1. . . . gambling?
  2. . . . grifting (con games)?
  3. . . . ESP?
  4. . . . the occult?
  5. . . . magic “culture”?
  6. . . . money?
  7. . . . sex?
  8. . . . themselves?
    1. Would character readings make the effect more meaningful?
    2. Could I employ their name and/or signature to improve the effect?
    3. What other ways could the effect be made to be about the spectator?
  9. . . . universal experiences?
    1. What bizarre explanations could I demonstrate for these experiences?
    2. What bizarre solutions could I demonstrate for these experiences?
  10. . . . surrealism?
    1. How might I meaningfully interchange a symbol with reality?
    2. How might I meaningfully prove reality is malleable?
2. How could I develop sufficient background knowledge about these fields?
3. Subtext:
  1. How can I create or strengthen the underlying meaning of the effect?
  2. How can I eliminate negative connotations of the underlying meaning?
4. Inherent Meaningfulness of Magic:
  1. Is the effect truly impossible, not just unlikely or puzzling?
  2. If so, how could you exploit the impossibility's meaning?
5. Credibility:
  1. Is the theme congruent to the audience's perception of the real world?
  2. Is the effect consistent with it's own thematic rules?
Situational Meaning
1. How could I create a conflict . . .
  1. . . . against a spectator, without antagonizing them?
  2. . . . against a machine?
  3. . . . against an imaginary character?
  4. . . . against an inanimate object?
  5. . . . against fate?
  6. . . . using an imaginary protagonist?
  7. . . . against the hero's own nature?
  8. . . . between two spectators?
    1. Could a weak role be switched with a strong one?
2. How could I employ . . .
  1. . . . my own apparent financial or physical risk?
  2. . . . spectator's apparent risk?
  3. . . . failure as an aid to setting up a more impressive resolution?
  4. . . . the spectator as the subject of the magic?
    1. Can the magic happen in their hand?
    2. Could the spectator be mentally or physically “invaded” by magic?
    3. Could the spectator do the magic themselves?
    4. Could a spectator's emotionally-charged possession be the subject?
3. In my story, how can I develop . . .
  1. . . . the protagonist (hero)?
    1. How can I make the protagonist sympathetic to the audience?
    2. How can I define the characteristics of the protagonist?
    3. Can I cast myself as the protagonist?
  2. . . . the antagonist (villain)?
    1. How can I make the antagonist unsympathetic?
    2. How can I define the characteristics of the antagonist?
    3. How can I make the antagonist enough of a challenge for the hero?
      1. What unpopular authority figure could be used (a la' Walter Mitty)?
    4. How can I avoid reinforcing negative stereotypes in my antagonists?
  3. . . . the conflict?
    1. How can I get the hero up the tree?
    2. How can I throw rocks at him?
  4. . . . the resolution?
    1. How can the story be set up so that the hero wins?
    2. How can the hero be gotten “down from the tree”?
4. Could I include other elements in my story, such as . . .
  1. . . . complications?
  2. . . . setting?
5. How can I avoid the common pitfalls of story magic?
  1. Is the trick interesting enough that the spectator just listen and watch?
  2. Could audience members be given roles in the story?
  3. Could there be “failure” that doesn't follow the storyline?
  4. Could a story be used as background information, rather than as a tale itself?
  5. Is the story overshadowing the magic?
  6. Is the magic overshadowing the story?
Dramatic Structure
1. Interest Catchers:
  1. What intriguing statement could I make?
    1. Could I introduce the effect's meaning in this statement?
    2. Could I suggest the possibility of failure?
    3. Could I intrigue them with statements about the effect's progress?
  2. What intriguing questions could I ask?
    1. How can I phrase those questions so they don't have simple answers?
    2. How can I make the questions provocative?
    3. How can I be more aware of the spectator's reply?
  3. What effects could I use to reply to regularly-asked spectator questions?
  4. What regularly-asked spectator questions could I bring up myself?
  5. How could I use intriguing props to catch their interest?
    1. Does the intriguing prop serve a useful purpose?
    2. Which mundane props could be made more interesting?
2. Progression:
  1. Does the effect (single OR multi-phasbuild steadily towards the ending?
  2. What intrinsic progressions could I employ?
    1. How can I strengthen conditions from phase to phase?
    2. How can I expand the scope from phase to phase?
  3. What artificial progressions could I employ?
    1. How can I employ initial conservation of conditions?
    2. How can I increase the stakes from phase to phase?
    3. Could making the effect faster or slower each time improve the effect?
  4. How can I make the progression logical?
    1. Does it keep the rules intrinsic in the effect?
    2. Is it logical from the spectator's viewpoint?
3. Surprise and Suspense:
  1. Surprise:
    1. Would a twist ending be effective?
      1. Is there an expected climax?
      2. How could I finish with the effect reversing 180 degrees?
      3. How could I finish with the props reversing roles 180 degrees?
      4. Is the twist ending stronger than the expected ending?
      5. Is the unexpected ending logical, even inevitable?
    2. Would a kicker ending be effective?
      1. Is there an expected climax?
      2. Is the kicker climax stronger than the basic climax?
      3. Is the kicker climax thematically related to the basic effect?
      4. Could I make a statement that secretly foreshadows the climax?
      5. Can I produce the kicker before applause for the basic climax?
    3. How much surprise is appropriate?
      1. Which effects would really benefit from a surprise ending?
      2. How can I limit overuse of surprise endings?
  2. Suspense:
    1. How can I make them care, then make them wait?
      1. How can I use mystery to evoke curiosity?
        
        Can I explain the mystery with an even greater mystery?
        
        Can I introduce a prop while keeping a feature hidden?
        
        How could I frequently refer to the hidden feature?
        
        Could I perform the effect under a cover?
        
        What suggestions could I plant due to the cover?
        
        What strange behavior could be exploited for mystery?
        
        What other questions can I place in their minds?
        
        Could I react to exclusive knowledge?
        
        Could precautions be taken to protect the mystery?
      2. How can I use conflict to exploit uncertainty?
        
        How could I exploit apparently great odds?
        
        How can I communicate . . .
        
        . . . the object of the challenge?
        
        . . . the difficulty involved?
        
        How could failure be used to demonstrate great odds?
        
        How can I convincingly present the “failure”?
        
        How can I convincingly resolve the “failure”?
      3. How can I use tension to evoke anticipation?
        
        What can I say is going to happen, then put off?
        
        How can I make the delay unavoidable?
        
        How can I telegraph the climax?
        
        What natural dramatic pauses can be added?
      4. How can I milk the suspense?
        
        Where can I build time to help add to the suspense?
        
        How can I make this delay a natural part of the effect?
      5. How can I combine suspense elements?
        
        How can I string one suspense element after another?
4. The Climax:
  1. How quickly can I wrap up the effect after the climax?
  2. Do I resolve all suspicions before the climax?
    1. Do spectators ask to see anything after the effect is over?
    2. How can I eliminate this suspicion BEFORE the climax?
  3. How can I handle extended climaxes?
    1. Can I eliminate all interruptions during the extended climax?
    2. Can I employ some type of suspense during the revelation?
  4. How can I prevent anti-climaxes?
    1. Is the post-climax event trivial in comparison to the climax?
    2. Am I adding other events just to “clean up” the props?
    3. Am I adding other events just to prevent “wasting” something?
    4. Am I not revealing the events in weak-to-strong order?
  5. Should I keep or separate simultaneous climaxes?
    1. Are the two climaxes conceptually related?
    2. How demanding is it for the audience to absorb each climax?
    3. Could two separate climaxes become one, following the rules above?
  6. When should I undersell the climax?
    1. Is the effect too weak for a big buildup?
    2. Is there any incidental magic that happen in the course of the effect?
    3. Is there a “sucker” element to the effect?
    4. How can I undersell the effect in any of these situations?

Character

The Functions of Character
1. How can I use my magic to sell myself?
2. How can I put the focus of the show on me and how people react to me?
3. Because of my character, what expectations are created?
4. How can I get them to care about me, so that they'll be interested in my show?
Creating the Character
1. What do the effects I perform suggest about my role?
2. How is my role affected by . . .
  1. . . . my gender?
  2. . . . my body type?
  3. . . . my facial appearance?
  4. . . . my speech pattern?
  5. . . . my personality traits?
  6. . . . my interests?
  7. . . . assets of me that positively affect other people?
3. How can I use the audience to determine my character's effectiveness?
  1. What do their off-hand comments say about their perceptions?
  2. What type of humor plays best for me?
  3. What type of effects play best for me?
4. What are my character's . . .
  1. . . . personality and character traits?
  2. . . . relevant anecdotes?
  3. . . . personal history?
5. What considerations do I have to make if I don't perform magic for a living?
  1. Is my performing character reasonably congruent to my real personality?
Conveying the Character
1. What clothing would best communicate my character?
2. What verbal communication would best communicate my character?
  1. What scripted patter would best communicate my persona?
  2. What terminology would my character use?
  3. What anecdotes would my character have?
  4. What lines would help reveal my persona?
  5. What would my character, performing or not, say around a spectator?
3. What actions would best communicate my character?
4. What props would best communicate my character?
  1. Instead of the standard prop(s) for an effect, what would my persona use?
  2. How would my character dress the props?
Style
1. What is the cumulative effect of even the smallest elements on my character?
2. What is my character's philosophy about magic?
3. How can I make the all the elements consistent with my philosophy?
  1. How many “crossroads” (key points) can I break an effect down into?
  2. What action would my character's philosophy dictate at this crossroad?
    1. If multiple actions seem equal, how could I refine my philosophy?
  3. How can I keep my methods from getting in the way of my philosophy?
4. What words or actions get in the way of conveying my style?
5. How can I eliminate needless words or action that get in the way of my style?
6. How can I develop naturalness of motion in my style?
  1. What presentational motivation exists for this move?
  2. How can I minimize the apparent energy needed for this move?

The Act

Structure
1. How can I create an effective opener?
  1. How can I structure my opener to win over the audience?
  2. How can I use the opener to set the tone for the rest of the act?
  3. How quickly can I get to the first instance of magic?
2. How can I create an effective builder?
  1. What effect can I use that's stronger than my opener?
3. How can I create an effective closer?
  1. What effect can I use that's stronger than my opener AND my builder?
    1. How can I include a strong suspense buildup in this effect?
    2. How can I employ a multiple-climax effect at this point?
  2. How can I alert my audience that this is the last trick?
Unity
1. How can I use my character to unify my act?
2. What single prop could my character build an act around?
3. What unifying theme would suit my character?
  1. What effects should be bypassed to help unify the theme?
  2. How can my character credibly communicate the theme?
4. What motifs could my character employ?
Variety
1. What variations of the theme could my character employ?
2. What different props could my character employ?
3. How can I employ variety in dramatic structure?
  1. What tricks of various lengths could I combine?
  2. How can I mix tricks that employ surprise with those that employ suspense?
  3. How else could variety be brought to my act?
The Informal Performance
1. How should I structure the informal act?
  1. Which one of my openers should I use?
  2. Which one of my closers should I use?
  3. Once I know my opener and closer, which builders should I do?
  4. Do I have one perpetually ready set of three effects to perform?
2. How do I handle requests to continue after I've performed my closer?
  1. What effect could I perform that's at least as strong as my closer?
  2. Which effect is sufficiently different from (but at least as strong as) my closer?
  3. Which effects could be set aside as encores?

The Audience

Audience Testing
1. How can I avoid advice from fellow magicians about laypeople's responses?
2. How can I further develop my commercial sense?
  1. What response am I getting from my audience?
  2. Why did they respond in that particular manner?
  3. How can I more effectively review my show immediately afterwards?
3. How can I get performing experience in front of laypeople?
The Time Element
1. Timing:
  1. What is the proper time relationship between two events?
    1. What's the proper timing between the hands in the sleight?
    2. What's the proper timing between the real and misdirective actions?
      1. What's the proper timing when a spectator must “misdirect”?
      2. How can I employ staggered motion? (Jump to Misdirection section)
    3. What's the proper timing between a patter line and . . .
      1. . . . an accompanying action?
        
        How can I make patter / action connections for audience?
      2. . . . the following patter line?
        
        Has the audience fully absorbed line A before line B?
        
        Would a pause be beneficial or detrimental?
        
        Has the laugh passed it's peak, but not been completed?
  2. How can I get more experience with, and understanding of, timing?
2. Pacing:
  1. How can I get the audience to perceive that time is passing quickly?
    1. How can I maintain interest at every point in the effect?
  2. How can I increase the pacing of my patter?
    1. What patter lines can I reduce or eliminate?
    2. How can I minimize the background and still keep the trick effective?
    3. How can I give the audience constant verbal and visual focus points?
  3. How can I increase the pacing of the business?
    1. If I eliminate the business, how would conviction be affected?
    2. How could the business be shortened?
      1. Could the business be split among more than one person?
    3. How can I make the business more interesting?
      1. What gags or other business might be employed here?
      2. How can I create suspense out of the necessary business?
      3. How can I communicate the importance of the business?
  4. How can I balance pacing with audience participation?
    1. How would lack of audience participation affect conviction?
    2. How can control the speed of the spectator's actions?
  5. How effectively can I balance pacing with the other presentational elements?
3. Tempo:
  1. How could I improve the effect by altering the speed at which it's performed?
    1. How can I perform slow enough for the effect to be logically absorbed?
    2. Could performing the effect faster than it's emotionally absorbed help?
    3. Could making the effect faster or slower each time improve the effect?
Immediacy
1. Where can I create induced responses?
  1. What circumstances would be coercive enough to induce a response?
  2. What should I do if the spectator doesn't take the bait?
  3. How can I encourage a “happy accident” to recur in each show?
2. How could I make some effects seem more special?
  1. What effects could be used as encores?
  2. What effects could I present as a trick for “the chosen few”?
  3. How could I present an effect as one I'm working on?
  4. How can I present the effect as the most difficult one I do?
3. How can I adlib more effectively?
  1. What questions or jokes do I repeatedly hear during the show?
  2. What humorous responses could I give to these questions?
  3. How could I employ a funny line I heard from the audience?
  4. Is my act prepared enough so that it's not a burden in performance?
4. How can I use situational meaning to generate planned spontaneity? (Jump to Situational Meaning section)
  1. What effects could use “failure” effectively?
  2. How can I communicate the apparent risk?
Attention Control
1. What information should the audience be taking in at each step of the effect?
2. How can I eliminate steps that don't convey information?
3. To make the center of interest coincide with the source of information, how can I . . .
  1. . . . use my own interest to direct attention?
  2. . . . point to the source of information?
  3. . . . verbally tell them where to look?
  4. . . . employ movement to direct their attention?
  5. . . . employ sound to direct attention?
  6. . . . contrast an element with it's surroundings?
  7. . . . focus their attention on something new?
  8. . . . use suspense to create inherent interest?
4. How can I make my misdirection more effective?
  1. What can I direct their attention TOWARD?
  2. When using suspense as misdirection, when is interest at it's peak?
  3. What action should be taken first, so that the eye will naturally follow it?
5. How can I control the intensity of the misdirection?
  1. How could I use humor to relax the audience's guard?
  2. Where should I relax, so as to induce the audience to relax also?
  3. How can I use the audience's belief about when an effect begins or ends?
6. How can I perform simulation moves more effectively?
  1. How closely does the simulation move mimic the real action?
  2. How can I avoid misdirecting attention during the simulation move?
7. How can I minimize distractions?
  1. What conscious reason do I have for making the slightest motion in my act?
  2. How does a given move help focus and direct audience attention?
Audiences
1. What factors are affecting may audience's attention span?
  1. How can I maximize the audience's ability to see and hear me?
  2. How should I alter my act for the audience's level of alcohol consumption?
  3. How should I alter my act due to the audience's possible physical discomfort?
2. How should I alter my act for larger audiences?
  1. Most importantly, how can I get more people to hear the show?
  2. How can I improve the visible aspect of my show?
  3. How can I make even the most distant spectator feel they're part of the show?
  4. How can I theatrically exaggerate the show for a larger audience?
3. How should working for magicians affect my show?
  1. How can I minimize or eliminate performing for magicians?
  2. What effects are magicians too familiar with to perform for them?
  3. Why should I change my act when performing for magicians?
Assistants
1. What are the most important qualities in selecting an assistant?
  1. Will they be cooperative?
  2. Will the be expressive?
2. In a formal close-up show, why would two spectators be better?
  1. Will just one spectator feel inhibited?
  2. Would two provide more amusing interaction?
  3. Do you have a backup if one spectator is troublesome?
3. How can I best select an assistant?
  1. Am I forfeiting my right to choose my assistant?
  2. Why are women usually better assistants than men?
    1. Am I minimizing my chances for a competitive attitude?
    2. Will my assistant be more likely to express admiration for my magic?
    3. Is my assistant likely to express their feelings spontaneously?
    4. Will my assistant not feel singled out among their peers?
  3. Are there any attractive, but not vain, women present at the show?
  4. Are there any women who seem to look forward to the show?
  5. Are there any women who have returned from previous performances?
    1. Have they been a cooperative and expressive assistant before?
  6. Am I effectively avoiding drunks, bores, talkers or over-eager people?
4. Once I've found a prospective assistant, how can I bring them up effectively?
  1. If I ask them up, and they initially refuse, shouldn't I continue encouragement?
  2. Once I have one or two good assistants, shouldn't I keep them up there?
Hecklers
1. How can I best handle hecklers in general?
  1. Shouldn't I ignore the heckler in order to minimize the attention received?
  2. If the heckler persists, what can I do then?
    1. If audience hostility is sufficiently built up, what line could I use?
      1. Is the line directed at the audience, not the heckler?
      2. Does the line allow the audience to relive their hostility?
    2. Is it worth it to continue performing?
2. How can I best handle “theorizers”?
  1. How can I best handle people who theorize DURING the effect?
    1. Shouldn't I just proceed with the effect, to disprove his theory?
  2. How can I best handle people who theorize AFTER the effect?
    1. Shouldn't I limit my response to one, and only one theory?
    2. If the audience finds the explanation(s) plausible, how can I improve?
3. How can I best handle “challengers”?
  1. Shouldn't I avoid meeting the challenge, to retain control of the show?
  2. If it's a reasonable challenge, how can I improve the effect's construction?
4. How can I best handle “grabbers”?
  1. How can I minimize grabbing?
    1. How can I build my prestige from the start? (Jump to Prestige section)
    2. How can I develop territoriality of my props?
    3. How can I minimize table usage?
    4. How can I maintain control of props on the table?
  2. How can I handle grabbing in progress?
    1. Shouldn't I simply retrieve the prop(s)?
    2. How can I address the grabber politely, yet firmly?
5. How can I handle people who have a challenge attitude?
  1. How can I alter my performance to minimize challenges?
  2. Which of the previous heckler techniques would be appropriate?
6. How can I handle interruptions?
  1. Shouldn't I respond with a funny or pleasant adlib?
  2. How can I minimize my responses to interruptions?
7. What can I do if I get nailed, especially during a key move?
  1. How can I improve the performance to prevent or avoid getting nailed?
The Unexpected
1. How can I practice effectively?
  1. How can I practice the sleight with and without the mirror?
  2. How can I employ analysis and creativity in addition to the repetition?
  3. How can I practice the timing of the patter in conjunction with the move?
2. How can I rehearse effectively?
  1. Am I able to rehearse the entire act without stopping?
  2. How can I rehearse “dead time”?
  3. How can I rehearse spectator participation?
  4. How could continued practice and rehearsal benefit my performance?
3. How can I handle screw-ups?
  1. How can I make the audience feel better, rather than myself?
  2. Have I rehearsed an appropriate “out” for this situation?
  3. If “outs” don't save the effect, shouldn't I just admit the mistake and move on?
  4. If I'm on my last effect, what others could take it's place?
  5. If I've screwed up two effects in a row, how could I practice more effectively?
  6. How can I avoid ending on a screw-up?
4. How can I debrief effectively?
  1. What errors, problems or difficulties can I routine out of the effect?
  2. How can I minimize what I leave to chance?
5. How can I handle unforeseen distractions?
  1. If it's an ignorable distraction, shouldn't I just ignore it?
  2. If it's disruptive, how can I minimally acknowledge it before continuing?
  3. How can I remain in control of the situation?