The Real Secrets of Magic Tricks
Anyone can walk into a magic shop and buy a magic trick. However, simply being able to operate the trick doesn’t make that person a magician. The real magic trick is in creating the right atmosphere for the trick. Magic is a performing art. It isn’t enough to simply do a trick; it is up to the performer to create the magic. The difference between a magician and someone who performs magic tricks is in the belief that the performer can create in his audience.
Most magic shops cater to professional magicians and illusionists carries many illusions. Everything from rope tricks, balloon tricks, card tricks, are all just a few which most amateur magicians can learn without much difficulty. The main way in which the magic tricks are going to be presented is what creates the difference. If you would like to be convincing, take a little look at the way the professional magicians go about presenting their illusions
Comedy magicians have become extremely hip in recent years. Magicians will continue a running dialog of jokes and even appear to make tricks go wrong only to perform more dazzling magic tricks successfully later on. They distract their audiences by keeping them laughing and often use this incredible distraction to prepare their illusions. The comic magician, often famous for his amazing card tricks, would appear to be staggering drunk. The illusions of being drunk was perfect foil to the dexterity which is needed for his card tricks
A general method for misdirection which has become increasingly popular is the factor of shock. This is a special skill perfected by magician such as Chris Angel. He can create an incredible suspense by apparantly putting himself in impossible and dangerous situations. In fact, some of these illusions do involve a possability of risk and definitely should not be tried by amateurs. Even with regulary preparation, some magic tricks which involves things like fire can go awfully wrong. A magic shop usually does not sell illusions involving danger to the non professional.
Before purchasing a trick from any magic shop, you should definitely decide how your presentation of the magic trick will be to entertain your audience while misdirecting them. Most audiences know that magic is not real, and just tricks, yet these people really want to believe magic is real. The real magic is in putting together a suspension of disbelief in the people you are performing to so that they relaly believe in magic, even if only until the end of the performance.
Learning how to do an illusion is only a small part of magic tricks. Creating an atmosphere where the impossible seems possible is the most important part. David Copperfield spends more time preparing his audience for the performance of one of his amazing illusions than he spends doing the actual illusion. The Amazing Kreskin performs a mentalist act during which he is able to have the audience suspend disbelief by the use of subtle suggestions, almost like mass hypnosis. Kreskin has written a number of books and has lectured police on the use of techniques for recovering memories of witnesses and detecting lies through the observation of body language.
If you would like your magic tricks to be convincing, just look at the differences in illusions offered by your magic shop and think about how you would like to present them. Find a good illusion that you know you can present well… and in an entertaining and convincing way. Magic is a unique state of mind.
Magicworld has a great online magic shop. If you are looking for magic tricks or books or DVDs on performing illusions, they have a huge selection for aspiring magicians.