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Magicands Profile
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Registered: 10-2006
Location: www.garyhaigh.co.uk
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Re: The Working Pro's Criteria


Hi Bill,
           enjoy your weekend, I am currently working at the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre here in England but the production ends on Saturday night so I will probably end up in one of the many bars in Birmingham city centre.
Stay safe everyone.
Regards,
           Gary
10/6/2006, 12:22 am Link to this post Send Email to Magicands   Send PM to Magicands
 
Bill Palmer Profile
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Re: The Working Pro's Criteria


This is a great thread.

For my walkaround work, the criteria are very simple. Everything has to fit easily into my pockets. It has to reset very quickly. It must be angleproof. No liquids, no threads, no loops.

I prefer to be able to work without a table. If I'm doing the chop cup, I work on a very small close-up pad on the spectator's table. The pad is about as big as a jumbo card.

For my standup show, it all has to set up quickly and take down quickly. Anything must be easily visible. The rest of the criteria are in my contract!

Last edited by Bill Palmer, 11/19/2006, 2:00 pm
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dmkraig Profile
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Re: The Working Pro's Criteria


Bill, you make a great comment when saying that for your stand up show, "anything must be easily visible."

This, to my mind, has two aspects. First, any object needs to be clearly seen by everyone in the audience. I would also contend that it needs to be immediately identifiable. A tiny, 6-inch silk vanished with a TT won't be as clear as an 18-inch silk vanished with a DT. Different audiences may require different techniques.

Secondly, the performer needs to make sure that everyone in the audience can see what is going on. This means the mage needs to keep stage presence and position in mind. If you have an assistant on your right, and you turn to face him or her, people behind you won't be able to see the action. Put the assistant slightly in front of you, then turn at a 45-degree angle toward them, allows everyone to see what is going on.
11/20/2006, 10:31 am Link to this post Send PM to dmkraig
 
Bill Abbott Profile
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Re: The Working Pro's Criteria


DM Craig,

Good points.

Visibility on stage will make and/or break a show. Period. I have recently had shows of very large audiences that put this to the test. One show had projection screens for the 500 attendees to see all the action, and it was a terrific experience for everyone. Another show with an audience of 400 did not have the projection support and the show suffered without it.

Since then I have retooled and added many aspects to my show to enhance visibility. I also utilize spectators on-stage to enhance the production value and make my performances play bigger.

For Example:
I really like Jon Allen's Silent Treatment.
I couldn't add the effect to my show "as-is" because it simply plays too small. After spending a small fortune on supplies and printing, and a couple weeks at my laptop with Adobe Illustrator I now have a 2 foot by 3 foot Silent Treatment that rests on an artists easel. Everything packs into a large artists portfolio and I have an effect that I can perform for 800 people without video support!

Your second point about staging is also very good and also something I wish I had more knowledge about.

Nice to be back.

Bill
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11/20/2006, 7:32 pm Link to this post Send Email to Bill Abbott   Send PM to Bill Abbott
 
mumblepeas Profile
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Re: The Working Pro's Criteria


Much of this is redundant and been written before here.

My overall or “core” criteria are simple:
1. Clearly visible for the size of the audience.
2. Easily understood for a non-English speaker (not a patter dependent routine).
3. Magical (high “Oh WOW!” Factor)
4. Fun

More specific criteria include:
For walk around (table hopping, corporate show booth, hospitality suite, etc.)
1. All core criteria
2. No (or instant) reset
3. Must fit into pockets without distorting the jacket and pants
4. No tables (with an exception for a corporate booth act)
5. Involve (use) the spectators.

For stand-up stage, platform, parlor, fair/festival, etc.
1. All core criteria
2. Plays big (this is not about visibility – that’s covered by my very first consideration- this is about filling the stage and looking big)

For street shows (in the round venues)
1. All core criteria
2. Angle proof (at least 240 degrees)
3. Not table dependent (exception for Cups and Balls and Flying Knots routines)

Needless to say that there are tons of killer material out there that I love and love to play wi
2/2/2007, 7:24 am Link to this post Send Email to mumblepeas   Send PM to mumblepeas
 
mumblepeas Profile
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Re: The Working Pro's Criteria


That last line should have read:

"Needless to say that there are tons of killer material out there that I love and love to play with but do not perform for paid gigs because it does not meet the criteria."

I don't know how I managed to cut it off!!
2/2/2007, 7:26 am Link to this post Send Email to mumblepeas   Send PM to mumblepeas
 
Jack Shea Profile
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Re: The Working Pro's Criteria


This is a great thread and I read and reread all the posts and there is plenty to think about here.

Six years ago I moved to Virginia Beach and looking for a steady gig I auditioned for BeachStreetUSA which is a venue here in the summer where you work as basically a street performer. The difference here is you are paid by the city and you cannot pass a hat.

I found quickly that I had to readjust several things to make them bigger for visibility to accomodate a full sidewalk full of people. Nearly everything had to be pretty much angle free as the crowd will wrap around you. Even to some who will stand behind you thinking they can see the workings. I have fun with that group as they not only don't see any workings they also can't see the whole effect from back there! And I get great laughs as i will check with them frequently during a trick to see if they caught anything or can they see the trick!?!

Using Bill's Mind Control I open with it since the biggest challenge is getting the first four or five people to start your crowd. Just talking with a few folks and asking to borrow something for an experiment will bring in some great folks who then form a nucleous and they usually stay for the full 45 minutes and keep telling new arrivals how good this guy is and how much fun they are having. They also feel so much a part of the show that many of them have gone on after my set, rounded up some friends and came back with a larger group!

Working this venue you meet all kinds of new challenges and if you roll with them you develop many new twists to an effect. I try to find stuff that has a jaw dropping climax or an ending that makes them wonder if it was magic or was it real. I have also worked with several poker type tricks as there is always someone who will ask if I win at cards. Even had one guy who said he became an expert poker player in jail!!! I beat him badly with a Jonah card deal and Osterlind's Flip-Flop Shuffle effect.

Jack Shea



2/21/2007, 7:58 pm Link to this post Send Email to Jack Shea   Send PM to Jack Shea
 


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