Deep dives into close-up magic, mentalism, storytelling, and the advanced craft of scripting and character.
125 posts · 3 categories in this pillar
Pixar's story template provides an instant narrative structure for any magic routine or full show. I used it to restructure my entire corporate keynote as a narrative journey, and the result was the most cohesive performance I had ever given.
Read MoreReplacing a standard prop with an unexpected one transforms everything about a routine. I swapped standard props for objects that connected to my corporate keynote themes and watched my routines transform from demonstrations into stories.
Read MoreIn the original Star Wars, Obi-Wan mentions the Clone Wars without explanation, creating the sense of a larger world. I applied this technique to my magic scripts -- casually referencing experiences, mentors, and events that I never explain -- and discovered how unexplained references make a character feel real.
Read MoreExtending the backstory concept into specific questions every performer must answer: How did you acquire this ability? When did you first discover it? What are its limitations? The answers create a character that audiences believe in, because real abilities come with real histories.
Read MoreEvery trick has an origin story that can inform its presentation. Where does the magical power come from? Why does this magic happen? I started asking these questions and discovered that backstories were already embedded in my routines -- I had just never bothered to find them.
Read MoreTake any prop and ask what is the most interesting thing about this object -- not what you can do with it, but what makes it inherently fascinating. I applied this exercise to every prop in my show and discovered that the most interesting things about objects are rarely the things magicians talk about.
Read MoreWrite a description of your effect, add three dots at the end, and see what comes next. This exercise from Pete McCabe forced me past the obvious descriptions and into the deeper meaning hiding inside routines I thought I already understood.
Read MoreArthur Miller would write one sentence describing what a play was about and tape it above his typewriter. I applied this to every trick in my show and discovered that if you cannot write that sentence in sixty seconds, the routine is underdeveloped.
Read MoreThe published name of a trick is a label for magicians. Your audience does not care about 'Ambitious Card' or 'Triumph.' I renamed every routine in my repertoire based on my presentation, and the new names changed my relationship with the material in ways I did not expect.
Read MoreJournalists have codified five opening structures that grab attention instantly. I borrowed all five, tested them in corporate keynotes across Austria, and discovered that the right opening line for a magic routine depends entirely on who is sitting in the chairs.
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