How to Do Very Complicated Magic Tricks
The magician and illusionist have been party and performance favorites for centuries. Learning how to do very complicated magic tricks requires substantial preparation and occasionally even an apprenticeship with a veteran magician. Placing aside the notion of whether real magic exists, it is imperative that the great magician convince his or her audience that this is the case. Doing very complicated magic tricks requires understanding the theory behind the tricks, the particular techniques required for the tricks, substantial practice completing the tricks in a controlled environment, and then personal confidence that you can perform the tricks in front of an audience.
Instructions
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Study tricks one at a time, first learning the theory behind each trick. The "theory" of a trick is a magic trick's outline, which includes everything from the pieces needed for the trick, the steps required for completing the trick, and the reason why the trick is supposed to appear "magical" to the audience. Obviously, finding this information will not be easy. Consider consulting your local library for books on magic tricks and even a university library or the Library of Congress for a more comprehensive database of books on magic.
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Study the techniques that the magic trick requires. For example, most cards tricks require an expertise of sleight-of-hand techniques. Thus, in preparation for a complicated card trick, first practice basic card tricks that require a crisp sleight-of-hand technique. For a basic understanding of sleight-of-hand techniques, consult any basic book on card tricks and/or videos on websites like Youtube of individuals explaining how sleight-of-hand works. If your technique is not crisp when performing the actual trick, then you will undermine your credibility and even potentially expose the secret of the trick to the audience. And you will never master the basis for more complicated tricks.
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Create a diagram of the trick, ensuring that each detail is account for. The major difference between a basic magic trick and a very complicated one is the extraordinary amount of detail that goes into the latter, which demands a corresponding amount of preparation. For example, a standard card trick requires a deck of cards and (usually) sleight-of-hand, whereas the classic work of escape artist and magician Harry Houdini required extensive preparation beforehand, because he needed to sketch out many of his tricks before learning how they would end. As such, diagram on the computer or sketch pad the trick in full detail, including all of the tools needed for the trick, how you will interact with them, and extra variables you should be wary of (e.g. audience interference).
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Practice the trick in a controlled environment until you get it perfect. This is necessary both to enhance the ultimate presentation of the trick and to preserve your own safety. For example, an escape artist is encouraged to practice his tricks with the assistance of a trusted and highly competent assistant. With enough practice, the trick will be committed to rote memory and the chance of committing an error in front of an audience will decrease.
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Be confident while performing the trick in front of an audience. A lack of confidence could cause you to second-guess yourself, potentially resulting in serious errors in technique and comprising your safety. Moreover, the confidence of a magician helps make the "magic" more believable.
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Tips & Warnings
For the bits and pieces of "magic ingredients" needed for a magic trick, consider visiting magictricks.com, magicgeek.com, and magicproshop.com
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Live statue image by Leopold from Fotolia.com
