Sleight of Hand

How To Land A Gig As A Magician: When Reality Strikes
Magic is the art of diverting the attention of the audience by creating an illusion that amuses them and creates an impact that something extraordinary had been performed. The act is definitely entertaining. Nevertheless, the reality is that it is just an illusion.

However, the income that the magicians derive from performing such activities is not an illusion. It is real money. They use the money that they have earned to buy their necessities in order to survive.

What most people sometimes forget is that magicians are people, too, who need a job to earn a living. They do not have powers like what they appear on stage to create money and make it appear on top of the hat.

That?s why it is important for every magician to know how to increase their bookings because it is the only way they can increase their incomes.

For people who want to know how to land a gig as a magician, here is a list of some tips that can be used:

1. Print ads can do the job.

If a magician really wants to increase his bookings, onet way to advertise his craft is to place a ?one column inch? advertisement in the newspaper. This size is already enough to catch the attention of people who are trying to find magicians.

Best of all, with this size, the price ?magicians? have to pay is very affordable.

2. Perform your best on every show.

It is true, indeed, that people will cease patronizing something if they have found out that it?s not worth their money. For magicians who want to always have bookings waiting for them, it is best to stop counting their schedules and pay attention to their presentation.

It would be better if they will hone their skills and improve their craft so that they can always have the best entertainment they can provide to their audience. From here, bookings will soon follow. This is because one of the most effective forms of advertisement is through the ?word of mouth.?

If people like what they see they will talk about it. Their praise will spread among peers and social groups, which in turn, will reap more bookings.

Boiled down, there?s no secret in marketing the business in order to earn a booking. What magicians should always remember is that it is important to improve their skills in order to earn a booking because it is through their performance that the next show will follow.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

Types Of Magic Tricks
Magic is one form of entertainment enjoyed by many people from all walks of life. It is something that will never cease to amaze people both young and old.

If one wishes to become a good magician, it would be a great help to know the various types of magic tricks before performing any.

Magic tricks are done in a wide variety of ways and fall into different types;

1. The first one is called close up magic. It's the type that requires the least skill and many can do it with just a little practice. It usually involves the use of simple things such as a deck of cards, some small balls or a coin. It entails making people believe in one thing but doing something else. This kind of trick proves that the hand is faster than the eye.

2. The next type is called platform magic. This is done in a much larger scale than the first. Some tricks of this type that are well-known include cutting a person that is inside a box in half or making a person who's lying down levitate in the air after the table below has been removed.

3. The third type, which is very tricky, is called stage magic. Such performances are done quite rarely but when performed, they can become one great magic extravaganza. Such type includes making the statue of liberty disappear or walking through the Great Wall of China.

Innumerable magic tricks and trick lessons make it possible for a lot of people to learn how to become one good magician. This can be accomplished by buying a magic set or reading a book. Many of these people started while at home, watching how other people do it.

Other people who have some experience have talked with others and learned a trick or two. One can start with a small audience then have a larger one later on. To those who want to do more extreme magic, one should invest more into the trade, learn from others then make a mark to be truly called a magician.

One trick of the trade is to remember that no magician, either a beginner or an expert, should ever reveal the secrets of doing a trick to his or her spectator. Also, no magician has ever become successful overnight. Practice and reinvention can help a lot in getting near that coveted status of a magician -- the famous and most loved one.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

A Magician?s Oath
A magic trick is created to amuse and mesmerize an audience who comes to the show knowing that all the tricks are not real and have fun because they can?t figure out how the magic was done. You won?t see a magician exposing magic mainly because telling how a magic was done is to kill the thrill and fun in watching them.

Magicians wanting to join a group of other magicians are required to give an oath to that effect. Never tell anyone who is not a magician the reason behind a trick and to never show a trick to anyone when you haven?t fully mastered it.

Once you gave your oath as a magician, it is expected that you will live up to your promise. Once you tell somebody and the organization found out about it, you may find yourself not receiving new tricks or that no one is teaching you how another trick is done.

Note though that you can tell it to somebody who is really willing to learn on how to be a magician. In fact you can see instruction videos and detailed instructions on sale in many shops. This is to help budding magicians into starting their careers or hobbies. Some of the tricks included in these instruction videos are common tricks and very easy to learn.

Some magicians also tell their tricks to misdirect others and help them appreciate a new trick that they have done. Old tricks seem to bore adult audiences that they tend to ?bungle up? the old tricks in preparation for their new tricks which proves more astonishing.

Magic tricks, once shown how they are done, may be posed with risk of becoming stale. Sometimes it is because you are disappointed at how easy it actually is or maybe because you found out that the trick requires a lot of props to accomplish. This is the reason no magician in his right mind will tell an audience how a trick is done. A magic told is a magic lost. Secrecy is the key and the magic is in keeping those secrets within you.

Magic is a living art, new illusions are propping up and new ways are introduced. Yes, you will see magicians telling their tricks but true magicians will always find their way around it. They will devise new illusions from old illusions and they will get more creative in how they show those illusions.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

Landing Gigs As A Wedding Magician
As a wedding magician, one can have great opportunities in marketing his or her skills. There are many ways for one promising magician to do that.

- For example, during the awkward period while waiting for the couple?s arrival in the venue of the reception, you can help lighten up the tension by providing entertainment. Sometimes it may take a while for the newlyweds to come to the reception, and it is not a good idea for every one to be in a room that is full of almost complete strangers waiting for the couple to arrive. A magician like you can help ease this problem, and may become a vehicle for people to talk and laugh.

- In several receptions, there is an emcee or a show band hired to entertain the guests. However, watching a magician can be a nice alternative for the usual dancing. While guests are eating their dinner, a magician can give 45 minutes of laughter and amusement. Cool tricks can be performed such as floating roses that can be offered to the wedding bridesmaids.

- It pays to do some research. Find out if there is quite a number of children going to the wedding reception. If so, then a magician can make a special show for the children, providing a nice diversion for them while their parents mingle around.

- These tips may bolster a wedding magician's reputation as a creative one when it comes to performing on wedding occasions. Now to be more productive while one is relatively free from wedding gigs, or just about any occasion, why not create some promotional brochures for your target market. Send out the brochures to make this not-so popular kind of magician gig more patronized.

- One might want to make a small ?wedding planner? brochure, providing information on food arrangements, flower services, on renting a tuxedo or gown, among others. In the brochure, put in an article on how magicians can provide great entertainment in wedding receptions. Leave some room for your advertising. Distribute these to establishments that cater to such occasions. They would be happier to post the brochure if it includes their establishments in the brochure.

- Ensure that the magician can be contacted easily. The important contact details such as the phone and fax numbers, as well as the magician's website, if any, and his or her email address/es should be included in the brochure, too.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

Learning The Tricks: Other Miscellaneous Tricks
Magic has always been a fascination for children and adults. We see David Blaine mesmerizing us with his street magic, from biting a coin (and restoring it back) to doing stunts which might seem impossible for the rest of us. We heard of Harry Houdini and his death-defying acts.

Magic tricks have always been just illusions. A magician?s true aim is to deceive the eyes of the audience into seeing something else. This can be done in different ways and gives different results and reactions.

Here is an example trick. It uses two techniques to deceive the audience, namely substitution and misdirection. The trick is to show your audience a clean sheet of paper then after putting it in an envelope and saying your magic word, the paper will now have writing on it.

This one is really an easy trick. You just have to prepare it before the show starts. You will need two envelopes, two pieces of paper. First thing you do is to paste the two envelopes together (back to back), so you will have two pockets where you could put the papers. Then write something smart on one paper and stuff it in one of the envelopes.

At the time of performing, just show your paper. Exclaim that it is really blank. May be you could pass it around for them to see. This is called misdirection. You are putting their attention on the paper that they will forget about the envelope.

After getting the paper back, fold it twice and fit it in the other pocket of the envelope. Close it and saying your magic word (or just do other stuffs to make the audience laugh), open it and just get the paper with the writing in it. This is called substitution. The audience didn?t know that there was already a paper inside and that you have made a switch. Show the paper around and while doing this hide the envelope so no one will be able to inspect it.

Here is another trick where everything you do is planned and the audience will not know how you did it. It?s a simple trick that even you, once you know how it?s done even you would laugh at how simple it really is.

The trick will go like this. First you will let your audience write a word on the center of the paper. Then you will let him/her fold the paper in half and then fold it in half again. Then you will tell them that you will tear the paper into pieces (without looking at the message) and put it into a pot and then you?ll pick one to burn what?s inside the pot. As your audience watches, reveal to them what the word that was written in the center of the paper.

This is really a very simple trick. Try doing the trick yourself and you?ll be amazed at its simplicity. Get a clean sheet of paper. Write your name at the center of paper. Try folding it once. From that point of view you know that your name is somewhere in the middle of the crease in the paper. Then try folding it in half again. You will probably notice that now your name is now in the top left portion of the twice-folded paper. Try tearing that part and you?ll see that you?ve got your name in your hand. Of course, if you?re doing the trick, you must remember not to put that part of the paper in the pot. Try holding onto it and once finding someone to burn your pieces of paper, look at that piece (without letting them see!) and dispose of it somewhere.

Add some suspense before you tell them of the word you have just read and you?ve done your trick. This is a really good and easy trick. If done properly, your audience will not just clap, but would be amazed at you and would be talking about it for some time.

Try practicing these two tricks at home. They?re both simple and easy to do. They just both need some practice and a creative story to keep them laughing. Remember the audience is expecting fun so give it to them.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

The Art Of Magic
What comes in to your mind when you hear the word "magic"? What is magic? What is the ART of magic? According to World Book Online Encyclopedia, "The word magic also refers to entertainment in which the performer does tricks of so-called magic. In such entertainment, neither the magicians nor the audience believes that the performer has supernatural powers."

On the other hand, Paul Harris who is the author of "The Art of Astonishment" defines magicians as "guides to astonishment". Thus, magic can be defined as "an application of guided astonishment."

The three main branches of magic are "stage magic", "parlor magic" and "close-up magic". Stage magic is any magic that can be done on a stage. Stage magic is used to depict the imagination. On the other hand, there's also "stand-up" magic. If you've ever seen the Amazing Johnathan or Paul Kozak perform, you've been witness to stand-up magic.

Magic can be categorized by the motivations and the performance styles, but it does not end there. Here are some of the types of magic according to motivation:

Parlor magic is performed right on the same floor level as the audience, as opposed to a raised stage. Gospel is a special type of parlor magic that is used to demonstrate religious (mostly Christian) concepts. With the replacement of intimate nightclubs by super-mega-nightclubs and comedy clubs, classic parlor magic is rarely seen today.

A distinctive branch of magic has developed quite recently, called "close-up". Close-up magic, like the other styles of magic, has developed its own individual genres. Other types of close-up magic are "table-hopping", "walk-around" and "street magic". All these magic happens in the magician's and/or spectator's hands. This form of magic has become increasingly popular due to its intimate nature.

After discussing the various ways and motivations of magic, it seems appropriate to talk about the various types of "magic". Eugene Burger, who co-authored the entitled "Magic and Meaning", he mentioned the divisions of magic. First, there is the "primary magic" which is the imagination.

Secondary magic, on the other hand, is drawn out of the imagination and into the physical world. These include "ritual" magic and "stage" magic. Ritual magic is directed to enhance some aspect of life. A good example of this is magic performed by an Indian shaman (i.e. the rain dance around a campfire). Unlike stage magic, ritual magic relies on the imagination itself.

Other types of magic are:

Detached magic, which is a form of ritual magic, wherein the symbols used do not have direct significance to the individual invoking the magic.

Reflexive or trickster magic uses deception. This differs from reduced deceptive magic as it focuses on reminding and telling audiences its deceptive nature. Such include gambling displays and "sucker tricks.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

The Joy From A Magic Show
Children and adults alike enjoy magical shows. Magical presentations are among the most popular past times among people of all ages, especially those who are fond of seeing folks who are clever in manipulating objects or controlling natural events.

Magicians, one who is skilled in performing optical illusion or sleight of hand, are particularly clever in performing amazing tricks. These very same tricks astound people and keep them from coming back.

There are several ways by which you experience the joy of this entertainment. You can either visit a nearby circus which are either permanent or mobile, and or with your friends who are gifted with this wonderful craft.

Magic Tricks

The very core of magic display is the exhibition of tricks. All tricks are done by using objects which either take the form of an animal or are turn into something spectacular.

Humans can also become subjects for performing tricks although current federal laws limit the use of human subjects in the performance of magic tricks.

Although magic tricks make up the most magic exposition, there are those that perform magic using no other objects but themselves.

Famous magicians of yesteryears such as Harry Houdini or Doug Henning mostly make use of material accessories in the performance of their magic tricks.

They make use of illusions out of the material (hat, baton, handkerchief, flowers, paper, etc.) they use which aim to amaze and mystify audience.

Even more startling is the event when other famous magicians perceivably vanish structures such the Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal and the Space Shuttle. In a similar event, Harry Hudoini apparently made a huge elephant disappear in front of a large audience.

Modern Magic

Modern illusionists (magicians) are bolder compared with previous practitioners. Some worth mentioning are Jeff Sheridan, Franko B and the most famous David Blaine.

David Blaine rose to popularity due to the performance of outstanding, yet bold acts. He has performed levitation, animate dead insects, baffling illusions, among others.

Today?s magicians virtually abandoned the usual magic production: an illusionist pull a rabbit out of a black, empty hat, a glass of water disappear as it is maneuvered across a board, and pour coins from an empty bottle.

Current practice includes exhibition and outrageous production like being stuck in the ice for hours with no interruptions.

Aside from the aforementioned activities, the joy of magic is also incorporated in activities related to birthday parties, education programs, corporate events, and youth groups.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

Magic For Beginners
Are you constantly amazed by disappearing acts, card tricks and other magic wonders you see on different occasions? Children?s shows, magical exhibitions, trade shows, parties, and carnivals are some of the events where magicians are popular.

Because of the effect of magic on people, many would like to somehow try the basics of magic. There are a lot of online sites that offer tips on how to get started with magic. Others just content themselves with ready-made gimmicks they found at magic shops. But for those who are really serious about trying magic, these magic-filled sites offer different services for newbie magicians. In their sites, they offer free videos that will help you become trained in simple card tricks and other vanishing acts with the use of coins, rings and other magic props.

Before starting to learn magic, you have to know the essence of magic. First, magic or magic shows should provide happiness to people. Magic ought to be truly enjoyed by people watching and by the magician performing. Second, a truly good trick should be remembered. Different methods can be tried in order to make your tricks stand out even more.

The best place to get excited about your first magic trick is in a local magic shop. Talk to the magician of the shop, if there is one, and try asking him basic questions. Then, request him to show a couple of tricks to you. Usually, magicians are very eager to help beginners.

A good magician does not mind putting in a lot of effort to learn and continuously practice his magic tricks and constantly reinvent. Good magicians don't repeat tricks to the same audience. Your audience may figure out your secret. It is not long before people notice familiar moves and can get bored quickly.

Here are some tips:

a. Regularly practice your magic. Allot time every day for your practice.

b. If you are trying to videotape your act, be sure that you have no mirrors around you as they change views and the audience would not see what they ought to see. And remember do not appear as though you are unsure of what you are doing because your audience might easily lose interest watching when the magician looks not confident.

c. Ask other people to watch intently while doing your tricks, then ask for feedback.

d. Master one trick first before learning a new one.

e. Anywhere you go, make it a habit to bring magic props. Take some coins and a deck of cards with you so that if you have extra time, you can use it to practice the tricks.

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! <a href="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" title="http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com" target="_blank">http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com</a>

A To Z Of Well-Known Magicians
There are many well-known, skilled magicians that you might not know about because even though they're well known, they haven't reached magician cult status. Most people know about the magician David Copperfield, but there are many more magicians equally skilled. So, take a moment to learn about other wizards of magic and expand your knowledge about magicians.

Curtis Adams: A magician who appeared at the age of 16 in the Young Magicians Showcase featured on Fox Television. He was born on October 12, 1984 and was one of the youngest magicians to perform in Reno, Nevada casinos.

Criss Angel: The only three-time magician winner of the Merlin Award from the International Society of Magicians. Angel is a skilled magician who did stunts like lying on a bed of nails while a Hummer drove over him.

Ed Balducci: A street magician who died in 1988 at the age of 82. He is a magician known for his gimmick-free trick of visibly rising several inches from the ground with his back turned to his audience.

Derren Brown: A British magician who practiced traditional close-up magic in the 1990s. Brown's claim as a magician is his "mind-reading" act. Brown claims aliens abducted him.

Cardini: Richard "Cardini" Pitchford was a magician with almost 50 years of performing tricks and illusions. He's one of the world's most imitated magicians, but no one to date has ever been able to completely duplicate his tricks. He was a magician known for his sleight of hand. Items were forever appearing and disappearing from his hands. He died in 1973.

Tommy Cooper: A magician and comedian known who was a member of the Magic Circle until his death in 1984. He collapsed while doing a live magician act that became his last.

Paul Daniels: A currently retired British magician who in 1983 became the first magician to ever receive the prestigious Magician of the Year Award by the Hollywood Academy of Magical Arts.

S.W. Erndase: A magician and author whose real identity has never been figured out. Erndase is a magician who wrote a book in 1902 about card playing tricks.

Ching Ling Foo: The first Asian magician to achieve fame. He was a magician who did tricks like breathing fire and pulling a fifteen-foot pole from his mouth. He died in 1922.

Lennart Green: A magician known for his close-up card tricks. In 1991 this magician became the world champion of in close-up card magic.

Paul Harris: A magician known for pulling coins from mirrors. Many claim he is a magician with skills like a combination of Copperfield and Henning.

Scott Interrante: An American magician specializing in escape-artist tricks. He won awards from the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

Ricky Jay: A magician listed in the Guinness Book of Records as throwing a playing card 190 feet at 90 miles per hour.

Fred Kaps: A Dutch magician who died in 1980. He is a magician known for making a saltshaker create an endless supply of salt.

Juan Tamariz: A Spanish magician who in 1971 founded a school that has trained generations of Spanish magicians.

Dia Vernon: This Canadian magician was born in 1894 as David Frederick Wingfield Verner. This magician, who died in 1992, is known for fooling Houdini with one of his card tricks.

Paul Zenon: A British street magician who also performed in the bars and pubs in the U.K. This magician has written three books about magic, the most recent published in 2005.

Magic Magicians is an information site that contains articles, a directory and other <a href="http://www.magicmagicians.com/"> Magician Resources</a>. It can be found at: <a href="http://www.magicmagicians.com/">http://www.magicmagicians.com</a>

How Did They Do That? Types Of Magic Tricks
There are many kinds of magic tricks, but most fall into one of a few categories. Oftentimes, a magician will specialize in one or a few areas. For those who employ a range of techniques, they will often develop some type of persona or specialty act to differentiate themselves from other performers. Just as other entertainers often find a niche, so too do magicians.

While no type of magic is particularly easy, some types are common for beginning magicians, such as learning sleight of hand tricks. Most magicians know a core base of tricks, and then develop their particular repertoire from there.

Magic is based on illusion and mystery, and all types of magic tricks employ this mystery. This is what is so alluring about magic! Secrecy is of course another major element of magic. Practicing magicians are very selective about who they share their secrets with. People who work with magicians are often required to sign contracts stating they will not share the magician's secrets with anyone else.

What types of tricks do magicians perform? The following list is a basic overview of magic tricks that are commonly associated with the practice of magic.

Sleight of hand tricks are those that involve skilled hand movements where objects seem to appear and disappear in the hands of the performer. One of the oldest sleight of hand tricks originated in Ancient Egypt. In this trick, the performer hides balls under turned-over cups. As the performer moves the cups around, the balls change positions under the cups. The observers try to watch and guess where the balls will appear, but the magician fools them every time!

Sleight of hand tricks are used with a variety of objects, including card, coins, balls, and other objects. Some magicians have even used live animals. A magician skilled in sleight of hand can perform magic almost anytime, anywhere.

Illusions are those where the seemingly impossible becomes possible. Some of the better known illusion tricks include those where a woman is sawed in half and levitation tricks. Other illusions involve making people, animals, or objects reappear. David Copperfield, a modern-day magician, has made such large objects as the Statue of Liberty and a jet airplane disappear in front of live audiences.

Escape magic is just as it sounds. The most famous escape artist was Harry Houdini, who performed a number of daring escapes in front of large audiences in exotic locations. Suspended high in the air, Houdini would be handcuffed and placed inside locked or otherwise sealed containers and emerge moments later. Escape magic is intriguing not only because of the amazing feat, but also because of the danger involved.

Mentalists are another form of magicians who appear to read the minds of strangers. In front of live audiences, mentalists will recreate drawings done by audience members that are unseen to the magician, but visible to the audience. They will also read the minds of strangers and perform an array of amazing mental tricks. The mystery of the mentalist lies in the performance in front of a live audience. Some mentalists in modern times have even created tricks for television where they seem to read the minds of viewers!

How and where magicians perform varies a great deal as well. Street magic, close-up magic, and stage magic all offer amazing performances in vastly different settings. Street magic is as it sounds, performed outside and in the spur of the moment. Street magic often includes sleight of hand tricks, although a variety of magic is performed this way. One of the most famous current-day street magicians is David Blaine, who performs a wide range of card tricks, disappearing acts, and even levitation on the street.

Close-up magic is performed indoors or out, and often involves such things as card or coin tricks. It is performed just as it sounds--in close range. The audience is small, and the magician sits or stands in the middle, which adds to the allure--when people surround the magician, he or she has little room to "hide" anything. Additionally, when the audience is so close, one might assume the observers could easily see the magician's tricks--but this isn't the case!

Finally, stage magic is just as it sounds--magic performed onstage. These magic tricks date back in history to the 1700s, and are often very elaborate performances. Stage magicians offer an extensive range of tricks from sleight of hand to making large objects float or disappear. Oftentimes large animals are involved. There are a number of present-day famous stage magicians, including Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield, and Penn and Teller.

Magic Trick Facts is an information site that contains articles, a directory and other<a href="http://www.magictrickfacts.com/"> Magic Trick Resources</a>. It can be found at: <a href="http://www.magictrickfacts.com/">http://www.magictrickfacts.com</a>