Today’s Magic AudioBoo Is working with other magicians on a magic show.

Shikoku Magic Friends Club Public Show 2009

The 4th Shikoku Magic Friends Magic Club Public Show will be held in Takamatsu March 21, 2010. Doors open at 1:00PM and the show begins at 1:30PM The event is free and free refreshments.  This is a great event as it gives a chance for those Magicians here in Shikoku a chance to perform with regular performers. There will be both a close-up show and a stage stage. The venue is small and intimate. If you will be in Takamasu, Kagawa Prefecture and want more information please let me know! I will also be in the show.

Aaron

Magic Pot

Today I went into Takamatsu the capital city of Kagawa Prefecture for a show I had to do at a Cafe. The show was well, interesting as I thought when I originally booked it ( I knew it was going to be a challenge). Was not easy but went over well. 25 years of experience got me through this one. The show was well received but I was burnt out. I’ll  leave this story for another day. Anyways, I wanted to visit the magic shop in Tamakatsu but it was closed.  I had some time before the show so I went by. I always seem to get there when it is closed. Eventually I will get to the shop when it is open. Magic Pot  is the magic company here on Shikoku that puts on the Shikoku Magic Convention as well as many other magic events and run the magic bar chain “Tejinaya” on Shikoku and the Chugoku area of Japan. This year the convention is in Takamatsu again and will be held in May. Once I know more information about this years convention I will post it! I hope they get the same venue as last year because it was very good.  I also dropped by one of the big book stores there and WOW they had a lot of Japanese translations of influential magic books usually found only at magic shops such as the Card College series, books by Derek Dingle and a whole lot more. When I have more time going to go back there and look through them all. Now I am going to have a hot bath and head to bed!

Aaron

Me in the green room

This is a picture I took of myself in a green room before a show. My props are already set on the stage and the audience who was a Japanese company I was performing for  has already started their dinner and speeches for the evening. I am to perform after the dinner and speeches with a 25 minute stage show and an hour of close-up magic after that. Now I am just waiting. All dressed up and just waiting. What do you during this time? In my case most of the time my show is already set up at the stage area or already on the stage so it’s just me and my iPhone and the few props I keep in my pocket. Well This is what I do. First before I change I usually do some simple stretching to warm up my body and get it limber and it also feels good. Next I get changed and check myself in a mirror and set my props in their proper places in the right pockets. Next I run through my show in my head a few times. I go over some new jokes and other things I have prepared for the group I will be performing for. I also go and wash my hands then I head to the backstage area if I can depending on the event and venue  earlier than planned so that I can see the audience and start to get a feel for the atmosphere. When I perform for dinners and other private events the atmosphere can be very different from event to event. In the case of the show I took this picture at the president of the company was there, so I can already guess that most of the people at the party will be on their best behavior. This is especially true I found here in Japan. Anyway it is REALLY important to feel your audience because at last minute you may need to change the show depending on the audience from the feeling you get. Also don’t be afraid to do this as it is a very important point to know what will work and what won’t as well as what is appropriate for a certain audience. So use this time to get some advance feeling of this. Next I confirm with the Booker, MC, producer, or whoever is in charge that I am all set and ready to go and head on out and give the audience the best show I can. When you arrive at the event you are doing your job so work during this time to help make you show its best. Like someone said but I forget who “Your are only  as good as your last show” so make every show good!

Aaron

Today’s Magic AudioBoo is the Flexible Magic Show.

Today’s Magic AudioBoo is about making conversation with your audience.

Today’s Magic AudioBoo is on the Back Up Magic show.

Kanji Magic

As many of you know I love Japanese comedians, and I watch a lot of Japanese TV programs that feature Japanese comedians doing their acts. Japanese comedians also have a big appeal through all age groups in Japan. So being a performer I watch them closely and watch as to why people like them and why some of them have become popular. From watching them I leaned a few things which I am going to share with you now. I noticed two basic kinds of comedians. Those who have become famous and stayed famous and those who became a hit then disappeared after a year. This is common in the Japanese entertainment business. One act becomes famous and appears on TV all the time then suddenly they they are gone. The Japanese entertainment market moves fast and if you don’t change, you get old and then your out.

So what did I learn? And how did I fit it  into my magic? Well a big part of a Japanese comedians act is their slogan or tagline that becomes their ”brand”. Basically this is some one liner, song, dance, catchphrase, or something else weird that they do that takes them into the spotlight. A good catchphrase  takes the country by storm and everyone will know it. So what I have learned is that to have a good catchphrase in Japanese entertainment is very important. For some comedians it defines their comedy brand. For magic I have tried this for my Japanese shows. I have created my own catchphrase that I use during my show and by the end people start saying it with me. So I know this works. The key is to find something that fits you and your show and makes sense and is funny. There are many magicians in the western world that use this method and I really understand it much better now.

Now remember that I mentioned that some comedians stay famous and popular while other suddenly disappear?  Well the secret I think is to be able to adapt that catchphrase to new things. The comedians that ride their sudden rise to fame because of their catch phrase that don’t change and adapt it, well they go bye bye. So the other thing I learned is that you can’t rely on the catchphrase as your main brand point. The catchphrase should be a part of your brand but not your brand because it will limit you. So I have created my catchphrase so I am able to easily adapt it and it is not the main part of my magic show. It is a thread that links between routines and effects that carries the audience from one part of the show to another.  So from watching Japanese comedians I have learned this and used this idea in my own show and it has been very well received. It is also something I hope to continue using and adapting into the future to try  perfect and create a  good balance with my magic.
Do you have any thoughts on tag lines or catchphrases? Let me know!
Aaron

Today’s magic Audioboo is about non-magic ways to improve your magic show!

Today’s Magic AudioBoo is about pacing your show! Always think about pacing! Any comments let me know!