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Magic Roadshow September 19th, 2006 Issue# 55 Rick Carruth editor/publisher (C) 2006 All Rights Reserved Street Magic's #1 free newsletter for magicians, street performers, restaurant workers, close-up artists, and mentalists, with subscribers in over sixty three countries worldwide. _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Hello Fellow Performers
Welcome to a new issue of Magic Roadshow. First, lets thank all the new readers who have signed up for the Roadshow since the last issue. You will find your download link to Expert at the Card Table further down in the newsletter. I have a number of interesting finds for this issue. I think even you guys, magicians who have become accustomed to dozens of links to valuable free resources, will agree that this issue is 'special'. Look for an interview in the next issue with one of the most creative minds in all of magic. The door has been opened, I've been invited inside, and now I need to prepare my questions... Who is it? You'll have to wait, I'm afraid. Don't forget to 'place yourself' on our Frappr map. Who knows..You may even discover a fellow reader in your own back yard.. http://www.frappr.com/magicroadshow Remember folks, if you have any request, questions, or just want to chat, Email Me.. Sorry I'm a little late, but not by much. My oldest daughter, Leslie, was married this past weekend, and I spent Friday and Saturday doing 'wedding things'. Leslie and her new husband, Jeff, had one of those weddings that most couples dream of: Beautiful church in the mountains, harps and violins and flutes and guitarist, friends from around the country in attendance, a reception in an inn that was the summer home of F.Scott Fitzgerald, Elanore Roosevelt, and Thomas Wolfe, food that I can't even pronounce, and thousands of dollars of alcohol that I didn't drink one drop of... honestly. ( But I did eat enough food to make up for it...) Leslie and Jeff.. may your future together be bright and bold! ... John and Jamie, Happy Birthday! Now, on with the Roadshow... -------------- In this Issue -------------- -How to Use Free Special Reports to Fill Your Calendar -Ask a Pro -Whit Haydn's Performance Video's -CardTricks1 Balloon Modeling Update -The Magic Roadshow Readers Guide to the REAL Criss Angel -Toothpick Trick -Elliot's Magic Corner -La Magie Cabaret -Unlocking the Real Secrets of Magic -The Hubble Deep Field: The Most Important Image Ever Taken -Rock 101 -Fraud -Expert at the Card Table download ---------------- "Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever." - Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you'd best teach it to dance." - George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." - Thomas Watson (1874-1956), Chairman of IBM, 1943 _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ How to Use Free Special Reports to Fill Your Calendar As a professional magician, be it full or part time, you need shows. To get shows, we must have people see our advertising material. There are two basic ways to do this: The first is to use passive advertising. Things like the yellow pages and handing out business cards. You place your advertising and you wait for someone to call. The second is active advertising, where you pursue the sale. This can be through cold calling, emails or direct mail. Many magicians now use direct mail. Sadly, most use it ineffectively. To be effective, direct mail must be sent to qualified buyers. The best are those who have requested information. Direct mail also must be repeated. It often takes several mailings before a prospect contacts you for a show. Direct mail can also be expensive. I am a big believer in having a newsletter for past clients that is sent by direct mail. Something solid in your clients' hands to keep you on their mind. Sending newsletters just to information seekers can be very expensive though. Email is the great solution. Used properly, it can generate tons of leads from qualified prospects. Spam is right out. Do not just blanket mail a list of emails. It is no more effective (and probably less so) than direct mailing a list from the yellow pages. You need to create interest and get the right people to contact you. Offering special reports is a great way to generate leads from qualified prospects. Your free report(s) should be offered on your website, on your business card and in all your advertising. Your reports should have specific interest and real information to your prospect. Doing school assemblies, a free report offering "Ten Mistakes Not To Make When Scheduling Educational School Assemblies," could draw a response from the right people. Or, offer "The School Principals' Secret To Motivating Students." Including things like special reward programs, mentor programs and of course, scheduling your show. If I was a restaurant magician, I would offer a free report, "Ten Ways To Build Customer Satisfaction," including of course, a top rate red-haired magician. You can offer your report in one of three ways: 1) Offer a free report on a subject and give a phone number. When the prospect calls the number, get their name. address and phone number and mail them the report. 2) Have a website they can go to to get the free report, and submitting their contact info directs them to a "secret webpage" with their free report. 3) Have your website have an autoresponder. The prospect enters their info including email address. They then receive your report via email. If you are adding them to an email list you will be emailing to, make sure that is clear. With a good autoresponder, you can not only collect their information and get the report right back to them, but you can schedule follow-up emails to them. The follow-up emails should have good information in them, plus promote your business as well. Make all your emails interesting and worth reading. Do not try to sell or book shows in your email. Have links to your sales pages in the email, but use the email to establish yourself as a professional and an expert. Many marketers offer courses for free. They use the autoresponder to send a different chapter of the course every few days. When a prospect signs up for your free course on"Using Magic To Build Your Business," they are inviting you to send them a series of emails. The most valuable property of any business is their customer lists. You need to gather the names and emails of prospects. You need to acquaint them with your name and qualifications. Offering free reports and courses can help you build your business quickly and inexpensively. If you have questions on using free reports or autoresponders, please feel free to email me. Thank you and God bless. Dennis Regling http://www.magic.bellaonline.com Personally, the best autoresponder I have found, at the best price is- Aweber - One of the original autoresponder providers, this is the best option if you really want a professional autoresponder that's priced very affordably. Also, if you hook up with any other free autoresponder or paid services and later on if you want a switch to one of the top tier autoresponders like Aweber, you can't import your list unless you require all your subscribers to double-opt-in again, and at least half won't... Free autoresponders are available, but be prepared to have them put advertising in your emails. Two of the best are: Free Autoresponders: http://www.getresponse.com/ http://www.responsebot.com ============================= Ask a Pro.. This week begins the first of a series of questions, submitted by readers of the Roadshow, and answered by David Breth. For those of you who don't know David, he is a full time professional working out of the Baltimore area. David is regularly flown around the country, at his clients expense, to perform at anything from high dollar birthday parties to corporate events to institutions like the Smithsonian museum. Now, YOU can ask David any question that you would like an honest, professional answer to.. If your question is selected as one of the questions answered, then YOU will receive a free copy of one of the classic books, in ebook form, in all of magic; The Royal Road to Card Magic... Don't miss your chance to add a copy of this classic to your library. Email your question to: Ask a Pro ( Carlos, Paul, Tom, Mr. Mann, and Earl... I'll send you a download link tomorrow for your free copy of Royal Road to Card Magic ..) ---------- David.. What does it take to reach the level of Magic Entertainer/Performer that you’re at? What would be the logical steps for someone who has been doing magic for a year on reaching such a goal? Regards Carlos --------- David Aside from practice and misdirection, what do you feel are the most important factors to becoming a successful magician? Thanks, Tom PS, A little background for the question. I've recently performed my first stage show and realized it's not as easy as many magicians make it seem. I'm trying to find out the true secrets to success in magic. Tom, ------------- Hi Carlos and Tom, Great questions.. Same answer! This answer depends on several factors. What type of magical entertainer do you want to be? Children, adult, religious, corporate, restaurant, etc. ? Though the process is similar, you first need to write a business plan. Once you have this you must have a great show and a good resource of marketing materials. The first thing is your show has to be great! You can get the gigs, but if your show is predictable, lacking the wow factor and your getting caught due to lack of proper preparation, then you need to pick up the "get a clue phone" cause it is ringing very loud and the caller on the other end is suggesting that you better prepare your showmanship before you market yourself as a professional. Second, you need to be a savvy marketer. You need more than just fancy advertising and a slick well polished show. You can have the ultimate show and your phone does not ring because you lack the proper arsenal to hit your target customers. Do you have a local magic shop you can hang out in? Do you belong to a fraternity like the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the Fellowship of Christian Magicians, or are there other magicians in your area that you can not only hang out with but attend the fraternity meetings, join the local clubs, etc. Then ask those that are there to observe your performances (may be one trick or a whole act). Now, with this said, I will also say that you MUST be open to criticism (take it all with a grain of salt), but if the majority of those who watch, inform you to keep your day job, well you may consider going back to the drawing board and come back and present the same effect again. Let those watching you know that you really do want to be hit hard, no fluff, just tell you the way it is. This will be hard to take at first, but my friend this will set you apart, way, way, way apart from the rest of the pack - Guaranteed! David ~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~ David.. 1. Most of the magicians have something like a cloth under their cards to perform...what's that and where can I buy it? 2. What's the best way to do a double lift? Cheers, Paul ------------- Paul, Thank you for your two questions. First of all the cloth most magicians have under their cards is called a "Close-Up Pad." These are a perfect portable performing surface for any close-up magician. Like any magic prop quality is vital, do not try and purchase the cheapest on just for the sake of saving a few dollars!!! When it comes to being a professional close-up worker your props are a major key to your success. You would not want to wear a $100 suite to a corporate show that booked you for $2500 , the same goes for your magic materials, sure you have to provide a great performance, but if your prop (in this case your close-up mat) is tattered, torn and looks cheap this will reflect you as a performer. People can have a great time with you and enjoy your showmanship, but it is also true "Image Is Everything." Close-Up pads are usually available in a variety of colors depending where you buy them.. They are available from most of the major magic shops on the internet. P.S. Make sure that the mat you get has a soft rubber underlay. You will find this to be a huge asset. As for the best way to do a double lift, this is a personal preference. This really depends on where and what type of performance you are attempting to do. Your question will earn you a copy of Royal Road to Card Magic, which devotes a whole chapter to double lifts. This will be an ideal place to begin your search for the double lift that best suits your style of magic.. Thank you, David ~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~ David.. Here is a question I think most street magic performers have been in their mind. There are some effects I like to perform the most which are angle sensitive (Sinful, followed with Revolution). However, when I approach a group of people to perform such effects, other passers-by tend to say in their mind ''What the heck is this guy doing?''. Most of the times, these people would stop right behind me to see the effects. It is very hard for me to ask them to move in front of me because that action would indirectly give them the idea of how the trick works. Moreover, they have no where to move when the areas in front of me lack spaces. What would be the best solution to this? I know I should not continue doing it but should I shift to performing another effects or just manuever heaps of misdirection? Thanks, Mr Mann. ------------ Mr. Mann, Thank you for your question. You are the performer, you control the crowd. There is nothing wrong with telling, not asking people to move around to the front of you. This said, of course you must say this to the audience with tact; you do not want to sound cocky, just confident! Give them a great reason why they will enjoy the view from the front better than where they are now (behind you), let them know that the view from the front is where what is about to take place has the best view and if they miss it you will not be doing this again. There is a great book by Whit Haydn called Street Magic, which addresses this and many other similar situations. This book will also cover some of your other street magic questions that you may have. Thanks! David ~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~ David.. As a part time entertainer in children's magic, I am looking to go full time with the entertainment but don't know when I should do it. Probably 90% of our bookings come from church events and the others from birthday parties. What are some things that I need to have lined up before I quit my job and do this full time? Vertical Kids Ministry Earl Long -------------- Earl, Thank you for your question. You must first go "full time" in your mind. This may sound strange, but you must see yourself doing nothing else as your career. You will need to write a business plan (there are several great one’s available for magicians, if interested, I will get this information to you). Are you attempting to be full time in children’s birthday parties or in children’s ministry as entertainers? Either way, you need two elements which will allow you to become a full time professional magician and when I say full time I mean earning a great living and doing only magic because your days are all booked leaving you with no time for a "real" job (this is your "real" job). First of all, you need a really great show. Since you are a children’s performer this does not give you the license to be half hearted and cheap in your showmanship, dress, mannerisms, business mindset, props and marketing materials. Give a great show!! As you probably know, there are guys who feel they have to drag in tons of grand illusions, big heavy, bright colored props, etc., etc. They may mean well but do not allow the props to be the entertainer, pack small and play big! This will strike controversy, but sit back and observe and you too will see this to be correct: Children are not as tuned into "the magic" (like adults), as much as they love to laugh and have a great time. When performing for children who are nine and above the "magic" becomes a reality, the wow factor really kicks into play - but for younger children let them have a great time by making them laugh. pack small and play big! Always have one or two tricks to fry the adults in the middle of your show. This always goes over well, they enjoy the effects and see your skills should be noticed. Attire What you wear is important, I have attended many shows with children’s entertainers and their clothing yelled "I do not care, I am not a real professional, I am only a part time children’s entertainer." Get yourself a good pair of black dress slacks, a pair of comfortable dress shoes and a button up or polo shirt. Dress sharp. First, you never know who is in the show who may consider booking you. A clean cut, well dressed individual will get the bookings in the upscale neighborhoods! And the pay is great!!. I am not saying to wear a suit, but do not wear your worst either. Always have your clothes dry cleaned and your shirts heavy starch. A stained, unironed shirt/pants is simply unacceptable. Same with the props you use, invest in your business - it is worth it!!! Do not buy items because they are cheap and the company offers free shipping. Do not buy knock off’s either!!! Marketing Materials Second, you may have a great show but you also need to be a savvy marketer (there are several marketing courses for magicians. I will recommend one that I personally used which helped catapult my shows to an entire new level. If interested, I will get this information to you. (see below) Thanks.. David Breth PS.. most of the resources I recommend are available at better magic shops worldwide. Personally, I've been a satisfied customer of Denny & Lee Magic for years. If you aren't sure where to start, contact Denny at: http://www.dennymagic.com and mention that David sent you. If you have questions about other resources I mentioned, particularly marketing resources, send me an email at David@DavidBreth.com and I'll gladly assist in any way I can.. ================================ Whit Haydn Performance Video's Mentioning Whit Haydn in one of the answers above reminded me of this series of wonderful effects, recorded at the Magic Castle, as Whit entertains a room full of admiring fans. Watch these video's and study the style and timing. If you question how a magician can take an effect and turn it into an opportunity to entertain, instead of simply 'perform magic', then crank up the speakers and watch each video a few dozen times. You DO NOT have to download these video's to watch them. Just click and enjoy.. ---------- Six-Time Magic Castle Award Winner: "Magician of the Year" in Close-Up, Stage,.. Whit Haydn at the Magic Castle, Hollywood.. December 2005, WC Fields Bar "The Chicago Surprise", "The Phoenix Aces", "The Ambitious Card", "The Rising Card", "Winged Silver", "The Shell Game", "Cards to Pocket", "The Red Silk Mystery", "The Mongolian Pop-Knot", "The Chinese Linking Rings", "The Torn & Restored Newspaper", "Whit on Tonight Show with Jay Leno" ---------- http://www.whithaydn.com/video_clips.htm ============================== CardTricks1 - Balloon Modeling Update For all of you who have signed up for admission to the CardTricks1 ( formerly CardSleights ) site, they have now added over two hours and thirty minutes of new material dealing exclusively with Balloon Modeling. This is in addition to the hours and hours of video on card sleights. For those of you who utilize balloons as part of your act and/or a separate act, you can access detailed video's and pdf files for the following: Balloon Twists And Techniques, Dog, Giraffe, Elephant, Mouse, Flying Mouse, Rabbit, Broad Sword, Cutlas, Flower, Swan, Bird On Swing, Bird, Heart, Butterfly, Teddy Bear, Cat, Tiger, Monkey, Palm Tree, Monkey In Tree / Teddy On Heart, Snail, Pig, Airplane, Helicopter, Man, Motorbike, Mermaid, Adding Color To Basic Models (Parrot Example), Dinosaur, Hats, Rocking Horse, Rainbow, and Umbrella.. Never overlook an additional source of income! http://www.301url.com/cardsleights ============================== The Magic Roadshow Readers Guide to the REAL Criss Angel (A video series..) Who is Criss Angel? Do you think you really know him from his Mindfreak series? Here are a series of video's produced by A&E that attempt to answer the questions " Who is Criss Angel, how does he train, who are his influences, and how did he get started?" Each video is self-loading and there is nothing to download.. Meet Criss Angel - Houdini: The Inspiration... (2:51) "Criss shares his personal insights about the most famous magician in history and how this terrific showman and self-promoter really connected with his audience.." Meet Criss Angel - Training (3:22) "Criss talks about training as a lifestyle of body, mind and spirit and the challenges of entertaining an audience thru street performances.." Meet Criss Angel - What Is Magic (1:36) "What does magic mean to Criss? Watch as Criss defines magic as that moment when he connects with someone on an emotional level.." Meet Criss Angel - Magic Beginnings (2:30) "As a young boy Criss is inspired by his Aunt and gets bit with the magic bug. But first, he gets interested in music and started playing the drums. Watch to learn how music, artists, and movies inspired him to do magic.." Meet Criss Angel - My Family and... (3:10) "What values and qualities cultivated and allowed the young son of restauranteurs to grow as a performer? Watch as Criss shares his thoughts on his dad, one of the most influential role models in his life.." Access all the video's at: http://www.aetv.com/video/home/index.jsp?subcat_id=criss_angel --------------------- Toothpick Trick.. And just in case you missed Criss' performing the Toothpick Trick, and the solution, here's another video for you.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bWGwsOPPWQ ====================== Elliot's Magic Corner Elliot K. Jorpeland, aka 'MagicGuy', has created a web site with several popular handling ideas for a couple of magic's more popular effects. He's combined text, photo's, and video to explain his handling for all the effects, with the exception of 'Show Off', which is a video demonstration only Visit Elliot and learn the secret to: Muscle Pass - How is it done? Thoughts on Muscle Pass Pen Through Anything Thoughts on Pen Thru Bill Joker Ambitious - card magic Video clips of 'Muscle Pass', 'Pen Through Anything', and 'Show Off.." http://www.royal.no/elliot/ ======================== La Magie Cabaret Carson K. loves bills that float and notes that fold. So much in fact that he has set up a web site with both video and written text instructions for the classic 'Self-Folding Bill' and the 'Floating Note'. Also included is a word doc. titled 'Mind Reading', and a link to my favorite book of magic, Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic.. Check it out. Many a magician have paid good money for this information in the past... Click Here ========================= Unlocking the Real Secrets of Magic ( plus free ebook just for looking ) I recently published notice from my Irish friend, Gary McCaffrey, that he had put together a package of many of the greatest works ever put between two covers. I'm talking about works that I refer to EVERY week to help me uncover a "new" effect. I sold this package like crazy for two weeks.. and then the link went down.. Now it's back.. Get complete electronic copies of each of these classics.. Expert at the Card Table, Bobo's "Modern Coin Magic", The Royal Road to Card Magic, Anneman's "Mental Miracles", Jean Hugard's excellent "Encyclopedia of Card Tricks", and Tarbell's Original Course in Magic.. all sixty courses. ( Worth WAY more than the cost of the entire package!) And this is a Partial List ! These may be in modern electronic form, but they are true classics of magic that should be a part of every magicians library - and can be for LESS than the cost of one typical magic dvd. All I ask you to do is click the link and have a look... you'll get a little "bonus" just for looking... Click Here ========================= The Hubble Deep Field: The Most Important Image Ever Taken Folks, this is REAL magic. This is creation type magic. This is magic from darn close to the moment of conception for all of space.. as we know it. Yes, I have a slightly cerebral side that loves the mysteries of life. And I have a warm spot in my soul for the post rock, pre Enigma music of Pink Floyd.. Combine the Hubble telescope and Pink Floyd in a six and a half minute video and you have.. voila! -- The Hubble Deep Field -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcBV-cXVWFw ----------------------- Rock Music 101 Side note: Maybe two miles from where I sit is a small wooden house with slat board siding that was the home of Pink Anderson. Pink was a local legend in the music community throughout the forties, fifties, and sixties here in Spartanburg. Known for his carolina blues, similar in style to Blind Boy Fuller, Pink rarely left the Spartanburg area, aside from a couple of recording sessions in Atlanta, Ga., and a stint as a performer with a traveling medicine show. Floyd Council, another blues artist from the Carolina's, Raleigh-Durham in fact, never had the pleasure of recording with, or, as far as anyone can tell, playing with Pink Anderson. Despite their relative obscurity, they still managed to influence Syd Barrett ( the recently deceased founder of Pink Floyd ) who read their names on a sleeve note by Paul Oliver for a 1962 Blind Boy Fuller LP. "Curley Weaver and Fred McMullen, Pink Anderson or Floyd Council -- these were a few amongst the many blues singers that were to be heard in the rolling hills of the Piedmont, or meandering with the streams through the wooded valleys." Juxtapositioning the first names of Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, Syd immortalized these two piedmont blues singer/guitar players in the name of his new band..... Pink Floyd. ======================== FRAUD ! Yes, today, Wednesday the 20th of September at 12:00 PM sharp, 'E' releases the long awaited Daniel Garcia video. " FRAUD ". If you haven't seen the video, now's the time.. http://www.301url.com/ellusionist ======================== Expert at the Card Table Download link.. http://www.301url.com/erdnase ======================== Well folks.. that's all for now, and it's been my pleasure... Email Me with your request, rants, and raves. I love to hear from you, just to know that my newsletter is making it to it's intended destinations. Last issue 304 AOL users didn't receive their newsletter. They know better than the subscriber what the subscriber should be reading.. or NOT reading.. If you have a suggestion for a resource, let me know what you've found. And, if you have a magic related article, send it to me (no attachments please) and let's see if we can't send your ideas to readers around the world. If it needs a little editing for spelling or because english isn't your given language, don't worry... I'll take care of that... Forward this newsletter on to others, if you have friends you think may be interested. I enjoy watching as the Magic Roadshow reaches new corners of the world.. -------------------- Don't forget to visit my blog at... http://www.streetmagic.info/blogger.html Street Magic Bullets.... http://www.streetmagic.info Magic Roadshow........ http://www.magicroadshow.com StreetMagicSecrets.... http://www.streetmagicsecrets.info Mad Marketing 101.... http://www.madmarketing101.com -------------------- May my next issue find you well... Rick Carruth / editor ================================== |