Part of a successful performance is the way you act. The props you choose, the tricks you perform, the way you dress: it all has to fit together. Here is how you can achieve that.
The magician is an actor who plays the part of a magician. How we act out that part, depends on specific insights, like who we are, who our clients are, what kind of magic we like, and what makes us feel comfortable. Each of these topics will be explored below.
First and foremost, the magician has to figure out who they are. What movies do you like? What kind of books do you read? What kind of music do you listen / play / make? What sports do you like to play? What kind of jokes do you find humorous? With what kind of people do you like to hang out? Also: what type of people do you look up to?
Other good questions to ask include: what types of magic do you like to watch? And what types do you like to perform? The 2 don't necessarily overlap. Also: are you an introvert, an extravert, or somewhere in-between? Are you a comedian or a preacher?
These preferences don't necessarily mix. For instance, I enjoy baroque chamber music by W.A. Mozart as well as present-day club music like Tsunami by Maarten Vorwerk. Since I like both, I could try and mix them into a single magic persona, or I could try and create separate persona.
The trick is to mix your preferences until you find one or more personae you like.
Secondly, the magician has to consider clients. Who is going to pay your bill? What kind of personae would they prefer on their event? Did they ask for you, specifically? Do they realise what they get from you?
For instance, my main clients are corporations and street fairs. I perform different effects at both, and I use a different persona for both. During street events, I can perform a lot more bizarre magic, and I use a steampunk theme. At corporate functions, I feel like performing classic magic, and I use a classical magician theme.
One of the client groups I currently am targeting, are young adults who are hosting private, adult parties. The persona I chose for this fits a Dom theme. Obviously, this won't work for everyone.
To make our act believable and convincing, we separate our props and tricks based on the persona we choose. For instance, I would use bizarre magic in my steampunk persona, and mentalism in my classical persona, but I wouldn't mix those.
Also, for my steampunk persona, my props are usually made of brass, leather, wood, and glass. For my Dom persona, a different kind of leather comes into play: black and shiny, rather than the steampunky brown and rough. The leather whip I use as a magic wand in my Dom persona has no place in a corporate function, so my classical magician persona uses a traditional wooden magic wand.
For tricks, the decision is less difficult than it may seem: the difference usually comes down to a fitting story. An ambitious card routine works in all 3 of my personae, if I let my patter change accordingly. I wouldn't perform mentalism in my steampunk personae, but I do use it in both my classical and my Dom personae.
In my classical persona, I use a lot more card magic, whereas my Dom persona uses more rope magic, and my steampunk persona uses more coin magic. If I perform card magic in my steampunk act, I will use tarot cards. And if I do a bit of card-based mentalism in my Dom persona, I use ESP cards.
With each persona comes a distinct outfit, much like an actor dresses differently in each play based on the role. Sometimes things overlap: I will go out in the street acting as my corporate magician persona, and I will go to private parties in my steampunk persona, but I should avoid going to corporate functions in my Dom persona (unless they specifically ask for it).
Figure out what types of clothes you like to wear. Do you wear just 1 type of clothes, all year round? Then the choice is easy. Can you assemble your clothes into distinct types? Then do so, and learn from that.
Are your clothes one giant mix-up that have something for any occasion? Then you do it the other way around: start with a persona and find the most fitting clothes.
Sometimes we need to by garments to complete the picture. For me, a pair of steampunk goggles wasn't part of my regular wardrobe. Neither were black plether pants with cut-outs in the right places. I acquired them specifically to complete the personae. However, my classical magician persona came naturally, as I dress classically most of the time.
Time to play! Try out a couple themes, a couple outfits, find out how it makes you feel. If your persona fits, it will feel comfortable, and you can be yourself without acting. You get to show a distinct side of yourself without having to hold back or direct your thoughts.
If a chosen persona doesn't fit, it will feel forced: you will have trouble coming up with fitting jokes and serious patter, you will be uncomfortable in your clothing, you would rather hide than be seen.
We aren't in this business to torture ourselves: we want to have fun, too! So if a persona feels all wrong, stop using it, and either focus on the ones that do feel good, or try something else.
When you're a pre-teen or a teenager, you probably don't get a lot of chances to play dress-up, unless you are part of the drama club or are involved in cosplay. My advice is to go visit places that use costumes: costume dramas, medieval shows, cosplay, dragon con, carnivals, etc. Go to music festivals: especially for kinds of music you don't really like. Go participate in Burning Man and see Cirque du Soleil.
Study what people look like, how they dress, how they behave. Figure out whether simulating them makes you feel at ease. What do they drink, how do they talk (if at all), how do they dance / walk / run? Get to know as many different styles as possible, before settling down on anything outside your immediate hunch.
Now, once we know how we would like to present ourselves, and have tried out a few personae, it is time to get the word out and let the world know. Perhaps you have a website or calling cards. It is important to let potential clients know what you do. Therefore, you could assign room for each persona on each medium where you present yourself. You could also choose to present one persona on one medium, and another persona on another medium.
As far as websites go: I would make distinct landing pages under a single heading. That way, I can market a specific persona, and direct clients to a specific web page for that particular persona. Each landing page shows photos that befit the chosen persona, and describes the types of magic the client can expect. From there, my clients can discover that I use other personae for other types of venues.
As far as calling cards go: I would create a distinct calling card per persona. They would point a client to the distinct landing page on my website. Each calling card would differ in colouration and font styling, but only if the landing pages on the website do so too. Let the styles of website and calling cards match.
#1 Based on your current preferences, how would you characterise the kind of magician you can present? What kind of magic tricks, routines, and props would you use, and which would you avoid? Why?
#2 Find several websites that let you take a free personality tests, to achieve insight into what kind of person you are. This will help you figure out what kind of personae may befit you. Riddle me this: what is your Enneagram type?
#3 Look at various magician's styles. How many can you distinguish? Which ones do you dislike? Why? (Hint: don't look at the trick, but look at how it is performed.)
#4 Divide your current magic into personae: which tricks do you feel fit together in what kind of a role? Which tricks fit more roles? And which don't fit any?
#5 Your first persona: dress the part, act the part, speak the part, conjure the part. Do you like the way it makes you feel?
#6 An odd persona: choose a way of behaving and dressing up that you really dislike. Choose appropriate props and tricks. Try it out. If it doesn't make you feel really at odds with yourself, push your persona way into an extreme, until you really dislike it. Try and answer why.
#7 Marketing: if you have a website which you use to promote your magic performances, create a section specifically to befit the persona found during assignment #5. What photos and texts would you use?
Who am I?
First and foremost, the magician has to figure out who they are. What movies do you like? What kind of books do you read? What kind of music do you listen / play / make? What sports do you like to play? What kind of jokes do you find humorous? With what kind of people do you like to hang out? Also: what type of people do you look up to?
Other good questions to ask include: what types of magic do you like to watch? And what types do you like to perform? The 2 don't necessarily overlap. Also: are you an introvert, an extravert, or somewhere in-between? Are you a comedian or a preacher?
These preferences don't necessarily mix. For instance, I enjoy baroque chamber music by W.A. Mozart as well as present-day club music like Tsunami by Maarten Vorwerk. Since I like both, I could try and mix them into a single magic persona, or I could try and create separate persona.
The trick is to mix your preferences until you find one or more personae you like.
Who do you want as clients?
Secondly, the magician has to consider clients. Who is going to pay your bill? What kind of personae would they prefer on their event? Did they ask for you, specifically? Do they realise what they get from you?
For instance, my main clients are corporations and street fairs. I perform different effects at both, and I use a different persona for both. During street events, I can perform a lot more bizarre magic, and I use a steampunk theme. At corporate functions, I feel like performing classic magic, and I use a classical magician theme.
One of the client groups I currently am targeting, are young adults who are hosting private, adult parties. The persona I chose for this fits a Dom theme. Obviously, this won't work for everyone.
Fitting personae together with props and tricks
To make our act believable and convincing, we separate our props and tricks based on the persona we choose. For instance, I would use bizarre magic in my steampunk persona, and mentalism in my classical persona, but I wouldn't mix those.
Also, for my steampunk persona, my props are usually made of brass, leather, wood, and glass. For my Dom persona, a different kind of leather comes into play: black and shiny, rather than the steampunky brown and rough. The leather whip I use as a magic wand in my Dom persona has no place in a corporate function, so my classical magician persona uses a traditional wooden magic wand.
For tricks, the decision is less difficult than it may seem: the difference usually comes down to a fitting story. An ambitious card routine works in all 3 of my personae, if I let my patter change accordingly. I wouldn't perform mentalism in my steampunk personae, but I do use it in both my classical and my Dom personae.
In my classical persona, I use a lot more card magic, whereas my Dom persona uses more rope magic, and my steampunk persona uses more coin magic. If I perform card magic in my steampunk act, I will use tarot cards. And if I do a bit of card-based mentalism in my Dom persona, I use ESP cards.
The outfit
With each persona comes a distinct outfit, much like an actor dresses differently in each play based on the role. Sometimes things overlap: I will go out in the street acting as my corporate magician persona, and I will go to private parties in my steampunk persona, but I should avoid going to corporate functions in my Dom persona (unless they specifically ask for it).
Figure out what types of clothes you like to wear. Do you wear just 1 type of clothes, all year round? Then the choice is easy. Can you assemble your clothes into distinct types? Then do so, and learn from that.
Are your clothes one giant mix-up that have something for any occasion? Then you do it the other way around: start with a persona and find the most fitting clothes.
Sometimes we need to by garments to complete the picture. For me, a pair of steampunk goggles wasn't part of my regular wardrobe. Neither were black plether pants with cut-outs in the right places. I acquired them specifically to complete the personae. However, my classical magician persona came naturally, as I dress classically most of the time.
What comes naturally?
Time to play! Try out a couple themes, a couple outfits, find out how it makes you feel. If your persona fits, it will feel comfortable, and you can be yourself without acting. You get to show a distinct side of yourself without having to hold back or direct your thoughts.
If a chosen persona doesn't fit, it will feel forced: you will have trouble coming up with fitting jokes and serious patter, you will be uncomfortable in your clothing, you would rather hide than be seen.
We aren't in this business to torture ourselves: we want to have fun, too! So if a persona feels all wrong, stop using it, and either focus on the ones that do feel good, or try something else.
Sociology
When you're a pre-teen or a teenager, you probably don't get a lot of chances to play dress-up, unless you are part of the drama club or are involved in cosplay. My advice is to go visit places that use costumes: costume dramas, medieval shows, cosplay, dragon con, carnivals, etc. Go to music festivals: especially for kinds of music you don't really like. Go participate in Burning Man and see Cirque du Soleil.
Study what people look like, how they dress, how they behave. Figure out whether simulating them makes you feel at ease. What do they drink, how do they talk (if at all), how do they dance / walk / run? Get to know as many different styles as possible, before settling down on anything outside your immediate hunch.
Marketing
Now, once we know how we would like to present ourselves, and have tried out a few personae, it is time to get the word out and let the world know. Perhaps you have a website or calling cards. It is important to let potential clients know what you do. Therefore, you could assign room for each persona on each medium where you present yourself. You could also choose to present one persona on one medium, and another persona on another medium.
As far as websites go: I would make distinct landing pages under a single heading. That way, I can market a specific persona, and direct clients to a specific web page for that particular persona. Each landing page shows photos that befit the chosen persona, and describes the types of magic the client can expect. From there, my clients can discover that I use other personae for other types of venues.
As far as calling cards go: I would create a distinct calling card per persona. They would point a client to the distinct landing page on my website. Each calling card would differ in colouration and font styling, but only if the landing pages on the website do so too. Let the styles of website and calling cards match.
Assignments
#1 Based on your current preferences, how would you characterise the kind of magician you can present? What kind of magic tricks, routines, and props would you use, and which would you avoid? Why?
#2 Find several websites that let you take a free personality tests, to achieve insight into what kind of person you are. This will help you figure out what kind of personae may befit you. Riddle me this: what is your Enneagram type?
#3 Look at various magician's styles. How many can you distinguish? Which ones do you dislike? Why? (Hint: don't look at the trick, but look at how it is performed.)
#4 Divide your current magic into personae: which tricks do you feel fit together in what kind of a role? Which tricks fit more roles? And which don't fit any?
#5 Your first persona: dress the part, act the part, speak the part, conjure the part. Do you like the way it makes you feel?
#6 An odd persona: choose a way of behaving and dressing up that you really dislike. Choose appropriate props and tricks. Try it out. If it doesn't make you feel really at odds with yourself, push your persona way into an extreme, until you really dislike it. Try and answer why.
#7 Marketing: if you have a website which you use to promote your magic performances, create a section specifically to befit the persona found during assignment #5. What photos and texts would you use?
Wouldn't you like your events to make a lasting impression?
Send in this contact form, or mail me at emanuel.chester@protonmail.com.
