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The Magicanada Project
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Michael Kras
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Joined: 07 Aug 2007
Posts: 1310
Location: Canada
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 Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:12 am Post subject: Has Mentalism Become The Weakest Link? |
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I find when I perform mentalism now, the reactions are either very minimal to non-existant. I build it up as best I can, but it doesn't seem to work. Why could this be? Any thoughts? Similar difficulties?
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Michael Kras
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BrianMillerMagic
Joined: 14 Aug 2007
Posts: 543
Location: New York State
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Liam
Joined: 30 Dec 2007
Posts: 424
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| Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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i partially agree with you brian, and with you mike
I also think that Mentalism is the hardest to preform well, given as there is little to no visual part, it is all sound. This can make it hard to keep your audiences attention, and if they dont pay attention, there will be little to no effect on them.
On the other side, i think mentalism effects can be the hardest hitting. Lets say the audience is paying attention, and the preformance is at its peak. Being able to know what someone is thinking of is increadibly amazing.
Another thing is that i dont think mind reading appeals to everyone. Small kids dont care for it. |
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MH
Joined: 24 Feb 2008
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:57 pm Post subject: Re: Has Mentalism Become The Weakest Link? |
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| Michael Kras wrote: | | I find when I perform mentalism now, the reactions are either very minimal to non-existant. I build it up as best I can, but it doesn't seem to work. Why could this be? Any thoughts? Similar difficulties? |
It simply means your presentations don't fit the style you are trying to fit. You're pretentious, but not quite enough to have mentalism work well for you. I'm sure you'll get there some day, though.
Why do you advertise a mentalism show if you can't pull it off well? |
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Michael Kras
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Joined: 07 Aug 2007
Posts: 1310
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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Good question. I don't use the wesbite anymore, so haven't bothered to update it.
However, thank you very much for your advice and response, and welcome to the forums! We'd appreciate and introduction! Also, as a side note, I recently attended James Biss' lecture and he gave some great tips on how to make mentalism more effective.
Michael Kras
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Michael Kras
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Craig Browning
Joined: 24 Feb 2008
Posts: 34
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| Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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Regardless of what type of entertainer you are be it a puppet master, ventriloquist, mime, magician, comic... the REACTION isn't based on your material but how YOU deliver it. If you are not getting a positive reaction then you need to look at YOURSELF and ask "what am I doing wrong?"
Not everyone is cut out to do Mentalism or whatever... we all have a natural aptitude towards certain things and when we learn to flow with that "calling" as it were, and "Do the Stuff That's You" the public reaction will prove solid and we will feel more content -- comfortable in what we are doing.
Far too many people are chasing the ideas of what they see on TV or what they hear about in the forums, etc. They are not dealing with their own reality and what is best for them and trust me, you will buy effects that simply will not work in your hands no matter what. I've dealt with this when doing big Illusions and that's a scary thing... a prop that cost several thousand dollars and it just don't "fit" what the audience wants to see from you and yet, others can do it and have the audience on their feet.
The majority of people dabbling in Mentalism right now, will not be doing so five years from now... they'll either quit magic entirely or move from chasing the current trend and trying to keep up with everyone else out there... they will grow up enough to realize that they MUST find a niche that fits them and allows them to shine vs. following the whims and trends of commercialism. It's that simple.  |
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Mdini
Joined: 26 Feb 2008
Posts: 4
Location: Uk
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| Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:02 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with Craig here. Firstly no one takes a mentalist under 20 seriously unless you are the type of mentalist who pretend you have a "gift". Its true.
Secondly you need to find the thing that you are good at and can sell I would love to be able to sell good close-up magic but I cant, one I am not that good with selights and two my patter and presentation with cards just dont fit my "style". I once thought about giving magic up but found mentalism and thats my niche now. |
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Michael Kras
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Posts: 1310
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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I find that a lot of mentalism doesn't work for me simply because of my age. Also, because it calls for a drastic shift in persona... I'm known as the goofy, playful magi and when I shift to dark, mysterious, and serious something is up.
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Michael Kras
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Mdini
Joined: 26 Feb 2008
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Location: Uk
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| Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Also I am of the old school thinking of you cant mix magic and mentalism. You can do both but dont mix them in a set. Also I like to present "Light" mentalism and let it build and get darker and darker. |
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Craig Browning
Joined: 24 Feb 2008
Posts: 34
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| Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Michael Kras wrote: | | I find that a lot of mentalism doesn't work for me simply because of my age. Also, because it calls for a drastic shift in persona... I'm known as the goofy, playful magi and when I shift to dark, mysterious, and serious something is up. |
I know you've read where I've talked about being in my early 20's and realizing that I was not yet ready for doing material that was so heavy or demanding... you've also read in my posts and possibly perspectives from others like Kenton Knepper and even Banachek that the under 30 crowd that thinks they are doing Mentalism are actually hurting more than helping... most refuse to take direction and listen to the voices of experience.
Yes, a young person can do very effective and powerful mentalism IF he or she is being presented as someone that's "special"... a discovery by an older performer (and they don't have to be a magician)... its all context and plausibility.
Uri Geller is reaching for 60 and for most of his career he's been known primarily for the key & spoon bending and a hint of remote viewing/ telepathy... two "gifts" that's it!
How many young guys (and even older guys) do you know that do 45 minutes that includes a Q&A, Blindfold, Bending Stuff, Dowsing, Predictions and a myriad of other CRAP that has no relationship or cohesion?
Even before I moved into Mentalism full time and got rid of all the big illusions I had a reputation for being an "Empath" -- a person with an exceptionally high telepathic and emotional sense of connection with others. I was known for working with Pendulums and Dowsing devices which works hand in hand with the other "gifts" and I've gone out of my way to avoid "cross over" abilities... let me give you a classic point of what I mean... the BLINDFOLD.
When I put on a blindfold it is not for doing an X-Ray Sight type act (Clairvoyance) so I cannot do the classic change in the pocket or read sealed envelopes such things are not aligned to my gift of heightened Intuition or Sensitivity. Yet, it makes sense that I can "see" through my fingertips i.e. I can sense the "vibrational differences" when it comes to color, for an example or what kind of gemstone I may be holding, etc.
Few ever research the "Psychic" idea behind what they want to achieve and thus, what it is their character is about or what he can or can't do. Add to this the fact that few "real" psychics ever develop more than one primary ability and maybe two secondary ones... and notice that I call them "abilities" not "powers" -- semantics are important as well in that they help us keep the idea straight in our minds. "Powers" is a lie created by religionists, cheap dime store novelists that don't do research and of course Hollywood. It is a myth in that there is no "power" nor is there (was there) ever anything "Super" Natural around it... and I'm not siding with the cynics when I say that, this is the actual truth as it is known to Occultists and the people deeply invested in that world or study. Quite simply NOTHING can be outside of nature; if it exists it comes from nature though we may not yet be able to define or determine it.
Keep in mind some of those mysteries taught that the church deemed as being evil and "Occult" including such things as reading, writing, math, physics, chemistry, music, engineers, etc. So keep things in perspective for yourselves...
Getting back to the issue... I can easily teach a ten or twelve year old my code act and it would work well with audiences because they are seeing an amazingly gifted child. Catch is, it is difficult for two 12 year olds to pull off such an act. Firstly, the language elements used conflict with how young people talk; it is more formal and mature e.g. you would have to re-write most any code out there and that takes forever to do properly. Secondly, very few 12 year olds (or even 30 year olds for that matter) are willing to invest six+ hours a day 7 days a week for at least a year to two years practicing and working with the code BEFORE they ever attempt to use it live with any depth in front of a real audience. I know of once team that was forced to study for nearly 3 years before they were allowed to do the act; they were being taught by one of the legends of the industry and she held them under thumb until they had it.
How many of you are willing to invest that kind of time working on any kind of effect?... especially those of you under 25 years of age?
Your own honest answer... not the one you'll share in a post but what you know in your heart, is why there are so few good magicians let alone solid mentalists in the world. It's hard work and involves much more than opening up the box from the magic shop and reading the patter or watching the DVD.
ALL OF IT starts with learning and defining who YOU are and then from there, molding your character based on your actual abilities vs. your fantasy.
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