BrianMillerMagic
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The Importance of PresentationHello fellow Magicanada forum members. What you are about to read and reflect on, or subsequently toss aside as garbage, is a stripped down version of a longer piece that I've written for a future manuscript release of my close up effects and theories. I ask that no piece of this essay be quoted on any other forum or elsewhere either electronically or by some other method, except for this, the Magicanada Project. If you do wish to use part of this for any reason elsewhere, please PM me for permission. Having said that, please enjoy, respond, and debate.
The Importance of Presentation, by Brian Miller
Presentation is everything. We as magicians hear this all the time, but what exactly does it mean? Let us first examine the alternative to a presentation. Naturally that would be an effect that has no presentation. Is that possible? When I imagine no presentation, the first thought that comes to mind is a silent routine. But surely silent is a form of presentation in and of itself, so can there be such a thing as no presentation? In my opinion, no there cannot. So the distinction becomes not between having a presentation and having no presentation, but instead between a good presentation and a bad one. Thus our original sentiment is best modified as, “a good presentation is everything.”
Okay. Let us first describe what a good presentation is by ruling out the things that it is not. A good presentation does not alienate the audience. It does not leave the audience in a state of confusion*. It does not belittle the audience. It does not insinuate that you are superior to the audience in any way. Lastly, it certainly does not bore the audience. Those negative characteristics make up my list (though perhaps different from yours), and they leave a far narrower explanation of what a good presentation can be. First and foremost, a good presentation requires the audience to attach themselves emotionally to the proceedings, if only for a few moments. It then requires the audience to connect on some level personally with the magician. With only these two things accomplished all that remains is a discussion of the effect itself. A good and proper presentation will provide at least a two-part formula for the effect. First, what is the question? Second, what is the answer? It is a set up and release; a conflict followed by a resolution. Lastly in my mind, a good presentation covers up the method. When the audience members backtrack in their minds, the presentation should only allow the effect to shine through, and all the pieces containing hints toward the method should not be able to be pieced back together.
I would like to briefly address a topic that came up only recently. A discussion of the importance of presentation was taking place, and one particular counter-argument essentially stated that magic is all about the magician rather than the presentation. I thought this to be an interesting point of view on the subject, so I thought about the idea for a while until I reached a conclusion: magic is absolutely about the magician. But how does the audience come to know or learn about the magician? Certainly it comes through in the performance of magic. And in this performance of magic, is it not the presentation that should engage the audience and allowing the magician to be in the spotlight? I think so. So really this seemingly counter-argument is really making the same claims as the initial idea that magic is all about the presentation, it is just making it in a roundabout way. Okay, now that I have made my way through that, let me conclude.
So then a good presentation is everything. The reason for placing so much on the presentation over the mechanics of an effect is that even the simplest of effect with the most elementary method can become a masterpiece with the proper presentation. By the same token an absolutely incredible piece of trickery is absolutely worthless without a good presentation. Thus I encourage you to take existing effects that you already perform, throw away the presentation that you’re currently using, and totally rewrite it from nothing. Spend as much time as you need developing a new, solid presentation. This will open door to new ideas and challenge you to think in wonderful new ways. Your newfound creativity will hopefully inspire more genuine and original performances, leading to your own sense of personality as a magician and, I pray, a downfall of “cookie cutter magic.”
*It was the great Dai Vernon who insisted, “Confusion isn’t magic.”
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Michael Kras
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Brian,
Fantastic essay! A real thought-provoker and very informative. Great job, and I quite like your views on this particular subject.
Michael
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BrianMillerMagic
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Thank you Michael, I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. If enough people get around to reading this eventually and some good conversation comes from it, I might take the pluge and post the essay in its entirety, instead of the stripped down version that I initially posted here. Let's see how it goes.
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