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Jay Sankey: Get To Know The Close-up Magician, Stand-up Comedian, And Author

By Ken Ryan on November 12, 2018 0

Joe Sankey grew up in Canada. Like many youngsters, he was drawn into the maguc of making magic early. He got his first magic set at the age of 11. And, it was immediately evident that he had a flair for it. Sakey went on tour as a one man magic act before even reaching his 21st birthday. By that age, he was already experimenting with special slight of hand tricks, for which he would become well known, as well as for close up magic. Besides his magic abilities, Sakey also developed a comedic capacity and took to the stage as a one man show and stand-up comic. He combined his flair for comedy with another love, wroting, and wrote a book entitled, “Zen and the art of stand-up comedy.”

Key Takeaways:

Jay Sankey is a Canadian, a stand-up comedian, author and a magician, who specializes in close work and special effects.
At the age of 11 Jay was given a magic set and it was immediately obvious he had a gift for it.
Jay’s book, “Zen and the Art of Monologue” combines his skill at comedy with his flair for writing.

“By the age of 18, Jay was traveling the world lecturing about sleight of hand magic to both amateur magician and professionals.”

Magicians Getting Stage Fright – Fear of Performing Magic For The Public

By Ken Ryan on October 29, 2018 0

Being a magician is a hard thing. It takes a lot of heart and desire to want to live the life as a magician. Very few magicians go off and make millions on top of millions of dollars. It is a very difficult thing to do. For this very reason, there have been less people getting involved with magic. Performing for the public as a magician is so hard. It is all about making sure the audience enjoys the show.

Key Takeaways:

Being able to pull off a magic trick in front of a lot of people is so hard to do.
One of the hardest things for someone who performs magic is to remain cool in front of an audience.
Mastering a good act, or a solid trick, takes years and years of practice and hard work.

“Magicians stage fright is probably the biggest hurdle beginners face when they start magic.”

How To Create Magicians Patter – What To Say When Performing A Magic Trick

By Ken Ryan on October 25, 2018 0

Some people love magic so much. The magicians that go a lot of the work that magic involves are people who have been around it for many years. They live and breed for new magic tricks and they try everything in their power to master some of the coolest tricks. When you are performing a trick, your duty is to make the audience wonder how the hell you did something. That is the sign of a good magician.

Key Takeaways:

The bottom line is that the people who do magic train for many, many years before being ready.
Not everyone will be able to grasp the idea of magic when they try to learn how to do it.
There are a bunch of different patterns that allow these people to remember how to do certain tricks.

“Watch lots of stand up comedians and see how they present their act in a way that almost looks like they are coming up with the jokes on the spot. They even stop and laugh with the audience as it’s new to them too. It’s not. They have rehearsed their act to be like that. You can do the same when you create magicians patter for each effect you do.”

Getting Caught Doing a Magic Trick

By Ken Ryan on October 22, 2018 0

The people who are able to do magic have a real talent that is extremely hard to master. The ones that are able to keep their cool at all times and perform at a high level are the ones that make the big bucks. With that being said, every magician has been caught messing up a trick one time or another. It is part of the business. Some people really get affected mentally while others keep it in stride.

Key Takeaways:

One of the best magicians who get caught often are pickpockets. They steal for entertainment and get caught often for doing it.
One of Uk’s best known magician and pickpocket, Ravi Mayar, recommends a technique when you are caught that is common and gives brilliant results.
Getting caught practicing magic in front of a crowd will happen sooner or later, but you have to keep your cool and laugh it off.

“Even if you’re an expert magician, the real world has too many factors for anyone to control.”

Which Card Tricks Make Good Openers?

By MagicKen on April 26, 2018 0

Magicians are always looking for new and improved ways to hone their crafts and give their audiences a show that is unforgettable. One of the most common and captivating tricks that can be used to set the stage for the rest of the night is that which involves card tricks. By implementing various types of card tricks and making them appealing to the crowd, it lets magicians draw in their audiences attention for the rest of the night.

Key Takeaways:

Magicians are always trying to find new ways to captivate their audiences at the shows.
It is understood that getting their attention at the beginning can help maintain it as the show progresses.
Simple but compelling card tricks are a main staple of any magicians show and can help.

“Card tricks can be a great choice for the first magic trick you perform for your spectators.”

Sleight of Hand: The 7 Strongest Sleights for Card Magicians

By MagicKen on February 20, 2018 0

The side steal may be the most popular sleight of hand trick out because it is right under the nose of the person that is having the card stolen from them. You can find a lot of people that are impressed by card tricks, but they may have never heard of the bottom palm.

You can find a lot of people who understand these different tricks working in casinos for example. Money can be made by casinos because of these tricks.

Key Takeaways:

The Blueprint gives aspiring magicians everything they need to know about sleight in order to perform amazing magic.
The Classic Pass, otherwise known as The Two Handed Shift, is the process in which you cut the pack of cards while looking like you are doing nothing.
Pathways Training goes into specific detail about mastering the sleight and will give you tips on how to achieve the shift quickly.

“For a move like the Classic Pass to be effective, it must be silent, effortless and economical – each secret action must take less than a single moment to complete…without rushing.”