BLOG OF AN ESCAMOTEUR

Every time I read in an advertisement: “Packs small, plays BIG!!” I get sort of an allergic reaction. Sure, there is a difference between a torn & restored newspaper and a illusion, but I think there is more to it.

If I read this claim or I hear someone saying it, automatically I see the image of a magician working out of a briefcase that is resting on a chair in front of a group of people. Uh, what a great sight, isn’t it?

I think a magic deserves more that that. I feel you should be able to create your own magic theater setting, so that you will make a real professional and lasting picture on your audience.

Sure, if you want to reach this goal, your briefcase won’t be enough. If I do a stand-up show this is my standard luggage:

I know that this is not suitable if you fly all through the country, but with a car this is very reasonable. Inside all this bags and cases are my lightning and sound-system, a mobile Spider backdrop and – in the big case – my suit, a folding bar stool and a champagne cooler with stand.
(I will tell you more about the single components in some later post)

Ok, if you only own a small Toyota, this might get you some trouble, but any standard station wagon works fine. To illustrate you what difference this effort makes watch the following picture from a wedding in a country side restaurant where I was booked.

That’s how the room looked like when I arrived. Now imagine me just standing between the two speakers with a briefcase on a stool. Not very glamarous, don’t you think?

An hour later that place looked like this (unfortunately I only could take this picture after the show). You will agree that this is a huge difference and due to the background and the lightning from behind the audience I got a very focused audience.

Sure there is a trade off:

• You always have to carry all this stuff (saves the gym )
• You have to be at the location an hour earlier to set up everything properly
• You need the money to afford all this for me approximately 12.000€

But on the upside

• The audience is not distracted by an inappropriate background.
• You leave with a lasting impression
• You are different to the majority of you competitors that fear the effort.
• Makes a really strong point in selling your show
• Gives yourself much more confidence when performing
• Makes sure that you don’t experience bad suprises. I’like to know that what ever the place may look like and what ever sound-system there is I’m always having mine as a fallback in my car!

Just think about the difference in the perception from you clients who pay you large fees, if they watch you coming in with all this stuff compared to a magician who just carries a small briefcase.

Which one gives the client the feeling he has bought a real show?

THINK BIGGER, PACK BIGGER, PLAY REALLY BIG!

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