It'd be interesting to discuss how you guys string your effects together to construct a routine?

As i only do mentalism (at this moment), mine's a mix of various types of mentalism and mental magic.

1) Psychokinetic Effects
2) Remote Viewing
3) Thought Reading (Swami/CT)
4) Pseudo Psychometry (Anneman)
6) Magic ( Iceman cometh, Jermay) or Teleportation (ted lesley)


I've edited my earlier post as i messed up the order.

Mine is mostly related to Gospel magic, and after a number of performances and lots of messing up :( this is what i have come up with at this stage ...

1. Big Opener (to catch the audience's attention)
2. As much audience participation as possible.
3. 1st half pure entertainement (which means 3/4 of show)
4. However, I try to get some effects reated to a theme or the situation (build up)
5. Final few effects related to my message

1. Big opener
Interestingly, Jeff, I actually like to start with a double mentalism effect (which I learned and paid for the secret) form a Singapore magician. I have modfied it to suit many occasions. Since it has a good build up and has lots of audience particpation, it works well for me and get severyubody in a wow! mood and I dop it in such a way that I knew the result because it was a reflection of the great audience who does the magic (focus is on them not me)

2. I like to have at least half my effects where people help me.

3. I like the audience to have fun and my focus is to be first an entertainer and then only a magician. I think this is one of the best things I learned from my annexe freinds


4. In terms of having a theme, I am not so clear as yet in my mind - still a lot ot figure out, and I use the term theme pretty loosely at this stage. it can be as loose as stuff like ... "I can see we are all having a good time ... this place sure is decorated to reflect the party mood ... I see lots of balloons and I am glad "cos I love balloons. Shall we do some balloon magic? ... (Sounds a little corny, nO? :D )
* I also do balloon sculpting ... Anyway, then I do some balloon related magic. etc.


5. Won't bore you with this part :-)

Hope that helps and keeps the ball rolling in this thread. Like Jeff, I would like to know how you all formulate routines ...

Paul

I try to intersperse Visual and Non-visual magic as much as possible.
But the most important I feel is the opener and closer so I keep my most visual for these 2.

Would really appreciate any help and opinion on this, thanks.

i agree with jeff that the most important part of routining lies on the opener and closer

opener i suggest slydini's paper balls over head...this can make your audience laugh and make them enjoy the rest of your show

I love mental effect but for some reasons I'm better with cards, thus I'll show rainman by lennert green, then my version of blank deck card suggestion(volunteer pick a card, remember the card, and the card is lost in the pack.Performer state the card the volunteer tought of, and ribbon spread the pack face up. all the cards are appear to be blank~not a magician fooler for sure)

closer...haven tought of a good one yet...maybe some close up effects like PK will do for me...

I like routines that blends in very well...heres mine-

4 ace change(My creation),
4 ace transposition(Randy Wakeman),
Variation Eatery(A 4 ace trick Created by Sponge from MVD),
4 ace routine from ninja 1(Ellusionist),
2 card monte,
Riffle transposition(My creation),
Coincedence change(My creation),
The hitman,
And one the the effects from 22 blows to the head starring Jay Sankey,

Close effect is Wave the aces coz I usually give the card as a souvenir haha...well thats about it ^_^

Jarrett :P

Jarrett,

don't you think that theres just a little bit too many effects involving the 4 aces? Not to mention they're all card effects.

they may all be different, but to the laymen, they don't make a difference.

Its like a mentalist doing 1 booktest after another...they are all different, but to the laymen, they are the same.

Just my opinion though, cos I havent seen your repertoire yet, I don't really know how well it'll gel.

Just realised I'm responding to an old thread.
Oh well...

I changed my routine A LOT already.I use cards only about 15% of my whole routine.Yea,you were right,using 4 aces all the time,to the audiences,makes no difference.

Book test,I wonder what it is.