Technique : (i.e. DLs, P**ms, Sw**c*es, etc)

Presentation : (i.e. Scripting, Routining, Misdirection, etc)

I vote for presentation. For instance, in a card trick, why should you learn a complicated, multi-faceted p*ss when a simple DL will suffice and achieve the same effect? It's just a waste of time and effort.

Vote, and please discuss. I'd love to hear your views.

:ph43r:

In my opinion, magic is a performing art, not stunt. So I vote for Presentation. FOr me, It is 20% technique and 80% presentation. A self working trick with good presentation is definately stronger than a trick using difficult sleight of hand with bad presentation.

Definitely Presentation~!
No Presentation = No Magic~!

Presentation!

Good technique will impress magicians.
Good presentation will impress everyone(including magicians who know exactly how you did the trick).

You do the math.

I vote for technique cus I'm a douchebag who likes to impress people with things they can't (and not even supposed to) see :P

Just kidding. But I'm curious, how could you separate technique and presentation from a performance? I believe you HAVE to have your technique down for whatever it is you wanna do, whether it's easy or hard sleight. The only time you can separate technique from presentation is when you do a self working trick.

LOL The technique count is 0% and presentation is 100%.hahahha

Presentation is very very important . I cant stress out enough how much presentation plays a very important role in magic.
Without presentation ,magic sux bad. I agree with jackliw 20% technique and 80% presentation.

I vote for presentation.In magic, the performance is the most important part.Even a simple trick will be very great if your presentation is good.Good presentation will help to build up an effect.

Good topic, Adlan.

This came into my mind...
Do you consider a person who has 0% technique but could perform
Svengali Deck, Stripper Deck, Invisible Deck incrediblely well as a magician..?

To me he/she is just an entertainer though he can claim to be a magician...

Magic is an art, you need skills...
How can you call yourself as a magician if you don't have the skills..?
You can't call youself as a magician if you don't have any magic skills.

No doubt in show business presentation is 100%
because it goes for the entertainment value...
The famous variety show "Cheong Hao Yat Ding"
You can be a lousy singer, lousy acter, lousy dancer; yet you still can win the contest...
Because they go for entertainment value...

If you talk about show business,
Yess presentation is everything
However, if I would consider a person as a magician (Mentalist/Excapist/Cardician...) or not...
Tecnique and presentation is equally important...
No such things as 20% and 80%...

Are you sure..?
Nowadays, there are a lot of demos on new magic effect that has no presentation at all...
1 coin in his hand, without any fishy move, openly he close his hand
then he his open fist, the coin disappear...
You can't see the coin at all front the front or back...
0% presentation, no talking, no misdirection, semua tak de
Don't you think it's magical as well..?
Greatest part of all, that product is marketed as no skills required...

No presentation but still magical
No skills yet still seem like a great magician
Confuse right..?

Let me end this by saying, magic isn't just presentation only or technique only...
Magic is an art, you not only need those both things, you need more than those 2...

Though I never use pass in any of my routine...
I still often practise it and I can execute it kinda well...
I don't find it a waste of time...
I practise & learn as many sleights as possible because
if 1 day I need to execute them, I will not be an issue to me...

When I 1st started in magic, I hate practising palming
and I think it's totally impossible for me to execute it as my palm is smaller than Max Malini (I believe so)
However, I didn't give up, I continue to practise it till I really master it...
Now I often use this sleight to accomplish many effects...
I don't think it's a waste of time and I have no regret learning palming
or still continueing practising my pass...

The right answer is presentation.. that's wat i voted too...

But yeah.. a lot of us work on Techniques..

Great techniques and great slieght/handling get attention and praises from other Magicians...

But yeah... entertainment wise... PRESENTATIOn for the winner :)

ps. the one magician with both awesome sleights and presentation that i know and respect v much is Jordan Lapping... i guess we all know how awesomely skillful and great he is with a deck of cards. haha

IMHO both is essential.

I wouldnt consider something as magic without either technique or presentation. ^^

presentation might be more important than technique, but both skill and presentation is essential to produce good magic. :D

Agree with Kenoph.

Both are equally important.

If you are good at sleights but bad at presentation.
You are a tasty but ugly looking piece of cake.

If you are good at presentation but bad at sleight.
You are a yucky but nice looking piece of cake.

If you are good at both,
You are a tasty and elegant looking piece of cake.

Choose which one you wanna be.

Isaac

Let me clarify something regarding my previous post;
"No Presentation = No Magic~!"

I'm not really saying that there is no needed for technique as since I've only been given 1 choice to choose of either Technique/Presentation in this thread. I'll say Presentation just a little more essential than Technique.

Without Presentation, Good Magician but Bad Performer and vice-versa.

I think of entertainment as first class to the audience. I may have sloopy sleights during my act, but if your presentation is good, eg. coordinating hand movements, midirections, eye contact, speech flows and etc, I would say 99% of the audience with the exceptions of hecklers will not catch the sloopy sleights. This is why I prefer Presentation to Technique if only 1 choice being given.

One more is that, I believe personalities could also stood out in making decisions of whether technique/presentation is more important.

If you are a comedian magician, then presentation is more important. You are failed if the audience doesn't enjoy being entertained.

If you are a card magician that practise in gamblers sleights, I would say technique is more important. You failed if the audience caught you doing sloopy sleights.

These are just my opinions~~



Cheers,
Roy JR Foo

My opinion is that presentation comes first, technique second... this is because without the presentation... the spectators will not feel the magic happening... presentation serves as a good misdirection to the techniques being used.

PRESENTATION differentiates between

a Trickster (a person who shows he can do tricks)

and

a Magician (a person who shows he can do miracles).

Both technique & presentation are important but I believe presentation has a bigger percentage, though the value is different for everyone.

skills and presentation equally important but if your presentation is better,every one will be entertained and impressed...in fact,magic in an art just like music...everyone in enjoying the tricks and performances you give,they are just anticipating the effect,not judging how well your skill is...although skill is important in executing a trick but most people are more to how well your presentation are..presentation varies among people..some of them like to be in a mysterious way,some of them like to be a hillarious way..it's how you give your presentation..i am more to presentation than style because for me,presentation means personal style..

i find it interesting how everyone votes presentation. However, the most successful, as a magician(Samuel Chong), has voted else wise.

I dont think Samuel voted Technique... (correct me if im wrong)

It was Kam who voted Technique.... (as we read from his post)

There's only one vote for Technique...

We often vote on areas we need improvement on, but still practice on the other. Funny how we all are....

Did I really vote for technique? Or presentation? ;)

Again, I just find it weird for this separation of presentation and technique. Let me ask you guys this: Is misdirection a technique or presentation?

regardless of statistics, from what they wrote, it feels like kam leaned with the majority and sam leaned the other way

You got me there, Kam. I guess misdirection is kind of a grey area. I would put it in presentation, as in does not involve any technical or physical skills.

I set up this poll because I've noticed that a lot of us tend to focus more on technical skills.

Don't get me wrong, the ones I've seen are brilliant with their sleights and all of that, and I applaud them for it. But since I do a lot of mentalism, which is pretty much 95% presentation, I've noticed that in terms of performance, a lot of us tend to be wrapped up in our little world of special hand-breaking techniques and whatnot. It's like they learn to perform for magicians, not the layperson.

It just seems to me that a little thought could be given to the performance aspects of magic, such as scripting, how you look, how you speak, language, inflection or tone of voice, and so on and so on.

Great to see people giving out their opinions.

Keep it up, MMF!

>> I guess misdirection is kind of a grey area.
>> I would put it in presentation, as in does not involve any technical or physical skills.
There are at least 7 catergories of misdirection
inclusive Stage/Parlour Magic, Close Up Magic & Pickpocket Magic
most of them require skills more than presentation.

To prove my point, let me list down some book/DVD for you guys to cross referance.

Not only I read and watch the books & DVDs I mentioned above,
I really perform all those kind of magic with misdirection in real world situation .
I always try my best to blend presentation, misdirection and sleight of hand into a better routine...
If you ever see me perform pickpocket, comedy stage show
or attend my close up/stand up lecture before
you will probably have a better understanding of what I'm saying...

To me Misdirection require more of a skill than presentation
Presentation is just a tool for misdirection
For instance, Time Misdirection uses presentation to reach it's goal.

>> Is misdirection a technique or presentation?
To answer Kam, as for me, misdirection is cleary a skill or technique
To me, skill/technique = sleight of hand (inclusive manipulation), misdirection, flourish...
presentation = script, custome/style (how you look), manner (how you speak), language, inflection or tone of voice... (just like what Adlan mentioned.)

>> I dont think Samuel voted Technique
Hahahaha... :lol: I didn't vote at all :!!:
Which one is faster Ostrich or Eagle ..?
All I can say is run like an ostrich; fly like an eagle... B)

Don't forget Nathaniel Schiffmann's - or is it Schumann - ABRACADABRA!

His chapter on misdirection is a must-read. In fact, the whole book is awesome. I can't remember where I put mine, though.

Did a search in a few online shop but I couldn't find the link...
Can you still remember what's the name of the book..?

It's called "Abracadabra!"