Hi All,

I am planning some TV spots in the near future and am looking for effects to perform on camera. My current idlings are:

-Crazy Man's Handcuff's
-Torn and Restored Card (Fusion actually)
-Gypsy Thread
-Finger Chopper

One of my key concerns in that last one, I would end up using the host in the routine, and I don't know how that will go over with the producer's. Thoughts?

Those effect sound good to me.All I can say is that when performing the Crazy man handcuffs don't forget to show the effect with your hands right in front of your face.

Keep those hands high enough so that the audience can take a closer look at your face and next time you walk by, people will recognized you as the magician on T.V.

Mago Mai

They'll love the Finger Chopper bit. It will add some tension and reality to the show. And we all now how good that "Reality" stuff is doing these days. Maybe a "Cut and Restored" Finger Chopper???

Donovan,
If you want some outside help, feel free to give me a call and we can sit down over a cup of coffee if you want and I can toss you some ideas.
as always I remain,
PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat
AB StageCraft
Supplying Unique Mentalism and Magic World-wide
(Ask me about our new specials this month)

$100 bill switch is good, or a really clean coin vanish... via pentium vanish

Thayne

Bill swith is great at eye level too.

Mago Mai

Those sound great. There are tons of effects that would work great on T.V. My suggestion would be to stick with the most powerful effects that you know very well and are capable of doing effortlessly and confidently. And as Mago Mai suggested, stick with effects that keep your face in view. No one is going to remember you by your hands.

Thanks guys.

I guess I am going ahead with the Finger Chopper...

-Donovan

PS: Thanks Paul, I will probably be giving you a call pretty soon.

Martin Lewis' "Undivided" (cigarette paper tear) is a great TV visual. It is perfect to do right in front of your face, it's quick, visually very clean, and just all-round great.

Also, one of the things I managed to learn from a TV news spot that I was horribly rushed and unprepared for... do a dry run for the camera man to show him what movements you are going to make. Let him know where to focus, and where not to focus. You don't need to tell him NOT to film the top change... just tell him that the attention should be over here.

-Ryan Pilling

They play at home, as you do it on TV. Those are fun for the people at home to do.

Whatever you do for your spot, don't be afraid to do it for the director. And ,if there are angle problems, tip the method to the director.

Unless you are dealing with jerks that think it will be fun to expose the method, you will find that they will do what they can to make you look good. That's their job.

After all, they have invited you to be on their show, so they are responsible for your performance. If you tell them to avoid shooting from the sides, they will do what you ask.

The other factor that is important is to keep the action in one location. If you do the finger chopper, do it on a table and don't move it around. The camera frames the action, and there are few things worse than going out of frame. If you are holding things, hold them in one place. Imagine that you have a picture frame around what you are doing, and don't move from that spot. And if you can, as was suggested in another post, do it up high. That way, your face is in the picture, which is much better.

Being in television and working both sides of the camera I echo Todds comments

Scott

Just make sure whatever you do is squeaky clean. I did a telethon a hundred years ago and when I stuffed the silk into the pull and raised the empty hand up for misdirection the camera stayed tight on my
"pull" hand. It was so smooth that nothing showed, it just looked like bad camera work. I had no idea my pull work was invisible.

Bryan

Do a couple of tricks for the auidience at home to join in on like what derran brown of blaine done

Donovan,
Remember on TV they expect from you "flash things". You have to do higly visual stuff. Gary Ouellet Glow gypsy thread is a good one. you could also use scotch and soda too,wiregram, etc and some effects with flash cord. Keep in mind: visual stuff !