Constructing and scripting a successful and commercial
magic act that integrates with the Enigma System
Way back in the fifties I was a young man, obsessed with magic, my magic consisted of tricks
purchased from Davenports, Linking Rings, Rice Bowls, Pom Pom Sticks, Evaporated milk jug.
Etc Etc. Many magicians seem to think that any group of random magic tricks can be built into
an act.
When we start to learn magic, we learn as many tricks as possible that come our way , . During
the early stages of learning magic, we don’t think about performing a magic act, we concentrate
on just performing great tricks.
It’s only once that we acquire a good range of tricks that we begin to think about how to link
the tricks together. But by then it’s too late. We have spent out time collecting random tricks,
and now have a chaotic collection of magic with no common thread ,
I had no mentors or magic clubs to guide me, no Videos. I had a few books, but I was only really
interested in buying Off the shelf items that I could quickly master and then perform.
I performed at village hall concert shows and was in demand for children’s parties.
My performances were not scripted and my shows were listed on scraps of paper that showed
the order that I would perform each miracle.
Times have changed, Magicians now have Clubs, Videos, You Tube, Books, and TV with such
shows as Penn and Teller Fool Us to draw inspiration from.
The Enigma System requires a performer to have a structured act, with a certain amount of
scripting . I personally believe that a rigidly scripted act is not necessarily a good thing,
However it is a good discipline to have a set script for certain tricks and in some cases
necessarily, for instance the card routine “Sam the bellhop” requires that you stick to the
script, Rope routines benefit from being scripted. However it would be impossible to tightly
script a Children show, as most of the fun come from the unpredictable things that happen
during the performance. This does not stop you from tightly structuring you show, the music,
the effects , the lighting and the gags.
Enigma works on a pre programmed time line that sets of effects such as Card Fountains,
Bubble Machines and Robots. I know what you are thinking ,“ What happens if something
occurs that effects the continuity of my act, or if I want to milk a certain trick that is getting an
exceptional reaction, will this screw up the remaining performance of timed effects or sounds
on the time line ?
Enigma allows you to add pauses on to the time line that be can programed on to pause the
animation at a time you might need to include some ad hoc action.
For instance a certain point you might want to interact with the audience , some jokes, or you
might bring somebody up on stage, this can not be timed. so at your pause point you are free to
continue your show without the time line running. Your remote will restart the timeline
whenever it is suitable for you.
Another alternative is to use the remote to pause the timeline, this can be done at any time.
and is especially handy for pausing the timeline prior to an effect such as a card fountain, or
flash pot. Lets say you are performing a routine with a sound track your timeline has enabled
“such as background music to a silk fountain” at the end of this routine pause the timeline. Your
next action on the timeline is to activate the card fountain. When required just click the remote
and the fountain will activate. You could then have a pre planned pause inserted on to the
timeline prior to your next requirement, It might be a new music track that starting at the same
time as a bubble machine activates. Now you can see the importance of having a structured
show.
Many successful, professional magicians don’t work on act structure, and that’s OK. You can
very easily continue to perform unassociated tricks and get great reactions. I would suggest
that your magic will be getting a great response despite the lack of a theme, rather than
because of it.
A little thought into act construction will lift the performance to a new level, leaving the
spectators amazed at your magic, and feeling that they have seen something greater than the
sum of it’s individual parts.