Michael Ammar On The Business Side Of Magic2.pdf

Chapter Eight

MAGIC MANAGEMENT

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

I it is necessary to point out something the very beginning. The enclosed sheets you

to Period. They are not difficult to use or understand, but if they are not used, they must

therefore be considered worthless. However, if you do dedicate yourself to following through with

this method of organization and management, you will count your blessings in the years to come.

They are designed for long term use and benefits.

vitally important to manage and organize,the skills and knowledge which you possess.

The Custom Cue Sheets, once completed, put your entire repertoire at your fingertips. Once you

decide what show you wish to perform, you can instantly have a complete script of that show.

The Show Sheets will provide long-range benefits concerning repeat bookings. Also, perhaps

more important than any other point, by reviewing each show you present, you will improve,

learn, and benefit from every performance. People who are anxious to succeed and improve will

realize that if this constant reviewing and analyzing process doesn't help, then nothing else

The Project Planner is designed to teach you to become goal-oriented. Work from a three-stage

point of view: (1) Set your goals; (2) Make your plans; (3) And take ACTION. You will benefit in

every phase of your life if you ask yourself certain questions and apply certain principles to every

problem you face.

These systems were developed for my private use, and have helped me to improve my magic and

management. I hope you benefit from my viewpoints.

CUSTOM CUE SHEETS

We begin our efforts to better organize and manage our magic by reviewing the Custom Cue

Sheets. A number of factors make these sheets quite interesting. We will look at some of the benefits

which these sheets provide, and then we will learn how to best use and apply them.

I have some good news, and I have some bad news. The Cue Sheets will require a one-shot or

investment of your time. (That's the bad news.) The good news is that the time is invested wisely.

Once completed, your sheets become a permanent record of your repertoire; providing you with a

wonderful collection of your material, allowing you to trace and note your improvements and

developments over your life in Not only that, but you will see them transform into true

"peace of mind" and the best time-saving device you will ever have. They allow you to comfortably

expand your horizons and add professionalism to every show you perform. If that sounds like a lot

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The Magic

to promise, then please read on and try to visualize the security that a completed set of Custom Cue

Sheets would bring to your performing

The Cue Sheets were developed for a number of reasons, among them are: (1) New material to

my performing "arsenal" without losing the polish my existing routines had developed; (2) I had

forgotten one too many of my lines during a performance; (3) I was fed up with fighting to piece

together the different routines into the best possible show after laying off for a month.

Each Cue Sheet is designed to record the information you would ever need concerning a

routine. The headings were selected to allow you to perform that particular effect in its entirety

after reviewing the sheet a couple of times.

Each routine you should be given a title which you can easily recognize. Begin by listing

these titles on the Effect line. Judge the angle problems you may face along with the props, etc.,

which are employed, and place a check beside the appropriate performing situations (Stages, Plat-

form, or

If your routine has a particularly bad set of angles (Zombie, example), or if it involves a specific

set of performing conditions (Hippity Hop Rabbits for children), or if it requires certain important

lighting or staging sequences (Dancing Cane) then these things should be detailed in Performing

Conditions and Special Lighting: Staging.

Certain tricks play better with certain types of audience volunteers. The key is to decide upon the

best type of person, the best age, and sex for the particular routine. It would be rude to select a dis-

tinguished elderly gentleman to place an eggbeater to his head in front of all his friends. So deter-

mine the criteria for the best possible helper and list them under Volunteer from the Audience and

Sex. Remember - our goal is to the Cue

with the ideal performing information so

we can work towards standardizing our shows. It

speed up our improvements if the standard

with which we measure ourselves is a high one.

To avoid unnecessary stage movement, to insure proper placing and economy of motion, you

should plan your Positioning and Cues in advance. Where is the best place to put your props or to

have a spectator stand? What Cues can you give your volunteer in order for the effect to flow as

smoothly as possible? An example of excellent Positioning and Cues would be the Blackstone Rope

Escape. Years of trial and error have polished this routine to perfection.

Often it is the little things which transform a trick into a full-fledged piece of entertainment.

These Bits of Business deserve all the attention we can give them.

As your experience and repertoire expand you may find it difficult to use and remember every

key line which goes with every routine. Your Key Patter Lines can literally make all the difference

in the world. It's the icing on the cake which separates the amateurs from the pros in most cases.

Some routines are natural closers. On the other hand, some routines are natural openers. Most

important is the fact that your particular handling of the routine is what will determine that rou-

tine's Preferred Show Position. Certain routines, due to the length of time they require, or to the

number of volunteers required, may need to be sandwiched in-between two fast-paced effects. You

you need to judge not only from the routine you are working on, but you also need to consider

the general nature of every other routine which you perform.

The Props is crucial. This section could help you avoid much heartache if you always check it

before you leave for your show, and before each show begins.

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Magic Management

As your file of Cue Sheets expands, you will find that you have some routines which may conflict

with each other. You don't want an entire act of effects or card tricks. One experi-

enced performer did an entire show where things disappeared and reappeared inside of something

else. It wasn't before most of the audience anticipated the outcome of each effect. This, of

course, diluted the impact of the entire show. Judge the material you have, and list the Conflicting

Effects for each routine.

USE OF CUE SHEETS

After your initial investment of effort you are now in the position to enjoy great benefits. This is

not merely a recording system. It actually will provide you a "return" on your invested time each

and every time you perform.

The next step after filling out each sheet is to have five copies made of every sheet. I have "color

coded" my copies to tell me if a routine is for children, adults, or for any age group. Childrens'

routines were copies on pink paper; routines for all age groups are copied on yellow; and adult

routines are on blue paper.

Place the originals in a safe place for a permanent record. Then place the copies (separated in

colors if you like) into a large notebook which your Master File. When you receive a call

for your next show all you need to do is go through your Master File and remove an a

etc... until you have removed a sheet for each routine you plan on performing. Place these

into the proper order and put them into a smaller notebook or Presto! Just minutes after you

began you now have a complete script of the you plan on doing. Anyone who has performed

for any length of time can easily see how this could be extremely valuable as time goes by. The less

time you have to throw away the more this system could benefit you. The reason for making five

copies of each sheet is so you can fill out several shows at once if you like. This script will provide

you endless peace of mind, and does lot to cure pre-show jitters. Instead of pacing around waiting

for the show to start you can now wisely use your time to review the show you are about to do.

The efforts here resemble a seed which matures slowly, but which produces a rich harvest. All

too quickly, your years of interest in magic will grow - the key is to have your talents grow at a rate

that out-paces your years. This, I believe, is the sort of thing that makes that possible.

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CUSTOM CUE SHEET

Magic Management

SHOW SHEETS

Performers who intend to pursue magic as a career can gain valuable benefits from a long-term,

accurate record of their performances. This applies to the performer who is "in it for the long haul."

One who has a serious desire to perform for several years, and also improve as quickly as possible.

Everyone would like to have 30 years of experience, but who wants to take 30 years to get it?

The front page of the show sheet is designed to keep an accurate record of the person who hired

you, the date of the show, the type of audience, fee, etc. These things become crucial to the per-

who may eventually re-book that group. This information could be valuable mailing lists

and for keeping track of earnings.

As a sincere student of the you must want to do as polished a show as possible. By keeping an

accurate record of the group and the show presented, you can more economically plan the repeat

shows (especially if you use your custom cue sheets to provide you an instant script).

However, your most important benefit of the sheet be your ability to judge, rate, and learn as

much as possible from each and every show you perform. This is CRUCIAL. Can't let those clever

spur of the moment jokes be forgotten. Can't continue to perfonn an effect which continually

shows up in the "weakest numbers" section. If the show goes great - learn from it. If the show

bombs - learn from it.

Just as with the other sheets enclosed (Custom Cue and Project Planner) The headings and titles

are suggestions which the greatest number of people may be able to use. If they aren't perfect for

you, or if something else would be better, then change them. If these sheets cause you to think a

little deeper, or from a different viewpoint, then they have accomplished their purpose. I hope that

this system proves itself to be as much of an aid to you as it has to me. Good Luck!

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