Discourse in Magic

Jonah and Ben answer all your questions about how they got their appearance on Penn and Teller’s Fool Us, and how you can get yours too. How Did We Get On? Ben had actually been approached before as his name was passed around as a potential candidate, but back then when he applied they declined. As years went on and Jonah and Ben found themselves locked down together during the pandemic they decided to work together and apply a duo act, a new pairing that they hadn’t tried before but found they enjoyed working together.  Jonah and Ben share with you how they worked together as a team to invent the trick they performed on Fool Us and how they have worked out their dynamics as they’ve moved from solo performances to a duo act.  How Did We Pick The Trick? How did they pick the trick they performed on Fool Us? They didn’t!  At first Ben and Jonah submitted their tricks they were doing for their virtual Zoom shows. The response from the show producers was that they liked their energy but the tricks needed tweaking.  Ultimately their answer would lie in their Youtube series diving into the Tarbell books in magic. In that series Jonah and Ben would each challenge each other to find a different Tarbell trick and give it a modern twist. It was from that series that the Watermelon Trick was born.  Jonah and Ben break down the entire process of developing the Watermelon Trick and what it was like auditioning it to the Fool Us producers, what worked, what didn’t, and what changed before it made it onto television. How Did We Prepare? Finally they had caught the interest of Fool Us, but unfortunately it was for a new trick they had never performed before. How did Jonah and Ben prepare to perform the Watermelon Trick in front of Penn & Teller? How did they work out what to say, where to stand, and where to look? They go over all the meticulous planning, practicing, and rehearsing that went into getting the trick up to the quality that they’d perform on Fool Us.  Plugs Check out the Toronto Magic Company’s Youtube Channel to watch the performance on Fool Us as well as the Tarbell Challenge videos that started the journey to discovering the trick they performed for Penn & Teller. https://www.youtube.com/c/TorontoMagicCompany And check out Jonah’s previous conversation with Teller: https://discourseinmagic.com/a-life-of-magic-with-teller/ The post How We Got On Fool Us appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Jonah wants you to do one thing, which is to watch him and Ben Train perform on Pen & Teller’s Fool Us which airs for the first time on Friday November 4th, 2022! The post Fool Us, Starring Jonah Babins and Ben Train! appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Mortenn Christiansen is a Danish magician who recently won first place at FISM 2022 for comedy. He shares with Jonah his story about growing up without any magicians around him to aim higher and farther than even he originally thought he could accomplish.  A Kid and a Magic Shop Mortenn was twelve when he discovered his local magic shop, eventually spending so much time there that they would offer him a job where he continues to work there to this day. At the shop he taught himself to learn English, since all the magic instructions he had were printed in english. At first he had no desire to perform, for Mortenn the magic was enough. Eventually, however, he would reach out and began performing in local competitions. It wouldn’t be long before he was winning so often that they would stop letting him compete just to be fair to the other competitors.  Magicians Are Not Great Performers Mortenn challenges the notion that every magician should perform and recognizes that it’s really strange that this artform, compared to any other, almost mandates that everyone who wants to learn magic must also perform magic. Take away the secret behind the routine and most magicians struggle to be engaging performers, but this shouldn’t be a bad thing and Mortenn encourages everyone, including those who don’t feel like they would be strong performers, to still study and learn magic just for themselves.  If you do decide to perform he offers up the lessons he’s learned himself and pushes everyone to keep their set original. It would be very weird to perform an exact copy of a comedy routine yet in the realm of magic it’s totally acceptable. Keep making stuff and working on original stuff and never let yourself feel like your trick is ever done and doesn’t need additional improvements or modifications. Keep working at it, and always aim higher. Wrap-Up Endless Chain Rune Klan What do you like about modern magic? What do you not like? Likes the Zoom shows. Mortenn regrets not getting into Zoom shows but admires how well the magic community adapted to changing needs of both performer and audience. Does not like magicians who don’t think.  Take home point Think better. Try to aim higher. It doesn’t have to fool magicians but thinking that it should fool a smart person. Do not assume that lay people are dumb. Plugs Instagram: @mortennmortenn You can also find Mortenn at Vanishing Ink’s conventions, The Session, in London, and Magifest in Ohio, USA both in January where he will be performing his FISM winning routine. The post Aiming Higher with Mortenn Christiansen appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah shares with you his secrets on how to get an extra 50 to 250 leads in Q4, the busiest time for a magician. The information in this episode comes directly from a two hour workshop that Jonah hosted. There are three simple things that you can do to earn you extra quality leads and in less then ten minutes you’ll be all caught up and ready to tackle the season ahead. If you don’t want to miss the next workshop then visit discourseinmagic.com/updates and sign up for the newsletter. Additionally, you should follow the Discourse in Magic Facebook group where you can be notified about future workshops and events. If you’d like to reach out to Jonah directly you should visit the Facebook page and message him the word “Leads” and that way he’ll know you came from this episode and will be able to see if he can help.   The post Magic Appetizer: How To Get Extra Leads appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Jonah connects with cardistry legend Franco Pascali. Franco is an amazing magician, thinker, and creator and he’ll share his secrets on how he develops his skills and grows his communities. Seeing Magic Young Magic found Franco when he would spend time with his fathers friends when they were playing card games. Even though none of these friends were magicians they all knew one basic trick. By the time Franco saw David Blaine on TV, he was already familiar with the basic concepts.  As a kid, Franco was running up and down the playground trying to show everyone everything he knew. It wouldn’t be long before he’d audition for the Magic Castle Junior Academy, which would be the first time being around other magicians apart from the magic shop.  Franco shares with Jonah all you’ve ever wanted to know about the Junior Academy and what it was like being a kid growing up in that environment.  Anyone Can Do Magic Franco has a lot to say about learning magic and learning how to be creative. He doesn’t consider himself a naturally creative mind but truly believes in the power of practice and repetition. There are so many resources available online that if you’re willing to put in the work you’ll be able to develop your skills and be a decent magician. The trick is you have to be willing to put in the work!  Playing and Having Fun Franco is prolific in the cardistry community, as well as being brought in as a consultant for cardistry on shows like Magic Camp. Franco has a lot of praise for cardistry and shares with Jonah why he loves cardistry and the differences it has between the magic community.  Franco loves cards so much it’s no surprise that he launched his own card line, enter Cartelago, and he opens up on all the details and considerations that go into the design and construction of great card decks.   Wrap-Up Endless Chain Tony Picaso, AKA the “Cardfather”, is an LA underground sensation in magic. He’s done many exclusive shows at the Magic Castle for many prestigious guests and he just oozes knowledge. What do you like about modern magic? What do you not like? I like that there are a lot of creative young people right now which has led to a lot of advancements in gimmick building. The modern gimmicks we have now are very exciting.  I don’t like anything unauthentic in magic. I hate cheezyness. I hate stupid tiktok content. Take home point When it comes to performing magic and being a better magician, there’s been a lot of glorification of ideas without backing and for me the backing is the actual hours spent performing. Your audience is your best teacher. You also have to be fully fearless of failure. Failure has nothing to do with us. All we can do is our absolute best and then go do it with a good heart and good intentions and the rest does not matter and won’t matter to anybody watching.  If you find a repertoire that you love… it’ll somehow show and it’ll be the best thing you do.  Plugs Instagram: @francopascali If you’re interested in being part of a cool magic community that teaches free magic, follow @magicintel. This is a private account and when you follow you may be asked to DM a video of you doing magic. If you’re interested in getting playing cards check out @cartelago  Finally, Franco just dropped his latest trick, “Disposition”, which you can find in the Theory11 store. The post Creating to Problem Solve with Franco Pascali appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is back with an update on all the places he’s been since the last podcast update and brings with him some tips for you as magicians enter their busiest time of the year. Since the last time you heard from him Jonah has been all around the world, he attended the FISM 2022 World Cup in Quebec, he’s been to Barcelona, Israel, and Chicago. He shares all about his travels, what he learned, and what he was doing in each location. This time of year, October to December, is also the busiest time of the year for magicians. Jonah will share with you all you need to know to prepare for this period of busy business and if it would benefit you to get ready for Q4, be sure to sign up for Jonah’s workshop by signing up for the newsletter at discourseinmagic.com/updates In the mean time make sure you follow Jonah on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube to get all the latest updates and offerings that he’s creating for you on an almost daily basis! The post Magic Appetizer: Past, Present, and Your Future appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah connects with magic consultant Blake Vogt. Together they walk through how to be creative, how to work with a team, and Blake shares some incredible stories from his time as a magic consultant. Dropping School To Work In Magic Blake loves telling the story of how he first came to learn about magic. It was at a Pizza Hut and there was a magician moving through the restaurant performing for the tables. In an instant all of Blake’s love for puzzles, performance, and problem solving crystallized into a single profession and he knew he’d never escape the magic world.  Blake shares with Jonah his incredible personal journey that started with him walking out on class and ending up working for David Copperfield as one of his “Tinker Boys” behind the scenes. From there he’s moved around the country to consult with some of the biggest names in show business. Embracing Bad Ideas From working with David Copperfield and David Blane to big name acts like Kanye and Pharell and even landing on the set of Ant Man, Blake has never promised anyone a good idea. But he has promised that they would get every single one of his bad ideas. It’s his embrace of the bad idea, and never shutting up, that he’s convinced has led to some of his greatest accomplishments and breakthroughs in magic consulting. While talking with Jonah, Blake will share with you his advice for how to break into the world of magic consulting, how to prepare to perform magic on TV, and how to be your best creative self. Wrap-Up Endless Chain Mark Kalin. “He is one of the most interesting human beings alive. If you talk to him for one hour, so much crazy will come out of his    mouth that I am excited to listen to that episode”!  What do you like about modern magic? What do you not like? “I like how much stuff is available. Every week there is a new youtube video of a magician on tv… and I love being able to watch all that.” “But that is also what I don’t like, because now that there is so much stuff out it becomes very hard to sift through it all.”  Take home point “Bad Ideas. Just the value of them and learning to not be afraid of them… almost any good idea I’ve ever heard, came from them”. Plugs You can follow Blake on instagram at @blakevogt You can check out what Blake has on sale by visiting blakevogt.com The post Becoming a Magic Consultant with Blake Vogt appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Jonah connects with Kevin Li. Kevin is a two-time contestant on Fool Us, and a prolific social media magician who expanded his business into virtual performances. Throughout this conversation he offers up tips on how to build your brand, your identity, and your magic from influences outside of the magical realm.  A Walking Marketer Kevin Li was lucky enough to get his start learning about magic from the Magic Castle itself but it wasn’t until College that he started to see magic as the legitimate and viable path for a career that it was. His parents took some convincing, of course, but there was no doubt in his mind that performing magic was the way forward for him. Because of that Kevin has learned early on that he needed to be a walking marketer. When you’re performing there’s never a guarantee of the next gig or the next contract so you’re always having to put yourself out there and telling everyone what you do because you never know when that next show is going to be.  Being Original Among Trends Kevin is a prolific social media magician with a successful following on both TikTok and Instagram. But that didn’t happen because he followed the trends and in his conversation with Jonah he emphasizes how important it was to be original and not to copy the other trends happening on social media, especially in the realm of magic.  In order to be the original performer he wanted to be, Kevin spends a lot of time consuming lots of non-magic media. He’s convinced that if you’re going to set out to produce a lot of content you need to be able to consume a lot of content and he offers tips and suggestions on how you can reach out and find your inspiration from other mediums and genres as well as advice on how to make trending videos of your own.  Wrap-Up Endless Chain I’m gonna recommend my good friend and consultant Micky Wong. Micky is an incredible magician based in Hong Kong and he’s done a lot of consulting work, tv work, and he’s helped me with both my magic and script writing. He’s just well rounded in everything magic wise.   What do you like about modern magic? What do you not like? One thing I do like about modern magic is you’re able to experiment more. It’s not going to be too daunting to try out new things. I feel like the creativity there, people are more accepting of all kinds of ideas. Like, people are actually looking for new ideas all the time. They don’t wanna see the same stuff over and over again. That should make you more confident about trying new things. One thing I don’t like is carbon copies of social media magicians. It’s not just a TikTok trend that everyone gets to copy. In magic it’s not the same, don’t be a carbon copy of one another. Please be original.       Take home point Be original but don’t forget to have fun. Sometimes when you’re so hooked on a specific idea or method and you visit it too long you can start hating it.  Plugs Instagram – @KevinLiMagic YouTube – Kevin Li Magic TikTok – @magickevinli And for all things Supper Club visit the Rosalynn Magic Club The post Seeking Magic Inspiration with Kevin Li appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Jonah connects with Mark Desouza. Mark might be one of the most well connected magicians around with a deep curiosity of the art of magic and an even deeper collection of magic props. Magic Communities Mark Desouza has a reputation for knowing everyone and having a foot in both classic and modern worlds of magic. He opens up with Jonah about how he first connected with the community at his magic shop and shares his recollections on how he made his first contacts and found himself invited into the inner circles of top underground magicians.  The real secret he believes is that he had desire, not just curiosity. He didn’t just show up and ask these experts to show him a trick. He did the research, and worked on his craft, and by the time he approached a magician for the first time he already had informed questions to ask them. And everytime he’s asked people in that way, they’ve always responded positively.  Magic Collections Mark never considered himself a collector, yet if you ask around his collection is spoken about for miles. Mark never bought things just for the collection but found himself buying things that truly interested him. That might be why he owns 50 sets of chinese sticks.   Mark shares with Jonah some of his favorite items in his collection, his reasons for buying new props, and which items from his collection he uses in his acts.  Magic Competitions If you have any questions about magic competitions you should make sure you stick around to the later half of Mark’s chat with Jonah as he opens up to the realities of modern magic competitions. The competition has never been more fierce but the rewards aren’t as high as they used to be. Even winning the FISM Grand Prix doesn’t guarantee you’ll have work. There just simply aren’t enough venues that will book an act like that.  So why compete? Mark proposes that there are some very good reasons to compete and the best reason is for the critique you’ll receive from the judges.  Wrap-Up Endless Chain Eric DeCamps and Will Fern What do you like about modern magic? What do you not like? Likes magicians doing long form. There are magicians doing one-man shows in a whole lot of different venues now. Does not like the internet not properly respecting magic and its creators. One of the biggest problems is you’re going to get creators not willing to share because they’re just going to get ripped off.   Take home point Research & diligence.  You need to begin to research your material. Where did it come from? Who has done it before? And what will make it good for you?  If you start on something, carry through with it. Don’t get sidetracked.  Plugs You can still find some of Mark’s videos from the early 80’s for sale on Meir Yedid’s mymagic.com. Mark also has a four hour lecture on stand-up magic available at Penguin Magic. And while Mark’s books are out of print they will soon be made available as e-books and if you’d like to receive a special deal from Mark then you should e-mail him at fkaps@aol.com. The post Curiosity, Collections, & Community with Mark Desouza appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Jonah breaks down the three biggest mistakes that magicians make when they’re testing our new material for their shows. If you’re trying to get a new trick better, if you’re performing on open mic nights or putting it in your show, or trying to test material in your stage show, how do you make it better? How do you make it work? And more importantly, how do you make it so that you try a trick out and over time it gets better and better and makes its way into your act instead of you losing confidence in it. Here are the three biggest mistakes that magicians are making in trying out new material.  Mistake #1: Not Memorizing A Script There are many ways that you can write a script but really what you need to do at the end of the day is, if you want your trick to get better, you need to have some things memorized. There is a certain type of magic that happens not when you write a script but when you’ve memorized a script and you’re out on stage. There’s a different level of confidence and rhythm to what you do because you are figuring out the pacing and the timing of what you’re saying. Many people sit and write a script but they don’t memorize it, and you need to know your script backwards and forwards. That is what’s going to give you confidence on stage and that is what is going to give you something to edit when things are not working the way you want it to. Mistake #2: Not Padding Your Tricks You need to do something on that stage to build rapport with the audience, and more importantly, build your rhythm with the audience. Don’t just go there and then try something brand new for the very first time. It’s going to feel strange. So if you can, if you have jokes or tricks or lines or sentences, or things that you say that you’ve said before, that you are confident in, then try to put a little bit of that into the new trick. Before you do this new trick, it makes a huge difference not to just run on stage and try something that you’ve never tried before. The rhythm is going to be very weird. You want to learn what the rhythm is with you talking back and forth with the audience. And the first time that you write a script, the first time you memorize it, you’re not going to know that rhythm. So put something earlier in the tricks that you can establish a little bit of your rhythm and build a little bit of that momentum with the new Trek and it’s going to help it be a lot smoother in your act. It’s going to make it feel a lot less new when you’re performing it for an audience, because you will have already built some rhythm with them. If you have a trick or a joke or some lines or a sentence that you are used to saying then start with that when you step out on the stage. Mistake #3: Not Recording Your Sets  If you’re trying to get better than you need to be able to watch your magic critically. And it has never been easier to just pop your phone on a $9 tripod and record the set. When you see standup comedians out at open mic shows, they are recording their sets. They want to watch it back. They want to get the rhythm and the timing right. You should be doing exactly the same. You need to be recording your sets and recording your performances. There’s nothing else to say about that. And then you have to watch them. You will be baffled by how much better you will get iIf you just commit to recording your sets and watching it afterwards. You’ll make just minor changes and by the time you’ve done it a half dozen times maybe you’ll be making minor changes at that point. Filming the set is the only way to get better. We think that we remember how everything went, but when we’re on stage our adrenaline is pumping and we don’t really accurately remember the situation the way we think we do. But the camera never lies. So record your sets. That is the way to get better at your material and hopefully get a new trick that you’re trying into your set and into your repertoire. Come See Jonah Live If you’re anywhere near Toronto, come see The Newest Trick In The Book. It’s free and there are eight magicians on the line up. It’s going to be epic and you should be there. The post Magic Appetizer: How to Test New Material appeared first on Discourse in Magic.