Become an Illusionist

Although all magicians create illusions, those who create illusions on a grand scale to amaze and bewilder spectators are often referred to as illusionists. There are many different degrees of illusion. Some rely on clever manipulation of props, others on the deftness of their hands, still others perform death defying feats by escaping seemingly inescapable situations.

To become an illusionist, a magician must have an inventive mind that outwits the perceptive abilities of his audience. By generating new and mystifying tricks, mastering your performance and execution, and by making use of illusionist persona established by notable forerunners like Harry Houdini or Herrmann the Great, your dreams of becoming an illusionist could become a reality.

Steps

Beginning as a Novitiate

1. Train your body. Whether you decide on specializing in close-up magic or grandiose stage illusions, to perform and execute your trick well you will need to be in peak physical condition. Operating props, wrestling out of chains, or making a quick change behind a satin curtain are all physically strenuous. Your audience seeing you out of breath could leave them thinking you're less than magical.
   • Renowned magician and illusionist, Harry Houdini, was reportedly in such good shape and of such remarkable toughness that he would claim he could withstand any punch to the stomach.
   • Consider an aerobic exercise, like cycling, jogging, or swimming. The backstage behind a performance can be quite hectic, and some aerobic fortitude will help you pull off your act.
   • Some strength training, like moderate weight lifting, can be an asset as well. Some of your equipment is bound to be heavy, and if it's an important part of your illusion, you might not want anyone else setting it up. A little muscle would help, in such a case.
2. Cultivate your reflexes. When you become a famous illusionist, people will constantly try to catch you off guard and reveal you to be an ordinary man. Exceptional reflexes will not only help protect your reputation, but could also save your life. Some magic, especially the more daring escapology tricks, can be very dangerous.
   • Pick up racquetball
   • Play table tennis
   • Practice with a reaction ball
3. Develop your dexterity. A great deal of magic, especially that of close up magic, requires the deft manipulation of items with your hands. Dexterity can also be the difference between your artful execution with a prop and a fumble in front of your audience.
   • Practice coin tricks. These typically require and train exceptional dexterity in your hands, and often can be translated to other small objects.
4. Discipline your mind. A great illusionist will have to contend with many distractions throughout his performance. You may have cheering fans, lights winking from the flashes of cell phones and cameras, or a ceiling of spikes lowering slowly closer to your head. The ability to focus, maintain presence, and stay calm are the mark of a master.
   • Build your focus with concentration exercises.
   • Visualize the execution of your illusion. Studies have shown that this improves execution and focus.
5. Study the literature of illusion. There are many books that break down simple tricks and explain various techniques for achieving common magic. Even if you cannot perform a certain illusion, knowing the method behind it could be useful to you down the road.
6. Choose a persona. Some stage persona can be radically different from who you are in your private life. There's no right or wrong when it comes to choosing a stage presence, but you need to be able to sink into this character like a second skin so that your audience believes you when you say, "I will disappear," and so each person leans forward in anticipation when you say, "And now, for my next illusion..."

Developing Your Repertoire

1. Apply yourself to stage illusions. Some notable stage illusionists include Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield, Harry Houdini, and Penn and Teller. Stage illusions often make use of the distance between the seated audience and the illusionist on stage to preserve its appearance of reality. To invent your own stage illusions, you will need an understanding of the psychology of perception, a creative mind, and, potentially, a trustworthy carpenter.
   • Instead of getting bogged down in complex mechanisms and Rube-Goldberg-esque contraptions, begin first with the effect you want to achieve. Do you want your audience to think you have mastery over an orb of fire? Do you want to make it appear as though you can manipulate space and time? Start with the effect, and work backwards.
   • Stage illusions can take a long time to imagine, a longer time to design, and an even longer time to perfect to performance standards. You will need to be patient if you want to be an accomplished stage illusionist.
2. Master close-up magic. This brand of magic is usually performed at about 10 feet or less from your audience, with the prestidigitator usually seated at a table. These tricks often make use of simple props, like cards, coins, and other baubles, manipulating these with ease and finesse that makes the object seem to appear, disappear, and move through space in strange and surprising ways.
   • Train yourself by constantly keeping your hands engaged. Carry a deck of cards or a special coin wherever you go, and constantly drill palms, drops, and shuffles until your hands can grasp nearly any object and deftly make it disappear.
   • Close-up magic, being highly translatable to any small object, should be a strong skill in an illusionists repertoire.
3. Expand your mind into the territory of mentalism. Even if you don't want to gain a reputation as a psychic or a telepath, the psychology you learn in studying mentalist technique will help you better understand and manipulate the perceptions of your audience. Mentalism is a tradition of magic that makes use of body language, cold reading, and suggestion to give the impression that you have psychic powers like telepathy or precognition.
   • One of the most important weapons in a mentalists arsenal is the ability to sort the truth from lies.
4. Gain an understanding of escapology. Though this aspect of magic can be quite harrowing, playing off time limits and dangerous situations to build tension and impress an audience, a basic understanding of this art can help you cultivate your persona and mystique.
   • Your ability to disable a lock or some other restraint or trap can leave people bewildered as to how you did it and whether you really are magic.

Establishing Your Reputation

1. Distinguish yourself among illusionists. This doesn't mean you have to challenge other notable magicians, though if you managed to come out on top of that competition, it would surely give you credibility. It's just as good to find your own niche and establish yourself as an expert in that particular category.
   • Try to improve upon or add a surprising twist to a trick performed by an illusionist who inspired you. The more notable the trick, the more likely other professional illusionists will look at you as a master.
2. Make a name among the public. It's impossible to be a master illusionist if no one sees your illusion, at least not in the world of performance magic! You may need to take one of your innovative stage illusions on tour and put on live shows, or perhaps there is a venue in city close by where you can start building your following.
   • Some magician's societies work to connect performers with venues. There are many city based, country based, and international societies that might be able to find you a stage.
   • Some venues utilize live performers than others. Once you have a routine you're sure will amaze, you can inquire and audition with casinos or restaurants that promote live shows.
   • Don't forget that the Internet is a great place to gain recognition. A website with your contact information and a list of your specialties can put interested parties in contact with you.
3. Accomplish something big. Once you've perfected your basic skills, developed some tricks of your own, and gotten a reputation as an illusionist of repute, now's the time to perform your magnum opus. This will be unique for every master illusionist, but the crowning jewel in your career should leave even the most brilliant minds in the magical community scratching their heads.
   • David Copperfield wowed the world when he made the Statue of Liberty disappear in one of his most famous illusions.
4. Get a longstanding gig. The ability of world-class illusionists to consistently impress and amaze audiences can turn into a lifelong career. Entertainment oriented cities, like Las Vegas, are famous for hiring master performers, including illusionists.
5. Go into reclusion. This is not necessarily required for a master illusionist. Many mainstream performers, like Pen and Teller, have been performing magic for decades. However, at the height of your career, after achieving your magnum opus, your best trick, if you were to disappear from the scene of magic... well, wouldn't that be mysterious?

Tips

• Always perform in front of a live audience, even if your illusions are going to be recorded or televised. A live audience reassures viewers that no special effects were used to achieve the illusion.
• If you work as a professional magician, you may want to join a professional organization such as the International Brotherhood of Magicians or the Society of American Magicians. These, and similar organizations, provide support, assistance, education, and advertising for magicians of all types.
• Practice until you have perfected your illusion. It only takes one mistake before word gets out and your carefully designed trick is known to all. Take your time when practicing.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Do Magic Tricks
• Do an Easy Magic Trick
• Become a Magician
• Make an Invisible Ink Message
• Do a Basic Sleight of Hand Magic Trick
• Make It Rain Money
• Escape from a Straitjacket
• Balance an Egg
• Pull a Tablecloth from Under a Place Setting
• Make a Crystal Ball

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