Don’t tell me what to say
The pro’s and con’s of scripting, and why EVERY performer should do it !
If you listen to public speakers, especially stand up comedians or politicians, they seem to easily speak “off-the-cuff” and relaxed, like they are just chatting with the audience. They seem to easily and effortlessly shift from topic to topic.
But the fact is their relaxed delivery comes from being highly prepared, rehearsed and scripted in everything they say and do on stage or before the camera. Much work goes into deciding which words should or should not be used….
… and magicians need to follow their examples.
Here is the conundrum: the magician practices a trick, masters the moves, gets the timing perfect and the misdirection faultless. So now what is he going to say during his performance? How is he going to really entertain the crowd?
Well, there are basically two choices:
‘Wing it’ and see what happens
Create and follow a SCRIPT
But I don’t wanna sound “scripted “
It’s a common misconception that, by using scripted material, the magician becomes rigidly locked into a straight jacket of words, sounding unnatural and “canned”.
The fear is that his demeanor and interaction with the crowd, along with his overall performance, will somehow get bogged-down, and that the script will only serve to provide a huge distraction for him and his audience.
The act becomes too cumbersome and overloaded, having to remember the tricks, routine, techniques, moves, timing, misdirection; only to have to now memorize and regurgitate some script. The show will definitely trip over all of the excess words and the magician will end up with egg on his face.
However, nothing could be further from reality. The use of a script isn’t limiting or confining. And it most certainly doesn’t “get in the way” during a performance. Quite the opposite - a script is both calming and liberating.
So what EXACTLY are we talking about?
Everyone is familiar with the formal type of script format: the written text used in live plays and movies. In this document, every scene, event, happening, and spoken word is described in detail and clearly written down. These are formal documents, and must be closely followed in order for the play or movie to fall together and make sense to the audience.
But magician scripts don’t necessarily have to follow any specific format. For those with limited to no experience with writing a script (and YES, a magician’s script has to be written down), it can appear to only be a word-for-word dictation of what is going to be said. However, this approach, though simplistic, does have a few bugs in it.
One problem is that, when performed, the finished product will often sound stiff and unnatural. Each trick can seem detached from the others, leaving an obvious lack in continuity throughout the show. An audience can tell right away that what’s being said is something “static” and that the magician is not performing “in the moment”.
So, to iron out this wrinkle, the magician needs to write scripts the way he talks, avoiding mere word-for-word dictation, but instead focusing on blending each trick together into one smooth routine.
With practice, the gaps between rehearsed lines from different tricks can be bridged by developing transitions on-the-spot while involving the audience. In this way, the entire delivery can sound fresh and spontaneous, even though most was scripted beforehand.
Don’t scripts have to be memorized and recited at 100% accuracy?
The answer may sound contradictory and confusing, but NO, they do not have to include 100% of what is to be said. Nor do they have to be recited “perfectly “. They just have to exist, both on paper and in the mind of the magician, and encapsulate roughly 90% to 95% of the verbal delivery.
The script is vital and cannot be ignored, however some room should be left for the magician’s own personality and style to shine through. Some of that “moxey” will have been included on the script’s pages, but some room should have also been left for showmanship flexibility and spontaneity.
Adlibs can help the delivery feel personable, entertaining, and “human”. Since he is speaking to a live audience, the magician may need to repeat something that someone didn’t understand, or ask a question. Maybe a spectator heckles or says something funny allowing the magician an opportunity to verbally retaliate.
In every event, the magician needs to keep some level of flexibility to work with the audience. This “back and forth” banter with the audience can be very important, but it doesn’t mean that the foundation of the performance (the written script) can be completely ignored. The magician simply picks back up at the point in the script where he originally left off.
“It usually takes three weeks to prepare for a good impromptu speech.”
– Mark Twain
The cons of “going commando”
When performing unscripted, the temptation is to just “wing it”. After all, flying by the seat of your pants feels free and the act seems fresh every time it’s performed. Audience members feel closer and the interaction with them more genuine.
The fact is that no one can expect to just “wing it” at every performance and think that he’ll nail it every time. Yea, he will …..
…… until he doesn’t!
And that UNTIL is always there! It lurks on the sidewalks and streets, in the bars and restaurants, skulking among the members of the crowd. It’s crouching on stage like a white tiger, waiting for the absolute worst time in the magician’s show to leap from the high grass and pounce!
When it’s a technical error (the cards fall, coins drop, or the wind blows), the script gives a safety net to fall back on.
Jimmy Talksalot describes a time when, during a street performance, a big, fat guy felt insulted by one of his jokes, and then proceeded to leave the crowd and chase Jimmy in and out and all around the performance area. Now, if that isn’t an UNTIL, I don’t know what is….
When something goes wrong in the handling, or with the effect, or even a with a spectator (and it will) the magician will need to figure out some way to push through it.
A well-rehearsed script means that the audience still has something interesting to listen to while the magician mentally works on solving the issue and saving the show.
Without it, presentations “from the hip” can fall apart. In an awkward moment, the audience will sense that something’s wrong. That moment will draw their complete focus making the UNTIL the center of attention instead of the magic. Minus a script, their final thought while driving home will be that specific train-wreck moment.
Giving directions
Sometimes a magician needs to give the spectator very specific directions, or direct a spectator in certain things to be done in a specific order. When following a solid script, any and all directions become crystal clear. Without it … who knows.
Elucidate and Clarify
A script allows the magician to expound the character at any point it seems appropriate, as well as to foreshadow moments correctly. A script also helps the magician avoid the dreaded “um’s”, “uh’s”, and “er’s”.
These glitches in presentation distract the audience from the act itself and make the magician appear unprofessional and unprepared. The unscripted act is often ripe with them.
“Word echoes” are another unwanted mannerism that a script can eliminate. “Word echoes” pop up when words or groups of words are echoed over and over, redundantly repeated with meaningless repetition, creating an annoying distraction when the listener hears the same words or groups of words over and over and over again.
(See what I did there?)
Masters never whine
No doubt, writing and using a script increases the work load. The payoff for putting in this extra work, however, will show itself almost instantly in performances. Better routines, more entertaining shows, happier crowds, more bookings, and larger hats. It may seem like a hassle at first, but this vital work on your presentation is part of the process that will set you apart from the average performer.
…… now suck it up and get busy writing!
Cheers !!