Timing
Tricks
The
wise performer will have all of his effects
(tricks and routines) timed and listed so
he knows the duration of each and every one.
This is essential for:
a)
Making up a programe from start to finish
to the length a potential booker wants.
b)
So you can build up say, a forty-five minute
to one hour performance for regular kid show
dates.
c)
Alternatively, should it be entertainment
for adults, you have a concise time to work
to. Most music-hall artists, when told they
had to do a nine-minute act, had to work precisely
to time. In variety, as indeed in television,
times were always adhered to.
To
prepare this, get someone who is perhaps your
wife, partner or a trusted friend with a clipboard
and papers. Given a pen and a stopwatch or
normal watch, he or she will be able, through
one of your performances, to list the effects
from start to finish and provide the duration
times of each one. This information is ideal
too for repeat shows, so that when preparing
another, and different programe, you can leave
out certain effects and routines and also
slot in some new ones.
I personally
have a complete list of all working effects
and routines with their duration listed as
well. These are listed in alphabetical order
so that, knowing the name of the effects or
routines, I can immediately find them. It
also means that I can make up a programe for
any timed performance, even a TV slot, if
asked to do so.
I prepare
each item on a single card, having larger
cards, or those stepped-up with alphabetical
letters, rather like an index file. It makes
it so easy to find an individual effect and
then its duration. This means that you can
also remove the cards from your file and work
out a show, complete with duration time.
Certain
remarks on each item can be added to the indivdual
cards to give you further information. Although
we performers don't have to work to seconds,
we do need to work to minutes. We often have
other show's on the same day, and mistiming
the first show can mean chasing your tail
for the rest of the day. Of course the same
effects can often last longer or even less
in time from venue to venue, from audience
to audience.
Cut
out the padding and provide your audience
with real solid entertainment. Those magicians
who still state that they obtain 20 minutes
or more from one effect in a kid's show are
out of date. Just imagine if one or two of
those 20 minute effects didn't happen to interest
or entertain the majority of the children.
What would you do? So timing effects is sensible.
One thing
- it can be done, but never seems practical, you
can time yourself whilst performing an effect,
routine or complete act. Personally, I feel this
is not a practical way of achieving the information.
It is always best having someone timing you whilst
you are in action.
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