So the poll is now closed, the results are pretty clear

Effect – 30%

Method – 0%

Presentation – 70%

Two peeps did vote for Method but they also voted for the other two options, so they neutralised themselves.

Nothing really surprising I suppose, no one sees the method but people enjoy the effect the and presentation.

I’ve taken the liberty of putting into an equation:

Effect = Method + Presentation

It is the combination of method and presentation that makes up the effect, which means to make the effect better, we need to improve either the method or the presentation. The value of the method is fixed* if it works there is little room for improvement, but the value of the presentation can be increased to improve the effect.

The effect and presentation combined are responsible for the strength and type of emotion created by the trick. The method can produce lots of effects depending upon the framing given by the presentation. For example, a shuttle pass can transform, teleport or cause time travel based on how it is framed and presented.

What this does mean though, is that we are all capable of being great entertaining magicians without doing difficult tricks. (Yet we often judge a trick by its method.)

We spend a great deal of time mastering the workings but not enough time on developing our ‘non-magically’ abilities. How much time do we dedicate to practicing and studying presentation skills such as acting, timing, storytelling. And of course, creating new themes and writing new stories to bind our magic in.

These skills will heighten your magic exponentially, far more than anything else.

*a better method can improve a trick but not by very much.