what do you guys think about mentalism in reataurant walk-around. I think it may just be to ,for lack of a better word, slow and not visual enough. Most people in reastaurants want to see fast paced visual fun magic. Now, What are your thoughts. (get it, Mentalism, thoughts? ahhh.)

-connor-

I was thinking just the opposite actually. I was going to make an entire mentalism routine as one of my routines for a restaraunt setting. It wouldn't be strickly mentalism though like you're talking about because I would also use more visual mental stuff and end the routine with the elevator levitation.

i would recommend it because of how it leaves an amazing impression
and it does not take too long
what i like to do is to use universal impression and have them think of a card a large number and any word, and with a little pizazz figure out their items

-Thought Chunnel by Joshua Quinn (Paralies book)
-Coin Bending (Quantum Bender 2.0)
-Invisible Deck
-Osterlind's Watch Routine
-Pk Touch (works great with a big party)
-Banacheks pk time
-Peek/Center Tear
-Asi Winds Any Card at Any Number
-Radar Deck

I think what you would perform in a restaurant would be Mental Magic as opposed to Mentalism. Mentalism tends to be more suited towards stage work rather than close up. Mental magic is quicker, more visual, and better suited (in my opinion) towards restaurant work. Something like a "pick a card and let me guess it" sort of thing rather than a "let me get 5 volunteers up here to all write down something that I can divine through some odd means".

I perform mentalism in restaurants all the time. I do exactly what you say with 5 people and divine objects they are thinking of. There is nothing wrong with performing mentalism in restaurants. It is ALL about presentation.

To someone who is used to doing it yes, but not to an amateur. Try to have a mentalism amateur keep the attention of an audience of 4 for the same amount of time that, at the very least, a seasoned amateur will. He should look into mentalism, but should also be prepared to perform only mental magic for the first while.

The object here is to move away from being a beginning to a working pro. I surely do hope someone who just started is not thinking about hopping right into restaurant work without the proper practice and people skills.

By the time you start getting paid you are no longer a beginner. I've performed Mentalism in strolling environments especially restaurants for years. It is all about presentation, all illusionists are entertainers. You'd be surprised what a simple equivoque, with borrowed objects and a written prediction on the back of a business card will do. It does not get more beginner than that.Yet working pros such as Osterlind do it all the time.

Workers do not rely on tricks to make their show a success. We bring life to the effects. Without audience interaction there is no magic.

" The man who said it cannot be done should not interupt man who is doing it." -Ancient Chinese Proverb

I never said he couldn't do it or that he shouldn't. I simply said he should start off with mental magic instead to get himself more confidence performing those types of effects. Once that is accomplished, he can keep the audience's attention for the time required to do a longer, more mentalism centered effect.

Bucky could you give an example of mental magic versus mentalism? Plus what's ring said is that if he's going into a restaurant he should already be comfortable doing mentalism if he wants to do that there.

Mental Magic = Invisible Deck Impossible Prediction
Mentalism = Cold Reading or Mental for Deck Prediction

I'd also like to throw something in here. People don't want or even expect to see visual magic when they go to a restaurant. When you walk up to a table you're like a hidden little nugget and they're glad to see magic of any kind whether it be mental, mentalism, or magic.

I can see where you could be right, but are you speaking from experience or are you just speculating?

Unfortunately just speculating. I have yet to make all necessary preparations so that I may go into the restaurant magic business, but it will happen soon.

That's okay. But what I meant from this whole thing (based on my idea of mentalism) was that it would be much harder for a mentalist to keep an audience's attention for 10 mins with one long effect, than it would for the same mentalist to keep their attention with 2-3 effects in the same time span. Especially if they are out for a nice evening and did not expect to see a magician perform that night. I'm not saying it's 100%, great performers can hold their attention, but a beginner mentalist probably won't be able to.