List of virtual friendly magic tricks

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been asking Canadian Association of Magician members and our listeners of the Magicians Talking Magic Podcast about the tricks they’ve been performing virtually. We wanted to know if they had one “go-to” effect or a favourite virtual effect?

We also asked magicians to share ONE piece of advice for performing virtual magic!

You can find these survey results and other incredible articles in the July 2021 edition of VANISH International Magic Magazine!

Let’s get into the results and key virtual takeaways!

First, we asked if magicians if they had one piece of magic that performed virtually more often than other tricks. 60% of magicians who responded had ONE piece of magic for their go-to effect and 50% of those tricks were mentalism.

The magicians who responded to our survey included 35% stage magicians, 35% hobbyists, 10% Close-up & Stage and 10% Children’s performers.

We also asked magicians if they had a second favourite virtual magic trick, and 66.7% of those magicians said yes!

Virtual Magic Tricks Magicians Are Performing

Here is the list of magicians favourite virtual magic tricks (sorted alphabetically)

• BM Project by Bakore Magic

• 4D Burger Board by Magzaic

• BWave by Max Maven

• Decisions by Mozique

• Deepest Sympathy by Jim Steinmeyer

• Invisible Deck by Joe Berg

• Kirigami by Max Maven

• Cardboard Connection by Paul Harris

• Looch prediction/ mystery solved by Looch/ David Penn

• Manifest by Danny Weiser

• Matrix by Al Schneider

• Outside the Box by David London

• Peekaboo Bunny by Silly Billy

• Pointless by Greg Wilson

• Prementaliction by Chris Dugdale

• Rope Evolution by Juan Pablo

• Nine Card Problem by Jim Steinmeyer

What advice do you have for magicians about performing virtually?

After one year of the pandemic and virtual magic, we were curious to hear from magicians what their biggest lesson or advice for performing virtually. Here's what they told us:

• "Commit to Camera" - Steve Valentine

• Don't sit to perform your virtual shows!

• Interaction! Lighting and good mics.

• Be personable - don't be that stage character because this isn't live performance - it's like television.

• The show should be more variety instead of just card trick

• Engage!

• Find a way to involve the audience. Otherwise, I can just watch YouTube.

• Look into the camera

• Invest in PRO Gear otherwise, you’ll look like an amateur.

• Get a quality camera and separate microphone

• Make it simple!

• If your show is for kids (zoom or in-person), do not do more than one card trick. (I have watched zoom magic shows for kids where the magician only does card tricks. Boring.)

• Use the borders outside the camera

• Lighting is of utmost importance

• Don't BE a virtual magician. Be a magician that can perform under nearly any condition.

• Don't do too many card tricks.

• Make sure you are lit well and have good audio.