This month we learned about Stage Craft, which consists of lighting, sound, music copyright, low budget items for remotes, lighting, and microphones. Andrew Bates taught us via a recording that a gel is a plastic sheet that goes in front of a light to make it white light or to change the color. The term wash means to change the light color on stage. A green wash is good for a séance, red makes it hard to read, blue will make black colors not look the same. A run sheet should be given to the people running the lights so they know the act, scene, lights, curtain moves, sound levels and set change responsibilities. Bruce and Kitty Spangler taught us that the presentation is the most critical part of the act and you need a costume and music. Your music needs to end when the magic trick does! He made portable light and sound boxes that turned on and off using an extra head on a reel-to-reel tape player and metal cues for the head to pick up. Chad Wonder talked about using copyrighted music in your show and the penalties that could apply when prosecuted. If in doubt, use Royalty Free music. Chad also said that there is a difference between recording rights and that the music group has the song rights. John Walker showed us cheap and easy ways to add sound, by adding a remote that would hook up to your phone or iPad. He also offered suggestions for a low cost microphone that sounds amazing with speakers. If you want to add a 4-channel mixer it can enhance your show also. Many of us are now thinking of ways to put lighting and sound into our shows.
September 26th, we hosted a lecture by Midwest Magi, David Parr. David taught several effects which he used to illustrate several important aspects of magic: making things playful and even playfully spooky, how to think of your magic in theatrical terms, and how to let something be just silent instead of forcing humor at every juncture. He started with the Game of Life & Death using Fort Collins club member, Tim Pendergast, as a volunteer. Then followed that up by pulling his Slow Motion Swindle on Sergeant at Arms, Gene R. Gordon. Gregg Tobo volunteered to have his fortune told in David’s Fortune8 routine. David closed with his elegant, “Oldest Trick in the Book” effect using an origami bird to discuss the confident handling of props and effects that end with a souvenir. Upon presenting the origami bird, David, a vegan, made a plea to end live animal acts in magic. He finds them outdated and unnecessary. The author of Brain Food: Gourmet Edition left us all with much food for thought after this terrific lecture. Thanks again for the staff at Riverpointe for the use of their room for our meetings.