2008-11 Famulus Newsletter - Ring 170

Our October Ring meeting was at our new meeting location, The Elks Club at the corner of Primrose and Central, just east of downtown Orlando. The hall is ideal. We have a great stage, comfortable chairs, access to a reasonable buffet dinner before the meeting and a bar. President Craig Fennessy opened the shortened business meeting. There is a lot of magic activity in the next few months. Check our ring website to keep you informed. Craig informed the membership that next month is the nominating meeting for the election of club officers for next year. He encouraged members to consider serving the club in an elective office. Our club leadership welcomes new board members.

The rest of the meeting was devoted to a unique and powerful lecture by Fred Moore. Fred came to Orlando several decades ago from Ohio and developed into a top-notch professional act. A recent addition to his act and to his life is his wife, Adina. The couple is leaving soon for an extended European tour with their magic act. She is originally from Eastern Europe. Fred brought a wealth of knowledge gathered from years of working in all types of venues.

His lecture included not only a half-dozen of his original effects but detailed explanations of his advertising techniques, his business secrets for working with agents as well as his thoughts on music in his act. Fred makes excellent use of the popular remote controlled “Wireless Wizardry” device that many magicians use. With a remote control button he can provide drum-rolls, musical fanfares and engaging music for his act.

Fred opened with a coin routine that resembled a classic billiard ball routine. It was done to a lively musical score. His handling was skillful and exciting. After he concluded, he explained how the music matched his moves and enhanced the effects rather than just being a background sound. The drive toward excellence was a theme that Fred used for the rest of his lecture. He continued with an audience participation effect where a card was selected and returned to the middle of the deck. He then burned a hole in the card, while inside the deck, using a laser pointer. He revealed the selected scorched card with a large hole in it.

He followed with a short discussion on how important it is for any magician to be able to create an alternate act from any Wal-Mart in event their props are lost by the airlines. As an example he did a clever book test using 3 unprepared books. The method was ingenious and different and in many ways superior to the classic David Hoy method. Returning to performing excellence, Fred let us in or the secrets on how to smoothly bring up an audience member and handle a volunteer on stage.

Next was another clever card effect. Fred had a card selected and returned to the deck. It was the two of diamonds. After some by-play he attempts to find the card and the he flipped out of the deck the four of diamonds. The audience laughed at his apparent mistake but he had the last laugh. He twirled the card and the four diamond pips were in a circular arrangement! He then peeled off two of them and the card became the selected two of diamonds! Fred gave all the details on how he accomplished the trick and explained how to make it.

He did his version of the classic dollar bill switch with no thumb tip. He changed a real dollar bill into a fake play money bill and then turned the fake bill folded bill upside down and dumped out 4 real quarters. This was effect that is ideal for restaurant walk around magic.

Fred gave several examples of how his promotional materials have evolved from his early days. Early in his career he first used printed materials but he has now evolved to the point where today he uses only web sites and You Tube videos to distribute demonstration videos of his act. He even has alternate “agent friendly” websites where an agent can refer clients to see his act without the client being able to contact him directly. These insights into Fred’s business methods are priceless.

He did a hilarious kid’s routine that involved vanishing a small yellow silk (using a thumb tip) and making it appear in a bag, then in his sock, another finally the guy’s sleeve…This children’s routine, developed during Fred’s cruise ship years, is a simple way to keep the kids screaming and having fun.

He concluded his lecture with a card routine called “Voices in the Head” and to the delight of many he had the recorded CD track for sale. His audio player had a pre-recorded wizard’s voice. Fred responded to the comedic recorded dialog. The “Wizard” on the audio player reveals a card after lots of funny by play. If you get an opportunity see the Fred Moore lecture, take it. His professional insights are remarkable.

Good things are always happening in Ring 170.

Dennis Phillips