Luke Jermay – 3510

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The Effect

INTRODUCTION

As I pen this introduction, I find myself on a flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, with just forty-five minutes to express my thoughts about this book.

My recent move from the UK to the USA, settling in Las Vegas, has significantly influenced my writing style. I am now a married man and have embarked on creating the traveling freak show I’ve long envisioned. As I travel away from Las Vegas—the magic capital of the world—I reflect on how this vibrant city has shaped my approach to magic and mentalism. Here, you can witness both extraordinary and dreadful performances, making it a unique place for any magician.

This book was crafted during my time as a traveling performer, often written on planes and in hotels. The convenience of a mobile office has been invaluable; as one of my publishers puts it, “As long as there’s a Starbucks, we’re good to go.”

My thoughts were compiled in essay form while on the road, and revisiting them now feels like reading an old travel journal. Certain essays evoke memories of specific performances and locations, while others remind me of various television projects I’ve been involved in. This book holds a mix of cherished and challenging memories.

What unites the ideas within these pages is their genesis in the myriad of subpar magic and mentalism shows I’ve encountered. From live performances to poorly executed television acts, bad magic is unmistakably bad magic.

These disappointing shows inspired this book. Without witnessing such mediocrity, I might not have been prompted to scrutinize my own performances. This introspection, sparked by those experiences, led to the reflections you’ll find here. In a way, I owe a debt of gratitude to the shows that left me feeling disheartened for motivating me to delve deeper into my craft.

My hope is that you find value in this book. You may not agree with every perspective I share, and that’s precisely the intention!

The ultimate goal of this work is to inspire you to critically evaluate your own performances, just as I have done. Together, we can combat the subpar magic and mentalism that we both detest. With our shared passion for this art form, we have the opportunity to enrich it further. Let’s keep magic and mentalism thrilling for our audiences as they are for us.

Enjoy your journey, and perhaps our paths will cross in the future.

With sincerity,

Luke Jermay

Beginning his descent into LA, 2006.

CHAPTER ONE

DEVELOPING COMPELLING DEMONSTRATIONS

This chapter shares my personal insights on presenting modern mentalism, covering everything from effect structure to routine and show development, complete with practical examples from my repertoire.

CHAPTER TWO

A WORKING EXAMPLE OF MY GUIDELINES

In this chapter, we explore a practical application of the guidelines discussed in Chapter One by creating and implementing these principles in an effect.