Booking a magician tips and advice.

Booking a magician is not something most people do on a regular basis.

Here is some free, sound advice and tips of the typical things to consider when looking to hire a magician online:

It is vitally important that if you are considering booking or hiring any close-up magician that you try to make sure you get a very good quality and professional act. Unfortunately anyone nowadays can purchase a few cheap plastic tricks from a shop and have a web site built then call themselves a "magician".

Magician booking tips. What to look for when looking to hire a magician:

• Photos:
  Check that there is photographic evidence on their web site and the magician can be seen performing and getting a positive reaction from the people being entertained. There should be a good variety of photos taken at many different functions and venues. This web site has in the region of 80+ different photos spread out throughout the site that show magician Dorian performing at various parties, functions and events.
• Lights, Camera, Action! - VIDEO
  Video clips of the performer interacting with the audience are ideal. As with photos be sure the audience is reacting in a happy, excited and positive way. If the spectators are having a ball and really enjoying themselves in the video's then it's a good indicator of how they will enjoy themselves at your party or function.
• Money Back Guarantee:
  All good quality products should come with a money-back guarantee. If not, ask them why not.
• Professional:
  The word professional is very much misused. Some hobbyist magicians refer to themselves as pro because they might charge money for what they do. A genuine full-time professional will have a highly polished act. If magic is the only source of income then the act must be nothing less than fantastic and amazing. Of course there are a number of semi-pro's around that also do a fabulous job, but these are the exception rather than the rule.
• The Price:
  One of the most common questions is HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HIRE A MAGICIAN? Well the truth is that every job has to be taken on it's own merit and requirements. A number of factors that have to be taken into consideration before a fair and accurate quote can be given. Factors such as the date, the performance times, the location etc. Asking the question "how much does a magic performer cost to hire" is a bit like asking how much does a train ticket cost? Or how much does a chocolate bar cost? or the classic "how long is a piece of string?!"
• Your Budget:
  As with all products at the end of the day you get what you pay for. If you have been quoted a very low fee, this may well reflect the quality of that magician's work and the lack of experience and confidence entertaining at a high level.
• Full time, all the time:
  Is the magician a full-time professional? Or does he just do a bit of magic on the side? Remember a professional has to be good at the job and absolutely dependable if it's what feeds the family and keeps a roof over their heads. In many cases if a magician isn’t full time, it may mean he:
  1. Doesn't have a good enough show.
  2. Is lacking in experience.
  3. Is simply not proficient or dependable enough to support a full time career as a magicial entertainer.
  Generally those who make their living performing magic have got to be good enough to carry on receiving great appraisals and repeat bookings. Yes there definately are great magic entertainers that aren't full time professionals, but they are in the minority.
• Recommendation of quality:
  If possible ensure the table magician testimonials, references and appraisals are legitimate and can be proved if necessary. It is a well known fact that appraisals can just be made up and aren't necessarily true (e.g. “You we're amazing, many thanks” from Mr. Evans) A quality entertainer should be able to back-up/prove the appraisals and pieces of kudos he has gained.
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly:
  What’s the difference between a good close up magician and a bad one?
  A GOOD close up magician will give you a highly entertaining experience you will remember for a very, very long time. They will have years of experience and have performed at many thousands of events and would be willing to share their knowledge with any prospective clients to enhance the success of your event.
  A BAD one could well make you hate magic altogether and not want to ever see another magic effect again. Due to their lack of experience, expertise and terrible social skills they would treat your guests or clients like fools, insulting guests, turning up late, upset people with inappropriate material and generally create a bad experience for everybody.
  The UGLY truth is that there are some really bad "magicians" who are delivering a very sub-standard service. These individuals are damaging the industry in an effort to make a "fast buck". It is often these very same individuals (due to them not having a single original thought in their heads) even think it's ok to copy the content and words from other magician's web sites and then paste it on their own site as their own work.
• Insurance Assurance:
  It's a very safe bet that nothing will go wrong during a show, but it's really good to know that the magician has all the angles covered. Ask if they have Public Liability Insurance.
• It’s good to talk:
  Talking to the entertainer on the telephone about your requirements can help you gauge their personality and experience.
• Try before you buy / Looking before you are booking:
  It is often possible that you can meet the entertainer and see him perform before committing to hire. Any magician that is confident in his work would be more than pleased to meet up with you to give you a demonstration of his performance. One thing to keep in mind is that if they are a busy full-time professional it may be difficult to arrange. On the flip side a well-travelled magician that works all over the country might be right on your doorstep in the near future and can pop around at little or no expense at all.
• Well travelled:
  A top class professional will travel the length and breadth of the country and indeed all over the world. The place where the magician has a house has no bearing on where he works.
• Experienced:
  Before booking don't be afraid to ask the magician how the magic can best work for your event. An experienced magician will have performed thousands of times under many different circumstances and should be able to advise how they can integrate with your plans and perform to the best of their ability for your event.
• Memberships:
  Keep in mind there is no recognised body that guarantee the quality of magicians in the UK. There are many clubs and magic circles that have magicians as members, but no club or society exists that regulates or can certify the quality of magicians. For example anyone can buy membership to a motor club, but it does not necessarily make them a better driver.
• The bottom line:
  The bottom line is that there are a lot of pretenders around that are advertising themselves on the web as pro magicians. When booking a magic act you want your event to be remembered for the right reasons. Hopefully the above information will guide your hand to a well informed choice.

For more useful information please see the magician FAQ page.