From Peru to Paris: Creative hacks for doing your virtual magic show on the road (for virtual magicians)

Being a virtual magician and doing shows online has many upsides, but perhaps the most absolutely game-changing thing about being a virtual magician is that you don’t have to stay in one specific place to perform your magic shows. If you’re like me you want a career that’s as flexible as it can be and gives you maximum freedom. Quite possibly that’s why you became a performer in the first place. It’s always been a dream to travel and perform from anywhere. Cruise ships are lovely for exploring the world but have their downsides, and you don’t always get to choose where you go, or who you’re with. Ships are often very sheltered and you don’t feel like you’re really experiencing a place because you’re only there for a few hours. It’s very fancy and fun, the experience of “filtered” adventure, or you might say it’s “diet traveling” – international travel for people who don’t want all the hardship that comes with independent travel. 

Virtual Magician shows  are different – they allow you to explore the world, live anywhere you desire, and immerse yourself in a place on your own terms. From the beginning, a personal goal of mine when I started performing virtual magic shows was to be able to eventually work from any country. This goal was something that was out of reach until March 2020 – when everything changed. Over the last few months I’ve had the pleasure of performing virtual magic shows all over the world – on very long extended trips from Cusco, Peru to Paris, France, and I’d love to share with you some of the fun and eye-opening things I’ve learned, along with some super easy hacks to make your virtual show the best it can be while you’re on the road. 

1. Make sure you have a strong internet connection if you’re a Virtual Magician

The most important rule when traveling internationally and doing virtual magic shows is this: you must have quality internet. Remember, before you book a hotel or Airbnb, always check with the concierge or rental person who’s managing the space and make sure that the internet is strong and reliable. Ask your contact if they have done video calls from the spot, and be sure to let them know you plan on using the space for work to do Zoom calls. You can tell them that if the internet isn’t reliable and doesn’t properly work that you may ask for a refund because that’s the main reason you’re renting their specific space. Make sure to check on this before spending money. If you’re doing Airbnb you can even ask them to do a speed test and send you a screenshot beforehand (you may need to use Google Translate). This will take them about 30 seconds and save you both a huge headache down the line. You may have to contact a few different places before finding the right one with someone willing to help you. It’s worth it. You will also want to do a speed test yourself within five minutes of arriving at your rental or room to double check. Do it right away so you can leave and still have time if you need to find somewhere else to rent. This is not something you want to leave up to fate – a poor connection can not only spoil your show, but jeopardize your reputation with your client.

If at the end of the day the only hotel or Airbnb with strong internet is a little more expensive than the others it is most definitely worth it to shell out an extra hundred or so to be guaranteed the best of the best for the night of your performance. For example, perhaps you're roughing it on friends’ couches or in a hostel, but you rent a five star hotel for two nights so you can perform your shows during the day without a worry. That money you make from your virtual magic show could pay for your plane ticket to your next destination. It’s most definitely worth it. You may also want to stay in hostels or at friends' homes if they have adequate internet, but remember that you need a quiet and clean room to yourself to do the best show, so hostels or shared rooms that may be dirty or crowded are not an option on the days you’re performing. Everything should look neat and tidy for your show (unless of course your magician character would be further supported by having a messy room). Just be sure that everything in your virtual magic show that is seen by the audience is not messy or distracting, or if it is that it is a very specific choice.

2. Don’t be afraid to get creative when setting up your virtual magician show

Some virtual magicians pride themselves on having the largest and most intricate tech setup possible for virtual shows, thinking that the more they are perceived to be carrying around a lot of physical stuff the better their show will be considered. I am not one of those magicians. There is some logic to that thought, of course, as hard work implies “better” – but there’s also something to be said for working smarter and not harder. When traveling you don’t have to carry a lot of larger things like giant backdrops, extra tables, computer stands, etc. to have a solid show packed with magic that connects with your audience. Packing small but playing big is key.

Many of the largest things you use for your virtual magic show at home can be improvised on the fly. If you need an extra table to put your computer on you can order room service and keep the rolling table a little longer. Lights can be moved around and windows can be opened to make three point lighting. Pack a thin velvet sheet to use behind you with clips to secure it if you want a consistent background for every show – or don’t! You can perform in a no-frills hotel room that's nice with lovely curtains behind you and a strong wooden table in front of you. Just be super honest and tell people you are in Moulin, Italy. The corporate tech people who work from home that you are performing for will likely be *even more impressed* by you and your adventures  – not less. As long as your setup is neat, purposeful, and professional you’ll ace the show and be asked back. 

Traveling is exciting and many people would say a hotel room or Airbnb isn’t a very glamorous backdrop for your show – but it is at least a clear choice. Many Virtual magicians don’t make any choices about their home set for shows at all. A hotel room with a fun reason and unique story behind it certainly beats a random brick wall with comedy club lighting or a bookcase full of magic selections no normal person has heard of any day (the two backdrops used for 90% of virtual magic shows). Plus, traveling provides a great introduction. Try to have a silly joke to go with it or a funny story about your current adventures. People not only love it but they admire it and it helps you immediately connect with your audience and show them who you are from the start. Which would you rather be? The guy in front of a brick wall doing magic for people, or the guy who is currently in Argentina SCUBA diving and learning tango who took a break to do what he loves and share some magic with people across the globe? 

Obviously the one that sounds more like James Bond. Obviously. 

3. Pack virtual magic tricks that can easily be personalized and work for different groups

This was the most difficult lesson for me to learn, but perhaps it will come easier for you. You may have multiple online shows for different events such as corporate team building workshops, engagement parties, library shows, baby showers, birthdays, online family gatherings, and more. At the very least you likely have a family (or kids) show and a corporate show. Some of the tricks in these shows may be ideal for only one audience. You do, however, want to maximize your luggage space, so I suggest you choose to pack tricks that with a few tweaks or script changes can work for different aged groups. Some of the magic should also be able to be changed and perceived as very specific for each event but actually be able to be used for any possible occasion. That added touch of theming or personalizing a trick will make clients feel like you really went the extra mile to make it special for them.

Many illusions can be changed to match the event’s subject or the company’s theme – like the message switch I teach in my Penguin Live Lecture, or Unshuffled by Paul Gertner or Realist by Greg Rostami. The magic should be impactful and have multiple uses for different occasions. In the same way you might pack one pair of pants and five shirts with five ties to have five “different” outfits, you can stretch your magic to fit many occasions if you make specific choices. Your luggage space is limited, so choose wisely and get creative!
I genuinely hope that with this new career path of virtual magic shows now open, more of us will take advantage of the flexibility it provides and travel. It is a very exciting prospect, and exploring the world helps you experience living in an exhilarating way – you can grow as a person and open your mind to new views and different ways of life. Travel is truly one of the best gifts you can give yourself. 

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about anything related to doing a virtual show on the road, or you can always email me and let me know where you plan to adventure next! 

Do you have any other virtual magic questions you’d like answered? Send me a message and I may even feature it in the next article. Info@magicalkatrina.com