5 Tips for Hosting a Great Virtual Magic Show with online magician Katrina
Everyone enjoys an incredible illusion! It amazes us, and awakens our inner child. Plus, the belief that there are wondrous forces beyond the ordinary person’s control is, beyond fun, a little comforting. But trying to watch or study magic online can be a difficult thing to figure out. That’s why I put together these 5 tips for how to throw your best virtual magic party ever!
In this article, you’ll learn:
How to technologically make your virtual magic party look as good as any professional’s.
How to make sure your guests stay engaged and having fun for the entire event.
Why the communal experience of magic is so important.
How to make everyone is included in the party’s theme.
Now, let’s get to the tricks!
1) Leave Everyone’s Sound On
I know, typically only the speaker or the host should have their sound on. You never know when someone will have a leaf blower running right outside their house, or a person off-screen has something to say to your guest.
But, for a virtual magic party, the opposite is true. Magic is always best in groups. Even when you have a walkaround magician at an in-person party, we usually go up to groups of at least two or three. That’s because the fun is in being amazed together.
Hearing everyone else gasp at the same time gives you the permission to believe that what you just saw… might really be magic. And it means you’re experiencing something incredible together. You lose that spark if everyone is muted. So be sure to keep the sound on!
2) Find Tricks Everyone Can Learn
They say a magician never reveals their tricks, and that’s true. But there are a few simple, common card tricks and sleights of hand we don’t mind you knowing. Study a card or coin trick before your virtual magic party, and then teach it so everyone can try their hand (so to speak) at the magical arts.
Teaching people something new keeps them engaged. And it’s not just while they’re learning, but also as they watch someone else perform an illusion and try to figure out how they did it. And that, of course, makes the professional magic that much more fun when they can’t!
Sitting back and watching magic on a screen is basically a TV show. But an interactive event where you learn something new is a party! And maybe everyone will get to walk away with an exciting new hobby after having had a great time doing it.
3) Spotlight the Magician in the Program
Technologically, there are two very important things you need to do in your video call to make the virtual magic party look as smooth as possible. You should keep the group intimate, and you should spotlight your performer.
A small guest list is better for a virtual magic party because there are fewer distractions. If you have so many people that you have to search to find the magician, then your guests could miss things, not see bits of each trick, or strain their eyes trying to focus on a tiny little box! Limit your guests to people who will get along and really enjoy the theme, and it’s easier for everybody.
Another step that can fix that issue is to spotlight the performer. The host can spotlight a single video feed for an entire call, and it makes the magician’s video bigger and easier to find.
On Zoom, you do that by clicking on “Manage Participants” button at the bottom of the screen. Then you click on the performer’s name, and select “Spotlight Video.” And that’s it! Every other video chatting platform has a similar feature, so if you tend to rely on one of those, it’s easy to search for and find.
4) Drop Off or Mail Magic Themed Party Boxes
I don’t mean anything expensive! This doesn’t have to break the bank! There are so many small, fun items that can brighten up a virtual magic party, and they’re so easy to find at any party store online.
A deck of cards, a trick coin, and/or magic themed balloons, streamers, and other party supplies in a box or gift bag that gets dropped off at each guests door will tie everyone together and make the event feel truly special. And your friends will love the personal touch of bringing them into the theme!
Alternatively, if you like the idea but don’t have the time to pull all of the items together, there are services out there that will do something similar, albeit for a steeper price point.
Virtual Magic Kit
5) Hire a Professional
When you host a virtual magic party, you have two options. You can emphasize the theme, teach everyone a simple trick or two, and keep it low energy, or you can hire a professional magician to make your event truly exciting.
At the end of the day, your friends might enjoy magic, but there is something so slick about what a professional magician can do. Plus, our showmanship has been honed over years of performing!
I’ve developed a show specifically for virtual magic parties that is designed to use what video conferencing platforms can do, but at the end of the day, any professional is a professional for a reason. Instead of spending your party money on food, drinks and a venue, divert it instead to entertainment, and give your guests an event to remember.
I hope these tips are helpful to you as you plan your own virtual magic party! Think I missed something? Feel free to reach out to me with whatever you’ve discovered that does the trick, so to speak! You can email me anytime, or find me on Instagram at @magicalkatrina_ or TikTok at @magicalkatrina.
***I didn’t include any images in this article because it is inherently about online magic performance, so it doesn’t detract or seem too pitchy to include images of you doing magic, and you have access to more of those than I do! Ideally, you should select images or screenshots of you doing magic on a Zoom party. Or, honestly, you could probably even embed a TikTok or Instagram video? In this particular case, so long as it is still virtual magic related, it still gives value to the reader as opposed to just promoting yourself. :)
