Every magician has heard it, multiple times, and it really is one
of the most useful things a magician can do. Using a mirror (or webcam
etc) while practicing is definitely one of the best ways to improve. So
often a move or effect can look good from our side but until you look at it
from another point of view you will never know how bad you can be flashing.
Honestly this seems like such a simple tip but it really is often overlooked.
Plus the amount of times I’ve fooled myself while practicing something makes it
all worthwhile.
In actual fact I personally believe that using a camera to record
yourself practicing is better than a mirror. These days almost everybody
has access to some device that records video, and allows it to be shared almost
instantly. Taking a video allows you to view it multiple times, slow it down,
not have to look for things to improve on while actually performing the move,
and best of all you can send it to other magicians for advice.
Getting other magicians honest, and harsh, advice on a move or
effect is invaluable. Of course you then need to take it into
consideration and learn from it. I also believe that you should only take
on opinions of magicians that you respect. Now that's not to say that they need
to be famous or have sold thousands of DVDs. But making sure that you ask
someone who has good experience in that area of magic and is willing to give
you honest feedback, will definitely give you points to improve on.
Make sure that you like what they do or at least respect it. Using them along
with practicing in front of a mirror is a sure fire way of improving your
magic, providing you put in the time and effort it deserves.
