Impromptu

[haroldross]

What does 'impromptu' mean to you? I see a lot of effects that use the adjective 'impromptu' and I don't think there is a common meaning.

The dictionary meaning does not help-
impromptu [ɪmˈprɒmptjuː]
adj
1. unrehearsed; spontaneous; extempore
2. produced or done without care or planning; improvised

Food for thought.

[Sam Hindrichs]

Very good topic Harold.

To me impromptu goes deeper than the definition given. You can't perform magic without planning in some way. There is no way to pick up an object from the table, floor, etc. and perform a magic trick that you have never practiced before. So, according to the definition of the word impromptu, there is no way to perform true impromptu magic.

In my mind a better definition of the word impromptu, when magic is involved, is anything you can perform, at a moments notice, with what is on your person.

If you have a deck of cards then ALL card magic done with that deck of cards is impromptu.

If you have a couple rubber bands then all rubber band magic is impromptu.

In all actuality this also includes gaffs.

If you have a short card in your deck then you will always have an impromptu card force.

If you have a half dollar shell and 3 half dollars then you have and impromptu coins across.

and so on, and so on...

[Eoin Lavery]

Ah, the dictionary definition is somewhat obscure and complex. It is correct but like most scientific things it uses big or confusing words which kind of masks the simple meaning.

1. unrehearsed; spontaneous; extempore
The unrehearsed is way off i think. no magician should really perform an unrehearsed trick.

Spontaneous would be when someone hands you a deck of cards and asks you to perform a trick.

Extempore means something carried out without thought or with little preparation. again may sound way off, but without little preparation could mean without a setup.

2. produced or done without care or planning; improvised
improvisation and impromptu are very similar things. When someone gives you a deck and tries to present an almost impossible situation you must improvise, do a impromptu trick.

My personal definition of impromptu is "A trick which requires no form of setup or any form of gimmicks."

[Demonbrn]

Those are very methodical answers. I'm with Eoin with my opinion. I've always though of it as "without setup" in terms of card magic. As in I don't have to set up a stacked order, add cards, gimmicks, etc.

[haroldross]

As you can see from the replies to my question, this is a very confusing term. Many of the DVDs I own contain 'impromptu' versions of the effect. Some require a setup preparation and others don't.

Just what is considered 'preparation'? Would 'crimping' a card be considered preparation? I guess what I am trying to say is that you have to be very careful when reading about the details of a magic effect. How many times have you purchased an effect that stated, 'no sleight of hand required' only to find out that the effect was all 'sleight of hand'?

If you were to list five impromptu magic effects, would we all agree with you?

Here is a sample list:
1) Biddle
2) Cards Across
3) Cut and Restored Rope
4) Sinful aka Coin Into Pop Can
5) Russian Roulette (Cups and Spike)

What are your thoughts?

[Demonbrn]

I personally think if the card is crimped in the process of explaining somthing as you're getting ready to perform, then it could be considered impromptu. I guess an impromptu effect would be somthing you could "set-up" on the fly (while showing the faces to be all different for example) and is either sleight heavy or a self-worker (this is my opinion). Here is a list of my "impromptu" tricks.

Elizabeth IV - Tommy Wonder
Time Machine - featureing the buck twins swiss made
If I were the magician - an impromptu "here, there, and everywhere"
Naked Strange - Paul Harris
Shuffle mix-up - Self-worker

And imp. routines I use.
Sandwich:
Sandwich Toss - Reinhard Mueller
Joker Illusion - Can't even recall where I learned this
A Simple Sandwich - Aaron Fisher
Search and Destroy - Aaron Fisher

Reversal:
Topsy Turvy - From Royal Road
Revolver - Aaron Fisher
Revolution no.9 - Aaron Fisher

Changes:
Million Dollar card trick - learned from watching someone perform crappy on youtube
Time Machine - as stated above
If I were the Magician- as stated above
The Omen - Aaron Fisher

All of these require little to no setup, but the setup can be done on the fly (such as The Omen, The Million Dollar Card trick). But I do agree, that "impromptu" is used losely, but in terms of magic, I think it means a trick that doesn't require a heavy setup (Si Stebbins Stack, Multiple gaffs placed in different locations, etc.), stuff you couldn't do while being watched.

[Liderc]

'Impromptu' is a 'Magic Flash Word' just like 'Visual'

it's a marketing tool to sell more product.... 'Impromptu' in magic should apply to nothing that needs 'Set-Up' yet that is quite a 'Grey Area' because what defines 'Set-Up' in the eyes of a spectator..

lets take the un-Gimmick variations of crush..

At first it is 'Impromptu'... but you couldn't repeat it again without 'Set-Up'.. so in a professional setting... in a walk around gig... it no longer would be considered 'Impromptu'... or would it? because you could easily slip away and set it up again... it's a confusing 'Word' indeed

To 'Us' Impromptu has a different meaning.. then to say the 'Spectators' to them everything should look and feel 'Impromptu'... like it could happen at any moment at anytime

[PoopiePants]

I agree with Eoin. "Impromptu" to me means you can do it anywhere/anytime. No gimmicks or advanced preparation required. If you can prepare right under the specs noses, then to me it's still impromptu. Now I'm sure there's people thinking "well I can add a gaff right under the specs noses, so isn't that impromptu?" My answer to that would be NO. Could you do the trick if you didn't have the gaff? What if the back design/colour is different? What if the cards are bridge sized, and your gaff is poker? If the effect is truly impromptu, you would be able to do the trick.

It's definitely a "Buzzword" used just a little loosely to try and sell stuff.

[drchillum]

For me impromptu means "spontaneous" without gimmick or prepared cards

[Liderc]

Indeed but 'Impromptu' for a 'Performer' and for an 'Audience' quite differ in avenue

[AstrayKat]

I'm relatively new here, so I may have no idea what I'm talking about; but, I personally define impromptu as anything I can do with something someone else hands me, nothing else.

--Kat

[haroldross]

Kat,

I think what you said is the real basic meaning behind 'impromptu.'

Give me a deck of cards and I can put on a small magic show. In the process of doing a few cards tricks I can actually 'stack' the deck for a grand finale trick.

Borrow a few coins and a dollar bill and again, I'm ready for a magic show.

In an office, you have pens, pencils, paper clips, rubberbands, etc., there you go, ready for another show.

At the coffee shop or restaurant, look at all the possible props available.

'Impromptu' magic in my view is using the common objects from your surroundings.

I know I am strange but I usually carry a few English large pennies and a washer so I have a few extras in case I something for an 'instant' trick.

[Eoin Lavery]

I personally believe in 2 differrent types of impromptu.
Real impromptu magic
and what i call
"Real" impromptu magic.

Real impromptu magic is magic which is entirely impromptu. For example being given an item and being asked to do a trick with it, that is what I call real impromptu. But "Real" impromptu is magic which seems to be on the offbeat, but say having something prepared in your pocket to add into a normal deck or anything for that matter.

But thats just my opinion.

[Asad]

As far as i think Impromptu means Flash Thinking, You are unprepared some one asks you to do trick and in a lightning speed your minds says do this trick, i think this is impromptu

[Trycon]

Originally Posted by Liderc

Indeed but 'Impromptu' for a 'Performer' and for an 'Audience' quite differ in avenue

I agree, if something appears impromptu for the audience then I would consider it impromptu. It doesn't really matter what kind of set up is required as long as they believe what you are doing is spontaneous and unprepared.

For a magician impromptu pretty much means an effect you can do with no gimmick and/or no set up. Well that's what I would expect if I purchased an "impromptu" effect.