When we go see a performance of stage magic, one key to entertaining and effective presentations involves a sense of precision. Movement, Sound, and Vision are coordinated to create a pleasing fusion of visual magic. The more precise and dictated the performance the more we are willing to sit back and let the pure sensual delight overcome our senses. Precision adds a degree of professionalism to your performance.
What of the close-up performer? Precision is necessary in performing the technical aspects of our craft, but what of the overall presentation? In the real world, precision is infrequently observed, usually seen in professions that require repetitive movement (factory work, workers at Kinko’s). The repetitive patterns encourage our brains to process and dismiss. This can work to our advantage in minimizing attention or redirecting attention away from things we don’t want seen, but let’s give some credit to our audiences: they do remember overt distractions.
The real world is messy. Things happen for no apparent reason and coincidences are regarded as chance. Suspension of disbelief doesn’t happen in the real world, because there are too many things that remind us that we are not in some land of make-believe. In Jack Finney’s classic novel, Time and Again, the main character, Simon Morley manages to travel through time by eliminating all of the features that tie him to the present. By surrounding himself with the clothing and locations of another era and positioning himself such that no distractions of the present lock him here, he is able to walk into another era simply through an act of will. It is easier to suspend our disbelief when we have the trappings of the legitimate theatre. The ritual of going to the theatre involves hundreds of small—seemingly insignificant—actions that buttress our willingness to immerse ourselves in a world of make believe.
For a performance to feel genuine, however, this precision must feel organic and in the moment. Compare two people playing golf. One has never played the game and is concentrating on every movement. The other is a golf pro who has hit tens of thousands of balls. The first will be awkward in their movements as they concentrate on every action. The second will be fluid and graceful in their actions as they have trained to focus their attention on only the most important of actions, and even that will not necessarily be apparent to the observer. Both are genuine in the context of their experience and will be accepted by the audience.
When presenting a character as part of an act, it is vitally important to use precision as one criteria for developing blocking, choreography, set dressings and prop placement. Precision aids in focusing audience attention on the elements of a performance that reinforce the desired effect and help audiences experience the performance on a deeper, richer and possibly more satisfying level.