#30. Magic outside Magic: Constructed Adventures
Creating that magical feeling without relying on tricks
Most people have had magical experiences in their life that did not involve magic tricks. Looking at the night sky, having a love story, experiencing incredible coincidences… Today we explore one that we can craft for someone else.
Constructed Adventures
I have been trying to find ways to increase those magical moments in my life. But this is not what this post is about: this post is about crafting one for someone else.
Let me explain. Through this journey of exploration, I found some people who create magical experiences for others without being magicians. Here is one of them:
He is Chris Waters, also known as The Architect. He travels around the world to build customized treasure hunts. For example, he could make a LOTR-themed treasure hunt for someone passionate about Tolkien’s work that culminates with a surprise birthday party. His fees are not cheap (many thousands of dollars), but he shares a lot of his ideas online for free.
I have studied his work and his past projects for a while, and I found it to be a great inspiration for immersive magic, especially for Romantic Adventures. If you don’t know what they are, here is a definition:
Romantic Adventure - A Performance Style based on the concept of immersive magic. It's a performance style you must build up to with people. They must have faith that if they surrender themselves to the experience they're going to have a good time, they're going to see something they've never seen before, and you'll look out for them and not do anything that's going to put them in a dangerous or awkward situation. Effects in this style often play out over a longer period of time. Hours (or even days) are not uncommon.
from thejerx.com glossary
Let’s get back to those constructed adventures for a second, then we’ll see how we can mix them with magic. Constructed adventures are pretty much treasure hunts, where the players can immerse themselves in an imaginary world where they are the main characters. For a few hours, the universe revolves around them. It doesn’t need magic to feel magical.
I would like you to consider creating one for someone you care about. If you have kids I am sure they’d love it, but there are also many adults who enjoy those things.
If you want some inspiration and resources for creating your own, here are some links that I found interesting:
Reports of past treasure hunts
Youtube Channel with the puzzles he uses (some could be used in magic tricks)
A CRITIQUE: The thing I like the least about his approach is that often the celebrated person has to solve all the challenges alone, and only in the end reconnects with the others. If you wanted to make your own adventures I would try to avoid that.
Mixing magic with treasure hunts
But let’s say you want to mix magic with treasure hunts. I think that more than adding the puzzles and challenges from treasure hunts to your magic, it makes more sense to add magic to treasure hunts.
Here is an idea for you, if you wanted to create a treasure hunt that ends with a magic trick.
EFFECT:
Let's say that you have a magician friend who likes creating treasure hunts. You asked him to organize one for you and your girlfriend to celebrate Christmas (a few days before or after the 25th). You start the adventure by each writing secretly in a notepad something you’d love to get. Neither knows what the other person wrote. Let's say she wrote "Sunglasses" and you wrote "Jacket".
You go on with the adventure and solve various puzzles. At a certain time you two have to split, she will go and find the key to the final treasure box, while you will need to get the hint to know where it is located.
In the end, you get back together and find the box. You open it and inside you find the gifts you wanted and had written down. You are both amazed.
METHOD:
There is no magician/treasure hunt creator friend.
You will act like you are a player/spectator, while you actually will be the architect/magician. You might want to have an accomplice to make things easier, but it’s not needed.
Her desired object is written on an impression pad.
After you split up, while you are supposedly solving your part of the adventure, you go buy her wished object, wrap it, and put it in the final treasure box, along with your gift that you prepared in advance.
Using an accomplice: He could go buy the object so that you don’t have to split up during the hunt.
Alternative ideas:
You both write a city you would love to visit. In the end, you realize you both had written the same place, and in the treasure box you find the plane tickets.
You both write book titles. This makes it less expensive and makes it easier to find them.
Thanks for reading, I am interviewing Chris one of the next few days. If you want me to ask him a particular question, just reply to this email. Have a great week!
Antonio