Caveat: This article is written specifically for version 4 of ChatGPT. Using previous versions will give worse results. Information in this guide last updated February, 2024.

Update (Feb 2022) - I've linked to a special GPT where you can start using the included prompt immediately. A link to the Illusion Architect (an OpenAI Plus account is required) is in the last section.

In the world of magic, crafting a captivating and unique premise is essential to engage audiences and create memorable performances. With the advancement of artificial intelligence, there are tons of new possibilities for magicians to explore and enhance the creative process.

ChatGPT-4, a sophisticated large language model (LLM) developed by OpenAI, boasts remarkable capabilities in generating text that is akin to human writing. It serves as a valuable resource for those in search of creative inspiration. For magicians, the model holds the potential to help overcome the challenges inherent in crafting innovative and character-driven magical performances, ultimately leading to an unforgettable experience that leaves audiences in a state of awe.

In this article, we will delve into the art of conversation with LLMs, exploring techniques to extract valuable ideas, addressing the common challenges in magic premise creation, and sharing real-life successes of this AI tool. By the end of this article, you'll be eager to try out the guidance provided, and I'll even share a ready-to-use GPT instruction to kickstart your creative journey.

To begin your journey with ChatGPT, you can access ChatGPT-3.5 for free by visiting OpenAI's website (https://platform.openai.com/) and signing up for an account. Once you create a free account, you can start experimenting with the AI through the interface or the Playground (plus, there’s an API for advanced users). If you find ChatGPT-3.5 useful and would like to try the latest features of ChatGPT-4, you can upgrade your account by subscribing to one of OpenAI's paid plans. I’m currently paying $20 per month – but I have to say that I got my money’s worth in one afternoon. But as of this writing, upgrading is the only way to access the full potential of GPT-4.

The unique challenge of generating ideas in magic

One reason why ChatGPT-4 may initially struggle to provide satisfactory ideas for magicians is the secretive nature of our industry. language models look for patterns in their training data. However, it wasn't trained by magicians; instead, it was trained based on the public perception of magicians, which we know can be dicey at best.

Due to the emphasis on preserving secrets, no artificial intelligence has ever been trained on the vast amount of information that we would find relevant. This lack of exposure to industry-specific knowledge and context means that you’ll have to put in a little extra work to train the model to get your desired output.

The Art of Conversation with ChatGPT

The key to experiencing the full potential of GPT for generating compelling magic premises lies in the art of conversation. Engaging in a back-and-forth dialogue with GPT allows you to hone your ideas, train the AI to better understand your requirements, and ultimately obtain more valuable output.

The importance of going back and forth with GPT (or any AI)

One common mistake that we make when seeking ideas from GPT is expecting a great output from a single request. I can’t count the number of posts where a performer described their results as “utter gibberish” or just threw their hand up after one attempt with the cry, “Well I guess my job is safe for now!”

With a creative and nuanced topic such as magic performance, GPT most likely won’t provide the desired output in the first interaction. If you look at that one-time output as representative of the AI’s capabilities, you’ll come away disappointed.

By treating your interaction with GPT as a conversation – with a magic coach, director, or mentor – you invite the AI to contribute valuable insights and ideas tailored to your unique style. Just like working with a person, the more you communicate your needs and preferences, the better GPT will understand your character and artistic vision. Each exchange with GPT aids its comprehension of what makes a good presentational premise for you, increasing the likelihood of generating ideas that are unique, fitting, and consistent with your character.

Techniques to guide ChatGPT-4 toward valuable output (not just for magicians)

To engage GPT effectively and yield better results, consider employing the following techniques:

1. Be specific: Provide clear and detailed information about your character, style, and preferences. This will help GPT generate ideas tailored to your unique persona.
2. Ask follow-up questions: If GPT's response doesn't fully meet your expectations, don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions or provide additional context to guide the AI towards a more suitable idea.
3. Ask for multiple examples. This is a big one. Once GPT gets a feel for your magic style, ask it to output 10 or so examples. It’s a super-efficient way to get the most out of your session.
4. Get GPT to ask you questions: It may ask for clarification on something you didn’t even know needed to be clearer.
5. Iterate and refine: Feel free to revise and modify GPT's suggestions, then ask the AI for feedback or further suggestions based on the updated idea.
6. Embrace experimentation: While some instructions may lead to underwhelming results, don't be discouraged. Keep experimenting with different approaches and topics, as the AI can surprise you with creative and unexpected ideas.

A Primer on Getting Started With AI Chatbot

I want to provide you with a practical approach. Let me show you the difference between the garbage you get from a single request and how follow-up dialogues give better results.

The difference between a single chat request and follow-up dialogue

As I said earlier, a single request may not yield the desired results. However, by engaging in a follow-up dialogue, you can significantly improve the AI's understanding of your needs and ultimately obtain more valuable output. For this example, I’ll try to generate a script for Silkola.

Jafo:

"I want to write a script for a magician. A silk vanishes and reappears inside of a stoppered bottle."

GPT:

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a world of magic and mystery! Tonight, I will demonstrate a trick so extraordinary, it will leave you questioning reality itself. (pauses) But first, I need a volunteer from the..."

Yeah, that’s terrible. No wonder magicians aren’t worried about AI taking over their jobs. But as I said in the intro, part of the problem is the secretive nature of our industry. So, let’s give GPT a bit more context about what makes good magic patter. We’ll treat the interaction as an opportunity to focus the AI's understanding of our needs.

Jafo:

"A lot of magic patter is just a description of what is happening ("I put this coin in my left hand. Then with a snap, I can show that it has vanished.") That isn't good for entertaining an audience. I'd like to have a bit of story and flourish to the script that goes beyond just describing what I'm doing.

The silk is motivated to appear in the bottle. The performer asks himself "why?" The answer to that question motivates the script. For example, "the silk is shy and tries to stay out of the spotlight. What better place to hide than in a stoppered bottle?"

Please provide 10 motivations for the silk to magically appear in the bottle."

GPT:

"The silk is a mischievous character that loves playing hide-and-seek with the audience. It believes the stoppered bottle is the perfect hiding place to catch everyone off guard."

"The silk is a curious being that desires to explore new spaces. It chooses the bottle as its next destination, drawn by the mystery and intrigue of the stoppered vessel."

"The silk represents the spirit of a trapped genie, yearning to return to its home within the bottle. The magician's performance symbolizes the genie's journey back to its safe haven."

Notice that I asked for multiple examples. This is essential to getting the most out of your GPT sessions! I only posted three of the 10 - but do you see how much better the output is after using follow-up questions and providing additional context? So, remember to be specific about your character traits, performance style, and thematic elements. This back-and-forth conversation filled with detailed information is crucial for unlocking GPT’s full potential.

A real-life example using a common magic trick

I created the Silkola example just for this article. I wanted to show how to start and direct the conversation with GPT to get better output. I might perform the Silkola trick one day. But until then, I need to use GPT to get better output for my own act.

Lately, I’ve been working on a card to pocket with a killer finale. But I have no real presentation for it yet. Doing the exact same process as above, I got GPT to kick out 10 killer premises for why a card would want to appear in my pocket. I’ll post three of them below:

"Rebellious Card: The card is a little rebellious and loves to defy expectations. It's determined to prove that it can't be controlled by the magician, so it chooses to appear in the pocket as an act of defiance."

"The Card's Secret Mission: The card is actually a secret agent on a top-secret mission. It needs to get into the pocket to retrieve a hidden message or complete a critical objective."

"Magical Education: The card is attending a magic school, and one of its assignments is to master the art of teleportation. It decides to practice by teleporting itself to the pocket, hoping to impress both the magician and the audience."

So yeah, I like a lot of the ideas it gave me. I might even write an entire script for Ambitious Card based on the teleportation premise above. That would be fun and playful.

Tips for Effective Chat with an AI Tool

To make the most of your interactions with GPT for magic premise creation, consider the following tips:

Be specific and provide context to your prompt.

As demonstrated in the examples, providing detailed information about your character, performance style, and thematic elements helps guide GPT in generating ideas that better suit your needs. The more context you give, the better the AI can tailor its output to your unique requirements.

Engage in a dialogue.

Instead of relying on a single request, treat your interaction with Chat GPT as a conversation. Ask follow-up questions, provide feedback on its suggestions, and iteratively focus the ideas. This approach allows the AI to learn more about your preferences and increases the chances of generating valuable ideas.

Be patient and persistent.

As with any creative process, generating a perfect magic premise may take time and effort. Don't be discouraged if the initial outputs don't meet your expectations. Be patient and persistent, as each interaction with GPT helps it better understand your needs and ultimately leads to more fruitful results.

Ask GPT for multiple examples.

The single request example gives arguably the worst result. But even if you go through a follow-up dialog, you may not like the response you get. So be sure to hedge your bets by asking for 3, 5, or even 10 examples of what you want. You’ll make more efficient use of your time. There’s a great chance you’ll see a pearl or two that you can revise later.

Reflect on the AI's suggestions and adapt.

ChatGPT-4 can serve as a valuable brainstorming partner, but it's essential to evaluate its suggestions critically. Reflect on the ideas it provides and adapt them to your performance as necessary. Remember, the AI is a tool to support your creativity, not a replacement for your artistic vision.

A General-Use AI Chatbot Prompt for Magicians to Kickstart Magic Trick Routining

In this final section, we provide a versatile, general-use instruction that magicians can use as a starting point when engaging with your new virtual magic coach. This one aims to help you begin your creative journey and make the most of the AI's capabilities for generating innovative magic premises. By utilizing the text below as a foundation, you can further refine and adapt the conversation to suit your specific needs and performance style.

Once you’ve typed this out into chat, copy it and save it somewhere. I have an Excel spreadsheet of several prompts that I find extremely useful. Here's the a great one to start with:

You are a master director, script-writer, and magician. You're going to help me devise presentational ideas for anything in my show. To do this, you must understand how presentational ideas work in magic. If a card vanishes from the deck and appears in the pocket, it could be because the card has been learning teleportation and wants to showcase its skill in order to impress both magician and audience.

You're going to come up with some creative ideas on how a given effect should be presented to an audience. To do this, you're going to ask me some questions about my act. You'll need to know about my performing character, the prop(s) I'll be using (if any), and what the overall effect is. This will be an iterative process - going back and forth until I think you understand my act.

Start by asking me all the questions you need, then share with me what you understand. If I think you have a good understanding, then we can proceed to come up with the presentation ideas.

Now answer any questions it has and ask a few of your own. Have fun with the results!

Update (Feb 2022)

Since OpenAI allows us to make our own custom GPTs, crafting one that uses the above prompt has never been easier.

So I created Illusion Architect. You can access it via this link.



Note: a subscription to OpenAI Plus is required as this GPT is built on GPT-4.