How to do Magic Tricks

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How Magicians Create A Winning Atmosphere For Magic

by Dominic Reyes Leave a Comment

atmosphere for magic

 

Arthur writes: So my question is: How do I set the atmosphere to “magic is an art, enjoy” and not to “I bet you can’t catch me”?

 

This is a GREAT question. In fact, I’ve been waiting for an excuse to write about it for absolutely ages. When you are performing magic, the last thing you want is for the audience to believe they’re in some kind of conflict with you. Magic shouldn’t be an ‘I win by fooling you, you lose by being fooled’ situation. Instead, it should be a ‘win-win!’ situation for both the spectators and magician. But how do we get to this good atmosphere for magic?

I’m going to try to explain the answer to this question in three easy to understand steps. To help with this, I’m going to use a definition from Darwin Ortiz’ thoughts on this very question (which you can find in his book, Strong Magic).

Ortiz would define the ‘I bet you can’t catch me’ atmosphere as the CHALLENGE atmosphere, in which the magician is challenging the audience to a battle of wits. This is what we want to avoid.

So, here are the steps…

1. Don’t Use ‘Challenge’ Vocabulary In Your Acts

2. Don’t Undermine Your Audience!

3. Avoid The Challenge Attitude, Not Challenging Tricks

4. Stop Reminding Your Audience That It’s A Trick!

 

1. Don’t Use ‘Challenge’ Phrases In Your Acts

This is a pretty simple one but we need to get it out of the way.

If you’re trying to present an effect and you want to avoid creating this challenge scenario, then don’t use ‘challenge’ phrases.

For example, within a routine we might be tempted to say…

‘Watch the card!’

We vanish it, and say…

‘Did you see it? No? Then I guess you weren’t watching close enough!’

Can you see how a phrase like this immediately creates a ‘challenge’ in the mind of the spectator. Now they’re really going to be watching you close, and just waiting for you to mess up. This isn’t good for you or them!

Now I know that was an obvious example, and not many of us will realistically be guilty of it. But the same thing can happen without our noticing; only on a much smaller scale.

For example, what if we vanished a card and then said…

‘Did you see it go? No? You didn’t? Really?’

This isn’t a blatant challenge like the phrase above, but it could easily be read as one by your audience. Now they’re determined that next time, they ARE going to see it.

You need to be really careful that you avoid all use of confrontational language like this within your routines! This shouldn’t be a big problem for most of you, but it can sometimes slip through the net.

 

Spectators as equals2. Don’t Undermine Your Audience!

There’s a reason the challenge attitude doesn’t end well for both the magician and the spectators. When the audience feel like the magician is fooling them to prove how much ‘better’ he is than them, they aren’t going to be happy.

You want your audience to feel comfortable around you, and that they are EQUALS within the trick. If they feel like you respect them and are treating them as equals, they won’t care about ‘challenging’ you. There’s no need!

But if your audience feels like you don’t respect them, they suddenly have a point to prove to you. How do they prove that they’re your equal to you?

Why, by figuring out your trick! Which immediately sets them into the ‘challenge’ mindset; the very thing we wanted to avoid.

 

3. Avoid The Challenge Attitude, Not Challenging Tricks

There’s nothing wrong with using tricks that seem to have a ‘challenge’ element to them. It’s ALL about the attitude that you present them with.

For example, the three card monte.

Plenty of magicians can use this trick without their audience falling into the ‘challenge’ mindset. It’s one of the classic magicians subtitles never explained in magic tricks instructions..

 

Why?

Because of the way they present it, and the attitude they present it with!

This goes back to the previous point we made; if the audience feels like you’re on their side, they won’t want to challenge you. There are plenty of magicians who present the three card monte as a challenge; but they do it in a friendly way and with an attitude that communicates the fact that they would rather just have a good time with their audience than necessarily ‘fool’ them.

Bill Malone is a great example of a magician who presents challenging tricks but does it with such a friendly manner that his audience loves it! I would definitely advise watching his material to get a feel for how you can create a similar atmosphere for magic.

 

4. Stop Reminding Your Audience That It’s A Trick!

When the audience is reminded that they are watching a TRICK, they are reminded that there is a SOLUTION to that trick. And so they set about looking for the solution; creating the ‘challenge’ mindset.

How do you avoid reminding the audience that they’re watching a trick?

Tell a Story With a Magic Trick

 

I think one of the best ways of doing this is by telling a great story.

 

Everybody loves stories; it’s a great way of gripping your audience and taking them out of the ‘trick’ and into an ‘effect’. Even silly stories or nonsensical stories have a similar effect on your audience.

When we listen to stories, it has a way of taking us ‘out’ of the moment and into a dreamlike state where everything we hear is true. It’s the same in magic; when the magician tells a story, the audience is transcended ‘out’ of the moment and into a plane in which everything the magician says is true. They don’t ‘challenge’ the magician because he is the storyteller; and as the storyteller, everything he says is true.

Do these tips make sense? Feel free to get in touch if you still have any questions!

 

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Filed Under: how to do magic tricks Tagged With: confidence, life, magic, showmanship, skills

How Magicians Introduce Themselves – How to Approach a Group of People

by Merchant of Magic 2 Comments

How Magicians Introduce ThemselvesI got to a gig a little early today, and I was sat in the car, waiting to go in and start. As I has some time on my hands, I thought I would check some emails and I received this question about how magicians introduce themselves.

‘Dominic, really enjoying the blog, thanks for sharing all this info. I do have a problem though. I have been doing magic for a few years, and have a decent load of tricks I can do. The only problem is, I don’t know what to say when I approach a group of people and want to show them my magic. What do you say when you go up to people and introduce yourself?’

Well, that’s a great question, but it requires a longer answer than I wanted to try to type out on my iPhone, so I stuck the iPhone to the windscreen of the car, hit record and answered the question with a short video:

It’s easy to worry about how magicians introduce themselves when in practice it’s a lot easier than beginners think. The problems come when we over think the situation and then anxiety sets in. There isn’t anything to worry about.. People like to see magic and as long as you are not forcing yourself on people at the wrong time, your offer to show them something amazing will almost certainly be met with interest.

There are a few simple techniques you can use to make your introduction easier, that I cover in the video above, but it’s not really what you say that counts here. The key is to be aware of the group you are approaching to make sure they are relaxed and look open to being entertained, and then to approach them with an air of confidence and a smile.. That’s all you need to have for the perfect introduction.

How do you like to introduce yourself to a group when you approach them to perform your magic? Please share your ideas in the comments section below:

 

 

NEXT:

What to do if your at your first ever gig and you get heckled

Self confidence when approaching strangers

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Filed Under: Card Magic Tricks Tagged With: Approach, blog, confidence, esteem, life, Video Podcast

First Ever Magic Gig and You’re Told You Were Rubbish….

by Dominic Reyes 2 Comments

Received this question from a beginner who did his first ever magic gig:

 

“A neighbouring table saw me doing tricks and wanted to see one so I went over and did my colour monte lego card routine 
An audience member bluntly and honestly said it was bad, she could see what I was doing, and it was rubbish. (Although she was tricked by it as she did not predict the final card reveal)

I had done card tricks all night and everyone loved them (or at least said they did) but that one bad review has not left my mind since.

Do you ever get difficult / harsh / rude audiences? How do you deal with it?”

 

 

First Ever Magic Gig HatersI’m sorry to hear this has happened to you on your first ever magic gig, but what counts is how you let it affect you.

Everyone who deals with the public gets to deal with rude, ignorant people sometimes.. that’s why you see signs in stores warning about staff not having to accept it. Add in alcohol, then throw in the social pressure to ‘be the  centre of attention’ and that’s why ALL close up magicians come face to face with people like this. You just have to politely shrug it off and move to another group.

Just last week I was performing at a gig full of characters right out of made in Essex. I finished a routine with some sponge balls and when the lady opened her hand and was surprised by the trick, all was well and good. Then a moment later she just threw both sponge balls over her shoulder and shouted ‘Give us a fag’ to her partner… I was completely taken aback.. That was one of the rudest things I’ve come across… What did I do? Nothing. Her attitude isn’t really my problem… I’m not there as a guest, I’m there working.. creating the event..  I just left the group that instant and recovered the sponge balls. I then moved on to another group. I did not react, I didn’t even raise an eyebrow… Why create a scene? Why even take it personally.. Just move on to another group. The rest of the guests were lovely and I received the usual feedback.. So there was no need to let one single rude person be the measure of the evening or your skill as a performer.

 

Heres some situations that could happen on your first ever magic gig:

Lets say you perform your first trick and everyone in the group is hostile.  In that case, don’t react, just smile and move away and approach another group. Don’t judge the whole event by one single group.

Maybe you are working a group and everyone is loving it except one person. You can choose to be polite and ignore the heckler, or simply remove yourself from the group. Many experienced magicians with a quick wit, magicians jokes, and the presence can fire back funny comebacks, but that’s a specific SKILL. If you have that, you probably don’t need to be reading this anyway…

So at the start hecklers are going to ‘knock you off’ a little bit. The key is to move on.. You have no duty to perform for someone who does not want to play along. What you are doing is close up theatre as much as it is a trick.. Move on to another table or part of the room so you gain as much positive experience as you can, over time, you will find being challenged like that less distressing and can come up with funny ways to deal with the challenges.

The good news is that this happens very rarely and on the whole you will love performing.

I wish you the best with your magic

Dominic Reyes

 

I asked a few magicians to give you their advice when  a magician gets heckled on their first ever magic gig:

David Joch : There will always be anyone, who don’t like you or what you do because of different reasons.

 

If at least one liked what you do and asked for more, then you’re doing it right – nobody is able to do it right for everyone..

HOWEVER, don’t “unhear” the “bad” comments, because maybe you’ll find a weak point in your routine that you can change it to make it even stronger. Don’t let the comment bring you down, you don’t know the reason for it, maybe it was just bad manners without any reason so then it is not your fault!

Dani Marko : You can’t make everyone happy all the time, you are not pizza

 

Brett Sirrell : It’s your first ever magic gig, don’t worry. You are several steps ahead of the person that has just had bulls!t “great” feedback.

You now understand what to work on. Experience comes from hours of performing to real people, learning to naturally know lines of sight, how to misdirect get a laugh when you need a misdirect or reaction.

It also takes time to learn what an audience likes and doesn’t. Again Magicians love packet tricks and colour changes etc but actually it takes experience to learn what an audience loves. There’s no such thing as failure just feedback.

 

Jennifer Meyers :  Don’t let this get you down. Audiences can be brutally honest. Take this review as a lesson that you need to practice more. Use video from every angle. Work your magic until you can perform it flawlessly. Have lots of fun!! If you are not having fun than your audience isn’t having fun either. Hang in there!!

 

NEXT:

How people catch out a magician

How to perform magic to different groups that are close together

Which magic tricks should all professional magicians use?

 

 

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Filed Under: how to do magic tricks Tagged With: confidence, life, magic, showmanship

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