As I read the ads (I use a strobe light) I keep stumbling over phrases like "This kills!" and "It fries them!" etc. ad infinitum. Granted, there are tons of effects out there that are guaranteed to leave your audience with their jaws hanging, their eyeballs spinning and on the verge of a total mental meltdown.

Now, I'm no stranger to "routining" and I believe in setting a certain tone to a performance. I personally favor the slow start and the "build" to the powerhouse, heart-stopping, mind-boggling finale. What I like about such a routine is that it actually encourages the disbeliever and the heckler, giving me that great interaction that encourages the performer to kick it up a step. "Okay, you weren't happy about that? How about if I let you put your foot on the card while you choose the next?" (Whit Haydn's Chicago Surprise.) The routine keeps ratcheting upward into the absolutely impossible as you shoot down each doubt that arises.

Nonetheless, I am often tempted to take a dozen "mindblowers" and do an experiment. The experiment would be to see if it's possible to drive spectators totally insane, perhaps start a riot, maybe have a few taken away in an ambulance (just kidding!... well, no, maybe not...)

Have any of you ever been similarly tempted? Better yet: have any of you tried it?

It is possible. One of the first professional lessons I learned was the importance of peaks and valleys. Basic rule of thumb, open with the second strongest piece you have, close with the strongest, and fill in the middle with the rest. Simplified, but useful.

With close up magic, there is a point at which you can see the spectators eyes start to glaze over as they give up. At that time, you can boldly claim to accomplish anything and they will believe you since you have already completely proven your capability.

Some might consider this the perfect situation, blow them away and they suddenly will believe you can accomplish anything. Unfortunately, at this point the audience will stop checking the evidence that you present to them so, even though they accept it, the level of conviction is lower.

A more incredulous spectator will actually go further to prove to himself that what you do is magic in an attempt to discover your modus operandi than a spectator who accepts that you can do magic.

The short answer is, at least in my experience with lots and lots of close up performances, there is spectator overload and it's a waste of time to continue doing magic after that point.

Dave

That's a brilliant analysis, Dave! Thank you for your well-stated reasoning.

As I said, I'm not advocating a performance regimen here for the very same reasons you stated. Let me rephrase: After years of hearing "No ****ing way!" and "WHAT??? That's impossible!" and "Let me see that again!" my curiosity (and yours too, be honest) has prodded me with its pitchfork to actually want to know where the human breaking-point is. I know that sounds evil, but hey, I'm a scientist! This would be "a scientific experiment." (Say that in a Boris Karloff voice and then laugh hysterically.)

Here! Here! I'm thinking about the same thing!

It's sounding like you are describing what might gently be called a tsunami. While doing 10 robots in a row sounds mighty powerful, like a couple o' three or four well placed lightning bolts, please think of the innocents that may get hurt in the process. Think of the property damage, think of the economic havoc you'll wreak on the area... I beg you...don't! It's just too powerful. Have mercy!

Moohaha! (Vincent Price.) We passed out Depends at the door and had paramedics standing by with defibrillators and adrenaline syringes. There was no seating in the first five rows and security people were standing by the "Crime Scene - Do Not Cross" tape. The magician had a James Bond/Michael Jackson jet pack off stage and made an aerial exit through the skylight in a shower of glass and pyrotechnics at the end while the audience was screaming, strong men were weeping and women were rending their garments.

And then I woke up...

Ever notoice how these phrases only come from dealers and other magicians - not from regular audience members. I think sometimes not only do we fool our audience but in another way we tend to fool ourselves as well. (Man that was a killer opinion!)

Frank Tougas

Yeah. Fishing lures are designed to catch fishermen. Fish, on the other hand, eat anything.

Yeah! Chingon!

Hey Frank! I don't know you. My loss, amigo! Perhaps one day///
But I think I hear what your're saying! ad infinitum...nope, more like ad nauseum. What say?

CamelotFX...you are an absolut killer! How the lleh did you wake up?