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NoahJLevine Regular user 142 Posts |
Often times, it is necessary to walk spectators through procedure. Tricks where the magician barely touches the cards ( emotional reaction for example) are often much more difficult than they initially appear. Can you give some advice for scripting and delivering specific instructions to spectators? Thanks
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Max Maven V.I.P. 266 Posts |
A rather high percentage of my work involves giving spectators procedural instructions (including those interactive television routines that most magicians seem to dislike).
It is not an easy task, particularly because in addition to giving clear instructions you have the concurrent need to keep the rest of the audience interested. As a general approach, the first thing you need to do is to be clear yourself as to what the participant must know. Often, important information is skipped, or given so little emphasis that it is missed. The way to overcome that is to analyze the necessary information, then break it down into separate steps. When you do that, you'll often find that the "natural" way of delivering this information puts the steps in the wrong order. As a brief example, if you want a person to pick up a deck of cards, but it's important that the deck be kept face down, you need to introduce the idea of the deck staying face down before you get to "pick up the deck" because the latter statement is so easily understood that the person may pick up the deck and turn it face up before you finish the phrase. So: clarity and sequencing. And, whenever possible, pick smart spectators. |
Tom Cutts Staff Northern CA 5925 Posts |
Hello Max,
In your experience on this matter do you find that there is a likelihood for people to forget everything but the first instruction in a chain? I know when one gives people ranges they tend to hear the first number and forget the second even existed. [Example: "the car would cost between $12,000 and $15,000." later... "but you said it was only $12,000.] Thanks in advance, Tom |
Max Maven V.I.P. 266 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-05-03 19:09, Tom Cutts wrote: I don't think there is a likelihood, but there is certainly a risk. That's why, in addition to the sequencing and such described above, it is also important to pace the instructions so that you don't lose the spectator. |
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