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Jaxon Inner circle Kalamazoo, Mi. 2537 Posts |
Yea, I stole the line from the play "Little Shop of Horrors" but notice I spelled it (See more) instead of (Seymour). I'm talking about those spectators we sometimes get in close up magic that keeps asking you to do more and more magic for them. Get it? Feed me more!, I want to See more!
OK enough of the cute title. I'm just glad I thought of it.. lol Anyway, when should you draw the line? If you've done a 5 or 10 minute set for a group at a table and your ready to move onto another group. Hopefully you see one that's waiting for you to join them. How long should you spend with this group that keeps asking for more? An even more important question is why do they want more? It would seem that they want more because they are enjoying what you are doing. Quite often this will indeed be their reason but not always. Sometimes they want another chance to "catch" you at something. Their request to see more will be more like, "Wait a minute. I didn't catch that one but do another one and I'll bet I can catch you." One could argue, and I'm sure someone will in this discussion, that if you are entertaining then they won't worry about the method and just enjoy your show. That you have to be in more control of your spectators and if they feel it's a challenge then you must not be presenting yourself well. Reading a statement like that makes a lot of sense. If we truly entertain then them they should be worrying about if you "fooled" them or not. Unfortunately I live in the real world where statements like that doesn't always apply. Especially in close up where the spectators personality is a big part of the equation. So in the real world we have to deal with different personalities and atmospheres. Some people see magic as a challenge and we try our best to get past that state of mind. But it's not always possible. So we have to be able to recognize what I see as a "lost cause" and know when to leave them. I wish I had one solid piece of advice on this matter. Of knowing when someone is truly enjoying what you are doing and want to see more or when they just want another change to "catch you." The truth is there is no solid way of dealing with it. You have to develop an instinct and you can only do that with experience. I urge you to leave a group when you feel it's time to leave. With experience you'll know when it's time. Just because they want more doesn't mean you should give them more. Quite often we tend to start doing our less impressive or entertaining routines if we stay to long. Some way to always leave them wanting more. I tend to disagree with this. I feel you should leave them happy and satisfied. Leave them wanting to see you again but not always wanting to see more right now. Leaving them wanting to talk about you and what you did. Leave them wanting to come back next time and bring more friends with the. When I have a group that really seems to be enjoying it and when I feel it's time to leave they ask for more. I might say something like this. "You guys have been great. I have one more thing I usually only do for special occasions. You guys have been so great I'll do it for you before I go." Ron Jaxon |
muzicman Special user LaCenter, Wa 989 Posts |
ALWAYS leave them wanting to see more! ALWAYS!!!!!
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Frank Tougas Inner circle Minneapolis, MN 1712 Posts |
As in every performance it is you who are in charge. Even at concerts where there is a encore supposedly prompted by the crowd, those encores are just as planned as the rest of the show. About the only difference would be if the crowd were not enthusiastic the encore would simply be cut.
David Copperfield uses this in his live shows. He does what is an obvious finish and the crowd cheers. He says, "You want more?" they do and suddenly there is another ten minutes that looks suspiciously like it may have been planned all along. Why? Because it was! So if you want to use the encore do so, but it is still the performer who controls the show. Make it an enjoyable one. Muzicman is right, always leave them wanting more, even after the encore. Frank Tougas
Frank Tougas The Twin Cities Most "Kid Experienced" Children's Performer :"Creating Positive Memories...One Smile at a Time"
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Kipp Sherry Elite user Boise, ID 477 Posts |
I really think the advice about an encore is great advice, and I just have an instinct that the instinct thing is correct as well.
I may add to Ron's original post. I think there is one more group of spectators that can't seem to get enough, they are the ones looking for a mentor. I try to be sensitive to these magical gems just waiting to be sifted out of the sand. For these apprentices I will usually teach them a simple effect like a rubber band or a coin palm and send them on there way to practice. Break a Wand, Kipp Sherry |
calexa Inner circle Germany 1635 Posts |
Ron, have you ever thought of making an ebook out of your thoughts? I like them a lot, and I think a lot of people will.
Magixx
Optimists have more fun.....
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The Magician Loyal user Liverpool 267 Posts |
Another superb post Mr Jaxon.
The Magician
Expect the Unexpected |
Jaxon Inner circle Kalamazoo, Mi. 2537 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-10-18 16:24, calexa wrote: Thanks very much. Maybe you've seen my post titled Don't be a Clone (An Excerpt) Since I made that post I've done a lot of writing. Whenever I have some thought about magic I tend to sit in front of the computer and write my thoughts on that issue. So I have put some work into it. Here's the problem though. As I look at all these "thoughts" on magic that I've written I can't really find much of a common ground. In other words what would this magic book/ebook be about? Some say my line of thinking falls along the lines of magic theory. I suppose some of them do. Other's are lessons I've learned, questions I have and advice that might not even fit everyone. Some of the things are just my opinion or preference. Things like "Some like country music and others like Rock and Roll." In this I might have an issue about a certain aspect of magic and share my thoughts on it. As an example of the kind of "advice" I've written about that might not work for everyone. I've written about how I construct a show. Planning the opening act. The closing act then having a list of tricks and routines to do in the middle but the middle isn't all that structured. I use my opening act to get a feel for the audience then make my decisions from there as to what to do next. So I go with the flow and do what I feel the audience would like to see next. This wouldn't work for everyone. Some would even say it's a terrible way to do it. But it works for me so I write about it in a way that say's, "This is how I do it. Give it a try and see if it works for you too." So I'm basically having a hard time figuring out any kind of structure for a book. If anyone would want to read it I'd love to get it out there. I just hope it will be something interesting and somehow useful. We got enough books out there that basically waist paper (or web space). I wouldn't want to join that club. It's very different from making E-book on a trick. When I make them available I perform the trick for a while so I can honestly say it gets good reactions in the real world. Make the instructions and share some performing tips and ideas. Then just get it out there. With a book like this I wouldn't know how to describe it or who to point it out to. Because it's not just on close up, stage, mentalism or whatever. It's on magic in general and a lot of it is opinion. I'd love to get advice on this. Any thoughts I'm all ears, well, eyes.... Ron Jaxon |
LostSoul Regular user Dave 148 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-10-19 13:33, Jaxon wrote: Hi Ron, Well, I’m a newbie here, but I’ll toss in my 2 cents worth… After reading some of your posts, I find your insights to be, well insightful. I will admit, I don’t read every thread on every topic, for now I’m sticking pretty much to the “New” area. Advice is rarely useful as given, it is useful as a springboard and that’s what I would look for in the theory book, such as how to construct a show. I would not want to construct a show the same as you, but you could provide ideas that I may not think of, or more importantly, pitfalls I would miss. As I am a new and am just beginning to think about performing for others (got to pay for the supplies some how) I need all of the ideas I can get my hands on. Let me decide what is useful for me. As far as a structure for the book, look at your ideas and see how to “flow” them together. When I write, I always try and make an outline first (if I’m writing for more than a page or so). I assume they still teach the: I)…A)…1)…a) method of outlining. Well, as you can tell, I do ramble sometimes, hopefully you’ll find a letter or two useful. Dave |
kent New user Victoria,BC 44 Posts |
In response to Ron's original query, I'll second muzicman with the old axiom "Always leave them wanting more".
A well routined act has a beginning, middle, and end - anything else is just tacked on. I've seen acts (not just magic, and I've been guilty myself) of 'overstaying their welcome' on a stage. It's hard to walk away from applause and acolades, and when you're 'in the zone', and the performance is feeling great, it can be hard to stop .. but part of any good performance (again, not just magic) is knowing when to stop. Giving a little extra bit (an encore, if you will), to an extra responsive crowd is fine .. but again, know when to say when! And Ron, your writing is great! I've been lurking around the Café for quite a while, and your posts are *always* an enjoyable read. kent |
Parson Smith Inner circle 1937 Posts |
Ron,
Once again, you nailed it. And I am in complete agreement with alwys leave'em wantin' more. Peace, Parson
Here kitty, kitty,kitty.
+++a posse ad esse+++ |
lekin Regular user Sometimes less is more so I only have 176 Posts |
Ron,
While I too am new to the Café as well as a relatively newcomer to magic, I do know something about writing, editing, and communicating. You obviously enjoy thinking about magic and performing, you write well, and your observations are frequently insightful. I would encourage you to think about organizing your material into a series of smaller collections. It seems as if you are already kind of doing this. Then, take a look, or ask some interested parties to take a look. You may be surprised to discover that you have the basis for a series of essays and random thoughts. Frequently, a unifying theme will then suggest itself. |
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