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MagieFraudster New user 95 Posts |
I am always prepared to do magic. I not only carry a deck of cards and some wallet mentalism at all times, but also know a number of propless impromptu effects. The problem is, I don't want to be "that guy" who's asking people if they want to see a trick. I'm a professional; I gig every weekend. All my friends know that I'm a professional magician, and they never ask to see a trick. Anyone else encounter this?
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1778 Posts |
Yep. I will sometimes just ask people, "Wanna see something cool?"
Then they get excited if they know I'm a magician. I think for the most part, people just don't care nearly as much as we do. On the other hand, when I worked at a desk job at a fitness club that exposed me to seeing many people every day and they also knew I was a magician, I was always getting asked to see something new. Just depends I guess.
Performing magic unprofessionally since 2008!
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The Mysterious One Veteran user 384 Posts |
To each their own as Mama use to say while I was growing up. I have friends that I used to work with before leaving corporate to see a trick. Every time we would get together, they had the expectation to see something amazing, which I often delivered. The executives and salespeople would always ask me to perform, which forced me to always be on top of my game. I am always prepared to do magic as well. I have a deck of cards, can perform a impromptu 30 minute show at all times. What is interesting is that my kids do not ask me to do magic when they are at the house. They have grown up seeing sponge rabbis multiply, Daddy levitating, cards regurgitated, forks bending mysteriously, etc. When I visit them at school, they want me to perform magic to bask in the astonishment of their friends and teachers.
I also don't want to be that guy that begs people to perform or them. So I don't perform for friends and family unless asked. |
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Mike Gilbert Veteran user Las Vegas, Nevada 376 Posts |
You could always just start performing for yourself...playing around with different tricks in the open. Someone is bound to notice and set the dominoes in motion.
-Mike Gilbert
"Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance."- Steven Pressfield |
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nonprofitmagic Loyal user 203 Posts |
Never perform for someone who does not ask.
kevin |
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1778 Posts |
If that were the case, I'd never perform.
I know what you mean though- don't perform for someone who doesn't want to see magic or who doesn't agree to want to see something. There's no point in that!
Performing magic unprofessionally since 2008!
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
NATE LEIPZIG!!!!!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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MagieFraudster New user 95 Posts |
Right. That's what I'm saying. I don't want to perform for those who don't ask. I'm seeing if this phenomenon (friends and family not asking to see stuff) is common among magicians.
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1778 Posts |
Friends and family? They usually don't ask. But if I ask them to check out something new I've been working on, they will get pretty excited.
Performing magic unprofessionally since 2008!
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ThomasJ Special user Chicago 999 Posts |
Work it into conversation. Eventually they will ask to see something. Also, think of how different effects can illustrate a story from everyday life. Make your presentations meaningful and relevant to different situations. If someone brings up a topic you have a presentation for, there's your in. i.e. "Funny you should mention black holes..."
You get the idea. Try to make your presentations informative so your audience/friend/etc. gains some new knowledge in addition to being astonished. |
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TheMagicHacker New user 26 Posts |
I have a few friends who will ask to see new tricks from time to time, but most of them don't go out of their way to see something. If I've got something new that I think they'll like, I'll ask them, but I'm not forcing everyone to watch me perform.
However, I volunteer at a shelter once a week, and the volunteer coordinator there has instituted the policy that I show her a new card trick every week, which I happily oblige . In fact, she's the one who got me my first performing gig, so I'm glad to show her something new every week. |
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Kyoki_Sanitys_Eclipse Inner circle 1513 Posts |
I just play around till someone asks what I'm doing. Get The ring on chain effect and wear it round your neck. People are always asking what it is. Also just bring up that you are a magician in regular conversation
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Sean Giles Inner circle Cambridge/ UK 3517 Posts |
Just don't ask them 'did you drop this red knife...' :0
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Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 3, 2015, nonprofitmagic wrote: Yes! Magicians should "inscribe" your statement on their shaving mirrors! --Otherwise, they may be "casting imitation pearls before real swine! hee hee Nate Leipzig was a top pro. in his day. He was a "standard act" in vaudeville. His philosophy was: If they like YOU, they will like what YOU DO. At a social affair, he NEVER offered to "do a trick", unless he was asked to do so, at least several times. He simply wanted to be sure that they were not just being polite. When he did do something, he "watched the ladies". At the first sign that they had seen enough, he quit. (Always leave them wanting more!) --Every trick that he did, was a "closing trick"! Nate's repertoire was all strong enough to close! Somerset Maugham (the author) described a scene at a cocktail party: A young lady is talking with another young lady. She says, "See that fellow in the tuxedo over there? He asked if I liked card tricks. I said, 'NO'. He did SIX!" Too many magicians are too anxious to "do something". When people come to a theater, they come prepared to see/hear an artist perform. This is not always true in a social setting.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Gerald Deutsch Special user 526 Posts |
I never ask if a prospective spectator wants to see a trick.
First of all, I try to judge whether the person – or persons I have in mind would enjoy seeing some magic and if I think they would I would just go over and do something but something quick. Perhaps the squeeker on the table (judgment dictates taking care about touching a stranger) or perhaps something like the following “Quarter App” which I posted on the Perverse Magic thread of the Genii Forum on June 1, 2015: Effect “Oh does that cell phone have the “quarter app”? you ask the confused teenager. You’re curious so you take their phone in your right hand by its sides between your fingers and thumb and tell the youngster to hold out his – or her – hand. He or she does. You hold the cell phone over the outstretched hand and your left hand taps the top of the phone and a quarter falls into the teenager’s hand. “Oh it does. Isn’t it a great app?” you say as you walk away putting the cell on top of the quarter in the open hand. Most likely you will be called back to do more. |
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Howie Diddot Inner circle San Francisco & Los Angeles California 3288 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 2, 2015, MagieFraudster wrote: I don't understand the question... Are you asking for possible reasons why no one is asking you to perform, or are you looking for a way to perform tricks for friends without actually asking friends "do you wanna see a trick"? |
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ebackes88 Regular user 153 Posts |
Family members rarely ask. And unless people know youre a magician how would they know to ask
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Kyoki_Sanitys_Eclipse Inner circle 1513 Posts |
That was great advice Mr. Oslund. It took me awhile to get my apprentice to understand that people may want to see a trick or two but not 20. Always leave them wanting more
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Gerald Deutsch Special user 526 Posts |
I posted this on the Perverse Magic thread of the Genii Forum on June 1, 2015. It's something to be done when not asked:
Quarter App Background On November 1, 2014 I posted “Oh You Have One Of These Pens” on this thread, the effect of which is that you pick up a spectator’s pen, pretend to examine it, pull off the cap, look at the cap and then shake it. A quarter drops out from the cap though the diameter is much smaller than the diameter of the quarter. You give the quarter to the spectator, put the cap back on the pen and place it back on her desk. I explained there that this was an example of the sixth category of Perverse Magic – Performer explains something that will happen but he doesn’t understand why it happens. A quick trick and, as I suggested, you let the spectator keep the quarter – I mean, it came from her pen. Last month I was a guest at a Bar Mitzvah confirmation party where there were lots of teenagers. Almost every one of them had a cell phone. I couldn’t resist! Effect “Oh does that cell phone have the “quarter app”? you ask the confused teenager. You’re curious so you take their phone in your right hand by its sides between your fingers and thumb and tell the youngster to hold out his – or her – hand. He or she does. You hold the cell phone over the outstretched hand and your left hand taps the top of the phone and a quarter falls into the teenager’s hand. “Oh it does. Isn’t it a great app?” you say as you walk away putting the cell on top of the quarter in the open hand. Method As with the pen effect, the quarter is Classic Palmed in the right hand. When you hold the cell in that hand between the thumb and fingers the quarter remains Classic Palmed and the hand appears otherwise empty. The slap on the top of the cell phone dislodges the quarter and has it fall into the spectator’s open hand. It’s his or her phone so he or she should be able to keep the quarter. |
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Kyoki_Sanitys_Eclipse Inner circle 1513 Posts |
With the quarter from pen trick it may be good to bend the quarter slightly and make a joke of how they had to force it in there to fit. You could even act like it didn't want to come out during the production
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