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dynamiteassasin Inner circle Naval Air Facility, Atsugi, Japan 1158 Posts |
I do a lot of strolling magic here in the U.S. Navy Base in Japan to mostly Americans and some Japanese. Sometimes I do table hopping in Smokey's restaurant. My skills are pretty good but one thing happened.
I showed an ACR to my aunt and the first few phases went well. Then, I did the "pass" with her card face up. It was a Hermann Pass but I did it frontal with a rubbing motion so it seems like a color change. She kind saw a flash and had that "Oh I see how it's done" grin and didn't seem any interested as I finished the routine. It's good she's a family member. What do you guys do if this happens to you in the streets? Do you show up another trick to make up to your mistake? or do you finish the trick and walk away? |
EddyRay Special user United States Of America 525 Posts |
First: I personally do not think family and friends make for good audiences. They might be good in the sense they can tell you when things don't look good, but in my experience relatives seem to get pretty bored of seeing all my tricks. So I never perform for them anymore.
Now to answer your question about if this would happen to someone in the streets.... I think the routine should pack a punch in each phase. The routine should be solid, and if you see you are not getting reactions from a certain part of it, either work on that particular phase more, or take it out all together. The other thing you could do is change the handling. You want all your routines to be solid, and any weaknesses to be taken out, this will save you in the long run. Now even if you have a great solid magic routine sometimes you will come across people who don't react. This is the way some people are, so we just need to deal with it. So to review, Relatives do not make good audiences, unless you want to get feed back from them on what they thought of your routine. Finally, make your routine solid in each and every phase. Think of this, if you were doing a multi phase routine, what if you stopped on phase 2 of a 5 phase routine... Is there enough magic in the beginning phases to be entertaining? If so, good! If not, rework the opening phases. In table hopping venues sometimes you might have this happen. you are doing a multi phase routine and all of a sudden the food comes, or your audience has to leave. You don't want to rush through all the other phases and keep them waiting there for you to finish. So the best advice is to stop the performance at the phase you were currently on. The audience won't know you stopped the whole routine because each phase you are peforming contains enough magic effects. Hope this makes some sense. Ed |
JohnDoh New user 85 Posts |
Performing for family members often runs this risk. They've known you for a while, so they have a non-magical perspective of you. Thus, they can't accept the common view of a magical stranger, because you are neither, and instead look for your mistakes as a way to connect with the performance.
In your specific situation, I'd recommend finishing the routine. You seem unprofessional if you stop, even more so than when you accidently flash. |
BroDavid Inner circle America’s North Coast, Ohio 3176 Posts |
In addition, I think too many magicians start showing to the family members before they have teh effects properly practiced.
The seem to feel that the family can be a good guinea pig, and since they are family and convenient that makes it OK to show them right after you actually learn the effect. Then magicians expect that family willstand and applaud for your half practiced effect. I stopped showing my wife anything, until it is finished and ready to perfrom to anyone else. So instead of trying to get a good reaction for an unworthy perfromance, I now actually do get good reactions, because the there is no flash, or stumble, or "wait, I wasnt properly reset"... Treat family like your toughest audience. There is little "wonder" in your perfromance, becuase they know you too well. So if there isn''t good magic, you don't have anything. Just my opinion. BroDavid
If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.
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Caspar Veteran user Tacoma 316 Posts |
I think this happens to everyone at some point and time in the art. The only advice I can give is to learn from your mistake and as someone else has already mention finish the routine.
They can't eat you or look you up in a little cage. Take Care |
Leland Stone Inner circle 1204 Posts |
Getting nailed stinks. Happened to me last night with a stupid little ball vanish. But it amped up my dedication to perfecting even the little details of the throwaway performances to make EVERYTHING I do more Magical.
For me, I shrugged my shoulders in an apologetic way, did another effect, and left. There was no salvaging the moment -- I was seen as an incompetent fraud rather than a Magician. I then spent the rest of the evening doing the same vanish (the one I'd initially flubbed) until it worked. Sincerely, Leland Edward Stone |
Angela Regular user Ohio 190 Posts |
Yeah, getting nailed does stink. But it happens to all of us, and it makes us better performers in the long run. Where would we be without practical experience? If we don't know what it's like to mess up now, it could be pretty hard to avoid it in the future when it really matters. Just knowing what you did wrong is going to help make your ACR flawless!
All my best, Angela |
amadrigal New user Bolingbrook IL 79 Posts |
This is the Idea of myself and B. Anderson we've been doin this for a good while in case I get "CAUGHT"
I have these name tags made up "THAT" inside left breast coat and "THIS" on the right inside breastof the coat and say "OOOH you saw "THAT"?" opening left side jacket I'm glad you didn't see "THIS" opening right side of the coat great big laugh and it looks like a set up when its an out...... thoughts?
If you cannot convince them, confuse them.
Harry S Truman (1884 - 1972) |
Ryan Birch Regular user North Wales 142 Posts |
Hahahahahaha amadrigal, that is sheer genius!
Dynamite, whenever this happens to me I shrug and take my leave. Anything else you try to perform will no longer get a good reaction as they will just be looking for method, kinda like when Dorothy found the man behind the curtain Raz
"NO Ryan! I do NOT want to see another one of your silly magic tricks!" - my mum
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Leland Stone Inner circle 1204 Posts |
Ryan: EXACTLY like when Dorothy found the man behind the curtain -- that is my favourite metaphor for the spoiling of a Magic effect. Knowledge comes with a price: The loss of innocence (Adam & Eve), the gain of disenchantment (Dorothy and the charlatan).
Amadrigal: Ditto to Ryan's comments -- sounds like a good 'save' that's just plain funny! Could deflect the Wise Guy's smugness back on him a bit and make the rest of the crowd think he's all wet! Leland |
amadrigal New user Bolingbrook IL 79 Posts |
B. Anderson AKA "Flourishdude" is also due some credit we were discussing Magic Café over the phone and put our heads together, kinda "I hate when that happens" kinda thing
thanks for the generous comments guys
If you cannot convince them, confuse them.
Harry S Truman (1884 - 1972) |
weepinwil Inner circle USA 3828 Posts |
I agree that family and friends do not make good audiences. If they can take a joke I might just would say something like, "You would pay me to see good magic so I will pay you to see bad magic." give then a dollar and move on. They will be so shocked they will probably not even be able to say what they really saw. Or, at least feel so bad for you that they will keep your errors a secret.
"Til Death us do part!" - Weepin Willie
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Angela Regular user Ohio 190 Posts |
Amadrigal-- kudos to you and Anderson!! That's a great little out.
While we're talking about how family makes a terrible audience... mine always complains when I don't show them how something's done. They think that since we're related I have to teach them every trick I do. I just can't teach them much of anything when they can't master "do as I do". |
amadrigal New user Bolingbrook IL 79 Posts |
What I do is give a fam member a Hudspathish kinda 25 selfworking cards tricks lesson ie. one trick is all I teach anyone and the ONE is LOCATOR CARD.. "I bet the next card I flip over will be your card!" bit and I tell them if they can perform that after practicing and perform it well then I'll be happy to teach them all I know...... NEVER has anyone accomplished the task!!! Fair is fair YOU put in the effort and so will I.
If you cannot convince them, confuse them.
Harry S Truman (1884 - 1972) |
swiftshifter New user Philippines 94 Posts |
Just a few days ago, my father caught me folding a card underneath the deck during a double T&R routine. He was like "What is that you're folding down there?" I was shook as I had the effect rehearsed to the point that my deck went from 54 to 36,and I was just trying it out on him before I was to take it out the next day. The sad part here is that I was so flattened that I was not able to even make a witty response.
The lesson: Diligence and contingency measures for what is most likely to fail. |
Paddy Inner circle Milford OH 1571 Posts |
I can not in way show my wife an effect without her seeing the secret. Anybody else will not ven notice and think I am a miracal worker, but not Ruth. She knows me well enough and she also just instintivly knows where to look.
I am not the only one she gets though, we went to an IBM Ring show and she even caught a magi that appears at The Magic Castle 3 times a year. Some people are just that way. Peter |
dynamiteassasin Inner circle Naval Air Facility, Atsugi, Japan 1158 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-09-17 03:54, swiftshifter wrote: I also did that once. I kept practicing a routine on a torn & restored card and then my deck went from thick to thin.. |
amadrigal New user Bolingbrook IL 79 Posts |
Well my wife gives me the bigest "off beat" the lovely ROLL OF THE EYES and BAM I can get her to actually say "How did you do that???? That was cool!" and I give her the ol "AHHHH I don't wanna bore ya!"
If you cannot convince them, confuse them.
Harry S Truman (1884 - 1972) |
swiftshifter New user Philippines 94 Posts |
Yeah, practicing T&R's have a way of depleting both the deck and the paper in our wallets.
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01tureckm New user UK 72 Posts |
I got nailed doing deep astonishment - total shame!
:( But if pulled off brilliant!!!!!!!! |
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