Today I went to a nearby 7-11 store and saw the cashier outside the store reading newspaper. So I went up her and asked if I could show her something (street magic). She asked what I wanted to show and when I took my deck of cards, she immediately said 'oh no, don't waste my time'. By the way, it was my second attempt doing street magic. Did any of you have the same reaction while doing street magic?
Don't Waste My Time
- Thread starter d34thg0d
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Then don't show her. Simple
I meet with these people a lot. If you force it on them, they won't enjoy it. The point of magic is to entertain people. If they don't want to be entertained, it's their loss.
That aside, I really like showing tricks to casher E.G Bill change and buy a mentos
I meet with these people a lot. If you force it on them, they won't enjoy it. The point of magic is to entertain people. If they don't want to be entertained, it's their loss.
That aside, I really like showing tricks to casher E.G Bill change and buy a mentos
I think everyone's been turned down at some point, whether it is a more polite 'no thankyou' or a 'get lost'. The trick is to not let it phase you, to just try again to someone else. Obviously, by paying attention to your potential audience and picking a person/group of people that don't seem busy, you are more likely to get a positive response, but ultimately everyone will get this at some time in their magic career. Don't worry about it, thank them anyway and try again.
Good luck, and keep performing
Good luck, and keep performing
just look for someone else to show magic too. cahiers dont really care. they are on break or w/e they dont want to see magic.
go find some person sitting on a bench reading or feeding ducks.
they might be more open to magic. ha
go find some person sitting on a bench reading or feeding ducks.
they might be more open to magic. ha
You know what, that is just how it goes. I've been doing street magic for a long time and you are going to get rejected a lot. There are things that will improve your chances of them saying yes, but I am kinda tired right now to get into them. My point is, do you think Blaine on his first T.V. special got yes every single time, no way. You just won't.
Alot of people think small side distractions of entertainment(especially from a kid) are pointless and a waste of time.
Or maybe theyve seen many lackluster performance of card tricks and assumed you were the same.
Your #1 I HIGHLY disagree with. If you know HOW to introduce YOURSELF, then you can pretty much get away with pulling out any sort of magical piece and perform it for someone.
What would YOU rather watch? ---
A. Some random person walks up to you and says "Hey, wanna see something neat?"
B. Some random person walks up to you and hands you a deck of cards and $10 and says, "Sir/maam...not only am I going to let you KEEP this $10, I am going to give you a chance to double your money up." (of course you will get your $10 back...lol)
I am not saying this is what I do, because I don't. But by adding substance to your initial introduction, getting rejected becomes less and less every time.
I am a BIG fan of cards from the mouth. That is USUALLY how I break the ice. I point to someone and then to my mouth and then BAM! That is usually what it takes for me and then I am in.
Mike
This is a sign of the times...so many people doing bad magic that you aren't even getting a chance to show anything at all. Thank you Angel, such a great PR guy that people hate magic more than ever. How few a times have you said, "I am a Magician" and someone thinks that is prestigious? I have had people apolagize to me, as they assumed I would suck, and even after telling them that I have done it over a decade and am good at it...are SHOCKED to see that my magic is actually entertaining.
This is what magic has become - doing magic on the street for a random is about as prestigious as your uncle dealing the deck out 3 times and finding the wrong card. Honestly, unless you have a stage show - don't expect people to eagerly want to see magic. AGAIN, blame Angel, the Masked Magician, Angel again, and maybe even Youtube for making magic suck in the eyes of the general public...oh wait, let's not forget to thank all the kids trying to do magic for the people at a corner store?
I know you think this is the right path - but it isn't. Realize this - Doing less is doing more. Bannon talks about making people ask 2-3 times before he actually shows them. He feels the first time they ask, it is almost an obligation, if they ask again they have a sincere interest. However, young magicians are so eager to show magic for their own selfish reasons, that they don't concern themselves witht the impact it will have on audiences...BAD MAGIC LEADS TO BAD AUDIENCES - the preconceived notion of what magic is becomes a negative concept you are constantly trying to disprove. Enjoy you uphill battle...but you may deserve it (not you as in the poster, but the reader) as you may have helped cause it.
I wonder how you approached this person - did you talk up the Cashier, sincerely, an work magic into the conversation. How did you MAKE them want to see you? Just saying - I DO CARD TRICKS, is like saying - I ROCK AT MATH - nobody cares how accounts do what they do...even though they love a good tax return. Same with magic - most people will not want to give it a chance, unless they like you.
I just used this quote in a PM - but it was, "nobody cares what you know (do), until they know that you care".
I was just at the Science Centre in Toronto - I saw a kid standing with deck in hand, I went up to him, nice guy, and asked to see something. He then showed me some really basic effects, he talked to me like I was retarded (asking, can I count to 3) and when the "effect" happened...looked at me like...WELL, FREAK OUT. I took the deck from him, and proceeded to rock an entire crowd. This young guy loved it - I said, "Remember, magic is about making an experience happen, not JUST fooling people"....make magic fun before it happens, and it will be MORE fun when it does.
Too many of you are walking the streets to try and freak people out - why would you be surprised people don't want to see your stuff...in appearance, you look one step about a kid that stands on the corner washing your car windows...and two steps above a pan-handler. Seriously, magic is a way to take relationships to the next level, NOT replace relationships.
I KNEW I hated "street magic" when Garcia coined the term - TARGET - WTF! Target, I shop at Target, I don't want people I meet to be a target for anything...this is what is wrong with magic done to "random encounters".
Let magic be your secret weapon, not a replacement for a personality!
This is what magic has become - doing magic on the street for a random is about as prestigious as your uncle dealing the deck out 3 times and finding the wrong card. Honestly, unless you have a stage show - don't expect people to eagerly want to see magic. AGAIN, blame Angel, the Masked Magician, Angel again, and maybe even Youtube for making magic suck in the eyes of the general public...oh wait, let's not forget to thank all the kids trying to do magic for the people at a corner store?
I know you think this is the right path - but it isn't. Realize this - Doing less is doing more. Bannon talks about making people ask 2-3 times before he actually shows them. He feels the first time they ask, it is almost an obligation, if they ask again they have a sincere interest. However, young magicians are so eager to show magic for their own selfish reasons, that they don't concern themselves witht the impact it will have on audiences...BAD MAGIC LEADS TO BAD AUDIENCES - the preconceived notion of what magic is becomes a negative concept you are constantly trying to disprove. Enjoy you uphill battle...but you may deserve it (not you as in the poster, but the reader) as you may have helped cause it.
I wonder how you approached this person - did you talk up the Cashier, sincerely, an work magic into the conversation. How did you MAKE them want to see you? Just saying - I DO CARD TRICKS, is like saying - I ROCK AT MATH - nobody cares how accounts do what they do...even though they love a good tax return. Same with magic - most people will not want to give it a chance, unless they like you.
I just used this quote in a PM - but it was, "nobody cares what you know (do), until they know that you care".
I was just at the Science Centre in Toronto - I saw a kid standing with deck in hand, I went up to him, nice guy, and asked to see something. He then showed me some really basic effects, he talked to me like I was retarded (asking, can I count to 3) and when the "effect" happened...looked at me like...WELL, FREAK OUT. I took the deck from him, and proceeded to rock an entire crowd. This young guy loved it - I said, "Remember, magic is about making an experience happen, not JUST fooling people"....make magic fun before it happens, and it will be MORE fun when it does.
Too many of you are walking the streets to try and freak people out - why would you be surprised people don't want to see your stuff...in appearance, you look one step about a kid that stands on the corner washing your car windows...and two steps above a pan-handler. Seriously, magic is a way to take relationships to the next level, NOT replace relationships.
I KNEW I hated "street magic" when Garcia coined the term - TARGET - WTF! Target, I shop at Target, I don't want people I meet to be a target for anything...this is what is wrong with magic done to "random encounters".
Let magic be your secret weapon, not a replacement for a personality!
PS - Mike posted the same time as me, but I TOTALLY agree - "Don't open with cards" is one of the BS rules that have developed because people seem to think that card magic is why people hate magic...um, no, Magicians are why people hate magic, because people love card magic (and all other branches of close up) when it is done well.
Like in gun control (guns don't kill people, people kill people) it is the same in magic - cards don't kill your act, the magicians kills the act!
PS - if you go to the Science Centre in Toronto - there is a Science of Magic thing - go see Baldini, his act was mainly card, for a big crowd, and they really enjoyed him!
Like in gun control (guns don't kill people, people kill people) it is the same in magic - cards don't kill your act, the magicians kills the act!
PS - if you go to the Science Centre in Toronto - there is a Science of Magic thing - go see Baldini, his act was mainly card, for a big crowd, and they really enjoyed him!
Sounds good but then it comes the dilemma of how you want them to remind you.
Either you can be in their minds "He is a guy that does magic!" and barely remember your name, or, they can remember that you are a nice guy, your name, AND that among other things, you do magic.
I hate presenting myself right away as a magician, because everytime I get introduced to someone it will be like "hey meet this guy, he does cards tricks, could you do one for him?" I dont want that tag over me, instead, I would recommend to use your social skills a little before you introduce the pack of cards into the equation.
Meet them, befriend them, build rapport, that way when you take out your cards it will be EASIER that they respond to them and easier that they will accept.
Actually like 8 months ago in another thread, I proposed the experiment of going out and perform during 2 days, the first day I would get into the magic really quick,(kinda like what mike suggests) and the next day I went and performed the whole day by introducing mysellf first and then trying to befriend the people a little.
My results were really good, people actually (it's a fact in my case) respond better if you befriend them first.
Touching a little the other subject, there is another magician in my town, I have met him and poor guy I really pity him, I asked people that know him his name and they didnt even knew! they were like "I dont know his name but I know he does cool card tricks", people only know him because of that.
I proobably know what the reply is going to be for this to , something like " is our responsability that they remember us for our name and for the way we want to be remembered" but still.....
ouch. i ask if people can count to three, i try to make seem like a stupid question when i ask it. but none the less. eye opener
Don't let it stop you... you will soon realize who to show and how to ask them. I have only been in the street twice myself and the last time I met up with another magician my age and he was showing me rising card, then this lady came over and started screaming NO WAY! lol, so when I go back out on Tuesday I'm gonna start doing some visual magic so others can see and the people who approach me are the ones who will give the reactions cause they want to see some magic, so try that if you have some visual stuff.
It looks creepy and kind of silly when you approach people on the street with a deck of cards or whatever. Dai Vernon mentioned that it was creepy back in his time, and it's still creepy now.
This can also be about your age. If a teenager or kid came up to me and wanted to show me some card tricks while I was on my 5-10 min break. I'd most likely do the same thing. I'm pretty sure the kid would also do the same thing if somebody else did that to him/her as well.
There is one thing you should do. Don't open with magic. Just introduce yourself and get to know the person, then if you feel the time is right, simply perform what you want.
Another thing I forgot to mention that is very important. Is context. I remember a story that Wayne Houchin put up a few months back about one of the worlds greatest violinists. He decided to busk one day. Now normally he plays to sold out stadiums and huge venues all over the world. But when he busked for that one day. How much money do you think he made? Around 60 bucks.
The point is that there is a time and place for everything.
This can also be about your age. If a teenager or kid came up to me and wanted to show me some card tricks while I was on my 5-10 min break. I'd most likely do the same thing. I'm pretty sure the kid would also do the same thing if somebody else did that to him/her as well.
There is one thing you should do. Don't open with magic. Just introduce yourself and get to know the person, then if you feel the time is right, simply perform what you want.
Another thing I forgot to mention that is very important. Is context. I remember a story that Wayne Houchin put up a few months back about one of the worlds greatest violinists. He decided to busk one day. Now normally he plays to sold out stadiums and huge venues all over the world. But when he busked for that one day. How much money do you think he made? Around 60 bucks.
The point is that there is a time and place for everything.
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The problem with cards.
There not common day items, its not like money, pens, phones, rings or anything else people would carry around. Also its a stero-type that magicains do card tricks, like a italian eating pasta, its expected. (no im not racist).
So when you say "can i show you a trick" and bring out cards. People arent going to expect much and say no. Its common, its why people get rejected sometimes.
Work with the situation. If your performing in a store with a cashier, they are dealing with money all day, so when your a bout to pay, do bill swtich and if thats all they want to see then move on. Now if a cashier is on break, pretend you have to write somthing down so ask for a pen, make small talk and ask what street this is and make friends. (I do use a coin and pen routine, im not sure who esle does.) If they are wearing rings, say its nice and if theres any value or story behind it, do your routine (if you have one) with a ring.
Now im not agenst card tricks, i beilve they can work if your hired for a show or if some askes you to do a trick. But if your performing "street magic" i beilve theres better out there.
There not common day items, its not like money, pens, phones, rings or anything else people would carry around. Also its a stero-type that magicains do card tricks, like a italian eating pasta, its expected. (no im not racist).
So when you say "can i show you a trick" and bring out cards. People arent going to expect much and say no. Its common, its why people get rejected sometimes.
Work with the situation. If your performing in a store with a cashier, they are dealing with money all day, so when your a bout to pay, do bill swtich and if thats all they want to see then move on. Now if a cashier is on break, pretend you have to write somthing down so ask for a pen, make small talk and ask what street this is and make friends. (I do use a coin and pen routine, im not sure who esle does.) If they are wearing rings, say its nice and if theres any value or story behind it, do your routine (if you have one) with a ring.
Now im not agenst card tricks, i beilve they can work if your hired for a show or if some askes you to do a trick. But if your performing "street magic" i beilve theres better out there.
ok i've been told not to force it on them....just not force it on them by asking them let me show you something.......if you are in wal mart...no.....people are always in a rush..but a 7-11...yeah do something like this....pick out an item.....intentionally pull out too much cash...espeically if all you want is a soda.....and them change it to a smaller bill....
real talk...i was at the store earlier today and i was short like 10 cents...i pulled out a dollar and i ask the cashier: how much else i owe??? she told me and i did DG's final switch from Greed....she went nuts.....
If you force something on someone as said they won't like it. The best reactions are if the spectators come to you. Try flourishing or something that will attract their attention. If they talk to you directly then you are able to come up to them and perform. People are interested by watching and are prompted to see a trick. This is definately where flourishing comes in handy. The more people that watch will attract others. Hope the best for you.
Thank you all for the comments. I'm planning to do more street magic during my school's open house and I shall try to introduce myself to them first before I start. Or maybe do some flourishes to get their attention.
The first time I did street magic, I did 'flow' for a lady who was waiting for her friend. She had no reaction at all, but a group of young adults walked pass and saw it and walked up to me if I could show them something. So I did 'witness' for them and the reactions were good I shall keep trying and learn along the way.
The first time I did street magic, I did 'flow' for a lady who was waiting for her friend. She had no reaction at all, but a group of young adults walked pass and saw it and walked up to me if I could show them something. So I did 'witness' for them and the reactions were good
I shall keep trying and learn along the way.
Again...it is all in the way that you introduce yourself and segway into you being a magician. It doesn't matter what you perform magic WITH. Though I do feel one should be versed in all areas of magic, cards are more common than you think. (I am pretty sure almost all bars I have ever performed at have a poker night.)
And by the way, you can make TONS of cash performing street magic. Jeff Sheridan was a PHENOMENAL street magician too...
I am very interested how you can approach a total stranger walking around and talk to him/her and make it relevant to cards, im not saying its impossible, I personally think theres no good way, if you or anyone reading this has a line or anything, I really want to hear it.(PM it)
I wish the fourms where.
ok, but how many people acually carry cards with them? He is not performing at bars with poker night, he was walking past a 7-11
Very irrelvent, the guy if performing for fun, if he wasnt, he would not be walking into 7-11.