Certainly something to strive for - but when you're starting those places aren't going to be the ones to hire you most likely.
Nobody likes magic
- Thread starter Jebzy
- Start date
Certainly something to strive for - but when you're starting those places aren't going to be the ones to hire you most likely.
Depends how old the person is, but seeing as most people here are in their teens. I'm going to agree with you on this.
Age has less to do with it than you'd think. To get into upscale venues, you need to prove that you've got the goods. Age alone won't do that, you need social proof. You need a litany of testimonials singing your praises, a lengthy resume, and one hell of a sales pitch.
There's a local guy in my hometown right now doing some corporate gigs, but he only got them because his dad is a successful entrepreneur with lots of connections. And even then, the gigs are comparatively small time. He doesn't have the social proof or the experience to go after the big fish in the pond.
Technically you can but again, it comes back to the "cold" approach that you are interrupting someone's day who probably doesn't want to be bothered while they are out at the mall / store or on the street and such.
Here's a better suggestion. If you are really wanting to get some performances in during the day, start with people that you come in contact with already. For example:
The other day I entertained the physical therapist girls where I go for chiropractic work. However, I had waited until 3 or 4 visits had passed so they knew me and were comfortable with me.
If I have to pay money at a convenience store or gas station and need to go in and I see there isn't a line and I'm the only one there other than the clerk...I will perform for them.
Coworkers - however this one is tough because very easily you can turn into the performing daily monkey which isn't good either because you see these people EVERY day and there is no escaping them.
As mentioned, try libraries, assisted living homes, nursing homes, etc.
None of us are trying to sound mean, but so many people want to just go do the Blaine thing and approach people and it comes off as weird and creepy. That's why you aren't getting the opportunity to perform.
Here's a better suggestion. If you are really wanting to get some performances in during the day, start with people that you come in contact with already. For example:
The other day I entertained the physical therapist girls where I go for chiropractic work. However, I had waited until 3 or 4 visits had passed so they knew me and were comfortable with me.
If I have to pay money at a convenience store or gas station and need to go in and I see there isn't a line and I'm the only one there other than the clerk...I will perform for them.
Coworkers - however this one is tough because very easily you can turn into the performing daily monkey which isn't good either because you see these people EVERY day and there is no escaping them.
As mentioned, try libraries, assisted living homes, nursing homes, etc.
None of us are trying to sound mean, but so many people want to just go do the Blaine thing and approach people and it comes off as weird and creepy. That's why you aren't getting the opportunity to perform.
No. You need to get over this idea that you can bully people into watching you perform. You have to make them come to you.
I would like to repost something from a blog I read...
Do you want to come across as socially awkward? As someone who has trouble figuring out the line between what is okay to do and what is not okay to do?
If so, become a magician.... no wait, even better... become a Street Magician. I'm not talking about busking, which is time honored and requires you to be alert and to manage people. No! I mean Street Magic, the kind that David Blaine made popular.
Strangers on the street love nothing more than being stopped by a young person with a deck of cards in his/her hand. "Hey, I'm a magician, and would you love to see a card trick? If you don't I will either run amok or commit suicide. Whatever!"
So the stranger, who is just a friend you haven't met, thinks long and hard about the things you're about to do and figures that a card trick is probably the least horrific scenario. Probably!
Card tricks it is then. You do some crazy flourishes... of course not as fast at in those YouTube videos you watched, and then ask somebody to pick a card. After that graceful display of skill the stranger surely thinks that you are not capable of finding the card, after it has been lost in the deck. So you do your perfect pass and pull out the two jokers from the pocket. "Look three jokers. One on my right, one on my left and one in the middle." Those two jokers then trap the selection in between then. "OMG you must be a wizard." is the what the stranger says after careful consideration as what to say. The stranger's initial thoughts on how to respond where: "So what? You found my card. My uncle Jeff does a similar trick with 21 cards" and "What a pitiful little creature attempting to be one of the grown ups, I should say something that doesn't offend the magician, and something that can be understood as something positive." So "OMG you must be a wizard" is the final response.
If you are getting that particular dismissive reaction you are on your way. Optional choices would be: "That was wonderful!", "I have no idea how you did that", "You should be on TV", "Not bad for your age", "I wish I was that good with my hands", "No f**king way man"
http://weeklymagicfailure.blogspot.com/2013/12/hey-boys-and-girls.html
Sure it is a little harsh but it's to the point we need to start getting harsh.
Do you want to come across as socially awkward? As someone who has trouble figuring out the line between what is okay to do and what is not okay to do?
If so, become a magician.... no wait, even better... become a Street Magician. I'm not talking about busking, which is time honored and requires you to be alert and to manage people. No! I mean Street Magic, the kind that David Blaine made popular.
Strangers on the street love nothing more than being stopped by a young person with a deck of cards in his/her hand. "Hey, I'm a magician, and would you love to see a card trick? If you don't I will either run amok or commit suicide. Whatever!"
So the stranger, who is just a friend you haven't met, thinks long and hard about the things you're about to do and figures that a card trick is probably the least horrific scenario. Probably!
Card tricks it is then. You do some crazy flourishes... of course not as fast at in those YouTube videos you watched, and then ask somebody to pick a card. After that graceful display of skill the stranger surely thinks that you are not capable of finding the card, after it has been lost in the deck. So you do your perfect pass and pull out the two jokers from the pocket. "Look three jokers. One on my right, one on my left and one in the middle." Those two jokers then trap the selection in between then. "OMG you must be a wizard." is the what the stranger says after careful consideration as what to say. The stranger's initial thoughts on how to respond where: "So what? You found my card. My uncle Jeff does a similar trick with 21 cards" and "What a pitiful little creature attempting to be one of the grown ups, I should say something that doesn't offend the magician, and something that can be understood as something positive." So "OMG you must be a wizard" is the final response.
If you are getting that particular dismissive reaction you are on your way. Optional choices would be: "That was wonderful!", "I have no idea how you did that", "You should be on TV", "Not bad for your age", "I wish I was that good with my hands", "No f**king way man"
http://weeklymagicfailure.blogspot.com/2013/12/hey-boys-and-girls.html
Sure it is a little harsh but it's to the point we need to start getting harsh.
I can see you guys are trying to help wit young fellow out but your KILLING ME! 3 pages in and no one is attempting to actually answer the question of "overcoming objections" with street performing.
With all this negativity no one would ever win the lottery. You are all saying.. "don't do this" or "become a busker" or "Get a job performing at tables in restaurants." Great sound advice.. for someone more advanced.
Okay Jebzy.. First thing you need to do.. Learn SOME sales techniques... I worked in sales for a short amount of time just to LEARN this stuff so i can use their information to sell my magic and other goods. First sales technique... "Feed people with a long handled spoon" You need to "spoon feed" your potential clients but the handle needs to be long so they don't bite your hand off. (This is a metaphor.. you will not be feeding your clients anything but food for thought.) So go to http://www.pick-up-artist-forum.com/ and commit some "opinion openers" to memory for all age groups. This process with get MUCH easier over time.
People your age may like something like.. 1. "what do you think about 'celebrity name?" 2. "My sister's birthday is coming up... she's about your age.. what do you think she would want?" Someone older like your mom's age.. 1. "What kind of impression does 'celebrity name' have on your kids?" 2. "Where did you get that purse? My mom's birthday is coming up, and she loves that color." But PLEASE do not lie in your opener.. they may already know your mom.. or you may end up dated a girl in the group.. Then make the potential clients laugh and relax.. To do this say anything in a play manner that shows you as inferior or superior to them. This will create a bond between the two of you (or group) Something like "I would be cold walking around without a jacket.. But I'm a man!" Say this Completely ridiculous statement sarcastically.. however it's very effective when it's 6 degrees outside.
Show your not going anywhere. THEN bring out the cards. My go to line is.. "When is the last time you picked a card" when I'm about to show them something. They say anything longer than 5 minutes ago I "cringe" my face and say "that's too long". The cringe is a technique that says "there's something WAY wrong with that.. and I'm here to change it."
Another sales technique: Don't give up on someone when they say no.. ask once.. have a reason why they should see it without overplaying your hand.. talk some more.. then ask again. If they say something like..
Become a people person... not an attention hog.. sooner or later they will start saying.. "Are you that guy that knows __my_friend___?" He told me about you. Keep trying to sculpt your life Jebzy.
With all this negativity no one would ever win the lottery. You are all saying.. "don't do this" or "become a busker" or "Get a job performing at tables in restaurants." Great sound advice.. for someone more advanced.
Okay Jebzy.. First thing you need to do.. Learn SOME sales techniques... I worked in sales for a short amount of time just to LEARN this stuff so i can use their information to sell my magic and other goods. First sales technique... "Feed people with a long handled spoon" You need to "spoon feed" your potential clients but the handle needs to be long so they don't bite your hand off. (This is a metaphor.. you will not be feeding your clients anything but food for thought.) So go to http://www.pick-up-artist-forum.com/ and commit some "opinion openers" to memory for all age groups. This process with get MUCH easier over time.
People your age may like something like.. 1. "what do you think about 'celebrity name?" 2. "My sister's birthday is coming up... she's about your age.. what do you think she would want?" Someone older like your mom's age.. 1. "What kind of impression does 'celebrity name' have on your kids?" 2. "Where did you get that purse? My mom's birthday is coming up, and she loves that color." But PLEASE do not lie in your opener.. they may already know your mom.. or you may end up dated a girl in the group.. Then make the potential clients laugh and relax.. To do this say anything in a play manner that shows you as inferior or superior to them. This will create a bond between the two of you (or group) Something like "I would be cold walking around without a jacket.. But I'm a man!" Say this Completely ridiculous statement sarcastically.. however it's very effective when it's 6 degrees outside.
Show your not going anywhere. THEN bring out the cards. My go to line is.. "When is the last time you picked a card" when I'm about to show them something. They say anything longer than 5 minutes ago I "cringe" my face and say "that's too long". The cringe is a technique that says "there's something WAY wrong with that.. and I'm here to change it."
Another sales technique: Don't give up on someone when they say no.. ask once.. have a reason why they should see it without overplaying your hand.. talk some more.. then ask again. If they say something like..
Become a people person... not an attention hog.. sooner or later they will start saying.. "Are you that guy that knows __my_friend___?" He told me about you. Keep trying to sculpt your life Jebzy.
We did tell him to volenteer places where it;s okay to be not great. Places where people are happy to have someone to talk to.
As for the street magic thing, you are missing the point. People do not like to be bugged in public. That what we have spent three pages saying. No one likes some random teenager or 20 something or any stranger really accosting them with a deck of cards. My post above yours from Roland's blog (and he is German) is saying the same thing. If someone same up to up to me and I said no and then had to say no again is not going to get me to say yes. They could be having a bad day. They could be late. they could be on a break and need some alone time. They could have just found out someone died. The last thing they want is someone bugging them to see magic. This street magic things was never and is not really maw magicians work. It is something kids saw on TV and thought I would do that. No, no you can't. Yes you can busk on a corner or in a park. Yes you can be hired by a zoo or a street festival to do strolling magic. In normal everyday life people do not want to be bugged when they are out. Put it another way. When famous people are out they hate people coming up to them bug them while eating diner or spending time with their family. As a "street magician" you are doing the same thing but to run of the mill people.
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I would like to point out that I gave succinct advice on how to approach people. I will also point out that even if people are allowing you to perform, that doesn't mean they aren't wishing you'd just scram.
Here is what you do. Take a set of 3 quick effects, and then go volunteer your time at a Senior Center. It doesn't matter if when you start performing you are awful or awkward. Even Dai Vernon was awful and awkward when he first started performing for people. Just get your feet at Senior Centers on the weekends and that should start giving you some experience with performing for awhile.
Once you've gotten that done, you can start trying to approach local restaurants and then from there you'll (hopefully) start getting better.
Once you've gotten that done, you can start trying to approach local restaurants and then from there you'll (hopefully) start getting better.
Thanks guys.
Krab1 that blog what you putted in here, was exactly what I was doing, next time I will thought about that.
Every one are telling me to stop performing for friends and go out, but where then I should go?
You have told me a lot of great things, but I still have a question: where should I show my magic?
Krab1 that blog what you putted in here, was exactly what I was doing, next time I will thought about that.
Every one are telling me to stop performing for friends and go out, but where then I should go?
You have told me a lot of great things, but I still have a question: where should I show my magic?
Thanks, that's what I wanted to hear. But I don't know if we had Senior Center, I will seek for it.
I also pointed out hospitals and children wings of of hospitals are great places. Some people are in long term care or have no family and would love for someone to pay attention to them even if it just ten or fifteen minutes you are there. But remember to do more that just do a few effects. Take time and talk to them. Learn about them so when you come back the next week you have something to talk about.
We aren't telling you to stop doing magic for friends and family. Try this. next time you are at the mall with friends stop in an area where people gather. Like around a fountain. The do some magic for your friends and see if people stop to see what you are doing. Chances are some will. Make sure you have some sponge or coins for kids, because there will be kids. Use your friends to prime the pump. If no one stops, then try it again later but make sure you have permission to perform in the mall and check with your city on street performance permits.
The one thing with Hospitals that you are going to have to be weary of is if you have anything where THEY have to touch the prop, you will most likely have to get rid of it right away afterwards depending on the wing you are performing in.
That is why I stay away from cards. I did a chop cup, some coins and rubber bands. I could do all of the effects in rubber gloves and with a mask on. I mostly did magic for older long term care folks who were there with cancer or some other noninfectious condition.
I disagree with your statement completely here. With all due respect, it's not hard for me to walk up to a group of strangers and perform magic with them. I will agree that some of the time i'll engage in a conversation with them beforehand, but many times I sort of give it a go. This usually sparks a conversation, and then the possibilities are endless.
You can disagree but there is four pages here from pro and semi pro workers, some who have been doing magic longer than most users here have been alive, tell ya'll that this was never a thing before like 1996 or so. We know first hand that people do not like to be bothered while out in their day to day lives unless they are in a touristy area like a zoo or theme park or a festival of some kind.
In the grown up world we have places to go and things to do. Most of the time it is in a very tight time table. So no, we don't have time to watch some random that only knows cards tricks. Remember everyone knows that crazy uncle that does the 21 card trick. In their eyes you and your $10 deck are no different.
Then again you think guys who pay the rent doing magic and have worked stage shows for 500+ people and can hold a crowd with nothing but a few coins two sponge balls and some rubber bands are lacking social skills. You also think by magicians not wanting people to know how the effects are done we are killing magic. So quite honestly, your disagreement to the working magicians here is a little weak. We are speaking from years of hard work to get to were we are. Learning human behavior from watching people in normal every day activities. Why we do things the way we do. Why we speak and move the way we do when we are working. Knowing how real people count coins and shuffle cards. How real people pass things from one hand to another. And how people act in public on a day to day basis. We know when we are working as a strolling magician at a party when not to walk up to a group. To read body language to know who will and will not make a good volunteer. We have cracked open a few books on theory.
What we are saying is we are giving a life time of hard earned advice that we would have killed for when we were starting out. We are letting you know what works in the real world. Also if you look the OP has said he has learned from us. Take from that we might just might know what we are talking about.
I understand your response, but just remember that both of us are expressing our opinion here. In the previous thread, you may have inferred wrong. I did not mean to express that I am not bothered by someone knowing my secret; instead I was insisting that I am not worried about an individual that I will probably never see again search up how to do a trick I learned from him. In addition, you are just improving my point about how many people cannot take off the nostalgia glasses of magic. I understand that you are probably a far more skilled magician than me, but remember magic is an art. Again with all due respect, you've been in the business longer, but I feel as though if both of us performed a similar routine, I can go toe to toe with you. There comes a point in magic where its need to not to be viewed as different, but unique. I am sorry, but your response just seemed as if you were taking shot after shot towards me. Even though our views are different, doesn't mean mine or your can be right to their own extent.