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Expecting a magician

Tower of Lunatic Meat

Tower of Lunatic Meat

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Sep 27, 2014
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I had the thought the other day about magicians are seen by others. I believe everyone of all ages has some sort of expectation of what a magician can, should, or would do. And unless those expectations are met or exceeded, you have not won over that particular individual.
Since we will never know of what those expectations are, You're left with 'attacking' the spectators expectations and stereotypes of a magician head-on.

But in a lot of situations, magicians don't seem to be in a position where they need to establish their presence. Like at a birthday party or a restaurant--people either know a magician will be there or they can see one a mile away.

If people expect a magician, what's the point to try and 'win' over spectators by PROVING that you're the magician?
 
I think the better question is how you establish yourself as a magician to a group. This is the power of an opener. You have five minutes to establish who you are. First is your appearance. What does it say about you? Think of the differences between David Kaye (Silly Billy), the Amazing Jonathan, Daren Brown and Steven Cohn. Second is the tone you set. Is it serious, dramatic, humorous, lighthearted, etc. Third is what I call the professional factor - does your props and equipment look professional, do your have music, are you confident, is your presentation polished? Fourth is your fist effect. - is it strong magic or just a gag for an "icebreaker."

It is about showing them what to expect from YOU.
 
RealityOne said:
I think the better question is how you establish yourself as a magician to a group. This is the power of an opener. You have five minutes to establish who you are. First is your appearance. What does it say about you? Think of the differences between David Kaye (Silly Billy), the Amazing Jonathan, Daren Brown and Steven Cohn. Second is the tone you set. Is it serious, dramatic, humorous, lighthearted, etc. Third is what I call the professional factor - does your props and equipment look professional, do your have music, are you confident, is your presentation polished? Fourth is your fist effect. - is it strong magic or just a gag for an "icebreaker."

It is about showing them what to expect from YOU.
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Exactly this!

Another thing I want to add is that if they are expecting a magician, they still do not know what kind of magic you do or what you are going to perform; there is still more work to do even though an audience is expecting a magician. I wouldn't call it "proving who you are" so to speak, it is much more like what RealityOne said. You have to establish yourself. In some cases, you will have to do it faster than 5 minutes. You will have to make a first impression with not only your appearance, but the first thing you say to your group and how you say it. Your magic could be amazing but if you do not establish yourself as a person there really is no connection with your audience. What sets you apart from others is this: if it's all just tricks, you are just another standard magician; if you make a connection and make your spectators feel like they are an important part of the magic, you go beyond "just a magician". After the performance you want your audience telling others that not only did you do great magic, but you had a personality that they connected with and enjoyed being around.
 
Hello,

I just want to give my 2 cents to the discussion. I have great respect for the previous answers as those to guys clearly know more about magic than I do. However, I just want to shine a light from a slightly different perpesctive: psychology.

First things first: You will be judged in 90 ms. This is the time you have (or don't) to make a favorable first impression. You can't really influence this but through body language and a proper way to dress. This would include clean clothes, a smile, open body language and an engaging way. People like people who are open, are polite and greet them first (just an observation I made).

So long story short you need to prove you're different from the other magicians because of the expectations spectators hold towards magicians. If you can't make a favorable first impression you've lost.

With all due respect to RealityOne, I would disagree with his 5 minute-first-impression because I think that the general first impression about you as a person is formed way faster. The general first impression of you as a magician is formed in a longer period of time and involves the things RealityOne stated.

However I strongly believe that the general first impression of you as a person strongly influences their first impression of you as a magician.
 
Ok, I have a question. First of all I want to say that a few months ago I started reading books and watching DVD's for mentalism. I really like it because its closest to real magic. I was obsessed with cards and I still am, but I decide when to perform card, coin and this type of magic, and when to perform mentalism, readings, psychism and stuff like that. I never do them both.

So lets say you are getting ready for Psychic and Mental show. Stuff like cold reading, metal bending, mental tricks and even Houchin's French Kiss with notepad is a good trick for this type of show. My question is when you go out on the stage or infront of your audience what will you first say to them. Do you have some kind of script for the first impression or you just improvise. No matter what, I want to hear what will you say to them, because I've never done mental show, I just performed for 2 or 3 people on bars and etc. and I dont actually know how to present myself and what to say first.
 
Hey Strikerche,

atm I am struggling with this question, too. Here is my advice but I am sure that other magicians know a lot more about that.

Your opening hugely depends on your personality. For a mental show I would advise you to wear some formal clothing. As mental magic tends to be more serious you should avoid funny costumes if they don't fit your personality.

Also keep track of the way how you walk up on stage. You should walk on stage in a confident manner. This is something very important when you are standing on stage for the first few times and even later on as this will largely impact the first impression the audience gets from you. I know some magicians who go up smiling, some go up stiff. That depends on your personality. I would suggest open gestures especially with the arms.

As far as the opening goes: It is okay to stay formal. In the beginning you don't need a charismatic opening. The charismatic opening will come with time. Try to make things as "un-risky" as possible. You don't want a seemingly cool opening to ruin your credibility. I open with:

"Good evening/morning/Hello Ladies and Gentleman, thank you all for coming. I really appreciate that."

This is more personal to me. If the atmosphere is more familiar I sometimes even go up on stage and open with: "Hello my friends...". Depends on you.

My advice is to keep things as formal as you can and in the beginning don't take risks. A normal opening is sufficent for now. It is hard to give you a script as this is largely personal and wouldn't fit you as a person. You can only get some guidelines or other magician's script but in the end you have to make your own and see what fits best for you.
 
Houchin's French Kiss is not a mental thing at all. It's purely a magic trick. No one will believe you made anything switch around with the power of your mind and you will be mentally reclassified by the audience as a magic act.

There's really nothing wrong with that, but be aware it's going to happen, and that it is not mentalism.

Your opener is a personal thing. What I do won't work for you most likely. But it may help you think of something for yourself. I also have slightly different openings for each show I do. For my Witch Doctor show I recite a Shakespearean piece before I introduce myself. My 'generic' opening goes like this:

I walk out to the mic or center stage - I make a point of not making eye contact or really acknowledging the audience at all until I am at the mic. At that point I slowly scan the audience from left to right then back to center.

At that point, I say, "Good evening! My name is Christopher and I am a Witch Doctor. What I do is work with energy and psychology to explore traditional techniques and superstitions and see if I can't find an explanation for them. Because, you see, I don't believe there is any such thing as the supernatural. Mind, I don't mean that ghosts and psychic abilities don't exist - what I mean is that the label is wrong. Supernatural implies that these things exist and operate outside of the laws of our universe - that's not possible. Anything within our universe operates by the laws of our universe - we just haven't figured all of those laws out yet. Remember - there was a time when we didn't even realize Gravity was a thing.

So it's not that these things don't exist, it's that we're calling them the wrong thing. Eventually, when we get a handle on them, we'll stop calling them supernatural and start calling them something else: Science.

Now, I use a lot of audience participation - so when I call for volunteers I need you folks not to hesitate. Trust me - I won't make you look silly. In fact, if I do my job right, not only will you look awesome, but you will remember this night for the rest of your lives.

Let's get started."
 
Philipp S.(4) said:

My advice is to keep things as formal as you can and in the beginning don't take risks. A normal opening is sufficent for now. It is hard to give you a script as this is largely personal and wouldn't fit you as a person. You can only get some guidelines or other magician's script but in the end you have to make your own and see what fits best for you.
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I have to disagree with this. There's no reason that being super formal is a good idea.

I really think the difficulty with coming up with an opening line is the result of one thing: Not knowing your character well enough. I can walk out on stage and just say what comes to mind, because when I am performing I am my character (Actually, I'm always my character). That means I know what my character would say in any given situation, including when I'm introducing myself on stage.

When you have thoroughly understood your character you will know what they would say on stage. If you are still really struggling, then maybe you need to do more character work? I thoroughly believe that a solid character is one of the most important things for a performer to have.
 
ChristopherT said:
Houchin's French Kiss is not a mental thing at all. It's purely a magic trick. No one will believe you made anything switch around with the power of your mind and you will be mentally reclassified by the audience as a magic act.

There's really nothing wrong with that, but be aware it's going to happen, and that it is not mentalism.

Your opener is a personal thing. What I do won't work for you most likely. But it may help you think of something for yourself. I also have slightly different openings for each show I do. For my Witch Doctor show I recite a Shakespearean piece before I introduce myself. My 'generic' opening goes like this:

I walk out to the mic or center stage - I make a point of not making eye contact or really acknowledging the audience at all until I am at the mic. At that point I slowly scan the audience from left to right then back to center.

At that point, I say, "Good evening! My name is Christopher and I am a Witch Doctor. What I do is work with energy and psychology to explore traditional techniques and superstitions and see if I can't find an explanation for them. Because, you see, I don't believe there is any such thing as the supernatural. Mind, I don't mean that ghosts and psychic abilities don't exist - what I mean is that the label is wrong. Supernatural implies that these things exist and operate outside of the laws of our universe - that's not possible. Anything within our universe operates by the laws of our universe - we just haven't figured all of those laws out yet. Remember - there was a time when we didn't even realize Gravity was a thing.

So it's not that these things don't exist, it's that we're calling them the wrong thing. Eventually, when we get a handle on them, we'll stop calling them supernatural and start calling them something else: Science.

Now, I use a lot of audience participation - so when I call for volunteers I need you folks not to hesitate. Trust me - I won't make you look silly. In fact, if I do my job right, not only will you look awesome, but you will remember this night for the rest of your lives.

Let's get started."
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Christopher..... I LOVE YOU <3 :D . Man your script is just awesome and your acting before walking up to the mic.. man i just visualized it in my mind and it looked awesome ! You really helped me with the making of my own script and I will fit some of that to my mentalism and reading routine !

And for the french kiss .. Im not saying its mentalism, but if you give it a proper presentation and especially with the notepad, you can make it that type of trick, that fits in psychism, reading and mentalism. Because most of the times i perform the 3 of them. Also i really like to add some body control in them. Something like thread, control 2.0, biokenesis, stigmata and etc.
 
I already responded on another forum. But since there is other interest here. Here is my two cents again.

Paraphrasing a Seth Godin quote. As I niche it down.

A magician must act like a magician. Just like a car. To be sold. Must resemble. You guessed it. A car.

But that doesn't mean you must follow conventions.

You shouldn't.

To break the mold. You must first fit in into one.
#breakfree.
 
Strikerche said:
Christopher..... I LOVE YOU <3 :D . Man your script is just awesome and your acting before walking up to the mic.. man i just visualized it in my mind and it looked awesome ! You really helped me with the making of my own script and I will fit some of that to my mentalism and reading routine !
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Like I said - What works for me probably won't work for you. I have a particular kind of personality that not many can imitate well. Somewhere between a scientist and a mystic. I want to establish a specific vibe when come on stage and that's why I do it the way I do. This was already more or less how I went on stage before, but then a couple weeks ago I went to the ECSS and Vlad did a presentation on character presentation and he reinforced my thought process. When you go on stage like that, you are basically saying, "I will address you when I am ready."

That will not work for everyone. Someone recommended open arm gestures and such - this is a welcoming thing. It's basically telling people that you are welcoming them to your space and you're happy they're there. This is the typical way people come on stage. Doesn't work for me.

Make sure your opening is consistent with your character. If you come out on stage all welcoming gestures and smiles, then go into serious mentalism you're going to confuse the audience and lose rapport. Congruency is your greatest tool.

And for the french kiss .. Im not saying its mentalism, but if you give it a proper presentation and especially with the notepad, you can make it that type of trick, that fits in psychism, reading and mentalism. Because most of the times i perform the 3 of them. Also i really like to add some body control in them. Something like thread, control 2.0, biokenesis, stigmata and etc.
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French Kiss is a transposition. It's a magic trick. Thread can be seen as a sideshow/body control thing. Sure. Control works for mentalism because it's easy to do a mind over matter presentation with it. Biokinesis is the same. Stigmata is more supernatural/magic trick.

I think you may need to examine your Claim a bit. That will determine which effects are appropriate for you to perform. For instance, a mind reader wouldn't be stopping his pulse. They don't make sense together - why does the ability to read minds allow you to stop your pulse? See what I mean?

Once you fully understand your character and your Claim, you will automatically understand which tricks you cannot shoehorn into your presentation of those abilities and that character. This does mean that some fun and cool tricks will not be viable for you - but that's the cost of having a properly developed character.
 
Yeah man I understand what you mean. But like i said, Im not telling my audience I am a mindreader and I like to mix mentalism with psychism and body control. These three, mixed in one, are really nice routine to perform. And I know it sounds really weird to involve a magic trick (french kiss) in this, but it really works for me.. you just have to see me performing it man, because it really doesnt sound good to perform it when you do mentalism, but I fitted it in and it works great.. I do it with absolutely different presentation and I give my signature to another spectator or sometimes i force them something to write and then do it with. Also when you use the notepad before that for mentalism, and after that do french kiss, it doesnt seem like a magic trick.
 
My 5 minute time frame was for the length of your opener. I agree that people will form impressions of you much faster than that. A great book on this topic is Malcomb Gladwell's Blink.

My response to what do you first say to the audience is... nothing. I begin the first effect. After that effect, I do my introduction as part of my transition to my next effect. I let my performance speak for me. Simply put, I show rather than tell. A couple of examples:

1. Kids Show Operner #1 - Black Eyed Pea's "I Got a Feeling" begins playing, I display a deck of cards and begin "52 cards, 4 suits - hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades, 13 cards in each suit - 2 though 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace." I put the cards down on the table and pick up a multicolored beachball. "I beachball, full of hot air. Let's have some fun" I throw it out into the audience. "If you have the beachball when the music stops, you have to make a choice...."

2. Adult Parlor Show Opener - I begin by tapping two 12 inch rings together three times (making a bell like sound) and handing one of the rings to a spectator on the left side. I then pick up another ring and tap it with the remaining ring three times (three more bell sounds) and hand it to a spectator to the right side. An orchestral version of Fireflies begins. I mime to the spectators to hold the rings up and inspect them. I then mime to the spectators to put their hands through the hole in the middle of the ring. I then begin my linking rings routine.

3. All Ages Show Opener - The show starts with me sitting on a wooden stool with my back to the audience. I am wearing black pants, French blue button down shirt, black blazer and a top hat. Upside Down by Jack Johnson begins playing. I slide off the stool, turn to the audience, remove the hat and do a slight bow bringing the hat to the side (and thereby showing it empty). I place the hat on the stool, brim up. I reach into my pocket and remove a black silk handkerchief, quickly show it to the left and then to the right and then vanish the silk as a cane appears. I place cane by the stool. I take a white silk out of my pocket and quickly show it left and then right. I show my left hand empty, stuff the white silk into my hand, grab the cane and (using it as a magic wand) tap hand to reveal first billiard ball. I put ball in the hat. I reach into the inside breast pocket of my jacket and remove a purse frame. I hold the purse frame in my left hand and show the purse frame as being empty. With a wave of my right hand and a tap of the cane, the second billiard ball appears. I put the second ball in the hat. I repeat the production with the third ball and put it in the hat. I try to repeat the production for the fourth ball, but it doesn't work because I waive my right hand but don’t tap my hand with the cane. I open my jacket and reach into my inside pocket and give an expression that the ball isn’t there. I tap my pocket with the cane and then reach into pocket and pull out ball and put into hat. This is done in a humorous way because the audience knows the ball was in my pocket all the time. I then go into my billiard balls routine.

Much like Christopher, these are suited to my style which very much emphasizes magic as being imaginative play and storytelling tied together by artistry.

I would argue that there is nothing you can say that speaks as clearly about who you are as a magician then performing your first effect.
 
I think its in Absolute Magic by Derren Brown, his technique in performing magic at a restaurant was based on creating the strongest reactions he could, so particularly emotional stuff. But one of the things that he did was introduce himself as 'a special kind of magician' immediately breaking their expectation of what he was going to do or be like, which created much more interest than what you might normally expect, from there he can build up the rapport and create a very unique experience for them with his own personal style.
 
ChristopherT said:
French Kiss is a transposition. It's a magic trick.
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I've actually been wondering about this for the last couple of days. I don't remember which special it was on, but Derren Brown once did an effect with Simon Pegg where Pegg had written down a gift he had always wanted, sealed the note in an envelope and signed across the flap. Derren Brown had a conversation about "suggestion," and they opened a gift that Derren bought him. It was a BMX bike. Pegg claimed he had always wanted one and that's what he wrote down in the envelope. They open the envelope, and the note says "leather jacket." Derren then claims that he planted the BMX bike idea in Simon's head during their conversation, and he only thought he wrote it in the envelope.

I could be totally off on Derren's method, but it seems very much like you could adapt a similar presentation to the French Kiss effect.
 
@ChristopherT

Thank you for correcting me on that. What I was trying to say was that in the beginning he should keep things formal to avoid possible mistakes. Sure enough with the time he will get and need a personal script.
 
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