Mistakes that cant exist...but exist..

May 14, 2017
34
12
41
Greece
Mistakes,mistakes,mistakes.
Like yesterday..
This was the trick :
One spectator take a card from a deck. Then his card is going back to the deck. Then its revealed that all the cards are white and the only normal card that is inside is the spectator's card. Ok well known trick with a lot of techniques to do it.
I did the trick but...
When i put again the card inside the deck i started to tell a small story abou unique decisions that we take as persons. I said "yes you made a unique decision here with your card". Then i asked the girl beside him. "so what do you think that will happen now?". And the girl described all this thing that i did in the next moments and the trick lost its magical moment. Then i asked the spectator "how do you think this happened?. And he describes to me (not 100%) what i did..
After the perfomance i had a self descussion. "How they knew what i done?"
After some minutes of sceptical moments, i realise that, there wasn't a problem with the trick. I did the trick (the technique) very well as i wanted. The problem was with my mouth. It was me that i revealed the trick. I tell them what happened and i didnt undestand it that moment...I learn magic from 2005 and last night i did mistakes like a newbie..
Conclusion...
The questions "What do you think will happen now,do you know what happened now,do you know how this trick was done.." must be banned...dont ask, let them to question themselves after you do the trick and when you leave the table..
(Why i wrote this? Because i did a mistake and i want people that are new in this kind of art to do not do the same...).Thanks for reading and sorry for my english language..
 
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DominusDolorum

Elite Member
Jul 15, 2013
893
1,114
31
Canada
First off, thanks for sharing. I love these threads because you can only get better and it helps beginners recognize certain challenges when performing.

The questions "What do you think will happen now,do you know what happened now,do you know how this trick was done.." must be banned...

Patter like this happens when you have nothing better to say. Your technique may have been on point but if you have nothing interesting to say, the audience will get bored and start thinking about what you are doing and searching for a solution.

I recommend writing out your script and editing it down until you have no filler. Every sentence, every word, should contribute to the effect to make it clear, and focused. "What do you think will happen?" is the type of patter that invites the audience to try and get ahead of you.
 
Jan 4, 2018
11
7
Mistakes,mistakes,mistakes.
Like yesterday..
This was the trick :
One spectator take a card from a deck. Then his card is going back to the deck. Then its revealed that all the cards are white and the only normal card that is inside is the spectator's card. Ok well known trick with a lot of techniques to do it.
I did the trick but...
When i put again the card inside the deck i started to tell a small story abou unique decisions that we take as persons. I said "yes you made a unique decision here with your card". Then i asked the girl beside him. "so what do you think that will happen now?". And the girl described all this thing that i did in the next moments and the trick lost its magical moment. Then i asked the spectator "how do you think this happened?. And he describes to me (not 100%) what i did..
After the perfomance i had a self descussion. "How they knew what i done?"
After some minutes of sceptical moments, i realise that, there wasn't a problem with the trick. I did the trick (the technique) very well as i wanted. The problem was with my mouth. It was me that i revealed the trick. I tell them what happened and i didnt undestand it that moment...I learn magic from 2005 and last night i did mistakes like a newbie..
Conclusion...
The questions "What do you think will happen now,do you know what happened now,do you know how this trick was done.." must be banned...dont ask, let them to question themselves after you do the trick and when you leave the table..
(Why i wrote this? Because i did a mistake and i want people that are new in this kind of art to do not do the same...).Thanks for reading and sorry for my english language..
Very good advice always make sure that u can fix mistakes with improve like if I drop a card I might throw a couple more off the top and make it part of the deal or laugh it off like a dont need that one or this one or this one maybe even throw all the cards except there's onto the floor to finish it
 
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May 10, 2018
38
26
Great advice, it's okay to make mistakes like this because it's made you and other people here much better magicians. Thanks!
 
Aug 15, 2017
651
413
Mistakes,mistakes,mistakes.
Like yesterday..
This was the trick :
One spectator take a card from a deck. Then his card is going back to the deck. Then its revealed that all the cards are white and the only normal card that is inside is the spectator's card. Ok well known trick with a lot of techniques to do it.
I did the trick but...
When i put again the card inside the deck i started to tell a small story abou unique decisions that we take as persons. I said "yes you made a unique decision here with your card". Then i asked the girl beside him. "so what do you think that will happen now?". And the girl described all this thing that i did in the next moments and the trick lost its magical moment. Then i asked the spectator "how do you think this happened?. And he describes to me (not 100%) what i did..
After the perfomance i had a self descussion. "How they knew what i done?"
After some minutes of sceptical moments, i realise that, there wasn't a problem with the trick. I did the trick (the technique) very well as i wanted. The problem was with my mouth. It was me that i revealed the trick. I tell them what happened and i didnt undestand it that moment...I learn magic from 2005 and last night i did mistakes like a newbie..
Conclusion...
The questions "What do you think will happen now,do you know what happened now,do you know how this trick was done.." must be banned...dont ask, let them to question themselves after you do the trick and when you leave the table..
(Why i wrote this? Because i did a mistake and i want people that are new in this kind of art to do not do the same...).Thanks for reading and sorry for my english language..
Such experiences help us...
I mean, THEORETICALLY everyone knows what to say and what not to ever mention to the spectators. But in the heat of the moment, well, we don't, cannot (and actually should not) adhere to the script. While it is really excellent to change the script to suit the moment, as soon as we change the script to add fillers, to add questions that make the audience think...in the WRONG direction, it becomes a mistake. In your case, the spectators caught on to the method. Now, in some cases that might not happen, but that doesn't make the trick a success...because at the end, the audience is left with a puzzle, a riddle, not magic.

Thanks for reminding us. Because as I said, we know what is correct, but forget it easily.
 
Aug 15, 2017
651
413
A properly written and rehearsed script allows for the flexibility to react to audience input, and then get back to the intended script.
Exactly.
But when instead of using that flexibility for reacting to audience input, we use the flexibility for adding filler (and/or hacklines)...not so good, right?
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
Your posts are seeming to be contradictory. In one line you say we can't adhere to a script, in another line you say you shouldn't be adding filler.

What exactly are you trying to say?

If someone is adding filler, they're not using a script properly. If something is "filler" it's useless fluff that should be eliminated. A well written script is tight and clean, communicating the effect clearly. Anything that doesn't do that is hurting the effect and performance.

A well written script which is properly rehearsed will eliminate the problem from the OP.
 

JoshL8

Elite Member
Aug 5, 2017
409
393
WA state USA
Greg Wilson talks about his script using a tree analogy. His core script is the trunk and occasionally he branches off of the script and ad libs but always returns to the trunk. Sometimes you can get really far off but try to stay on the branch and always return to the trunk. You are going to interact with your audience and can script some questions for them to answer that keep the majority of answers in the branches.

I don't know your script but off the top of my head instead of asking then "what do they think will happen next" ask them something about decisions they have made in the past. This keeps them invested in the story while making them think of something other than how you are doing the trick. Not to mention it lets you connect with them in some way.

A goal might be to use their example of a decision they made in the past to be illustrated by the outcome of the effect. You can try to steer them to some answers by using a few suggestions to help this.

example; "Have you ever made a big decision before and wondered if you chose differently, like how did you meet your signifiant other, maybe buy a car or get a pet?"

You can branch out here with some conversation and make a connection with your participants before the reveal. If they are a couple and say one picked the other you can say "it might have seemed random or there were lots of choices but their choice really stood out from the pack." I guess that works for pet too.

I know that line sounds canned but I am just spitballing here the overall feel of the effect. A car doesn't seem so important now in retrospect. Maybe ask them how their parents met or something and how thats the only outcome that lead to them.

My script for a zombie trick I do has changed LOTS since its inception. 2 years later and still not where I want it to be.
 
Aug 15, 2017
651
413
Your posts are seeming to be contradictory. In one line you say we can't adhere to a script, in another line you say you shouldn't be adding filler.

What exactly are you trying to say?

If someone is adding filler, they're not using a script properly. If something is "filler" it's useless fluff that should be eliminated. A well written script is tight and clean, communicating the effect clearly. Anything that doesn't do that is hurting the effect and performance.

A well written script which is properly rehearsed will eliminate the problem from the OP.
I am trying to say that if you have a script before the performance, well, we are not REAL magicians or something (speaking for myself :) ) so we don't know what is going to happen in the actual performance.
If we adhere to the script STRICTLY, like, we have decided we want to say a particular line after the other...then we leave no room for flexibility. A small (and kinda lame...anyways) example would be say...if I had decided I WILL tell someone the importance of choosing an ace of spades after I have forced that card on them, and I decide to adhere to my script strictly. But someone makes a random comment (which happens mostly when performing for friends):-

"So let's see...okay, you have chosen the ace of spades, right? Cool! Now there's a fact that says..."

*I take the ace from spectator's hand and put it face up on the top of the deck to display it. A person standing beside the volunteer says cheerfully*

"Man...those cards are neat! You get them online?"

"...a fact that says that if you choose an ace of spades it means you are going to--"

Get my point?
This is what I mean by not adhering to a script strictly. You have to leave room for impromptu on-spot reactions and building actual connections with the audience members. I don't mean you should stop and have a pleasant chat with the spectators, but...you know what I mean.

What I mean by not adding filler is the only reason the script should be changed or better, MANIPULATED, is to react live to situations...a script must not be changed or manipulated to something like,

"So you chose the ace of spades, right? Yeah...so...that's a good card...and a special one...hmm...you know, there's a fact that says something about the ace of spades...it goes something like...you know...it says something like..."

And then your patter becomes a hodge-podge of redundant points and beautiful indiscernible sounds.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
What you're describing is someone who's a bad performer.

A well written and rehearsed script allows the performer to go off-script to respond to things, and then come back to the script to continue the routine.

Having a well rehearsed script that keeps one on point, means they will never have the issue the original post describes.

What part of this are you disagreeing with?
 
Aug 15, 2017
651
413
What you're describing is someone who's a bad performer.

A well written and rehearsed script allows the performer to go off-script to respond to things, and then come back to the script to continue the routine.

Having a well rehearsed script that keeps one on point, means they will never have the issue the original post describes.

What part of this are you disagreeing with?
None.
Both of us are saying the same thing from different POVs
:)
 
May 3, 2018
70
74
46
New Mexico
If a move is being performed correctly, patter should not effect whether or not you get busted. I understand you have practiced since 2005, but have you done that trick since 2005? Just something to consider.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
This is what I mean by not adhering to a script strictly. You have to leave room for impromptu on-spot reactions and building actual connections with the audience members. I don't mean you should stop and have a pleasant chat with the spectators, but...you know what I mean.

Yes and no. The yes answer is that you should react to the audience, but only on your terms and when you decide that reacting will enhance your performance more than continuing with your script.

As an example, in one show I said the line, "It would be a better trick if the selected card vanished from the deck and appeared in the empty bottle." A woman who was sitting about two steps to my right said, "That's impossible." I looked at her and smiled and then walked over to her and then put the microphone by her and asked "could you share with everyone what you just said?' She repeated, "I said that would be impossible." I took the microphone back, gave a chagrined look and said, "That's exactly what I'm thinking right now." The audience laughed and I went back to my script to build up for the climax of the effect.

In the same show, there was a little girl in the audience. When I vanished an egg as part of my egg bag routine, she loudly repeated "it disappeared." I caught her mother looking mortified and I just smiled at the girl. The next time the egg vanished, I said, "Marguerite looked into the bag and saw that the egg..." I paused, turned the bag inside out and looked at the girl who proudly said "DISAPPEARED!" Her mom was beaming.

Two key points. The first is about control. You have to control your performance and the audience's reactions. Only go off script if you choose to because you know it will improve your performance. Notice that I didn't really vary from my script. Second, always remember Tamariz's "veil" of magic that says to show the audience love.
 
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