I will be the first to say that some of my performances have been fairly rough around the edges. I often stumble over my wording as any new performer would. Although every now and then when I am able to pull off a decent trick and blow some minds. I can never seem to find a good answer to the question "How did you do that?!" which is kind of a problem haha I've seen many people respond simply with "Magic." but to me that always seems kind of dull and cheesy. If I have more impressive effects I was planning on showing anyway, I like to use their question to segway into the next effect by saying something along the lines of "Oh well if you think thats cool, check this out!" and then going on with my performance. But often that isn't the case. So what do you respond with? Do you have any suggestions for things I could say without sounding ridiculous? Thanks in advanced!!
I think your chosen answer has a lot to do with the type of character you are portraying yourself to be.
Take for example Eugene Burger. He has this little box (now a book-looking box) that holds his cards, a candle, and matches. (Among other items.)
As he opens the box, people generally try to peek into the box. He then says "Don't look into the magic box or your eyes will fall out." Just from the way he looks, talks and acts, he can get away with that.
So how does this relate?
Well, I spent many many years performing bar magic. I was an entertainer. I used comedy and magic together. I didn't present "magical powers". I worked 3-4 nights a week doing 2 shows a night, both 45 min long. I performed maybe 5 effects during that time, because most of my time was spent building rapport with the customers, making them WANT to see more. So when someone asked me "How did you do that?", It was simple for me to say "Years of practice. Years of studying books."
I was slammed on the Cafe for saying that. I am still not sure why.
There have been nights when myself and a few magic buds went out on the town with the idea that we were going to announce the move we were doing, WHEN we were doing it, to see if the laymen could even catch on. NOPE. Not once. "Ok, place your card right back here please. Now, I am going to execute a classic pass and let me ask you this..." (Then move on to the rest of the effect.)
There was a guy who used to come in every Friday to see me perform magic and one time he grabbed me after the show, took me aside and told me that he was really interested in learning magic. Now could I have been a D**k and told him that he couldn't learn what I know because it's real magic? (Let's face it, we live in a world where ANYTHING is but a mere Google search away. Now 100 years ago? Yes. Much easier to convince someone that what you were doing was purely magical.
So back to the story. I showed him an old copy of Royal Road and told him where to buy it. If he was serious he would bring back the book. I didn't see that guy again for months. He comes back in WITH book in tow, and shows me where in the book he is at; that he had been studying a lot.
Years later, he is still a good friend and pretty damn proficient with his gambling sleights.
To me, using cliched lines to respond to someone asking how you did that is a cop out for not knowing who your character is.
It worked for ME to explain that I learned from studying books and devoted most of my free time to just plain ole' practicing. For someone else, it might be better to respond with something along the lines of the dark arts, or maybe in prison. It just all depends on who your character is...