What do audiences really think?

[WitchDocIsIn]

Not sure if this has been posted previously, but I only just got around to watching it and it has some great advice, and I don't see it posted any time recently at least.

This is the kind of stuff that comes only from looking at magic from the outside in. It's extremely difficult to gain this kind of perspective if you only discuss magic with magicians. We have to remember that laymen are our audiences, not magicians.

http://www.magicmagazine.com/live/video/joshua-jay/

The points about introduction and surprise, I think, are most interesting to me. I've known this about the intro - Brian Brushwood talked about that in an interview I heard years ago. Before his shows he has a video projected up on stage that shows his TV appearances and clips from stuff he's done, so that when he gets on stage people unconsciously think, "Oh, that's the guy from TV".

The thing about surprise, though. That reminds me of something Teller said ... actually, I think to Brian Brushwood. Paraphrased, "Show me 2+2, convince me that it's 5, and then surprise me with the revelation that it's really 4."

Thoughts?

 

[TylerScottIllusionist]

Lol I posted on here a week ago about that article with the forum entitled "Most Helpful Advice Going Into 2018"
https://www.theory11.com/forums/threads/most-helpful-advice-going-into-2018.50463/

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

Ah there you go.

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

A fascinating study! I was not "surprised" to read that the thing spectators like most about magic is the element of surprise. This is something I have strived for in my own routines. Just when they think they may be catching on to what is happening with the little red ball and the cup, bam! One, two three, lemons appear out of nowhere; a rubber band is placed around the deck with their signed card "lost" in the center, and suddenly the deck is thrown to the ceiling and their card is staring them in the face; the magician has hopelessly "failed" in finding the selected card, but when the Magician's Insurance Policy is opened up to see if it covers the magician, a huge color picture of their card is revealed; in a book test, the magician has scribbled a word on the pasteboard that seems like complete gibberish - again, apparent failure, but it turns out that when the thought-of word is named and the pasteboard revolved 180 degrees, the correct word shows up, for it had been written backwards. A surprising denouement in the conjuring arts is like a great punchline to a joke - the routine well done is like the set-up well told, but the surprise is what packs the essential punch!

 

[eliascaress]

It helps to ask people how they liked the show.
feedback is gold!

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

It does help, but you can also get skewed feedback. If you are the performer who just got off stage, many people will be inclined to be nice to you.

I like to have friends in the audience who will eavesdrop for me. Unassuming folks who will just listen to the general chatter to see what people are talking about, unprompted.

 

[RickEverhart]

Thank you for the post Chris. A plethora of information given by Josh.
I would most definitely want to hear someone give me honest feedback and say they didn't like a certain effect at all and give me reasons why than just tell me, "Yes...that was really neat." but in all actuality, just say that to be nice.
Too many times magicians in clubs are like this. They are afraid to hurt feelings and just tell someone, "Hey, that really needs some polishing still before you perform that."