Audience control.

Sep 2, 2010
9
0
Stage magic is mostly controled & pre-planed it's almost like a play. But when you're doing close-up the conditions are very different. The audience is one thing that you must have under control, because effects like KAOS or Indecent it is really easy to give the effect off just by terrible audience menagment. How do you pick your audience and the effects for that audience? How do you handle hecklers? The dream for efevy magician is to have a nice audience, shallow but at the same time smart enough to relax and enjoy and understand the magic! However that is not always the case, so don't hold back.. Share your techniques- the ones that expierince has tought you.

What I do is:
- perform something mind-blowing for the hecklers in a kind way, a way that involves them afterwords
-work with someone chill enough that cooperates
-classic force someone, and take it from there.
-be kind.
 
Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
Derren Brown has some wonderful thoughts about entering someone else's space and then subsequently establishing control.

Other things? Develop rapport. Smile.

I also made a most a little while ago about performing to the alpha male - especially in the context of performing for a couple.
 
Sep 2, 2010
9
0
Establish control immediately. It's your show. Make sure they understand that.

What about the people that already know me as a person- not a performer and are not easy to convince that they're witnessing "magic" ? lol Look, I'm 17 and I've been called the magician (-.-), the dude with fast fingers(-.-) the devil ( lol)! Still how can I get the most out of my audience? How to emplify their expierince? I think my age plays a role in that 9 and i will post a thread about age and magic) but still..
 
Sep 10, 2008
915
3
QLD, AUS
People who already know you are a hard audience. For them, there are no rules. You just have to be able to predict what they are going to do in certain situations, based on your knowledge of them.
 
Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
What about the people that already know me as a person- not a performer and are not easy to convince that they're witnessing "magic" ? lol Look, I'm 17 and I've been called the magician (-.-), the dude with fast fingers(-.-) the devil ( lol)! Still how can I get the most out of my audience? How to emplify their expierince? I think my age plays a role in that 9 and i will post a thread about age and magic) but still..

This is one reason I rarely perform for someone first time I meet them. Similarly, I don't mention my work (acting). I don't want to me known as the actor, or the magician, or the mind reader.

These things are an important part of who I am - but they don't dominate my interaction with my friends, and the people that I meet. I dominate my interactions, in the sense that they experience me before they experience magic. "The guy who reads minds" is no more me than "The dude with black hair". I try to only perform after they're comfortable with me - then they discover something else about me. I try to perform as much as I can, but I also keep a mental note on how much I think is too much. I think one indication of that is when people stop referring to you by your name, but by a name that they give you. It's a sign of categorisation in my view.

I want people to be able to refer to me as me, without thinking of what I perform; but also be able to think of that instantly if prompted. I'm me. I'm a (hopefully) interesting, engaging person in my own right. An important aspect of who I am is a psychology buff, entertainer, mind reader, actor, etc. I am these things; but they are not me. I hope that makes sense.

One key to maintaining a good audience is to get this balance right. Personality is such a big part of performance and of audience interaction. I think that being classed as a magician, or any similar thing, if that is their primary way of classifying you, carries a number of stereotypes and expectations. It conditions your audience to respond in a certain way, and as a result, it's difficult to change people.

If, on the other hand, you ensure that people see you and define you according to how you want them to - rather than giving you arbitrary labels - then you have much more control over how your audience behaves because how they behave is a direct function of who you are as a person!

There are many instances of doctors, for example, who make a medical mistake - but the patient who was wronged insisted on suing some other medical professional, but not their own doctor - for the simple reason that they liked their doctor. People treat the people they like better than the people they don't.

Another key is to respect what you do. Many people don't realise the effort, value and respect we give to what we do. That is one sure way to develop an appreciative audience. This is one thing that really helps bring friends in line. If you knew that your friend, a national gymnast, loved gymnastics above all else in life, and had been training since they were 2 - would you try to heckle them during practice? Of course not, and the reason why is that that situation demands respect. The situation is such that it would be a terrible thing in so many ways to call out and try and put them off. The analogy isn't perfect, but respect shows. Respect your magic, it will show to your friends, and they will heckle you less. My friends never heckle me or try to put me off when I perform.

The other key is to make magic meaningful.
 
Mar 6, 2008
1,483
3
A Land Down Under
I agree with what has been said before however I will add a few things into the mix.

The first thing you want is for them to accept you as a friend first and the performer second. Whilst this is not easy and will never come completely into reality you need to make your audience believe you would not rather be doing anything else than performing for them at that very moment.

You need to also establish control of everything regarding the show. But you walk a fine line with being in control and being controlling.
 
Oct 14, 2007
186
0
44
Burbank, CA
Important Books

If any of you are actually serious about developing as a performer and not sounding or performing like
David Blaine, Dan and Dave, Dan White etc, then I have three important books for you. If magic is just a hobby
for you and you buy every effect that comes out regardless if it fits you or not then don't read any of these
because they are aimed at the professional. I stopped performing a lot of effects because I realized they didn't
fit my character. The problem is no one tells you what these books tell you because every site including this one
makes their money off of effects and acting like they are for everyone. If sites actually cared about you developing as a performer, they would not make nearly as much money. If any one has any other to add to the list please do, but these have been huge for me.

Darwin Ortiz (this guys is a genius)
-Strong Magic
-Designing Miracles
Ken Weber
-Maximum Entertainment (cheesy title, not so cheesy content)

I remember a lot of people saying how much they learned from the huge Paul Harris DVD set that came out a while ago. Well you will learn about 1000% more and pay about a third of the cost with these books.
 
Aug 4, 2010
167
0
If you are good enough you can challenge them....Brian Tudor's The Heckler never lets me down....I will contribute more when I get on a keyboard...
 
Oct 14, 2007
186
0
44
Burbank, CA
It's not preferable to give Hecklers attention. Why is someone heckling you in the first place? It's because they are jealous the spotlight is not on them and on someone else. When they disrupt your performance, it is because they want the spotlight brought to them. What are you doing when you "deal" with a heckler? You are GIVING them the spotlight. It doesn't matter what you say to a heckler. Their objective is not to win in a battle of wits, it is to get the spotlight. The very idea of dealing with hecklers is bad because you give them 1. The spotlight, 2. Control of the situation, and 3.It disrupts what you are doing. Guess what the best options is? IGNORE THEM. They will either stop when they realize no one is paying attention, the audience will tell them to shut up, or they will just keep on until you are done. The point is that you do not hand them control of the situation by dealing with them. You will come off very professional and will not have lost control of your performance. If you are "good enough" you will continue on and not be bothered by them trying to seek validation. From experience, most of the time they will give up unless you fuel the fire.

If you are good enough you can challenge them....Brian Tudor's The Heckler never lets me down....I will contribute more when I get on a keyboard...
 
Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
If you are good enough you can challenge them....Brian Tudor's The Heckler never lets me down....I will contribute more when I get on a keyboard...

Challenging your auidence is the worse thing you can if you are trying to entertain them, specially if you are dealing with a Heckler, because it doesn't to them if they are wrong or right. They are still going to continue to bust your balls no matter what. It also makes you look like a complete idiot when your trying to prove them wrong. Because now it's no longer entertainment, it's now a puzlzle and most people aren't entertained by puzzles.
 
Aug 4, 2010
167
0
Challenging your auidence is the worse thing you can if you are trying to entertain them, specially if you are dealing with a Heckler, because it doesn't to them if they are wrong or right. They are still going to continue to bust your balls no matter what. It also makes you look like a complete idiot when your trying to prove them wrong. Because now it's no longer entertainment, it's now a puzlzle and most people aren't entertained by puzzles.

Its actually quite entertaining for both the audience and me to see a guy get ridiculed by my superior sleight of hand...The classic "what card is this?" gets them all the time...After that they stfu...Is obvious the Heckler wants attention and I will gladly give it to him...Foolish Hecklers should know better than to try to Heckle me..

What you said about the "puzzle"...I disagree...If they want to see my card tricks as puzzles I wont stop them tho..

Essentially..You have to out-Heckle them...That works for me and for other performers as well...most comedians use this tactic..
 
Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
Its actually quite entertaining for both the audience and me to see a guy get ridiculed by my superior sleight of hand...The classic "what card is this?" gets them all the time...After that they stfu...Is obvious the Heckler wants attention and I will gladly give it to him...Foolish Hecklers should know better than to try to Heckle me..

What you said about the "puzzle"...I disagree...If they want to see my card tricks as puzzles I wont stop them tho..

Essentially..You have to out-Heckle them...That works for me and for other performers as well...most comedians use this tactic..

Quick question, Do you smell the crap your shoveling? Seriously dude, it's like your head is shoved so far up your own ass that you could probably tell everybody here what you had for lunch two months ago.
 
Oct 14, 2007
186
0
44
Burbank, CA
So basically you are telling us you enjoy being an @$$ on stage to deal with an @$$ offstage. And you equate yourself with comedians. Got it. Do what works for you dude I guess but don't try to poison other people's minds with your mean spirited performance tips.

Its actually quite entertaining for both the audience and me to see a guy get ridiculed by my superior sleight of hand...The classic "what card is this?" gets them all the time...After that they stfu...Is obvious the Heckler wants attention and I will gladly give it to him...Foolish Hecklers should know better than to try to Heckle me..

What you said about the "puzzle"...I disagree...If they want to see my card tricks as puzzles I wont stop them tho..

Essentially..You have to out-Heckle them...That works for me and for other performers as well...most comedians use this tactic..
 
Aug 4, 2010
167
0
So basically you are telling us you enjoy being an @$$ on stage to deal with an @$$ offstage. And you equate yourself with comedians. Got it. Do what works for you dude I guess but don't try to poison other people's minds with your mean spirited performance tips.

No...you are wrong and posting from a position of ignorance....I don't equate myself with comedians...I equate myself with on-stage performers who know how to deal with Hecklers....reading comprehension fail much?...The question was asked and I responded how I go about doing things...I also included a reference...show some damn respect....
 

Luis Vega

Elite Member
Mar 19, 2008
1,838
278
38
Leon, Guanajuato Mexico
luisvega.com.mx
Its actually quite entertaining for both the audience and me to see a guy get ridiculed by my superior sleight of hand...The classic "what card is this?" gets them all the time...After that they stfu...Is obvious the Heckler wants attention and I will gladly give it to him...Foolish Hecklers should know better than to try to Heckle me..

What you said about the "puzzle"...I disagree...If they want to see my card tricks as puzzles I wont stop them tho..

Essentially..You have to out-Heckle them...That works for me and for other performers as well...most comedians use this tactic..

I am gonna have to agree now...maybe he is joking, but sometimes this is the way to go..

I wa on a party the other day and I was doing a mini-performance and a lady interrupted the show in a very rude way by steping inside the circle my spectators and I created and just screamed to me that if I was a magician I should appear the lost camera...I just look at her with my murder eyes and tell her "please show some respect, I am not talking like that for you to come with me and yell at me with all that foul language, now please could you leave?" she looked at me shocked but I feel I did the right thing..

I think it depends on the kind of heckler you encounter, If I find one that it´s constantly challenge me to fool him, maybe if I feel I could crush them with sleight of hand, not in a rude way, but in a nice way...sometimes that usually the way they stop...

I know, I know some people thinks that maybe this is wrong..and I think that too...but since I am performer I can safely say...nothing is like the books says...sometimes that´s the way to go...
 
Oct 14, 2007
186
0
44
Burbank, CA
I think there is always an exception to the rule but those are few and far between. As far as the books go, the ones by Darwin Ortiz are based on thousands of performances. It's an academic book yes but it was written after all those performances so it is real world advice. Performers who break character and act in a negative way leave a bad taste in the audience's mouth. It doesn't matter if they laugh or ridicule along with you against the heckler in the moment; later on they will have a negative feeling about you to some degree because of how you conducted yourself. I strongly believe that ignoring them unless it is a case where that obviously isn't working, is the best option. People will always have a positive view of you this way. The way you describe the lady sounds like this was probably an exception, but Prestidigitation sounds like he gets a kick out of attacking hecklers; that is something far different and unprofessional than what you are proposing here.
I am gonna have to agree now...maybe he is joking, but sometimes this is the way to go..

I wa on a party the other day and I was doing a mini-performance and a lady interrupted the show in a very rude way by steping inside the circle my spectators and I created and just screamed to me that if I was a magician I should appear the lost camera...I just look at her with my murder eyes and tell her "please show some respect, I am not talking like that for you to come with me and yell at me with all that foul language, now please could you leave?" she looked at me shocked but I feel I did the right thing..

I think it depends on the kind of heckler you encounter, If I find one that it´s constantly challenge me to fool him, maybe if I feel I could crush them with sleight of hand, not in a rude way, but in a nice way...sometimes that usually the way they stop...

I know, I know some people thinks that maybe this is wrong..and I think that too...but since I am performer I can safely say...nothing is like the books says...sometimes that´s the way to go...
 
Aug 4, 2010
167
0
I think there is always an exception to the rule but those are few and far between. As far as the books go, the ones by Darwin Ortiz are based on thousands of performances. It's an academic book yes but it was written after all those performances so it is real world advice. Performers who break character and act in a negative way leave a bad taste in the audience's mouth. It doesn't matter if they laugh or ridicule along with you against the heckler in the moment; later on they will have a negative feeling about you to some degree because of how you conducted yourself. I strongly believe that ignoring them unless it is a case where that obviously isn't working, is the best option. People will always have a positive view of you this way. The way you describe the lady sounds like this was probably an exception, but Prestidigitation sounds like he gets a kick out of attacking hecklers; that is something far different and unprofessional than what you are proposing here.

Is nice to know that you have an opinion on the matter at hand..... :)
And I would agree with you...But then we'd both be wrong....Its also damn impressive that you know what all the people think....
 
Oct 14, 2007
186
0
44
Burbank, CA
That's it? Nice one? I guess you win? You sure convinced me you know what you are talking about. Gosh very sound logic man. Kudos.
Is nice to know that you have an opinion on the matter at hand..... :)
And I would agree with you...But then we'd both be wrong....Its also damn impressive that you know what all the people think....
 
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