Recently when i perform, the reactions i get are like blank, despite knowing what happened. It is not the lack of patter because this happened when i did ring tricks that were visual like the ring thing. What do you guys do when this situation occurs and do you have any hard hitting tricks to recommend so that there is more reactions like the wtf kind from the audience?? Thanks
Hard Hitting Tricks
- Thread starter BlazeCinder
- Start date
you have no patter?!
that is a serious problem. Even with visual tricks, its good to walk the spectators through whats happening to re-enforce ideas in their head.
that is a serious problem. Even with visual tricks, its good to walk the spectators through whats happening to re-enforce ideas in their head.
there is a patter... i figured out that without patter, all tricks give the same reactions despite the effect as the audience doesnt understand. besides my pace wasnt too fast
IMO
Mentalism effects are 10% mechanics and 90% patter.
Visual effects are based on 50% mechanics and 50% patter.
If your patter is up to scratch then reactions should be decent already. For example it is possible to get screams out of a simple classic force.
Effects that give me strongest reactions.
Here and there (transposition)
Two card monte (don't remember the correct name of the trick)
Stigmata
Mental Force.
Also try routine your tricks eg maybe De'ring will complement you Ring Thing well.
-DL
Mentalism effects are 10% mechanics and 90% patter.
Visual effects are based on 50% mechanics and 50% patter.
If your patter is up to scratch then reactions should be decent already. For example it is possible to get screams out of a simple classic force.
Effects that give me strongest reactions.
Here and there (transposition)
Two card monte (don't remember the correct name of the trick)
Stigmata
Mental Force.
Also try routine your tricks eg maybe De'ring will complement you Ring Thing well.
-DL
so i should build up suspense like come up with some story that sounds very logical to attain the effects??
One thing I feel that may be important to add would be that even though an audience may be silent and not very creactive no matter what you show them, they could still be extremely impressed.
For example, when I visited some of my family over in Sweden, I performed a little for me aunt. She seemed completely uninterested (with the sort of "yeah... great..." type reaction). Apparantly however, the next day, while she and my mother were out shopping, the topic of "those little spongeballs that jumped everywhere" kept coming up. And I mean over, and over again. She had actually one of the most entertaining things she had seen in a while.
Anyhoo, my point is that if it's one specific audience that's giving you the reaction.. it may just be their way of reacting. This may, or may not apply to you of course
.
Alright, on the topic of advice... ehm, I suppose you could try to use some more audience interaction. As soon as a spectator gets involved they become just that little bit more emotionally attached to the effect.
Just my 2 cents on the topic
For example, when I visited some of my family over in Sweden, I performed a little for me aunt. She seemed completely uninterested (with the sort of "yeah... great..." type reaction). Apparantly however, the next day, while she and my mother were out shopping, the topic of "those little spongeballs that jumped everywhere" kept coming up. And I mean over, and over again. She had actually one of the most entertaining things she had seen in a while.
Anyhoo, my point is that if it's one specific audience that's giving you the reaction.. it may just be their way of reacting. This may, or may not apply to you of course
.Alright, on the topic of advice... ehm, I suppose you could try to use some more audience interaction. As soon as a spectator gets involved they become just that little bit more emotionally attached to the effect.
Just my 2 cents on the topic
It is all 100% absolutely without a doubt in the presentation (in my humble opinion).
This is my favorite story. I managed to get probably one of the best reactions I have ever gotten by doing nothing. A friend of mine asked to see a trick and I didn't have anything on hand so I just said, "think of a card." He named one and then with as much conviction as I could muster, I looked into his eyes and told him to check his wallet. He began to freak out and laugh and honestly looked pretty scared. Finally, I told him I was joking and he calmed down, but he still had that look of astonishment.
Essentially you have to convince someone of impossibility and then turn their worlds upside-down. You really have to connect with your audience. Just look on youtube for the video of David Blaine doing the quarter bite trick (perhaps one of the most underwhelming tricks in magic) and getting some of the most phenomenal reactions.
Blaine said it best, I think. "The magic isn't in the trick, it's in the eyes."
This is my favorite story. I managed to get probably one of the best reactions I have ever gotten by doing nothing. A friend of mine asked to see a trick and I didn't have anything on hand so I just said, "think of a card." He named one and then with as much conviction as I could muster, I looked into his eyes and told him to check his wallet. He began to freak out and laugh and honestly looked pretty scared. Finally, I told him I was joking and he calmed down, but he still had that look of astonishment.
Essentially you have to convince someone of impossibility and then turn their worlds upside-down. You really have to connect with your audience. Just look on youtube for the video of David Blaine doing the quarter bite trick (perhaps one of the most underwhelming tricks in magic) and getting some of the most phenomenal reactions.
Blaine said it best, I think. "The magic isn't in the trick, it's in the eyes."
Ask the audience at the end if they liked it, and how you can improve. Don't be hurt if the comments are harsh hitting. They will help you strongly, and you can use them to build.
I recently read thru a fantastic book which I'm sure would help you alot in structuring your routines, getting the right cues across and the right reactions back.
3510, by Luke J. is a great resource, has some great effects in there, but the real value is in the presentational tips and structural tips.
D.
3510, by Luke J. is a great resource, has some great effects in there, but the real value is in the presentational tips and structural tips.
D.
If you can, why don't you film yourself performing something, something you want to make better, and put it up somewhere and we can give you advice? The advice so far is really solid, if you wanna do this, I'm sure lots of people would be happy to give you specific advice too. As has been said previously, presentation can make most tricks hard-hitting. Another thing to remember is to know when to perform what, and for whom...