How Do You Do Street Magic?

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Ampersan5340

Sep 2, 2007
297
0
I've done magic for lots of people at school and family and friends. But only have I done it to people on the street once. I was playing cards with my friends at a pool and these two guys walked up to us and asked if they could play.

So we let him them, he started talking about criss angel and I knew I had to shine.

unfortuneatly this isn't going to happen everytime. how do you approach people when it comes to street magic? I only do card magic and one "coins thru table" trick. I did krisper's colour monte and renegade for the two and they were stunned. I asked them what they thought and they said great things. But he didn't say I was better than angel.

So, how do you do street magic?
 
T

Tragedy

Oct 10, 2007
39
0
32
Well, i'd advise you to start off like this

"Hey, could i borrow you for a second? I'd like to show you somthing real quick."

add in "real quick" even if its going to take half an hour to performt he trick o_O lol

its definatly one of the better approches in my opinion

lol one time i went downtown and did a sponge ball routine for this kid, probly 8-10 years old, i think i may have "startled" their parents a little when i first came up to them but it was cool lol

i pulled up my sleeves and i'm like do you mind if i take this? and i reach up and pull out an "invisible ball" then made it visible (showing the spongeball) then made it change hands (magically), then "magically produced" another and finished with them holding 1 ball and opening up their hand and finding 2.

spongeballs are awsome......lol
just an example tho, like when i did that i didn't introduce myself (which i hardly do anywayz) or even said hey i'm jsut like "do you mind if i take this?" and shot into a routine

hoped that helped a little
 
M

muhazz

Oct 13, 2007
37
0
32
What do you think of starting with a 2cm and just ask them if they could hold that card short? In a way which suggests, that you just need help- no word about a magic trick.
Then continue with the trick and make sure they realize what's happening with phrases like "ehm, what card was it again? could you look again to make sure, please?". But I think later on It'll be hard, because you have to get them thinking and watching, but they aren't allowed to turn the cards, so the previous phrase will only work for the 1. phase. You could prevent them from turning the card by holding another card or your finger slightly on their card.

I didn't perform at all yet, so that's just a thought that came into my mind while reading.

- muahzz
 
A

Ampersan5340

Sep 2, 2007
297
0
Tragedy said:
Well, i'd advise you to start off like this

"Hey, could i borrow you for a second? I'd like to show you somthing real quick."

add in "real quick" even if its going to take half an hour to performt he trick o_O lol

its definatly one of the better approches in my opinion

lol one time i went downtown and did a sponge ball routine for this kid, probly 8-10 years old, i think i may have "startled" their parents a little when i first came up to them but it was cool lol

i pulled up my sleeves and i'm like do you mind if i take this? and i reach up and pull out an "invisible ball" then made it visible (showing the spongeball) then made it change hands (magically), then "magically produced" another and finished with them holding 1 ball and opening up their hand and finding 2.

spongeballs are awsome......lol
just an example tho, like when i did that i didn't introduce myself (which i hardly do anywayz) or even said hey i'm jsut like "do you mind if i take this?" and shot into a routine

hoped that helped a little
Click to expand...

It did, thanks guy for your help, I was going to purchase spongeballs and you convinced me. Anyway I'll try using this method and sees what happens. Thank you very much
 
A

Adam Bell

Nov 9, 2007
7
0
Whats this obsession with "street" all the time? Why would any sane person want to wander up to a total stranger and start doing magic for them? I can just about buy into this if there s a TV crew following,and your a "name" but as a performer myself,if some geezer stopped me in the street begging that I took a card,im afraid to say I would think he was crazy,and maybe some sort of social inadequate....
A little harsh maybe,but as you get a bit older you realise that you shouldnt be "forcing" your skills on anyone...I only perform when people ask me,unless im doing a paid show of course,but thats different.Your being paid to do magic there.
I think this kind of thinking is bad for magic as you come across as a bit,well,sad.
Im all for finding new people to perform on...but have some dignity guys!
For yourself,and this wonderful hobby we call magic..............;)
 
A

Anonymous002

Aug 31, 2007
807
0
interwebz
here is what i do....but i only sometimes use it on the street...most of the time its in a mall....

"(with cards in hand) You got a minute? I need to show you something...
 
A

Ampersan5340

Sep 2, 2007
297
0
Adam Bell said:
Whats this obsession with "street" all the time? Why would any sane person want to wander up to a total stranger and start doing magic for them? I can just about buy into this if there s a TV crew following,and your a "name" but as a performer myself,if some geezer stopped me in the street begging that I took a card,im afraid to say I would think he was crazy,and maybe some sort of social inadequate....
A little harsh maybe,but as you get a bit older you realise that you shouldnt be "forcing" your skills on anyone...I only perform when people ask me,unless im doing a paid show of course,but thats different.Your being paid to do magic there.
I think this kind of thinking is bad for magic as you come across as a bit,well,sad.
Im all for finding new people to perform on...but have some dignity guys!
For yourself,and this wonderful hobby we call magic..............;)
Click to expand...

Very good point completly contradictory to the next one. Anyway adam, If you do it for friends family, show etc. Most of them, except the show, will have seen magic and be tired of it. Street magic let's have a hands on experience of how to make people stop from grabbing that card or put that heckler is his place.

That's my opnion, maybe I won't force it, but then again I might. Think about it all the pros do street magic, they get payed, but it shows people the true and raw reactions if you were to ask someone "Pick a card, any card"
 
J

JohnH

Aug 31, 2007
108
0
People will come, Ray. People will come.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. :p

Anyway, what I meant was what I said - People will come. Ever seen Field of Dreams? That's a famous line from it. Well, I'm applying this to magic. Don't go up to a random stranger. Let them come to you. Get their attention, by doing some easy flourish like spring the cards, or Long Distance Spinner. They'll come to you. If not, they sure won't listen to you if you approach them.

"People will come, Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come."

-Field of Dreams
 
Last edited by a moderator:
H

harapanong

Aug 31, 2007
263
0
I am tempted to say that "street magic" doesn't exist...

- harapan. magic!

EDIT: Sorry about that. To perform street magic, I think the most important thing is to gain attention from people who are not expecting to be entertained, just like busking or restaurant magic.
 
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