Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to read this. I have this fear that i am trying to get over and just need some advice. I am kinda scared to use anything in my performance that leaves you dirty in the end because in the back of my head i always feel like someone will say "let me see the deck", or something like that. Though there are many tricks that leave you not clean ill use the invisible deck as an example. Its a great trick, blows minds away, but then if someone says they wanna see the deck you are screwd. Same thing applies to many of my other tricks like Flux by Roddy Mcghie or even non card tricks like 5 and 1 $ transpo. You perform a great trick but are left dirty and that freaks me out. Any suggestions guys...thanks so much as always
I have a fear I need to get over
- Thread starter Turbay_Travis
- Start date
Here's the thing I try to do with each trick I use that have not-inspect able qualities.
Think of a way, or ways, to give a particular trick an 'out'.
Off the top of my head, if anyone tries to make a grab or asks to see the Invisible Deck. Tell them, as you put it away, that you borrowed the deck from a friend/it's a collectors item/something.
One that I ise is Tenyo's Ghost Card. In which you 'eat' most of a deck of cards. I reveal what's left of the cards and ask if they want a 'bite'. If they go after it, I pull it away saying that they shouldn't eat a strangers food and hat they could have food allergies.
But just as important as it is to make a routine, you need to script an 'out'
This is something most magicians go through. The thing to remember here is confidence, if you seem meek and like your trying to hide something your audience will pick up on that and get suspicious, but if you're totally cool, relaxed and confident like you don't care at all whether or not they inspect the (whatever happens to be gimmicked) then they wont feel the need to.
Now yo might be thinking "but im not confident when i perform!". The solution is simple, fake it. I remember the first time i ever performed for a group of people, my hands were shaking so bad and my voice was cracking, but i just smiled and got through it. Eventually fake confidence turns into real confidence.
One last thing to consider, let's say you perform biddle trick, afterward no one asks to see the deck. That's because a trick deck was never even thought in the spectators mind, and that's because it wasn't a thought in your mind.
"Don't run if you're not being chased"
Hope that helps, let me know if you want me to expand on anything.
Now yo might be thinking "but im not confident when i perform!". The solution is simple, fake it. I remember the first time i ever performed for a group of people, my hands were shaking so bad and my voice was cracking, but i just smiled and got through it. Eventually fake confidence turns into real confidence.
One last thing to consider, let's say you perform biddle trick, afterward no one asks to see the deck. That's because a trick deck was never even thought in the spectators mind, and that's because it wasn't a thought in your mind.
"Don't run if you're not being chased"
Hope that helps, let me know if you want me to expand on anything.
Structure your routine in such a way that you throw suspicion onto something else other than the prop, and in such a way that they admit that they don't suspect the prop.
Using the Invisible Deck as an example, you could say something like, "So the card you named was freely chosen, you didn't feel as though I was psychologically influencing you to choose a particular card, did you? It was definitely a completely random, free choice, yes?" By over-emphasising the freedom of choice, you invite them to start questioning whether it was, in fact, a free choice. Once they start thinking down that route then the cards become immaterial, they've already convinced themselves that, somehow, the choice wasn't as free as it appeared to be and therefore that's the only possible method they're interested in.
Then, before opening up the deck, you could gesture casually with them while saying something like, "Now, if this trick works, I don't want you to feel like you're easy to read or anything. In fact, to show you just how much respect I've got for your poker face, maybe you could stick around for a friendly game of Hold 'Em after the show." This suggests that the deck you're holding could, theoretically, be used to play poker with, which means that it's a normal "playing deck", rather than any kind of special "magic deck".
As you perform more, though, you'll find that the best strategy is simply to relax and not care. If you genuinely don't worry about your spectators picking up the prop and discovering its secret, then they won't. Your relaxation transmits to them and they see no reason to feel suspicious.
Using the Invisible Deck as an example, you could say something like, "So the card you named was freely chosen, you didn't feel as though I was psychologically influencing you to choose a particular card, did you? It was definitely a completely random, free choice, yes?" By over-emphasising the freedom of choice, you invite them to start questioning whether it was, in fact, a free choice. Once they start thinking down that route then the cards become immaterial, they've already convinced themselves that, somehow, the choice wasn't as free as it appeared to be and therefore that's the only possible method they're interested in.
Then, before opening up the deck, you could gesture casually with them while saying something like, "Now, if this trick works, I don't want you to feel like you're easy to read or anything. In fact, to show you just how much respect I've got for your poker face, maybe you could stick around for a friendly game of Hold 'Em after the show." This suggests that the deck you're holding could, theoretically, be used to play poker with, which means that it's a normal "playing deck", rather than any kind of special "magic deck".
As you perform more, though, you'll find that the best strategy is simply to relax and not care. If you genuinely don't worry about your spectators picking up the prop and discovering its secret, then they won't. Your relaxation transmits to them and they see no reason to feel suspicious.
Hey Travis,
everything stated above is completely true its all about confidence but that being said it does take time to have confidence let alone fake that you have it.
WHILE you work on your confidence, i emphasize the while because you need to work on confidence, another way to get out of a situation where your hands are dirty is to always have a back up trick so you can jump right to it. For example say you perform the ID and then they ask to see the deck say something like "ok ill let you but check this out real fast." and then move on to a rubber band routine or another trick and this will make them forget all about what they were going to check and be amazed by the last trick you did.
Hope this helps i sure know it helped me.
everything stated above is completely true its all about confidence but that being said it does take time to have confidence let alone fake that you have it.
WHILE you work on your confidence, i emphasize the while because you need to work on confidence, another way to get out of a situation where your hands are dirty is to always have a back up trick so you can jump right to it. For example say you perform the ID and then they ask to see the deck say something like "ok ill let you but check this out real fast." and then move on to a rubber band routine or another trick and this will make them forget all about what they were going to check and be amazed by the last trick you did.
Hope this helps i sure know it helped me.
Here is the thing... if you perform magic in a way that makes your audience seem tricked, they will seek the method. If all you talk about is what the you are doing with the props, the audience will focus on that and think about what you are doing with the props. That leads them to thinking that the method is what you are doing or the props. Unfortunately, using say-do-see patter (you say what you are going to do, you do it and you tell the audience to "see" the effect) is how most effects are taught.
The problem with that is that you are suggesting that there IS a method. Having the audience think about the method kills any possibility of astonishment. Even if the method isn't the correct method, they don't know that. They will think that they figured it out.
The solution is to give the audience something else to think about as part of your presentation. Make your presentation meaningful.
Additionally, treat any gimmicked props as if they aren't. If you have a one-way deck, have a spectator shuffle it (heck, they can even shuffle a Svengali deck). If you are using a DB card for a perfect force, have the spectator do it in their hands. The more you treat the props as normal, the more the audience will assume they are normal.
For the Invisible Deck, have a spectator hold the deck while the card is being though of, have the spectator take the reversed card from the deck (this puts the focus on the card rather than the deck), casually take the packet above the selected card and move it to the bottom of the deck (this makes the bottom of the deck look normal) and then put your focus on the card the spectator has, letting the hand holding the deck drop to the side of your body out of view. Beginner magicians always tend to telegraph when they are doing a sleight (they look at their hands) and when they are using a gimmick (the look at the prop and try to get it away from everyone as soon as possible).
Finally, learn to enjoy being dirty. Part of that is letting the audience handle the props. Seriously, I'm laughing inside when I have an audience member shuffle a one way deck. Part of that is just learning to enjoy the risk - you can always say "no" if they ask to see the props.
The suggestions above cover pretty much everything I could have said, particularly David's.
However I do have one thing to add. The best thing for me has always been one simple strategy: The audience/volunteers are the reason it works. "It" being whatever you're doing at the moment.
If you put the focus on them, so they are the ones displaying a special skill or ability they never knew they had, they'll generally feel special because of it and thus won't go looking to spoil that. Most performers I see get in front of an audience and it's all "me me me" "I I I" .... I do this, I do that, I'm so powerful. And I understand where that is coming from - a lot of people who get into magic do so as a way to claim personal power in the first place. But if you shift that so it's more like, "Look at how awesome YOU are," people appreciate it and that's that.
I mean, you still need to do the sorts of things David and the others were talking about - be confident, be skillful, be relaxed, etc. but also - let go of the ego and put the focus elsewhere.
However I do have one thing to add. The best thing for me has always been one simple strategy: The audience/volunteers are the reason it works. "It" being whatever you're doing at the moment.
If you put the focus on them, so they are the ones displaying a special skill or ability they never knew they had, they'll generally feel special because of it and thus won't go looking to spoil that. Most performers I see get in front of an audience and it's all "me me me" "I I I" .... I do this, I do that, I'm so powerful. And I understand where that is coming from - a lot of people who get into magic do so as a way to claim personal power in the first place. But if you shift that so it's more like, "Look at how awesome YOU are," people appreciate it and that's that.
I mean, you still need to do the sorts of things David and the others were talking about - be confident, be skillful, be relaxed, etc. but also - let go of the ego and put the focus elsewhere.
Of course, this means more than having them snap their fingers during an ambitious card.