I was recently watching David Williamson's Penguin lecture and he mentions that the best way to impress laymen and magicians is to simply fly under the radar. He gave a really good example of how when Bill Malone moved to Florida after spending years under the wings of Ed Marlo. He would go to lectures and pretty much fumble the cards and play up this completely unskilled guy that just really loved magic. Then he would go on to something like the Eleven card trick and use a Bottom Deal in it and completely fry everybody watching, because they never suspected that he could do anything. And it's a really good point, it's also pretty much why a lot of kids tend to get busted. Because you end up show boating everything you know and now everybody knows that you are extremely skilled. So they end up watching you like a hawk. Remember the old saying "Only give them 40%".
Learn to fly under the radar.
- Thread starter Randy
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Here's an experiment for you to try out when you're out pub crawling some night. . .
You and a buddy take turns being the renown world acclaimed Magician as the other one plays the novice. When in the role of the novice you try to show off several effects only for the "Master" to take up where you left off, executing a different version of your routine that is cleaner and more direct. The Master does one effect while the supposed amateur does about six.
Keep track of the public response; you will find that more people will talk up the Master, regardless which one of you play that role (and you take turns playing the role as you move from one location to the next). It's pure psychology but is another way by which to "fly beneath the radar" as it were. I know of several "teams" that have done this and they were blown away by how more people acknowledged the supposed Master Mage as being "awesome" vs. the supposed neophyte that tried so hard to prove his stuff. . . frequently performing routines that are technically superior to what the Master ultimately follows up with.
I've used this same approach for years, especially when it comes to getting gigs at New Age bookstores as a Reader (it drives them nuts when a real mind reader moves into a spontaneous demonstration that their existing house Psychics can't come close to replicating).
When it comes to old Billy boy. . . I remember when he was about 19 and blowing people away @ both, the "A Bit O'Magic" and "Izzy Rizzy's House of Tricks". . . "sigh" the good ole Chicago years. . .
You and a buddy take turns being the renown world acclaimed Magician as the other one plays the novice. When in the role of the novice you try to show off several effects only for the "Master" to take up where you left off, executing a different version of your routine that is cleaner and more direct. The Master does one effect while the supposed amateur does about six.
Keep track of the public response; you will find that more people will talk up the Master, regardless which one of you play that role (and you take turns playing the role as you move from one location to the next). It's pure psychology but is another way by which to "fly beneath the radar" as it were. I know of several "teams" that have done this and they were blown away by how more people acknowledged the supposed Master Mage as being "awesome" vs. the supposed neophyte that tried so hard to prove his stuff. . . frequently performing routines that are technically superior to what the Master ultimately follows up with.
I've used this same approach for years, especially when it comes to getting gigs at New Age bookstores as a Reader (it drives them nuts when a real mind reader moves into a spontaneous demonstration that their existing house Psychics can't come close to replicating).
When it comes to old Billy boy. . . I remember when he was about 19 and blowing people away @ both, the "A Bit O'Magic" and "Izzy Rizzy's House of Tricks". . . "sigh" the good ole Chicago years. . .
One other point I forgot to mention is the idea of giving spectators check marks in their mind. Rather than when you have them shuffle cards and going "You shuffled." "You did this and that". Instead stop them in the middle of shuffle and act like they might have prevented you from continuing with the trick. This way they will be really impressed if you can find their card, because it seems like you are really lost. It was essentially the idea that spectators watch magic, for the same reason people attend NASCAR events. To see the crashes.
So you give them plenty of "near" crashes and then go onto to do whatever reveal at the end of the effect.
So you give them plenty of "near" crashes and then go onto to do whatever reveal at the end of the effect.