Performance Help

[Tyce W.]

So I’ve had struggles when it comes to performing a card trick. I know the sleights and moves well but I feel that my presentation is off because I don’t always get the desired reaction. Anyone have any tips on performing? Especially when someone just out of the blue asks for a trick?

 

[Van Gogh]

How you talk is a big part of the performance. You want to act exited and talk confidently. It doesn’t come easy at first, I’ve been performing for a couple years and still act shaky. If you want some advice, I would definitely suggest practicing your patter while you practice the trick. Also, don’t talk too much, or you’re spectator will get bored and it will ruin the trick.
If you’re going to do a whole ruitine, which definitely improves reactions, There are also some things you should know. You want to start with a short and sweet trick, do whatever tricks you want to in the middle, and do your best trick last.
When someone just asks for a trick out of the blue, you want to exceed their expectations. Here’s an example:
Spectator: can you show me a trick?
Magitian: Sure! I’m not that great, but I think this is pretty cool..
You proceed to blow there minds away.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

This is an extremely broad question.

The way I get the reactions I want will probably be very different to the way you get them.

So the first thing I'd ask is this: What is your character and performance style?

A lot of people short this answer by saying something like, "I'm just myself and casual" but what does that actually mean? What can you do and why? Are you funny? Serious? Somber? Goofy?

Understanding your character helps you know what kind of scripting you should use. Otherwise the scripting might not match the character and that discrepancy will cause a disconnect between the performer and the audience.

Second: What reaction are you specifically going for?

A lot of folks go for the David Blaine/TV-special kind of reactions with people screaming and running around. What they need to understand is how much the TV crew played into causing those reactions. Personally I tend to go for more of a stunned silence. Some people go for shock or fear. You have to know what reaction you consider "good" to be able to aim for it.

Third: Are the tricks being performed actually all that good?

I think this may be one of the harder questions to face. I think everyone has tricks or routines they personally like but that just aren't actually great. Sometimes it's because the trick or routine doesn't actually fit the character, sometimes it's genuinely just a weak routine, sometimes it just lacks a good ending or something like that.

One of the hardest things I had to learn was to drop bits and routines that just didn't work for me, regardless of how I felt about them. Kill your darlings.

Another thing is audience context. There are tricks I will perform for other magicians that I would never perform for a lay audience because understanding the skill involved is integral to the trick being interesting. Lay audiences don't care how you're doing what you're doing (and really, they shouldn't be thinking about that part at all anyway).

Lastly, and probably the most blanket-applicable thing: Engagement.

No matter what you are performing you must engage the audience to get really good reactions. An engaged audience cares and will always react more strongly than an audience that isn't engaged. This requires the performing to form and build that connection.

 

[Tyce W.]

Thank you for the tips! That really helps!

 

[RealityOne]

It is difficult to give advice without seeing a performance. Feel free to post a video or even send one to me in a direct message or "Conversation." That would allow for more helpful advice. That said, let's begin...

Close up magic is a conversation. Conversation is interactions - questions and answers - but it is also stories (about something that happened, something you read, something you saw). Some conversations are excited, others are quiet. Some convey importance, some convey silliness. In performing close up magic, the magician controls the conversation through their presentation. They ask the questions, they react to the answers, they tell the stories. The subject of the conversation is the effect and the goal of the conversation is as @WitchDocIsIn said engagement with the magician and the effect. It provides insight into who you are as a magician and it answers the question "why should the audience care about the effect."

I know. That was a lot. Let's start simple. Integrate a couple of questions into your presentation before you begin the effect. Listen to the answers and respond. This starts a positive feedback loop where the audience feels engaged (you are asking them questions) and you feel validated (they answered). This actually helps you relax and helps you slow down. The audience has already reacted to you by answering your questions, so you don't have to wait until the effect is over to feel validated.

Then, talk about something during the effect. That something should be more than the say-do-see patter where you say what you are going to do, do it and then tell the audience to see the result. Eugene Burger called this narrating the adventures of the props in the magician's hands. The "what" that you talk about has to come from your character - who you are as a magician.

So, take one of your effects and write out the opening questions and try to have a presentation that does something other than narrate the adventures of the cards. Or, list one a couple of effects you perform and I can tell you what I'd do for presentation.

 

[Tyce W.]

Oh ok! Questions during the effect are something I've never put much time into, thanks for the idea! What would you do in a trick like Out of This World?

 

[RealityOne]

For Out of this World, I use a method based on a combination of John Armstrong's and Eugene Burger's handlings. I also use postcards based on Chris Philpott's French Postcards - but mine have more Rated - G, audience friendly pictures.

For a presentation with a deck of cards, I would do something like this:

What do you think the difference is between coincidence and luck? [Listen to answers and react by laughing if they say something funny, by commenting "good answer" if they say something thoughtful, or even "that's right ,but it might be just a luck guess"]. Does anyone feel lucky? [Someone responds yes, or you further prompt someone "do you feel a little lucky today?] OK, I'm going to have you help me out here. Now, does any feel that the universe is aligned to provide them with some coincidences today?" [Someone responds yes or you further prompt someone "do you believe in coincidences?" if they say yes you continue, if they say no, you say "either do I - what a coincidence" and continue]. OK, I'm going to have you help me out in a minute.

[Talking to first participant]. We are going to test your luck. As you can see, the card are well shuffled (spread deck showing cards shuffled). I'm going to hold each card face down and you tell me if it's a black card. If you think it is a black card, we will put it in this pile here [gesture to the space between you and the participant] and if you think it is a red card or aren't sure I'll put it over here [gesture to the side of you]. Let's test your luck. [go through cards dividing into piles].

[Turn to second participant] So let's test the power of coincidence against sheer luck. I'm going to hold each card face down and you tell me if it's a redcard. If you think it is a red card, we will put it in this pile here [gesture to the space between you and the participant] and if you think it is a black card or aren't sure I'll put it over here [gesture to the side of you]. Let's test your luck. [go through cards dividing into piles].

So who do you think got more cards right? Luck or coincidence? [Turning to first participant] Do you feel lucky? [listen and react to answer]. Let's see [spread cards in middle showing all black]. That looks tough to beat. [Turn to second spectator], do you think you had as many coincidences? Let's see [spread cards in middle showing all red]. OK, let's go to the tiebreaker, let's see how many you discarded that you should have kept. [spread discards showing all red followed by all black]. [To both spectators] Regardless of whether it was luck or coincidence, well done, both of you.

Notice a couple of important parts to the presentation. First, it starts with questions to the audience, engaging them. Second, it introduces the theme of luck vs. coincidence and carries that throughout. Third, there is no attribution of magical powers or skill to the magician. That keeps the audience from playing the "my job is to figure out what you are doing so I can put you down a peg" game. A the end, the credit goes to the spectators.

You can also have some interplay with the spectators. Ask them if they are sure when they put one in the discard pile. If they hesitate, ask them if they want want a friend to help them (and then comment if they get one wrong they know who to blame). You can ask another spectator if they agree with a decision. You can let them check one card if they seemed unsure. That interplay keeps the rest of the audience engaged and also disguises the method because none of that would be necessary if it were a foregone conclusion that they would get all their choices right.

Feel free to post a presentation you've come up with for another effect or to throw another effect out there for me. Others, should feel free to post their presentations.

 

[Tyce W.]

That really helps! Thanks for the great advice. If I get a good performance on camera I’ll post it.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

I use an Out Of This World method for my Living/Dead test routine.

My opening script for that routine is like this:

"I think we've all heard that idea that some cultures won't let you take their pictures, because doing so would trap a piece of their soul in the photo. A crazy superstition, right?

But what if it's not?

Try this. From your seats, if you'd like to participate, close your eyes. Take a nice deep breath in, hold for a moment, and out. In, hold, out. Imagine yourself standing in front of a table. Upon that table is a picture of the person or animal you love most. Now imagine taking a knife or scissors and stabbing the photo, over. and over. and over. (*the performer smacks a fist into their palm with each 'over'*)

I can tell by the faces I see in the crowd that this is not a comfortable thought. Perhaps there's something to this superstition after all.

Along those lines we're going to try something with these photos. I'll hold up a photo, and from your seat you'll tell me if it should go to the left, or to the right. Use only your instincts, don't try to think about it at all. I will say though, that they will be separated evenly by the end of this.

You sir, should this one go to the left or to the right?

And you ma'am, left or right?"

And so on.

This is usually an effect I would do around the middle of the show. I would already have done two or three pieces, atmosphere would be fairly well established, and trust would have already been built between myself and the audience. This piece serves to further build trust as well as engage multiple audience members without the pressure of coming up on stage with me. The introduction primes the reaction at the climax when it's revealed that all the photos have been separated between those living and those who have passed.