theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards

Touching / Grabbing During Effect

Fritts1223

Fritts1223

Jan 5, 2009
80
0
35
Small town Ohio
So the title might sound a little naughty, haha, but that is not what I'm talking about.

Recently I was doing a some tricks for my friends little siblings. They were 8(boy) and 13(girl). During some of the tricks, the girl would sometimes grab at the cards before i was done with the trick. Or grab at my hand if it was a coin effect. Obviously, this was frustrating, haha.
This has happened before.. not just with kids but with adults too.

Usually when this happens, I just start another trick or refuse to continue.

But I'm just curious as to what you guys do in situations like these. Do you just refuse to do more tricks or start over or what?



ps. I used the search button but could only find ones about if people think they know the trick. Sorry if this is a repeat.
 
Fritts1223 said:
Recently I was doing a some tricks for my friends little siblings. They were 8(boy) and 13(girl). During some of the tricks, the girl would sometimes grab at the cards before i was done with the trick. Or grab at my hand if it was a coin effect. Obviously, this was frustrating, haha
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Okay, obviously they are little kids :cool: and they are curious, its understable.

Now, the thing with adults,(and dont take me wrong) either you are acting very suspicious with your sleights or you have some problems with your presentation.

Take palming for an example, the move is obvious and they will discover you if you either your technique or timing is improper, they will most likely will like "let me chek your hands!" if you hand the deck for shuffling, and belive me it has happened to me, I worked ways to make the presentation to flow better and to be able to do the palming withouth getting noticed.


We all have little "tells" when we execute a move or something, try to record yourself practicing your routines to find this little "tells" and try to work a way to fix them.

Its been a while since you posted :).
 
This is the same post i posted a few days ago in the card magic forum, it might help you a bit:


Well there are a few different ways you can handle this:

1. Just say no.

2. Better Audience management.

3. Having the cards shuffled/handled throughout the performance.


Lets Handle number one first:

Just saying no, to me, rarely looks good in the eyes of the spectator. Basically it cancels out the whole "magic" thing. You want them to believe their card is lost in the deck, or that the aces are lost in the deck, etc. And when they cant shuffle, they can and will believe that you where their card is and you dont want to lose its position. This is why I usually never say no when they ask to shuffle the cards. Worst case scenario, they ask to shuffle, you glimspe the card real quick, take back the deck, cull the card, talk for a minute, and bam, your right back on track. But in order to do that, you have to have good number two. No, not that number two, i ment audience management.


Number two:

Good Audience management is key to a good performance with a pain in the ass spectator. The strategy behind audience management is to control them so they DONT ask to shuffle the cards, look in the packet, etc. And, in my opinion, the best way for this to be done, is great technique. Your double lift should look like your single lift so they dont get suspicious and think you are cheating. If they really feel their card is lost in the deck, they wont ask to shuffle the cards. Another way to control the audience is to show things how they are once in a while, provide convincers if you will. When you say you are losing their card in the deck, so them that that is in fact their card. When you place the aces on the table, show them the aces! So later on, when that selection isnt the selection, or those aces arnt really aces, they wont ask, simply because you proved that what you say is truthful, so that they dont have to check it themselves. When they ask to shuffle, its alot like a lady looking through her house to make sure everythings their after a strange person they cantquitetrustbutwontsayanything leaves the house. Shuffling the cards to them ensures that everything is what it is. Another great convincer is in fact, number three.


Number three:

Having them shuffle when its not nessecary. To you. No, to them shuffling the cards makes all the difference in the world. It proves everything is fair and just how it needs to be. Of course your just giving them the packet that doesnt really have the card(s) in it, or you are in between effects, or youve already loaded the card where it needs to go. You are already ahead of the game, shuffled deck or not. This convincer is fantastic when you want to prove everything is as its should be. Also, let the cards that are about to be in question handled before they cant be handled. To them, they stay the same throughout the entire performance, when in reality, you let them handle the normal card, and then switched it for the not so normal gaff. Letting them shuffle and letting them handle the cards are two of the best, controlling convincers available, but you have to be able to combine this, and other convincers to gain the entire trust of the audience.

And that truly is what you are trying to obtain: The trust of the audience. When they dont trust you, they start asking to see the packet in question, the deck, etc. Only when you have the entire trust of the audience can the magic begin.
 
im 6 feet tall, just hold the cards too high to be touched.


but seriously, its all about audience control. even little kids can be conditioned and controlled when dominance is established though interaction, body language and talking. Also consider involving them in an early trick, this gets their pre-occupation with touching the cards out of the way early, 2CM is a great way to do this. It allows them to interact and touch the cards, and afterward you make a comment about you doing the work this time and they sit back and watch.
 
Fritts1223 said:
During some of the tricks, the girl would sometimes grab at the cards before i was done with the trick. Or grab at my hand if it was a coin effect. Obviously, this was frustrating, haha.
Click to expand...

This is why you don't perform for girls... =)

you have 3 options...
•don't use cards
•don't use hands
•don't use coins

=) be creative!
 
RDChopper said:
Okay, obviously they are little kids :cool: and they are curious, its understable.

Now, the thing with adults,(and dont take me wrong) either you are acting very suspicious with your sleights or you have some problems with your presentation.

Take palming for an example, the move is obvious and they will discover you if you either your technique or timing is improper, they will most likely will like "let me chek your hands!" if you hand the deck for shuffling, and belive me it has happened to me, I worked ways to make the presentation to flow better and to be able to do the palming withouth getting noticed.


We all have little "tells" when we execute a move or something, try to record yourself practicing your routines to find this little "tells" and try to work a way to fix them.

Its been a while since you posted :).
Click to expand...

It has been awhile! I've been uber busy. Finally have time to get back on here :]


But that's very true. I know I think too much when i do a sleight anyways so i'm sure i have a tell. i'll work on that. :]
 
You say, "Where are your manners?" for kids. Adults should know better. Say that line once and if they continue, just pull your hands away and continue. I am usually taller than the kids so I don't really encounter that problem.

Hope this helped

- Zac
 
I noticed reactions similar to this especially when performing for people of other cultures (old and young). I do a fair amount of free performances for an inner city ministry here, and I also find more of these reactions in lower socio economic groups.
People in other cultures have very different ideas of personal space. I remember one walk around situation where I was surrounded by kids and when I used a TT to vanish a silk they mauled me trying to find it. They put hands up my sleeves, and into pockets. It was crazy. I had to establish a distance they had to stay away. It was better after that, but it just takes you establishing some authority. Be bold and let the audience know exactly what you want from them.
 
The way that I personally conquer this (most of the time, at least) is to have everything examined as often as I possibly can without giving the trick away. This way, the audience has satisfied their curiosity and usually lets me proceed as usual.

If they still grab at my hands, or cards for that matter, I simply pull back and say, "Do you want to see the trick or not?"

Most people will pull back, watch, and enjoy the magic after that.
 
Reactions said:
The way that I personally conquer this (most of the time, at least) is to have everything examined as often as I possibly can without giving the trick away. This way, the audience has satisfied their curiosity and usually lets me proceed as usual.
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i do the exact same thing. unless i'm performing for some major skeptics, i usually don't really have this problem. try using a "fake" move. such as in ambitious card. snap, or jerk the deck or something, to make it seem as though that is the move. also, just act as though you know what you're doing, and be confident. that usually helps. hope that i helped.
 
i ussually slap the kid. or i threaten to send them to the work house. oliver twist style ya know.
spare the rod, send the kid to the factory.

but usally i start with sponge balls, so it doesnt matter if they touch them

ive never had problems with 8 and up tho.
 
I just usually stop doing tricks, if only for a little bit.
One time I was doing the hummer card and my little cousin ran up and slapped the card and it went flying....
That was frustrating...
 
Fritts1223 said:
So the title might sound a little naughty, haha, but that is not what I'm talking about.

Recently I was doing a some tricks for my friends little siblings. They were 8(boy) and 13(girl). During some of the tricks, the girl would sometimes grab at the cards before i was done with the trick. Or grab at my hand if it was a coin effect. Obviously, this was frustrating, haha.
This has happened before.. not just with kids but with adults too.

Usually when this happens, I just start another trick or refuse to continue.

But I'm just curious as to what you guys do in situations like these. Do you just refuse to do more tricks or start over or what?



ps. I used the search button but could only find ones about if people think they know the trick. Sorry if this is a repeat.
Click to expand...
actually this is simple: kids have a short attention span, lengthier performances will have them to grab and dull....for kids do very visual stuff such as vanishes...do stuff like that...transpostions...simple effects go over well with them....don't forget that...

another thing you will need to know with people that do that, meaning adults as well try for the harder stuff to start......the most visual or sometimes your best or next to best effect(visual) should always come first...that will settle them down...then finish them up with your other stuff......

Remember they are laymen and you are the magician....simple effects are really powerful, don't do your big stuff until it really cause for it...big stuff, big crowds or tough crowds....remember that...people who are easy to believe, do simple effects....they beleive what you do is real and impossible...
 
Well sometimes it can be a good thing.

One instance, I was doing a two card transpo I created and one of the cards was palmed. I didn't have enough time to ditch it before the spec just rubbed the palm of my hand, which was face down. Apparently the card felt like skin...the spec was astonished.

Usually I try to establish a comfortablility barrier, i.e. personal space.

Ian
 
Ive noticed (and experimented with) that spectators will grab at you and your prop if you keep fiddling with it and hold it too close to your body.
The best example...A deck of cards.
If you hold the cards in both hands or are constantly dribbling,drawing too much attention to the deck,Etc.Suspicion arises and the grabbing and touching starts. Too much contact with the cards are a big no no. Let them hold the cards for a while(Effect permitting) put them away if its not a packet trick,limit doing tricks that require using the full deck,hold cards lightly/delicately.
 
Darwin ortiz mentioned that you should stop them from touching ANYTHING before you perform. Even if it's something like the card case. If they try to grab, just nicely remind them not to and put the card case away.

If that doesn't work, then you aren't doing your job correctly and they don't trust you fully.
 
when I was starting I had the same problem... people turning cards when they must not turn it, people asking to many questions, people wanting to grab all my stuff (cards, coins,ropes) even if they are not gimmicked, people interrupting the performance... now everything is different, I rarely get anything like that now and if that happens I am able to work around it

eventually all will pass, because everything is just about authority, but telling you what to do is part of the solution, the other part is just performing, eventually you will have the authority and the presence and people will go as far as you want to..

hope this helps!!
if you can grab some waffles from Waffles House, eat one for me!! since here there is nothing like that!!
 
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