Where did you learn that?

Dec 2, 2010
51
0
hi

what do you guys say when the laymans ask "where did you learn all this?"

i just tell them that "I'm born with it :D"

what about you guys? have you ever been asked
 
Jun 6, 2010
796
0
Nashville, TN
If they're legitimately asking, I'll say that I learned from another magician.

If they're just asking to ask, I'll say that if I tell them "I'll have to kill them" :)
 
Apr 30, 2008
400
0
35
Sweden, Vänersborg
Sometimes i tell them that I dont know and read alot of magic books to finds out how I can do all this but I havent learned anything yet. That usually gives a laugh. But mostly I tell them that I learned it from another magician,
 
Aug 17, 2010
411
4
I joke about having a Masters degree in the Impossible - figured a Bachelors degree wasn't quite enough.

If they ask again, I'm straight with them; from books at Browser's Den of Magic.
 
Feb 12, 2011
126
0
At my Computer
Alot of people probably would not like this but sometimes I just say Youtube. There is 4 billion videos and the odds of them are very slim and if you are like me and you perform in school for people most of the time they want if try to look it up.
 
Jun 6, 2010
796
0
Nashville, TN
Alot of people probably would not like this but sometimes I just say Youtube. There is 4 billion videos and the odds of them are very slim and if you are like me and you perform in school for people most of the time they want if try to look it up.

I wouldn't say that. It doesn't only encourage learning from YouTube, but it also shows that what you do isn't special, and they can just find out how to do what you did by simply checking the internet for 5 minutes.
 
Apr 4, 2011
26
0
From all of the above, i still think by answering 'book' is the best among all as i always do that. Not only it will plunge their interest in magic due to the fact that they need to read a lot, and the chances of searching for a good magic book is lower, which a general bookstore won't be stocking up and somehow will lower their interest more.

Tell me what's your thought.
 
Nov 15, 2007
1,106
2
35
Raleigh, NC
I tell them there are books on magic, if you know where to look for them. If someone is legitimately interested they'll ask where they can get one and I tell them to look in the games section of barnes and noble or borders. There are a few gems hiding in the section (Mark Wilson's Complete Course and Bobo's can both be found) and with Wilson's course they can be a great amateur magician if they take the time to practice. 9 out of 10 will probably pick up one of the other 'cooler' looking books and either learn to get better books or give up magic in the end.
 
Feb 7, 2011
362
1
Whats worse is what happened to me on saturday night. Me and two of the lads were in our local drinking and we got to talk about gambling because there is a massive casino being planned down the country. Anyway I mentioned three card monte, they didn't know what it was, but when i said "follow the queen" they knew what i meant. I knew the cards in this bar were beaten up so i asked for them and took out the jokers to use them. Alot of decks from europe have 3 or four jokers. So i showed them 3 card monte, which is a part of my show so i wasn't just giving an attempt, im pretty good at it. So one of the boys said, so whats the secret to that. I paused for a moment, then said im not going to tell you. I realise most of my show is exposing the methods, but exposing the three card monte move would kill it's entertainment value, not heighten it like the others, although i keep telling myself i could have shown them and still fooled them. But what he said next had me sickened. "Come on, dont make me google it". So naturally i put the cards back behind the bar and proceeded to the smoking area to have a tantrum. No not really. But it's a line i certainly dont have an answer for. I know as far as any of the modern tricks, and well most tricks, are concerned, laymen would struggle to "google" them. But when you name an effect, as I do in this case, I call it the three card monte, it's as good as saying, "This one's called the hole thing". Any thoughts?
 
Nov 27, 2010
134
0
Whats worse is what happened to me on saturday night. Me and two of the lads were in our local drinking and we got to talk about gambling because there is a massive casino being planned down the country. Anyway I mentioned three card monte, they didn't know what it was, but when i said "follow the queen" they knew what i meant. I knew the cards in this bar were beaten up so i asked for them and took out the jokers to use them. Alot of decks from europe have 3 or four jokers. So i showed them 3 card monte, which is a part of my show so i wasn't just giving an attempt, im pretty good at it. So one of the boys said, so whats the secret to that. I paused for a moment, then said im not going to tell you. I realise most of my show is exposing the methods, but exposing the three card monte move would kill it's entertainment value, not heighten it like the others, although i keep telling myself i could have shown them and still fooled them. But what he said next had me sickened. "Come on, dont make me google it". So naturally i put the cards back behind the bar and proceeded to the smoking area to have a tantrum. No not really. But it's a line i certainly dont have an answer for. I know as far as any of the modern tricks, and well most tricks, are concerned, laymen would struggle to "google" them. But when you name an effect, as I do in this case, I call it the three card monte, it's as good as saying, "This one's called the hole thing". Any thoughts?

aaaaarrrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!, Dude I feel your pain. I just hate it when someone from the audience gives a smart a** comment like that. But when someone asks you where you learned a trick or how it is done you need to give a very general quick answer. If you answer quick the audience would think you have nothing to hide. Or you can just lie. Lying may not be the most moraly correct response ,but as it would do a good job of getting the people to leave you alone. For example, If somebody asked me where i learned a trick i would say , "this magician downtown gave me private classes before he moved to vegas......then i started to learn more on my own by books". Am i lying??......Of course I am. But it is much better than saying, "yeah i learned it by dvds and the internet".

But if anybody gives you a sickening response like that ,then you need to fight back. If you put the cards away and walk away they will have no doubt in their minds that they could find the trick online. you need to say something like, "I dare you to look it up....you wont find it anyway" with a cocky grin on your face.
 
Jun 6, 2010
796
0
Nashville, TN
But if anybody gives you a sickening response like that ,then you need to fight back. If you put the cards away and walk away they will have no doubt in their minds that they could find the trick online. you need to say something like, "I dare you to look it up....you wont find it anyway" with a cocky grin on your face.

Yeah, I usually tell most people that I made it myself, so they can't find it anywhere. It's lying but, who cares? That's what magic is
 
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