The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Gerald Deutsch
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The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Gerald Deutsch » February 25th, 2021, 10:55 am

It is very important that impromptu magic always be done at an appropriate time and for a limited time but with Perverse Magic it can happen sort of unexpectedly.

So, for example, while walking with a friend you can see what looks like a strange rock, pick it up, look at it and it changes to quarter. You scratch your head and put the quarter in your pocket

Or while having dinner you can break a roll, be surprised to see a quarter inside, put the quarter in your pocket and continue eating.

Of course, people that know you may ask that you “show us a trick” by handing you a deck of cards

Or, of course, you may just want to “do something”.

The danger with impromptu magic is that the performer won’t know “when to stop” and the audience won’t remember what was done.

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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Anthony Vinson » February 26th, 2021, 9:05 am

Knowing when to stop is as important as knowing not to start. The maxim, "Always leave them wanting more.", should be the last [silent] line of every amateur's script. Uh, and some pros.

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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Paco Nagata » February 27th, 2021, 3:43 pm

I think that a good way to know when to start for sure is by means of being a demanded magician, instead of a demanding magician. So, if some people ask you for some of your card magic, it would be quite ok to start. Just be careful they don't want actually to make fun of you, and the situation is suitable.

Regarding when to stop... Well, honestly I usually stop on demand as well...

So, I think spectators should decide...
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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby MagicbyAlfred » March 1st, 2021, 10:27 am

In my personal opinion, in a social situation, with family, friends or new acquaintees, the most desirable situation is for them to ask me to do some magic. That way, I know they will be receptive and they tend to appreciate and value what I have to offer more than if I am the initiator. The exception is when I have a new trick and I want to field test it to see the reactions.

Of course, if one is performing professionally, for example in a strolling close-up setting, then whomever is paying you expects you to interject yourself and initiate the entertainment. This was actually harder for me to get comfortable doing than performing any of the tricks. It can be awkward unless you learn to develop a smooth approach. What I have learned through years of trial and error (a lot of the latter!) is that less is more, as has already been mentioned on this thread. Often, I will approach a person, a couple or a group, and first introduce myself as the entertainer who was engaged by the host to entertain the guests. That's right, it cannot be assumed that they will know this without being told, and they are likely to believe that you are just another guest who has approached them to do an unsolicited trick(s). And it kind of validates you before you begin to impart that you are a professional who has been hired to entertain them. It definitely ups the level of respect and, importantly, receptivity.

Then, I will often do just one trick, thank them for letting me entertain them and walk away. As one example among many possible ones, I might do nothing more than vanishing a sponge ball from my hand and have it reappear in their hand along with the one they are holding. This is a miracle to a layman, and if you leave it at that, they will be left to marvel in their minds and talk very favorably about you. Continuing with more phases can actually diminish the impact. This (hopefully) should leave them wanting more - a show business maxim and point that as has also been mentioned on here. More often than not, they will seek me out later to do more for them and/or for them and their friends, or even if I approach them again later, they are generally very welcoming and enthusiastic to see more.

At the last bar/restaurant gig I had (which lasted 3 and 1/2 years), one of the "regulars" who was crazy for magic and often rewarded me with a picture of Benjamin Franklin, sometimes more, confided something to me. He said (paraphrasing), "All these tricks you do are so mind-blowing that I need time to process what you've done. I sometimes find myself wishing you would stop after one or maybe two, instead of going from one trick to the other, so I can appreciate and contemplate what I've seen." I took this comment to heart and it was highly influential in causing me to adjust my approach to performing.

Here's a challenge you may (or may not) wish to accept. For someone for whom you've never performed the Ambitious Card, fan the deck face up and have them touch any card they like or feel a connection with (Yes, avoid a "pick-a-card" beginning!). Have them sign the card and do exactly one and only one phase. The card is apparently inserted into the deck and then appears on top. You can hand them the deck, let them wave or snap or squeeze or say magic words - whatever - and then have them turn over the top card. Then stop and do nothing more, and give them the card as a souvenir or memento. My belief is that they will remember this for the rest of their lives and many will keep that card, when other -- shall we say more ambitious (i.e. multi-phase)-- routines would have been long since forgotten. Just contrive to get one card face up on top, and hold a tiny break under it as they are signing and place their signed card face up on top of it (obviously without flashing the indifferent card) and you're good to go. Please let me know the reaction you get if you happen to try it...

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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby MagicbyAlfred » March 1st, 2021, 2:28 pm

Just a postscript to my prior post: Oftentimes, I will just ask them to name any card in the deck in lieu of having them touch a face up card. This brings it even further away from any resemblance to the "pick-a-card" syndrome. When they name the card, I mention that I feel they may have a special connection to it, then I withdraw it from the deck and hand it to them along with a Sharpie, asking them to "personalize" the card by signing it. As they do so, there's plenty of time and misdirection to do the sneaky work of turning over the top card and getting a break under it. (One great way to turn over the card if you're standing is by thumbing it over a bit and levering it against the side of the thigh, as described in the Royal Road). Once the top indifferent card is face up, just angle the deck back towards yourself so they can't see what they shouldn't. When you get the card back, place it face up on top of the face-up indifferent card and then bring the deck down to where they can see the signed card, while blowing on it on the process (apparently to get it dry), for further misdirection. This just happens to be the way I get ready. If you're really good doing a top change, you could do that instead, in which case you could let them cut off some cards from the deck, then you place their apparent card on top of the remainder you're holding. You can then have them replace the cut-off portion and immediately hand them the deck, letting them do the magic and then they turn over the top card with the deck in their own hands. Super strong!

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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Mr. Woolery » March 13th, 2021, 3:38 pm

I feel like there are two points being made in this thread and both are really good.

First, when one adopts a casual lifestyle of performing little tricks (finding quarters in unlikely places), it is easy to overload your friends and family. I imagine the astonishment turning to eye rolling over the course of what feels like a build up of your amazingness. When people expect a trick constantly, it isn’t really making their day more wonderfully surprising.

Second, one miracle is enough. Even for a paid performer whose stated purpose in an interaction is to show magic tricks.

I think when people come to a magic show or the Magic Castle, they are looking for the immersion in magic. They expect to see a lot of it. But at a wedding reception, that’s not their expectation. So one moment of Wow is going to add to their day, while a quarter hour of “now watch this” is not adding more. And may be detracting.

Now that some of my social venues are preparing to open up again, this is something I want to think about more.

I very much appreciate both of the thoughts here.

Patrick

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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 13th, 2021, 5:11 pm

If asked to do magic for someone, I often just pull off my finger. Seriously. This is no longer widely known and people freak out.
If asked to do magic in a situation where it is known what I do, my go-to trick is the Ambitious Card. There are a dozen magical effects in that routine, and that's ALL I do. Full stop.
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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby mrmagik68 » March 14th, 2021, 4:07 pm

This is a great thread! Not being a professional performer, I've never really thought about these nuances. MagicbyAlfred, that was some really good feedback, great stuff. Really puts a nice perspective on things.



Roberto

Gerald Deutsch
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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Gerald Deutsch » March 19th, 2021, 9:17 am

Perverse Magic helps a performer stop after one effect.
He should act puzzled or confused at what happened - which the spectators should enjoy.
We all know magic always should involve acting.

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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Peter Ross » March 19th, 2021, 11:54 am

Richard Kaufman wrote:If asked to do magic for someone, I often just pull off my finger. Seriously. This is no longer widely known and people freak out.
If asked to do magic in a situation where it is known what I do, my go-to trick is the Ambitious Card. There are a dozen magical effects in that routine, and that's ALL I do. Full stop.


What's your go-to if you don't have a pack of cards - say, at a dinner table? Just curious.

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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 19th, 2021, 12:06 pm

Salt Shaker through table. Never fails to kill.
And I do not reproduce the salt shaker.
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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Tom Gilbert » March 19th, 2021, 9:45 pm

You must have a great collection of salt shakers.

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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Joe Lyons » March 19th, 2021, 10:19 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:Salt Shaker through table. Never fails to kill.
And I do not reproduce the salt shaker.

One of the first tricks I learned and still one of the the strongest impromptu effects at table, home or diner.

Has a Malini feel to it.

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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Paco Nagata » March 20th, 2021, 9:41 am

I've rarely been interested in doing magic that doesn't involve a deck of cards.

I have tried to become fond of coin magic and many other little things, but I have never reached the same level of motivation as with a deck of cards.

So when someone asks me to do some magic when I don't have a deck of cards, the first effect I do is make a deck of cards appear!

Yes, I learned how to do that to be able to do magic at any time!

Do you think that doing magic only with a deck of cards is prejudicial for your assumed magician image?
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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby katterfelt0 » August 13th, 2021, 7:58 am

Paco Nagata wrote:I've rarely been interested in doing magic that doesn't involve a deck of cards.
...
Do you think that doing magic only with a deck of cards is prejudicial for your assumed magician image?


Not at all. Cards are just tools. I think if you're passionate about your card magic (and I know you are, Paco), that passion will show in your performance.
Effect and method are inextricably linked.

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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Paco Nagata » August 13th, 2021, 9:33 am

Thanks a lot, Katterfelto!
A friend of mine told me once, joking about my card magic obsession:
"Hey, you could cut in half a woman, and take the selected card from her guts, and then restore her; it would be a card trick, right?!"
Kind of disgusting, but certainly it would be a card trick as well!
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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Richard Kaufman » August 13th, 2021, 9:50 am

You should really learn some impromptu tricks with items you might find on the table in a restaurant, or in someone's home, or things you can borrow from a purse. It goes over well.
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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Paco Nagata » August 13th, 2021, 11:27 am

Sure! I have eaten olives from/by (¿?) my head in restaurants! A very funny magic act described in one of Tamariz's book ("Bar Magic").
I should make an effort again with "card-less" magic!
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Re: The Danger With inpromptu Magic is The Performer Won't Know When To Stop

Postby Tarotist » August 13th, 2021, 2:26 pm

I specialise in impromptu magic. When I was much younger I used to do it everywhere and anywhere. I would do it at school, at work, in parks, in hotel lobbies, in bowling alleys and even on one memorable occasion on the top floor of a London bus. The entire floor of the bus was in such raptures that the conductor forgot to collect the fares. In fact one of the passengers on the bus was so enamoured by the magic he saw that unbeknown to me he later decided to take it up himself. He told me about this many years later at the Magic Circle. All I can remember is that his first name was Barry.

The idea of only doing one trick was completely impractical. I didn't sweat and practice for hours on end so I could only do one trick for people. You don't learn and develop as a performer doing just one trick when you first start. I usually did a great many and the reaction was sensational! People wouldn't allow me to stop and sometimes I would go on for an hour at a time. After a while everywhere I went people would ask me to do tricks and I would NEVER refuse. However, I always knew when to stop. And I still do. A good magician should know how to judge and manipulate people and part of that process is to sense when they have had enough.

Now that I am much older I don't perform impromptu quite so much as I used to but I will still do it fairly often. It ALWAYS creates a sensation! I have started with only one or two people around me and before I know where I am several others appear out of the woodwork to watch! I do agree that is a wise policy for most magicians to do only one trick and leave it at that. In fact for many magicians even one trick is more than enough. A lot depends on how good you are. If you are really, really good you can go on for much, much longer.

Some of the greatest performers in magic would perform impromptu and do a hell of a lot more than one measly trick. Max Malini for example. Blackstone senior would never stop. T. Nelson Downs would do 30 minutes on a street corner at the slightest provocation. Paul Rosini was another impromptu performer. I don't think Leipzig was averse to it either since he always carried certain tricks in his pockets every day for such occasions.

As for the salt shaker trick I used to do it a lot until a friend of mine noticed that the effect was far stronger when I used a glass. He was right and I always use a glass to this day. It invariably creates an absolute sensation.


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