Postby MagicbyAlfred » December 15th, 2020, 10:26 am
Hi Alice,
Excellent question. There is no one size fits all in framing an effect. The environment we are in and who we are performing for is a significant factor. For example, when I am in a store and paying for my stuff, I often call the cashiers attention to my credit card before sticking it in the machine saying, "I have a very strange credit card, I hope you accept it." Then I quickly vanish it (using the Tenkai Vanish), then reproduce it out of thin air. Or if I pay with cash and receive any coins back, I may do a quick vanish of a coin, reproduce, and then give it to the cashier for "Luck."
These bits of business are casual and fit the situation. They almost always bring a smile and/or an exclamation of astonishment. In a restaurant with friends or family, I have often asked the server or cashier if 5 dollars is enough to cover the bill, showing five one dollar bills. As everyone is smirking, or questioning my mental health, I turn the 5 one dollar bills into 5 hundreds. I have also done it in reverse. Having made a withdrawal of $500 (five one hundred dollar bills) from a teller in a bank, saying that there is something "funny about this money," then shaking the bills and turning them into five one dollar bills. I guarantee this is something they will never forget. And, corny though it might sound, you can never go wrong pulling a coin out of a little child’s ear and doing a little vanish, or vanish and reproduction sequence.
In his book, Showmanship for Magicians, Dariel Fitskee wrote that the two things that interest and fascinate people most are first, themselves, and second, other people. Dale Carnegie wrote in his epic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, that the best way to captivate people is to express an interest in them and the things they care about. With these fundamental, bedrock psychological principles in mind, we are limited only by our imaginations in how to frame our magic, how to engage people and draw them in. As an example of applying this, I like to make the spectator(s) the center of attention or star. There is a world of difference, for instance, between having a card selected and a magician finding or revealing it in some way (generally uninteresting or even meaningless to people), versus asking the spectator(s) if they believe in ESP or psychic phenomena, telling them that you would like to try a little experiment to confirm your feeling that they have a powerful sixth sense, or the ability to read minds, or to send their thoughts telepathically, or to foretell the future (or whatever such patter will suit the effect). Now the spectator is engaged, and because it is about him/her and the onlookers are interested too, because it is an unfolding drama or story featuring one of them (other people),
Hence, questions geared toward what will interest people (themselves or others) are often a great starting point. You can ask people about their hobbies or what they enjoy doing in their free time and then segue in to telling them that you’ve long had a fascination with magic or illusions or ESP, and proceed.
Also, human beings have loved stories since time immemorial. So, I like to wrap a lot of my magic inside an engaging story. It can be humorous, dramatic, somehow touching or inspiring. For example, my Multiplying Rabbits routine is a comedic love story featuring two rabbits who met at the "Bunny Hop" and fell in love. And, the Magician Versus Gambler or the Story of the Twins (not to be confused with The Gemini Twins) never fail to be winners for lay people. It’s fun and creative to make up stories. For many years, in my Cups and balls routine for kids or mixed kids and adults, the balls are the 3 child heroes of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The cups are their dorm rooms at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, etc., and the magic lies in the kids evading or besting their foes. The wand, of course, was given to me as a gift by my friend Dumbledoor (the Hogwarts headmaster and master magician) There are many fun and creative ways to take it. In saying “I would like to tell you a little story” (caution: not too long), and then proceeding to do so, you will take the focus away from being someone who is going to fool or puzzle them, to one who is going to share something and entertain them.
With a husband and wife (or other romantic partners), I set up a drama where one will read the other's mind. This will intrigue them and the other spectators. Have one of them select a card and concentrate on it, and telepathically send an image to their partner. Meanwhile, you have palmed it off or side stolen it, and put it on your forehead, standing behind the "Sender" and facing the "Receiver," so they can see the card's identity. I have had people doubled over with laughter with this, but the theme announced in the beginning is what draws them in. On the other hand, if you start with, "pick a card," you will often get, "I've seen that one," or at best, they will brace themselves for boredom.
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