talkmagic.co.uk

by **Phas3r** » Aug 31st, '07, 08:28

Mark your so racist you should be ashame of yourself.

I love to perform in parks or beach where everyone is relax and enjoying themself. Familly are the best groups to approach specially to start a day, they are glad that you come entertain their kids and they usualy make enuff noise so everyone around know your doing magics!

I tend to approach people the same way i do with customers with a simple question not too personal but involving their actual state of mind;" Hi, you having a good day?Then, Have you ever seen coin suspended in air like this somwhere else?
And there goes the first coin appearance...

Something simple, a question not as personal as "how are you" but something that involve their state of mind. And a second question wich is the starting point from a routine. This bring deception as well as surprise add a classic gag or 2 within the whole presentation and you have em smile from begining to end.

Anyhow you approach people you will always meet some who doesnt care what you say and even worst some people just will take it as an agression the fact that you talked to them. When it happen to me i dont even bother telling em why i wanted to talk with em. I just wish em a great day or i try to borrow em a dollar!

Sometimes i see them later in the day and they come to me saying hey did you want to do a magic trick? And there it goes again, now i know he is more enclined to listen me and he will pay! lol

Anyway there is a lot of good tips in this topic just pass away from mark's under the belt comments.

by **mark lewis** » Aug 31st, '07, 12:26

Dearie me. More dreadful advice from Canadians. One does not go up to people in a public place accosting people. When you do that you are working from a position of weakness rather than strength. Moreover you are being a public nuisance and giving the art of magic a bad name.

As for me being racist it ill behooves a person from Quebec of all places to accuse me of that. It is the only province in Canada where they have language police. If you put up a sign in English you get 25 years jail or something. I forget the actual penalty but I think it is something to do with having to watch incompetent magicians who stroll up to you being a nuisance in a public place.

Quebec is a conquered territory and the populace should therefore speak English not a silly nasal language. We British beat them fair and square on the Plains of Abraham and it would therefore behoove them to yap in the language of Her Brittanic Majesty of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I would suggest this Frenchified upstart look at a 20 dollar bill in his pocket and see whose picture is on it.

I am not racist. I hate all nationalities equally including the British who are the nastiest people of all. However at least the British are the devil I know.

But back to the topic at hand. If people are "relaxing and enjoying themselves" why don't you leave them alone to do so instead of inflicting your no doubt awful card tricks on them? Has it not occured to you that it is a very rude thing to disrupt people who are minding their own business? Proof of this statement is in your own post. You have already confessed that you have met aggressive reactions.

You must find a way to get people to approach you, my boy. It will take a bit of thought of course but even without the benefit of a British education I am sure you can manage.

by **B0bbY_CaT** » Aug 31st, '07, 12:43

if a total stranger approached me in the street and blurted something to effect of "do yah want to see a trick", I would feel uncomfortable... and I dont think I am too unusual thinking that way.

There has been some good advice on this thread, catching people's attention naturally, casually, "indirectly"... let them decide to watch you rather than ram your ACR down their throat.

I dont have any experience "busking", however I am familiar with working with an audience. no doubt the "snow ball" factor applies here, most people feel interested and will try to find out "what's going on?" when they see a crowd.

I have witnessed successful street performers, I like to see them simply start doing what they do... one person stops to look, then another, and another... the crowd multiplies... you know, the way AMWAY is supposed to work but doesn't. before they know it, they have a crowd.

much better this way than chasing specs down... just my opinion.

BTW: Derren Brown... boring? no way! you have no taste Mark.

by **Mandrake** » Aug 31st, '07, 13:09

All this might just be a cultural difference thing. In the UK, singers don't walk up uninvited to strangers and start singing at them, dancers don't waltz over to folks in the street and soft shoe shuffle them for no reason so why should magicians feel it's OK to accost people and start showing them some tricks just because the performer is skilled and wants do some magic? We all have our own agendas and how does anyone know what that stranger is thinking or is on the way to doing? It may be nothing important but they may be trying to deal with a very personal and possibly tragic set of personal circumstances so just trying to stop and interest them in any entertainment is not a good thing to do. Obviously other countries may have different attitudes which need to be respected but over here there's a better than even chance of such an approach resulting in either being roundly insulted or concluding with a well deserved smack in the gob.

by **Lady of Mystery** » Aug 31st, '07, 13:36

I really don't like the idea of just walking up to strangers and doing magic, seems kind of cheep to me. I never perform on the street, although the idea of busking is quite appealing, I need to get a routine together for that purpose.

I do often perform in the pubs and my way of doing this is to first perform for some friends and then keep an eye out for anyone who looks interested in what I'm doing and then maybe invite them over. I'll then just take it from there, performing as and when I notice any interest.

I find that works really nicely and I hardly ever get any of the bad reactions that so many people on here seem to get.

by **lindz** » Aug 31st, '07, 14:19

I am not to keen on going up to people on the street either it would feel rather embarassing to say the least but on the other hand I also perform to people in the pub on a night out but only when they come to me I would never go up to anyone and start performing unless I was booked too but that's a entirely different thing all together. Last week for instance I was in the pub with my beer listening to the kareoke and playing with my card's and I caught someone's eye and they come over and within 20 to 30 minutes there must have been about 40 people watching and virtually everyone of them asked for a business card at the end. I think what you have to do is draw attention to yourself without making people think your trying to draw attention to yourself.

by **B0bbY_CaT** » Aug 31st, '07, 14:40

lindz wrote: I think what you have to do is draw attention to yourself without making people think your trying to draw attention to yourself.

I 100% agree!

by **B0bbY_CaT** » Aug 31st, '07, 14:43

mark lewis wrote:However I wouldn't go up to people and approach them. It is far better to get people TO APPROACH YOU. This is how you do it:

First you find some public place where you can sit down and apparently read a book. It should be a magic book preferably with lots of photos and an ostentatious flashy cover although this is not absolutely essential.

You can do this in a public park where there are lots of people passing by. Or in a hotel lobby if you do it discreetly and in such a way that you don't get thrown out. A shopping mall ditto but with care. I used to do it in a bowling alley. I have done it on buses, trains etc; In fact you can do it anywhere that people gather.

You appear to study the book with a deck of cards in your hands as if you are trying to learn a trick. You can do a flourish or two but don't be too obvious about it. Even fumble a bit. You don't want people to think you are trying to gain their attention even if you are. It should look like you are actually trying to learn magic.

A good thing to do is Edward Victor's magnetic card thing although there is no point me mentioning this because not one magician in 100 has ever heard of it since people don't read old books.

Try this. Remove the four aces openly or not so openly as you prefer. Place them on the top of the deck. Overhand shuffle the deck retaining the top stock with an injog. Keep referring to the book as if you are trying to learn the trick. Now display and remove the first ace. Do it again. Then again. By now people will be looking at you curiously and perhaps nudging each other. You seem to get things wrong when you produce the last ace though. This is because you do a D/L and show something else. Look worried and then puzzled. Refer back to the book even turning a page or two. Then brighten and turn over the double card on top and remove one only. Rub it on your arm and make it change to an ace. You may even hear a gasp around you. Do not look up.
You will see the attention you are getting out of the corner of your eye.

Sooner or later after these shenanigans somebody will come up and ask what you are doing or make a jocular remark to you. They have approached you not the other way round. You are now in a position to show them something and people will gather round if you are any good. It is amazing how people come out of nowhere.

Another ploy is to have a friend with you and you show him a trick in a public place. This will often get someone over to ask what you are doing and away you go again.

I think this also excellent advice.

by **Josh Clarke** » Aug 31st, '07, 19:43

I think all of the posts are great advice. The difference is that Mr. Lewis' advice is also full of hatred and personal attacks. Why not give your advice and be done, Mr. Lewis? There's no need for any animosity. Honestly, Mr. Lewis, I read through your posts hastily because I know there's going to be something else in it that I don't want to read. I thought forum arguing was for children? Surely you are more mature than that, Mr. Lewis.

by **Rob** » Aug 31st, '07, 19:50

I think we've all been asked to return directly to topic (Twice!); please let's not veer back onto things that the Moderators may already be dealing with, guys - it's their job, they do it well - leave it to the pros :wink:

by **mark lewis** » Aug 31st, '07, 22:28

Yes. Let's continue to talk about the inadvisabilty of accosting people in the street. Especially if the magician needs a shave.

Personally I don't think it is culturally acceptable either in the USA or Canada to be approaching people in this awful manner. It is just that they are more polite than the British at expressing their disapproval.

They will probably put up with it more from a younger person because they know that young people tend to be a little daft. However the older you get the more likely you will be told to buzz off. In the USA they might even shoot you.

Come to think of it that might not be such a bad idea.

by **Phas3r** » Sep 1st, '07, 03:59

Well your wrong for my area at least,
Where i live the economy is based on tourism and all summer we have singers outside pubs and restaurants. Groups performing in parks. We often have mimes walking the main street with a fake windows and sometimes a magician make a apearance somewhere. Hell we have a stage at the beach.

Some business hire clowns others have magician. Im not running toward people and attacking em, i choose who i approach i often start with a group of friends and the actual interest to see a "magic trick" just propage by itself.

Thats why i said family are good the parents will be happy you keeping their child busy, the child are amazed and making everyone know how much they enjoy your performance. In a matter of minutes everything will become easy around you.

Always have very visuals effects when you performing for "free" thats how you get the interest going about what you doing.

There is places to perform street magic and after you have gaged your "victims" state of mind youll know if you want to talk about magic or just pass your way.

After thats done i like to go straight with a question i can only answer with a magic effect. It let the person perplex completly concentrated on the impossible thing you asking and before he come to any answer you show him how it is possible.

From there anything can happen. What i really feel is important is to not get to personal on your first approach and to ask a question you already know the answer is yes is a good thing as long as it doesnt lok dumb.

Of course there is aggressive people in this world, and there is also aggressive people who are having a good time attacking others in public. You should give a look to the relativity laws... The same happen in this forum...

BTW i wasnt accusing you of racism, i was pointing out that you are. I didnt made the comments you made, so only you have really shown what you believes.

Im not gonna lose my time denying the lies you said about Quebec because i have no due to you. As experiences have shown me this would only bring me to your level.

by **mark lewis** » Sep 1st, '07, 06:17

I am not telling lies about Quebec. They DO have language police and they DO get upset if someone dares to speak English. They demand that only French is put on packaging but that everywhere else in Canada the packaging has to be bilingual. I am not "racist" because you can hardly call Canadians a "race". They are merely imitation Americans and the Quebecers are merely imitation French and not the real thing at all.

As for your "area" they are tolerating and appreciating BUSKERS. You are NOT a busker. You are merely someone who approaches people in the street and forces them to watch things they haven't asked to watch.

A Busker is someone who knows how to draw a crowd and get money out of them at the finish. What you are doing is something quite different and takes a lot less skill. Furthermore it is an irritation to the citizens of Quebec and distracts them from their English lessons.

by **Phas3r** » Sep 1st, '07, 07:18

Im not forcing anyone, i interact with peoples. I cannot give you every situation ive been into, but there is so many way to just talk with people.

You dont have to do magic for that and if someone doesnt want to hear from you you just have to wish him a nice day. You can use anything as a patern, yesterday i was between the public phone and the liquor machines when someone start pushing the machine because it wasnt giving him his liquor neither his change.

I went to him, i didnt had to ask anything to know he was angry and just like if i was working there i asked can i help you? He start cussing the machine lightly saying how it stole him his 2$

I took a dramatic face, a bit like if i was kidding and i start from begining with him sayin you've put the money in that hole right? He was all dizzy wondering where i would go with that so before he could think of anything i asked why didnt he just took it back from that hole? IN a matter of 2 or 3 second, strangely i was taking "his" 2$ out of the coin slot...

I told him i wasnt working here i just wanted to help him and he could keep the 2$ and try again for another soda.

In a way yes i forced myself to him but in no way i have been a pain to him as you are a pain to me. I only created a situation suitable for magic inside an already suitable environment. It was probably the easiest trick doable in the world but i bet he told that to all his friends.

But its what the third time im trying to explain you this simple principle?
Find what mood they are in while talking to you then decide if you just want the indication to get to the next town or if you believe you can pull out a coin from thin air or maybe make cards appear in their back pockets. No one should go around bragging they are a magician if thats not their professions and its not mine.

But if you are unable to talk to people just find something else as street magic will be very hard to you.

You do need a pattern, every trick are sold with one and when practicing as you ameliorate your technics you should ameliorate your pattern to the point where it become mechanical. Then its very easy to modify the pattern to suit your environement, the mood or anything that is suitable.

P.S.: Oh BTW im entering your game because i can play it very well, im moderator in 2 diferent forums and i lead a gaming clan i have seen a lot of trolls before.

by **rickyt1016** » Sep 1st, '07, 08:34

Im too lazy to read what others put cause they write soo looonnnggg. anyways dont aproach people you'll look eager. Just walk around and have a hat at your feet and try to draw a crowd by saying you have magic.

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