Audiences Don't Remember

VagueTheory · Feb 17, 2008

Hey guys. I noticed this when I perform for my friends at school. Every time I perform, the next day they seem to forget everything that I've done.

They don't go "Oh junk, how did you do that thing yesterday??!!"

I may be a little self centered...but I leave my audience with something to remember.

Ampersan5340 · Feb 17, 2008

If you leave your audience with something to remember I don't see the problem

chriswiehl · Feb 17, 2008

sometimes i do tricks and people remember sometimes i do the same trick and they never even mention it. I think it depends on your friends. Today i was at a music rehearsal and some kid came up to me and was like "im still tryin to figure out how u did that trick" (witness) ive done witness to other people and they really didnt remember. It all is a luck of draw i guess. but i like to do tricks where i can hand out a "memento" a good trick for that is warning *(with the card burn) cause u have a trick that you can hand out at the end and its no sweat.
another thing u can try to do is maybe "ham" up the performance to make the trick look harder than it may be. so people will think about how u did it. you have to put on an act. My friend does holy moly by jay sankey. very easy trick but he hams it up on the hole removal and sells the trick for all it is worth. you have to sell a trick. its not just showing a trick, its selling the effect. Anyone can do a two card monte, but you have to sell the effect to make it killer. its all about presentation

TKH · Feb 17, 2008

Chris hit the nail on the head.

ManningMagic · Feb 17, 2008

Harry Lorayne (among others) says that audiences remember the last thing they see.

I did biddle trick once. Well it started with two people, but half way thru I had about 15. All anyone remembers is hat i made a card go on an invisible elevator back into the deck upside down that I hadn't touched. OK so they remember the elevator. Not much else, but they were amazed.

The LAST thing must hit hard. BIG FINISH!!

Huruey · Feb 17, 2008

I think there are probably several reasons for this.

Firstly, what year are you in? What is your workload like? It might be that there is so much else going on that they simply don't have magic on their minds. If magic ever comes up in a conversation, it could be a lot easier to see if they actually do remember your performances or not.

Secondly, it may be that they know not to ask. How much have you performed for them? Has it been like this since the beginning? It may be that they simply respect you enough not to bug you about it.

Lastly, it might be that you simply aren't amazing them. To be fair, you are disadvantaged seen as they are your friends, and you are around them a lot of the time, making things you do that little bit impressive, particularly if you do things for them a lot. I have a great reputation among my friends, because I really try to limit what I show them. I do a performance a month if they are lucky, and if ever they ask, I say I'll save it for a special occasion (which will be whenever I feel like it). I'm actually best known for doing "the levitating card" (Hovercard by Dan Harlan), which kind of happened on accident. I showed one person, then rumours spread, I kept being asked to do it which I wasn't ready for, so I said it's "not the kind of thing I just do", and that it's "too big to be treated so lightly". When I finally came to do it for a bigger crowd, it was evident that the whole not doing it thing really boosted the reaction.

My best advice would be to avoid over-performing to your friends. Make it a rare occurrence, and they are much more likely to appreciate it.

Huruey

Sean_Raf · Feb 17, 2008

Huruey said:
I'm actually best known for doing "the levitating card" (Hovercard by Dan Harlan), which kind of happened on accident. I showed one person, then rumours spread, I kept being asked to do it which I wasn't ready for, so I said it's "not the kind of thing I just do", and that it's "too big to be treated so lightly". When I finally came to do it for a bigger crowd, it was evident that the whole not doing it thing really boosted the reaction.

I've had the exact same experience, must be something about that effect

- Sean

captainslaughter · Feb 17, 2008

I have that problems before but if you preform stuff that is amazing like almost everyday they will ask to see more like the people at my school they ask to see more,Ive got a nick name it MAAGICBOY. but if you preform Control for about 8-10 people it WILL spread they'll say he killed his self that what everyone say at my school of me

-Jay.C

sourboarder · Feb 17, 2008

I have yet to not be remembered. They remembered everything I have done. I remember seeing some dude ask me "do that one" i say "which?" he said "up the card in the middle and to the top" did a different better version.

I think its your patter. To me over the wires of the internet it seems like your love is not in it. Your not performing the effects, you are just accomplishing the effects. Give your life a place to live! Maybe thats just me and my obsesion with "don't mess with performance art" and a perfectionist of that aspect. If your spectators think, this guy is the best magiciain i have ever seen, and if you take everything out of every effect and put them in place it is hard to forget.

sourboarder · Feb 17, 2008

I have yet to not be remembered. They remembered everything I have done. I remember seeing some dude ask me "do that one" i say "which?" he said "up the card in the middle and to the top" did a different better version.

I think its your patter. To me over the wires of the internet it seems like your love is not in it. Your not performing the effects, you are just accomplishing the effects. Give your life a place to live! Maybe thats just me and my obsession with "don't mess with performance art" and a perfectionist of that aspect. If your spectators think, this guy is the best magician i have ever seen, and if you take everything out of every effect and put them in place it is hard to forget.

adjones · Feb 17, 2008

It's all on your presentation. If you do some quick little quick, they'll likely forget it by the end of the day. But if you make a big show out of an effect and perform it correctly, they'll remember it. They may not say to you, "Hey, I remember yesterday when you stopped your pulse!", but they will remember it. I still get people asking me to bend quarters, and I haven't done that since Fall.

Also, you have to remember... you're performing at school. They have a lot of other things that are more important to them; homework (sometimes

), girls, guys, new cell phones, clothes, etc. Usually, they remember... they just don't make a huge deal about it after a while. Don't sweat it... it happens.

VagueTheory · Feb 18, 2008

adjones said:
It's all on your presentation. If you do some quick little quick, they'll likely forget it by the end of the day. But if you make a big show out of an effect and perform it correctly, they'll remember it. They may not say to you, "Hey, I remember yesterday when you stopped your pulse!", but they will remember it. I still get people asking me to bend quarters, and I haven't done that since Fall.

Also, you have to remember... you're performing at school. They have a lot of other things that are more important to them; homework (sometimes ), girls, guys, new cell phones, clothes, etc. Usually, they remember... they just don't make a huge deal about it after a while. Don't sweat it... it happens.

I see now. Thanks!

;D

adjones · Feb 18, 2008

No problem, I'm glad I could help.

CardGuy90 · Feb 18, 2008

I had this problem when i first started, i noticed it was my fault. I was either to fast with things, or i just did to many things, or if not i just wasnt giving a good presentation.
My only advice i guess is to limit what you do, slow things down alot, and make sure that after you do whatever your doing make sure to leave tons of room for there reactions without stopping them or rushing them.

VagueTheory · Feb 21, 2008

Thanks man!

Johnlawl · Feb 21, 2008

You're right! I messed up on "DOUGH". Yeah, I know. The next day the people who were watching didn't say a thing. But today when I did a pressure fan on my friend's cards (he likes magic thanks to me) he shouted how did you do that and my classmate who saw "DOUGH" said, "oh yeah you do magic".