Dealing With Bad Reactions

[mattjones]

Hey guys,
I just got back from doing magic at the local mall- It was my first time doing walk-around magic in a real-world street environment. I found it interesting and I plan on going out again tomorrow. I'm really picky about the spectators I choose and I like to either seek out people that are laughing or looking to have a good time, or do some flourishes on a bench in a really busy area to intrigue curious spectators.
I spent a lot of time just walking around and observing the people, and I tried to guess who would have the best reception to card magic. I finally found a target after a few hours of walking around, and decided to do Invisible Deck. My opening patter was, "Do you believe that some people can predict the future or see things that haven't happened yet?" She answered, "Yes." I continued with the trick and when her freely chosen card was the only one reversed in the pack she just smiled and said, "Okay..." (Which, in hindsight, makes sense because she answered "yes." to my question)
It kinda caught me off guard and I didn't really know how to respond. I think the Invisible Deck is such a killer effect I didn't see how anyone could "not get it" or it failing to impress...
Anyone have any ideas for for responses or tricks to follow-up the ones that just "fall flat?" Keep in mind I performed Invisible Deck for one person and there was no one for inform her that the impossible had just happened.

Thanks for the thoughts,

-Matt

 

[visualartist]

its very rare to come across people like these.
but there are people who really believe in this stuff.and i mean really.
so it may not impress them much/or at all

 

[Squ!rrel]

Hey guys,
I just got back from doing magic at the local mall- It was my first time doing walk-around magic in a real-world street environment. I found it interesting and I plan on going out again tomorrow. I'm really picky about the spectators I choose and I like to either seek out people that are laughing or looking to have a good time, or do some flourishes on a bench in a really busy area to intrigue curious spectators.
I spent a lot of time just walking around and observing the people, and I tried to guess who would have the best reception to card magic. I finally found a target after a few hours of walking around, and decided to do Invisible Deck. My opening patter was, "Do you believe that some people can predict the future or see things that haven't happened yet?" She answered, "Yes." I continued with the trick and when her freely chosen card was the only one reversed in the pack she just smiled and said, "Okay..." (Which, in hindsight, makes sense because she answered "yes." to my question)
It kinda caught me off guard and I didn't really know how to respond. I think the Invisible Deck is such a killer effect I didn't see anyone could "not get it" or it failing to impress...
Anyone have any ideas for for responses or tricks to follow-up the ones that just "fall flat?" Keep in mind I performed Invisible Deck for one person and there was no one for inform her that the impossible just happened.

Thanks for the thoughts,

-Matt

If a very strong effect such as Invisible Deck doesn't get a reaction then the problem is in your presentation so I think all you can do is leave and think about what the problem was and work it out. Without actually seeing your whole performance it would be difficult to say what went wrong.

To be honest I don't really think your opening patter is that good. If the spectator says 'No', as I believe most will then they obviously don't believe you can predict the future. If you then claim that you can they may feel that you're insulting their intelligence so they will be annoyed and won't react well. In the rare cases they say 'Yes' then I guess you haven't done anything they think is impossible so it isn't as impressive to them.

Another thing I noticed is you say you don't see how anyone could 'not get it'. This makes it seem like you are blaming the spectator for the bad reaction. I find it interesting that many magicians will blame a spectator for a bad reaction yet take the credit the for a good reaction.

 

[mattjones]

its very rare to come across people like these.
but there are people who really believe in this stuff.and i mean really.
so it may not impress them much/or at all

Yeah, I'm still new to performing for live audiences and I didn't stop and think how weird an an answer it was...

 

[mattjones]

Another thing I noticed is you say you don't see how anyone could 'not get it'. This makes it seem like you are blaming the spectator for the bad reaction. I find it interesting that many magicians will blame a spectator for a bad reaction yet take the credit the for a good reaction.

Well, I don't know that I'm "blaming the spectator" for their reaction. I just think the Invisible Deck is an amazingly baffling and clever trick and it really struck a chord with me when I first saw it.
Perhaps the Invisible Deck just didn't have the same effect on her as it did me and she might have reacted differently to a different trick...

 

[Squ!rrel]

Well, I don't know that I'm "blaming the spectator" for their reaction. I just think the Invisible Deck is an amazingly baffling and clever trick and it really struck a chord with me when I first saw it.
Perhaps the Invisible Deck just didn't have the same effect on her as it did me and she might have reacted differently to a different trick...

I didn't mean to single you out with that comment, it was just a general observation.

I've found that sometimes you really need emphasise what's actually happening in a trick as it often flies by so fast spectators can't quite comprehend it. As magicians we have seen effects hundreds of times and are familiar with what's going to happen. With the Invisibile Deck you really have to make a point of just how impossible it is. If somebody has just seen it for the first time and was not ready for it they may not have realised quite how impossible it is so that could explain a bad reaction.

 

[mattjones]

I didn't mean to single you out with that comment, it was just a general observation.

I've found that sometimes you really need emphasise what's actually happening in a trick as it often flies by so fast spectators can't quite comprehend it. As magicians we have seen effects hundreds of times and are familiar with what's going to happen. With the Invisibile Deck you really have to make a point of just how impossible it is. If somebody has just seen it for the first time and was not ready for it they may not have realised quite how impossible it is so that could explain a bad reaction.

Okay. I see what you're saying. I'm going to re-arrange my patter, perhaps come up with something new that doesn't involve a question, and take it from there. If anyone else has had a negative or "flat" reaction, please post what you've done to improve or respond to salvage what's left of a good performance.

 

[Deleted member 2755]

Something good to say with a bad reaction would be "Ok... so you don't look too impressed. Let's try this...." Then move on to something new. (By then you could've done a deck switch.)

-Doug

 

[mattjones]

Something good to say with a bad reaction would be "Ok... so you don't look too impressed. Let's try this...." Then move on to something new. (By then you could've done a deck switch.)

-Doug

I did think of saying that, and I DID have another deck on me, but I didn't... I don't know why :/ I think I felt like I was losing her attention... And the situation had become really awkward by now...

Next time this happens, I'll be sure to go into something else.

 

[adjones]

What I like to say, in an obviously joking manner, is, "Hold your applause... oh, you were!"

Got that from good ole' Greg Wilson.

 

[mattjones]

What I like to say, in an obviously joking manner, is, "Hold your applause... oh, you were!"

Got that from good ole' Greg Wilson.

Ha ha... That's cool.

 

[adjones]

Ha ha... That's cool.

Yeah, I like it, because it tells the spectators they need to step it up a notch with their reactions, while being funny at the same time; kills two birds in one stone, IMHO.

 

[Deleted member 2755]

Yeah, I like it, because it tells the spectators they need to step it up a notch with their reactions, while being funny at the same time; kills two birds in one stone, IMHO.

I love Greg Wilson. I also like his "Lonely Guy" jokes.

-Doug

 

[adjones]

I love Greg Wilson. I also like his "Lonely Guy" jokes.

-Doug

Me too.

"And this is the One Handed Shuffle. You know what I had a girl call this last night? She called this one " A Lonely Guy"..."

 

[Elyk]

you should watch David Blaine's performance when he used the invisible deck. its one of the tricks that first got me into magic.

 

[Wallmott]

Well some people just are like that even if they think its amazing you wont get then to react much, its not about the trick its about how they are.

I have been to metallica, motley crue, rolling stones shows and while about 30.000 peoplle in the stadium is all over the place going crazy waving their arms and screaming, there are always some people who just stands there looking bored and standing still. That does not meen that they are playing bad music.

 

[OwnerM]

Well some people just are like that even if they think its amazing you wont get then to react much, its not about the trick its about how they are.

I have been to metallica, motley crue, rolling stones shows and while about 30.000 peoplle in the stadium is all over the place going crazy waving their arms and screaming, there are always some people who just stands there looking bored and standing still. That does not meen that they are playing bad music.

Nor does it mean that they aren't enjoying themselves either. People sometimes have calm reactions but are amazed at what you do. For example I did one hypnosis show when I noticed that one of the audience members in the first row sat with her arms crossed and looking angry throughout my performance.

After the show, she came up to me and told me she really liked it a lot. I told her I was glad she liked it but I was surprised but I was surprised because she looked so sternly throughout the show. She told me that she has been hypnotized before and felt herself falling into a trance and was fighting it because for once she wanted to watch the show and not be in it!

Some people will react calmly to the most amazing effect.

About your Invisible Deck routine, try this for pratter. I use this all the time. I tell people that I can predict what choices they are going to make by determining what they choices they've made in the past and how they use their body language while they are making a choice.

So then I ask them three completely unrelated random questions, e.g. "You are at the grocery store to buy three things. What three things do you buy?", "You are buying a car. What color is the car?" that sort of thing. Of course, don't just simply ask the question like that, I kind of "paint a picture" of the question. As they answer I make it a point that I am looking carefully at their body language.

After the questions, I "turn a card over" and then ask them to name a card.

You get the rest from there.....

 

[mattjones]

Nor does it mean that they aren't enjoying themselves either. People sometimes have calm reactions but are amazed at what you do. For example I did one hypnosis show when I noticed that one of the audience members in the first row sat with her arms crossed and looking angry throughout my performance.

After the show, she came up to me and told me she really liked it a lot. I told her I was glad she liked it but I was surprised but I was surprised because she looked so sternly throughout the show. She told me that she has been hypnotized before and felt herself falling into a trance and was fighting it because for once she wanted to watch the show and not be in it!

Some people will react calmly to the most amazing effect.

About your Invisible Deck routine, try this for pratter. I use this all the time. I tell people that I can predict what choices they are going to make by determining what they choices they've made in the past and how they use their body language while they are making a choice.

So then I ask them three completely unrelated random questions, e.g. "You are at the grocery store to buy three things. What three things do you buy?", "You are buying a car. What color is the car?" that sort of thing. Of course, don't just simply ask the question like that, I kind of "paint a picture" of the question. As they answer I make it a point that I am looking carefully at their body language.

After the questions, I "turn a card over" and then ask them to name a card.

You get the rest from there.....

Cool. I like that idea for patter. I understand that everyone is not going to jump up and down and give you their best "David Blaine reaction," and people react differently depending on what kind of mood you caught them in. Plus, a sort of "mentalism effect" such as Invisible Deck may not hit people as hard as a great card manipulation routine or something.