Do That Again!

[Michael Kras]

Hello,

I would like to express some difficulty (not about the forum, that's a whole other dance number) (naturally I kid) (I understand it is gramatically incorrect to do the preceding, but whatever).

Anyways, back on track (set of parenthesis Number 4)... One of my favourite things to pull off is to be with a group... eveyone else is distracted, but I attract the attention of ONE and only one person. I show them a mindblowing quickie that makes them freakout, and to preserve the magic I act as though it never happened as the person excitedly tells all of his friends about it.

But here's where the difficulty comes in. They ask me to do it again. And my strictest rule is (although excempt to a few effects) the basic Magic Law that one should never repeat an effect for the same audience. I have had more than a few instances in which the magic is ruined simply because I gave into the begging and pleading. But my problem is that when I refuse to repeat it, the people get more frantic and excited. How can I elegantly avoid repeat performances of those effects you just can't do twice?

Thank you!

Michael Kras

 

[Sam Hardy]

Tell them that you're going to do it again, but start a different trick. That way they'll be looking where they shouldn't be, and when you end differently, they'll be even more amazed.

For example, follow your ACR with the Biddle Trick, or vice versa. Hope this helped.

EDIT: Or, alternatively, refuse to do the trick completely, and just walk away. Better to leave them stunned than ruin the magic for them.

 

[lachomagician]

Hello,

I would like to express some difficulty (not about the forum, that's a whole other dance number) (naturally I kid) (I understand it is gramatically incorrect to do the preceding, but whatever).

Anyways, back on track (set of parenthesis Number 4)... One of my favourite things to pull off is to be with a group... eveyone else is distracted, but I attract the attention of ONE and only one person. I show them a mindblowing quickie that makes them freakout, and to preserve the magic I act as though it never happened as the person excitedly tells all of his friends about it.

But here's where the difficulty comes in. They ask me to do it again. And my strictest rule is (although excempt to a few effects) the basic Magic Law that one should never repeat an effect for the same audience. I have had more than a few instances in which the magic is ruined simply because I gave into the begging and pleading. But my problem is that when I refuse to repeat it, the people get more frantic and excited. How can I elegantly avoid repeat performances of those effects you just can't do twice?

Thank you!

Michael Kras

Michael: I think we all as magicians encounter that situation. I certainly have. The best answer I have for you is to have a related trick that uses a completely different method readily available. How would you ensure that the trick you do has a companion trick? Well, anytime you go to a person only perform one such trick. For instance, say you did something like a short sandwich routine. The spectator reacts and tells their friends that you did something amazing where the card showed up between the two kings. They of course say: "do it again." You counter with a collectors routine (the Bucks collectors form the trilogy is a very solid one). With that you have the same "effect" (cards being sandwiched and discovered in some way), And you can move on to a trick with the four aces or something like that. With this, you now have a group of people who have all seen something new, including the previous spectator.

Let me know what you think.


Juan M.

 

[Michael Kras]

Thanks to both of you! Great advice! Odd that you brought up Sandwish effects to as that is my alltime favourite magic plot... I've studied tons and tons of methods so that's perfect!

Also, sometimes when I get the "Do it again" reaction and I had another effect planned after it, I just say "Well, would you rather see it again or see something brand new that may even be better?"... They always opt for the latter.

 

[Close-Up Expert]

Michael,

Not to turn this into a typical thread of yours with all the bashing, but explain to me this.

If you're supposedly good enough to put out "lecture notes" and selling pdf's and all the jazz, shouldn't you be above the average "what do I do if they ask to see the trick again?" question??

A bit of advice....don't let your reputation here get as bad as it is on The Magic Cafe. It's already starting to, so you might want to try and mellow out a bit buddy........

Best.
Steve

 

[FatalAce]

Yeah. I just say "Ok. How about I show you this instead..." And that shuts them up. LOL. When performing, I always find that it is best to show off your "worst" tricks first and build up to the more hard-hitting ones. That way, if they ask you to do it again, you can show them a better trick. Make sense? Hope this helped.

 

[Sheeagy]

Yea, I agree with Fatal. Hitting your audience with a better trick will make them forget completely about your previous one, and you can always repeat the trick after a few of those. For example, I've done DnD's card to mouth, then put an ACR and a sandwich routine in, then did it again. The reaction was even better because the audience knew they got fooled twice.

Adrian

 

[Shodan]

I think you're underestimating the potential to play with the spectator who saw the thing in the first place. There's a ton of mileage to be gotten out of their assertions "but I saw it, I really did! He made the ring jump from finger to finger just like that!"

You've just got to play it absolutely deadpan. Maybe just as you're finishing up with a group, you do it again - no build up, just slip it in there, once everyone's forgotten about it = just to let the poor sod off the hook.

 

[Chris Tennant]

My prefered technique is if people are asking to see a repeat performance of something (Stigmata happens a lot with me) I get them to start the trick in the same manner. I then do the same sort of moves but end with a different trick, example would be I had done Stigmata (if you don't own this effect BUY IT NOW such good reactions!) I would then when people ask to see it again do something like a deck switch and say to them, 'Ok you managed to force a card on my arm, lets see i you can do it with a packet', then perform Invisible Deck. Then move away from that style of magic, ideally use as a closer and walk away.

Chris

 

[KeenanG]

I know a perfect solution.

Don't leave the whole group out of it but one person. You can still have this intimate situation by just performing with one person, but have the others watch so you don't have to do it twice.

Very simple.

Keenan

 

[MitchellStafiej]

Michael,

Not to turn this into a typical thread of yours with all the bashing, but explain to me this.

If you're supposedly good enough to put out "lecture notes" and selling pdf's and all the jazz, shouldn't you be above the average "what do I do if they ask to see the trick again?" question??

A bit of advice....don't let your reputation here get as bad as it is on The Magic Cafe. It's already starting to, so you might want to try and mellow out a bit buddy........

Best.
Steve

Hopefully he's getting out of that whole "attention" phase and is now asking important questions to better his performances.

Mike, you're the magician, you should be telling your audience what you will be performing. It shouldn't be the other way around. Simply tell them that you will show them a greater trick.

Usually that works!

Mitchell

 

[ScoTTy]

I agree with Mitchell
If someone asks me to do a trick again I simply just say NO! but in a joking way and if they say why I usually go because im in control here. Then I move in to another trick smiling.

p.s They know that im just kidding and they just drop the subject

 

[Close-Up Expert]

Hopefully he's getting out of that whole "attention" phase and is now asking important questions to better his performances.

If Mike does that, it will earn him a ton more respect than making posts and claims that he can't substantiate.

Mike,

I know you're going to be reading this, and here's my advice. Let the past be the past, especially on the Cafe. Now is the time to start over and start asking questions....start focusing more on yourself and improving your magic than creating the "next big thing".............

Help when/and if you can, and ask questions all the time. Because really, no one knows EVERYTHING.

Good Luck!
Steve

(That's me being nice....)