|
|
SethL52 New user Arab, Alabama 56 Posts |
Hi, I was just wondering what some of your ideas are or what you say when a magic trick you're attempting goes sour.
|
Darkwing Inner circle Nashville Tn 1850 Posts |
Always have a couple of tricks in reserve. Make a quick joke about the mistake and just push on.
|
SethL52 New user Arab, Alabama 56 Posts |
Once at a show I did, I had planned on vanishing water from a styrofoam cup and then sticking my "thumb" into the bottom and confetti would fall on the kid who was helping me. well, my TT got stuck to my finger so, needless to say, there was NO confetti. I quickly put the broken cup away with my TT and told the kids ( ages 7-12) to just imagine what a great trick it was. I then paused a second or 2 and then said, "Thank you," and thanked my assistant. They all clapped and laughed a whole lot. It ended up being one of my best shows. Just my 2 cents, though I hope I hear from others soon.
P.S Saturday I turn 18. Not exactly the best timing to turn in a draft card, eh? |
Cheshire Cat Special user Wilmslow, UK 941 Posts |
Many times children will not even notice slight mistakes - they will only be aware if YOU draw attention to it by panicking!! Like everything else, the art of 'cover up' comes with experience, and experience is something you have to gain yourself.
Tony. |
Emazdad Inner circle Plymouth UK 1954 Posts |
Many a time I've had something break or realized that when I'd emptied my box to get to tidy it out I'd left something at home, or the assistant has done something that brings the trick to a premature end, etc. The trick is to carry on as if it was meant to happen. That way the only person who knows it went wrong is you.
Yours Funfully
Clive "Emazdad" Hemsley www.emazdad.com "Magic is a secret, without the secret there is no magic" Remember there are only 3 types of people in the world, those that can count and those that can't. |
keeblem Inner circle Essex, UK 1167 Posts |
Generally, I just laugh it off. I use to be really bothered if a trick went wrong. Now I don't give a second thought! Who cares?
Some time ago I bought a spooky hand type trick, where a sort of automaton hand moves across a pack of cards and finds a selected card. When I first started using it I often misjudged where I placed the hand and it went straight past the selection. But it is such a wacky effect nobody really cared! Another time I performed "Skip and snip" - a really great cut and restored rope routine with a skipping rope - but I cut in the wrong places and it all fell to the floor in bits! I thought this was hilarious, but there was a deathly silence that passed over the audience! Mark |
mafedi New user 49 Posts |
Just laugh and do an other trick. Then I practice more.
|
SethL52 New user Arab, Alabama 56 Posts |
Thank you guys, so much. Have any of you had production tricks go wrong? Once I had candy stay in the candy factory and it wasn't produced. I no longer use that trick.
|
Shawn D Elite user Hughson,Ca 465 Posts |
I once had my TT go flying across the room after I vanished a silk and threw my arms in the air. I laughed so hard and just walked over, picked it up, and put it in my pocket. I wonder what the kids thought it was. They were all about 6 years old. Didn't think twice about it.
|
SethL52 New user Arab, Alabama 56 Posts |
LOL that's quite funny, I guess they thought your thumb magically fell off.
|
Emazdad Inner circle Plymouth UK 1954 Posts |
I once forgot to put the load in a change bag. I just said they didn't say the magic word loud enough. I dropped the bag in the box, did a couple of funny wands, and while my hand was in the box I quickly put the load in the bag, brought the bag out, showed it empty and carried on.
Yours Funfully
Clive "Emazdad" Hemsley www.emazdad.com "Magic is a secret, without the secret there is no magic" Remember there are only 3 types of people in the world, those that can count and those that can't. |
Tim Zager Loyal user Kansas City 222 Posts |
With a BIG smile..."I meant to do that!"...and move on.
Tim |
SethL52 New user Arab, Alabama 56 Posts |
Thanks for some of the great ideas. I plan to try a little bit of them all. Hopefully though, I will not have to and I will be perfect from here on out! lol
|
JSMagic Loyal user Boston 202 Posts |
I made a mistake once. (Yes, I'm telling the truth. I, Josh Singer, made a mistake.) I was doing Super Frog. A cut-out of the frog has to be taped to an assistant's back. Of course, I can't draw attention to it as I casually put it on his back. Turns out I did it too casually. It fell off the moment I took my hand off it. Luckily, none of the kids noticed. (How? I don't know?) I didn't know it fell when it did. I didn't hear or see it, but my magic buddy who was sitting behind me saw and almost cried from laughter.
I didn't panic because I didn't know anything was wrong. Comes time to have him turn arond, I build it up, up, up. Where is he? Where is he? Where's super frog!!! He turns around...not there! I kept going on with the trick. (We were "searching" for him. He supposedly leaps from one part of the stage to another while being in the assistant's hand in an envelope.) So we kept looking and I saw him about 5 feet from the kid under a table. I saw him and I just said, "Well, super frog made it. He just jumped a little too far!" So I bailed myself out and the rest of the show made up for the mistake! I love sharing that story!! Josh
If a magician is not intending to "trick" a spectator, why is every "trick" called a magic "trick"?
|
Emazdad Inner circle Plymouth UK 1954 Posts |
That's the way to do it. Carry on as if it's supposed to happen. Open waffle valve full and bluff your way out.
Personally, I think it's good when the unexpected stuff happens during a show. It helps keep you on your toes.
Yours Funfully
Clive "Emazdad" Hemsley www.emazdad.com "Magic is a secret, without the secret there is no magic" Remember there are only 3 types of people in the world, those that can count and those that can't. |
Cheshire Cat Special user Wilmslow, UK 941 Posts |
I even attached the wrong 'you know what' to the 'you know whats' on Norman's Elusive Rabbits (now called Hippety Hop) and managed to pull my way out of it!!
|
lhughes Regular user Canada 151 Posts |
I always travel with a little toy magical troll in my case. It was a troll that wore a magical costume. When a trick goes wrong, I explain to the kids that something must be interfering with my magic. I go back to my magic case and "wrestle" him out. I explain to the boys and girls that his name is Fred and that he often shows up and tries to ruin my show. Fred wishes to be a magician, and in order to get him to leave me alone, I will let Fred do a trick for the children. I have a small card placed in Fred's pants and I then force a card on a person in the audience. Fred is shown to have predicted the chosen card. The audience thinks that Fred is part of the show! In fact, I have had some kids who have seen me before tell me how they missed seeing Fred in my "error free" show.
Sleightly yours,
Lorne |
firemage New user CA 16 Posts |
Make it funny and grab the Magic for Dummies book and look through it in front of the people.
"Not all who wander are lost"
J.R.R. Tolkien |
keeblem Inner circle Essex, UK 1167 Posts |
Hi Firemage!
Love that idea! Mark |
SethL52 New user Arab, Alabama 56 Posts |
LOL, I need a troll named "Fred." Shucks, you could use that as an actual bit of time filler.
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The little darlings » » What do 'you' do when a trick goes wrong? (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.02 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |