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tedwarshaw New user Panama City Fl 6 Posts |
I use something I read in AOA series..."I really don't know"
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gaddy Inner circle Agent of Chaos 3526 Posts |
"How I did it? Most people want to know WHY I did it..."
*due to the editorial policies here, words on this site attributed to me cannot necessarily be held to be my own.*
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base851 New user Houston, TX 58 Posts |
Lately I've been saying "Well, I cheated. Let me show you what I mean." Then I move on to another phase or another trick. It's a tongue-in-cheek answer that's technically honest, normally gets a laugh and keeps the flow going.
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scaevola Loyal user 251 Posts |
I do what Base851 does. I say "here let me show you" and then I show them something else that is similar but uses a different method. For example I did a trick with a borrowed bill and a pair of rubber bands where the bill jumps from band to band. If they ask "how did you do that" or even sometimes if they don't I wink and say "its a tricky bill" this doesn't make much sense because the bill was borrowed but I insist and have them examine it giving me ample opportunity to get ready for mismade bill. I take the bill back and "demonstrate" that the bill is indeed "tricky" gets them everytime.
For my mentalism effects if they ask how I did it I give a charming look and say "we must have a special connection." Other times, esp with kids or with folks that are in a playful mood I will act just as surprised at the outcome as they are and I will keep asking them how THEY did it. In other words, I tease them depending on the situation. My main thing though is I try and avoid having people look at what I do as a puzzle or feel bad because they don't know. So acting surprised myself and letting my response fit the situation is key to my particular character. With any line that you use, the key is going to be does it fit what you are trying to do with your character. I don't think "very well thank you" fits my character for most things I do so I don't use it. Developing your character of course can take a while but each little bit of polish is more than worth it. |
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acer New user 70 Posts |
My answer is : I don't understand myself how I do that!
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Zaw New user 78 Posts |
With style and finesse.
With good looks and fast fingers (for the ladies ). Any of the above are good too! |
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kendavis Regular user 182 Posts |
I have used "very well" also and I have used " I don't really know. I guess it is magic!"
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zhoudumu Regular user philadelphia 172 Posts |
You can just say "Thank you". Normally it is just a question to prove you do it good. People actually do not want to know the secret. Believe it or not.
If they still ask, it is a good opptunity to help them understand magic. I always said why you ask because it seems impossible.You want to know how impossible it is why it is amazing. But when you really know the secret, it is far from impossible. There is no mystery that attract you. You only get dissappointed as it will not solve you question. |
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Phil Thomas Inner circle Newark, Ohio 1117 Posts |
How did I do that? Well if you find out please contact me as I still don't know.
"If we lose the sense of the mysterious, life is no more than a snuffed out candle."
Albert Einstein |
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Metatron Elite user Port Orchard, Washington 436 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-01-05 00:39, Vick wrote: I agree with Vick on this one. "If you liked that one, You'll love this." Then show them some more. You've acknowledged their statement, which really meant "Hey, that fooled me!", but cleverly defused the How answer, and used it as segue into more entertainment. Works great. Or you could defuse the question with humor: "I became a magician to find out how I do that!" - Tommy Wonder ;) |
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adrianbent Loyal user 210 Posts |
I have a bunch already in my head, but you may find that you only ever need one or two of these lines. These are my faves:
"very well I thought!" "with lots and lots of practice" "with smoke and mirrors" "camera tricks mostly" "The question is not why, its HOW" ... 90% of the time I only ever use the first line, get a reaction (like a chuckle or a groan), and then I'm rolling into something else. If I get a NO! REALLY! on that other rare 10% of the time, then I use one of the other lines. If they aren't getting the jokes and letting it go then they are either social misfits or young. In either case, bear in mind that this person is obviously VERY enthralled with your magic and you shouldn't be fending them off with lines like these, you should be performing more magic for them! This way, you will overload them! ... on the occasions when I have performed for younger children and they won't let it go, even after performing other miracles they might ask, again, "Yeah but HOW DID YOU DO THAT (ball, coin, card, rope, whatever) TRICK?!" This is usually when I'm done performing. I then have time to answer his question more honestly and "less trite". I say, "that trick is used by many people who perform magic to feed their families with so sadly I'm not allowed to give away the secret BUT..." and I either teach them a simple magic trick or better than that, I tell them that the library has magic books filled with magic and that's how I got my start. It softens the blow of "no I'm not going to tell you" by offering a positive solution (I think its a tactic that negotiators use called "win-win"). It lets them know that if they are serious about magic then there are ways to encourage that interest AND it promotes reading, and using your local neighbourhood library. I got inspired by an article on MAC KING and his JOI of reading program. It was in a past issue of TLR. Sorry for the diatribe! -AB |
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1KJ Inner circle Warning: We will run out of new tricks in 4385 Posts |
Recently, I have been reading the book "Scripting Magic" by Pete McCabe. He takes an interesting position on this question.
The most typical answers are: "Very well, thank you." or "Can you keep a secret?.. So can I." The question is.. did these responses bring you closer to your audience or further apart? He suggests these might be the worst answers ever! you might as well just say to them "Go *#&@ yourself." The reason is: Your objective is to entertain, not to come across as a pompous ***. He suggests other responses (some of which have been noted in this thread): "I practice a lot." "Did you like that? .. Let me show you something else I think you'll like." "My grandfather taught me that when I was ten years old." "I practice a lot.. my shrink says it's good for me to keep my hands busy." These are examples of responses that might bring you closer to your audience. Try to think of your own responses that might bring you closer to your audience instead of driving a wedge between you. All the best, KJ |
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Ray Bertrand Inner circle Ottawa, Ontario 1452 Posts |
It's classified information. I could tell you... but then I'd have to kill you. Said with a smile of course.
Ray
Mentalism in Ontario.
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Chris.Z Regular user 141 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-01-05 00:39, Vick wrote: Well played. I like it. Verbal Judo if ever I saw it |
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Roy the Illusionist Regular user Tennessee, USA 147 Posts |
"How did you do that?"
Response: "That's the question."
Are you watching closely?
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czen New user New Jersey 1 Post |
This is a really good question, I never thought to have anything prepared when I started showing my little cousin the trick and when she asked I literally couldn't think of -anything- to say except "magic."
I think from now on I'll try some of these suggestions instead, and hopefully I'll get less sass from the audience! |
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jeff boren New user 22 Posts |
I have used the "can you keep a secret" often, but I add a whisper to the person to come closer and when they lean in close enough to whisper in their ear the "how" I speak loud enough for the rest of the audience to hear the "so can I" response. Not loud enough to offend. I am still surprised how often that works.
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Cardflipper New user 61 Posts |
Quote:
On Jan 3, 2010, dilan_thomas wrote: These work! |
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magicjoe22 New user 9 Posts |
I usually say, " I was hoping you could tell me? It's been bothering me for the longest time. "
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Julie Inner circle 3936 Posts |
"Quickly and efficiently!" with a big smile and maybe a wink, then proceed to your next trick.
I like Joe's above, too. Julie |
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