Did you notice that the audience members on every L&L publishing videos are the same? In my magic club there is a funny thing about it - every member has their own favorite audience member. Who is yours?

This has been a thing that we always discuss... Are they the owners' friends? Or magicians from the local club there? Do they get paid for participating? What do you think...

At the end I got an answer to that from one of the greatest minds in magic today - Tommy Wonder. We had a dinner together a couple of weeks ago and I asked him and he explained it to me. They are not friends of the owners, nor they are magicians from the local club... But I won't tell you the secret! Would love to hear your theories instead!!!!

:D

I heard threy were selected by Steve Brooks....

Don't some of them work for L&L? I'm sure I recognised some of them from the catalogue.

Great audience though - always seem to have some great reactions, and the quality is so much better than most videos I have seen.

The man with the mullet (John?) is great for magicians - very keen, always amazed and has very vocal reactions - this encourages the rest of the audience. We all need our Johns!!

Simon

Ah yes, dear John. On Osterlind's Mind Mysteries I'm afraid he was wearing a bit thin by DVD 4. "No, way!!" " Yes, way." Then again I'm British and we are a bit slower in coming forward. I think we often find the American display of emotion/excitement OTT.

I agree, a bit more 'quiet decorum' and muted appreciation is much more associated with us Brits - which I think is a very good thing.

That said, it is nice to get some wild reactions from time to time. I have had people run away after some effects, which was quite fun. (Actually it might be the ugly clothes, general musty odour, crippling horrific acne and total lack of anything remotely resembling social graces. I hadn't even shown him my 'hippity hop rabbits' yet.)

Simon

Yeah, regarding the audience reactions, it is so true that every nation has their own audience. I perform a lot in many different nations worldwide and it is so amazing how the spectators in different countriues react differently to the same things. Sometimes it even influences the choice of my repertoire to be presented in various countries.

In general, Americans are very emotional people and they let go their reactions easily. They are the most appreciative audience that exists in the world. When performing for Americans, if you're good, you will hear a lot of wowwwws and ahhhhhs, "No way"...

In Europe, the audience is much more calm but it doesn't mean they don't appreciate what you are doing. They mostly just clap hands. If you are performing for European audience of a higher class (especially in large theatres), you will often hear an occasional "Bravo". Germans, for instance can be very warm and appreciative audience.

In Africa, especially in the southern countries, the native people are sometimes afraid of magic being presented to them. They often believe that it has something to do with the dark forces. They watch the show quietly, as if they're watching a horror movie, and they often close their eyes when the effect is about to take place. They do applaud at the very end.

South americans are very emotional as well. If you are performing your act to a good and lively music, they will often clap to the rhytm, and they give very long applauses.

The only audience which is very specific are Asian audiences, especially the chinese. You will mostly see no reaction at all. They have different cultural habbits regarding clapping and showing emotions and appreciation for the show. They are basically shy people and clapping is considdered somewhat rude. Often the MC of the show (if there's one) will have to occassionaly say "Please clap your hands" at the end of a routine or when the effect happens. It is really interesting what they appreciate and what they don't (if you ever get booked to perform in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore or Taiwan it's good to know). They somewhat don't like "standard" stage effects. If you produce a bouquet of flowers, or perform a card manipulation, you might not get any applause at all, even if you are good (seen some great performers doing this in many nice and original ways, and they never got an applause). Also, long effects and multi - phase effects are also somewhat not really interesting for them. On the other hand side they do like big illusions and they always get a nice response. Especially if you are doing something that looks life threatenning, or something that they can't even suppose how it's done. Illusions are big things and they usually can't figure out any theories where the girl might be hidden or so - it looks completely impossible to them and they do react to that. In many cases with smaller props, they will have their own theory how it might have been done. Usually it's - "ah, he hides it up his sleeves", even if it's a big object, and that explanation works well for them. Lot of times, they will talk during the show, even say loudly some of their theories on how something is done, or simply talk about anything (or even use their cell phones)during the show. That still doesn't mean that they don't like the show. A girl can't be hidden in a sleeve, and that does get a good reaction (they applaud). Also, highly visual and unexpected effects (quick costume changes for instance) do get a nice reaction. But even if they don't applaud sometimes, that doesn't mean that they don't like your show. They will often come after the show in a very shy way they will tell you how much they liked it. One old Chinese guy told me that they sometimes take a live performance as if they are watching TV. They like it but they don't hesitate doing their own things while watching. They have no idea that it might distract or bother the performer. They love close up, that's for sure, probbably because the magic is happening right before their noses, and that's the only type of magic to which they react absolutely spontaneously. But especially in close up, you should keep away from long multi phase routines, by the time the effect happens, they will forget how it all begun. Another interesting fact - I finish my close up show with "The Web" - a card trick in which a huge and ugly spider appears on the hand of a spectator (a lady of course ). That always gets a huuuuuuuge reaction anywhere in the world as they scream loudly, start running around like crazy trying to get rid of it, etc., and the audience just loves it). Well, in some cases the only reaction I got by some of the Chinese ladies was an occassional smile, while the other reacted normally and jumped 10 meters high from their seats. I wondered why it was so and why certain ladies don't react at all, and I learned that in certain provinces of china they worship spiders and that they are not afraid of them at all. All those ladies were from those parts.

Philippinos are very warm audience. Indians love magic by default and they react in a very nice way as well. With the Arabs, it depends which country they come from, but mostly you will get very loud reactions especially from men. Women in some arab countries don't react openly, as it is a part of their culture.

And back to the L&L's audience. Ok, I'll tell you the secret. They are sort of a chosen audience... Well, some of them might be friends or relatives or employed at the L&L Publishing, but certainly not all of them. On every video, you will notice some different people in the second and the third row usually. Their reactions to the magic presented are watched closely by the management of the L&L. If they react well, they are invited for the next magician's video shooting. If they react extremely well, they get a place in the first row. A very nice and fair way of chosing the audience! And they are absolutely unprepared to what they are going to see, so the reactions are spontaneous.

Yeah, "John" is one of my favorites too!!!