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Mark Wilden.jpg "View Profile") Veteran user San Francisco 375 Posts 
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On 2007-06-26 19:26, Andy the cardician wrote: I think it was the "upps." ///ark |
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mitchb2 Elite user 455 Posts
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Okay, here's another aspect of the now infamous *bad* magic show.
After every trick, the guy said "Give yourselves a big hand," even when there was no audience participation. I couldn't decide if this was a smart way or a tacky way to get applause, just in case there wasn't going to be any. Do you guys that perform professionally do anything like this? |
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JackScratch Inner circle 2151 Posts
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I actually prefer it when they don't applaud. Feels awkward in close up magic. In my only stage show, which I don't perform often, I use audience participants for every effect and I always say "Please give my assistants a big hand." however I'm usually speaking over applause when I say it.
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Justin Style Inner circle 2010 Posts
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On 2007-06-28 10:12, JackScratch wrote: You should never HAVE to ASK for applause. No matter what. I consider that begging. You should leave the entertaining up to you and the applauding up to the audience. When I want them to applaud a person that I bring up to the stage, I ask the persons name then I will say "Ladies and Gentlemen this is "Jack". The audience is smart enough to know when to applaud. Just my experience and MHO. |
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Mark Wilden Veteran user San Francisco 375 Posts
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Frankly, when I see a magician ask for applause for the assistant, I always see that as him asking for applause for himself. That's just the impression it leaves on me. After all, even if the assistants truly deserved the applause (which is unlikely), wouldn't the actual performer deserve it even more?
On the other hand, I understand the practice, because applause makes for a better show. It's for the same reason as a laugh track (real or canned) on a sitcom. ///ark |
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Justin Style Inner circle 2010 Posts
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I know what your saying.
On the other hand, I hate when I go to a show, concert or what ever and the singer starts a song then expects the audience to sing along? Hey, Yo, I paid to see YOU sing...lol |
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JackScratch Inner circle 2151 Posts
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On 2007-06-28 11:53, Mark Wilden wrote: When an audience member is gracious enough to take an active part in a performance, they absolutely deserve applause. It's not an audience members job to entertain, perform, or do anything but watch the performance. Participation in the performance is at the very least worthy of a little gratitude. Just because you don't actually put in a request, doesn't mean you didn't beg/ask. Note the next time your cannis familiaris wants food from your dinner table, that he doesn't actually use words. Having a problem with the use of particular words is really splitting hairs. |
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Justin Style Inner circle 2010 Posts
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On 2007-06-29 07:15, JackScratch wrote: It's all in the minor details. It ain't what you say, but they way that you say it. |
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Mark Wilden Veteran user San Francisco 375 Posts
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On 2007-06-29 07:15, JackScratch wrote: I would have thought it was best to choose spectators who wanted to assist. I still think the applause for spectators is artificial, though. The magician is telling the audience to applaud! Is that how the magician expresses his appreciation? The other purpose of applause for assistants, of course, is to cover the dead time as the assistant makes his way off the stage. ///ark |
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Justin Style Inner circle 2010 Posts
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On 2007-06-29 11:48, Mark Wilden wrote: I use music to cover that, both when I bring someone up and when they go back to their seat. With the ipod now it's easy to make custom playlists to match the event. It's great! Then add the remote controll!...Excellent! |
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JackScratch Inner circle 2151 Posts
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On 2007-06-29 13:04, Justin Style wrote: What would you hook your Ipod up to on a primitive festival site? Particularly one where recorded music is against the rules. The rare occasion that I do perform on a stage is usually at a Renaissance Festival. Recorded music is simply not an option. As to the use of an audience participant who is willing. My personal standards are far more exacting than that. I never pick a participant who is "too willing". Aside from that, I show my gratitude for them by asking the audience to applaud them. I usually make this request during applause which is already occurring. It is possible that I am deluding myself, however I do not feel that this harms the look, feel, or flow of the performance in any way. I can offer no proof of any kind that this is the case, but strongly believe it to be true. If you disagree, then I recommend against adding such activities to your performance. |
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Justin Style Inner circle 2010 Posts
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I hear what you are saying.
As far as the outside venues where it next to impossible to have music or amplification goes, tha't a tuff one? They cracked down on noise in the parks in NYC and started giving tickets to performers who were pluged in. I will agree and even admit that it makes things a little more challenging. |
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JackScratch Inner circle 2151 Posts
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Recorded music is another paint on a magicians palette. A nice one to, it adds another very powerful way to express yourself. I avoid recorded music in my performances for a number of reasons, not the least of which is laziness. If I don't use recorded music, then that's one less thing I have to worry about. Unless a magicians chosen genre' is only stage bookings with proper contracting and preparation, then I would suggest being prepared to perform any given show without recorded music. Not all magicians need that kind of versatility, but if you do, you better have it.
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Mark Wilden Veteran user San Francisco 375 Posts
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On 2007-06-30 10:20, JackScratch wrote: Sure - that's SOP. Quote:
Aside from that, I show my gratitude for them by asking the audience to applaud them. I usually make this request during applause which is already occurring. Ah, well if the applause is already occurring, that's a different matter. I was talking about performers who finish the trick by saying "Let's give Ken a big hand," to cue the applause. ///ark |
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tony2514 Regular user Yorkshire, UK 162 Posts
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"Therein lies the greatest treason
To do the right deed for the wrong reason" Probably a misquote from TS Eliot (Most famous for being an anagram of Toilets) MitchB was talking about a guy who asked the audience to applaud themselves after each trick. What he was really doing was seeking his own applause vicariously. This is very different to asking the audience to applaud a volunteer who has assited you in your act. Someone said that applause is there to cover silence and someone else that we wouldn't applaud someone as gratitude, we would say "Thankyou". Well, second one first, yes we would say "thankyou" because we are an individual person. But when individual people gather together to become and audience it is impractical for them all to sit there and say "thank you" together, so the social conention to replace the words is applause. First point second, If you are asking an audience to cover an embarrassing silence with applause, you weren't very good. Applause is spontaneous in most cases (exclude 'filmed-live' sit-coms) and if you were any good, as you left the stage, the audience would applaud. The 'embarrassing' aspect is only on the performer's spart. An audience can sit there chatting amongst themselves completely unembarrassed at a performers failure - there is safety in their numbers. Anyway, what I'm trying to say with the quote at the top of this post is that there is nothing wrong with asking for applause for the right reason (eg thanking an audiece volunteer) but if it is a vicarious request for yourself - look for another carreer. |
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Posted: Jun 27, 2007 03:08 pm 
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