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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
I have read on many occasions here about being "mobbed" after doing X trick, or being "mobbed" at the end of the show with kids wanting to look at your props, etc. These postings seem to be made with a sense of pride as if being mobbed is a desirable outcome.
It seems to me that part of a children's magician's skill set should include crowd control and audience management. Many of the great books on performing for children by respected performers offer advice on audience management, and I have never seen being mobbed mentioned as a sought-after audience reaction. Might some of these performers be better served to concentrate on audience management now that they have reaction-provoking effects? If you could control your audience, you might not need to hide your props right away. |
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mrunge Inner circle Charleston, SC 3716 Posts |
Great point. I've seen some children's entertainers use rope as a barrier on the ground, creating a stage area to perform in. They lay it out in a semi circle, tell the kids to stay on one side and the magician is on the other. That way, everyone can see. It also lets them know what the boundaries are and seems to work well.
Mark. |
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wizardpa Inner circle The New Orleans area 1011 Posts |
Just to give you a for instance, yesterday I had a foot and a half between where my tables were set up and where the lady that hired me had chairs set up for the children. That is all the room I had. The children ranged in ages from 3 to 9 I guess. Lastly, when I finish my show and my rabbit is produced I really have no problem with the children coming up to pet her.
I use the rope idea many times if I have room. It usually works until the end of the show. I actually have no problem with getting mobbed. If I didn't want to get mobbed I just wouldn't end my show with the production of my rabbit unless I was on a stage. |
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Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
I bought a set of cones at the automotive supply store, I stopped using them, because kids would collect them, and bring them up to me.
Audience managment is the ability to perform your show while holding the undevided attention of your audience. Holding back a bunch of curious kids while you are trying to pack up for your next show is not exactly the same thing. Once my show is over all of the responsibility for diecipline belongs to the parents.
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
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David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
I've never been mobbed. That's why I carry a taser...
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears. Bears will kill you.
My books are here: www.magicpendulums.com www.MidnightMagicAndMentalism.com |
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rossmacrae Inner circle Arlington, Virginia 2475 Posts |
I have never tried a "crowd management trick" that worked. However, my show had two things about it that kept the problem to a minimum:
First, every prop got stashed when the trick was through. My whole show fit into a very big duffel. Second, when the magic was over, we went right into games and prizes, everybody was a "winner" and if they wanted to pet the bunny and get their prize they had to line up right behind the birthday kid (or some random kid I selected). |
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magicgeorge Inner circle Belfast 4299 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-01-23 17:50, Starrpower wrote: I too have thought this. Loss of control is never a good thing. |
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Wes Holly Special user Cincinnati, OH, USA 644 Posts |
Quote:
Audience managment is the ability to perform your show while holding the undevided attention of your audience. Holding back a bunch of curious kids while you are trying to pack up for your next show is not exactly the same thing. Once my show is over all of the responsibility for diecipline belongs to the parents. It can be debated that you are performing from the moment you get out of your car until you drive away. Audience management skills should not be put away with the props. If you do not wish the children to "mob" you after the show, one suggestion is to not end the show without segueing into another activity (pinata, cake etc) that the parents or another person is in charge of. Once their attention is focused elsewhere they are less likely to "mob" you. |
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wizardpa Inner circle The New Orleans area 1011 Posts |
I guess I didn't make myself clear on this fact. I do not mind being mobbed at the end of my show. I might even encourage it. They are only mobbing me in order to pet the rabbit. What is a mob, 5-20 children. Any more then that is organized. Children forming a line and petting the bunny one at a time.
I've taken a flat piece of fur out of my rabbit wringer and I turned that into a real rabbit. Even as children are actually petting my rabbit they are saying stuff like; "IT'S REAL." I've never timed it but I guess this lasts maybe 5 minutes, then the kids are off doing games, or off to do the Happy Birthday cake thing. If anyone has a problem with kids wanting to gather around at the end of a show to either pet a rabbit or to talk to you then you need to get out of the kid show venue. |
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harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Here is one solution I have used at library shows.
Throughout the show I make reference to trains. In stories, songs and off course train sounds with my harmonica. At the end of the show I form a train with the kids and combine there names and harp(harmonica) sounds. I lead them around the room and then to a section a bit away from front where I am set up. So far I haven't had stragglers mess with my stuff. Oh yea, there is also a pack as you go in the mix. Harris
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
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derrick Inner circle I dug holes for 1044 Posts |
I carry a roll of black duct tape with me to my shows. When I feel like there might possibly be a space management issue I tape off my stage area and let the kids know they only cross the line if invited as part of the show. Sometimes a heavy crowd of giddy children will, without knowing it, edge their way right up to my tables. With my imaginary stage taped off, all I have to do to is joke to a kid a couple of times about how he or she has really crossed the line this time. That does the job.
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-01-24 01:38, rossmacrae wrote: I think you are selling yourself short, Ross. You made the above statement, then immediately followed it with two audience management strategies that work! |
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Ed_Millis Inner circle Yuma, AZ 2292 Posts |
Don't know how well it's worked (never really "measured" it), but I've told the kids before that all of magic is a noptical delusion, and you can only see it if you stay some distance away. If you start getting too close, the delusion is broken and all it looks like to anyone is that I'm standing still ....
Ed |
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Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
The real question here is how many spin doctors (magicians) does it take to stop kids from acting like kids?
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
I think kids can be kids and still be manageable. Just because a child is behaving does not mean he/she is not being a child.
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ade New user Singapore 85 Posts |
Kids are naturally curious so them trying to get to the props is a natural thing. I pack my show as I go and I usually have tape on the ground to demarcate my area so they won't come running into my performance space. Sometimes I have older kids and I simply tell them that at their age, I expect them to know some respect, and that always seem to work.
The only time I see a mob of kids is usually when the magician does snowstorm at the end of the show. I don't do it, but many here in Singapore do, and the general reaction is children mobbing and trying to grab the snowstorm... |
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The Mighty Fool Inner circle I feel like a big-top tent having 2140 Posts |
I take my effects out of a standing trunk one by one and after I've done them, I drop them into a leather zip-up bag all throught the show. When I finish....the bag iz zip-locked and the trunk fastens shut. They can paw and pull all they want, neither one is gonna spill it's guts. But for when a mobbing does happen I always have little fun close-up effects to distrat them with and besides, what the kids REALLY want to see more of is 'squeaky' the spongeball with the electromagic squeeker effect.
Everybody wants to beleive.....we just help them along.
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seadog93 Inner circle 3200 Posts |
I took me a while to get this down.
I pack as I go and then I have all of the kids line up single file to get a jumbo dollar give away. I then buckle up my case and stash my party bag before anyone gets a give away.
"Love is the magician who pulls man out of his own hat" - Ben Hecht
"Love says 'I am everything.' Wisdom says 'I am nothing'. Between the two, my life flows." -Nisargadatta Maharaj Seadog=C-Dawg=C.ou.rtn.ey Kol.b |
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Bill Knight Veteran user UK 318 Posts |
This is where the 2 hour party is great, as soon as the magic show ends, I line them up & send them to get some food. This gives me all the time I need to pack up properly ready for the next show. When they have eaten, it's straight into the games and when they end, the parents are ready to pick them up.
Gotta love the 2 hr party lol Have fun Bill
Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional
www.magicbill.co.uk |
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Red Shadow Inner circle 1788 Posts |
Surely a sign that you are engaging and interesting with the children is the fact that they want to get up and see more of you. If the children are just sat their and don't even care about coming to check out the props or talk to you, then that's a bad sign. If you have truly tricked them, they want to examine the props. If they truly like you, they want to talk to you further. Mobbing, as you have put it is actually a sign of respect.
So you should want to be mobbed but... Audience management is still important. You need tools to hold back the mob until your ready. I wear a whistle around my next. If things get out of control I blow it. I have many other options, but usually just asking for a volunteer, someone who is sat down with their arms and legs crossed does the trick. |
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