I attended a lecture where a magician after every effect said "Some people clap...some people throw money...somepeople just say WOW" I thought that was a nice way to avoid the blank stares while people are trying to process what they just saw. Does anybody else have any statements they use to accomplish the same thing?
Bill

Let them react the way they react. If they have a blank stare let them. Never interupt someones reaction for your own sake. Unless they're clapping, then you can interupt that .

But everyone is different. Let them be different. Don't force them to react the way you want them to.

Just my 2 cents.

I agree. Different people react different ways. That's the great thing about it. If every person had the same reaction to every trick.. it wouldn't be too entertaining for you or them. If it's not entertaining, it's pointless.

Unless, you get a reaction like, "Oh, that's it?" Then you can say, "Well, usually, some people clap..." etc. I think it would be ok in that case..

I think the magician you had seen, Bill, took it too far by saying it after every effect. Was the audience that awestruck, or did he put them to sleep? Was his presentation so off that they didn't get that the trick was over? Overall, I would find it trite and annoying.

I think it is a fine thing to say once, if there was a long pause after a particularly dumbfounding trick. I remember Ammar saying something like that on one of his card vids. I kinda remember it being a trick that the audience didn't realize was over....sort of like what happens at classical concerts for me

Now, to finally answer your question:
I once said, "WOW! How did that happen?" and it was because my presentation didn't quite match the effect...the audience didn't have a cue (or clue, for that matter) that the trick was over. And, no, it wasn't the same one Ammar did.

You guys are all making very good points. The lecture was just for magicians in a club setting. I guess I need to become more comfortable with peoples reactions. There is another post up that has something to do with peoples reactions. I realize that some people are just staring trying to process what they have seen even though I want them to take it as entertainment. Thanks for the input..
Bill

What I've found to be most useful for attaining ANY reponses beyond the blank stare is to get them involved. Now granted this isn't 100%, but it does help improve the reaction.

- Alex

Do a good trick.

Yep, everyone is different. We all react in different ways...just except that and smile.

If they are giving you a blank stare, it's probably them being astonished or just trying to comphrehend what they saw... There is an article in Online-Visions about this, I don't remember where but it involved not looking at your audience RIGHT after you do a real mind blower...

IT went on to say how when you make eye contact when they are in that "blank" state, it makes them feel threatened and whatnot, and that often after demo'ing something in a magic shop, he would just turn around and be busy putting up the trick or straightening a shelf, that by the time he turned around the person wanted to buy the trick. His sales improved because of it.


I agree with that, because I really don't like it when a magician stares me down after doing a real fooler... I feel on the spot and being challenged and stuff... I think perhaps they should get a moment by themselves to comphrehend what happened.

The late Johnny Brown used to stop, look at the audience, smile and say, "Go ahead, I'll wait." This got a laugh and a round of applause.