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DarryltheWizard Loyal user 238 Posts |
Sure laymen remember Copperfield, Sigfried and Roy and Pen and Teller; however, 99% of the people who have seen a magic act can tell me a few of the effects the performer did, but his name has vanished as if by magic! Is it the large grand illusions that create a lasting impression or the personalities of the magicians? I do all the things one should do to have the audience remember your name: I always say it at the beginning and end of the show, its on my tables, it's on my advertising; I try to show my human side during and after the show; I try to make my magic memorable so that it creates a lasting impression. I do a lot of repeat shows and most of the people know my name, Darryl the Wizard; however , when I was a teenager , I was known as the Mystic Chandor and I was called everything from the Mastic Chisseller to Mystical Condor, etc. What are magicians , myself included , doing wrong to make the audience forget our names?
Darryl the Forgotten Wizard
DarryltheWizard
"Life without mystery is like a candle with a snuffed out flame." Albert Einstein |
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Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
If you were known as the Mastic Chiseller, be happy that they forgot your name! LOL!
Seriously, do you remember the name of every singer you hear, of every band that plays, of every comic you watch, etc.? It's got nothing to do with magicians; how many dentists or architects can you name? If you are average or normal, probably about the same number that a lay person would name, of magicians. Sure, everyone knows Sinatra, Elivis, Rodney Dangerfield and so on. But as for the others? Forget it! They have the same problems we do with name recognition. |
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truthteller Inner circle 2584 Posts |
It also has to do with the nature of the relationship. If one's interaction with the spectator's (interesting choice of words there) is a mere 5 minutes and begins, "Did someone loose a white knife?" they will most likely remember a magician, but that magician really is just a commodity, an interchangeable thing.
However, if you develop a relationship with your audience, and offer them something more than a mere diversion -something they will take with them - then they will remember your name. |
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chmara Inner circle Tucson, AZ 1911 Posts |
How many "inis" are there in magic??? Way too many.
How many magicians have a national name -- not many. However -- if a magician has a remembered name in a market -- local or segment -- it is gold. For a number of years I only worked for clients in the schmata business -- and appeared in Chicago, LV, Portland, Virginia Beach, Miami, Orlando, Long Beach, Atlantic City, Seattle and other pots of call -- and was happy my clients knew I specialized in the rag business. I was also very happy competing magicians never knew I was in town unless I wanted them to -- for a social visit.
Gregg (C. H. Mara) Chmara
Commercial Operations, LLC Tucson, AZ C. H. Mara Illusion & Psychic Entertainments |
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enriqueenriquez Inner circle New York 1287 Posts |
I guess it has to be with impose your personality.
One clown is all the clowns. One magician is all the magicians. Like priests or soldiers, the profession comes first then the persona. People refer to them as: “the clown”, “the magician”. No one cares about the name. Maybe is some kind of honor. Everyone who plays a social rol becomes something else, different than himself: The medicine man, the wizard, the doctor, the chief, the president. In a less romantic note, maybe is unfair but, how to differenciate them if all do the same tricks, talk the same talk, play the same awfull jokes? How many of them doesn’t just hide behind the tricks or the red nose? This is an extremely interesting thread. |
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WR Special user Utah 945 Posts |
To go along with Peter in my line of work names such as Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, Harvey McKay etc... Are common place but unless you are a salesman these are not important to you. Such it is in magic.
Just my opinion, WR
"Tell Em WR sent Ya."
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DangerMouse Special user LONDON CITY 509 Posts |
Who's rodney dangerfield??
Cheese is nothing but thick milk.
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JimMaloney Inner circle 1184 Posts |
Man...no respect.
;) -Jim Quote:
On 2004-05-09 14:11, DarryltheWizard wrote: Great! What's the problem? -Jim
Books and Magazines for sale -- more than 200 items (Last updated January 17th, 2014. Link goes to public Google Doc.)
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Roger Boucher Regular user 114 Posts |
I agree with enriqueenriquez you get known by role and not by your name. For example, I do both magic and balloon animals and I happened to be at a adult class while doing a show for the kindergarden class. Now my day job is glass work and I happened to be there today changing a window and they knew me instantly as the balloon guy. Now I am flattered that they recognized me. But I think that if you get recognized when seen that is more important than people remembering your name. That is what your card is for so that they have something of you that they can look to, to remember who you were.
But in all honesty I don't remember someones name five minutes after they tell me. So I don't expect people to remember my name. Roger |
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geemack Loyal user Greg McNeil Peoria,Illinois 296 Posts |
Some good points have been made. We do seem to remember one's occupation or a certain feature unless we've had several encounters. We remember people as "the guy who trimmed the trees" or "that lady with the funny laugh".
We can probably improve our odds of being remembered by name if we present ourselves as unique individuals, rather than as just another member of a certain occupation. It doesn't hurt to remind them from time to time WHO we are. If we're any good at all they already know WHAT we are. Take a look at your business cards or publicity flyers. Are you "MAGICIAN - greg mcneil"... or are you "GREG McNEIL - magician"? When you open your act do you say, "Hello ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to see some magic?" Or do you say, "Hello ladies and gentlemen, I'm Greg McNeil. Are you ready to see some magic?" When you get an assistant from the audience you can say, "What's your name?... Hello Cindy, would you please examine this solid steel ring." But instead you might say, "Nice to meet you Cindy, I'm Greg McNeil, would you please examine this..." Be an individual. Do you ask other magicians "What is the best coin routine?", then go about learning it? If you take that approach you'll be just another magician doing that routine. Maybe you should ask "What makes a coin routine great?", then apply those criteria to developing your own routines. They might forget your name because people aren't very good at remembering names, but they surely won't remember if you didn't give them a fair chance to know it in the first place. Greg |
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
Have you ever thought that it might not be a bad thing that people do not recognize you every time you go out of the house?
Around here, if I go out in my Merlin outfit, everyone who has ever been to the Renaissance Festival knows exactly who I am. The same is true for the area around Scarborough Faire. I'm lucky. I can shed my identity when I want to. David Copperfield certainly can't. Billini the Magician.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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Gordie New user 3 Posts |
Well, I suppose almost the only way to get them to remember you is to pass them your namecard. Better still, do some magic with your namecard before passing it to them, that way, they will treasure it more, keep it, or even display it and show it off to everyone. Do a trick where their signature ends up on your namecard, that adds more of a personal touch to the card that they will appreciate even more.
Other ways are probably to create a persona. Gordon the Magician, or Wizard Gordon, are probably too standard and hard to remember. If you are a kid's magician, perhaps something crazy, but easy to remember. That will get the kids attention and hence they can remember you and pressure their parents into hiring you. Real life example: "Silly Billy", although your name need not be in your stage name. Maybe if you have a reputation to be a professional at lifestock, especially tricks involving rabits, you can call yourself "Funny Bunny"! Or if your show involves oriental fans, call yourself "The Fan", and all the kids will be your fans. (If any of you think any of my examples are lame, ignore them) Anything else to add? |
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
Probably the most important way to get people to remember you is to promote yourself. This may really sound harsh, but if you don't toot your own horn, it isn't going to get tooted.
If you want to be recognized and remembered, you have to advertise. Giving out your card is just the first step. Your name is not nearly as important as getting it out in front of people. Of course, if you believe Johnny Thompson, David Copperfield's fame was due to having a good writer -- Charles Dickens. If a person named Doug Henning can be remembered, ANYONE can be remembered. I'm not knocking Doug. I was very fond of his magic. But the name is not one of those "knock them out of their seats" kind of names. It's not crisp like Blackstone. It's kind of bland. But it worked for him. And everyone who saw his specials remembers him.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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Randwill Inner circle 1914 Posts |
Well a case in point. It would be impossible to come away from a Bill Malone performance without remembering HIS name. So there are ways.
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BlaineWannaBe New user 10 Posts |
Most people don't remeber magicans names for the same reason most magicans don't remeber peoples names 5 minutes after they leave the table.
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JimMaloney Inner circle 1184 Posts |
In order for people to remember your name, you have to do at least two things:
1. Let them know what your name is, several times, and in different ways. 2. Give them a reason to remember your name. -Jim
Books and Magazines for sale -- more than 200 items (Last updated January 17th, 2014. Link goes to public Google Doc.)
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MISTER E New user 46 Posts |
Bottom line is, if people WANT to remember your name, they will. If they don't, they won't. Period. The only real way to insure that they do is for you to have an IMPACT on their lives. Think about it... the sole reason anyone will remember somebody's name is if they absolutely CANNOT forget it. Houdini, Blackstone, Henning, Copperfield, even Blaine. Think of the impact that each of these performers have made on their audiences. Then think how you can impact yours.
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bishthemagish Inner circle 6013 Posts |
I think that magic is more important to the magicians. And as magicians we remember the magicians that are important to us.
The public doesn't feel so strongly about magic and magicians. It takes them a while. They need to see you and your show many times to remember your name. It takes a lot of shows and the right promotion to become a local celebrity.
Glenn Bishop Cardician
Producer of the DVD Punch Deal Pro Publisher of Glenn Bishop's Ace Cutting And Block Transfer Triumphs |
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Partizan Inner circle London UK 1682 Posts |
Why not incorporate into your act a section where the audience has to shout your name.
Or use your name as the magic word in effects.
"You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."
- Mark Twain |
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Mike Walton Special user Chicago 984 Posts |
I would rather the audience remember my magic than my name.
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