Ok there many one liner reactions from specs like "Oh my god"

Which leave you pleased,but what about when they dont react they just

"How did you do that" reaptedly

What do you say,what could sound good to reply to this?

what I say (it kinda [Edited] them off....but too bad ) is:

spectator: How did you do that?
Me: well, I think I did it pretty good don't you?


Mod edit-
Hey cowboy,watch the language.

On one of Blaine's specials he did a card trick for two guys and a girl. The guys ran off, hooted and hollared with excitement. The woman just stood there dumbfounded repeating, "How you did that?"

Blaine just took back his cards, smiled and didn't say a word. You don't make the specs angry, nor do you reveal anything.

Don't say anything.

But not all of us like to act like a dead face aka
Blaine,i personally like to make my peformances more livley....

Here's a couple I use:

- HOW'D YOU DO THAT? can you keep a secret?....so can i

Yea its an old one, but it gets a giggle

My personal favorite: Do you guys really want to see how that was done? they usually all pull in and say YEA!!!!.....Bummer.

That's a major problem with most magic effects... they don't really have a cause, which is required for an effect.

So people might like to ask questions like that.

Do like Greg Wilson: "I'll take that as a compliment."

I think he also says something like, "It was pretty cool, huh?"

But, Wilson is right. Take it as a compliment. The easiest way to keep the spec from saying that is to do lousy magic. Remember that.

I like to use both of them too. What i also like to do is make up a redicilous (sp?) answer and go one for like 5 minutes... After that, they figure it out that im not gona tell them. Usually the ones that catch on earlier than the other specs start laughing.

-Zach

You could tell them that they themselves di it through their own imagination. In a way this is true. Magic tricks are really just things that are possible, but the mind of the spectator tells them that it is impossible. Hence it was their mind that made it magic.

I always answer that question the same way,always gets at least a smile.
"I'd show you but then I'd have to kill you"

The problem I have is the specs always say something like "Let me see that deck" (sometimes I can show them but other times I don't know what to do if I cant show it to them). Another one I get is when doing an Elmsley count or something like that they will say "let me see the cards"... Now what should I do?

It depends. The big answer is that you have to develop your presentational skills so that you are seen as the performer and they see themselves as the specs. But that is easier said than done.

So...You might say, laughing, "The answer to that is no." This might work if they are just asking for the heck of it, and they got caught up in the effect. You might also tell them that you will show them when you are finished. You might also just ignore them, if they are part of a group. If they are asking because your elmsley is unconvincing, work on your elmsley. If, however, they are just in the habit of asking annoying questions at every step of every effect, than find new spectators.

If you young and you are performing for peers, you may have trouble solving this problem, but keep a good heart, it will ger better.

"you see with your eyes, not your hands." also "the cards have this mystical magic aura surrounding them, and if touched by a mere mortal such as yourself......" well maybe that is pushing it. i would say it though, and have in the past. more so in a comical manner than anything. also if they ask how i did it, i tell them that some great magician showed me the trick many years ago, only problem is i forget how he did it!

These are usually what i say when someone asks me how i did a trick.

"Smoke and mirrors."

"Pixie Dust."

"Magic."

Or give some long winded explanation about the solar system, earth's gravitation, and methane gas.

Or i will do a trick like Do as I do or Biddle Trick where i am supposedly showing them how a trick is done. By that time they are usually too impressed to continue with the question and just enjoy the show.

Ellusionist.
Elevator.
L&L Publishing.

(Screwing around with new rule)