Do Street Magic

Thanks to prominent celebrity magicians like Criss Angel and David Blaine, street magic has captured the imagination of millions. If you're a natural-born entertainer with a passion for gimmickry, becoming a street magician might be a way to fill a long felt desire. Read on to learn how to develop a routine and practice your skills.

Steps

Learning Magic Tricks

1. Decide what types of tricks you'll be performing. You've already narrowed it down to street magic, but think about which props you want to work with. If you have a specific area in mind you'd like to perform in, consider the limitations of space, lighting, and noise. You'll probably want to start out in an area without large crowds or other magicians so you can practice commanding a smaller audience's attention.
   • You'll have a more interesting routine if you learn several different types of tricks, but start by focusing on what drew you to the magic tricks in the first place. There are several suggestions below you can use as a base for your performance.
2. Practice your sleight of hand. A foundational skill for magicians is the ability to manipulate small objects in unexpected ways. Practice the Do-the-'French-Drop' until you can perform it without looking. Continue to practice in front of family and other friendly audiences so you can develop your misdirection skills, directing the audience's attention away from your hands.
   • If you enjoy that coin trick, spice it up with variations such as the Make-a-Coin-Appear-to-Go-Through-Your-Head-and-out-Your-Mouth. Expand your coin act with knuckle rolling. Once you're a real expert, try advanced sleight of hand tricks such as Make-a-Coin-Appear-in-Someone's-Pocket.
   • A coin is a simple and traditional object to use while practicing sleight of hand, but you move on to all sorts of objects. Make an audience member's watch (briefly) disappear as a simple lead in, or practice other tricks that involve sleight of hand, such as the Perform-the-Missing-Card-Illusion.
3. Consider learning a few card tricks. Almost everyone is familiar with card tricks, but with hundreds of variations out there, you can still find ways to surprise and delight your audience.
   • Do-the-'All-Eight'-Card-Trick involves no sleight of hand and only minimal audience distraction, making it a good first choice. This type of trick involves stacking the deck beforehand, so it won't work on a tough audience that tells you to shuffle the cards.
   • Control-a-Card are vital for "guess the card" type tricks.
   • Use sleight of hand to make your card tricks seem more astonishing. For instance, Make-a-Card-Come-Back-to-the-Top-of-the-Deck or Do-a-Back-Palm-Vanish.
4. Gather props and practice more tricks. Add more to your bag of tricks by practicing specific tricks that make ordinary objects seem to do impossible things. Do you want to fool your audience with sleight of hand, or specially prepared objects? Here are several tricks to practice so you can decide which you enjoy:
   • Do-Rubber-Band-Penetration. Use rubber bands of different colors so the audience can tell which is which.
   • Do-the-Soda-Can-Magic-Trick
   • Bend-a-Spoon.
5. Choose flashy tricks that will get a crowd's attention. Some types of tricks will get more attention than others. If you're aiming for fame, or if you're not great at attracting people with your announcements alone, consider some of these flashy tricks:
   • Escape-from-a-Straitjacket. You can make this more impressive by Escape-from-Handcuffs, but that will take significant practice and sleight of hand ability.
   • Perform-the-Balducci-Levitation if you have the space to keep distance between you and the audience. There is Do-the-Andruzzi-Levitation on this trick. See if you can develop your own alterations to make it more convincing or astonishing!
   • Make-Smoke-Come-Out-of-Your-Fingers. Bring along water and soap to wash this off your hands afterward.
   • Create a fire in your hand. Enlist a competent ally to help you practice this trick safely, as you can seriously burn your hand if you perform it incorrectly.
6. Constantly learn and practice new tricks. Whether you seek out a mentor, or simply watch street magic techniques in slow motion on DVDs, to do street magic effectively you'll need training. Peruse the library for old magic trick books, or surf the Internet for fresh ideas. Learn the basics first, and take the time to develop your skill. Over time, you'll combine the techniques you most enjoy to create your own unique style.
   • Consider using trick cards and coins, which you can buy from a local magic shop or websites devoted to magician supplies.
   • Many cities have magic clubs, where you can meet other amateur magicians and exchange tips and ideas.

Developing a Routine

1. String together 5 – 15 tricks into one performance. Try them out in different orders and think about how you can transition from one to the next. For instance, tricks involving the same prop might make sense to do one after the other. Never repeat a trick in the same routine, and keep these guidelines in mind:
   • Start with a short, flashy trick that gets people excited.
   • Put your longer, more involved tricks in the middle, when people are already invested due to your first couple flashy tricks.
   • End with your best trick to make your act memorable.
   • Keep your routine to about 3–7 minutes to avoid boring your audience.
2. Develop a style. What you say and how you act can be just as important as your tricks for creating a memorable act. If you like to joke around, develop a "patter" that lightly makes fun of yourself and audience members without offending anyone. You could pretend to be surprised by your own tricks, or act mysterious and powerful, or pretend a trick causes great physical exertion. Try out different styles of acting and things to say and do while you set up and perform your trick.
   • Watching professional magicians perform is a great way to get ideas for your style.
   • Confusing your audience members will probably cause them to leave. You can distract them by talking quickly or making jokes, but don't speak incoherently or change topics too quickly for them to follow.
3. Practice on family and friends. Regardless of your ultimate intentions, it's a good idea to maintain a disciplined routine, but especially important for the career minded magician. Strangers on a street corner might be cordial, but you won't hold their attention for long with an amateurish magic act. The best place to hone your skills is under your own roof. You might also try a few quick tricks for an acquaintance, like a teacher or co-worker.
   • Certain skills require an audience to practice. While you have their attention, practice your tricks that require the most misdirection, or keeping the audience's attention away from your sleight of hand trick to stop them seeing it.
   • When you mess up, try to recover by cracking a joke, moving to a different trick, or pretending you were intentionally failing as part of a setup. This is difficult to plan in advance, since you don't know when you'll mess up, so take advantage of a friendly audience to practice this skill.
4. Videotape your act. This maneuver allows you to scrutinize your act objectively. Correcting a mistake or perfecting a difficult magic trick is made easier by watching your hands in slow motion. Analyze your performance with the goal of perfecting it. Watching your tricks in a mirror will also help. Review your body language and facial expressions to rehearse showmanship.
   • Record your act from several angles for sleight of hand tricks to make sure they are convincing no matter where the audience is standing. You may need to practice them more, or use different variations. Hiding an object in your sleeve can conceal it from every angle, for instance, while hiding one behind your hand convincingly could take more practice.
   • Consider posting your videos to online forums for amateur magicians and ask for feedback.
5. Take it to the streets. Start slowly with a shortened version of your routine using only the tricks you're most comfortable with. Then move on to longer routines with more variety and complexity. Besides the caliber of your technique, you should also be practicing the art of attracting a crowd, then keeping them interested and happy.
   • Be considerate of your fans' time. Avoid using a volunteer or bothering a passerby longer than they're comfortable with.
6. Sharpen your performance. It's imperative to remember that magic is a people centered activity, so to do street magic well requires people skills. Keep developing your style by practicing on the street, and take note of which stories and chatter attract attention or leave people bored. Ask basic questions of your volunteers, like their name, and speak loudly and confidently to attract a large crowd. Learning how to do street magic is all about the show.
   • Consider your dress and appearance as well. Some magicians, especially ones who perform for kids, enjoy absurd over the top costumes. Many street magicians prefer to dress well, but not appear too different from other people on the street.
7. Update your routine frequently with new magic tricks. Street magic illusions have fascinated spectators on busy city streets for centuries. Innovative tricks have always been the best way to hold their attention. Without a unique blend of classic and cutting edge street magic techniques, you'll lose an audience fast.
   • It's difficult to invent a new trick from scratch, although with enough experience you'll start to get some ideas. Until then, combine two tricks you already know. (See below for a suggestion.)
   • Any trick that involves a prop can be combined with a sleight of hand routine. Make the prop disappear and reappear before you finish the trick to get more laughs from the audience, or replace it with an object that looks similar but has different properties, such as being flammable, able to float, etc.

Handling Hecklers and Other Difficult Audience Members

1. Ignore people who try to steal the attention. If someone interrupts you during a trick, or tries to shout out answers of guesses to how the trick is done, they want to appear cooler than you. There are several ways to deal with this type of heckler, and you should decide which to use depending on your personal preferences and the exact situation. Here's the method which requires the least adjustment to your act:
   • Ignore them until they get bored. If they aren't getting attention, they may give up. If they persist, address remarks to the audience, not the heckler. Use indirect remarks such as "Does anyone hear a bird calling?" An audience member may be motivated to help kick the heckler out, without you having to interrupt your performance.
2. If that doesn't work, include them in the performance in a way that won't interrupt it. If you need a volunteer, call them up. If you don't, try to keep a quick conversation going while drawing audience attention back to yourself. Make comments like "I can see you're clever, which is why I'm going to reward you with your very own bent spoon."
3. Insult and embarrass them as a last resort. It may look great when you see a professional entertainer insult a heckler, but it takes experience and confidence to do it properly. As an amateur, only resort to this as a last resort, or if the show is going to end soon anyway.
   • Keep the crowd on your side by not escalating the confrontation until the heckler does.
   • When you have a crowd on your side, you have a lot more leeway in what you can say to someone, but it's still a good idea to keep your insults silly and joking. Pretend to read them off the underside of your prop, or find another way to make it still look like part of the performance.
4. Perform the tricks you know best to fool people staring at your hands. Some people will focus on your hands no matter what, trying to figure out how the trick is done. The best defense against this is to perform tricks you know extremely well, that you're confident you can do even under scrutiny.
   • If someone does notice something and reveals it to the rest of the audience, quickly perform a more spectacular trick with the same prop to regain their awe.
5. Keep curious audience members in control. If a volunteer starts examining a prop thoroughly, or moving out of position during a trick, keep them focused with repeated commands and movement. Physically grab their arm and put it in the correct position whenever they move, acting comically exasperated for the benefit of the audience. Treat them like a disobedient child if they continue, scolding them in a silly manner.
   • If audience members who aren't volunteers try to touch your props, warn them away with a playful message. "Don't touch that – there's a terrible curse on that hat!" will get the message across without starting an argument.
6. Pick the right volunteer. You don't want to drag someone completely unwilling out of the crowd to help you, but someone who is too enthusiastic might try to steal the show with a performance that doesn't match yours. Follow these tips to choose a good volunteer:
   • If the routine involves you playing around with the volunteer or getting a reaction from them, don't pick someone too shy. This character trait can be hard to identify in advance, but attractive people and people in bright clothing are less likely to have this problem.
   • If your routine involves "play flirting", it may be wise to pick someone much older than yourself. This way, it's clear to the audience that you're joking around and not actually hitting on someone.
   • If you pick someone who is physically incapable of doing the trick, switch to a different trick, congratulate them, and call on another volunteer for the one you meant to do.
   • Don't pick someone the audience will pity or make fun of. The volunteer should have a fun time. Avoid picking drunk volunteers or people covered in food stains.
7. If all else fails, pack up and move on. If you can't control a heckler, you can't continue your act. But you can show them what the end result of heckling is by closing your bags and walking away. They may or may not regret driving away their fun, but at the least you've probably turned the audience against them.
   • If someone "steals the show" with a legitimately cool act of their own, such as juggling your props, let them have the attention for a couple minutes, then return to your act. The audience will love the surprise of a volunteer upstaging you, so be gracious and let everyone have their fun.

Tips

• A confident attitude and constant movement and chatter will allow you to direct the audience's attention wherever you like, making illusion tricks much easier.
• If you are frequently asked to repeat a particular trick, practice a variation so you can "repeat" it and then surprise them with a completely different ending.

Warnings

• Some cities have imposed regulations to control the proliferation of street performers. Although there are 1st Amendment Constitutional court challenges, certain permits may be required.
• Avoid areas where safety is an issue. Approach strangers, especially at night, with caution. This helps prevent them from being startled and misunderstanding your intentions.

Related Articles

• Do the Invisible Rope Trick
• Do an Easy Magic Trick
• Be Confident in Doing Magic Tricks
• Become an Illusionist
• Do a Magic Trick Using Sleight of Hand
• Do the Cup Through the Table Magic Trick

Sources and Citations

See also

• Do Magic Tricks
• Do an Easy Magic Trick
• Become a Magician
• Make an Invisible Ink Message
• Do a Basic Sleight of Hand Magic Trick
• Make It Rain Money
• Escape from a Straitjacket
• Balance an Egg
• Pull a Tablecloth from Under a Place Setting
• Make a Crystal Ball

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