Serenading

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I wanted to thank you for the question-poem trick you posted last week. I’ve been doing a lot of zoom magic recently and this has been stronger than anything.

You’ve written a few times about video chat magic and using it for predictions. I was wondering what other types of effects you’ve been doing over zoom recently? —HL

Nothing. I have stopped doing magic over any video chat platform for the time being.

I realize I was one of the first people talking about this. And I do think it’s still a great outlet for performing magic if you don’t have anywhere else. But I wanted to push myself to find different ways to perform, even amidst the social distancing and all of that.

(I do have a couple video chat magic ideas that I’m working on at the moment. But, oddly enough, they’re actually going to only be of use once things get a little more back to normal. They’re designed to be used over webcam, but you need certain elements of normal social interaction to pull them off. So those will have to wait a few months.)

I was sort of inspired to quit the video chat thing by a friend of a friend, Paisley, who has been doing “pandemic portraits” on her instagram. That is, she’s doing portrait photography of people from a distance or through a window.

I started doing something similar but with magic, last month when people were a little more on edge than they are now.

It’s a performing construct I call Serenading.

Originally I was going around to my friend’s apartments in my complex and they’d come out on the balcony and I’d show them something from down below. It had a real Romeo and Juliet vibe to it. Or Say Anything.

Then I expanded beyond my apartment complex and I’d call up a friend and ask if I could stop by and show them something, and I’d drive over and show them a trick through the window or from a distance.

I’ve been talking about video chat magic for years now. It’s a great medium for magic because you can get away with a lot of things out of frame. But for me, the real power was the novelty of it. But now with everything taking place over video chat, the novelty is gone.

I’m devoting a section in the next book to the power of changing the circumstances and the setting of your performances. It’s very effective in creating memorable magic. Previously, showing someone a trick over video chat was a rarity, so it brought an element of uniqueness to the effect. Now it just sort of feels like a necessity. There’s very little charm to it when it’s a necessity. Doing magic through a window, or from the sidewalk to someone at their front door, or up to a balcony is a little more exciting to me at the moment.

So what do I do when I do my social distanced magic when I visit my friends? Well, I fuck around with a bunch of stuff. I don’t have one particular thing. It’s just a good excuse to connect with people I haven’t seen in a while.

Generally, I have two main modes. Either I’ll stand on the front lawn and they’ll be on the porch. Or if they have something like a bay window at the front of the house, I’ll walk up to that and show them something close-up, but through glass. I’ll give you some specific examples of the sort of stuff I do on Friday.

A Story With No End

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I got a couple emails last week that were similar in tone. The first was about the PIcasso Pro app I mentioned last Thursday. I said I would probably get my own URL and forward it to the custom URL in the app, that way even if the actual URL for the effect was released, it couldn’t expose the effect if someone I performed it for ended up googling it.

The other email was about the 1900s cards I mentioned in last Friday’s post. I said that I wouldn’t use those cards as is because—while they look old—they feel brand new, which completely blows the illusion of an old deck if someone handles them.

Both emails I got suggested that I was worrying too much about these things. Not that the issues I mentioned weren’t potential issues. Yes, the URL for Picasso Pro might get exposed and therefore the trick might fall apart if someone googles it. And yes, the 1900s deck does feel new and if someone handled it they’d realize they’re not really old. But… so what? Their point was: Why go to a bunch of effort to plug every potential hole in an effect when the spectator’s already know they’re just tricks? Just be fun. Just be entertaining. It doesn’t matter if they realize the cards aren’t really old. Of if they find out the drawing website is part of a commercial magic effect. Magic is supposed to be entertainment. If they were entertained, you did your job.

I understand this point of view, but I disagree with it.

It often feels like there are two approaches to magic:

  1. Let’s make our magic as convincing as possible to get people to really believe in the power of the performer.

  2. Let’s make our magic as entertaining as possible and don’t worry too much about the more trivial details. They know it’s a trick anyway, so just make it an entertaining trick.

I don’t really agree with either of these approaches. I’m somewhere in the middle. Or off to the side. I believe you should try to make the most entertaining magic by attempting to generate conviction in something they know isn’t true. Now, that’s not a mindset that can really exist—at least not for long—but that’s the target I’m shooting for.

“But it’s just a trick. And they know it’s a trick.”

Yes. And a movie is just a movie, and you know it’s a movie. And yet… they will spend millions of dollars to create a believable special effect. Why? Why did Jurassic Park do all those CGI dinosaurs? Why not just use a puppet or a cut-out of a dinosaur from construction paper? They could have told the same story. People would have just had to use their imaginations more. And the producers would have saved a bunch of money.

Well, because they want it to feel as real as possible while you watch it.

If I pull out a deck and say it belonged to my grandfather and it looks really old and then you touch it and it’s as smooth and slippery as Joshua Jay’s bare white ass, then you’re being reminded of the fact this is just a prop, this is a fake story, this is a trick. But if I hand you the deck and it looks and feels and smells old, then you can still get lost in the story.

For a quick trick, I don’t get too worked up about things. But for a big, immersive effect—the Romantic Adventure style I’ve written about here—I have one overriding goal:

Don’t break the spell.

That’s the only way to get people truly caught up in an unbelievable premise.

Now, you might say, “Okay, I get that. While the trick is going on you should put all your effort into making it as pristine and fooling as possible. But who cares if afterwards they google something and realize that it’s just a trick you can buy? They’ve already experienced the trick and had fun and all of that.”

It’s a fair point. Watching a documentary on the making of Jurassic Park, doesn’t ruin the experience you had watching Jurassic Park. So why should a spectator googling a URL and having it lead them back to a magic website ruin the magic trick?

Well, because a movie begins and ends.

But a successful magic trick is a story with no end.

A magic trick is ongoing until the point where the spectator has an explanation that satisfies them. I’ve had people come up to me, 10 or 20 years after the fact, still amazed by something I showed them. For them, that trick is still going on. I mean that in the sense that they’re still living in the world where this thing happened and they have no clue how it happened. If, all those years later I say, “Oh yeah. I just switched the corner piece. So that restored card was a different card altogether.” That’s when the trick would be over for them because that’s the point where there’s no more mystery.

A movie exists on film. A novel is printed on the pages of a book. If everyone on earth died tomorrow, that movie or novel would still be there for an alien race to discover. A magic effect exists in someone’s mind. So the effect doesn’t end when the card is turned over. It goes on so long as their mind sees it as a magical experience. Once they have a satisfying explanation it’s over. And there’s no recapturing it. That’s why I strive to not let an effect be undermined even long after the machinations of the performance are over. The climax of a trick should be just the start of the magic.

The Jerx Cold Approach

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Building off of an email in last Friday’s mailbag, I want to talk about cold approaching. While I would never walk up to a stranger on the street and offer to show them a trick, I would turn to a stranger in a cafe and show them something. Which is obviously similar in a way.

I wouldn’t say this is something I do a ton. That is, I don’t often do a completely cold approach. Usually I’ll engage in a conversation and do some “baiting” (as described in The JAMM #1). Or I’ll use a “hook” as I originally described in this post (and as will be expanded on in the next book). Those are both techniques to get them to initiate the effect.

But occasionally I will make a trick itself my initial interaction with someone.

Here is my big tip for that situation. Do not say, “Hey, do you want to see a magic trick?” or “Want to see something cool?” Instead say something like, “Could I get your help with something?”

I’ve mentioned this in the past to other magicians and sometimes their attitude suggested they didn’t like the idea. “Asking for their help rather than giving them the gift of a magical performance?" was kind of the gist of their response. Or, "I don’t want to ask for their help. That makes it sound like this is going to be burdensome. I want them to know it’s going to be fun.” I promise you, if you think this way, you lack an understanding of people. People are usually more than happy to help someone, even a stranger. On the other hand, being unexpectedly thrust into the role of “audience member” is not something people are generally super comfortable with.

Asking for “a little help with something” is a very non-threatening and disarming way to engage another person. Ask Ted Bundy. That’s how he would get hot co-eds to go off with him where he could murder and rape them. In that order.

It’s one thing if you’re going to go up to them with a camera to film something for youtube, then you can say, “Want to see a magic trick?” But that’s not the right approach for a more low-key initiation.

So I always frame it as them offering me help. And I keep up that attitude through the whole thing. I thank them at the end for their help. Ideally they’re thinking, “Why is he thanking me? That was awesome.”

Here are the ingredients to The Jerx Cold Approach, for use in cafes, lounges, bars, parks, libraries, trains, buses, planes, and other places you might be passing time around strangers.

  1. Ask if you can get their help with something.

    “Excuse me. Could I get your help with something?”

  2. Acknowledge any awkwardness and give a sentence of background.

    “I know this is a little unusual, but…

    …I have this magic trick I’m working on and I just need someone else’s eyes to tell me if this looks right.”

    or

    … I need an unbiased opinion on something I’m working on?”

    Or words to that effect.

  3. Mention some short timeframe.

    “It will just take a minute.”

  4. Show them something quick.

    Stick to your word and make it not take much more than a minute.

  5. Thank them for their help and pull back.

    Get your “help” and stop bothering them. This wasn’t an excuse to chat them up. If they want to continue the interaction they will come to you with a question or response to what happened. This happens almost always. Probably 95 times out of 100. (Assuming the trick was good and you’re not creepy.)

That’s it. Very simple. The idea is to ease people into the trick, but do it quickly.

And here are my “Dont’s” for cold approaching.

Don’t disturb people if they’re busy.

This should go without saying. If they’re studying or reading or have headphones on, let them be.

Don’t hesitate.

You are sitting there reading, writing, playing with cards, or whatever. You turn to the person and engage with them. Don’t sit there staring at them, thinking whether you’re really going to interact with them. Just get to it and ask. If they sense you’re stalking them, it’s going to creep them out.

Don’t say “mind reading” or “psychological experiment” or anything that might sound potentially invasive.

It’s just a “trick” or a “thing I’m working on.” Something like that. If, after the effect, there is a connection and you keep talking, you can feel free to paint a weirder picture for them. But initially you just want it to feel like it’s going to be quick and uncomplicated..

Compare these two situations.

  1. Someone turns to you and says, “Do you want to hear a monologue from a play?”

  2. Someone turns to you and says. “Can I get your help with something? I know this is a little odd, but I need to memorize this monologue for a play I’m trying out for. I think I’ve got it, but would you mind looking it over while I recite it to see if there’s anything I’m missing? It will just take a minute.”

If you don’t see that the second way—while still an unusual request—is a much more natural and gentle way to get into the interaction, then you may be beyond hope. Of course, if you want to be that blatant for whatever reason, go ahead. I’m not writing this post to change anyone’s mind if they think that’s a good way of doing it. I’m writing it for the people who see the flaw with the first approach but don’t know a better option. The people who write me and say, “How do you initiate a trick with someone when you don’t know them. Just say, ‘Hey, want to see a magic trick?’” No. I don’t do that. This post is what I do.

Sunday Horror

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Here are a couple picks from the horror streaming service, Shudder that you might like. You can sign up for Shudder and get 7 days free, so you can check these out and bail if you want.

Movie: One Cut of the Dead

I’m not going to tell you anything about this. And to truly enjoy it, you shouldn’t read anything about it. Nor should you watch a trailer. Just fire it up and watch it. It’s not particularly scary, so if you’re a big puss, don’t worry about that. A couple things I’ll say about it, which don’t spoil anything are:

  1. The sort of person who is into magic is also likely to be the sort of person who will appreciate the layers to this movie and the way things are set up early and pay off later.

  2. Keep in mind when you watch it that the movie is 90 minutes long.

Show: Cursed Films

This is a five-part series looking at “cursed” horror films—films that have a number of unfortunate or tragic incidents connected with them. The series asks the question: Are these films cursed? The answer is no, they’re not, of course. They just had a lot of incompetent people who made bad choices involved in the production. So, okay, maybe you could say they were cursed. But not by Satan or something, just by morons.

The Juxe: Music for Writing

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To be the most prolific writer on the subject of magic in the history of the art (check me on that), one must—unsurprisingly—spend a lot of time writing.

I like to write to music, but anything with lyrics distracts me. So here is what I listen to when writing. It varies depending on my mood and whether I’m writing for the site, the newsletter, the next book, emails, etc. But generally it’s going to fall into one of these categories.

Ratatat

This is my go-to. Sometimes chill, sometimes high-energy electronic rock. For deeper concentration I will usually put one song on repeat and just let it play for hours as I write.

ChilledCow stream

When I can handle the distraction of unfamiliar music, this is my favorite option. It’s a 24/7 stream of “lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to.” It’s something that seems to work for a lot of people. As I write this now, there are 44,000 other people listening live at the same time.

Classical Piano

When it comes time to write a book, I usually lean towards classical piano music. It’s likely the most calming music for me, and working on a book is the most overwhelming thing I have to do, so that’s probably why. This video is one I’ve played a lot. Classical Piano Music for Brain Power. BRAIN POWER!!!!

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Monster Rally

When I’m in the mood for something different, I go with Monster Rally. This is “sample-based tropical pop.” Sort of a modern take on mid-century lounge music.

Mailbag #22

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Ellusionist just sent out an email about the 1900s deck. Which is like the 1800s deck but a century newer I suppose. Do you have any uses for these? It seems like an old looking deck would have some potential. —DH

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Yeah, I think these look great. The problem is, they feel brand new. So they’re good for display, but not good for something where the spectator is going to touch them. Which, for me, is most of the stuff I would want to do with them. Imagine a book with a dust-jacket that was designed to look old and tattered, but when you held it, you realized it was just printed that way. You would be more certain that that’s not really an old book than you would if I gave you something that wasn’t beaten up and just told you it was old. You would think, “Huh, well, maybe it is.” It’s the incongruity that would be suspicious.

That said, if you want an old looking card and you want to age them yourself, this would give you something of a head-start. Get them a little damp. Scuff them up a bit. Bang the corners on something.

Combine this with an Intercessor or similar gimmick and you can do some truly mind-blowing shit. As I described in this post.

I've been deep in a YouTube rabbit hole binging on videos by a freestyle rapper called Harry Mack.

This guy has an ability to freestyle rhyme that borders on the supernatural, and that's part of what made me see a parallel between what he does with strangers and what (good) magic, social or otherwise, should aim to do. 

Check out this video of him approaching strangers at Venice Beach. Notice how every stranger he approaches begins with a sceptical look on their face. In fact, they often look downright suspicious (not unlike when a magician takes out a deck of cards or vaguely proposes 'a psychological experiment'). But then something wonderful happens.

  1. He tells them honestly what he intends to do.

  2. He exudes genuine positive social emotion. If you aren't on board, you'll be the one who looks weird or standoffish, not him.

  3. He demonstrates a skill that's truly worthy of attention. Freestyle rap sounds like it could be fucking lame (like magic), but he's clearly a virtuoso.

  4. He makes the raps about them. His rapping is good in general, but the moment they hear him mention their hat or their randomly suggested word, their faces light up.

  5. He doesn't make fun of them or play one person off another. Everyone is welcome. It's one big party.

  6. He thanks them for their energy and participation - he doesn't overtly expect their admiration.

I think there's a lot that magicians can learn from this type of non-magic video about what people actually value in social interactions. […]

It's not a huge discovery (most magicians, even on the magic cafe, know that the best magic puts the spectator's emotions in the spotlight), but I thought that the wonder this rapper creates in such a short amount of time encapsulates that principle really nicely. —JM

I think it's a good analogous situation. I personally can't imagine walking up to someone randomly with the intent of "performing" for them in any context. That’s not really my scene. But for people who do do that sort of thing, you’ve outlined some good things to keep in mind. And they certainly apply in less overt types of performances as well.

You’ve reminded me of some thoughts I want to give out on cold approaching which I’ll put in a post next week.

You said posts this year were going to be “short and stupid” but I haven’t noticed that. Is that still the plan? —JP

That’s not only the plan, that’s what is going to happen. It has to or it will just be unsustainable, time-management wise. The posts will be shorter and I’ll be on the “first 20 days of the month” schedule that I mentioned when this season started. This is something like my 75th day in a row posting. No one needs to hear from me that much.

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Memorized Deck Poll

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Hey kids,

I’m not 100% committed to this idea, and I won’t necessarily be going with the popular vote. But it’s an idea I’ve been tossing around and I wanted to get your input.

Speaking of memorized decks, my friend (who is a stack aficionado and—for god knows what reason—has three different stacks memorized) ordered a Stack Watch from Ellusionist for his son. He received it yesterday and immediately facetime’d me to show it off. I have never seen anyone laugh harder in my life. Then he brought his 13-year-old son in and he lost his shit laughing as he tried to find a card and then rotate the bezel to a certain position and we were imagining this taking place during a trick. Watching him go from patter to looking at his watch for 16 seconds in an attempt to find the card, then jumping back into patter was one of the funniest things I’d ever seen. We were all crying. I want to thank Ellusionist for this because I love watching people laugh. It was one of the most joyous moments of my year. And in my mind it fully justified the existence of that product.

Here’s a game you can play. Tell someone to go to look at the picture of the watch on Ellusionist’s site and show them the cards around the bezel. Then say, “Find the seven of spades.” I played this with a few people. The shortest time was 10 seconds. The longest it took was 58 seconds.

Now, perhaps as you use the watch a lot you would become more familiar with where the cards are. Sure. I buy that. But that would be the most scattershot way of familiarizing yourself with mnemonica. It would take much less time to actually memorize a stack. And you wouldn’t have to be the type of person who walks around with a knock-off Rolex on your wrist.

Here’s the thing, if there was really a way to put a memorized deck crib on a watch in a way that was useful, readable, and not obvious to someone else looking at the watch, I’d be all for that. My criticism of this product is not, “Don’t be lazy. You should just memorize the deck of cards.” Why would I give a shit if anyone other than me is lazy? I don’t think it’s “lazy” to not memorize a deck. It’s just might not be your priority. And that’s fine with me. We all have different priorities. If you buy a pre-made cake at the grocery store instead of making one from scratch, I’m not going get on your ass about that. But Ellusionist isn’t offering a pre-made cake. They’re offering a bag of flour with a spoon in it and suggesting it’s about the same thing.

The ad says that it requires no work and no memory, anyone can find a card and its position with “one quick glance.” No. No, you can’t. In fact, it would legitimately be a magic trick if someone who didn’t know the stack already could find a card on the watch with a “quick glance.” I’d probably be more impressed by that than having a card at a number I named.

To be fair, I don’t know what Ellusionist’s definition of a “quick glance” is. If it’s at all similar to the “quick glances” magicians give to any chick at a magic convention showing a centimeter of skin, then I guess 10-60 seconds does fit that definition.

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On a different subject, I will give Ellusionist credit for their new PIcasso Pro effect. I don’t have it yet, but it looks pretty good. (There are definitely some people who seem to be having issues with it though. So it’s better to do some more research before picking it up rather than just being swayed by me saying it “looks pretty good.”)

I would probably buy my own URL and forward it to the required page… assuming that’s possible. Otherwise you’re at the mercy of the trick’s URL staying secret.

Speaking of URLs… here’s a note for Ellusionist regarding this trick. I’m not going to mention the main URL here, so that it doesn’t show up in anyone’s google search who you wouldn’t want it to. But shouldn’t the main URL go to a generic landing page? Why would you direct them to a subdirectory that’s identical to the main page? This may seem nitpicky, but if anyone does question the site itself, isn’t the first thing they’re going to do be to look at the main page? And wouldn’t it be strange that it’s the exact same as the page you sent them to? It’s just an odd design choice, in my opinion. But maybe no one really gives a shit about any of this.