The Myth of Audience Management

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Case One

As per a request from a number of people, one of the tricks we included in the last batch of videos for the Virtual Focus Group was the new trick Leviosa.

As with the previous batch of surveys we sent out, they received an edited version of the demo just showing the trick itself, and we got responses from 47 participants.

In the question that asked how the trick might be accomplished, the word “thread” was used zero times by the respondents. Now, it’s possible that in a real life scenario, they might be able to see the thread, and thus they would have used that word. But in an ideal/controlled situation—as on video—that’s not the specific word they come up with. For whatever that means to you.

18 participants did talk about something being “connected” to the deck or “pulling up the deck” or words to that effect, but they didn’t specifically say thread.

All 47 respondents mentioned some level of suspicion towards the deck itself, using phrases like, “not a real deck,” “special deck,” “trick deck.” Nine of the respondents mentioned small drone-type toys that float in a similar way.

So, while the specific methodology is more or less unknown to people, it’s safe to say that those who watch it will be suspicious of the deck. Understandable.

I was talking to a friend over email about why I probably wouldn’t get this. The audience is bound to have a theory about the workings of the trick that—right or wrong—I can’t disprove. All the heat will be on the deck. He said to me, “You just need to have the proper audience management.”

Case Two

At about the 12:15 minute mark in this video, Craig demonstrates a trick called Killer Colossal where the backs of four cards change colors.

In the discussion of the trick afterward, Craig says:

“The one negative, something you need to be aware of, is the cards can't be examined. [...] If examinability is an issue for you, that's something you should consider. But to be honest, with a little bit of basic audience management this is fine because as soon as you've got the cards that have changed backs you would put it away, and you'd go into something else.”

Here, Craig describes “basic” audience management as putting the trick away and going on to something else.

I’ve always felt one of the things that holds magic back is the way words and phrases are often used. One of the first things I wrote about on this was trying to establish a useful definition of “impromptu.” The way people were using the word while advertising effects made it completely valueless.

These days, the phrase “everyday carry” is similarly useless. It’s come to mean something like, “this is what I have in my pocket today.”

But “audience management” is probably one of the most abused terms in our art. When people point out an inherent weakness in a trick, they are often told this can be addressed with “audience management.”

Here is a productive definition of audience management:

Audience management is the subset of techniques in magic that allow us to control the physical actions of our spectators.

If I’m worried someone is going to turn over a card too soon, I can have them sandwich it between their hands rather than leaving it open on their palm.

If I’m standing, performing magic at a table, and I worry someone might reach out and touch a tabled double, then I can place it back near my crotch, so they’re less likely to invade that personal space.

If I’m concerned a spectator might turn around at an inopportune moment, then I may be able to “lock” them in place by resting a hand on their shoulder.

How do you keep the spectator from opening their hand too soon in the sponge ball routine? You’re going to use some kind of audience management technique.

These small techniques should mostly go unnoticed. Otherwise, it’s “Audience Coercion” not “Audience Management.”

With this understanding of “audience management” we would be able to accumulate a collection of small, practical, useful techniques. You could imagine entire books being written about the subject that compiles these ideas together.

But that’s not how we use the term. Instead, we use it as some kind of reverse-boogeyman. An unknown, undefinable entity that will magically solve our problems.

That’s in a thread about a trick where bills magically change. If the audience wants to see the bills, then you “manage” them to not want to see them. And the way you “manage” them is by putting the bills away and doing something else.

This is not useful or productive thinking. Putting props away when someone shows an interest in them, and rushing on to the next effect, doesn’t solve any issue.

Audience management techniques are used to control the physical actions of our spectators.

The desire to examine an object is an emotional/mental desire. Controlling their actions, doesn’t address this state of mind.

Imagine you thought your wife was cheating on you. You confront her about it. You say, “Okay, if everything is innocent, then show me your phone. Let me see your text messages with that guy.”

“Just a second,” she says. And she goes out into your backyard and blows up her phone with a stick of dynamite.

Your wife has just used “husband management” to prevent you from looking at her phone.

Do you walk away thinking, “Ah, my concerns were unjustified. It’s good to know our relationship is on solid ground”?

No, you think, “THAT FUCKING WHORE! I’LL KILL HER!”

Similarly, putting your magically-affected item away and moving on to the next trick only further reduces the impact of a trick because you have now solidified their suspicions in their mind.

I understand Craig Petty’s point. He’s coming at this from the position of someone doing wedding receptions and other performances of that nature. Sure, in those circumstances, it makes sense to not slow down the “show” by having everything looked at. That can feel normal due to the natural momentum of that type of performance.

But for the sake of productive discussions, let’s just concede that anyone performing professionally understands that putting something back in their pocket or their case will prevent that thing from being looked at. That’s not “audience management.” It’s just common-fucking-sense.

The people who are wondering how they might handle the suspicion that falls on the gimmicked cards or the changed bills or the electronic fake deck aren’t people who don’t know how to put things away in their pockets. They are just people who perform in a style where that is the most unnatural thing to do.

So let’s stop using “audience management” in this profoundly useless manner—as a cudgel to prevent discussion and quell criticism.

But if not “audience management,” then how do you handle the suspicion that falls on the floating deck of cards?

The answer to that question is that there’s not an answer to that question.

With some tricks, everything is examinable. With some tricks, people’s suspicion is directed towards clean objects, and they never think to question the dirty elements of the trick. And with some tricks, you can switch in or out objects imperceptibly, leaving everything examinable.

But when a deck of cards floats up to your hands, you don’t have those options. It’s going to be a gimmicked deck. Everyone’s suspicions will be directly on that deck. And if you were to even try and take it out of their site in some way to switch it, you would only ramp up those suspicions 1000%.

So how do you handle this type of trick?

The answer is not through audience management.

The answer is through expectation management. Manage your expectations. Realize that what you’re going to be showing people is a fun visual moment. But they’re not going to walk away thinking, “That completely normal deck just floated into the guy’s hand!” They’re probably going to think it looks cool, but they’ll also probably know it’s some kind of special deck you bought.

If you're fine with that sort of experience, then you don’t have to worry too much about anything. You can put the deck away and move on.

If you’re looking to create a mystery that’s a bit more impenetrable, then this is not the trick for you. And you’ll have to get comfortable with the fact that many tricks are not going to reach that standard. Regardless of how much you “manage” your audience.