Magic Words & Snapping Fingers: But Why?

I think it’s fair to say many magicians cringe when they see a performer snap their fingers, chant a magic word, or make a magical gesture. But why do they do it? And why do television magicians sometimes do it, too?

One of the questions I ask when I consult for television is "When is the magic happening?" Some experienced magicians can tell me the precise moment that the magic is happening. Less experienced performers will look at me rather perplexed. Beginners will say the magic is happening when the method occurs — this is the wrong answer.

Magicians snap their fingers, recite magician words, and make magical gestures to improve their magic. But why does it improve the magic? Well, there are two key reasons…

It timestamps the illusion.

Timestamping an illusion is an incredibly powerful psychological tool. Children are the most challenging spectators because they are not clued into social norms and responsibilities. Because of this, kids provide the perfect control test for the timestamp tool.

If you take a coin, pretend to pass it from one hand to the other, and then open your hand, and the coin is gone. A child (and some adults) will immediately assume the coin is still in your first hand.

This is why timestamping an illusion is so essential. By passing the coin to the second hand and then snapping your fingers, you timestamp the moment of magic.

You’re subconsciously telling the audience the coin is there up until the moment you snap your fingers. And the same goes for difficult sleight of hand. For example, suppose you perform an impossible sleight to get their card to the top of the deck. You might pause for a moment and perhaps snap your fingers or move the deck to signal that now is the timestamp of the magic. Without that timestamp, you run the risk that the viewer will backtrack further.

I think the most undeniable example of how timestamping works wonders is when illusionists vanish and appear at the back of the audience. Or when a great big elephant or plane vanishes and appears in an instant. Without a big flash of light on stage or a big magical gesture by the illusionist on stage, the audience can find themselves backtracking. When was the last time we actually saw the illusionist on stage? How long did they actually have to make the plane appear?

It sparks the imagination.

The most embarrassing fact for magicians is that no magic you create in real life will be better than the magic you create in the audience’s mind. And people's minds and memories are easy to manipulate.

By timestamping the magic, you’re cueing the audience to use their imagination. What’s happening to the coin inside your hand? Is it melting slowly? Vanishing in an instant? You won’t believe this, but different audience members will say different things.

Some people think the Statue of Liberty vanished in an instant when Copperfield performed his great big illusion. Others say it faded away, and some will say it vanished slowly from top to bottom.