It’s all well and good to have a routine, but as any street magician knows, it’s only half of the equation. Learning how to properly build and keep a crowd is as much of an artform as actually performing, as Steven Bridges lays out in this entertaining video.

Bridges takes his fresh-faced apprentice Owen into the streets of London, showing him the ropes on how to engage an audience, how to gather more people, and how to keep them there. He explains the importance of group psychology – it’s much easier to build a crowd if you can get at least three people to stop for a simple card trick than only one or two – and then shows how you can build up to your signature routine from there.

(He also explains the importance of getting paid at the end – this is a job, after all.)

It’s a quick but informative watch, and when you’re done, you can check out Owen’s video and to see how he did on his first day on the streets from his perspective.