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Aubrey_T Regular user Paso Robles 175 Posts |
Someone was asked why magicians make coins go from one hand to the other.
The reply "Because they're good at it." |
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
Why do magicians tie their shoes?
...to all the coins I've dropped here
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Dr.Fate New user 94 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-02-17 16:06, Jonathan Townsend wrote: ummmm, some don't wear stringed shoes. J/K Mr. Townsend |
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
It's cute for a precocious child to show off their skills to adults. And sad for an adult to do such.
To collapse down two familiar saws; Why does the chicken cross the road? Because it can. Why does the magician make the coins travel? Here is one answer that seems to respect all concerned...because they want the audience to enjoy it as much as they did when they learned how.
...to all the coins I've dropped here
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Paolo Venturini Veteran user Lucca (I.) - New York City 385 Posts |
Mmm, you lost me!
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jolyonjenkins Inner circle United Kingdom 1181 Posts |
As JT (nearly) says, because they saw someone else do it and wanted to be able to do it themselves
Jolyon Jenkins
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Aubrey_T Regular user Paso Robles 175 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-02-17 18:01, Jonathan Townsend wrote: That is one way of looking at it certainly. I have found that it sometimes is the leading factor of why we may perform it and it's many variations. Something to slightly puff us up while still sharing. |
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
If you find me while you are lost, send me a card.
...to all the coins I've dropped here
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magicbob116 Inner circle 1522 Posts |
Why, indeed? Is it not enough that it's magical? Do audiences not enjoy this effect? Are we only performing this for ourselves? Personally, I find that spectators are entertained by the coins disappearing, reappearing, traveling, etc. My performance style is never "look what I can do." So, even if I'm doing a "coins across"-type effect, I don't sense people are thinking, "He thinks he's so clever" or something like that. I always try to maintain a sense of wonder (my own as well as the audience's) about the magic that occurs. I think I'm usually successful in conveying that sense of wonder and, thus, transfer it to the audience.
B. Robert Pulver
The "I Hate Card Tricks!" Book of Card Tricks Vol. 1, 2, and 3 Kards for Kids Sticky Situations Sleightly Wacky http://www.magicnook.com/magicbob |
Aubrey_T Regular user Paso Robles 175 Posts |
This seems to be one of those effects that we all have the clever task of portraying it as something special. In can be trivial if you think about it too much cause it is so "straight forward" in plot. Is there supposed to be meaning to this most cherished of tricks?
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magicbob116 Inner circle 1522 Posts |
It goes back to some of the debates about patter. Some effects are enhanced by a storyline that "hooks" the audience. But sometimes we work so hard to devise an original "plot" for an effect, that we can actually detract from the magical moments. There are some great effects that can be done without saying a word!
B. Robert Pulver
The "I Hate Card Tricks!" Book of Card Tricks Vol. 1, 2, and 3 Kards for Kids Sticky Situations Sleightly Wacky http://www.magicnook.com/magicbob |
Aubrey_T Regular user Paso Robles 175 Posts |
So then we turn to a question that I often ask my favorite magicians: How do you inject yourself into the magic without getting in the way of the magic?
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Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
Fair question Aubrey.
I study magic. And sometimes share what I find. With conjurers that includes methods. For most people it includes only the stories and results. I do not believe in using magic to accomplish trivial tasks. It is far more efficient to simply transfer coins from hand to hand the way muggles do. And insulting to audiences to act as if we forgot such things. Likewise I will not count the coins or state that which is evident to those watching. Hence my need for stories and context setting with same intent as actors use costume and lighting to better communicate their script. For example, when performing my coins across; it's not about being clever with the coins. No. It's all about a property of coins to sneak or fly about on their own, though in a manner never directly observed. Sure the audience knowns it's a put on. And also since we (me and them) know this, the little play is made easier to enjoy at face value. That's what seems to work for me. Please do whatever works for you.
...to all the coins I've dropped here
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magicbob116 Inner circle 1522 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-02-17 19:50, Jonathan Townsend wrote: This is a great example of patter that isn't "working too hard." I've seen some coin effects where the magician has this long involved plot about one coin being the knight in shining armor and another coin represents the damsel in distress, etc. I think that's stretching a bit. I recently read a thread about Professor's Nightmare with a similar opinion... they are ropes (in the case of PN), not bears, not three little pigs, etc. In the case of coins, they can't really represent something too abstract or I think you risk "losing" the audience.
B. Robert Pulver
The "I Hate Card Tricks!" Book of Card Tricks Vol. 1, 2, and 3 Kards for Kids Sticky Situations Sleightly Wacky http://www.magicnook.com/magicbob |
Aubrey_T Regular user Paso Robles 175 Posts |
Very astute Jonathan. I have found also that motivation in this effect is something has seemed to have gone overboard to the point of it being a puzzle and not a moment of magic. We vanish the coins well and make them appear in the other hand. It doesn't have to be so trivial yet it doesn't have to be a optical puzzle. It is a play in every sense of the word and they're in on it as much as we are. Making the coins animated is motivated and not trivial as well even if the specs don't actually see them moving per se. Great idea. It's funny cause silence can be great and elegant and yet for this effect it causes it to lean to the "puzzle" view of it.
I agree with you Bob that giving the coins characteristic/titles isn't the way to go. It's almost demeaning to the specs. It's like "now kids, we're going play make beleive for a moment", which can be fine if you're dealing with kids but it's so much better to have a plot that doesn't involve so much pretention. Am I wrong? |
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