I have been performing close up for a while now but I would like to get into doing manipulations of all kinds I have bought the jeff McBride videos and have had them a while but I was wondering if anybody here can reccomend some books to learn from and how I would go about routining a manipulation act. It will be much appreciated.

As far as books go, one of the best I can recommend for the beginning manipulator is Bill Tarr's "Now You See It, Now You Don't". McBride's Manipulation Vids are good. If you are into billiard balls, Tim Wright's video on the multiplying balls are great. They give a history (sort of)selection of balls, basic manipulation, some advanced manipulation methods and a good section on routining.

Routined Manipulations by Lewis Ganson

It's Easier Than You Think by Geoffry Buckingham

These are excellent books.

Thanks Darkwing I will be checking them books out I have heard a lot about Routined Manipulations but I have never heard of Its Easier than you think.

It's Easier Than You Think is billiard ball manipulation. There is some crazy stuff in there including a 13 ball routine with no shell.

Also, Routined Manipulation is actually three books. There was a compiled version printed, but I don't know how easy it is to find.

When learning manipulations, a multitude of excessive moves are available. Learn to cut and keep. So many think that doing a difficult move is impressive... to whom? My reason for learning complicated techniques are used more as an exercise. If you have the McBride DVD's, you can't do much better than that.

Good Luck!
Kregg

I also LOVE It's easier Then You Think and have found the sections on body loads and the proper way to steal objects, to be a wealth of knowledge for the manipulator.

Kyle

It's easier than you think is actually a 2 volume set. I have volume 2, looking for volume 1. Although it deals with billiard balls, vol 2 deals more with coins and thimbles (it still has some billiard ball manipulation).

Rtgreen Davenports sells the lewis ganson book Routined manipulations which I will be purchasing and wayne 2241 the book its easier than you think sounds interesting, which brings me on to the next question which made be answered in these book when you start a manipulation do you start with the music to go with the act or do you start with the effects or is it a bit of both?

For me, I can hear music and visualize a routine forming in time with the music. The key here is to listen to a lot of music. WHen you hear a song that clicks, you'll know it. This may not work for everyone, but it works for me.

I suggest that you search for information in this section as well, as I use it more than my books or DVDs.

Kyle has some excellent advice on how to devise and put together an act. His advise helped and continues to influence my magic. The mans a genius

Check out these links!

http://www.pentrix.com/ for pens and small wands
http://www.coinmanipulation.com/ for coins

A little bit of both.

I like to play around improvising manipulation to new music. I'll put something on the stereo and goof around with moves in time with the music. Eventually, and only sometimes, it crystalizes into a routine that can be polished. At this point, I start choreographing the routine with the music and giving the routine a logical structure.

Richard

"It's Easier Than You Think" is a great set, but I've also found Burling Hull's 2 Vol. "Expert Billiard Ball Manipulation" to be of great value.

Thank you, k

You never know what you'll find out there...now how will that pentrix work with a sharpie?

Jesse

If You have Jeff McBride's videos of manipulation!
You will learn a very good stuff of manipulation with cards, I heard very good replies about those DVD's and Videos! I'am learning manipulations by my self because of this time for me is very difficult with budget!
:)

Dizzy,

First may I thank you for your kind words. It means a lot to me. I have just learned to realize that so many magicians do manipulation acts not for the audience but for themselves. This seems mean spirited but it is so true.

Think about it for a second. To an audience, you vanish a ball and it comes back. You vanish a card and it comes back. Any other move or vanish is still a vanish to them. So manipulative acts become redundant very fast to a lay audience.

How do I know this, case I did it once and many times over. One magician and many lay people actually told me this when I ask them to be real honest with me. To them it was the same thing.

I realized that too many manipulators are performing for themselves. Meaning, just because you know every billirad ball vanish in a book, does not mean you have to do them all just because you know the move and can perform it. Keep in mind that moves are to be invisible to an audience.

When we realize this, we realize that manipulative acts need something more. This is when we start to get creative with it.

Keep in mind that books and videos are awesome for learning skill and technique on moves and body loads and steals. They are often HORRIBLE for learning the art of putting a routine or act together. Infact I would say if I was to put a manipulative act together, I would take my tapes and my books and HEAVE them into the trash. lol At least during the routining process.

The only thing videos do when routining is to make us become clones by having us do the same moves and same ideas someone else has already done. It hinders our creativity and we stop trying to think outside of what we are comfortable with.

For me, creativity in a manipulative routine stems from other things otuside of magic. I look at culture, music, sports, and basically anything outside of magic that I can draw upon.

Another important revalation is that a playing card is not just a playing card. It is a certain shape that we can manipulate. Once we get past the idea that it HAS to be a card, we can start to look for objects to manipulate that are NOT cards but have this same shape. This way we can do the same moves but we are manipulating something entirely different. This opens the door up to creativity.

I will leave it at this for now. If anyone wants to learn more ideas how how to think creatively or methods of brainstomring, I would be happy to post them here. They may be of help to you.

Kyle