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Ron Giesecke Special user Redding, Ca. 947 Posts |
Definitely not Carl’s “Junior”
A review of Great Scott’s Table Hopping Cups and Balls (2003, Scott Guinn) I am of the staunch opinion that it is impossible to clog the arteries of prestidigitation with a glut of cups and balls routines. There is just some intangible force that draws the human eye—and interest—to those timelessly inverted silos that just say “mystery afoot.” And spectators never tire of this grand premise, either. With this as my performing premise, I many times feel an unrequited emptiness at any show in which the logistical limitations have precluded me from performing, at the very least, a basic form of the cups and balls. I’d rather leave out my ambitious card routine; jam my ring flite; immerse my sponge balls in Karo Syrup. Anything but entertain the concept of not performing my own personal coup de grace. Those of us who work in food/social situations run the high risk of tactical exclusion—that some, uncontrollable factor in the performing situation will preclude us from performing the cups and balls. Perhaps the clientele and related furniture are just too tightly concentrated to accommodate a performing table. Or maybe the tables are the dreaded, circular planes of culinary clutter that can allow for little more than an extra fork. These situations are, of course, the perfect venue for say, a chop cup. Only one problem. I hate the chop cup as a sovereign routine. My umbrage with the chop cup is the trivialization of the mystery. I’ve never felt audiences were entirely hoodwinked. Scott Guinn has taken these factors, among others, into consideration. In his latest monograph, Great Scott’s Table Hopping Cups and Balls, Guinn places a nice spin on the concept of a two-cup routine. The majority of two-cup routines (ala Wonder/Williamson/Andrews, etc.) utilize a two-ball concept, complementary to the two cups. Guinn reduces the ball count by one, and to my mind, reduces the confusion factor without sacrificing the mystery commensurate with a two-cup routine. This will fool the pants off the spectators while making room in your own (this is an allusion to pocket space. Not your wallet). What I really appreciate about Scott Guinn’s routine is what appears to be a consistent thread throughout all his creations: the resurrection of little known—or at any rate little-utilized—acquitments. In his Peanut Butter and Jelly sponge ball routine he employs the “Cellini Aquitment”, a subtle, yet effective way to show both hands empty before a purse frame production. In his Table Hopping Cups and Balls, he employs Gary Oullet’s “Cenotaph Illusion,” a nice way to subtly show the insides of both cups empty before tabling them. This has a much nicer feel than the flushtration-esque move so common amongst the three-cup genre. This routine is deliberately constructed with miniature cups and balls in mind. Pocket space is one motivation, but table space is another. Being that the cups and loads (in this case, a set of Fakini, silicone billiard balls) are significantly smaller than the usual, this routine is performable in full-orbed splendor on a surface the size of a drawstring bag. This has some great advantages. I have a personal disdain for negotiating and performing for “round tables” of ten or so people, as these situations are notoriously cluttered and, unless you wiggle between a couple of people, impossible to use even the edge of the table surface for anything. A cups and balls routine is out of the question, and so these tables are slowly circumscribed with in-the-hands magic. Performing a standard cups and balls routine on the table will result in three things: First of course, is an unnecessary and uncouth reordering of the table to accommodate a close-up mat. Second is spectators across the table not being able to see the small ball transpositions, and third, all the spectators seeing the final loads—which minimizes the effect for those on the other side of the table should you venture the routine for them. Great Scott’s Table-Hopping Cups and Balls is a perfect way to avoid the first, utilize the second, and absorb the third problem into the strengths of the second one. Guinn’s routine makes it possible to tailor the performance to a few people at the periphery, or, should vantages be optimal, give the grand presentation to a whole group. Those with table-hopping experience will understand this completely. It is possible to perform this a few times for a large table, making each section as intimate and special as the one before. The judgment to do so is of course, contingent on whether or not the table is unilaterally focused on you, or whether there are multiple, distracted conversations taking place. The manuscript itself is an 8 ½ by 11, comb-bound manuscript, well written and photographically illustrated to the hilt. The routine’s plot consists of the need for the spectators to follow the whimsical travels of one ball—which penetrates not only the cups, but at one point—an enshrouding scarf as well. Transpositions between cups are the variant I referenced earlier with regard to why I am not a chop-cup person. The second cup raises the entertainment bar exponentially, and takes the chop cup into workable territory for me. There are also no false transfers, which takes the heat off stealing the loads considerably. There is no sleeving, no topiting, and no furtive scrambling to reset for the next table. All needed sleights are taught fully, and with the utmost clarity. Guinn even provides information on where to get the exact kind of cups he uses—which will perfectly accommodate the Fakini loads—and thus maximize the disproportionate ball sizes as well. One more thing. I am assuming that magicians of all levels will be reading this, and I would like to make one important point in light of the cups and balls renaissance. This routine is not a weakened adaptation for restaurant work. It is a strong routine that can stand the heat of formal performance, and nothing restricts this routine to miniature cups. It can be performed either way. Those still sitting with the clutch pushed in, waiting to learn a good cups and balls routine should give some consideration to this routine. Three-cup routines are beautiful, but take many years to make entertaining—somehow the magician must eliminate his or her own confusion before eliminating that of the spectator—and this can be a tumultuous process. This routine eliminates many of these problems with the presence of the chop cup—practicing the effect as written will also make the next step apparent, without having to first unclutter your mind or start anew. In short: An extremely valuable contribution to cups and balls literature. Attainable by the amateur in terms of difficulty, and simultaneously Feng Shui in terms of structural and logistical integrity. There are no rough spots. Its value far outweighs its cost. --Ron Giesecke This routine can be purchased from Scott Guinn directly at http://www.greatscott-itsmagic.com $7.50, free shipping to North American Café members. Those outside North America, please add $4 shipping. Paypal payments can be made directly to greatscottmagic@msn.com. |
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nalu_magic Loyal user Paradise 297 Posts |
What a great and thorough review of Great Scott's Table Hopping Cups and Balls, Ron!
Now for my 2 cents - The thing I enjoy most about Scott's routines is that they all flow from start to finish. Each phase builds upon each other and makes sense. Scott even covers casual subtlties such as the finishing layout of all the props to make the routine visually pleasing. You can tell that Scott has put much time and practice into this classic effect to mold it into a first class routine. This is a great routine that I'm still practicing myself before adding it to my performance collection. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you're thinking about purchasing this effect DO NOT HESISTATE. In fact for just $10 more you can get this routine + many more like his PB & J and ring and rope routine in his new edition of Great Scott It's More Magic! Now that's a bargain if you ask me. Take my word for it, Scott's stuff is top notch. nalu |
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Scott F. Guinn Inner circle "Great Scott!" aka "Palms of Putty" & "Poof Daddy G" 6586 Posts |
Thanks guys. I appreciate your support. I am proud of this routine and it is, in fact, something I actually perform--exactly as explained--in my table-hopping and other paid performances. It "plays" very well.
For those who may be curious, some key points: It can be performed standing or seated with no change in the routine. No sleeving, topiting, servantes, etc required. No false transfers or difficult sleights are required. It is easy enough for beginners to learn, but is a professional-caliber routine. As Ron mentioned, it was specifically routined to take the confusion factor out of the cups and balls while retaining the impact. Two cups, one ball. The ball penetrates through the cups, transposes from one cup to the other, etc. But it is exceptionally easy for the audience to follow and understand. It requires the chop cup and one regular cup from a combo cups and balls set. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.
"Love God, laugh more, spend more time with the ones you love, play with children, do good to those in need, and eat more ice cream. There is more to life than magic tricks." - Scott F. Guinn
My Lybrary Page |
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saturnin Special user Montreal, Canada 964 Posts |
Hi Scott,
Will this routine be explained in your upcoming DVD? Could you also list the content of your DVD? Thanks in advance! Ronnie Lemieux Montreal Canada
There is no road to happiness,
happiness is the road! |
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Scott F. Guinn Inner circle "Great Scott!" aka "Palms of Putty" & "Poof Daddy G" 6586 Posts |
No, it's not on the DVD. I've listed the contents of the DVD elsewhere, but in a nutshell, it has my favorite coin routine, my sponge routine, Ring and rope routine, a rope trick for kids' shows and seven of my favorite card effects.
"Love God, laugh more, spend more time with the ones you love, play with children, do good to those in need, and eat more ice cream. There is more to life than magic tricks." - Scott F. Guinn
My Lybrary Page |
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vinsmagic Eternal Order sleeping with the fishes... 10957 Posts |
Can Scott's routine be compared to Carl Andrews' strolling Cups and Balls? I know that Scott's work is excellent. I have his rope and ring routine, as well as his book. I just received Carl's DVD and it is awesome. That's why I'm asking this question.
vinny |
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Eric Grossman Elite user St. Louis, MO 429 Posts |
Scott,
Congrats on the amazing review. I am one of those guys who has avoided C&B work because of the space requirements. It sounds as though you have solved that. BTW, who is putting your DVD out and where will it be available? I just checked out your web site. How much for one of everything?
family/magic/music/life
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Ron Crumley Elite user 1950 - 2012 448 Posts |
Scott, let me make sure I understand the cups required for your routine:
It requires a chop cup AND one cup from a regular C&B set? The two cups that you use, should they be matching in appearance? Not trying to get overly detailed, but ordering a chop cup AND a matching set of C&B could be expensive. No doubt it would be worth it in order to include this routine in any table hoppers bag. Thanks, Indy Ron |
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Scott F. Guinn Inner circle "Great Scott!" aka "Palms of Putty" & "Poof Daddy G" 6586 Posts |
No, you're not understanding. It uses two cups from a "combo cups and balls" set, available from most any dealer. This set includes three matching cups, exactly like normal sets (they're made by the same manufacturers), but one of them is chopped. The set typically sells for about $10 more than a standard set.
My routine just eliminates one of the regular cups and several of the balls. Quote: It is a joint venture of Michelangelo Magic Works and Great Scott It's Magic Productions. It will be available directly from me, but Murphy's Magic supplies will be wholesaling it, meaning it will be available from many dealers.
On 2003-02-27 16:37, sbasscase wrote: As far as "How much for one of everything," PM me for details if you're serious. Vinny, My routine is significantly different from Carl's. I am obviously biased, so I will not make a comparison myself, but I will say that I prefer NOT to use sponge balls as final loads, particularly when following with a sponge effect, as I feel that when spectators feel the compressibility of the sponges, the impact of the final loads is diminished. This is in no way meant to be a pejorative or derogatory opinion of Carl's routine. His routine is excellent. Just as a matter of personal preference and philosophy, I don't like the use of sponges as the final load. I will leave it to others who have both routines to comment on the pros and cons of each.
"Love God, laugh more, spend more time with the ones you love, play with children, do good to those in need, and eat more ice cream. There is more to life than magic tricks." - Scott F. Guinn
My Lybrary Page |
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Ron Giesecke Special user Redding, Ca. 947 Posts |
Vinny,
Scott's routine also employs miniature cups, with one ball in "visible" play. Carl's routine utilizes two regular cups with two balls in play. Scott's uses a scarf at one point, reminiscent of a Larry Jennings sequence with his chop-cup routine. Scott uses a wand, while Carl, attempting to make the space-hogging routine more organic, uses the Sharpie that most of us already carry. As Scott has said, the final loads are a huge difference. Carl's melding of two routines using sponge balls is quite nice. Scott prefers solidity to the final loads, and so he used the Fakini balls for that ending. (I'm personally using those miniature limes, when available). By the way, my title for that review was only meant to imply that these routines, while bearing the "table-hopping' moniker, bear no other real resemblance outside the greater premise. In other words--one did not give birth to the other. They are both excellent and I really like Carl's minimalist thinking. I just happen to agree on not using sponge balls for loads if they are going into the hands of a spectator. Hope this helps, Ron |
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Eric Grossman Elite user St. Louis, MO 429 Posts |
Sorry Scott, I was exaggerating for effect. It's just that so many items on your site look great. It's rare to see that much apparently quality material in one place. Sorry to mislead you.
Having one young son and another on the way, I can't do a lot of purchasing these days. There are, however, quite a few items of yours that I would seriously take interest in if that were not the case.
family/magic/music/life
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vinsmagic Eternal Order sleeping with the fishes... 10957 Posts |
To Ron and Scott, thank you for the info. I'm looking foward for the release of the DVD.
vinny PS Good luck with this effect. |
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Scott F. Guinn Inner circle "Great Scott!" aka "Palms of Putty" & "Poof Daddy G" 6586 Posts |
Quote: You could certainly use a pen, chppstick, whatever as opposed to a wand in my routine. It would make absolutely no difference in the handling.On 2003-02-28 09:58, Ron Giesecke wrote:
"Love God, laugh more, spend more time with the ones you love, play with children, do good to those in need, and eat more ice cream. There is more to life than magic tricks." - Scott F. Guinn
My Lybrary Page |
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Ron Giesecke Special user Redding, Ca. 947 Posts |
Scott,
True, but I prefer the wand for classical effect. The Sharpie makes me seem like I "forgot my wand." Just my personal outlook, however. |
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Scott F. Guinn Inner circle "Great Scott!" aka "Palms of Putty" & "Poof Daddy G" 6586 Posts |
I agree. I was merely pointing out that it isn't required, and that for those who prefer, no changes in handling would be needed for a pen or another object.
There has been some confusion, and I have received a lot of questions about this, so I wanted to explain this here. This routine, in its entirety and exactly as it appears in this manuscript, is included in my book, Great Scott! It's More Magic! And, since this book is included in the bound trilogy, it is also in the trilogy. ALL of my individual routines/effects come from my books. Some of them include props, such as the sponge routine, the Ring & Rope routine, and many of the card routines. I understand that sometimes people don't want to buy a $25 book, they just want one routine with all the props, or in this case, just a cups and balls routine. So I offer some of the stuff from my books separately, so you can get just the things that interest you. I say this because I have been getting some orders for the trilogy or the "More" book along with this routine. If you get either of these books, this routine is already included, so it is a waste of your money to get this, too. I just want to be honest--I'm not out to rip off anybody. I also want to thank all of you for your support in purchasing my books and products. I really appreciate it. Scott
"Love God, laugh more, spend more time with the ones you love, play with children, do good to those in need, and eat more ice cream. There is more to life than magic tricks." - Scott F. Guinn
My Lybrary Page |
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Magic1 Elite user Los Angeles 408 Posts |
Sounds awesome! Thanks!
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Futureal Inner circle 1695 Posts |
You're replying to a three year old message?
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peculiarone Veteran user Fence almost done. I've already put in 324 Posts |
When I click on the link I only get the ad for the dvd. How do I view the other items Scott has for sale?
Thanks Strange? |
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Futureal Inner circle 1695 Posts |
Again - this is a THREE YEAR OLD thread. A lot of things change in three years. I'm not sure Scott even sells these products anymore, email him perhaps.
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chappelly Special user Down Under 744 Posts |
More like a four year old thread.However this routine is excellent.Glad I bought the manuscript.
Chappelly |
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