Hey brothers here is another video of me doing Whit's Chicago Surprise.... ALL COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IQcGBULGso

Would really like to hear any comments good or bad..

Superb as always, constantly in complete control

Here is my comment. (FWIW)

I am used to seeing magicians use phony explanations for their magic. I think the idea of building up the phony explanation and then revealing a red card is hilarious, and I would love to do it with a straight face. The humor then is a great tool for breaking the tension of the magic. If nothing else, I plan on buying the Chicago Surprise booklet from Penguin soon so I can perform this. I hope it works with my personality.

Just brainstorming here, but people might actually think you are serious if you say that you believe in auras or some other such fringe phenomena.

Gotcha I understand what you mean and with the crow I would change the routine a bit pending on the crowed, but these were people who knew me so I play it off as a tongue in cheek "What the HECK IS HE GONNA DO NOW!!!" but thanks.. get it man its a great effect and my favorite of all the Chicago Opener versions.

The most important thing is that the people enjoy the performance. The trick was done clean and you moved it along nice, since it is one that could drag out if you let it. You also handled the people quite well.

Like I said it's the people that matter. When I see people being amazed and laughing then that's a home run as far as I'm concerned.

Thank you for posting the link.

Phil

Thanks a lot brother, I feel the same way man

I have to agree with the above post... Very entertaining and smooth transactions, I enjoyed it alot.

MagicB1S thanks a lot man I really try to just have fun and go off the cuff but I love the comments that you guys give me... Above all my comments on youtube what the community here has to say is what makes me work harder to better myself..

@Paisa, do you perform professionally? I'm pretty sure I read you say somewhere that you only do it for fun.

Right now its for fun.. Years ago in Jersey at Rainforrest Café I did it professionally but right now for fun cause of my hectic military schedule. But I would love to do it pro.. Just lost in the politics of the buisness end.. Why do you ask?

Because you're GOOD!

No, it isn't that. The reason I asked is because the relationship between yourself and the spectators is non-obvious. You don't make a point of telling who these people are. (even though those details might be in the video description or something.) So from my side, you seem to be polished, professional, and able to draw a crowd. On the other hand, I swear I read somewhere, before your post above, that you only did it for fun, so I wanted to be sure.

Well in the recent videos there where some people there that I knew but many others that I did not.. Same as the ones in the Bar,just my Buddy and my Wife all others were friends of others... But yeah right now its for fun. But when I'm out with friends or just random people ill tend to draw a crowd if I'm asked... as in it usually always starts with one of my friends saying hey show these guys something... But now a days I carry my camera with me as well as some things on me just because I know at some point during the day ill be asked to show someone something... I really would like to get out there and try to do it more on a professional level but there is where I lack the knowledge of how to go about it.. I know a lot of people that do but they are a bit older or tend to cater more to kids shows.. Which isn't a negative thing I just would like be more of a Close-up, walk around maybe even Parlor for teens and above where my sometimes rough sense of humor would be recieved better... If that makes any sense... Thanks for the compliment though..... Really boosts my confidence..

Here is another one, This is French Kiss. I hadent done it in a while so I went a little off script.. But hey what are ya gonna do?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-QGF4salJs

I agree with all the compliments above. One suggestion is that when you show the red card away from the deck and then have to go back to the deck that move seems unmotivated. I think you would be off to just do the double and then remove.

Gil Scott

Paisa,

Let me begin by saying that I enjoy your videos. You have great energy and seem like a genuine dude. However, your presentations often take a generic tone. Normally it seems like you're giving simple exposition. As I said, you have a nice peronality; why not try to personalize ur presentations a little more? Write some jokes, talk about your famly, wife etc.

Lastly, from a technical stand point, work on the pinky count. Then you can forego the awkward moment of taking the card off the pack for the get ready, then putting it back on, then turning it over.

-Don

Awesome advice and comments guys. And I agree I need to add more of me to my effectds I tend to have a hard time with that. As for the pinky count I jammed my pinky years ago and it never healed right. When I attempt to pinky count it jams and lol I have to manually move it.

WHAT ELSE KEEP THEM COMING!!! Also Donnie if you could look at the ones at the bar, I had a lot more of me in those.

You have some nice improv skills. You're able to roll with whatever the specs (or ringing cellphones) throw at you. That's huge. And you definitely have some chops, with enough practice under your belt to make everything look casual and relaxed.

SIR, YES SIR!!!

Another compliment I can pay to your MAGIC, not you, because your head is probably big enough (only kidding), but to your MAGIC is that you are capable of taking a simple event and drawing the mystery out of it. I noticed this when I watched your simple Youtube viewers only trick. I mention this because I am always in awe of people who are able to really accent how magical even the shortest or most basic illusions are.

What I mean by that is, I am always drawn in by showmanship because I know, deep down, that what is being communicated is the truth. A ball vanishing, something floating, even for a moment, IS phenomenal, and demands all of your attention. It stops me in my tracks because it reminds me of that fact.

The way this is done is with the attention paid to the moment, the movements of the hands... almost a certain amount of flourish, as if great care is being taken. This is called showmanship, and may indicate the capacity of becoming a great performer: After all, it was said that Houdini was able to captivate an entire theater with a needle swallowing illusion. And that requires only one man and a spotlight!

Keep it up, and if you want to post some private tutorials, they would be warmly received.