Not dead in MY books!

A secret weapon in my books and I use it often as "It's all in how you use it," my NW that is. I agree that maybe this should be taken down stairs though.

I remember performing once for a group of girls that hired me out for a 25 birthday party. The one girl said that she loved the show the mentalist and knew how a lot of what I do was done and the one thing she brought up was the NW. (she didn't call it that though) I remember just cringing when hearing this but at the same time I tried to look at the positive side and took it as a test to see if I was using it properly. The show went great, and in the end she had no idea at all as we talked afterwords and she said that a lot of the things on the show, must just be thought up by Hollywood as she was unable to figure anything out.

Darren

This

You can use a double lift and freak people out still. And you can still perform Do As I Do (which is just a key card, the oldest one in the book) and with the right framing, create something amazing.

If you can't us a swami, then you certainly can't peek, 'cos that's just 'looking'.

Bob, I see you are an optimist. Me, I thought that respect you talk about was long dead already.

Sorry LOH. It's not dead. If it was, we wouldn't be discussing it.

David

Well, not entirely true. One can mourn on a dead person over months or years after her death.

Well, as long as some of us are still around who respect the art, that respect still lives.

But it does appear to be on life support.

You are entitled to your opinion, LOH.

But I fail to see how declaring that "respect" for the art dead is in any way helpful in trying to gently explain to other performers that some restraint should be used in the way "secret" things are referred to in an open forum.

My goal in the above post wasn't to make anyone feel foolish. (Nor am I trying to pick a fight with you. I am, after all, Canadian...and we don't generally pick fights with anyone. ... although I expect that on this topic, we will simply have to agree to disagree.)

My goal certainly wasn't to promote a debate as to whether or not respect is dead, either. It was just to instill a little respect for the "daily bread" props we use.

If we have people who newcomers should look up to like you, LOH, trotting around trumpeting the death of respect for the secrets...where does that leave us?

People need to be told that revealing secrets is NOT in their best interest. Discussing them in an open forum like this isn't in their best interests either.

Let's set aside any likelihood that someone will find the terms here and research them. (I agree it's highly unlikely. And I have said on many occasions that if someone really wants to know how an effect is done or what a NW is, they can find the information.) It is the ATTITUDE toward the secret things that bothers me. If we don't reverence the things we use to make a living...who will?

It is purely a basic matter of respect for the prop, for the people who are using the prop and the people who have designed the prop.

Respect isn't dead until no one cares. I care.

David

We were not discussing the toe writer, Paul! Whether it is alive or dead is still under discussion on another forum. It does not smell very alive.

Look, the Svengali Deck has been hawked at county and state fairs, flea markets, swap meets and a million other locations for many decades. It's probably the most exposed magic utility in history.

And yet with the right routine with the right handling, ringing the deck in and out naturally, you can fool even the most seasoned magicians.

Like my dad used to say, "It's a poor workman who blames his tools."

LOL Spell! ;-)

I use the swami ALL THE TIME. I usually guess the exact amount of money in their pocket and it is a great effect. People don't even know the swami exists and most people don't watch the shows that reveal tricks.

Here is a quick performance of the swami in action....
http://youtu.be/bvySIx5K7VA

That makes a great promo-video, Benji... but it's not a great example of an actual performance because of the camera trick used to sell the promo.

Neither is dead, neither was ever born.

There was no camera trick involved. It was a real performance

[quote]On 2011-08-17 00:36, Benji Bruce wrote: Granted, it was a real performance. However, the live audience did not see it the same way the promo-video portrays it. I won't go into detail unless you want me to. However the camera angles are used to convince the viewing audience that the effect was done minus something that the live audience did see. That equates to camera trick to me. How am I wrong?

I thought you were saying I pulled a Criss Angel ...anyone who performs on camera should be aware of two different audiences . A camera trick is what Criss Angel does. Being aware that you have two different audiences is what Derren Brown does. Huge difference

Yes its dead. For your own sake never use it ... abandon it at once. People see "write" through it and unless you desire to be embarrassed in front of others I suggest using something else... I recommend electronics as these are more current and up to date. Please everyone... if you haven't got the message, this tool is a dead end. A pro wouldn't be caught dead using such a thing, this is amateur stuff (you can get like four of em for $10... how can that be a legitimate tool?). Thanks to the OP for increasing awareness of such a worthless item.

It's kind of sad to see that some people exposing on this open forum all sorts of technics and materials and the same time complain that they are dead.
I did not know that magic or mentalism had to be expensive to be powerful???
Watch one presentation of Bob Cassidy or Max Maven, with one piece of paper and a pen they do miracles and it costs less than 10$ ????????!!!!!!

Cheers
Pourang