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Weisszach New user Manchester, UK 70 Posts |
Let me start by saying I have always loved magic and dabbled in it now and again but things have got in my way (ie. football, gaming, beer and women). Now I have settled down I want to really give this a proper bash but don't really know where to start.
I have done card and coin magic in the past but what I want to do is a host of quick tricks which doesn't involve carrying around a lot of props, gaffed or otherwise. Don't know which branch to start out on but I do know I want to at least get a plan in place before I dip my toe in the water. Any advice would be wlecomed with open arms |
EXTREMENINJA1 Regular user 134 Posts |
There are several impromptu tricks you could choose from. Oil and water is a possible trick with a great effect. Or you could create your own tricks using sleights you know. Catch the wind is a great effect and once you have set it up, you can carry it around in your pocket. I think there is a link on youtube which teaches how to do it.
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irossall Special user Snohomish, Washington 529 Posts |
My only advice would be to follow your passion.
I enjoy Ropes and Scarf's and Sponge Balls,so that is my focus. I dabble in cards and most other things but tend to avoid most coin effects (except penny in the matchbox) and completely avoid Mentalism. Learn some basic sleights. Two excellent sources are The Amatuer Magician's Handbook by Henry Hay and the Tarbell series. Resist the urge to perform until you can do your effects without much thought. Focus on Showmanship. I probably wasn't much help but I wish you the best and Welcome back to the Wonderful and Wacky World of Magic. Iven
Give the gift of Life, Be an Organ Donor.
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Yekrats Loyal user Dayton, Indiana 209 Posts |
Weisszach -
I'd pick up a "general" book on magic that teaches tricks in several different fields. I started off with Mark Wilson's "Complete Course in Magic" and Harry Lorayne's "The Magic Book". Both start off from a beginner's perspective, and give excellent insight in several different fields: Cards, coins, sponges, mentalism, etc. As an added bonus, they are not that expensive, give insight into many tricks and sleights, use readily available household props, and are a great value for the money. You'll have the opportunity to buy one-trick DVDs for $20 or $30 or $50. Resist the urge. Go with the above two books, first. You'll save yourself some money, and get some slam-bang magic. Don't discount these as "beginner" books. I've seen 'simple' tricks from these books floor a room full of magicians! I've also seen professionals use these tricks (or variations) in professional shows. Try a little from this field and a little from that one. Practice a trick until it's great (or you become bored) and move on. Find your passion and your niche, and then afterwards you can pad your routine with those expensive one-trick DVDs. ;-) One thing I've found starting out, sleights learned from one trick seem to carry over into other tricks. For example, I was surprised when learning sponge ball magic, it really improved my retention vanish with coins. The principles learned in these easy magic books will be used in your entire career in magic. Enjoy!
--
Corporate or event magic & mentalism: http://WizardoftheWabash.com |
jrmagic New user D.C. 21 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-01-04 03:45, Weisszach wrote: Ahh yes, the four infamous road blocks. I'd suggest some impromptu dvds. Greg wilson, Jay sankey, Dan Halan's are okay. Maybe even Magic for Dummies book |
Ed_Millis Inner circle Yuma, AZ 2292 Posts |
First, visualize yourself doing your dream gig. See it, feel it, taste it. Feel the perfect break or DL; experience the moment when they realize the coin they marked is *not* the one in their hand. Bask in the well-deserved applause, and know what you did to deserve it.
-- Where are you? Bar or restaurant? Stand-up at a comedy club? Strolling through a high-class wedding reception? Speaking to a group of corporate executives? Girl Scouts Fun Night or elementary school fundraiser? -- What are you doing? Knuckle-busting sleights? Switching gaffs in and out so invisibly? Lots of large flourishes? Making the cards dance and split and fly? Or move slowly and mystically with no one touching them? -- Are there other props? Boxes, rope, bags, scarves, tables? Assistants and stage hands? Lights and sound systems? Or is it just you and them and bare-handed mystery? -- How are they responding? Laughing so hard they snort their drink? Standing with glazed eyes and slack jaws? Running off to grab their friends and drag them over? Giving you deserved but reserved applause because this function isn't appropriate for wild reactions? Start with seeing that goal, and then work towards it. The dream may morph a bit - or more - along the way, but at least you have a starting point and a path. If it isn't on the path and it would distract you from your goal, don't do it (unless you have the time and inclination to take a short vacation). And don't forget the showmanship, stagecraft, and theater of all of this. Whether table-hopping or stand-up, this is a performance art. And if you can't perform, you're at the wtong microphone! Yah, that's kinda hard-charging, and maybe you don't want that right now. That's fine. Dabble here and there as the fancy strikes you, and you'll learn many fine things along the way. And there's a lot of good magicians out there just like that. Pick a path, and pick up the things that are there. You'd really hate to spend lots of money and time to get somewhere, only to realize it's not what you wanted. Ed |
actorcoop Veteran user 337 Posts |
Take in as many slights as you can, and magic will be limited only to your imagination!
As far as products/teachers I recommend work by Greg Wilson and second jrmagic's Jay sankey suggestion... He gets gimmicky sometimes, but he teaches VERY commercial magic!
*I knew you were going to read this
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volto Special user 603 Posts |
The Big Book Of Magic by Patrick Page.
The Amateur Magician's Handbook by Henry Hay. Mark Wilson's Complete Course In Magic. You can get these three cheap second hand online if you're on a budget. I just checked and it's possible to get all three for less than £6 in total - so the delivery costs more than the actual books, if you're not fussy about the condition. You can get the first two as ebooks from Lybrary.com as well. Beyond that, good minimal prop stuff might be: If you liked "The Big Book Of Magic", then "Magic Page By Page", also by Pat Page, is absolutely excellent and has a lot of practical, portable material in it. For instance, "Easy Money" - the original multiple bill change - is in there. It's a great (apparently impromptu) trick that inspired many, many other similar effects. The World's Greatest Magic (Finger Rings) DVD - specifically for Mark Leveridges ring and string routine and David Roth's coin through silk, but there's a lot of other great stuff on there. Rings are great objects to perform with, for lots of reasons - they're portable, if you borrow one, it's a very personal item, they lend themselves to quite a few sleights, they're valuable, so they're interesting and they're shiny, so they're visible from a long way off. The "On The Spot" DVD by Greg Wilson, is a two-DVD set of impromptu tricks - mostly for "Recap" (a routine with a pen) and "A Questionable Trick" but there's a lot of good stuff on it. The "Modern Coin Magic" Four-DVD set by Ben Salinas, if you're into coins. Link! by Nabil Murday is the best DVD for learning the "Crazy Man's Handcuffs", a rubber band effect created by Arthur Setterington (originally called "Getaway"). It's a great effect but some people aren't keen on rubber bands. Apologies if you've already got that stuff. This is just a list of stuff I like that sounded like you might find it interesting. |
Mark Jarvis Regular user 172 Posts |
Hi Weisszach. In addition to the thoughts above, and repeating some already great advice, here are some thoughts to help you determine which branch to start out in and get a plan in place before diping your toe in the water.
1) Look for a local magicians society in your area or close by. There are two. The International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) and the other is The Society of American Magicians (SAM). You will find other magicians at these meetings that will certainly be able to help: A) In your development B) Steer you in the right direction C) Showing you how they perform certain fundamental sleights such as palming, false shufflles and the like. There is no substitute for talking live with experienced magicians to help you sort out the direction you want to go in. 2) Get one or two good books to learn from as well as DVD's. Some strong suggestions are A) New Modern Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo B) Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic C) The Tarbell Course in Magic D) Volume one and two of Card College Studying one or two of these suggestions will certainly help you tremendously on your path. Books are great to learn from. 3) DVD's are also very helpful as a supplement to books. You can see how the tricks are done visually, and this is a big advantage when learning. Some DVD's to consider are: A) David Roth's Expert Coin Magic Made Easy....a three DVD set B) The Complete Introduction to Coin Magic - Michael Ammar C) Card College 1 & 2 ...a four DVD set Have fun.
Mark Jarvis
The Magic Of Magic Solon, Ohio The Magic Is In Your Hands http://www.themagicofmagic.com |
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