|
|
Go to page [Previous] 1~2~3~4 [Next] | ||||||||||
jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
The blindfold can be used in several ways. Kuda Bux used it to prove that he could see through anything, but the last time that I saw him, he was also doing the Miser's Dream in his act. or you can use it to prove that you are not using your sight to to do your 'miracles'. In itself, I think that the blindfold is pretty weak. It's only made strong when your demonstration with it is strong, and I feel that's where the emphasis should be, on the demo, not on the blindfold itself. By the way, if it gets you quality bookings, it doesn't matter what you use in your show, including a whoopsie cushion.
|
|||||||||
cafeinst Elite user 489 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 15, 2014, Doc_Z wrote: The people who answered me here have much more experience and knowledge than I do, and I would never be so bold to say "I disagree" with them. My responses in this post have been argumentative not for the sake of winning any arguments but only for the sake of learning from these people. |
|||||||||
cafeinst Elite user 489 Posts |
I saw Satori perform a few years ago. He was able to take blindfold premise a step further and read stuff written on a chalkboard behind him while he was blindfolded. I have no idea how he did it, but I know this was a trick. Yet it was incredibly entertaining.
My question is how did he do this (I don't want to know how he did this trick technically; I want to know how he made it so entertaining.)? |
|||||||||
Richard Osterlind V.I.P. 2213 Posts |
Partrik sent me his DVD years ago, it is excellent, and I was immediately intrigued by the foil blindfold. I tried it out and found it worked perfectly. My only problem was the same one I have with other “after show” concerns. If anyone cared to, and who doesn’t have some aluminum foil at home, make up the same thing themselves and hold it up to their eyes, they can discover the secret.
There is a way to use the principle in a much more concealed way. You can just rip off some foil, hold it up to your eyes to demonstrate it is impossible to see through, and then pass it around to a few people. As you take it back, you can grab it nonchalantly and rough house it a bit part of the way in from the edge as you hurry back to center stage to begin. It should look like an accident – like you just grabbed it too hard. Then you straighten it out as you put it on. Work done and the audience will remember you just put it on nice and flat. That works well. Concerning the other posts, there are 2 ways to use a blindfold. (I covered these in great depth in The Blindfold Book in 1987 and the Owner’s Manual in 2003. You can use the blindfold as an adjunct in an effect that doesn’t even need a blindfold, such as Par Optic Vision and many other mental routines, or the blindfold can be the main effect itself such as Seeing With the Fingertips, such as Tarbell’s famous act and Kuda Bux’s, or a Blindfold Drive, first popularized by Newmann. That type of act doesn’t fit Bob’s method of working, but does fit mine as I use my hands constantly in an apparent, without saying so, demonstration of clairvoyance. I have a recording of Tarbell performing his Sightless Vision act on “You Asked For it” and he was incredible! Tarbell routinely did the act in his larger magic show, so I suppose it all comes down to superior acting ability and a firm belief in what you are doing. |
|||||||||
Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
No worries. I think this whole thread just further establishes the differences between mentalism and magic and magician's thinking vs. mentalist's thinking.
Mentalism is approached more critically and purposefully, whereas magic is often approached as Caféinst has stated as more of I just want to do magic with it (BF). Seems mentalists start with the end in mind and often work backwards with more concern for justification, authenticity and scrutiny, whee magicians often work just as the OP approached this, with a prop, move, method or validating as "entertainment" whether practical, logical or not, and then try to create something around it. Learning all comes down to having an open mind, being able to comprehend the information as intended, and understanding the differences (in this case). Also it shows today's world of youtube and demo magic as opposed to real world performance. Two different things. Peoplr act and respond differently to a causal demo shoot as opposed t a live performance situation. I agree with someone earlier that said perhaps this question should have been posted elsewhere and posed to magicians rather than mentalists. Still it was interesting. This is one of those posts that some may look at months or years from now and understand it differently than perhaps they did originally. |
|||||||||
cafeinst Elite user 489 Posts |
Yes, one can see just from this thread that a mentalist's way of thinking is very different from a magician's way of thinking.
Speaking as a magician, I only care about what works. I don't really care about why I'm doing it or why it works. I'm sure lots of people don't like this way of thinking, but at least this way of thinking works. |
|||||||||
Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
...perhaps for you but as you can tell by this thread, not for others. I also think we may have different definition of "what works" mean to each of us.
|
|||||||||
cafeinst Elite user 489 Posts |
"what works" means "what mystifies an audience", according to my definition of "what works".
"Mystifies an audience = entertains an audience + puzzles an audience". |
|||||||||
Mark_Chandaue Inner circle Essex UK 4187 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 16, 2014, Caféinst wrote: I would argue that if you want to create good magic then the thinking should not be a million miles from a mentalists. A good magician should start with an end in sight and work backwards with more concern for justification, authenticity and scrutiny. Of course magic is inherently less believable than mentalism but that is no reason not to strive to squeeze the maximum suspension of disbelief from an effect by ensuring that the props, actions and outcomes are logical, justified and make some form of sense. Just as a mentalist works from a perspective of "if mind reading was real, what would it look like", so should a magician try to create magic rather than merely perform tricks. Mark |
|||||||||
Richard Osterlind V.I.P. 2213 Posts |
Excellent post, Mark.
|
|||||||||
The Hermit Veteran user 301 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 16, 2014, Caféinst wrote: This approach really intrigues me. Just curious, between what 2 tricks would you put the blindfold? Do you have a set list or just a bag of stuff? Could you just put a comedian in the middle of the act, if it works? When you say it works, does that mean people applaud or what? I'm thinking this way of thinking works when you're not thinking about what works and doesn't work when you work or does your work work without thinking? Just thinking out loud. |
|||||||||
cafeinst Elite user 489 Posts |
Here's a presentation idea:
"When I was traveling through the Appalachian mountains, I met a blind man who lived in a cabin and told me, 'I'm 100% blind, but I don't need eyes to see. I'll show you. Either raise your left hand, your right hand, both hands, or no hands. I raised my right hand. He then told me that I was raising my right hand. I raised both hands. Then he told me I was raising both hands. I kept repeating this and he kept telling me what I was doing, yet it was obvious that he was totally blind, because he had no eyes. I asked him how he did this, and he said I'll tell you but you must promise never to tell anyone else how I do this trick. I promised and he taught me how to do it. I'm now going to demonstrate to you that one doesn't need eyes to see." Then do the blindfoil. What do you all think? |
|||||||||
saysold1 Eternal Order Recovering Cafe addict with only 10794 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 16, 2014, Caféinst wrote: Trick? Boy, I dunno my friend. The story is so much less important than your presentation. Have you ever taken some acting classes? Much of what you do can be equally or more significant than what you say. Also what effects came before blindfoil? The order of effects are important.
Creator of The SvenPad Supreme(R) line of aerospace level quality, made in the USA utility props. https://svenpads.com/
|
|||||||||
Pakar Ilusi Inner circle 5777 Posts |
I do a lot of blindfold work in my Shows, not blindfoil though. The metal blindfold is my favourite.
I agree that the premise must be something bigger than a "trick". People start cults with this blindfold stuff, don't undersell it. (Don't start a cult either... )
"Dreams aren't a matter of Chance but a matter of Choice." -DC-
|
|||||||||
Mindpro Eternal Order 10586 Posts |
Again, without any explanation or justification of understanding it will always be seen as a "trick".
I'd much prefer the opposite - instead of saying basically "I can't tell you", instead let them in on the supposed justification IF IT IS BELIEVABLE and you have the performance to back it up. As many have said here, it's not at all about the BF, but what you are doing and claiming with the presentation around it. Btw, it's magician's stories like that that scream of trick. What, you expect the audience to believe that a blind guy in some foreign land meets a stranger and then just let's him in on such a great feet? Sounds far-fetched to most, and at that point, all credibility is lost and TRICK comes to the fore. They won't even hear your presentation. Never insult your audience. |
|||||||||
kinesis Inner circle Scotland, surrounded by 2708 Posts |
Caféinst...I kinda like the story of the blind man. The problem lies in the fact that you are performing a magic show. The mindset of the audience is that when you make things vanish or to find a chosen card or to link solid steel rings they are seeing tricks. Now these routines may be very entertaining and presented well enough for the audience to suspend their disbelief but at the end of the day they are watching a magic show, a series of tricks.
If you present a blindfold routine it becomes a trick. Even if you present this effect as a demonstration of your supernatural ability, because it falls inside a magic show the context makes the blindfold routine another trick no matter what the presentation. Yes it's a super strong effect and very attractive because of that but there are a million magic tricks that are just as strong. As a mentalist I strive to make what I present blurr the edge of reality. That is I try to make my effects so plausible that there couldn't possibly be any trickery involved and that what is achieved is down to my innate ability. I did a blindfold walk for charity using tinfoil. Many knew me as a mentalist. During the walk I had to negotiate many obstacles (I had to walk round a building 4 times). At first I started walking in the wrong direction until someone corrected me. I had a few near misses with objects in my path but gradually I got better at navigating without sight. I tried to make my walk look like it was difficult and that I was using all my energy and special ability to make it happen. It was believable because I'm an established mentalist and in the right context it was totally possible albeit not without a struggle. In the context of a magic show you cannot suddenly create that context, it is completely out of place and is therefor regarded as a trick. Okay, I'm starting to witter on now so I'll shut up. Derek |
|||||||||
cafeinst Elite user 489 Posts |
But I want people to believe it's just a trick (that they can't figure out). That's what magic is.
I'm not a mentalist. I tried that a few times and people believed I had psychic powers. I felt guilty and had to explain to them that it was just a simple trick and that I didn't have any psychic powers. I'd rather have people be amazed, yet still understand that I'm just doing a trick. |
|||||||||
cafeinst Elite user 489 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 17, 2014, saysold1 wrote: I would probably do Devin Knight's Baby Gag before Blind Foil. |
|||||||||
Atticus R. Cane Regular user since Mar 15, 2007 and still only 181 Posts |
Caféinst, here is an idea for a routine for you: Tell everyone you have a psychic connection with your educated duck. You should be able to figure the rest out from there.
Also, go buy a bandanna and use it as a blindfold. You are failing to understand that the foil is an additional piece to the blinding process. The duct tape I use in my routine is not what is blinding me, its the silver dollars wedged in my eye sockets. The tape is just added for extra insurance. Put the foil under the bandanna! |
|||||||||
Wyatt New user 17 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 17, 2014, Caféinst wrote: I disagree with this approach. Even outside of mentalism where many argue that things have to come across as "real" (I sometimes disagree with this absolute as well), the emphasis of a magical performance should never just be that they "can't figure it out." That's not entertainment; that's a puzzle. You need to offer them something more than that. If I finish a performance and people express inquisitiveness before they express amazement, I feel that I have done something wrong. |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Penny for your thoughts » » Ideas for performing Blindfoil (13 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page [Previous] 1~2~3~4 [Next] |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.03 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |