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abbeylane Regular user 139 Posts |
I need some advice with the Chop Cup basics…
I have the gimmick loaded in the cup with the month down. It stays in the cup when I place the cup down gently; as it should. When I want the ball to appear on the table, I place the cup down a little harder. I can hear the cup hit the table when I place it down a little harder and I can hear the ball hit the table as well. Thus giving away that the ball is under the cup. My question is… is there a way to drop the ball unto the table (under the cup) with hearing the ball drop? Could it be that I have a cheap set or are all the sets the same? Thanks! |
Mark Boody Illusionist Inner circle 1366 Posts |
Are you using a close-up pad? A good one will help solve your problem.
You can find a good one here http://www.pattricksmagic.com/pattrick-s......atsHere/ A close-up pad will also help define your performing space. Best of luck Mark
Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible. Frank L. Gaines
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Doug Trouten Elite user Minnesota 471 Posts |
You could try dislodging the ball by tapping on the cup, rather than just putting the cup down harder. You'd put the cup down, perhaps tip it back to show it empty, then see if you can dislodge the ball by tapping the top of the cup while saying something about how the ball will appear "under HERE." The sound of your speech and the sound of the tap on top of the cup might be enough to distract your spectators from the sound of the ball hitting the table (or better still -- pad). A bit of sensory overload can force the brain to choose which stimuli to process and which to ignore.
You might also use some time misdirection. If a bit of time goes by between putting the cup down and showing the ball, the spectator may not associate the two things. Have you seen Paul Daniels do his chop cup routine? Here's a video:
It's still magic even if you know how it's done.
Terry Pratchett |
abbeylane Regular user 139 Posts |
Thanks guys.
Mark, I was thinking about using the Chop Cup routine for table hopping. Doug, I'll trying putting one edge/side down softly and then the other edge/side down harder to make the ball drop. |
Doug Trouten Elite user Minnesota 471 Posts |
Try experimenting with just giving the bottom of the cup a quick tap when it's mouth down with the ball loaded. Merlyn Shute, who literally "write the book" on the chop cup, called this action "smiting," and insisted that "It is the sharpness of the strike which dislodges the ball, rather than the force itself." He called for tapping the bottom of the cup "gently but sharply." You'll want to experiment a bit to see what this means for you and your cup.
It's still magic even if you know how it's done.
Terry Pratchett |
danaruns Special user The City of Angels 808 Posts |
Ixnay on the ecretsay in this forum, please.
"Dana Douglas is the greatest magician alive. Plus, I'm drunk." -- Foster Brooks
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Aus Special user Australia 996 Posts |
Abbeylane you could always time your patter for the precise moment the cup is placed on the table to the point that your patter masks the sound of the ball hitting the table.
Magically Aus |
Aus Special user Australia 996 Posts |
Another idea is to routine the trick in such away that you can toss the ungimmicked ball on the table at the same time as the cup is placed on the table with the other hand so the ball hitting the table is attributed to the ball you just tossed and not the ball falling from the cup.
Magically Aus |
Wizard of Oz Inner circle Most people wish I didn't have 5150 Posts |
Quote:
On Oct 2, 2016, abbeylane wrote: I don't table hop, but would it discount the use of a performance pad? There are many small ones on the market and couldn't you excuse its use by saying that you want to keep your viewers' table clean? Depending on the location, I suppose you could also grab a clean napkin and use that. Maybe folks at the table would realize it matches what they have in front of them and not second guess it. If you are performing at a location that doesn't offer you table space, than the point is probably moot, and you may need to pursue a table-less chop cup routine.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
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BeThePlunk Special user West of Boston, East of Eden 887 Posts |
There are good routines for chop cups that happen all in the hands. As for pads, some table hoppers use a small circular pad.
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Julie Inner circle 3936 Posts |
There are stylish mouse pads that are relatively small and ideal for chop cup and coin tricks...
Julie |
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