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Juggl3r2 New user 2 Posts |
Hello,
I currently looking for different tricks or routines which I can combine to a really greate close-up "quick show" which is really impressing. I don't want to perform this in front of a "real audience", instead I just want to show some friends some cool tricks. And for that I want to show tricks with a really big WOW moment. To me: I don't make this professional, but I practiced "Royal Road to Card Magic 4 DVD set" some months, I know some forces, false shuffles and flourishes and stuff like that. Now I'm looking to create some kind of follow up card-tricks, with the highest possible impressing effect. I don't want to add too much gimmicks or manipulated decks. Since I want to make it close-up most stuff should be examineable (or I need some trick to vanish it). If the tricks or techniques (DVDs, gimmicks) cost something it is not a problem. I just don't want to waste money again on stuff which I can't use in my special situation. Here are some examples how I would build it right now: 1) Start: Invisible Deck Pro: Very strong effect Con: I need to wear an additional deck, I need to vanish the deck afterwards before someone wants to see it. 2) Vanish of the invisible Deck. How? I don't know how I will do this, there are some gimmicks for it but then I have to wear special closes. Or is there some kind of trick to vanish? 3) Some well known and strong effects like (with same colour as invisible deck): *) Ambitious card (with folding card to jump to top) *) Everywhere and Nowhere *) Out of this World What else? edit: Here I would also do a "self created" trick. Free choice of the card, then I force the card to the top, do lots of different false shuffles, move it one time to bottom, to top, then to second card, show that it is not on the first and last card and so on. Then move it back to the top. Then riffle through all cards until the spectator says "stop" and then I move the card to this position and show that the spectator really said the correct position. And even more important - there are different versions of all these tricks, what are the most powerful ones? 4) Maybe some stuff with other "fake cards" like the 3 monte card trick. (6 cards, 2 cards are double faced) However, I often had the problem, that people see the first "monte move" and detected that something fishy is ongoing here. If they didn't see it in the first move, they don't got it at all. Others: Haunted 2.0 ? But this is not examineable? Regeneration by Blake Vogt in combination with SSS Smoke from shin lim? (But as far as I got it SSS smoke is not working good in close-up conditions where I don't use a pad (?)) Maybe the "Raising card trick"? Other gimmick decks? But the problem is that I don't want to add a gimmick deck for just one trick... I also have the gimmick deck where you can shuffle through it and have one time only the same card and the other time all cards (every 2nd card is shorter...) or the other gimmick deck where the cards are wider on one side than the other. Do you have any recommendations for me? I don't want to spend lots of money for tricks to just see, that these tricks don't work as I expected in close-up. If the trick works well with a good effect, I don't have a problem to pay "a little bit more". I'm happy with any hint I can get |
MadLad Designs New user 6 Posts |
Hey Juggl3r2!
I don't really do magic myself but I'm a big collector. Is it just cards that you want to use? If it is I personally wouldn't start with the Invisible Deck, I'd start with some simple (possibly self-working) tricks with an ordinary deck, this way people can handle and examine it. Then I would put them away in a pocket (where I could switch the invisible deck in later) and bring out the Cartoon Deck. Because the Cartoon is a special drawn-on deck you have a reason to put the normal cards away. After the Cartoon Deck you could then bring out the "normal" deck again, which is of course the invisible deck, and as people have already handled this "normal" deck then there's no need for it to be examined again! Hope that's of some help to you. |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Hey Juggl...I can't spell your name....
I started a young man whom I was mentoring about 40 years ago, with "Royal Road To Card Magic". He has made a living with the tricks from RRCM. It's YOUR PRESENTATION that you need to work on. It "aint" WHAT you do, it's HOW you do it!" Never mind the Inv. Deck for now. "Those who think that magic consists of doing tricks, are strangers to magic. Tricks are only the crude residue from which the lifeblood of magic has been drained." --S. H. Sharpe 1
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Juggl3r2 New user 2 Posts |
Thank you for your answers.
Yeah, I understand what you mean. If your presentation is bad, then the best trick can't help you. But there are also some tricks which lead to a "What the ****" reaction and then there are tricks, which are just "mhmhmhm yes ok". E.g. if you make Ambitious card and the spectator just see's how the card jumps from the bottom to the top. Or if you make Out of this World and the spectator finds the reds/blacks by hisself. Or if you make invisible deck and they really not have any clue how you made it. All these things have a really strong effect. Also all kinds of visual effects. Sure, I have to learn to present these tricks in a very good way, how to handle audience and so on, but if I see someone who knows all that things and just shows me a "bad trick", I'm stilled bored. Because this "WTF" moment is missing. Maybe I still have a good time because it was funny, but this "magical moment" where I absolutly don't know how he made it, is just missing. And exactly this depends on good tricks and you can find really many many tricks (DVDs, youtube, books, forum, blogs, shops, ...), but most of them are really bad in my experience (you maybe don't know exactly how it works, but you have a general feeling how he maybe did it). They have some kind of "trick" in it, but not this very powerful "magical moment" (so that you have absolutly no idea how it worked).And I'm looking for such tricks which are so impressing and a way to combine all these together to a short but very very powerful show. (where I then learn to present the tricks in a very good way) edit: And I'm also interested in other tricks, not only card tricks. But not something where I have to take extra stuff with me. E.g. mental magic is really cool, but most tricks are really trivial to understand or you have to take extra stuff with you. Maybe some kind of trick where a tattoo appears on your arm or something like that because it's visual. |
mlippo Inner circle Trieste (Italy) 1227 Posts |
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On Nov 8, 2016, Juggl3r2 wrote: "Some friends" ARE a "real audience"!!! mark |
Aus Special user Australia 996 Posts |
Juggl3r2
You do know that Royal Road has a chapter of set routines made out of the tricks in the book. I would recommend you pick one of those routines and learn each trick and perform them in the order suggested. If you need help with presentation people here on the Café are only to happy to give suggestions. If your looking for a close up routine of the mixed verity then nice little routine I put together called "Cheap Thrills" which I put together as a simple informal set for a social gathering and all the props fit into a zipped up makeup bag I purchased from the $2 store. Your can find the details of the set here: http://www.penguinmagic.com/act/57e500859e423 The reason why I call this routine "Cheap Thrills" is simply that the tricks are cheap, the whole act can be purchased for little over 20 bucks. The trick that I use out of Bobo is the classic coins through the table. Its important to remember as Dick said it isn't the tricks that's important, its the presentation, and I personally find the most fun aspect of an act is creating the narrative that glues the tricks together into an act. For example lets take the buddha papers which in this act is my opener, I set the idea that one of the many reasons that I became a magician was that I had a large sense of curiosity as a kid, always asking questions as to how and why things worked. One of those many things was how did the tooth fairy always manage to get that tooth from under my pillow and leave a coin without waking me up. I would then take a tic tac (my tooth) and place it in the centre paper then fold all the others around it as my ultimate challenge to the tooth fairy to complete her usual task. I then would move onto the coins through the table where after coin in the papers appears I explore how this could be done. With the aid of some pixie dust and four coins I show how coins can penetrate through objects with a little magical assistance, and the narrative continues through each trick to the end of the act. Magically Aus |
Escamoteur Regular user 109 Posts |
Hello Juggl3r2,
As others have stated, presentation (along with practice and rehearsal!) can really make a difference. Back in the late 80's when I was in high school, after finally discovering magic shops (I swear the Tannen's catalogue with Doug Henning on the cover glowed the first time I saw it!), I picked up a manuscript for a trick called Finger on the Card by Gary Ouellet. It was one of the first "single item" purchases I made. Not sure what I expected, but the write up was interesting enough for me to order it. I received it, and when I first read it was a bit surprised as much covered in it I knew technically, and nothing about it I would say was difficult or complex execution wise. It was just a solid card trick which in learning one learned versions of staple sleights that could be used for many tricks (or one could substitute their own moves if desired), albiet with the psychology of another routine called Dunbury Delusion which gave it the "magician in trouble" hook. Nevertheless, I figured let's get this down and try it out no matter how simple it seems. Eventually started using it with family, and then at school, and it killed and generated shouts of "oh my god how did you do that?" or "How did you sneak that from under my finger??", along with applause (the archaic equivalent of the "WTF" moment). That effect became a staple for me for years, in college and later when I did some strolling work in bars. Powerful and effective, despite by then doing many other things more intricate. My point is, even a simple coin vanish can (and has) been made into a miracle. As previously stated, it is how you do the trick. You do seem to like cards, and while some of the material is not exactly "easy", you may wish to take a look at the works of Paul Harris. He was a big influence on me when I was younger. Even if you do not perform all the material right away, or use his presentations, you'll think about magic differently for sure. Close up magic of all kinds, and some great card tricks (a couple of stellar coin effects as well which I was more a fan of). Some very off the beaten path effects and presentations that are sure to garner the reactions you are looking for. His work has been compiled into a 3 volume book set called Art of Astonishment in recent years, although I am sure you can find the old books and manuscripts as well. Just do yourself a favour and stock up on a few decks of cards. You will need them. Good luck! Carter |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
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On Nov 9, 2016, mlippo wrote: >>>>>>>>>>>>Juggl3r2<<<<<<<<<<<< APPARENTLY YOU DID N0T >>>READ<<< WHAT I WROTE EARLIER!!! I'LL REPEAT IT:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: "THOSE WHO THINK THAT MAGIC CONSISTS OF DOING TRICKS ARE STRANGERS TO MAGIC. TRICKS ARE ONLY THE CRUDE RESIDUE FROM WHICH THE LIFEBLOOD OF MAGIC HAS BEEN DRAINED." --S.H. SHARPE If you cannot understand THAT, you are NOT A MAGICIAN! You are only a kid doing some tricks.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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donny Loyal user Colorado 263 Posts |
I'm with you Juggl3r2. You're reason and choice is sound. Don't bother with out-to-pasture type advice you've seen here, though it's sound...if you're that person, from that era, with that experience, with that personality etc etc. Some that make it to the "top" never get over themselves and live in constant delusion. Never to see life from another's perspective.
You sir Juggl3r2 need to explore and develop your "trick radar". What impresses you will cause you to present in a way that entertains your audience (probably). This will further your stagecraft, which will cause you to expand all the more. To say you should become the comedian or showman right away and forget those tricks, that would be nutty nuts. But "this" failure would MAGNIFY the success of those who have gone before you. Do you now see the motive of the "has beens" to give you partial or faulty advice? "Legacy protectors" eh, yeah. So, you're right Juggl3r2, get your stones, 'lest some fat old shark steal all your goods. You're welcome.
It's not their senses that mislead, it's their assumptions.
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Fox-13 New user 2 Posts |
The "magical moment" is only possible through good presentation and showmanship, even with simple tricks. People will have more fun with simple tricks and good presentation, than awesome tricks badly presented. In the first case, the trick induces emotions, it entertains. In the second case, the trick is only a puzzler, and even with a wow, the audience might still focus on "how did you do it".
A few years ago, I did an awesome trick to colleagues at a dinner. The trick is Five Speed by Chris Kenner. It's a very fun trick to do, simple, and the ending really has punch. But my presentation was ok-ish, but people were stunned. And they ask for a new trick each year. However, they then harassed me, wanting to know how it's done. Be prepared for this, people think they are entitled to know how it's done because they know you, and they know there a trick (no really?). Still, I highly recommend this trick by the way: It's a multiphase trick, with each phase being very short. It has some ambitious-card-trick elements. It gets more mind boggling for the audience with each phase, and the kicker at the end gets the big surprise you are looking for. It's relatively easy to learn, and the patter isn't complicated. There is a gimmick involved that you have to do yourself (very easy), and that you can add to or remove from the deck depending on where you insert this into your routine, or you can even do other tricks with the gimmick in the deck. You can learn it from Chris Kenner's book Totally Out of Control, but since this book is hard to find, you can get it on T11's website. |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Quote:
On Nov 16, 2016, donny wrote: WONDERFUL! Juggl3r2! We have a "magician" who KNOWS it all, so, please IGNORE MY COMMENTS ABOVE! Since I've only been performing for a living for 50 years (For 20 years before I "turned" professional, I was a part time professional) what in the world could I possibly tell you that might be of any help. Dick Oslund (a has been, since 2008) P.S. I am curious. Is a "never was" superior to a "has been"?
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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pmarzionna New user Washington, DC 81 Posts |
Hey Juggl3r2,
I hope that you'll come back here later to read the responses that you've got. You have valuable information here, which can help you a lot, no matter who you're performing for. I might even suggest that what you call "not a real audience" can be even harder to please than a "real audience." Remember, your friends know you for a long time and they know that you are not a magician - impressing them might not be an easy task. With this mind, I think it is clear by now that presentation is more important than the "trick". You said that you've studied a lot RRTCM, and you can definitely find there some strong effects that can be very effective with the right presentation. My two favorites, which I combine in sequence, are "Design for Laughter" and "A tipsy trick". Find the presentation that works for you, and you'll likely get the reactions that you're looking for. Finally, try to see the effects from the eyes of the spectator. Some things that are extremely simple for us who know how the trick is done, can actually have an amazing impact on audiences if presented properly. I mostly present to family and friends, and I would never expect to get the reactions that I've got when performing tricks that are apparently very simple, such as Color Monte and B'Wave. They seem simple, but there is a lot of thinking behind them. Beauty, entertainment and astonishment do not come from complexity - but it also doesn't come from simplicity either. It comes from the way that you present and the way to relate to your audience. If you don't believe me, take a look at any of Aldo Colombini's performance that you can find online. Usually very simple tricks if you consider the sleights involved, but such great presentations! Anyway, I hope you come back to read all of this. And use all the advice that seasoned magicians such as Dick Oslund are giving here - we are lucky to have access to all this information here at the Café... |
Fox-13 New user 2 Posts |
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On Nov 17, 2016, pmarzionna wrote: Oh my! Tx pmarzionna. I forgot about Design for Laughter. I used to do it a lot, but haven't done it in a while. Very easy, and so deceptive. People are just so convinced of what happens the climax unfolds. The way I used to present it was I pretended needing some practice, and so I would ask people not to reveal anything until the end... and then bam! They immediately have to verify the table card, every single time. This is really a good one. |
pmarzionna New user Washington, DC 81 Posts |
Quote:
On Nov 17, 2016, Fox-13 wrote: It's so simple AND so effective! There are some variations on the trick which might be worth looking at - Harry Lorayne has one at Close Up Card Magic, which I'm planning to try some time. Usually, right after Design for Laughter, I tell the story on how amateur magicians try to perform and practice whenever and wherever they can when they're learning something new. I then tell the story about the time when I decided to do the trick that I've just performed (Design for Laughter) at a bar that I used to hangout during graduate school... and that's how I introduce "A Tipsy Trick", using the premise of the sloppy shuffle as something done by a drunk person, as suggested in RRTCM... Oh, and welcome to the Café! |
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