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DrBrewhaha New user 58 Posts |
I've been reading David Williamson's "Aunt Mary's Terrible Secret" and appreciating how a great story can improve an effect. Another one I like is Vernon's story of a participant grabbing his deck and shuffling it together half up/half down during his version of Triumph. Some tricks are great but don't have story - like Out of This World.
What other tricks do you like that have a great story that helps explain them? |
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Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts |
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On Oct 6, 2017, DrBrewhaha wrote: Barrie Richardson has a SUPERB story for OOTW. Part of he beauty of magic is that you can create your own narratives. If you can get them, read essays in books from David Regal (Approaching Magic has a TON of great essays), Robert Neale's Life, Death, and Other Card Tricks and Magic and Meaning, The Tarbell Course in Magic, and SO many more resources way too numerous to mention. I'm curious why you think OOTW can't or doesn't have a "story." What are your criteria regarding narrative and effect? I strongly urge you to save your pennies and get any/all of the following: Strong Magic, Designing Miracles by Darwin Ortiz, Maximum Entertainment by Ken Weber, The Experience of Magic by Eugene Burger, Ron Bauer's series of teach-in booklets. I want to focus on the Bauer books. Each booklet focuses on one routine. Ron Bauer breaks the routine down into blocking and narrative, motivation, and the WHY of each and every step. These booklets are worth so much more than their weight in gold. I'm formally trained as an actor and I have learned so very much from the Ron Bauer series. Thee MANY more resources you can consult beyond the titles I've referenced here. That said, try to think from an audience point of view. Try to explain in one sentence precisely what the audience sees. Perhaps you're performing Harry Lorayne's Estimation Aces. The effect in one sentence: After a series of shuffles and cuts the magician dead cuts to each ace. Now that's a fine beginning. Think of the narratives you can create!:) Of course you can create a narrative on WHY the magician does this. My narrative is about a challenge by Satan. Let's look at another, namely Roy Walton's Card Warp. You could create a fun "physics" explanation on the nature of cards. Eugene Burger's presentation is centered around the torture methods of the Spanish Inquisition and it's brilliant. Be creative, think outside of your comfort zone. As Gary Ouellett stated in Close Up Illusions every trick and every routine is a mini play. Ron Bauer also reinforces this notion of dramatic narrative as opposed to mere patter. Best, Vlad |
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Steven Keyl Inner circle Washington, D.C. 2630 Posts |
The Bauer series is excellent! Perfect response to the OP. Thanks, Vlad, for giving these books a little recognition.
Even if you don't use the scripting as is, you will still be left with an understanding of how to create an interesting narrative for each trick.
Steven Keyl - The Human Whisperer!
B2B Magazine Test! Best impromptu progressive Ace Assembly ever! "If you ever find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause, and reflect." --Mark Twain |
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Mike Powers Inner circle Midwest 2983 Posts |
Eugene Burger and David Parr both have a number of items with great stories.
Mike
Mike Powers
http://www.mallofmagic.com |
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Harry Lorayne 1926 - 2023 New York City 8558 Posts |
Quite a few of my gambling routines (Magician Vs Gambler, Card Sharp & Four Gamblers, Little Fella-Big Fella) are performed "around stories."
[email]harrylorayne@earthlink.net[/email]
http://www.harrylorayne.com http://www.harryloraynemagic.com |
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DrBrewhaha New user 58 Posts |
Vlad - The only versions of OOTW I've seen simply get a participant to start laying down cards in one pile or another which doesn't seem very story-like. I'm thinking of effects where there is a "logical" reason we are doing what we are doing?
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Gerald Deutsch Special user 526 Posts |
Dai Vernon's "Cutting The Aces" in "Stars Of Magic"
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Vlad_77 Inner circle The Netherlands 5829 Posts |
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On Oct 7, 2017, DrBrewhaha wrote: Hi mate, Read your first sentence again please? Now, ask yourself WHY is the spectator tasked with doing this? In what way can I can I create a narrative that augments the effect? The thing is Dr, you are still thinking from your perspective. By doing so you are negating the other more important part of the equation, namely, your audience. If you have access to Barry Richardson's story he presents with OOTW I think you would see that in fact this effect has SO many possibilities for narrative. Okay, let's have quick look at a venerable effect Do AS I Do. I am going to play your part in this little exercise. "Well, I don't think Do As I Do is really a good story trick because all the spectator and I are doing is following similar actions and at the end, our cards match." You COULD apply your assessment to this effect just as easily as you do in OOTW and you would reject a classic, powerful effect. I have a flood of narrative ideas for this effect. You could present it as a narrative about free will versus predetermination. You could present this as a fun exploration about the fascination cards have for us. My presentation of this adds a kicker to the effect but only because I wanted to adapt the classic Arabic tale of a man trying to avoid Death by riding furiously to another town in which he thinks Death is not in. Here's another idea: perform Do As I Do with a Tarot deck! Believe me when I say to you that when I perform this classic with Tarot cards, the impact of the effect attains that "one degree" that John Guastaferro discusses in his book One Degree. You are focusing so much on everyday logic. Try this: create a "logic" that would make sense to an audience. Back to OOTW, you can create the logic that dealing is necessary so that the spectator knows you aren't trying to influence her. Or you could create a logic that states no matter HOW you (the spectator) deal, fate, or my influence will create an unexpected outcome. Magicians and mentalists are not only performers, we are authors of narrative. And if you get bogged down in "logic" you fail to realize that all magic and mentalism in EFFECT is illogical. If we were REAL magicians, why would we physically remove a pack of cards from its case? People accept the illogical from entertainment because people are spending their precious time to be ENTERTAINED by the performer. Think about this: People accept the fact that the USS Enterprise is powered by matter and antimatter colliding which any quantum physicist will tell you produces a violent outcome. People accept that Superman is made of steel yet they never question why he ducks when the villain throws something at ol' Supes. Magic is fantasy as its best. What do we magicians APPEAR to do? We appear to shatter the laws of physics and logic. We tap into the wishes we have all had in our lives for miracles to escape the prosaic, the mundane in our everyday lives. Why are gambling demonstrations fascinating? Because they tap into that desire to beat the house! Why is "mind reading" so profoundly powerful? Because we reach into spaces that no one has explored. I really urge you to look into the Ron Bauer booklets. I think they still sell for 10 USD and you WILL find answers to your questions about narrative and effect. I promise you that. Best, Vlad |
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danaruns Special user The City of Angels 808 Posts |
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On Oct 6, 2017, DrBrewhaha wrote: There is a version of Out of This World by Jim Critchlow called "White Star." It is a story of the sinking of the Titanic and uses photos. Christian Cagigal does a wonderful performance of it beginning at the 9:30 mark in this video: click here. I think you'll enjoy it. Rob Zabrecky also sells a version centered around a Houdini story, called Another World, that is a wonderful story.
"Dana Douglas is the greatest magician alive. Plus, I'm drunk." -- Foster Brooks
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Gerald Deutsch Special user 526 Posts |
I published a “Perverse Magic” presentation for Out Of This World” on the Perverse Magic thread of the Genii Forum on March 1, 2006:
It seemed to me that this can be presented as Perverse Magic. You’re at someone’s house and you’ve done some card tricks. “Let me do one more. Do you have a pair of gloves?” The host brings you the gloves and you look them over carefully and nod. They will do. You ask a spectator to put on the gloves and deal the cards and when you switch to the second spectator you have the first spectator give the gloves to the second. When the “miracle” happens it’s not because you’re great – it must be the gloves. |
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DrBrewhaha New user 58 Posts |
Thanks for taking the time to respond with your thoughtful responses. After watching the Critchlow presentation mentioned by danaruns (which, was beautiful) I realized where my original post came from. Recently I have been hitting some books like Subtle Card Creations pretty hard where trick and trick after trick are just presented without any "narrative"? Eventually, after reading through about 20 tricks I found myself thinking "Why would I ever do this trick? It just seems so contrived to follow these steps for no apparent reason (or without some sort of scaffolding story). You have all reminded me about my role as a performer/story-teller/creative in coming up with compelling narratives. Seeing Critchlow using picture cards helped me realize that the cards are just a tool, the effect is just the instructions for using to tool, and it is the performers responsibility to bring it all to life and relevance. I realize this philosophy is kind of a moving target and I might describe it differently tomorrow. But, at least for today, I have a foothold on the idea.
That being said, I might rephrase my question to something like "What are your favorite narratives to use (or that you have seen) used with various effects?" |
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Cameron Roat Special user Michigan 728 Posts |
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On Oct 7, 2017, DrBrewhaha wrote: Like others have suggested above, I highly recommend you check out the Ron Bauer Private Studies Series. You should start with #1 "Gadabout Coins." (You can start with any of the scripts in the series, but they are best digested in order, because RB begins with fundamental principles and then builds on them as the series progresses.) Regarding OOTW, in RBPS #3 "Feminine Side," your participant isn't "just laying down cards in one pile or another"; he's performing a hilarious test of his "male intuition" after you tell him, "Go ahead and get in touch with your FEMININE SIDE!" The Private Studies Series covers theatrical principles you just won't find anywhere else in magic instruction. Just in script #3 "Feminine Side," RB covers conflict, subtext, comedic exaggeration, neutralization, indication, punch lines and tag lines, burying a punch line, asides, direction for misdirection, direct and indirect exposition, melodrama and burlesque, preparation, unity, and more. |
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Steven Keyl Inner circle Washington, D.C. 2630 Posts |
There is a blog called "The Jerx" where finding compelling presentations for tricks is the main focus of the site. Not just a premise for tricks but HOW to present magic as an amateur to your friends and even strangers.
Andy has been doing this blog for a couple of years now and if you start at the beginning, it will take you several sittings to get through it all, but it is more than worth it. You will come away with a deeper understanding of what it is that bugs you about typical performances and how you can get away from cringe-worthy patter. It's also funny, irreverent and can get a little blue, but the insights on offer are transformative. http://www.thejerx.com
Steven Keyl - The Human Whisperer!
B2B Magazine Test! Best impromptu progressive Ace Assembly ever! "If you ever find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause, and reflect." --Mark Twain |
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alicauchy Veteran user Málaga, Spain 310 Posts |
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On Oct 9, 2017, Steven Keyl wrote: Thanks for the link. I seems really interesting.
So much to do, so little time . . .
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One Inch Man New user 74 Posts |
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On Oct 9, 2017, Steven Keyl wrote: I just want to second this recommendation. The Jerx is an absolute goldmine of information and ideas. It is often at odds with more conventional thinking regarding the performance of magic and, for my money, all the better for it. Andy's writing has also made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. |
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DrBrewhaha New user 58 Posts |
The Jerx blog looks great. Thanks for the link.
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lynnef Inner circle 1407 Posts |
Be sure and check out the 'words we use' forum in the Café. It's also a goldmine of story ideas. Lynn
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Mb217 Inner circle 9520 Posts |
Lot's of good stuff mentioned and discussed so far, but I gotta tell'ya, I'm sorta surprised not to yet have seen mentioned here an absolute classic like, Sam The Bellhop??? It's one of the great ones as such "stories" go, and I dare say that few if any have done it any more expertly and or entertainingly than the incomparable, Bill Malone... I'm just sayin'.
*Check out my latest: Gifts From The Old Country: A Mini-Magic Book, MBs Mini-Lecture on Coin Magic, The MB Tanspo PLUS, MB's Morgan, Copper Silver INC, Double Trouble, FlySki, Crimp Change - REDUX!, and other fine magic at gumroad.com/mb217magic
"Believe in YOU, and you will see the greatest magic that ever was." -Mb |
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RyanWhiteside Regular user 121 Posts |
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On Oct 7, 2017, Harry Lorayne wrote: Always Shameless Self Promoting Harry.... |
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Harry Lorayne 1926 - 2023 New York City 8558 Posts |
And typically shameless trollderism from you, RyanWhiteside. But you're right - I should stop trying to help and let you do it!
[email]harrylorayne@earthlink.net[/email]
http://www.harrylorayne.com http://www.harryloraynemagic.com |
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