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Youri New user 26 Posts |
Hi everyone !
This is my first post on the Café, even if I'm reading you guys for over a decade now. What took me so long ? Well, magic takes time. Learning it too. It has been quite a journey for me. And it's not over yet, is it ? Well. I need you guys. What do you think about this quick little routine ? Any advice ? An idea of some moves I could add to it ? Please, any feedback is welcome. https://youtu.be/A5Ljxelf1tM Thank you. |
DaveGripenwaldt Elite user 487 Posts |
My initial thoughts, in no particular order are...
The moves are wide and fast, which looks a bit suspicious. See if you can slow down and still get the deception you are looking for. Additional moves: Check out Garrett Thomas' Ring Thing; parts of his routine duplicate your effect more visually. You could also look into doing Karate Coin moves with the ring. Lose or rethink the ending. The ball finish comes out of left field and has no apparent connection with anything that has gone before so it is more confusing than magical. |
Youri New user 26 Posts |
Hi Dave.
Thank you so much for your advices and toughts on this one. I must certainly can slow down some moves and be less wider. I'll give it a try. About the ending : I love the idea of something apearing from nowhere. It could be a jumbo ring, but I don't know if there is a jumbo ring looking alike the one I use. Another idea could be to do something with this ball. I'll go to my favorite magic shop this afternoon. I know they have "Ring Thing", I'll ask them what they think about it with this kind of ring. I know this routine is perfectable, so, once again, thank you for watching and your feedback and suggestions. I really apreciate that. |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
I've now had an opportunity to watch your video.
I agree with Dave. --Especially the "ball finish". I like surprise finishes, also, but, maybe with some experimentation, you'll find "it".
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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tonsofquestions Inner circle 1802 Posts |
I third slowing down and keeping in frame.
The story of the routine also just isn't really clear to me - what are you trying to convey? You take the ring off and it magically goes back on? Look how fast you can put it on, one handed? Some patter might help here, but as it is, it feels more like a demonstration of skill/manipulation than anything magical. The beginning few on/offs also look very similar - so emphasizing why you're doing it again (or what's changed) could be useful. I also agree on the ball being unexpected (and not in the pleasantly surprised way)- particularly since it looks like you reach out of frame to pick it up, which kind of spoils it, in my mind. I like the suggestions of Ring Thing, you could also check out De'Vo's De'Ring, which has some tips on various ways to make the ring-on seem more magical. |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Tonsof------made a very good observation (,,,"it feels more like a demonstration of skill/manipulation than anything magical."
When I first began performing, in 1945, at age 13, I had some boxes, and, tubes, and a red velvet bag on a stick. a piece of rope and a few silks. (Beginners' library magic books, always had some "tube and box tricks".) In the spring of '46, I was fortunate to meet and become friends with a school show professional magician. All but two of the tricks/routines in his 50 minute program, were tricks involving sleight of hand skills. He very kindly showed me the "work" on many of the tricks. I managed to"red light" most of the boxes and tubes within a few months! Reading several "magic" magazines of that time, I read reviews of various magicians' shows. Most of them were playing what was left of vaudeville, and/or night clubs. It seemed to me that "almost" all of them, were described as "suave & debonair" performers. So, I tried to be "swayve & deboner", too. --(I wasn't!) Looking back, later, I realized that I had been doing a "look how clever I am", act. When I learned to make 'em laugh! and, have fun, I had plenty of work. My new "slogan" was K I S M I F (An acronym for: Keep It Simple Make It Fun) So! SLEIGHTS AND MOVES are the "mechanics", used in PERFORMING a TRICK. If you PRESENT the trick well, you MAY ENTERTAIN the spectator(s). (Magic is NOT inherently ENTERTAINING.) PROPS are also used in PERFORMING a TRICK. (Any physical "thing", (coin, ball, card, rope, etc. plus tube, box or red velvet bag on a stick, is a PROP. Your PRESENTATION in performing the trick, is what, entertains the specs. (It aint WHAT ya do, it's HOW ya do it!) "MANIPULATION" ACTS TEND TO BE "LOOK HOW CLEVER I AM" acts! (Demonstrations of skill acts). --That's not a PERFORMANCE, that's a SKILL DEMONSTRATION. (You MAY FOOL 'em, but, not necessarily ENTERTAIN EM. I hope that these few thoughts, may help you to PRESENT your tricks. so that they ENTERTAIN 'EM!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts |
Youri, my advice would be to learn the famous Ring Off Wand effect, this would be the main trick you are presenting. There is a completely sleight of hand version, in the book "Stars of Magic". Then after you have presented the effect, you can do one or two of the finger flinging you have shown us in you video. I agree with all the above comments. Fast moves as you have shown us, can be used to filler for some presentations.
My final advice is to get out and show real world people your ring thing, and concentrate on their reactions. That will tell you what you need to know. There are several finger flinging DVDs available that have been out in the last few years. I suggest you look for them if you like this kind of ring thing. Here is one, Ringja by Nie Te: http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S16043 I believe there are 1 or 2 others around. Please remember that this kind of dexterity is not magic presentation. It is along the lines of juggling. |
Youri New user 26 Posts |
First of all, thank you. I really appreciate it. Great advices.
Maybe, I shall give you some precisions here. I made this video to have opinions about the moves. And the feedbacks are great : make me realise that I don't have to gesture so much with my hand AND my harm when I put the ring on the first time, just breaking the wrist is enough. This is also true for the second move (i.e. the f.... transfert). Then I can slow down on the others moves. Will be more efficient. I have to make a precision here. This is not intended to be done on a video with à sound track. It is intended to be walk around magic. So the scripting is missing on the video. And when my hand goes out of the frame it coresponds at when I do the dirty work while misdiricting in real life. (and the ball is not on my desk, but in the upper part of my front pocket). So. Maybe I'l give you my core scripting. First of all, I show the ring : "I don't know how you like to put your ring on, but I like to put mine like this" and I do the first move. This is a bit of a show off, I agree with you Dick Oslund. It is intended to catch the attention of someone I don't know. And it does. Then, I propose the ring for examination while doing the false T. All the attention is on my empty hand -which is right under their nose-, so I have time to put the ring on my finger again. When they want the ring for examination my empty hand opens and do the gesture, like I'm throwing the ring on the finger of the other hand. I look disappointed. "To late BUT I can show you again". I do the third move. Then really giving them the ring, which gives me all the time in the worls to grab the ball in my pocket, ready for the final production. I say something like " I just realise that I forgot to tell you about the ball." Then I look concern because the ball is too big to fit into the hole. Once again, thank you for the time you took to answer me. Like I said, It was my first post here. Each answer is like "Wow ! They really want to help". |
tonsofquestions Inner circle 1802 Posts |
There are also a few other ring-switching-finger videos, Circuit (Zach Heath) and Nightcrawler (CF Yuen) both come to mind. And I recall a third one, but I'm blanking on the name right now.
Hearing your patter/presentation, I'll repeat my statement about skill versus magic. Yours definitely falls into the first category in my mind. Which is a fine decision, it's just not "magical" to me. In particular, I don't find spectators are particularly interested in examining items -- you're explaining them as normal so why would they? I've never had anyone ask to see a coin that I've done a coin roll with (barring unusual coins). Similarly, it feels odd (at least to me) to have a magical kicker ending after a skill display. It seems out of place. |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Bill Hegbli's last sentence above (March 9...@ 3:50 PM) "Please remember that this kind of dexterity is not magic presentation. It is along the lines of juggling." would be my summation, too.
Also, tons of questions, second paragraph, just above, is definitely worth your consideration! In my golf ball routine, I do several flourishes, but they are incidental to the routine.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Kozmo V.I.P. 5473 Posts |
Theres a complete ring course on reel magic on demand for $5 by Garrett Thomas
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warren Inner circle uk 4138 Posts |
My suggestion is a bit different to the others, I would lose the background music unless your going to be performing the routine on stage which I doubt, therefore you need to think how are you going to present this to an audience.
I see video's being put up all the time and they usually either have music in the background or just involve the magician stating exactly what he is about to do just before he does it. If your presenting this to an audience it needs to be made entertaining etc in summary think about the presentation and not just the moves. Good luck my friend |
Youri New user 26 Posts |
Hi guys.
Once again, thanks for your advices. I haven't been very responsive lately. So busy at work. But. I'm reading you and think about what you're saying. So I've watched Garett Thomas'ring thing and his course on reel magic (you've got yourself another subscriber here, Kozmo). I workded on the script and showed to some people. Good reactions so far. I've tried to make it -by the pattern- more magical and entertaining. But, at the end of the day, this routine is just designed to grab people's attention quick and fast. I want them to think : "alright, he might be worth my time, let see". I must say that is the first time I'm thinking about a routine on this way. Usually, I learn a routine, all the moves and stuff, without thinking about the pattern. Then I go and try it in front of people (in the middle of other solid routines, so I can miss this one or not be as good as I'd like to be). I repeat it for other people. And other people. And other people. When done enough, I know what to say and when to say it, how to be funny, when to ask a question because I need misdirection, ect. This is another way of doing it : thinking about the pattern first then trying it on the world (and not the world doing my pattern for me. Am I clear on what I try to explain ?) I'll do another video, so you can judge by yourself. Thank you for being supportive and honest. |
Kozmo V.I.P. 5473 Posts |
Youri
Smart people subscribe to Reel Magic so there ya go |
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