I'm actually really proud of this handling. I hadn't actually heard of the Interchange plot until Michael Feldman's routine hit the net. Naturally, I loved it. What I didn't love was the lack of visual nature to the changes. They were amazing changes, yes, but they just didn't fit my style. So I developed my own handling of the routine. It is still heavily based off of his routine, and I credit him completely for much of it. What I thought was an amazing touch was the false count I do at the beginning. It's such an easy thing to do, yet it is incredibly disarming. Anyways, enjoy!!
Friday, November 8, 2013
the change to my interchange
I'm actually really proud of this handling. I hadn't actually heard of the Interchange plot until Michael Feldman's routine hit the net. Naturally, I loved it. What I didn't love was the lack of visual nature to the changes. They were amazing changes, yes, but they just didn't fit my style. So I developed my own handling of the routine. It is still heavily based off of his routine, and I credit him completely for much of it. What I thought was an amazing touch was the false count I do at the beginning. It's such an easy thing to do, yet it is incredibly disarming. Anyways, enjoy!!
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Friday, November 1, 2013
Boogers in presentation
Before you have the card pushed flush in twin peaks, talk about a magician you once saw that used his own boogers to mark cards.
Seriously.
Do it.
Seriously.
Do it.
Eight best Close Up Magicians (Of Our Time) (According to me)
This list is extremely hard to do, as there are so many average close up guys, or good close up guys, but never The Best. That is, except these eight.
1. Juan Tamariz
This is an obvious choice. I mean, here is a man that actually does what we magician's pretend to do- magic. He is a wizard, far and away ahead of his time compared to the rest of us. For those that need gimmicks, you give Juan a deck of cards and an hour in front of an audience, and he will have them more astonished than if they went to a Copperfield show. Amazing Guy, and one that I look up to each and everyday I perform.
2. Dani DaOrtiz
This is the second in the list of "fucking wizards", and another fantastic performer to watch. The reason he is second rather than first is that, to me, sometimes I think magician's get more enjoyment out of his work than laymen. This is O.K. with me, because the way he works, he can do the exact same thing for magicians and laymen, and fool the shit out of both of them, all while saying "I don't know, I don't know!" Incredible magician that I learn from each and every time I see him work.
3. Lennart Green
Now we come to the magician I find the most entertaining to watch, bar none. He has the perfect mix of funny, mysterious, challenging, intriguing, and downright entertaining to captivate an audience for hours. Which is the other beautiful thing about Lennart: he seems to have this absolutely endless repertoire of original sleights and ideas, effects and methods. He is ever creating, ever innovating, and ever thinking. If there is one guy I would want to be when I grew up, Lennart would be it.
4. Tony Chang
This man is my personal hero when it comes to close up card magic. His work has this modern vernonesque quality about it that is just unmatched in other workers today. He doesn't need silly props or fancy gimmicks. Just his two thumbs, thick glasses, and a pack of cards. It should also go to note that he is quite the humorist, often inserting word play and limericks into his presentations. It's quite wonderful, I do declare. We need more Tonys (Tonies? Tonis?) in the world.
5. Helder Guimaraes
Innovation squared is this mans middle name and his claim to fame is efficiency in card magic. Tony Chang, of note, also does this, but Helder does it on a different scale. Two completely different performing styles that really diverge from the same modern thought path of card thought. Helder has a way of really making you believe what he is doing is magic. His magic has an effortless quality about it, and everything is done for a reason. He doesn't cut the cards unless he has a good reason for it, and I completely respect, admire, and am a student of, that process of simplification via justification. Don't get me started on the Double Undercut.
6. Derek Delgaudio
What's so fascinating about Derek is his ability to be a complete legend, yet stay relatively mysterious. He has a show that I would kill to see with number 5 on this list, but the reason I love Derek so much, is because to me, he is what Ricky Jay would have been had he been born in our time. His unmatched skill with a deck of cards, coupled with his creative ideas, as well as a sort of shy, skilled character that he plays absolutely perfectly. All cardmen should strive to be more like derek. Or at least dress like him. the man has style.
7. David Williamson
So here we have this guy who could blow 90 percent of fellow magician's out of the water in regards to BOTH technical skill and shear entertainment. Dave's lecture was the first lecture I ever had the luxury of seeing, and it wasn't just the ideas he had. It was the way he presented himself. He literally did whatever he wanted, and people ate it up! He really is incredibly gifted, with a sense of humor unlike any that comedy or magic, has ever seen.
8. Daniel Garcia
Just squeezing in the number 8 spot is Daniel Garcia, the man I call father. With one of the most insanely creative repertoires I have ever seen out of any magician, as well as fantastic, bro-like personality, life is magic for him and his audiences. I think it's a wonderful thing how he can make his spectators feel. We should really learn a lot more from Daniel than how to lose hair, or what the most visual method is for a trick. We should learn that it's the magic moment that matters, it's what you frame to your audience. He can do this better than almost any young guy I have seen to date. Keep on rockin, man.
1. Juan Tamariz
This is an obvious choice. I mean, here is a man that actually does what we magician's pretend to do- magic. He is a wizard, far and away ahead of his time compared to the rest of us. For those that need gimmicks, you give Juan a deck of cards and an hour in front of an audience, and he will have them more astonished than if they went to a Copperfield show. Amazing Guy, and one that I look up to each and everyday I perform.
2. Dani DaOrtiz
This is the second in the list of "fucking wizards", and another fantastic performer to watch. The reason he is second rather than first is that, to me, sometimes I think magician's get more enjoyment out of his work than laymen. This is O.K. with me, because the way he works, he can do the exact same thing for magicians and laymen, and fool the shit out of both of them, all while saying "I don't know, I don't know!" Incredible magician that I learn from each and every time I see him work.
3. Lennart Green
Now we come to the magician I find the most entertaining to watch, bar none. He has the perfect mix of funny, mysterious, challenging, intriguing, and downright entertaining to captivate an audience for hours. Which is the other beautiful thing about Lennart: he seems to have this absolutely endless repertoire of original sleights and ideas, effects and methods. He is ever creating, ever innovating, and ever thinking. If there is one guy I would want to be when I grew up, Lennart would be it.
4. Tony Chang
This man is my personal hero when it comes to close up card magic. His work has this modern vernonesque quality about it that is just unmatched in other workers today. He doesn't need silly props or fancy gimmicks. Just his two thumbs, thick glasses, and a pack of cards. It should also go to note that he is quite the humorist, often inserting word play and limericks into his presentations. It's quite wonderful, I do declare. We need more Tonys (Tonies? Tonis?) in the world.
5. Helder Guimaraes
Innovation squared is this mans middle name and his claim to fame is efficiency in card magic. Tony Chang, of note, also does this, but Helder does it on a different scale. Two completely different performing styles that really diverge from the same modern thought path of card thought. Helder has a way of really making you believe what he is doing is magic. His magic has an effortless quality about it, and everything is done for a reason. He doesn't cut the cards unless he has a good reason for it, and I completely respect, admire, and am a student of, that process of simplification via justification. Don't get me started on the Double Undercut.
6. Derek Delgaudio
What's so fascinating about Derek is his ability to be a complete legend, yet stay relatively mysterious. He has a show that I would kill to see with number 5 on this list, but the reason I love Derek so much, is because to me, he is what Ricky Jay would have been had he been born in our time. His unmatched skill with a deck of cards, coupled with his creative ideas, as well as a sort of shy, skilled character that he plays absolutely perfectly. All cardmen should strive to be more like derek. Or at least dress like him. the man has style.
7. David Williamson
So here we have this guy who could blow 90 percent of fellow magician's out of the water in regards to BOTH technical skill and shear entertainment. Dave's lecture was the first lecture I ever had the luxury of seeing, and it wasn't just the ideas he had. It was the way he presented himself. He literally did whatever he wanted, and people ate it up! He really is incredibly gifted, with a sense of humor unlike any that comedy or magic, has ever seen.
8. Daniel Garcia
Just squeezing in the number 8 spot is Daniel Garcia, the man I call father. With one of the most insanely creative repertoires I have ever seen out of any magician, as well as fantastic, bro-like personality, life is magic for him and his audiences. I think it's a wonderful thing how he can make his spectators feel. We should really learn a lot more from Daniel than how to lose hair, or what the most visual method is for a trick. We should learn that it's the magic moment that matters, it's what you frame to your audience. He can do this better than almost any young guy I have seen to date. Keep on rockin, man.
What's awesome about that triumph
is figuring out just how in the hell you are going to clean up afterwards....
Thursday, October 31, 2013
How I picture Triumph to look
Perfect Trumph
This is based off an idea of Tony Chang's, and is my baby. I just want to know if it actually looks good, or am I just building this up?
This is based off an idea of Tony Chang's, and is my baby. I just want to know if it actually looks good, or am I just building this up?
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
For lack of a handy dandy notebook
three cards selected, collected by queens, vanish and reappear in pack. Queens then collect again, but then they vanish and reappear in the pack. Selections are found in pocket of magician. another card is selected, magician finds it's mates and then loses them, they jump to four pockets. He then places the four queens in his four pockets, and makes the fives change into them one by one. 3 fives are found in the pockets, the queen packet morphing into the final five, with the queens jumping to the four pockets for a finale.
Visiting Travellers.
Visiting Travellers.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Idea for color changing deck
Based on Apt pupil.. spectator selects blue card which will be the little boy, and the magician pulls out a red king which is the fucked up nazi doctor. Turns the little boy cray by turning him red backed, which then prompts him to shoot the highway, bloodying the rest of the blue backed deck. Just a thought.
A move I can't stand!
Is the mechanical reverse. Unless you and the spectator's are standing, the deck has to be tilted at almost an extreme angle to cover it properly, and for that reason I really can't stand the move itself. I also don't really care for the half pass either, gravity or no gravity. It's just not a move that lends itself to good angles. they are both beautiful moves when done well, but neither are very natural to me. Just a thought, really.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
The Riffle Pass
Why is it that there is next to no one who perform a decent riffle pass? There are a few things that I have read and seen that will help this pass tremendously.
The first tip is that there should NEVER be a "get-ready" of the riffle pass. I have seen so many people that go to perform this, and they do three things:
1. They station their hands. It's almost as if your are shouting I AM DOING SOMETHING NOW. WATCH ME DO SOMETHING COOL.
2. They riffle the cards a few times. This preemptive action is not necessary, and just adds tension to the sleight. It adds to the "LOOK SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE."
3. They pass. This is the only decent part I see of the move. And even then, it can be butchered.
If you are going to to the pass, the hands should only be together for the INSTANT the pass happens. The hands should then be apart.
If you are having trouble with the "flashing" of the top packet, you should do two things:
Use less cards for the upper packet.
Use more downward pressure in the left hands fingers. The opening and closing motion of the fingers should be instantaneous, and almost forcefully strong.
If you are going to square the cards, please have a reason for doing so. I don't care if it's from picking the cards up, just have a reason for squaring them. Don't square a squared deck. It's just another one of those things that screams "FUNNY SHIT HAPPENS NOW."
If you are going to do the pass as a color change, I wouldn't do it a thousand times. This should seem obvious, but you know.
Above all, no matter how invisible your riffle pass is, this is one of the worst passes your can do to direct attention away from your hands. That riffle will direct attention to your hands no matter what you do, so the riffle should be done AFTER you pass, not at any point right before.
It's a beautiful sleight when done well, so please, make it that way.
The first tip is that there should NEVER be a "get-ready" of the riffle pass. I have seen so many people that go to perform this, and they do three things:
1. They station their hands. It's almost as if your are shouting I AM DOING SOMETHING NOW. WATCH ME DO SOMETHING COOL.
2. They riffle the cards a few times. This preemptive action is not necessary, and just adds tension to the sleight. It adds to the "LOOK SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE."
3. They pass. This is the only decent part I see of the move. And even then, it can be butchered.
If you are going to to the pass, the hands should only be together for the INSTANT the pass happens. The hands should then be apart.
If you are having trouble with the "flashing" of the top packet, you should do two things:
Use less cards for the upper packet.
Use more downward pressure in the left hands fingers. The opening and closing motion of the fingers should be instantaneous, and almost forcefully strong.
If you are going to square the cards, please have a reason for doing so. I don't care if it's from picking the cards up, just have a reason for squaring them. Don't square a squared deck. It's just another one of those things that screams "FUNNY SHIT HAPPENS NOW."
If you are going to do the pass as a color change, I wouldn't do it a thousand times. This should seem obvious, but you know.
Above all, no matter how invisible your riffle pass is, this is one of the worst passes your can do to direct attention away from your hands. That riffle will direct attention to your hands no matter what you do, so the riffle should be done AFTER you pass, not at any point right before.
It's a beautiful sleight when done well, so please, make it that way.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
The real DM story
So, I was dicking about with my friends one night, playing a game of cards for small change, you know, nickels, dimes. And we had a rather large pot on the table. I'm talking 50, 60 cents. So, I decided, "Hey, why not try and take the SECOND card instead of the top card. Who knows?" And I did it. Nothing happened. I won.
Why do most magician's come of as condescending little pricks?
Honest question. I mean, do we think we are better than anyone else simply because we can fiddle with arbitrary objects in ways that we deem interesting? What the fuck, most of these people don't even perform magic, they just jack each other off while they practice their shitty pass.
Tony Chang, Steve Freeman, and Lennart Green
Are my heroes in magic. Well, maybe not Steve Freeman.
Oh fuck it, Dai can come too. But not Marlo. He reminds me too much of season 1 of the Walking Dead.
Fine, Marlo can come, too.
Oh fuck it, Dai can come too. But not Marlo. He reminds me too much of season 1 of the Walking Dead.
Fine, Marlo can come, too.
Has Dai Vernon ever created a Sandwich routine?
And do you know why? What the fuck kind of spectator would actually see a sandwich routine and think: "What a fucking Wizard."
On a much darker note, I do three sandwich routines, all of which while crying myself to sleep in front of my camcorder.
On a much darker note, I do three sandwich routines, all of which while crying myself to sleep in front of my camcorder.
What is this green monster everyone speaks of?
I always thought Lennart was pretty good. Too bad Marlo and Lorayne collectively published all of his material independently from the dates of February 3rd, 1952, to February 3rd, 1952. What can I say? They work fast.
The Worst Part about Revelations
Was Gary Ouellet.
But the saddest part is that people still use Ammar's patter.
But the saddest part is that people still use Ammar's patter.
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