Video – Page 5 – MagicShow.Tips

Adding Production Elements!

I’m working on adding more production elements to my show. I’ve been using video in a very basic way that’s just a camera that’s either on or off, but that’s it. I just added some visual element for projection, and did my first show with them. The first show was pretty basic, it was simply the either a logo, live close up video or pictures.

The first show went well. I’m using Show Cues System and my Media Star remote and running it off of a laptop. Show Cues System is production software (not to be confused with Show Cues music app for your phone) that can run all of the show elements from music to lights. It’s the PC version of Qlabs.

The thing that I don’t like about it is the lack of a screen that I can easily see what the current thing it’s playing it. That helps when you skip a routine, or accidentally push a button and need to move around in your set list. I think I just need to use it more to get used to it!

I tried it out at a gig at a senior community. That’s one of the great things about doing shows for seniors, they are low pressure shows, not huge events where you’re getting paid thousands of dollars. If there’s a tech hiccup, it’s not as huge of a deal!

-Louie
PS if you want to learn more about performing for senior communities, check out my book How To Perform For Seniors!

Ali Baba Box!

Inside a box of old magic I bought I came across an strange coin box which I later learned was called the Ali Baba Box and it appears it was originally created/made by Eddie Gibson in the UK. The one I found was made by Paul Diamond and was originally part of a larger set.

The basic effect is you open the box and take out a sponge sponge ball, then close the box and when you reopen it, it’s full of coins. There really was no context to the sponge ball aside from filling the space inside the box. Here’s my attempt to give the box some sort of context:

@louiefoxx Tooth fairy doesn’t always have cash! #toothfairy #cointrick #magictrick #coins #quarter #payday #magic ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

The tooth fairy theme with the sponge tooth kinda makes sense to tie it all together. I’m sure if I thought a bit more I could come up with something better…

-Louie

Ultimate Aces on TikTok

I’m newer on Tik Tok, so still working hard to build it up, let’s hope the government doesn’t take it away and I lose that work! I recently posted John Fedko’s Ultimate Aces and it’s gotten a ton of views (for me on tiktok).

One of the things that I noticed was if you look at the bottom of that screenshot there is a suggested search. It’s “Ultimate Aces Card Trick Revealed”. That’s kinda messed up from a magician’s perspective. I’m assuming that suggested search is based on what people are searching after watching the video.

Here’s the video of the Ultimate Aces:

@louiefoxx Watch the aces! #cardtrick #aces #cardmagic #magic #magictrick #vintagemagic #acetrick ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

To me this confirms my idea that people aren’t figuring out how tricks work based on watching the video, but doing searches to figure it out. It also adds to my not really caring if people post how it works. One thing I’ve seen in the comments for this trick is that for every correct reveal there are ones that are incorrect. Lot’s of people saying the routine uses a double lift!

Noticing that search bar has given me a lot of perspective about the Tik Tok comment section.

-Louie

Ultimate Aces by John Fedko

Many, many years ago when I was a teenager I was given a set of paperback books (lecture notes?) by John Fedko. There was a lot of stuff in those books that I learned, but there was also a lot of stuff that I didn’t learn because it used gimmicks that I didn’t have.

One of those tricks was Ultimate Aces, which is an ace assembly. I was excited when I came across a set of the cards and could try out the trick. I did the trick as part of my “vintage magic tricks” series on TikTok. If you’re on TikTok please give me a follow at: https://www.tiktok.com/@louiefoxx

Here’s what John Fedko’s Ultimate Aces looks like:

@louiefoxx Watch the aces! #cardtrick #aces #cardmagic #magic #magictrick #vintagemagic #acetrick ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

I’m kinda amazed at the response from magicians who messaged me asking where they can get the cards. This surprised me because on PenguinMagic.com there is only one review and it’s one star.

I think this is a case of the person who ordered it thinking the gaffs were something different, or they never tried the trick out. I think it’s as good as any ace assembly out there.

-Louie

Evolution of an Idea

About 50 years ago Paul Harris put out the Paul Harris Vanishing deck. This is the vanish of a full deck of card. Well, almost a full deck of cards, here’s what it looks like:

@louiefoxx This is 50 years old! #cardtrick #magictrick #cardmagic #disappear #vanish #gone #vintagemagic ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

The weak point of the trick is the card that’s removed. I guess if you gave the trick context, like that’s a chosen card then it makes more sense. The improvement with the trick came about 20 years later was when Steve Bedwell put out Reboxed.

@louiefoxx Card trick from 30 years ago! #cardtrick #cardmagic #magictrick #cards #magician #vintagemagic ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

The huge improvement that Steve gave the trick was context. The deck didn’t disappear it went through the box! That change in effect from a vanish to a penetration also cleaned up the weak point of having to remove the card from the deck.

Then about ten years ago they improved the Reboxed gimmick to clean up the handling.

The new gimmick made the handling a little bit cleaner.

That’s a 40 year evolution of the Paul Harris Vanishing Deck! This is a good example of why nothing should ever be considered finished.

-Louie

Never Bet on a Sure Thing

I’m working through Jack Carpenter’s new book Carpenter’s Conceptions right now. The second trick in it is my favorite so far, but I’m only about 5 tricks into the book. I’m a huge fan of his, ever since I was a teenager and I got his book Modus Operandi.

Fun little fact, Jack and I used to live in the same town (along with Bob Cassidy) and I would run into Jack every now and then at the Red Robin.

In Carpenter’s Conceptions the second trick is called Never Bet On a Sure Thing which is a five card monte trick. Here’s what it looks like:

@louiefoxx Follow the jack! #cardtrick #magictrick #magic #cardmagic #magiciansoftiktok #cards #bet #neverbetonasurething ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

Well, that’s almost what’s in the book. I changed it a little bit, the final display has a little something extra that I discovered. Did you notice it?

The final display where you are three cards as four cards doesn’t really hold up as well on a social media video. If someone watches it twice and is burning you, they’ll notice two of the same cards. To minimize that, I came up with this Elmsley Count variation:

Ideally the gimmicked card would have the same head on the jack on both ends, but the card used in the video above was all that I had at home.

It’s not a big deal, but it’s a little thing that can make your social media videos slightly more bullet proof.

-Louie

Emerson and West Presents Jim Callan’s Soup to Nuts

I love my vintage magic, especially old card tricks! Today I’m going to look at Emerson and West presents Jim Callan’s Soup to Nuts. This is a classic Emerson and West style packet trick that’s uses a handful of themed cards. Here’s what it looks like per the directions:

@louiefoxx Vintage Magic Trick – Emerson and West's Soup To Nuts! #vintage #magictrick #magic #magician #louiefoxx #closeupmagic #vintagemagic #emersonandwest #packettrick #vancouverwa ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

It’s a decent trick, and here are my thoughts on it:

While I personally wouldn’t really use these novelty type cards, it’s great to play with them! I think anytime I learn a new seqeunce, it gets filed somewhere in my brain and it may help me out some day. Realistically it probably just get purged from my short term memory…but who knows.

-Louie

Pavel’s Rope Magic

Pavel is probably most famous for The Walking Knot, which is a great trick! Pavel was before my time, so I don’t know a ton about him. He did put out some VHS tapes when I was a teenager, so that’s where I know him from.

I came across a great trick of his called Jumping Silks on Rope. The name says it all, here’s what it looks like:

@louiefoxx Watch the blue handkerchief! #magictrick #magic #ropetrick #ropemagic #handkerchief #silk #silkmagic #pavel #vintagemagic ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

The method is super clever and it’s a great little transposition of the location of something tied to rope. He has a bonus trick that comes with it that uses a bracelet that hops from knot to knot.

@louiefoxx What the heck is a bangle #magictrick #magic #ropetrick #ropemagic #bangle #pavel #vintagemagic ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

I wish I had a way to use this trick as it’s fun to do! Unfortunately it really doesn’t fit my show right now, but maybe in the future?

-Louie

Wireless Video Projection

A while ago I started using video projection in my magic shows. My camera set up is pretty simple, I was doing it with an HDMI cord that went direct from the camera to TV or projector. This worked, but it’s not always possible to do because of where the input is located and how much cord I travel with.

Hollyland Mars 400s Pro II for magic show video projection

I recently bought a Hollyland Mars 400s Pro II, which is an wireless video transmitter. You plug the HDMI from the camera into the transmitter and the HDMI from the receiver to the TV or projector. Now if the HDMI input for the project is across the room, or in an AV room it’s not a problem. I don’t need to run cord or travel with more than a couple of short lengths of HDMI cord.

I’ve used this twice since I got them and both times the production guy at the event commented that Hollyland makes good stuff. In fact the second time I used them the venue was also using them!

So far, I’m a fan of them!

-Louie

Breaking the Fourth Wall

Last week my wife and I went to see a show called Liberace and Liza, Holiday at the Mansion. The premise of the show is that the audience are guests at Liberace’s house at a Chirstmas party that’s hosted by him and Liza Minnelli.

Liberace and Liza, Holiday at the mansion portland OR

I really had no idea what to expect when I showed up. It was a fun show, and I didn’t expect as much audience involvement as there was in the show. What made it great was there was no “fourth wall” the performers were talking to you, not each other within a scene. This is what a magic show is like, there is no fourth wall (usually) and you are talking directly to the audience.

One of the great things was there were a lot of “call backs” to things that people in the audience did. This makes the show special and unique to the audience at that show. In my magic show, I look for things that I can comment on, then refer back to later in the show. It’s a great technique to create a unique show!

If you’re curious about the show, here’s the promo video for the show:

It was a fun show, and if you pay attention you can learn a lot that will apply to a magic show!

-Louie