Pictures – Page 8 – MagicShow.Tips

Weather Prediction Mentalism Trick

A while ago I wrote a post about me having Trigger Finger, which is a tendon issue in my knuckle. I noticed that it was bad when it was raining, so that means I have an old man super power, my finger can predict the weather!

What can I do with that?

It got me thinking about doing a weather prediction effect. The idea of the trick will be that someone says the name of a city, and I write down what my finger thinks the weather in that city is.

I wanted the prediction to be bigger that something that could be accomplished with a nail writer. After some writing of different ideas, I hit upon using weather icons:

The flow of the effect is:

A city is chosen
The prediction is written down
The weather is the city is determined
The correct icon matching the weather is removed
The written prediction is shown to match the icon

That’s the flow.

I originally had a step earlier in the process that had me showing all the different possible icons. I decided that’s really dead time, and not needed, because we’re going to go through them later to find the correct one.

The method is really simple, I spent a lot of time writing more complex methods, but this was the most simple and direct method that I came up with.

I tried it for the first time a couple of days ago and it worked! Now to do it more and create a more complete routine.

-Louie

Magician’s Tie Bar

Somehow I got into collecting dead magician’s tie bars! Recently I was visiting with Alan Sands and he gave me one of George Sands tie bars!

If you’re not familiar with George Sands, he created the Sandsational Rope Routine. Most modern cut and restored rope routines are built off of his routine.

Thanks Alan, this will go into my collection!

-Louie

Circus Rings Around Russia

Somewhere along the road I picked up the book Circus Rings Around Russia and recently started reading it. The book is a history of the circus in Russia.

It’s interesting to hear how political the circus was in Russia. Both state run and with views that were anti-government. Performers were essentially blackballed for how they express their political views through their performances.

It’s also interesting that the big pro-government circuses were flops with audiences. I think those shows took away the “heart” of the circus and left the audiences feeling cold.

The author of this book also relates how magicians and the side show are considered lower entertainment than traditional circus acts like trapeze or eve clowns. In the USA magic is a huge part of the circus!

This is a great read and I’m glad I picked it up!

-Louie

Adding Tech to Library Shows

For my library and summer camp shows this year, I added a screen to my table.

There’s not much to it. It connects to an iPhone that’s running IQpro and controlled by a Flic Button. The main reason I’m using it is to get used to running IQpro.

I want to be more comfortable using production elements in my show, and obviously the best way to do that is to use them!
-Louie

Invisible Deck Crib by Charlie Roper

There are some magic products that just shouldn’t exist. This is one of the products:

It’s a cheat sheet for the invisible deck. Let’s start with the memory, you really need to remember two things. You need to remember which side of the deck is even, and hearts to spades, that’s it. For the math, you need to be able to subtract a number from 13.

It’s not too hard, however, it that’s too much for you, you can eliminate the math and memory by simply opening the flap and looking at which side is towards you. Then removing them from the box the correct way and fanning them vertically while looking for the named card. Boom, no math, no memory, no need for an Invisible Deck Crib.

OK, so is this solving a problem? If you’re not going to put the time into learn a trick, you really should be doing it. I suspect that’s what’s behind all the versions of ACAAN that are marketed, it’s to try to make the trick accessible to lazy magicians.

Maybe someone has a learning disability and can’t do the math in their head? OK, there are lots of things that I don’t do because I don’t have the ability to do them. For example I can’t use memory pegs because I have a thing called Aphantasia, however I was able to learn a memorized deck. It took a lot of work and I had to create little things to help me learn it. I wanted to learn to a memorized deck, so I figured out a way.

Now let me mention the worst line in magic advertising:
“eliminates memory and math (or commonly sleight of hand) to allow you to focus on performing.”
This makes it seem like you can’t do the two at the same time. Let’s look at famous magicians:
Darren Brown, David Copperfield, David Blaine, Doug Henning, and Criss Angel
All of them do or have done technically challenging things in their shows and could still entertain with it. Why can’t you?
If the answer is because it takes practice, then maybe performing magic isn’t for you.

Believe in yourself, you can do it!

-Louie

The Moisture Festival Podcast – Mr Lo’s Paper Show

On this episode of the Moisture Festival Podcast we welcome in Mr. LO. We talk about a number of different things including his life as a ballet dancer and all that goes into maintaining your body to perform that every night.

He tells us about the various career transformations he had to make including becoming a full time contortionist and how he found paper tearing to take over once he aged out of contortion. We learn about all the things that go into making such a unique act and the difficulties accompanied with performing an art form that no one performs anymore. A great conversation with a first time performer at the 2025 festival.

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Visiting Market Magic Shop in Seattle

The other day I had some free time in downtown Seattle, so I swung by the Market Magic Shop in the Pike Place Market. One of the cool hidden things at the Pike Place Market is that they have a giant Ask Alexander poster on public display in one of their less travelled hallways!

I picked up a couple of things at the magic shop, but while I was there I noticed t they had added Play-Duh to their spring snake selection!

I posted my routine for Play-Duh recently and I really love this prop! It’s in my summer library show and my routine is a hit! I’ve said it before, I wish I had thought of this idea!

Support brick and mortar magic shops, if you don’t , they will keep disappearing!

-Louie

Play-Duh!

I love updating old things to make them modern and more relevant. A great example of this and something that I wish I thought of is Play-Duh. This is the old spring snake in a can, but instead of a peanut brittle or chip can, it’s a “Play-Doh” style can.

Simply putting a spring snake into Play-Doh can won’t work, the lid won’t reliably stay on. This has an adjusted lid to make it stay on.

I’ve been using this in my test shows for my summer library show and it’s a HIT!

The national theme for libraries this summer in the USA is Color Your World, so this fits right into the theme!

Here’s how I use it in my kid show:

Effect: Five container of Play-Doh are shown, each has a different colored lid. One is selected (purple). The other four are opened and they contain a ball of purple Play-Doh. When the selected one is opened, and two purple spring snake jumps out.

This is a really simple routine, all you need to do is to put purple Play-Doh in the four containers that aren’t purple. Two spring snakes go into the one with the purple lid and you’re all set.

All you need to do is force the purple one, I use Phil Smith’s Quinta Force, but the PATEO Force or Magician’s Choice force would also work.

It’s a fun routine, especially when you add in all the Bev Bergeron style bits of trying to put the spring snake back into the can and having them pop back out.

This isn’t a product that I put or make anything on, it’s just something that I think is really cool idea.

You can get more info about them at:

https://hocus-pocus.com/product/play-duh-by-hocus-pocus-magic-deluxe-pack-in-stock-now/

-Louie

Take a Tour

Magicians can learn a lot from taking tours. I did a whiskey tour when I was in Nashville and Jimmy the tour guide was a great example of what magicians can learn.

Jimmy had a great “character”, we all knew what he was about very quickly. He also had what was essentially a stand up comedy set that he did while he drove the bus. He told personal stories about the landmarks we were driving by and the history of the area. I think many magicians miss that, connecting with the performer.

I do think that magic is important and you have to have good magic, but connecting with the audience and letting them know who you are is a close second.

-Louie

You Should Be Working!

Many years ago I heard an interview with Jerry Seinfeld that had an interesting piece of advice. He said your job isn’t having fun onstage, you should be working! I agree, your first job is to work, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun at the same time.

Here’s how sweaty I am after a show:

I know it’s gross, but I busted my ass onstage! It was fun, but I worked

-Louie