When I was about 15 years old, I saw John Carney lecture in Minneapolis. One of the things he talked about was doing the pass. He said the best way to create a new pass was to do an existing one backwards. For example a Herman Pass is essentially a Classic Pass Backwards. Occasionally when … Continue reading “Do It Backwards!”
When I was about 15 years old, I saw John Carney lecture in Minneapolis. One of the things he talked about was doing the pass. He said the best way to create a new pass was to do an existing one backwards. For example a Herman Pass is essentially a Classic Pass Backwards.
Occasionally when I’m jamming with magicians I’ll start to play with a move or an idea backwards and it will yield interesting results. Recently I was talking to a mentalist and the subject of spoon bending came up. I asked him if anyone had done it backwards. What I mean by that is bending the spoon towards the bowl, instead of away from it.
He mentioned that a lot of the optical illusion parts of bends may not work. He then demonstrated the spoon bends that he does, and he was right about them not working with the bend going the opposite direction. However, this playing around with flipping the bend backwards led me to come up with what I think is a new spoon bend!
Do you collect magic? Many magicians are hoarders and have boxes of stuff that they buy and almost immediately gets put away. Personally I actively try to not have too much magic kicking around. This is partially because of space, and partially because when I die, it simply becomes garbage. I do collect things, however … Continue reading “Collecting Magic…”
Do you collect magic? Many magicians are hoarders and have boxes of stuff that they buy and almost immediately gets put away. Personally I actively try to not have too much magic kicking around. This is partially because of space, and partially because when I die, it simply becomes garbage.
I do collect things, however it’s a little different than “hoarding” as it’s fairly specific. I collect three shell game sets. Here’s the current collection:
You’ll notice in the bottom center there is a space with no shells. That’s the shell game set that use when I’m out performing. I use Leo Smester’s shell game, and I highly recommend it. The only thing I changed was I don’t use his peas, I use the Perfect Pea made by School For Scoundrels.
Personally I prefer the “bowl” type sets. I had been doing the shells for a little while and found some little bowls in Chinatown when I was a teenager and started doing the shell game with them. Those bowls broke a long time ago, however ever since then I’ve preferred the bowl style.
I’ve been keeping notebooks for idea for magic since I was a teenager. Most of the ideas from the early ones are horrible, but every now and then I’ll flip through them and find something interesting. About 10 years ago I had an idea for a trick, but it was missing something that would make … Continue reading “Ideas Become Reality…”
I’ve been keeping notebooks for idea for magic since I was a teenager. Most of the ideas from the early ones are horrible, but every now and then I’ll flip through them and find something interesting. About 10 years ago I had an idea for a trick, but it was missing something that would make it functional.
I was running at the gym and notice something triggered an “ah-ha moment” that made the idea work. When I got home, I created the two parts on my 3D printer and printed them up. Here’s one of them in the CAD Program:
And here’s the other one that’s printed out:
Now that I have these two pieces, I’ve assembled the trick and am happy to report that the trick works!
The sad news is that in the 10 years since I had the idea my performing style has changed a lot and this really doesn’t fit how I perform. However it’s been in my head for so long, I’m going to keep developing it at home and try to figure out a way to make it work.
TLDR: Always keep an eye out for solutions to a problem
Many years ago I read that Steve Fearson wanted to create his version of classic magic illusions. A quick Google Search and I managed to find the quote: “About 10 years ago I took it upon myself to reinvent 3 of magic’s greatest stage illusions, adapting them so that they could be performed in a … Continue reading “Your Own Versions…”
Many years ago I read that Steve Fearson wanted to create his version of classic magic illusions. A quick Google Search and I managed to find the quote:
“About 10 years ago I took it upon myself to reinvent 3 of magic’s greatest stage illusions, adapting them so that they could be performed in a close up situation. The three illusions were the levitation of a person, the sawing in half illusion and the vanish.” – Steve Fearson
That’s a quote that stuck with me for some reason. I’ve worked to create my version of tricks that I like. By my version, it’s a reworking of the trick, not simply a different sequence of events. I’ve marketed several of these tricks and am working on a patent for one of them.
I’m writing up my version of the “floating dollar trick”. My main issue with the classic version of the trick, is that if the gimmick breaks, you are toast, the trick doesn’t work…and the gimmick is super fragile. My version has multiple redundant gimmicks. Here’s a demo of it:
I think me not being happy with things how they are, has led me to some interesting solutions to fixing what I don’t like about many magic tricks. In fact some days that’s my creative exercise, taking tricks I don’t like and trying to make a version of them that I do like.
The moral of this post is to customize your magic to fit you and what you need from your gimmicks!
Last week I was having lunch with a couple of magician friends, and jamming magic tricks. This is one of the best ways to create magic, it to just riff on ideas. We came up some some interesting ideas and expanded on some existing ideas. When I’m out somewhere I like to think of ideas … Continue reading “Impromptu Tricks…”
Last week I was having lunch with a couple of magician friends, and jamming magic tricks. This is one of the best ways to create magic, it to just riff on ideas.
We came up some some interesting ideas and expanded on some existing ideas.
When I’m out somewhere I like to think of ideas for magic tricks using things around me. This day we were at the LunchBox Lab in Seattle. On their tables they have seven different flavors of salt. So here’s a quick trick I did with the salt:
This trick is nothing ground breaking from a method standpoint, it’s essentially a card trick done with salt. In this situation using their salt gave it a feeling of being unplanned, and I think that made it feel more amazing to the waitress.
TLDR: Think about doing magic tricks with things around you.
Are there any magic tricks that you’ve always wanted to perform? I’m not talking about the flavor of the month, new trick that just came out. A trick that you read about or saw as a kid, and you still think about decades later? I’ve had many, and luckily for me I’ve gotten to do … Continue reading “Magic Trick Bucket List…”
Are there any magic tricks that you’ve always wanted to perform? I’m not talking about the flavor of the month, new trick that just came out. A trick that you read about or saw as a kid, and you still think about decades later?
I’ve had many, and luckily for me I’ve gotten to do many of them. In the summer I do some library shows and those have allowed me to work on new tricks for my show and do them a lot in a short amount of time. What’s great about that is I quickly figure out if I like the trick or not. If I like the trick and so do audiences, then I can move that trick up to my main show.
Usually the tricks I’ve always wanted to do don’t make it into the main show. However it’s nice to have done them and scratched the itch and no longer feel the need to do them. There is one trick that I keep coming back to, and that’s the Multiplying Billiard Balls.
I did a version of Alan Wakeling’s routine on a tour of 90-ish shows. The routine got really tight and while I liked it, I think it didn’t connect with the audience as much as I thought it should. I did a routine one summer that produced 4 balls with no shell! I really enjoying doing that routine, as it had some creative moves in it.
I frequently do a ball manipulation sequence in my show, and that for the most part keeps me satisfied and I don’t feel I need to work on the multiplying balls. That is until recently. I had an idea for a non traditional version of the trick. This version only uses one ball that the audience is aware of. I’m excited about working on this trick because it’s so unusual!
That brings me back to John Carney’s book Magic by Design. In this book he talks about how there are tricks you will constantly come back to. It’s because they may not be right for you now, but they may be right for you in a year. I totally agree with him, I find ideas in notebooks that I didn’t expand at the time, but that’s probably because I couldn’t. I lacked the knowledge, or hadn’t thought of a second part to it that would make the trick possible.
If you’ve ever seen my magic lecture, there are a couple of main points to it. First is to take what you are doing a step further. The second is to put endings to things. This blog post covers both of them. I’ve always liked the Fifty Two on One gag card. If you don’t … Continue reading “An Ending to a Gag…”
If you’ve ever seen my magic lecture, there are a couple of main points to it. First is to take what you are doing a step further. The second is to put endings to things. This blog post covers both of them.
I’ve always liked the Fifty Two on One gag card. If you don’t know what this is, it’s a card with all the cards on its face.
How you use it, is you set it face down as your prediction. You ask someone to say any card, let’s say they name the King of Diamonds. You say, “your card is right here” as you turn over the card and point to the king of diamonds.
Funny gag, but it really needs a punch to it. How can we turn the gag into a trick? We could glue a king of diamonds onto the back of the card, and put our prediction in an envelope and force the king of diamonds. Now we get the gag, followed by turning the card over to show you knew their card.
That’s a good trick. It’s been done, but still a decent card revelation. Let’s take it up a notch:
By using a flap card we’ve added a magic trick to the revelation. Honestly I don’t know if this is better than just turning the card over, but it’s certainly a lot more magical!
Also by using the flap card for the change, we’ve added an ending to the trick AND taken it a step further. This is actually something I’ve wanted to make for a long time and just finally making one. I’ll try it out sometime soon and see how it plays.
I love tricks that have unusual visuals. Here’s one of my favorite “novelty” card tricks that I do: The problem with it is the recent batch of gimmicks that have come in have had a very short lifespan compared to the ones I was using a year or two ago. I bought a bunch … Continue reading “Be Self Sustaining…”
I love tricks that have unusual visuals. Here’s one of my favorite “novelty” card tricks that I do:
The problem with it is the recent batch of gimmicks that have come in have had a very short lifespan compared to the ones I was using a year or two ago. I bought a bunch of them over a year ago and down to my last one. I have a feeling that the glue that was used had degraded over time and that’s why they gimmicks aren’t lasting as long.
Luckily I know how to make this style of gimmicked card. I started playing with them when I was a teenager when I got the book Gaffed to the Hilt. If you’ve never made your own gaff cards, the DVD Gimmicked by Andost is a great resource.
I have some time today and am going to make up some of the cards for the hole punch trick. The main reason I’m making instead of buying is simple, I have one left and they’ve been lasting me 1-2 shows, I won’t have time to order more and have them by when I’d need them.
Making my own makes me be able to operate without being a slave to shipping times. I’d still rather order them than make them myself, however that’s not an option if I want to do the trick at my gig today and tomorrow.
The moral of the story is that if you are going to have a prop that you use a lot of, have a back up, or if it’s like this card that has a limited life buy a bunch of back ups. Better yet learn to make and repair them!
A couple weeks I performed at Wonderground in Las Vegas. This is a monthly magic/variety show put on by Jeff McBride. It’s a very fun show and if you get the chance, I highly recommend doing it! The one thing that stresses me out about this show is the close up, I’m fine with … Continue reading “Ambitious Card…”
A couple weeks I performed at Wonderground in Las Vegas. This is a monthly magic/variety show put on by Jeff McBride. It’s a very fun show and if you get the chance, I highly recommend doing it!
The one thing that stresses me out about this show is the close up, I’m fine with the stage show. It stresses me out because there aren’t a lot of original plots in my close up set, sure I have my own twists on things, but at it’s core it’s Ambitious Card.
About a week before I performed at Wondgeround I was visiting with Nick Lewin and we chatted about the close up stressing me out.
My concern was that the Ambitious Card was too common of a trick for the audience there. Not all of the audience there are magicians, however they are magic fans, so they’ve seen it. Nick commented that it’s the “greatest card trick” and I agree…that’s why it’s so common. The plot is simple and when done right it’s impossible!
I ended up doing a trick where someone feeds me marshmallows. It played well!
Personally I think there is one trick when done correctly that might be better than the Ambitious Card, and that is Any Card at Any Number. It’s got a simple plot:
Name a card, name a number, count down to that number and the card is there.
The problem with ACAAN is that is gets mucked up when people try to make it easier. They limit selections or use convoluted processes to make the trick work. Also what I think most of people who do this for a non-magician audience misses is repeating it. You need to do it twice.
So that’s my thoughts on the best and close second for card tricks.
When I’m out performing mingling magic (aka roving close up) I frequently throw something into my pocket that’s not part of my normal set. It could be a full trick, gimmick, prop, or whatever. A couple of nights ago I put a pair of blank dice in my pocket. Years ago I published a … Continue reading “Play Around…”
When I’m out performing mingling magic (aka roving close up) I frequently throw something into my pocket that’s not part of my normal set. It could be a full trick, gimmick, prop, or whatever.
A couple of nights ago I put a pair of blank dice in my pocket. Years ago I published a trick with blank dice in the Linking Ring Magazine. Basically the gist of it was someone selected a card. They rolled the blank dice, told you the number they rolled, and you dealt down the number they rolled. The selected card was at the number. This is based on an Eddie Fields trick that uses a name.
Here’s video from the first table I did it at the other night…it’s been years since I did the trick:
After I did the trick in the video above, I realized it needed another phase. For the next phase I added this trick that’s part of my normal card set, but using the “rolled” numbers instead of any number:
Now I’ve got a little routine…but it needed an ending. So I’m ending it with a third phase where they shuffle the cards, roll again and deal down to that number. This time the card is not there. It’s folded up in my wallet.
I like that in this routine, each time the card is found it’s in a different state. First it’s face down, next it’s face up and finally it’s folded up. By the end of the night it went from OK to pretty good!
So the moral of the story is don’t be afraid to play around!
