Tricks – Page 5 – MagicShow.Tips

Portland Magic Jam – Day 1

The first day of the Portland Magic Jam started with the registration and dealer room being open. Then, a bit later David Kaye did a pre-lecture about what to look for in the show he was going to do the next day, which then would be followed by a post show breakdown of what we just saw.

I think that’s a great format if you’re going to do a show and then talk about it. One thing that I noticed is how much David knows about comedy. He’s a kid show guy, but all of the principles he talked about are for any age group!

Next was John Shyrock who also did a show/lecture. He did a 20 min close up show and then talked about it.

John does some really strong magic, and there’s a lot to learn from his use of music (even in a close up show). He brings a lot of bigger theatrical techniques to close up magic!

Then it was the evening show which was just three acts. I was the MC and did a spot along with Paul Draper and Richard Turner.

It’s had to do an MC spot on a small stage with no curtain, where a lot of equipment is being moved around. The spot I did was kind of a hybrid MC filling time and a scheduled spot.

The closing spot was Richard Turner doing close up tabled card magic.

To be 100% honest, I’m not sure how I felt about Richard Turner’s show. The card magic is great, but to me (this is my opinion), he really came off as a dirty old man the way he interacted with the two people onstage. The card magic was amazing, but his patter is from a different era, that’s not a modern style, especially for a town like Portland.

After the show, it was hang out time!

The late-night stuff is where all of the fun, weird, amazing magic happens! Also with this convention taking place at an airport hotel, there were some people who missed a connection at the airport and ended seeing some crazy magic tricks! I think it made their delay much more fun!

-Louie

A Toast to Nick Trost #2

Here’s the second trick in the book The Card Magic of Nick Trost. The Seven Card Trick is a “repeat” style magic effect, where you keep taking away a card, but still have the same amount. Here’s what the trick looks like as written:

And here’s my update with my thoughts on why I made the changes that I did:

Ultimately, the challenge with any “repeat” trick is the ending. I used to have a trick called Whiplash where a six card repeat was followed by a six bill repeat, then ended with the six bills turning into six cards, which gave it an ending.

With the 7 Card trick, or in the updated 4 card trick, the ending with just one card gave it a different moment. I had an idea that I like more than just ending with one card. Here’s what happens, you have one card, and you tear it into four pieces. You count the four pieces, and they are five! You then toss away one of the pieces, and when you go to count them again, the card has been restored!

-Louie

Joseph Silk Gun

Awhile ago I aquired a Joseph Silk Gun. This is a pistol that you put a silk ontop of and the silk disappears.

Here’s what it looks like in action:

The vanish looks like trick photography! Unfortunately, there’s really nowhere that I would use a gun in a performance. Maybe if you did some sort of vignette, but that’s about it.

I’m going to try to find time to make a video of it with a Crystal Cube prop. Both the vanish and production would be instant!

-Louie

Dice Cup Chop Cups!

It’s been a while since I’ve made any chop cups, and yesterday I made a batch of dice cup chop cups. I made these to take to the Portland Magic Jam this weekend.

Internally, there’s not much to it, it’s a magnet in a cup. I 3D print a magnet puck, and cover it with the same material that lines the cup.

Then I make a set of chopped dice, so one is regular, and the other has a magnet load.

I’m going to package these with an 8 Ball for the final load and sell them as a set. If I have any left after the Portland Magic Jam, I’ll offer them for sale here.

-Louie

Shows for Seniors

Last week I was doing a show for a senior community and here’s what my 45 min show looks like:

The props are in the bottom case, and on top of that is my Bose s1 pro. I’ve seen pictures of some people who bring in elaborate setups, and that definitely makes the show look bigger, but it’s not for me. I no longer bring in backdrops, for me, it didn’t make the show play any better. Sure, there are times I wish I had them because whatever is behind me is distracting or makes the show hard to watch, I don’t encounter them enough to make me want to pack and set up a backdrop.

I’m also using the facility’s TV or projector more and more. I don’t do close up magic to it, but I use it to make smaller things play bigger! This is easy to do, just plug a camera into their TV’s HDMI port. Boom done.

I used to take a wireless system HDMI to these shows, but it’s just easier to have 25 feet of HDMI cord. Simple and quick set up.

-Louie
PS: If you’re interested in doing shows for senior communities, check out my book How to Perform for Seniors at
https://www.magicshow.tips/how-to-perform-for-seniors-book/

Vanishing Birdcage in the Wild

Magicians frequently say that the modern style of vanishing birdcage doesn’t look like a cage. They really don’t, however cages that look like them do exists. I cme across them every now and then, here’s one:

and here’s another:

In real life, there really isn’t a birdcage that’s handheld anymore. Modern birdcages for pets are giant. No one really uses a handheld cage anymore.
-Louie

A Toast To Nick Trost #1

Here’s the first videos of what I’m calling A Toast To Nick Trost. These are videos where I do a trick from The Card Magic of Nick Trost as written, and then I do a variation of the trick that I’ve come up with. Usually this is just adding a move or theme that didn’t exist when Nick came up with the trick.

Here’s Nick’s Observation Test:

And here’s my updated version of the trick:

Here’s a quick tutorial of my version:

I think what I like about my update is the final display of the cards face up, then flipping the cards face down to reveal the color change!

-Louie

Current State of Magic

Are we at the point where this is modern card magic:

I’m trying to decide whether I’m a grumpy old man afraid of change, or if something like this is a step in the wrong direction. Sure, you can do a cool trick with this deck, but is this what card magic needs?

Are we at a point where someone asks you to show them a card trick and you can’t because your deck isn’t charged?

I don’t know.

-Louie

Nick Trost’s 7 Card Count: Rollins-Hamman-Longe Routine

Nick Trost was a BEAST! He was a pioneer of modern card magic. I’m rereading The Card Magic of Nick Trost. One of the things that I’m doing is learning the original routine and then trying to update or add something to each routine. I’m only four tricks into the book, which has 122 effects!!!

The second trick in the book is the 7 Card Count and after Nick’s original routine there’s a Rollins-Hamman-Longe variation of it. The first trick is good, but this version is better!

I did come up with a variation on the original, but also a variation on the variation! If you have the book, it’s the exact same set up and routine, except these are the card, and the final display is slightly different.

The card second to the left has a picture of a stop sign, but it could just be a blank card that says “stop”.

What this setup does is change it so each card that’s eliminated reappears in the packet. Also, I like the 1-2-3 of each color to sell the premise of only using three cards of each color.

Right before the final display, you’ll have three face up black cards, and you’d normally put them on the bottom, in this case put them face down on top. Next, pull the three red cards one at a time off the bottom and deal them face up on the table. Then deal the top three cards (black) face up onto the table, and that will leave you with the final (stop) card face down in your hand. Say, “This never works, we might as well stop now” and then reveal the final card!

The only downside is this trick is no longer impromptu.

The Stop Trick

I have a bunch of cards from a FA-KO deck, but I don’t have the booklet. One of the cards has a picture of a stop sign on it, and I started playing with it and this is what I came up with:

It’s pretty basic; the first is a second deal, and the second is the drop force.

I’m just “meh” at a second deal; if there’s no heat, it’s fine. One thing I noticed that’s a tell with most magicians that they’re not dealing the top card is when the hand holding the deck swings back and forth. I think that movement is magician’s thinking: “the big motion hides the smaller motion,” and I guess it does, but it doesn’t look right. I’ve noticed that when I try to keep my hand holding the deck static, my second deal flies by more magicians than when it moves.

I guess that’s a tip for the second deal?

-Louie