Category: Video

Jimothy and How To Create a Card Trick

A couple of days ago I saw a video of a unique looking racoon that that internet has named Jimothy. Here’s the video:

He’s popping up everywhere, and that got me thinking, what magic trick could I do with him.

A Simple First Step To Creating Magic Tricks

The easiest way to create a magic trick quickly is to find the theme, in this case Jimothy and figure out what to do with it. I’m travelling right now, so I’m limited with props, which can be a good thing when trying to create something new. I did have some blank face playing cards, so that gave me a start, it’ll be a card trick, with a picture of Jimothy.

My idea was to do an ace assembly type trick, with Jimothy and things raccoons eat. The challenge was that I didn’t have enough blank face cards to do it in the traditional way with 16 cards. I think this was a good thing, because most ace assemblies are too long and redundant, but you kinda need to have three “traveler” piles because there are four aces. I didn’t have that restraint for this trick.

I’m a huge belivier in creating magic tricks with rules or restraints. It definately makes it easier. You can read about how this applied to a full show that I wrote here!

Here’s what I came up with:

What I like about the format of this card routine is that it can be used for other themed tricks. It’s an easily adaptable format, customizing!

-Louie
PS: You can learn more about how I create magic here!

A Good Card Trick for Emergencies!

Last week I finished reading Card Man Stuff by Al Leech and this week I started reading another card magic book by Al Leech called Super Card Man Stuff. This book is pretty good. I’m about halfway through it, and while I don’t think it’s as good as Card Man Stuff, it’s still pretty good and a worthwhile read.

Here’s a Card Trick I Love!

In the book, there’s a gag that’s essentially an impromptu novelty card, like the ones that came in a FAKO deck. Here’s what it looks like:

I think this is a great trick (gag) to have in your brain for emergencies. I can see many opportunities where knowing this and having it in your mental toolbox, ready to be used, would be helpful!

Many times knowing little bits like these have bailed me out of situations or enhanced them!

-Louie

The Best Card Magic Book for $10

A few weeks ago, I started reading the booklet Card Man Stuff by Al Leech. This booklet is full of card tricks that feel modern. In fact, I’d have no problem doing all of them (except for one) at a close-up magic gig! The effects are direct and have solid methods. It was written in the 1950’s so if you update a few methods to techniques that didn’t exist then, you have even better tricks!

One of the tricks, I updated by giving a theme and changing a couple of moves and the sequence, and ended up with a new trick that I call Discount Transposition.

Want to Watch the Card Tricks?

On my Facebook and Instagram, I’ve documented the whole book with the original techniques. Here are some of the videos:

Where Can I Get the Book Card Man Stuff?

This book is still available from Magic Inc in Chicago for $10! It’s totally worth the ten bucks, and you’re supporting a brick and mortar magic shop! I don’t make anything if you buy from them, I just think this is a really cool “forgotten” book and a hell of a deal at $10!

-Louie

Make it Happen Every Time!

I’m working on a trick where a glass of water vanishes. The premise of the routine is that the water will change into a named drink, and the surprise is that ultimately the glass vanishes.

I quickly learned that it gets a huge laugh when I ask the person from the audience to name a drink, and they say, “water,” and then I tell them that I’ll change the water into water.

The challenge is how to get them to say “water” every time.

Originally, I was asking them, “What’s your favorite drink?” and I changed that to: “If you could drink one drink for the rest of your life, what would it be?”

Changing that question now gets the person to say, “water” about 8 out of 10 times! The laugh that water gets as an answer is a great laugh because it feels spontaneous. Obviously, you have to sell it as a performer as if it’s never happened before for it to work.

Look for things in your show that happen spontaneously and get a laugh or reaction, and then try to figure out ways to make them happen every show!

-Louie
PS: you can learn more about my process for creating magic and developing routines here!

Library Magic Show Props

We’re at the end of the summer and the Summer Reading Library shows are done. Here’s look at the props that I have on my person during the non-themed library magic show:

And here are the props in my prop bin:

This show had a pretty simple set up, it took about 15 mins to set and strike the show. The non-themed show had elements of other shows that I do, so it was like a “greatest hits” and was fun to do!

-Louie

Discount Transposition!

I’m really enjoying going through Al Leech’s card magic. His card magic is really direct, which I like. One of the tricks in his book Card Man Stuff is called A Quick Theft. It’s a transposition of a card in your pocket and a card in your hand.

Here’s what the original version looks like:

And here’s my version of the trick:

What I did was give the trick a bit of a premise with the coupon card. I also added the force of the coupon card to get the card into my pocket before the actual card was selected. Finally, I changed the card control, to something a bit more direct to get the selection in position for the trick.

I think it’s a better trick now!

-Louie

Magic Trick That No One Asked For

playing card power bank by n2g magic

Oh man, this ad for a magic prop came through my social media feed. It’s a power bank that’s decorated like a deck of cards.

That’s it.

In theory you can use it to secretly charge someone’s phone by touching it to a deck of cards. This doesn’t really pass the “walk to the car test”.

The walk to the car test, is if people on their walk to the car try to figure out how the trick works, can they?

I’m thinking that most people would draw a straight line from the deck of card that the phone was set on top of to the charging of the phone.

OK, here’s the demo video:

If you pay attention to the video, you’ll notice that it only charges 1% more than the phone already had! If I had magic and could charge your phone, it wouldn’t be just 1%!

I think it’s a fun idea for a power bank that’s “on brand” for magicians, just like a tie with playing cards on it. However, as an actual trick, it feels like a money grab versus a good idea for a trick.

-Louie

“I Know This Trick”

A topic that comes up every now and then in social media magic groups is what to do when a kid says, “I know that trick”. Most of the advice given views the kid as a heckler and suggests lines like:
“There are thousands of tricks, how could you know”
“I checked the script, and you don’t have a speaking part”
Lines that try to shut down what the kid says.

This happened at a library show recently, here’s what went down:

The kid wasn’t heckling; it was them simply saying that they want to see the trick! In the video, you can hear how excited the kid was when I said I was going to do the trick.

Try not to look at everything a kid says in your show as a heckle, 95% of the time, it’s not, you’re just hearing it that way. You need to step back and really look at the situation.

-Louie

A Card Trick You Can See Thru!

In a box of old magic, I found a couple of card that were see through, but had the numbers and pips printed on them. I think they were from a trick by Astor, but they had no instructions.

Here’s what I came up with:

There’s not much to it. Force the 9 of diamonds, then steal it out of the deck. Simple and direct.

This was the obvious choice for a real world trick. What I really want to do is a snap change so a normal card visually turns clear! I’m working on it, but it doesn’t quite look right yet. This would be a trick for video.

-Louie
You can read a post about creativity and trick development here!