close up magic – Page 7 – 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

Magic in Seattle

Last week I took the train into Seattle, and I haven’t ridden an Amtrak train in about 30 years! It was great and way better than driving as I could read and practice a card trick I was working on!

I was up in Seattle for lunch with my family, but then I had a little bit of a magic jam while I was in town. The first wave had Chris Beason and Johnathan Friedman!

When Johnathan had to go, he was shortly replaced by Clive Hayward!

It was a blast having some laughs with them and messing around with some magic!

On my way back to the train I walked by the old location of the Mickey Hades Seattle Magic Shop!

When I was a teenager Mickey Hades taught me how to back palm produce single cards the old way where you bring the whole block to the front pull one card off, then put the whole block back behind your hand! That’s also where I inadvertently saw Michael Starr do a one handed top palm and reverse engineered the mechanics of it on the bus ride home!

It was a fun trip up to Seattle!

-Louie

Coin Tray Updated!

The original version of the Bodega Coin Tray didn’t have the letting colored in. That was intentional as I personally wanted mine to look like it’s been on a counter for a while, so I only colored mine in lightly. However I’ve had a lot of people ask me for one that’s colored in so they don’t have to do that.

If you want one colored it, simply shoot me a note before ordering and I’ll make yours that way.

– Louie
PS Click here for more info, or to order the Bodega Coin Tray!

Shell Shocked – Three Shell Game Routine

Currently I’m playing with Shell Shocked which is Giovanni Livera‘s three shell game routine from his book Confessions of an Italian Magician.

What I like about the routine is that is has an ending that’s a punctuation, not just doing the same thing under more conditions. In the book Giovanni gives you his shell shuffling sequence, but if you already have a few sequences, then you can add his ending to what you already do.

One of the changes I made to the routine is that I’m palming the P the whole routine, instead of stealing it towards the end of the routine. Doing it that way makes sense for me as I don’t keep my shell game props in a bag, so needed a workaround.

If you’re looking for a shell game routine, this is worth checking out!

-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

Hanging Out With Performers!

My daughter sells her art at events (like craft shows) around the Pacific Northwest. When I’m not working I go and hang out with her while she’s working. I also usually post on social media where we’ll be. It’s fun how many performers come out to hang out as well!

Recently I had a giant puppet act and stand up comic come by to hang out. I also had Clive Hayward come by!

Clive and I snuck away and had a beer while my daughter was adding some art to the walls of this venue. Of course we jammed some card tricks.

We also chatted about Jeff McBride. Clive had recently done a one on one problem solving session with Jeff. Clive mentioned how quickly McBride solved problems he was having. I’ve seen Jeff do this with people’s acts at WonderGround in the past. He has an amazing amount of knowledge of magic, theater, and pretty much everything about performing.

I had been thinking about a class that Jeff is putting on at his Mystery School called The Story Master Series that starts on Jan 11th. I’m trying to grow my show more, and it’s hard to do that in a vacuum. Taking a class to learn more is never a bad idea. I signed up for the class and excited for it to start!

Hopefully I’ll become better at sharing stories!

-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