Need to impress my fellow magician friend
- Thread starter Schmidt
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we are really close and he knows all the magic moves. I want something that could really impress him, something that doesnt really have to use a gimmick, something i could practice for a long time. But someday impress him. 
Any application of the principles explained in:
Royal Road to Card Magic, pages 73-74.
Subtle Card Creations, Volume 1, pages 131 and 272
Encylopedia of Card Tricks, p. 330
Also, check your PMs - I sent you a link that is too good to post.
Royal Road to Card Magic, pages 73-74.
Subtle Card Creations, Volume 1, pages 131 and 272
Encylopedia of Card Tricks, p. 330
Actually, for some reason I can't send you a PM. Send me one and I'll forward the links in response.
There have been a few threads on here recently about fooling or impressing other magicians. So, I thought I'd share my ideas on the subject.
First, it's important to have a clear understanding of what exactly is happening when someone is fooled or amazed by a magic effect. Here's the basic anatomy of a magical effect:
1. A logical sequence of actions is established.
2. This sequence leads inevitably to one easily-predicted outcome.
3. Without apparently diverging from that sequence, a different outcome occurs.
For example:
1. A coin is examined, placed in the performer's left hand, and that hand is closed into a fist.
2. It's made obvious that nothing could have got in or out of that hand, so, inevitably, the coin must still be there.
3. The performer opens their hand and the coin has vanished.
Now, as magicians without real supernatural powers, we're going to have to cheat somewhere along the line. We can cheat at step 1 by, perhaps, not really placing the coin into our left hand and only pretending to. We could cheat at step 2 by, perhaps, using some gimmick which can remove the coin from an apparently closed hand. We could even cheat at step 3 by, perhaps, clipping the coin in such a way that it appears to have vanished but is actually still held by the hand.
The strongest magic tricks have the cheat at the most psychologically and visually invisible point. And that, in my opinion, is step 2. The reason for this is that step 2 happens entirely in the mind of the spectator. As soon as the spectator is convinced that they understand the logical sequence that is taking place then they skip to the end.
If I point at something, you don't look at my finger and then gradually follow its line until you reach the object that I'm pointing at. You see the direction of my finger and look straight at the object. If we set up a logical sequence which points inevitably towards one conclusion, then our spectator leaps directly to that conclusion. As long as our actions are motivated and justified by the logical sequence we've set up, then magic can happen.
All we need to do, then, to fool magicians is to recognise that certain sequences of actions that seem to logically point one way to laypeople, point a different way to magicians. And that's because the elements in that sequence signal different things. Laypeople see the deck being squared, magicians see a pass. Laypeople see a wallet, magicians see a loading device. Laypeople see a paper ball vanish, magicians look behind them.
So, fooling magicians is exactly the same as fooling anyone else. We just need to understand what logical sequence we're establishing, and therefore what conclusion we're pushing them towards. If a magician sees me do a retention pass with a coin, then go into my pocket for a pen to use as wand, then they will conclude that I've just ditched the coin in my pocket. If I open my hand to show the coin still there then that's a magical moment. To a lay audience, that's a moment of nothing.
My conclusion is this. Fooling any audience is about understanding what prior knowledge, expectations and preconceptions they are bringing with them. Then you work with that information and guide them towards the knowledge, expectation and preconceptions you want them to have. You build from that foundation to set up a clear logical sequence which can have only one possible end point. When that end point is established in the audience's mind, you secretly subvert the logical sequence to alter the conclusion. If you do that, you can fool anyone!
First, it's important to have a clear understanding of what exactly is happening when someone is fooled or amazed by a magic effect. Here's the basic anatomy of a magical effect:
1. A logical sequence of actions is established.
2. This sequence leads inevitably to one easily-predicted outcome.
3. Without apparently diverging from that sequence, a different outcome occurs.
For example:
1. A coin is examined, placed in the performer's left hand, and that hand is closed into a fist.
2. It's made obvious that nothing could have got in or out of that hand, so, inevitably, the coin must still be there.
3. The performer opens their hand and the coin has vanished.
Now, as magicians without real supernatural powers, we're going to have to cheat somewhere along the line. We can cheat at step 1 by, perhaps, not really placing the coin into our left hand and only pretending to. We could cheat at step 2 by, perhaps, using some gimmick which can remove the coin from an apparently closed hand. We could even cheat at step 3 by, perhaps, clipping the coin in such a way that it appears to have vanished but is actually still held by the hand.
The strongest magic tricks have the cheat at the most psychologically and visually invisible point. And that, in my opinion, is step 2. The reason for this is that step 2 happens entirely in the mind of the spectator. As soon as the spectator is convinced that they understand the logical sequence that is taking place then they skip to the end.
If I point at something, you don't look at my finger and then gradually follow its line until you reach the object that I'm pointing at. You see the direction of my finger and look straight at the object. If we set up a logical sequence which points inevitably towards one conclusion, then our spectator leaps directly to that conclusion. As long as our actions are motivated and justified by the logical sequence we've set up, then magic can happen.
All we need to do, then, to fool magicians is to recognise that certain sequences of actions that seem to logically point one way to laypeople, point a different way to magicians. And that's because the elements in that sequence signal different things. Laypeople see the deck being squared, magicians see a pass. Laypeople see a wallet, magicians see a loading device. Laypeople see a paper ball vanish, magicians look behind them.
So, fooling magicians is exactly the same as fooling anyone else. We just need to understand what logical sequence we're establishing, and therefore what conclusion we're pushing them towards. If a magician sees me do a retention pass with a coin, then go into my pocket for a pen to use as wand, then they will conclude that I've just ditched the coin in my pocket. If I open my hand to show the coin still there then that's a magical moment. To a lay audience, that's a moment of nothing.
My conclusion is this. Fooling any audience is about understanding what prior knowledge, expectations and preconceptions they are bringing with them. Then you work with that information and guide them towards the knowledge, expectation and preconceptions you want them to have. You build from that foundation to set up a clear logical sequence which can have only one possible end point. When that end point is established in the audience's mind, you secretly subvert the logical sequence to alter the conclusion. If you do that, you can fool anyone!
Emphasis on what RealityOne &TeeDee have said
I think you could do something easier with an emphasis on a fantastic presentation. That would be more worthwhile, in my opinion. A magician stumper with a flat performance isn't that impressive; it comes off as a puzzle. That's not the direction you want--especially if you're doing this for another magician.
But if you're out for a stumper, pick up a copy (copies) of Ray Kosby's Impossible Card/Close Up Magic.
I think you could do something easier with an emphasis on a fantastic presentation. That would be more worthwhile, in my opinion. A magician stumper with a flat performance isn't that impressive; it comes off as a puzzle. That's not the direction you want--especially if you're doing this for another magician.
But if you're out for a stumper, pick up a copy (copies) of Ray Kosby's Impossible Card/Close Up Magic.
If you're looking just for impressive techniques, Cards:
Tony Chang's be kind change
Christ Mayhew's lazy rise (or Ray kosby's rays rise if you're a masochist)
Any and all forms of false shuffles/deals
Just about anything from Earnest Earicks book "By Forces Unseen"
Coins are a little different because the same basic techniques are used from the simplest tricks to the most advanced, but you might try:
palming 4
rolldown flourish
muscle pass
hope this helps!
Tony Chang's be kind change
Christ Mayhew's lazy rise (or Ray kosby's rays rise if you're a masochist)
Any and all forms of false shuffles/deals
Just about anything from Earnest Earicks book "By Forces Unseen"
Coins are a little different because the same basic techniques are used from the simplest tricks to the most advanced, but you might try:
palming 4
rolldown flourish
muscle pass
hope this helps!
Well articulated Teedee.
I'm working on a challenge to fool a friend of mine (his challenge to me). He has an open of what to watch for. Basically the routine involves a bunch of rabbit trails: a pass to make him think the card is on top, false palming a card to my pocket, and a double lift to show the card is not on the top of the deck (and it isn't) - knowing he will catch these moves will mislead him with regards to the actual effect.
I'm working on a challenge to fool a friend of mine (his challenge to me). He has an open of what to watch for. Basically the routine involves a bunch of rabbit trails: a pass to make him think the card is on top, false palming a card to my pocket, and a double lift to show the card is not on the top of the deck (and it isn't) - knowing he will catch these moves will mislead him with regards to the actual effect.
I'm (trying) to learn Raise Rise at the moment, and I think your statement could not be more right.
Have you seen Lazy rise? it looks almost the same and isn't nearly as difficult(although stilll pretty tough)
How to impress a magician?
Think about something that would impress You, then.
I'd say an ACAAN is a good way to do so!
Think about something that would impress You, then.
I'd say an ACAAN is a good way to do so!