Put the cards down...

[The Tumbleweed]

I was just thinking today about something my brother said, 'Card magicians suck.'
Yep, that's it. But it got to me, and I started thinking about it... how many magicians, I mean famous magicians perform with cards? Criss Angel, David Blaine, David Copperfield. Sure, they perform with cards, but is that what they're remembered for? Is that why they're famous?
You can answer that yourselves, you're big boys.

 

[Steerpike]

I'm not going to try convince you of anything, because that would get us nowhere. I do other things that are from tagged that don't require a book as well. I also do some minor coin magic if I had to. Etc etc.

It's the "if I had to" that bugs me. Magicians get so attached to their card tricks that they treat everything else like a bloody chore.

 

[OneCardWonder]

All this talk of card only magicians. I could name more famous magicians that aren't just card magicians than magicians that are just card magicians.

And David Blaine? A card magician? Lol. Is this the same David Blaine? He makes use of a huge variety of props other than cards, and is as famous for that than anything else, but what really makes David Blaine who he is, is how he presents his effects whatever they are and whatever they're using.

Try this experiment. Imagine you had a disability, or an injury that prevented you doing card magic for a while. If you love magic, what would you do then? What could you do then?

I don't have a problem with card magicians, but I have a huge problem with card magicians who think presentation is such gems as:

"And look, if I give it a shake....it changes." whilst the whole audience is thinking, who the heck cares.

It stems in my opinion of magicians being out to impress magicians with their 1337 skillz with a deck, rather than thinking about how to impress a spectator, how to add something to their experience of magic.

Fact is we live in horrible times, lol. People walk around believing they know all there is to know most of the time and magic wonderfully questions their right to knowledge about anything if done well. If not you're just a guy with a deck of cards. I'm not saying card magic is lame, but I'm saying that there is a lot of lame card magic around these days. Great technical sleights, but crap magic.

A bit of diversification, as much as you love cards will only help your presentation of card effects, as there is a lot of cross over.

 

[aJohnson]

I do cards tricks because that's what interests me. If coin magic interested me, then I'd be doing that. Simple.

 

[OneCardWonder]

I do cards tricks because that's what interests me. If coin magic interested me, then I'd be doing that. Simple.

And that's fine, but it's not going to make you a better magician for just doing card magic, any more than it would if you just did coin magic. Experience in all branches of magic promotes greater creativity in the area of magic you most want to focus on imo.

 

[Randy]

It's the "if I had to" that bugs me. Magicians get so attached to their card tricks that they treat everything else like a bloody chore.

Well that was worded wrong.

If some one was to ask to me to show them something, I would do coin magic or a mind reading effect with newspaper or a book they had lying around. It's not a chore to me. I have always been interested in other things besides card magic.

 

[aJohnson]

And that's fine, but it's not going to make you a better magician for just doing card magic, any more than it would if you just did coin magic. Experience in all branches of magic promotes greater creativity in the area of magic you most want to focus on imo.

I've tried coin, I've tried stage, but it's not what I enjoy. I enjoy cards and I do dabble abit into the other stuff like Rubber bands.

 

[Steerpike]

Well that was worded wrong.

If some one was to ask to me to show them something, I would do coin magic or a mind reading effect with newspaper or a book they had lying around. It's not a chore to me. I have always been interested in other things besides card magic.

Well what do you do with card magic to make it not suck?

No apologies, card tricks are banal. They've been done so many times that at this point it's digging up the horse's grave to continue beating what's left of its bleached bones. This can be at least partly attributed to the fact that most magicians have the personality of a stick.

So if you specialize in cards, what reason does an audience have to care?

 

[Randy]

I get them involved in em and do more than just selection effects. I do agree that card tricks have done to death, but so has coin magic. Mind reading and any other type of magic we can go on naming. All of this stuff has been around for at least 100 years.

 

[toyrobot]

So if you specialize in cards, what reason does an audience have to care?

That is the question of the thread. May I also add,

"What can you do with just cards that other magicians can't with a wider variety of props?"

And this is taking into account that, yeah, you can pull out some coins or mentalism (those are always the things people say they can do besides cards). We're talking, though, your true performance. Your passion. Not the "I have these in case I'm not ready" emergency tricks.

 

[Steerpike]

I get them involved in em and do more than just selection effects.

Well, whoop-dee-doo! But assuming I was an audience member, why should I care?

(those are always the things people say they can do besides cards)

You noticed that too?

 

[toyrobot]

I get them involved in em and do more than just selection effects. I do agree that card tricks have done to death, but so has coin magic. Mind reading and any other type of magic we can go on naming. All of this stuff has been around for at least 100 years.

So, why aren't we, as magicians, as a whole, looking for new stuff that HASN'T been done to death? Why aren't we putting the old stuff down and saying, "What can I make that no other magician can?"

Because, not shunning the classics or anything, but you can't look to the past for everything you do. You need to innovate.

I bet that if we did that, we'd see a lot less cards.

 

[visualartist]

I get them involved in em and do more than just selection effects. I do agree that card tricks have done to death, but so has coin magic. Mind reading and any other type of magic we can go on naming. All of this stuff has been around for at least 100 years.

You do know that we havent performed for the same people for 100 years right?

 

[visualartist]

i honestly dont see anything wrong with that.

.

And that is why no one will remember your name.

 

[visualartist]

Ok ive been away for awhile to see the thread going on.
And to Randy,no im not the guy that buys the latest and greatest tricks.
Im advising people to away with that and create their own stuff.
You think making a Burger appear is a $30 DVD effect? It was just simple thinking.

And you keep name dropping all these card magicians and you say thats enough.
And that kinda tells me you have no ambition or drive to become a better magician.

To me it feels like saying "eh,I dont need to go to college.I got my High School diploma.Ill make it."
Steerpike,toyrobot and Prae-something have made great points already and I dont want to sound redundant so ill leave it at that.

 

[dragon521]

And that is why no one will remember your name.

Perhaps he doesn't want that...? Either way, you make it sound like it's impossible to be remembered by your card magic. It's not, it's just incredibly difficult...

On a side note, something that always bugged me was the way you typed
like you were
writing a
poem
and do you know
there is a space
after commas,and periods.?

 

[Randy]

And that is why no one will remember your name.

You ever think that he just does it for a hobby and because it's relaxing. Not everybody wants to be super star.

 

[OneCardWonder]

And that is why no one will remember your name.

Exactly right, you have to quote bad films and make burgers appear before anyone will remember you.

Whilst I agree with your sentiment, just because you want to walk that path doesn't mean anyone else has to want to also.

 

[visualartist]

Exactly right, you have to quote bad films and make burgers appear before anyone will remember you.

Whilst I agree with your sentiment, just because you want to walk that path doesn't mean anyone else has to want to also.

I didnt quote a film? what film was that on?


Randy,Its a hobby? are you f'ing kidding me? Its like telling an actor,filmmaker,author that what they do is just a regular old job.

So no one wants to advance the art of magic?

Complacency and mediocrity is where its at then..

(ive posted three different things than just that one line everyones quoting me on.Take the time to adress those as well.)

 

[Steerpike]

Randy,Its a hobby? are you f'ing kidding me? Its like telling an actor,filmmaker,author that what they do is just a regular old job.

So no one wants to advance the art of magic?

There are hobbyist magicians. The only reason you perceive them to be part of the artistic community is because some of them still insist that they're artists when they aren't.

Nothing wrong with being a hobbyist as long as you call yourself what you are. Not everyone goes pro with magic for the same reason not everyone who plays guitar joins a band.