Good Cups and Balls resources?
- Thread starter Trioxide
- Start date
Hmmm maybe u can go research on Michael Ammar's Complete Cups and Balls Volume DVDs..It's really good material inside and I've learned quite a few good ideas from there..
Cups and balls range quite a bit.
Fully depends what youre looking for.
You can do the normal 3 cup routine, do one with Mirror Cups, do a Chop Cup routine, and a 2 cup routine.
The other replies had a few DVDs and what not so ill just go over my opinion on things.
Michael Ammar's Complete Cups and Balls: 2 Volumes. Great stuff. Goes over all the basics, some wand flourishes, some more advanced moves. I find this one of the best sources. Not too pricey either.
Carl Andrews' Table Hopping Cups and Balls: Not the best of DVDs. This is his 2 cup routine using 2 balls, 2 cups, a wand, and ending with sponge balls. I like the routine quite a bit. I just dont find the DVD that good. He goes over everything, but not as much detail as Ammar's DVDs. You'll learn the routine and all, but its just not as fun. You also get a few bonus routines.
The Greater Magic Cups and Balls: This is like a World's Greatest Magic DVD where they get a few magicians and let them brief you up on their routines. You get advice, tips, and routines from Charlie Miller, Johnny Paul, Mike Rogers and Michael Ammar. Although you learn each of their routines, its not in full detail of everything. You learn all the loads and what not, but its just the basic thing and not the indepth look into them. Good if you already know the basics and want more material to spice things up
Rafael Benatar by Elegant Cups And Balls: This is a DVD i find a bit similiar to Ammar's. It goes fully into his routine with the moves and techniques. You learn how he does everything. The teaching works. And this DVD is more high tech and what not. You get extras such as product reviews, trailers, and tips and advice. I dont mind that stuff that much but this is a pretty good DVD for learning the routine.
Royal Magic's 25 Amazing Tricks with the Cups and Balls: This like other Royal Magic DVDs only skim the top of the routines. They show you how to do stuff, but you dont feel like you got what you paid for. I wouldnt recommend it, but i find too little material.
Bob White's Cups and Balls: This is a pretty good DVD like White's other ones as well. He goes into his routine with all the moves and techniques. He gives tips on special moves and nacks he uses. There are also extras where you get to see Dai Vernon's routine. Pretty good for beginners.
Eddy Ray's Complete Course in Magic with Cups & Balls: This is one of the best DVD sets out there. 2 DVDs. Teaches everything you need to know. This is compared with Ammar's set alot. They both teach you a good routine. They both teach the moves and techniques needed. They both teach you some flourishy add ons. They both have some extra material. Great for beginners and maybe intermediates.
Gazzo's Cups and Balls: Gazzo's routine is a great one. It is packed with many twists and surprises. Your repeatedly fool your audience with fruits and things. Everyone loves seeing the routine as i think its his charisma. He teaches it pretty well. You can get the book or the DVD. I find DVDs are better for C&B routines. The only thing i dont like about the routine is that some of the loads require a lot of misdirection and patter, which I don't find necessary in a routine such as this. Good for spicing things up, but i wouldnt say it is for beginners.
Andy Comic's Comic Cups: This is a pretty unknown DVD. I have met Andy quite a few times and seen his routine. It is great. The entire set although pricey, gives you everything you need. You get cups, balls, wand, fake fruits (OMG), and carrying case, and ofcourse the DVD. You learn everything you need to know. The moves and techniques. good routine. good fillers and flourishes. Great for someone who seriously wants to start a good C&B routine. Just a little pricey.
Overall, there are probably more sources than i have named, but these are the ones I have seen. If i were to recommend for beginners, i would recommend either Ammar's, Ray's or Comic's. Theses are packed with everything you need to make a routine, everything you need to know to spice it up, and some extra material.
For the Chop Cup, you can just buy it with a set or alone and see how other people perform it. It is pretty easy, and has a great effect. There is also a Chop Mug for sale, which is the same thing but in the shape of a house hold cup, which looks a tad less suspicious, but it does cost way more.
Fully depends what youre looking for.
You can do the normal 3 cup routine, do one with Mirror Cups, do a Chop Cup routine, and a 2 cup routine.
The other replies had a few DVDs and what not so ill just go over my opinion on things.
Michael Ammar's Complete Cups and Balls: 2 Volumes. Great stuff. Goes over all the basics, some wand flourishes, some more advanced moves. I find this one of the best sources. Not too pricey either.
Carl Andrews' Table Hopping Cups and Balls: Not the best of DVDs. This is his 2 cup routine using 2 balls, 2 cups, a wand, and ending with sponge balls. I like the routine quite a bit. I just dont find the DVD that good. He goes over everything, but not as much detail as Ammar's DVDs. You'll learn the routine and all, but its just not as fun. You also get a few bonus routines.
The Greater Magic Cups and Balls: This is like a World's Greatest Magic DVD where they get a few magicians and let them brief you up on their routines. You get advice, tips, and routines from Charlie Miller, Johnny Paul, Mike Rogers and Michael Ammar. Although you learn each of their routines, its not in full detail of everything. You learn all the loads and what not, but its just the basic thing and not the indepth look into them. Good if you already know the basics and want more material to spice things up
Rafael Benatar by Elegant Cups And Balls: This is a DVD i find a bit similiar to Ammar's. It goes fully into his routine with the moves and techniques. You learn how he does everything. The teaching works. And this DVD is more high tech and what not. You get extras such as product reviews, trailers, and tips and advice. I dont mind that stuff that much but this is a pretty good DVD for learning the routine.
Royal Magic's 25 Amazing Tricks with the Cups and Balls: This like other Royal Magic DVDs only skim the top of the routines. They show you how to do stuff, but you dont feel like you got what you paid for. I wouldnt recommend it, but i find too little material.
Bob White's Cups and Balls: This is a pretty good DVD like White's other ones as well. He goes into his routine with all the moves and techniques. He gives tips on special moves and nacks he uses. There are also extras where you get to see Dai Vernon's routine. Pretty good for beginners.
Eddy Ray's Complete Course in Magic with Cups & Balls: This is one of the best DVD sets out there. 2 DVDs. Teaches everything you need to know. This is compared with Ammar's set alot. They both teach you a good routine. They both teach the moves and techniques needed. They both teach you some flourishy add ons. They both have some extra material. Great for beginners and maybe intermediates.
Gazzo's Cups and Balls: Gazzo's routine is a great one. It is packed with many twists and surprises. Your repeatedly fool your audience with fruits and things. Everyone loves seeing the routine as i think its his charisma. He teaches it pretty well. You can get the book or the DVD. I find DVDs are better for C&B routines. The only thing i dont like about the routine is that some of the loads require a lot of misdirection and patter, which I don't find necessary in a routine such as this. Good for spicing things up, but i wouldnt say it is for beginners.
Andy Comic's Comic Cups: This is a pretty unknown DVD. I have met Andy quite a few times and seen his routine. It is great. The entire set although pricey, gives you everything you need. You get cups, balls, wand, fake fruits (OMG), and carrying case, and ofcourse the DVD. You learn everything you need to know. The moves and techniques. good routine. good fillers and flourishes. Great for someone who seriously wants to start a good C&B routine. Just a little pricey.
Overall, there are probably more sources than i have named, but these are the ones I have seen. If i were to recommend for beginners, i would recommend either Ammar's, Ray's or Comic's. Theses are packed with everything you need to make a routine, everything you need to know to spice it up, and some extra material.
For the Chop Cup, you can just buy it with a set or alone and see how other people perform it. It is pretty easy, and has a great effect. There is also a Chop Mug for sale, which is the same thing but in the shape of a house hold cup, which looks a tad less suspicious, but it does cost way more.
I've not done cups for a long time, but after reading Mago Mai's work on a ball vanish and a ball to lemon transformation in Magic's Talk about Tricks colmun a while ago, I was very tempted to dust them off!
VERY visual work for cups and balls, in which the ball is very clearly held between the two palms, and the magician immediately vanishes it, or transforms it into a coin, or changes the colour of the ball etc, and a very cool move, wherein the performer drops a ball into a cup and immediately, with no extra moves or funny choreography, tips it back out to show that it has transformed int oa full sized lemon! perfect visual hook for that final load! and the ball has completely gone!
CL
VERY visual work for cups and balls, in which the ball is very clearly held between the two palms, and the magician immediately vanishes it, or transforms it into a coin, or changes the colour of the ball etc, and a very cool move, wherein the performer drops a ball into a cup and immediately, with no extra moves or funny choreography, tips it back out to show that it has transformed int oa full sized lemon! perfect visual hook for that final load! and the ball has completely gone!
CL
