After RRCM

Mar 24, 2009
60
0
I have read and am good at most moves taught in Royal Road to card Magic, the only exception is the Pass but I'm pretty good with it and I'm practicing it every day, I wanted to know which books/DVD's should I buy next?
 
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Sep 26, 2007
591
5
Tokyo, Japan
Did you say, "I have read AND PERFECTED every move taught in RRCM" ??

I laughed inside for at least 5 minutes.


That is a mighty claim my friend...

If you are working on becoming a move monkey, then ok, I suggest The Paper Engine, and By Forces Unseen... which should keep you busy for about 50 years until you post, "I have perfected every move taught in XXXX" again.

If you are working on becoming a performer of your "perfected moves," then you don't need another book/DVD yet... you need to perform and learn why you actually haven't perfected every move yet.
 
Mar 24, 2009
60
0
Did you say, "I have read AND PERFECTED every move taught in RRCM" ??

I laughed inside for at least 5 minutes.


That is a mighty claim my friend...

If you are working on becoming a move monkey, then ok, I suggest The Paper Engine, and By Forces Unseen... which should keep you busy for about 50 years until you post, "I have perfected every move taught in XXXX" again.

If you are working on becoming a performer of your "perfected moves," then you don't need another book/DVD yet... you need to perform and learn why you actually haven't perfected every move yet.


Ok, most moves, many of them are very simple anyway like the glimpse and riffle shuffle, and believe me, I have performed fro friends and people I know...

But if you insist I will correct my first post mr. uber profesional mega magician!
 
Jul 14, 2008
936
0
Paper Engine is a great book and I suggest you to get Expert At the Card Table as well. Both can be bought in dananddave website.
 
I'm actually studying in depth RRTCM, and so far I'm learning palming.

I already got Card College, and it'll be my next studying course after RRTCM. But I'll finish RRTCM first.
Right now CC is used only to get more information about RRTCM moves if I want an in depth undertanding of it.

So you next move will be CC (nothing prevent you from studying some XCM on the side, then you should get XB Vol.1)

What I suggest is somehow what tha awesome R. Paul Wilson says in the RRTCM DVDs : somehow you have to be able to do every move and every trick of RRTCM without even thinking about it. Then it'll be time to move on ;)
 
Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
A month or two?

Someone who's worked through RRTCM, please tell me, how long did it take you to master everything?

The average response I hear is something around a year, so forgive me if I sound a little skeptical that you've perfected it all in a month or two.
 
A month or two?

Someone who's worked through RRTCM, please tell me, how long did it take you to master everything?
.
praetoritevong, dude, you just said my pet peeve. >_<
Three questions:
1) Why would he need to master anything in the book?
2) Assuming someone would like to master something in the book, say Palming, is the book sufficient for this?
3) Is mastery an end-goal in the first place?

While it did take me 2 years to finish the book ( I performed every single trick at least once, literally, and yes, I pulled off at least 10 boring performances ), I did it as I already was hooked with magic so much, having enough dedication.

The truth is, he doesn't HAVE to master ANYTHING, not only because he's just starting out, but because of the fact that he CANT ( at this level ). Mastering something takes, experience in performing and the theory of moves and technique, which although can be gained from reading material ( not RRTCM though ) but performing experience is really needed. The original poster, I think, lacks both. This is not to mention that the more dedicated the student is, the more he desires to be come good at something. We can't ask dedication from a beginner, he has to decide it himself, when he gets enough performing experience. If he get hooked, he'll make sure he'll hook himself more. Automatic process ( the fact that books demand more dedication than DVDs, is a major issue of why beginners lean towards DVD, and why beginners who start from books become dedicated extremely fast ).

Also, a lesson from chess, I learned that mastery is a process rather than an actual goal. You constantly stretch yourself, get out the comfort zone, and you become better and better ( and even find someone who is WAY better ). In my opinion, aiming at the so called perfection is not a sensible goal. Stretching, improving, thinking and practicing, you'll become good without you knowing it.

For the original poster:
Books:
Cheap: Expert Card Technique, Erdnase ( a free PDF, legally :p ). Card Magic of Paul LePaul. Subscribe to Genii or Magic Magazines.

Expensive: Card College vol.2 or 1, Dai Vernon's Book of Magic . Any magic magazine collection ( Apocalypse, though expensive, is a good choice )

Very expensive, though will last a life time: Classic Collection vol.1 or 2 by Harry Lorayne (100$)

DVDs:
Ellusionist's Crash Course 2
Mike Ammar's Easy to Master Card Miracles 1-9 ( browse through the DVDs and pick the ones that look appealing to you, there's no need to go through them in a specific order )
 
Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
Medifro, you have a very good point, which is well taken.

I would add though, the main reason I posted that, was because he claimed to have perfected it in the first place.

You're absolutely right, and the premise of my post was wrong, I agree - though I responded more to the claim than anything else.
 
the fact that books demand more dedication than DVDs, is a major issue of why beginners lean towards DVD, and why beginners who start from books become dedicated extremely fast

I took me the time to read Giobbis introduction, and work the first chapter to get into it, feel it and want to do it forever!

And yes, as R. Paul Wilson says, perfection is a road, not a destination!

Being able to do some triks is a matter of weeks/months.
Masterizing anything is a matter of years!
 
Medifro, you have a very good point, which is well taken.

I would add though, the main reason I posted that, was because he claimed to have perfected it in the first place.

You're absolutely right, and the premise of my post was wrong, I agree - though I responded more to the claim than anything else.
No problem man, its just I saw a pet peeve of mine ( or I thought I did ) and jumped.

Cheers mate, :)
 
Nov 15, 2007
1,106
2
36
Raleigh, NC
The truth is, he doesn't HAVE to master ANYTHING, not only because he's just starting out, but because of the fact that he CANT ( at this level ). Mastering something takes, experience in performing and the theory of moves and technique, which although can be gained from reading material ( not RRTCM though ) but performing experience is really needed. The original poster, I think, lacks both.

I agree with what is bold. Where reading can eventually generate mastery, it will only be of theory and whatever someone thinks is mastery of moves and even then they have not mastered anything.

The underlined I also agree with. But instead of telling him to read more/learn more right away, I would suggest the original poster go and perform for people they don't already know. Find some children to figure out where you're flashing, find some elderly people to learn how to connect with someone from a different time, and then find some people about the same age who think magic is stupid-see how they react.


(more to original post)
Right now I think finding a few tricks from Royal Road that you have gotten a good handle on and just wearing them out. Tricks you enjoy practicing and performing, there are enough different tricks to figure out what style you prefer, and then go with it.

After you figure out what you want to learn, ask about it specifically. If you enjoy transposition effects, ask for peoples favorites and figure out one for yourself. If you enjoy ambitious card routines then create your own with a custom tailored set of moves and a story stretching beyond 'and now your card comes to the top magically'.

If you want more material to mull over, I second Erdnase, it's cheap(free, legal pdf download) and it differs from RRTCM in approach and content.

What do you want books on?
More moves? how to build routines? how to create miracles? Performance tips?

There are tons of books and dvds on every subject. If you want moves-there are suggestions. If you want routines, ask around or look through the product review pages. If you want my opinion, other than suggested, pm me.

I think you should perform tricks for people you don't know every day for the next few days and then decide what tricks you enjoy performing, then rephrase your question.

-Rik
 
Mar 22, 2009
39
1
If I could force everyone who claims to be a magician to read two books they would be Strong Magic and Designing Miracles, both by Darwin Ortiz.

I think they should be required reading for everyone involved in magic.
 
Mar 24, 2009
60
0
Could you just perhaps name the best effects found in Royal Road because I don't need effects like distortion because if I show something like that to someone and then show something else it would seem boring compared to distortion however Royal Road has so many tricks that most of them seem very simple and not given much thought about, not that I think so but please could you name like 10 to 20 or at least 1 of your favorite effects found there, anything is good, and eventually I figure out which are the ones that I should keep for myself...
 
please could you name like 10 to 20 or at least 1 of your favorite effects found there, anything is good, and eventually I figure out which are the ones that I should keep for myself...

My favourite so far is "Design for laughter". So simple yet so powerful, I'm amazed by the public reaction every time, there's nothin else to do than looking at them diving for the card on the table just to realize it's not the one.

I haven't gone throuh all the tricks in the book yet, but this one is definitely one I'll keep!
 
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