Hey guys. I have looked around and have seen loads of people asking for tips to how to start some sort of magic, here is a guide, i have taken everything everyone has said that is worthy into this post so CARD MAGIC.
What playing cards to get?
This is a question that only you can help your self its a personal preference, some like air cushion, some like UV-500 etc. So I would recommend getting one of each, so for air cushion get a bicycle deck, for UV-500 get one of those ellusionist decks, liniod get tally hos. You like the deck you buy more of it. Some walk in magic shops offer a try before you buy. If you are in london, check davenports magic shop in charing cross station. Also when you are practicing, get a normal bicycle this is better so that if you get something wrong and somethings gets dirty or a card gets bent to much, you can quickly get a new one. So personal preference is the answer to this one. If you like the look more than the quality you should get a deck that something like smokes and mirrors or a ghost E deck (DISGUSTING All ellusionist ever do is make everything black or make everything white) Smoke and mirrors feel great and they are great looking so thats what you might want, when they are back in stock. HEHE
What should be my first book?
Royal road to card magic or the card college volumes. For the new magician today i would recommend Card college, mainly some of the things are up to date on method and such. OR you could get both, I did, and its great learnt alot and remembered stuff i forgot when i finished Royal road to card magic.
Then from there own you want to try out Expert at the card table or expert card techinque, these offer harder sleights and methods.Also PRACTICE, you will never become a succesful magican unless you practice and get good and what you do. After you have practiced, perform, take note when you are performing take note of how the spectator acts. If you are doing something like counting a bunch of cards and the spectator looks away out of boredom then you know you must improve your patter. I did this when I was younger with a pen camara i had, I actually went home and saw the videos and took note. If you are working in a bar why dont have a camera planted secretly at the spectator, with the bar owners permission. Dont have it out, the spectator would see it and try to look cool.
What DVD would you recommend?
DARYL'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CARD SLEIGHT, now I would not recommend this to beginners but this is AMAZING, I use this to try and find a way of making the method of my trick. It explains, jogs, auto-jogs,double lifts,triple lifts,glide etc etc I watch some of it at least every week. Its a 8 volume set and its around 20 bucks (I am so cool) in America land, in the uk its around 25 pounds. If you want some other good stuff, try out born to perform (google), I have not seen this but loads of people recommend it
I need help to build confidence?
Magic is not for you..........is what I would have said if i was a dick...well half a dick. You cant go from performing for mum to performing for some strangers. I had trouble with building confidence so I left magic...is what i would have said if I was a dick, well I guess I am officially a dick now. I started out by performing at school for people i dont know then I started performing at a cafe every couple of day then I headed down to London eye and performed, apparently you need a permit, I gave up........no seriously it costs alot, no! Just take it in stages. Now if you took in what I said about practicing then you should not worry about failure in front of a spectator, now would ya?
Practice you are doing wronghttp://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?t=24707
I am not the biggest fan of long posts, so I tried to make this short. but the above link is a great long post.
What playing cards to get?
This is a question that only you can help your self its a personal preference, some like air cushion, some like UV-500 etc. So I would recommend getting one of each, so for air cushion get a bicycle deck, for UV-500 get one of those ellusionist decks, liniod get tally hos. You like the deck you buy more of it. Some walk in magic shops offer a try before you buy. If you are in london, check davenports magic shop in charing cross station. Also when you are practicing, get a normal bicycle this is better so that if you get something wrong and somethings gets dirty or a card gets bent to much, you can quickly get a new one. So personal preference is the answer to this one. If you like the look more than the quality you should get a deck that something like smokes and mirrors or a ghost E deck (DISGUSTING All ellusionist ever do is make everything black or make everything white) Smoke and mirrors feel great and they are great looking so thats what you might want, when they are back in stock. HEHE
What should be my first book?
Royal road to card magic or the card college volumes. For the new magician today i would recommend Card college, mainly some of the things are up to date on method and such. OR you could get both, I did, and its great learnt alot and remembered stuff i forgot when i finished Royal road to card magic.
Then from there own you want to try out Expert at the card table or expert card techinque, these offer harder sleights and methods.Also PRACTICE, you will never become a succesful magican unless you practice and get good and what you do. After you have practiced, perform, take note when you are performing take note of how the spectator acts. If you are doing something like counting a bunch of cards and the spectator looks away out of boredom then you know you must improve your patter. I did this when I was younger with a pen camara i had, I actually went home and saw the videos and took note. If you are working in a bar why dont have a camera planted secretly at the spectator, with the bar owners permission. Dont have it out, the spectator would see it and try to look cool.
What DVD would you recommend?
DARYL'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CARD SLEIGHT, now I would not recommend this to beginners but this is AMAZING, I use this to try and find a way of making the method of my trick. It explains, jogs, auto-jogs,double lifts,triple lifts,glide etc etc I watch some of it at least every week. Its a 8 volume set and its around 20 bucks (I am so cool) in America land, in the uk its around 25 pounds. If you want some other good stuff, try out born to perform (google), I have not seen this but loads of people recommend it
I need help to build confidence?
Magic is not for you..........is what I would have said if i was a dick...well half a dick. You cant go from performing for mum to performing for some strangers. I had trouble with building confidence so I left magic...is what i would have said if I was a dick, well I guess I am officially a dick now. I started out by performing at school for people i dont know then I started performing at a cafe every couple of day then I headed down to London eye and performed, apparently you need a permit, I gave up........no seriously it costs alot, no! Just take it in stages. Now if you took in what I said about practicing then you should not worry about failure in front of a spectator, now would ya?
Practice you are doing wronghttp://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?t=24707
I am not the biggest fan of long posts, so I tried to make this short. but the above link is a great long post.
