Yo Scotty,
First of all, well done! You came across as a very nice guy, you appeared very relaxed "on-camera" and your tricks went down a treat with the presenter. I thought the second trick where you rubbed the card on her hand was great. It's a very quick trick and I think you treated it well; it could have had a little more build up but in the circumstances the quicker approach is probably a good idea. The final moment still felt quite magical
The other trick, (Dr Daley) I would like to offer some advice on: It felt a little too brisk and not very magical. And this trick can be made incredibly magical if presented slightly differently. By that I mean the presentation was like "if you do this, and then this, and then you snap your fingers, this happens", and it all happened so fast it was kinda like someone demonstrating how a mechanical object works. "If you pull this lever and press this button this happens." This to me makes the trick feel more like you are "going through the motions", and not CREATING a magical moment. Also, the spectator is not really being involved in the process. Apart from holding their hand out they are just left to witness the patter and the revelation without any other involvement. As it stands, this is one valid way of presenting the trick, and please don't think I am trying to say the whole thing sucked. It was still good in it's own way, but I think it can be MUCH more magical with a few minor changes...
Starting at 2:20 in the following link is one great example of how I've seen this trick presented
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdmzQNzz358
- Firstly, the classic gambling patter gets the spectator to start
thinking (do they know which is the second most valuable ace in the deck).
- Then, by asking them to place their thumb on top (to keep the cards safe and to stop any sleight of hand) they are brought more into the process and are more physically involved in what is taking place.
- Next, by asking them a question about which card is where, when they answer they are committing themselves to that reality, further convincing themselves what is happening, and hence making the final revelation even more impossible.
- The patter about switching the cards around, and then back, is a good gag, which again makes the spectator confirm in their mind and commit to what they think the actual state of the cards is.
- The final piece of patter ends the trick on a crescendo and plays to the crowd. A great moment in this case.
This trick is one I have used a hell of alot and I've tried many different approaches. I have found that by adding the subtleties highlighted above, the spectator becomes much more involved, and the end result is much more powerful. Specifically, the act of getting them to
place their thumb on top, and then questioning them to get them to
commit to what they think the reality of the situation is, helps solidify in the spectators mind just how impossible the final revelation is.
I hope this helps. Keep up the good work.
Fin
