Tips on one coin routines?

Nov 20, 2013
169
5
Hey dudes and the occasional dudette, I just made my very first one coin routine last night (took me 20 minutes). Mostly using sleights that can be found in Jay Sankey's Revolutionary Coin Magic DVD. And then one move I saw in Ponta the Smith's sick DVD. I'm wondering what are your working points? This is my first coin routine I ever created.. What do you say?

I'm not asking for "help". I just had a little hang up and I'm wondering what other magicians would have done.. Spread your knowledge to other magicians! YEAH!
 
Nov 20, 2013
169
5
My mission is to throw the one coin routine into a parlour show. Starting on the streets and slowly moving up the ranks to perform the routine in a hotel of some kind like Steve Cohen. I couldn't care less if I fooled magicians with it.
 
Aug 17, 2010
411
4
I would suggest learning an existing routine, and perform it until you really know what makes it tick. Then, you can make up your own once you really know what makes a routine work.

Take advantage of the experience of those that went before you. Master your craft first by imitation, assimilate the lessons therein, then apply it.
 
Sep 2, 2007
1,186
16
42
London
I would suggest learning an existing routine, and perform it until you really know what makes it tick. Then, you can make up your own once you really know what makes a routine work.

Take advantage of the experience of those that went before you. Master your craft first by imitation, assimilate the lessons therein, then apply it.

This is great advice. I would also add, can you tell us the story of your routine? Is that story dramatically interesting or is it just, "Once upon a time there was a coin which disappeared and then appeared again. And then did that again a few times. The End."
 
Jun 13, 2013
237
1
Germany
One thing: You have to knock the methods out of the spectators head. So if you do a phase with a false transfer do another one where you don't use one to knock the idea of the false transfer out of their head.

Long story short: Use different methods.
 
Nov 20, 2013
169
5
Great advice guys.
1. I can't classic palm.. emulation is out.
2. The story is when my grandfather showed me his one coin routine, ending in a complete vanish of the coin.
 
Aug 17, 2010
411
4
Great advice guys.
1. I can't classic palm.. emulation is out.

Then perhaps do a different routine? There's no requirement for a one-coin routine to be part of anyone's act.

IMHO, a one-coin routine is pretty tough to do well - moreso when there's a very useful sleight that's not available (and the ones based on that, like a spider vanish).

If it's any encouragement at all, it took me forever to get a classic palm; I was at the point of giving up before it clicked with me.

To answer your original question more thoroughly, I try to build the routine in such a way as to eliminate any possible method from the minds of the spectator. I start out with a false transfer (left hand to right), then reveal it in the left hand. I do a retention vanish (right hand to left) and reveal it in the right hand. Third time, I do a spider vanish showing both hands 'empty' to derail the though that the coin stays in the other hand. There are a few more phases, one where the vanish happens at eye level (in case they think I'm ditching the coin in the breast pocket), roll up the sleeves in case they think I'm sleeving it, etc.

We give people the experience of the impossible (as opposed to a theatrical depiction of the impossible, like Harry Potter for instance); they should feel that they have seen things happen under test conditions that just aren't possible, and they can only come to that conclusion by ruling out the possible. The routine should have this built into it, that if executed well, there is no explanation within nature for what has just happened. We should give spectators all the answers for when they tell the story about the magician they saw - "it couldn't go up his sleeves, they were rolled up - it didn't go into the pockets, he made it vanish away from them - it was a normal coin, he borrowed it from me - he opened both his hands at once, so it couldn't be in the other hand," and so forth.

On top of that, the presentation has to be engaging, or there's no reason to watch. There's a million ways to present things, so be sure to pick a good one.
 
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