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What the exposure monkeys and YouNoobs are trying to do is buy social status with the currency of information. Was that too pretentious a way to say it? Let me try that again. The trend I've noticed is that exposure monkeys tend to be insecure, mouthy, and entitled. You know, teenagers...

One source that almost no one recommends is Jeff McBride's Art of Card Manipulation DVD trilogy. That's the old school stuff. Also, the Encyclopedia of Playing Card Flourishes has a lot of the old material you don't see enough of these days. Too many people want to do nothing but fancy...

Sometimes there's just no talking people out of a bad decision. The guy posting the exposure video will do it because he wants the attention. The club doing a workshop without the creator's approval are doing it because they think they're entitled. In the case of your family, they just aren't...

By resources I mean learning resources. By exercises I mean stretches and routines for keeping your hands in shape.

Instead of copying and pasting my original reply, I'm just going to link you to the duplicate thread you made in what is really the correct forum.

Thoughts as they occur to me. 0:05 - I'm already getting a headache from the effects. 0:10 - Seriously dude. Lay off the effects. They don't look good. 0:14 - Points off immediately for the fact that I can't see your face. 0:25 - The framing is so poor your hands leave the screen. This is...

And this is where I once again roll out my old chestnut: kvlt kiddie syndrome. Vinnie is right, and through the following convoluted story, I will explain why. For those of you who are not metalheads, the subgenre of black metal unofficially started in the 80's with bands like Venom, Bathory...

You're thinking of mental magic. Mentalism is a completely different beast. If you want to be a mentalist, you can not break character. That seems to be the allure for a lot of people. But mentalism is not simply about the reactions. You're still thinking like a magician. Mentalism is...

I'm inclined to believe that academic knowledge is not something to be scoffed at either. So long as it doesn't come from ivory tower arrogance. I've worked in theater in film. I'm still paying my dues, but I'd like to think I can credibly say, "You're looking at the floor too much. Make...

I'm pretty sure the way people are presenting themselves was a part of that. These kids have the technical chops, but no one ever showed them how to present it. I have that whole stickied thread up there about digital video. If anyone reads that and doesn't recognize it as good advice, then...

I'm not asking for David Copperfield or Lance Burton or Howard Thurston or Dai Vernon or Max Malini or PT Selbit or whatever other big name you care to dredge up. I'm just asking for something better than 15 Sybil variations in a row set to bad special effects and worse dubstep music. I'm...

This is especially true of mentalism. There are only 4 types of effects, so you really need to keep it simple and direct while still making the process interesting and entertaining.

Then they don't get to compete. At some point you gotta tell these kids to put up or shut up.

I'd take that more to heart if I actually did any of that. If I don't like something, I'm going to say so. I'm still allowed to do that, am I not? Pardon the hell out of me for treating manipulation artistry as a legitimate art based in theater. I was under the impression that was a...

Maybe it's the showman in me, but I think it would be nice to have a contest that actually requires you to show us a full presentation. You know... with words and stuff. It has blocking. And we can see your face in the video instead of just your hands and possibly your undercarriage.

It's been coming up a lot, so I may as well mention it. Magicians who buy a couple of mental magic effects and then declare themselves to be mentalists.

You'll have to narrow it down. Are you looking for learning resources? Exercises? Where to go to find audiences? People can't give you advice if you don't tell them what you're looking for and what you're hoping to accomplish.

You're observing the thirds rule (mostly) which is good. Cut out the one special effects shot. It's not needed, especially since you used the jump cut to edit yourself out of the picture anyway.

No. Don't try to be a mentalist. Just learn some coin magic and you're good to go. If you're a magician, be a magician. Again, just do coins. Everyone can find a quarter. Get yourself a copy of Modern Coin Magic, learn it, love it. You're good.

I hope you realize that the mods take a very dim view of this sort of bellicose rhetoric. What exactly made you think that freaking out and cursing at me was going to end well for you, anyway? Kid, I have no idea what half the things you're saying mean anyway. It's like a conscious stream of...