Search results

I do not know how fast you perform your sybil, but the person I saw was performing it so fast it merely looked like he was moving a packet of cards up and down - something anyone could do. This is not about the gradient of fast and slow, but the line where doing what you do becomes unclear.

Tampa, Why do you say the IBM is too harsh? Brad Henderson

A well done fan, a simple spring - even a ribbon spread and turn over - can be incredibly "magical" moments for real people. Excellent point and very true. I started doing the Houdin Shrinking Fan and then the vanishing pips last year. We all know it, but to real people, it's a jaw dropper...

Have not read the whole thread, but wanted to share an experience I just had that might be an interesting topic of discussion: I saw a young man perform last night. He did a lot of "cardistry" as well as magic. Problem was, I don't think he knew which was which. The magic got lost in the mix...

If you buy the Tarbell course you will have a lifetime of impromptu, stage, parlour, card, coin etc etc material. Daniel Cros made his living with a stack of paper napkins! Study the classics. The answers are waiting. Brad Henderson

When I was in High School I interviewed for a college scholarship. They had read my essay (and hundreds of others). They were now in the process of narrowing things down. I wrote about my interests, including magic. We did the interview. It went fine, but at the end one of the ladies...

Crediting anything to Oz Pearlman as original is probably an unwise move. Forgery is the original effect. Followed shortly after in time (though maybe before in publication) by Samelson's New York Transpo. Brad Henderson

This does not use loops. The effect goes back many years. It was featured by Harry Blackstone Sr and Jr as well as Ralph Adams. Henning did it beautifully - normally with full sized handkerchiefs on stage. Copperfield had a beautiful version as well. It is, fundamentally, a stage trick. It...

As someone very smart once write: "You should be required to read one hundred magic books before you write your first one." So, starting with the library you have built is a good start. If you don't have a large library which at least covers the foundations of the art, then how can you...

Google Steve Beam, he has a website. Also, check with a magic dealer like Denny Haney (www.dennymagic.com) and ask about the suspended cards. Might not be on the site, but a nice email might let you know if they are still around to be bought. Brad Henderson

Spreading cards and having them suspend in mid air has been done several times. Steve Beam had some work on it, and a couple of dealers sold devices to aid in the process. Most of the time, this was done in a spread between the magician's hand, but with a little thought maybe they could be...

Well, the biddle trick might not be the best dog to put in this fight... But think about it backwards: The Hover Card can be a miracle, but in someone else's hands, it can also be a cheap stunt. So, it's not the "trick" that makes the difference (though I believe some tricks are better...

I disagree completely. When you watch Rene Lavand, you feel magic. When you sit across the table from Tamariz, you feel magic. When you turn over the packets the first time you experience Curry's "Out of this world" you sense the magic as it creeps up your spine. The tools are irrelevant...

202. If you have created a force, you owe it to yourself to check out this book to make sure you haven't trod an already well beaten path. Nothing wrong with reinventing something brilliant - you can be proud of your creative skills. Some of the ideas in the book you will dismiss out of...

Do you have the Anneman book on forcing? Brad Henderson

Or you can get the loops set from Fin Jon and Yigal, the people who actually created most of the ideas on the "other set." Brad Henderson

Because most youth are being brought into magic via a giant marketing scheme, i.e. Street Magic. The young magicians who come into magic through this door are indoctrinated with certain idea(l)s, attitudes and practices. While these may be glamorous and cool, they often are not conducive for...

I understood your point, and agree with it wholeheartedly. However, I have seen it work in the opposite way too. As to the theft idea - the problem comes when the material being lifted comes from someone's working act. When a "magic dealer" which is what these people really are, poach their...

When you come to study your history, you learn that most of what is passing as "new school" is not new at all. So, I think you can start to see why so many who have spent years in the art may find this old wine, being hyped in new bottles, to taste more like vinegar than ambrosia. Also, this...

Who are these "pro" magicians who are putting out stuff? Most of the "pro" magician I know use their stuff - not sell it. (There are a tiny handful of exceptions.) And the truth is, a good magician can use thier talent and understanding of audience management get more out of the key card and...