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  1. kennethcmerrill

    How to Make a Beginner's Routine

    Hello all! With kids and work and all sorts of life responsibilities, I've had a really tough time keeping up any serious practice with magic, even though I've been seriously interested in it for 15 years now. I find I always come up against the same mental block: I'm no longer interested in...
  2. kennethcmerrill

    Help on a Beginner's Routine

    Hey all, I've been into magic for a long time, and dabbled seriously off and on for years now. I've caught some spare time the last few months and have started to get back into it. I have an idea for a routine that I want to flesh out, but something just isn't feeling quite right, and I wanted...
  3. kennethcmerrill

    Deceptive Practice movie thoughts

    In honor of Ricky Jay, I made my wife watch the documentary about him that was released a few years back: Deceptive Practice. From a filmmaking perspective, it's an incredibly well-done documentary that succeeds better than most at making its subject (Ricky Jay and the world of conjuring)...
  4. kennethcmerrill

    Beginners Book Decisions

    Hey guys! I have a question for the more well-read members here: I have been planning to pick up Card College Vol 1 & 2 this year, as they've been at the top of my list for a long time, and I feel like I'm 80% there with a lot of my sleights, and perhaps the detail in those volumes can help me...
  5. kennethcmerrill

    Fooling Houdini - Book Review (what's with all the exposure?)

    As a neophyte amateur magician, I was delighted at the anecdotes and insights Alex Stone provides in his autobiographical account of magic culture. As someone who takes magic very seriously and takes secrecy as a real responsibility, I was horrified at just how much exposure there is in this...
  6. kennethcmerrill

    First Performance in Two Years - Failure

    We spent Thanksgiving with my in-laws this year, and I knew they would have a few friends over as well, and since they've enjoyed my magic in years past, I decided to put together a few effects to show if the opportunity arose. I went back to material I've performed successfully in the...
  7. kennethcmerrill

    Trouble with the break

    I'm trying to brush up on my sleights and some effects I used to be ok with, and I'm resurrecting a long-standing struggle with the pinky break. I'm finding that even after the deck has been squared, even with my hand fairly relaxed and the break uncomfortably small, I get a distinct line...
  8. kennethcmerrill

    Need some direction, also how do you routine?

    I've been in and out of magic several times over the last 10 years. I'll go through 6 month spurts of practice and dedication, followed by a year of not picking up a deck of cards. This is partly because I'm a freelance filmmaker with a wife and two kids, which means that life can get hectic...
  9. kennethcmerrill

    Sell used stuff?

    I found a few spare materials in my closet, and I'm wondering if it would be appropriate to post them for sale anywhere in these forums or if I should just go straight to eBay? I'm not sure what the rules are on that here...
  10. kennethcmerrill

    Counterfeit Questions

    I've had my eye on Counterfeit for a long time, and I recently watched several performance videos some people have posted on YouTube, to see it in realtime and decide if it would be a good fit for me. The performances were pretty dismal, and maybe that's the issue, but they definitely raised a...
  11. kennethcmerrill

    Dai Vernon: The Spirit of Magic

    I watched this through today, for the second time in a few years. While I disagree with many of his life decisions, Dai Vernon is a fascinating character and one of the greatest magicians to ever live. This documentary is well worth a watch if you haven't.
  12. kennethcmerrill

    One Man's Treasure - Another Man's Trash

    Taking a break from something like magic can have its silver linings. For instance, you get some fresh perspective on things that are often taken for granted. I was watching the trailer to an effect the other day, and one of the selling points of the effect was that you could offer the...
  13. kennethcmerrill

    All tricked out and nowhere to go - How do you build routines?

    The question is pretty self-explanatory, but to give a few more details: I'm wondering what process you fine folks use to build your routines, from selecting effects, establishing a theme (if there is one), writing patter, etc. I have a couple effects that I like to perform together, and I even...
  14. kennethcmerrill

    Spring Force?

    Hi, I've seen a couple routines where it seems a card is forced by springing the deck from one hand to the other and asking the spectator to say "stop." They always stop on the forced card. Does anyone know a good resource for this?
  15. kennethcmerrill

    Wilson's Double Take vs. Montierth's DL Project

    Hey guys, I've been a little flustered with my DL'e and I'm looking into further resources (already have RRTCM and Crash Course 2). I've heard nothing but praise about Greg Wilson's Double Take, except that he focuses a little more on tricks than the nuances of the techniques. Also, it's...
  16. kennethcmerrill

    Wishlist Function?

    Hi, is there a Wishlist function on this site? I'm finding it hard to keep track of various products I'm interested in. If there isn't, there should be! Kenneth
  17. kennethcmerrill

    Impossible Voodoo Ash trick

    I was just re-watching some of Blaine's material today for some inspiration, and I had completely forgotten about his take on the Voodoo Ash effect. The particular performance I'm talking about can be found at roughly 56:30 at this URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr3R1D7GUU8 There are...
  18. kennethcmerrill

    Forces in the middle of an effect

    Hello all! I recently got back into magic again after several years away. I was dismayed to find that the ellusionist community is much less active than they were when I left, but I am glad to have an alternative community to come to at Theory 11! Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone could...
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