theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards

Ambitious card routine

The best ambitious card routines are the very visual kind. Executing a few double lifts isnt exciting to the spectator. Also, its pretty commonly established that you don't want to insert a card to "the middle of the deck" on your side. That's not exactly "fair".

I suggest watching Tony Chang and draw inspiration from his ideas.
 
Not bad Nick. A couple specifics for you that will hopefully make a difference.

1. On your second cycle (the one using the sleight with the same mechanics as Brad Christian's one handed pass) you flashed. You didn't so much flash the spectators card as you did the secret to the move. Most spectators wouldn't be able to figure it out, but they would be able to know that something fishy is going on. It takes away from the magical nature of it all. The biggest thing here is to slow down. If your sleights are good, you can do all of this slow and it will look better.

2. When you do the "pop-up" move to finish your video off, it is hard to see. The best seat in the house for that move is up close from the side. When you go to set the deck on top of the bent card, make sure that the spec. can see the bent card being flattened by the deck. This way they know it is in the deck. Also make sure they can see the big moment very clearly, from the side. This sleight is very unimpressive unless they can clearly see the bent card in the middle of the deck suddenly pop up from the top of the deck.

Other than that, well done. Unlike the above poster said, your ACR was visual, but there are just a couple things to make the visuals better. Also, unlike the above poster, I think your Marlo Tilts were excellent. They looked just like you want them to look, which is very different from what you are actually doing.

Well done.

L
 
Nice job Nick. The only other thing compared to what Lyle is telling you is a couple of your "get ready" moves riffling up the back are noticeable to magicians, not sure if a layman would call you out on it though. All in all thanks for sharing. Would love to see you go film this live outside for a stranger.
 
LyleBorders said:
Not bad Nick. A couple specifics for you that will hopefully make a difference.

1. On your second cycle (the one using the sleight with the same mechanics as Brad Christian's one handed pass) you flashed. You didn't so much flash the spectators card as you did the secret to the move. Most spectators wouldn't be able to figure it out, but they would be able to know that something fishy is going on. It takes away from the magical nature of it all. The biggest thing here is to slow down. If your sleights are good, you can do all of this slow and it will look better.

2. When you do the "pop-up" move to finish your video off, it is hard to see. The best seat in the house for that move is up close from the side. When you go to set the deck on top of the bent card, make sure that the spec. can see the bent card being flattened by the deck. This way they know it is in the deck. Also make sure they can see the big moment very clearly, from the side. This sleight is very unimpressive unless they can clearly see the bent card in the middle of the deck suddenly pop up from the top of the deck.

Other than that, well done. Unlike the above poster said, your ACR was visual, but there are just a couple things to make the visuals better. Also, unlike the above poster, I think your Marlo Tilts were excellent. They looked just like you want them to look, which is very different from what you are actually doing.

Well done.

L
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You know now that I am home and I could type on a keyboard and not my phone. I am really alarmed, but not actually surprised to see a post like this from theory 11 crew.

Everyone should expect brutal honesty. Thats the only way people get better. Don't lie to make him feel better, but we don't need to come at him like a steamroller, either. I'm not encouraging that.

I want to first address the first bolded comment. I didn't say his ACR wasn't visual. I was just simply making a statement. This ACR is visual, but too basic at times, and goes backward at one point. If you decide to make it challenging like have the card put into the middle face up, then prepare to do the rest of the routine with the card face up. I wouldn't go back to working with their card face down.

The Marlo tilt is out of place and you did fumble around a bit with it. However, why go from putting the card in the deck spectator side, and for the next one push it in from your side? I encourage everyone to remain consistant with everything you do. Much like how you would do the same mechanic movement regardless of a double lift or single card lift to reveal a card.

I agree but also disagree with Lyle's 2nd bullet point. I agree that you want the spectator to have the best seat in the house, and changing the viewing angle to the side is good, but you do not want it TOO close and want to be extra sure you aren't showing the surface of the top card up close. Otherwise, they will notice a huge crease of a bended card on the top like it was there all along while you are explaining that it is going to pop up when you snap your fingers. I really can't help you there except you're going to have to be aware of card designs. Be aware and expriment with different stock cards and see which ones would hide the crease you created best or just keep your distance. If YOU notice the crease a lot, they will too if you're not careful. I have a suggestion to add to your routine or maybe a different finisher? I recommend Pixel by David jade. Its simple, but I found it gets the best reactions out of anything I've ever finished with.

Your Double lift @ 1:32 was very rushed and as a result was sloppy. Remember to remain calm and slow down.

Thats pretty much all I have for right now. Stick with it. You're getting there.
 
There was no effort made to offend you Domokun. My earlier statement was simply aimed at giving actual, meaningful criticism to Nick. Upon re-reading your post, I do see that you did not specifically say that Nick's ACR was not visual, though your post seems to lean that way. My second comment in your direction addressed your criticism of his Marlo Tilts. You say that "its pretty commonly established that you don't want to insert a card to "the middle of the deck" on your side. That's not exactly "fair"." Though I see how your thought process led you to that statement, I believe that something as commonly known as the Marlo Tilt, requiring the insertion of the playing card in the back of the deck, would not draw such a comment.

There is no lying to Nick "to make him feel better." I brought along with my comments to you several problems that Nick showed and suggestions on how to fix them. I don't know if that sounds like lying to him in your ears, but it does not in mine. As I have always done, and will continue to do in the future, I took his performance for what it was worth, critiqued it, gave suggestions, and thanked him for his video. I hope that does not offend you.

Also, thank you for the advice given in your second post. In your second post, there is meaningful, specific criticism and suggestions. There is much to think about for him in your post. I particularly appreciate the references to certain times in the video, as it makes seeing what you see much easier.

That said, I disagree with your consistency issue (to a limited extent) because, being in an Ambitious Card Routine, Nick is going through phases. Each phase is showcasing the same idea (the card jumping to the top) in different ways. Putting the card in from the back does not feel unnatural because of the changing rhythm already established with nearly every other aspect of the trick. I love Pixel by David Jade, but by the same logic you use to discredit the Marlo Tilt in this ACR, you also discredit Pixel. Pixel introduces a foreign object into the routine that has, until that moment, been done with nothing but playing cards. This is a consistency issue if I have ever seen one. I honestly don't see a problem using it, however, because it all comes down to the performer and his/her presentation. I can think of many ways to integrate Pixel into an ACR without ever being plagued by the lack of consistency it brings.

Thanks for the help and suggestions!

L
 
I would say, and maybe other wouldn't agree, that you probably only should doing the Marlo Tilt once in a routine. I think that a smart spectator would know that something is going on the second time and burn your hands more. Just a thought. Also, I think if you do want to do the Tilt twice, switch the order. If you do the color change first, the next time is less impressive. Darwin Ortiz always has said to make sure the routine builds and gets more and more impossible. I think a color change with a face up card in the middle of the deck is much more eventful and awesome, then showing the bottom and top card and then showing it moved to the top. Does that make sense?
 
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