Creating a 100% Card Magic Show For ALL Ages

Pete Pridanonda

Elite Member
Jun 13, 2009
402
35
Hi everyone, I am creating a close up show that is filled with card magic that is appropriate and entertaining for all ages. I need your advice on anything that you think should be changed or improved (order of routines, presentation ideas etc..). I also try to avoid card effects with a lot of similarities. Thank you so much in advance!
1. Ambitious Card Routine using a deck that is blank on both sides (David Regal's Puppy Presentation)
2. Mental Photography Deck (I end with the deck going back to blank by saying "imagination can fade away")
3. French Kiss by Wayne Houchin
4. Phil Plus (where I "name" the card the spectator is thinking of and the spectator choose a name that matches my prediction).
5. Arthur by Chris Wiehl (I use a presentation of stopping time)
6. Presto Printo by Daryl
 

Tower of Lunatic Meat

Elite Member
Sep 27, 2014
2,435
2,029
Texa$, with a dollar sign
Card magic, I think would be a difficult one to pull off for a kids show. Good idea using blank cards and different pictures for each effect. That would keep each trick special and fresh in their minds

I'm not sure if French Kiss would fit in a kids show. That's just me.

I had no idea that the Puppy Presentation was a thing. I was thinking around the same lines, but use Raise Rise with a bunny card. I think it would work great.

I think the 'imagination' bit should end on a more positive note and not that it can 'fade away'. Maybe start with a blank deck and end with pictures on th cards.

Prediction tricks are not going to work as well in a kids environment unless they are holding a card, IMO. If you're going to do something like this--especially with blank cards. Spread wave.

I hope this helps and good luck!
 
The guys above seem to have responded on the basis this is a 'kids' show but I think what you're aiming for is a 'family show'. If I'm wrong please feel free to say so.

I actually think your choice of effects is pretty good. They are visual and it's not really 'about the cards' per se. They are effects everyone can understand even if they don't know what the cards/suits etc are.

French Kiss is not a problem in a family show, but I would make sure you use an adult for this one. Whilst I hope you audience is intelligent enough to understand it is just an illusion, the implication contained in the effect is that you invade someones personal space. This might be enough to make some people uncomfortable.

The Mental Photography ending with a blank deck would actually lead quite nicely into the ambitious with the double blank deck (just switch when you go to you pocket/bag for the pen).

Presto Printo is great choice for a family show. The effect is baffling enough for adults yet 'cartoony' and funny enough for kids. Again, a bit of routining and you could make it appear that you remove the blank cards from the same deck you used for the ambitious routine.

In a way, this sort of stops being a normal card act. You bring out a deck and do French Kiss. Then the cards somehow go blank, so you get someone to sign a card and do ambitious. Then you remove a few blank cards from the deck and re-print them in funny ways. I guess if you could somehow switch in a normal deck right after you remove the blank cards for Presto Printo, then you will be one ahead of your audience and could go full circle and 'reprint' the whole deck, thus finishing with a completely printed and examinable deck. Seems like a nice way to bring the routine full circle.

The above may appear slightly disjointed and I was sort of brainstorming ideas as I was going.

I like creative challenges like this though. You will get people that say it won't work, but that's what makes it a challenge.

Have fun with the process.

Rev
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
For French Kiss, you don't have to have them put the card in their mouth -- they can hold it in their hand, over their head, behind their back, under their armpit or they can even sit on it. That solves two problems -- the first is the whole cleanliness thing (sticking things in mouths) and the second is the the"romantic" overtones envisioned by the name of the effect.

I'm going to second what Rev said -- a family show is different from a kids show. At a minimum you need a variety of effects that appeal to different age groups -- at best you need to do what Pete has done is find effects that appeal to all ages.
 
May 17, 2015
37
7
I'm not sure if French Kiss would fit in a kids show. That's just me.

This is why I'm not allowed by schools anymore and now I'm on a list online..

Lol, but like others say it doesn't have to be in-mouth. I've never done this effect like this, though when I move into my college's dorm I might give it a swing. me gusta.
 

Tower of Lunatic Meat

Elite Member
Sep 27, 2014
2,435
2,029
Texa$, with a dollar sign
I REALLY apologize for the initial misconception that it was a kids show.

I think there are some factors that make it a bit difficult for me to make suggestions on. At least, I think its difficult to. Would it be easier to ask questions such as: Does ___X___ work under ___Y____ parameters?

I feel like a complete jack-hat for suggesting an effect that costs quite a bit. But I'm only going off of the fact that you'd be working with blank cards and a prediction effect ('Phil Plus'). I'm not sure if the set has modularity, or if that's something I should assume. Or if he has a budget.

Sorry, I'm kind of overhelmed with possibilities.
 

Colin

Elite Member
Jan 25, 2013
152
22
I really like Presto Printo but looking at the way things would flow here I would say to use it somewhere else in the order of things. I think if you are starting out with a totally blank deck I would try to finish over either with once again with a blank deck to circle back to the start or with a complete full regular deck to end in the opposite position. Ending with a bunch of mis-made cards seems a little odd to me.

Start with you ambitious card and end with the mental photography and thing returning to blanks and throw the other stuff into the middle. I don't know Phil Plus so I don't have an opinion on the order of the other three really.

If you are doing things with a blank deck you should check out the At The Table Live lecture that Spidey did. He had some great stuff using a blank deck.
 
Searching...
{[{ searchResultsCount }]} Results