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DVD on MENTALISM
- Thread starter Enzo
- Start date
What exactly am I doing that is selfish? Do you even know what that word means? Or am I just a dick because I'm not kowtowing to your lazy demands?
As for hard times, I'm out there performing paying shows. I was a busker for 2 years. I've only just started working in the convention circuit. I've taken my lumps and they're an essential part of the learning process. I understand and accept this. You have not shown that understanding. You expect everything to be easy. You want the best, you want it now and you want it with no strings attached, free if you can get it.
But you don't learn that way. Learning a skill means successes and mistakes alike. There are hours of boredom involved that you must embrace. You must learn to love the grind. You must appreciate the hard work that no one will ever see. There is no shortcut. There is no magic pill. Even a hobbyist takes this more seriously than you do. You don't lift a finger to do actual research. You just hear about an idea you like and ask us for stuff to buy.
So yes, I do want you to experience hard times. Because the only way to learn a skill is taking the good with the bad, the hits and the misses. Sooner or later, you have to take your lumps.
As for hard times, I'm out there performing paying shows. I was a busker for 2 years. I've only just started working in the convention circuit. I've taken my lumps and they're an essential part of the learning process. I understand and accept this. You have not shown that understanding. You expect everything to be easy. You want the best, you want it now and you want it with no strings attached, free if you can get it.
But you don't learn that way. Learning a skill means successes and mistakes alike. There are hours of boredom involved that you must embrace. You must learn to love the grind. You must appreciate the hard work that no one will ever see. There is no shortcut. There is no magic pill. Even a hobbyist takes this more seriously than you do. You don't lift a finger to do actual research. You just hear about an idea you like and ask us for stuff to buy.
So yes, I do want you to experience hard times. Because the only way to learn a skill is taking the good with the bad, the hits and the misses. Sooner or later, you have to take your lumps.
I don't care what you do and I know what you're talking about because I'm experiencing them.
Not to be a douche - lol - but I believe Steerpike has a point. What he's trying to say is you claim you want to take mentalism - and I quote -"seriously", yet you are looking for the 'easy way out', a shortcut if you will. What you will learn from those DVDs are just effects, but you won't learn the fundamentals nor the history of mentalism that will take you far... or advance you in the art of mentalism.
Whilst the DVD's may teach you some material that is very strong it will not help you in the long run as I and many others have pointed out. People don't understand that to present mentalism there are many fundamental differences that need to be addressed, and understood. If you take one of the corner stones of mentalism the billet switch, to this day some of the strongest effects that I perform. The brilliant thing is that for the most part the routine has remained unchanged from the Annemann original, (A Question and the Answer.) There are improvements to the handling like Cassidy's Name / Place routine and the new 100% impromptu handling that Docc Hilford just released.
The method basically is that you switch the hot billet for a dummy and read the information. I know that this seems simple and it is for the most part. However if you want people to believe you (the whole point of mentalism) it is the small things that make the difference. Whilst you can learn these in the context of an effect from a DVD most of the DVD's assume that you know the basics and see them demonstrated in a real world environment is that last 10% to the solid foundation that you should already have.
Whilst the mechanics of a billet switch is well underneath the skill level of a standard coin magician, very few coin magicians can pull it off. Case in point Bob Cassidy Remote Viewing whilst this effect only requires one billet switch and a whole lot of psychology. The real question that Craig, Steerpike and I are asking and you have answered is are you willing to put in the real work, to make this effect a true miracle. Otherwise start riffle forcing a card onto someone and just fake it.
(I want to say there is nothing wrong with forcing a card on someone and revealing it but you have to do it every every well.)
The method basically is that you switch the hot billet for a dummy and read the information. I know that this seems simple and it is for the most part. However if you want people to believe you (the whole point of mentalism) it is the small things that make the difference. Whilst you can learn these in the context of an effect from a DVD most of the DVD's assume that you know the basics and see them demonstrated in a real world environment is that last 10% to the solid foundation that you should already have.
Whilst the mechanics of a billet switch is well underneath the skill level of a standard coin magician, very few coin magicians can pull it off. Case in point Bob Cassidy Remote Viewing whilst this effect only requires one billet switch and a whole lot of psychology. The real question that Craig, Steerpike and I are asking and you have answered is are you willing to put in the real work, to make this effect a true miracle. Otherwise start riffle forcing a card onto someone and just fake it.
(I want to say there is nothing wrong with forcing a card on someone and revealing it but you have to do it every every well.)
what is the rest of the world of mentalism saying and who is saying it. Please clarify your reference.
steerpike is trying to help you kid, and you're beeing a tool about it.
Exsqueeze me!
Enzo, it's not a matter of you experiencing "hard times" other's have endured, it's a matter of actually learning what something is, what it is about, etc. Steerpike is like me, he's a guy with tremendous passion when it comes to Magic as a whole; he's sick and tired of seeing people wasting everyone's time by playing with "tricks" rather than learning to do Magic and too, he's tiered of the half-wits that think Mentalism is done the same way magic is, when the two are complete opposites to one another.
Most that have jumped into Mentalism over the past 12-15 years have done so out of ego and little other; they want to be able to not just amaze people, but allude to the idea that they have some kind of Psychic ability (and that includes those that take the more analytical path like NLP and body language presentation themes). It still comes down to a "Look at Me, I'm Special" reality that goes well beyond what is common to those doing traditional magic or any other aspect of entertainment.
for the first 20+ years of my career I specialized in grand illusion; my small show required a 20ft cube box truck to move about and the big show needed two 40 ft. semi-trailers. Even when I was working that stuff I was tinkering and learning Mentalism, slowly weaving it into my shows until finally deciding to do nothing but Mentalism or a mix of it with Bizarre Magick; the transition started in the late 1980's and more or less became official by 93. . . a car accident in 96 is what lead me down the "Old School" philosophic look at how Mentalism was to be done -- small groups, living room type settings. But if you haven't caught on, I've already been doing Mentalism for a minimum of 18 years full time and collectively, over 25 years total. I now it at least as good as I knew the big illusion world and have won accolades in Mentalism that compare to those earned in that previous incarnation.
Why this short bio? you ask
So you can understand perspective and why people like I and Steerpike get short, snappy and disgusted by lazy, excuse ridden newbies that won't take things seriously. Mentalism. . . that is to say, Mentalism that is done properly, requires a deep investment of personal time as well as a solid understanding around the craft you cannot get from a DVD or PodCast or any other such medium. Nor, as I've pointed out, are such vehicles economically sound; you get less solid material from such sources than you get from a book that cost as much or less.
If you honestly want to learn how to do something and do it right, you will figure out how and where to find the time it deserves; professional muscians that actually gain noteriety typically invest between six and twelve hours a day dedicated to learning their craft; the instruments they play, the different styles and theory associated with music, etc. Put another way, Half-measures Avail Us Nothing! they are a bigger waste of time at the end because what you will be able to deliver will be half-assed -- incomplete, lacking passion and respect for both, what you are doing and the poor folks that must endure your weaknesses.
Find some pride within yourself, take a deep breath and choose to be an exception to the rule; don't allow yourself to be just another one of the "kids" doing the same crap everyone else is doing; choose to be someone that gives a damn about how they are perceived by the audience as well as his peers -- choose to do whatever it takes to stand out in your field in a positive light that inspires others rather than representing the lowest of common denominators.
If what Steerpike has said were "selfish" he'd not have said it; he's trying to kick you off your lazy butt and challenge you to prove him wrong -- to prove that you're more. Which begs the question, at least for me, "Are you going to do just that, or are you going to prove him right -- that you really are an ungrateful spoilt brat that only wants to take the easy way out?"
I´m just going to say that this topic needs to be remembered.
Tons of good points and advice to understand what starting Mentalism actually is.
I just love a quote by Harlan Tarbell discussing the fundamentals of a mentalist and a magician.
This should be read and understood before attempting mentalism.
M.
Tons of good points and advice to understand what starting Mentalism actually is.
I just love a quote by Harlan Tarbell discussing the fundamentals of a mentalist and a magician.
This should be read and understood before attempting mentalism.
M.