I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book from Andi Gladwin over at www.vanishingincmagic.com. Just finished reading it and I am happy to report that it is fantastic.
The first chapter details Jon's IBM close up competition act. It is very magical, funny, surprising and logical. Every detail is covered and while you probably won't want to replicate the entire act, there is much to be learned from the descriptions about timing, misdirection and structure.
The second chapter is close up and walk-around stuff. Wow. Some very strong and extremely clever routines, here. No card tricks in this chapter but there is a wonderful bill animation routine (with some great thoughts about why animations could be a little more convincing than straight levitations), a cool rubber band routine, a VERY clever Professor's Nightmare routine (this is one which will fool magicians), a coin bend that made me laugh with its deviousness and a whole lot more.
After that we are treated to some terrific card routines (his take on Ortiz's Dream Card was especially cool, I thought) followed by some inspiring stand up stuff. But the real meat of the book wasn't the what but the why. Jon is very specific about his goals: He wants to engage his audience. He wants to share with them and wants them to share with him. I don't think this word is ever used in the book but his goal seems to be a deep communion between performer and participant. Sometimes this involves a change in method of effect. But more often than not, it's about presentation. Real food for thought, here. Certainly got me thinking about my performances.
This sounds heavy, I know. But it really isn't. The tone of the book is is actually quite light and fun. John Lovick does a really nice job of keeping the text flowing and injecting humorous asides (actually, I don't know if some of these asides are Jon's or John's but either way they are welcome).
Trick Junkies and Move Monkeys, fear not. There are plenty of great (commercial) tricks in this book to keep you occupied for a long time. In the stand up section, Grabbit Production and Signal Strength were two of my favorites (and two items I might start doing!). In the Move, Sequences & Bits of Business Section, there is a good, fancy false cut called Basil. I did have trouble following this but fancy false cuts don't turn me on that much so it was probably more my indifference than the writing or photos. But that Invisible Palm Finale, hoo-boy, I LOVED that. Just great thinking.
The Miscellaneous section has some good tricks and sequences, including a ring on string move that is quite wonderful.
The last section is entitled Taking Things Further and, boy, the title doesn't lie. This section is all about presentation. There are some great thoughts on the ambitious card and what the participant should write on the card. There is also some deep insight into Jon's Destination Box and a mind blowing concept (which is already getting major buzz on some of the forums) called the Shrodinger's Card. Food for thought indeed.
Overall, I can't recommend this book enough. Jon is very smart and really knows how to structure effects so they are memorable for spectators... excuse me, PARTICIPANTS (love that!). Great tricks and great theory. There is definitely something for everyone here.
It is truly an excellent read and something that is sure to get the old wheels turning. You might not agree with all of Jon's philosophies and presentations but you will certainly start reflecting more over your own work and that's always a good thing.
You can download a free 15 page preview of the book here: http://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magic-downloads/ebooks/experience-preview/
Preorder here: http://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magic/close-up-magic/experience-the-magic-of-jon-allen/
The first chapter details Jon's IBM close up competition act. It is very magical, funny, surprising and logical. Every detail is covered and while you probably won't want to replicate the entire act, there is much to be learned from the descriptions about timing, misdirection and structure.
The second chapter is close up and walk-around stuff. Wow. Some very strong and extremely clever routines, here. No card tricks in this chapter but there is a wonderful bill animation routine (with some great thoughts about why animations could be a little more convincing than straight levitations), a cool rubber band routine, a VERY clever Professor's Nightmare routine (this is one which will fool magicians), a coin bend that made me laugh with its deviousness and a whole lot more.
After that we are treated to some terrific card routines (his take on Ortiz's Dream Card was especially cool, I thought) followed by some inspiring stand up stuff. But the real meat of the book wasn't the what but the why. Jon is very specific about his goals: He wants to engage his audience. He wants to share with them and wants them to share with him. I don't think this word is ever used in the book but his goal seems to be a deep communion between performer and participant. Sometimes this involves a change in method of effect. But more often than not, it's about presentation. Real food for thought, here. Certainly got me thinking about my performances.
This sounds heavy, I know. But it really isn't. The tone of the book is is actually quite light and fun. John Lovick does a really nice job of keeping the text flowing and injecting humorous asides (actually, I don't know if some of these asides are Jon's or John's but either way they are welcome).
Trick Junkies and Move Monkeys, fear not. There are plenty of great (commercial) tricks in this book to keep you occupied for a long time. In the stand up section, Grabbit Production and Signal Strength were two of my favorites (and two items I might start doing!). In the Move, Sequences & Bits of Business Section, there is a good, fancy false cut called Basil. I did have trouble following this but fancy false cuts don't turn me on that much so it was probably more my indifference than the writing or photos. But that Invisible Palm Finale, hoo-boy, I LOVED that. Just great thinking.
The Miscellaneous section has some good tricks and sequences, including a ring on string move that is quite wonderful.
The last section is entitled Taking Things Further and, boy, the title doesn't lie. This section is all about presentation. There are some great thoughts on the ambitious card and what the participant should write on the card. There is also some deep insight into Jon's Destination Box and a mind blowing concept (which is already getting major buzz on some of the forums) called the Shrodinger's Card. Food for thought indeed.
Overall, I can't recommend this book enough. Jon is very smart and really knows how to structure effects so they are memorable for spectators... excuse me, PARTICIPANTS (love that!). Great tricks and great theory. There is definitely something for everyone here.
It is truly an excellent read and something that is sure to get the old wheels turning. You might not agree with all of Jon's philosophies and presentations but you will certainly start reflecting more over your own work and that's always a good thing.
You can download a free 15 page preview of the book here: http://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magic-downloads/ebooks/experience-preview/
Preorder here: http://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magic/close-up-magic/experience-the-magic-of-jon-allen/
