Greatest Card Trick Ever LIVE

[Pete Pridanonda]

Look, I'll be blunt here. I'm probably not going to watch your other videos. It's not really anything to do with you, I'm just not a 'magic video watching' kind of guy. If I start a video and if fails to catch my interest I usually shut it off within ten seconds. Most magicians don't make it past that mark and often times the only ones I do watch all the way through are because of some other reason than the video actually being interesting to me.

I have seen a few of your videos, though. The consistent theme I've noticed is "The Adventure of the Props". The video in this thread, for instance, just talks about the cards flipping over. The Voodoo doll presentation you use is basically the same thing, "The doll goes up, the doll goes down, the doll goes back up! The doll goes back down!"

I like that you get out there and you perform. I like that you're really excited about magic. But to push yourself into the realm of actual 'magic' you need to create presentations that actually mean something.

If you look at my newer videos of my voodoo doll performance, you will see that I tell a story of the corn doll that farmers used to built in order to bring luck to their harvest seasons before I perform this effect. Also, I try not to narrate what I am doing, but sometimes the magic speaks for itself. In my performance of royal scam, I deliver a presention of how I practice my card magic, which involves sleight of hand, misdirection, and cheating.
Here is a video of my voodoo doll performance, as you can see, I do not simply go right into this effect but I provide my audience with an interesting history regarding my "prop".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-5n0-BwK5k

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

Your performance of Royal Scam has no meaning to anyone other than you. The presentation is "The cards turn over one way, now they turn over the other way, now they are cards you weren't expecting."

The doll performance was, "Here's a story I made up, now watch, the doll stands up, then it lies down, then stands up, then it lies down, then it stands up, then it lies down fast!"

What connection does having the doll in your hand have to the story you just told? Your hand is not a corn field. Does this mean you'll be sprouting corn this year? Yes, you added more to the presentation, but what you added was more fluff. It's still just a trick.

 

[Randy]

The Doll performance is nice.. The problem is that the effect doesn't fit your persona at all. So rather than it looking like something interesting or meaningful. You're essentially the guy who produces a rubber chicken or a jumbo coin at the end of the routine.

The Royal Scams thing is fine for now.. As Whit Hayden would say, sometimes you have to mimic the other guys, before you can find your own path. And hey, what does he know... He was after the Vice President of The Magic Castle at one point for awhile.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

Also ... And I fully admit this is my thing and you don't have to listen to me ... But are you wearing a shirt with your own face on it in that video?

Edit:
You know, I am being harsh. I'm focusing on his presentation because he's already got technical skill, and because I get a fairly arrogant feeling from the posts. He's good enough to start worrying about the presentation and making that magical.

 

[Toby]

In my performance of royal scam, I deliver a presention of how I practice my card magic, which involves sleight of hand, misdirection, and cheating.

Which is exactly the same as John Bannon's, word for word, so don't try to take credit for that. I realize that it's pretty difficult to find a different patter for that effect, since what John says makes most sense to accompany the effect. But it's not impossible, and since it's your favorite card trick of all times, I'm pretty sure you can find inspiration to create a completely different patter.

 

[Pete Pridanonda]

Guys:

Let's give Pete some credit. Stop reading his literal words and try to understand what he is saying.

First, he did say it was his opinion that it was the greatest trick. He liked the reactions and thought that this would be something that would be, for him, a reputation maker. OK, he is mimicking the ad copy we are all inundated with on a daily basis in e-mails from our favorite magic shops, but he means that it is something that is going into his repertoire because he likes it.

Second, he is performing for a live audience something he learned legitimately. That is better then the Youtube boobs that perform something they learned on Youtube while you watch their hands handle a deck at crotch level. Hopefully, he will pick up some more Bannon effects or maybe some of his books.

Third, he performed it well. There is room for improvement, but the mechanics were there.

OK, so he performed it using Bannon's patter. Have you ever tried to develop patter for Bannon's effects? It's hard. What happens is so unexpected, that it is difficult to focus on anything other than saying what you are doing.

Further, Pete is trying to find himself as a magician. You can tell from his posts here. Also, he is at an age where he is trying (consciously or unconsciously) to find himself as a person. In either of those processes, the first stages are imitation. We do things other people do whether it be in magic or in life. After a while, we are more selective who we imitate and then eventually we develop our "self" -- as a person or a magician. The "self" we develop into is a unique blend of various influences. Just look at Dani DaOrtiz and Woody Aragon -- both very different but also both strongly influenced by Tamariz.


Pete:

I'm glad your excited about Bannon's Royal Scam. Pick up Bannon's Impossibilia as an e-book from L&L. Check out reviews of Dear Mr. Fantasy and Smoke and Mirrors - if you are interested I may know some shops that still have copies. If books aren't your thing (they should be at this point) check out Bannon's DVDs.

And one more thing. Keep expanding your horizons and learning more magic - not from DVDs, but from books. Get the Tarbell set. If you want to become a good magician, study Tarbell. Think about getting a subscription to Genii (with access to 75 years of back issues). I think a lot of the pushback you are getting is from folks who know a lot more magic than you do. When you reach a certain point, no effect is a reputation maker and no effect is the greatest. You realize that what matters is what you do to make that effect yours.

Thank you very much David for your encouraging insights, you've persuaded me to keep practicing and performing.
Also, I have all of Bannon's books and DVDs. I'm a big fan of his work and his routines are very well structured and entertaining. I also have all the complete course in Tarbell as well as the subscription to Genii, they are very good.
Thank you once again David!

 

[Pete Pridanonda]

Your performance of Royal Scam has no meaning to anyone other than you. The presentation is "The cards turn over one way, now they turn over the other way, now they are cards you weren't expecting."

The doll performance was, "Here's a story I made up, now watch, the doll stands up, then it lies down, then stands up, then it lies down, then it stands up, then it lies down fast!"

What connection does having the doll in your hand have to the story you just told? Your hand is not a corn field. Does this mean you'll be sprouting corn this year? Yes, you added more to the presentation, but what you added was more fluff. It's still just a trick.

Christopher, I agree with you on your advice and I really appreciate your patience and feedback. I am very passionate about this artform and I will do everything in my ability to make sure that my performances are as engaging and entertaining as possible.
Also, the Royal Scam card trick, my presentation actually tells the audience how I practice my card magic, which will sparked their interest because I have a lot of people asked me how I practice.
And with the voodoo doll, the audience can use their imagination to pretend that my hand is a corn field. After all, I'm not telling them lies because the story of the corn doll actually dates back to farmers in the 17th century. Magic allows the audience to escape from reality and as long as I have some sort of presentation that is not only just narrating my actions, I think that is the first step to further elevate my presentation and showmanship.
Thank you for your advice, have a great day!

 

[Pete Pridanonda]

The Doll performance is nice.. The problem is that the effect doesn't fit your persona at all. So rather than it looking like something interesting or meaningful. You're essentially the guy who produces a rubber chicken or a jumbo coin at the end of the routine.

The Royal Scams thing is fine for now.. As Whit Hayden would say, sometimes you have to mimic the other guys, before you can find your own path. And hey, what does he know... He was after the Vice President of The Magic Castle at one point for awhile.

Hi Randy, I've met Whit Hadyn one time at the Magic Castle after my brunch shows and that is the exact advice he gave to me. I will work on refining my presentation for the voodoo doll to better suit my personality. Thank you!