iForce -- The Review

Sep 6, 2009
285
0
Cincinnati
I'm going to state my opinion.

Magic-related iPhone apps suck. There's no magic. It's a puzzle, at best. It's like a coin box that comes with kids magic sets. No magic.
 
Jan 13, 2008
1,137
0
I'm going to state my opinion.

Magic-related iPhone apps suck. There's no magic. It's a puzzle, at best. It's like a coin box that comes with kids magic sets. No magic.
This is a discussion about the iForce program in particular, not about magic-related iPhone apps in general. If you'd like to discuss this topic, then try heading over to this thread where it's been discussed to death.

However, I'd like to note that this isn't an app that is designed to look like a "magic app". It should just look like a regular drawing app to your spectator (they can even try it out and fool around with the app). If it seems like anything other than that to your spectator, then it's not the app's fault, it would be yours as the performer. The same goes for any effect--if your spectator isn't buying into whatever it is you're doing (a sleight, a full effect, etc), then you may want to rethink where you place the blame. It's like whining about specialty cards bringing more heat on you as a performer--if it's not something you're able to perform with, then don't. But that doesn't make it a bad something (deck of cards/sleight/app/etc). :)

On that note, I'd also suggest you look into a few books about presentation, scripting, patter, etc. It sounds like it'd help you a lot. :)
 
Yeah my friend got this today, it is pretty clever. I would possibly use this only in a few situations, I still prefer paper. However it is designed to just be a doodle program and it's easy to fool even some of the worst hecklers.

If you don't mind using it then go ahead, it's only like 3 bucks and it's something really cool to perform for certain situations.

I wouldn't recommend this for anything formal, and I'm sure many others would agree. It is something cool that is gonna astonish the ones you do perform for.
 
Jan 13, 2008
1,137
0
I wouldn't recommend this for anything formal, and I'm sure many others would agree. It is something cool that is gonna astonish the ones you do perform for.
I agree with this completely. I wouldn't bust out my iPod Touch during a private gig or anything, as that would be fairly unprofessional; that's a situation where one would be expected to come prepared, and not require the use of his iPod/iPhone in place of paper.

However, when out with friends, when at a bar, when performing for random strangers (for me, that would most likely be on campus, a very casual place to perform), etc, it makes perfect sense, as you wouldn't be expected to come prepared to perform, and that is what I would consider a strength of using an iPod app--it seems like you're unprepared and are just improvising with what's available to you (at least, that's how I justify the use of the app--I'm not going to go rifling through my bag just to get out some paper and a pen, when I have an iPod in my easily accessible pocket that does the trick (pun intended) anyway). :)
 

Greg Rostami

Creator, <b><a href="http://www.theory11.com/trick
Jan 20, 2009
42
0
Hey Greg,

So it must be an original effect from us right?
And does the reaction of the audience affect our rating?

Thanks.

::dAvid

Hi David,

It can either be your original effect (with your preset) or you can use one of the presets that we've given you . . . either way is good.


Hi cm763,

I 100% agree about how you're using iForce . . . that is exactly what it was designed for. GOOD JOB . . .

BTW I have used iForce in formal situations also . . . depending on your performance & the effect it's still very strong.

can't wait to see your videos,
Greg Rostami
 

Greg Rostami

Creator, <b><a href="http://www.theory11.com/trick
Jan 20, 2009
42
0
I'm going to state my opinion.

Magic-related iPhone apps suck. There's no magic. It's a puzzle, at best. It's like a coin box that comes with kids magic sets. No magic.

Hi willabbotsm,

I'm going to state my opinion about any magic.

Anything Magic-related sucks. Unless you're a naive child, there's no magic. It's a puzzle, at best (ALL magic tricks are puzzles to a mature audience). It's like a coin box that comes with kids magic sets. No magic.


I'm just messing with you . . . but my point is I can't think of ANY trick that isn't considered a puzzle by a mature audience.

The way that I present iForce, practically NO ONE suspects the app. If we ever meet, I can show you many presentations of iForce where you would never suspect the App. Here's one . . .

I use a modified version of the Al Koran deck that I made myself. My deck is different in that it has 8 force cards instead of 4.

I write my prediction on the iPhone, and leave it face down.

Have the spectator deal the cards from the top of the deck . . . they can stop anywhere they want . . . After they stop they have a free choice to take as many cards back or forth as they like.

The spec puts the face down card to a side with their hand covering the back of it. I show the rest of the cards are all different.

I say, "Before we proceed I want to show you what I had written on the display."

I flip over the iPhone to show that I had written "9 of Diamonds".

"Could you please turn your card over and show everyone which card you chose."

With this presentation the punch line is them turning over the card . . . the iPhone has nothing to do with it.

Just one of many presentations with iForce where the punch line is NOT the iPhone.

take care,
Greg Rostami
 
Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
I'm just messing with you . . . but my point is I can't think of ANY trick that isn't considered a puzzle by a mature audience.

Greg,

With respect, I beg to differ on this point. Considering magic a puzzle is a question of mentality, one which is avoidable in my opinion.

Just a small point.

Congratulations on the success of iForce :)
 
Jan 16, 2008
379
0
I will be stereotypical here.
All Chinese people living in China consider magic tricks puzzles. Nobody here believes in magic. Neither do they believe in Santa Claus, or the Tooth Fairy, or the Boogeyman.
At least, those are the kinds of people I perform magic to.

::dAvid
 
Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
I will be stereotypical here.
All Chinese people living in China consider magic tricks puzzles. Nobody here believes in magic. Neither do they believe in Santa Claus, or the Tooth Fairy, or the Boogeyman.
At least, those are the kinds of people I perform magic to.

::dAvid

I can sympathise, but magicians like Lu Chen suggest otherwise - the implication simply being that you simply have to be of a certain skill level to avoid the puzzle mentality. I've posted reasonably extensively in another thread ("Two Stunning Effects") about why puzzles are bad - which is of course merely an elaboration of Ortiz's theories in Strong Magic.
 

Greg Rostami

Creator, <b><a href="http://www.theory11.com/trick
Jan 20, 2009
42
0
Hi praetoritevong,

I agree with you 100%.

If magic is presented correctly it is NOT perceived to be a puzzle. It's our job as performing artists to suspend the disbelief of our audience.

Most performing arts must make the audience BELIEVE.

When you watch a movie, you know that EVERYTHING is fake . . . but if the artists that made the film have done their job, you'll be whisked away to another world . . .

Greg Rostami
 
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