This post will deal with justifying what you do and why you do it.
The few things I consider for things to be considered magic are; direct, simple, and astonishing.
I want to talk about the first one on my list, being direct, and what it means and why I consider it necessary.
When you see some effects it's fairly simple to follow along however as magicians we see sleights and think that perhaps it's less direct or to complicated.
I want to mention an effect that is very direct but first glances from a magicians POV would suggest otherwise, Tivo 2.0.
The actual plot is very simple, without the eye candy in it it is very direct. You take a selection, place it in the middle, turn over top card, and with a snap they change places. However the sleights and what needs to be done are quite another story.
Now as direct as this is and excluding the sleights and angles I would still not perform this transpo on any day that I have prepared. Why would I say such things about Tivo 2.0 when it obviously is checked off the list? Well because there is one that is even simpler and even more direct, I believe you call it Here then There that B. "Eyeshadow" Christian teaches.
Which would you rather perform in terms of pleasing the audience members?
Some other parts of being direct aren't quite so simple to an extent. Some effects are amazing but may not have a direct plot but still astonishes the spectators.
For example some things, sleights or w/e they may be, aren't quite so simple to explain. Not talking about double lifts that are "invisible" moves, but rather something like the shapeshifter or the erdnase change. What do you do to justify your actions for having the card placed in such a way, or your hand covering up the card?
Now if you gave any other answer besides "because they have no reason to suspect it" or something similar then I am going to disagree with you. Some things you do have no way to justify it, nothing you can do can really put any logical reason behind it.
If you actually made a response and made a comment on why it's there then you have just opened the possibility of ruining the effect. Why would you need to express concern of why your hand was there other than the fact you are worried that they say something?
However if you say something during your Erdnase, while your hand is slowly coming off the card, like "and you can see the card changing slowly, piece by piece." I love to say this because if done correctly they believe that it really is changing right there, even though the card has completely changed well before.
If you make all your actions direct and simple and make one odd movement it's difficult to say what could happen in the specs mind. I believe it would go unpassed by even a second thought because everything else has been fair so why would anything else be different. Now I'm talking about small differences not something dramatic.
Now some people may have noticed the title and what I said is somewhat misleading. Perhaps you assumed or thought I insinuated that I would give subtleties or lines to cover up actions. Well no, because if you need them then you are not doing something correct or doing an effect that is completely unnecessary.
One thing I would like to mention is money, now I think coin magic is awesome as a magician. It really shows the dedication, or lack there of, and work that people put into it. Though as a spec before becoming a magician I just always knew that it was in the opposite hand, not that it was done poorly but because there was to many fishing things.
Things like the french drops, retention vanishes seem like the most pointless things I can imagine in coin magic. Why, why, oh why would you place it in your other hand, and I have heard some mediocre excuses like "I'm left handed so I'll use it." Well why weren't you before? Also how long can this really last, you show it in your right but put it in your left doesn't look right in peoples eyes.
People may not realize right there, they could be astonished even, but later on if you made a real impression then they will think back on it and kind of just think of you placing it from one hand to the other several times other. This is my view on coin magic and it's expressed thoroughly in this post, http://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?t=7134&highlight=Morgician
Now something else to do with money, bill changes and the many out there nowadays. I really don't like any of them to be honest, I can deal with them but I still believe that there will be something of a mix of Handout effect and Extreme Burn. Take the simple shake of some bills and they all turn and are able to hand them all out.
I know I know, I'm contradicting myself a bit right here but luckily I live in America the country of hypocrites. I'm not saying it's necessary to have the handout part but I believe that it really adds something just in case you have that heckler who is the real a--hole and just snatches the wrong bill. This is more a preference and you can disregard this paragraph and the one above as this was more so of a small ranting.
I personally prefer to take a bill fold it up real quick, shake it in my fingertips in full view and it slowly changes into their bill and they can immediately examine it.
Now I'm torn between the two, being direct and unnecessary and being able to present and perform beyond any doubt. Of course there is middle ground here and this last part will be about it. Some things like the handout part in the bill change is something that is unnecessary but more of personal safety.
You as a magician need to be able to make the difference between the two and know what really matters. Some things out there really will be unnecessary and you need to avoid these, and some things will have no logical plot and need to avoid these also. Find the middle ground of an effect being logical and not having some moves that are complicated and unnecessary, and being direct and not adding phases that don't do anything other than to confuse the audience.
Lets go over a few things again about being direct, some effects that I really like.
ACR- You take their card, take it immediately and place it in the middle. With no movement of your hands you take off the top card and it's their card again.
Some possible ways, clean pass, dupe, double lift, few others.
Transpo- You show the top card, place it in their hands or under foot etc. Grab top card again and show it, then wave it immediately and the two cards switch.
Some possible ways, dupe, palming, second dealing, few others.
Bill change- You take some money, fold it once or twice at the most and while waving your hand it turns into a different denomination.
Possible ways are TT's, some sleight switch, gimmicked bill.
Hope you actually understood what I was writing about this time, as I will be the first to admit to being a terrible writer of my own thoughts. Any elaborating needed just tell me so and I'll fix it.
The few things I consider for things to be considered magic are; direct, simple, and astonishing.
I want to talk about the first one on my list, being direct, and what it means and why I consider it necessary.
When you see some effects it's fairly simple to follow along however as magicians we see sleights and think that perhaps it's less direct or to complicated.
I want to mention an effect that is very direct but first glances from a magicians POV would suggest otherwise, Tivo 2.0.
The actual plot is very simple, without the eye candy in it it is very direct. You take a selection, place it in the middle, turn over top card, and with a snap they change places. However the sleights and what needs to be done are quite another story.
Now as direct as this is and excluding the sleights and angles I would still not perform this transpo on any day that I have prepared. Why would I say such things about Tivo 2.0 when it obviously is checked off the list? Well because there is one that is even simpler and even more direct, I believe you call it Here then There that B. "Eyeshadow" Christian teaches.
Which would you rather perform in terms of pleasing the audience members?
Some other parts of being direct aren't quite so simple to an extent. Some effects are amazing but may not have a direct plot but still astonishes the spectators.
For example some things, sleights or w/e they may be, aren't quite so simple to explain. Not talking about double lifts that are "invisible" moves, but rather something like the shapeshifter or the erdnase change. What do you do to justify your actions for having the card placed in such a way, or your hand covering up the card?
Now if you gave any other answer besides "because they have no reason to suspect it" or something similar then I am going to disagree with you. Some things you do have no way to justify it, nothing you can do can really put any logical reason behind it.
If you actually made a response and made a comment on why it's there then you have just opened the possibility of ruining the effect. Why would you need to express concern of why your hand was there other than the fact you are worried that they say something?
However if you say something during your Erdnase, while your hand is slowly coming off the card, like "and you can see the card changing slowly, piece by piece." I love to say this because if done correctly they believe that it really is changing right there, even though the card has completely changed well before.
If you make all your actions direct and simple and make one odd movement it's difficult to say what could happen in the specs mind. I believe it would go unpassed by even a second thought because everything else has been fair so why would anything else be different. Now I'm talking about small differences not something dramatic.
Now some people may have noticed the title and what I said is somewhat misleading. Perhaps you assumed or thought I insinuated that I would give subtleties or lines to cover up actions. Well no, because if you need them then you are not doing something correct or doing an effect that is completely unnecessary.
One thing I would like to mention is money, now I think coin magic is awesome as a magician. It really shows the dedication, or lack there of, and work that people put into it. Though as a spec before becoming a magician I just always knew that it was in the opposite hand, not that it was done poorly but because there was to many fishing things.
Things like the french drops, retention vanishes seem like the most pointless things I can imagine in coin magic. Why, why, oh why would you place it in your other hand, and I have heard some mediocre excuses like "I'm left handed so I'll use it." Well why weren't you before? Also how long can this really last, you show it in your right but put it in your left doesn't look right in peoples eyes.
People may not realize right there, they could be astonished even, but later on if you made a real impression then they will think back on it and kind of just think of you placing it from one hand to the other several times other. This is my view on coin magic and it's expressed thoroughly in this post, http://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?t=7134&highlight=Morgician
Now something else to do with money, bill changes and the many out there nowadays. I really don't like any of them to be honest, I can deal with them but I still believe that there will be something of a mix of Handout effect and Extreme Burn. Take the simple shake of some bills and they all turn and are able to hand them all out.
I know I know, I'm contradicting myself a bit right here but luckily I live in America the country of hypocrites. I'm not saying it's necessary to have the handout part but I believe that it really adds something just in case you have that heckler who is the real a--hole and just snatches the wrong bill. This is more a preference and you can disregard this paragraph and the one above as this was more so of a small ranting.
I personally prefer to take a bill fold it up real quick, shake it in my fingertips in full view and it slowly changes into their bill and they can immediately examine it.
Now I'm torn between the two, being direct and unnecessary and being able to present and perform beyond any doubt. Of course there is middle ground here and this last part will be about it. Some things like the handout part in the bill change is something that is unnecessary but more of personal safety.
You as a magician need to be able to make the difference between the two and know what really matters. Some things out there really will be unnecessary and you need to avoid these, and some things will have no logical plot and need to avoid these also. Find the middle ground of an effect being logical and not having some moves that are complicated and unnecessary, and being direct and not adding phases that don't do anything other than to confuse the audience.
Lets go over a few things again about being direct, some effects that I really like.
ACR- You take their card, take it immediately and place it in the middle. With no movement of your hands you take off the top card and it's their card again.
Some possible ways, clean pass, dupe, double lift, few others.
Transpo- You show the top card, place it in their hands or under foot etc. Grab top card again and show it, then wave it immediately and the two cards switch.
Some possible ways, dupe, palming, second dealing, few others.
Bill change- You take some money, fold it once or twice at the most and while waving your hand it turns into a different denomination.
Possible ways are TT's, some sleight switch, gimmicked bill.
Hope you actually understood what I was writing about this time, as I will be the first to admit to being a terrible writer of my own thoughts. Any elaborating needed just tell me so and I'll fix it.
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