Looking for Books/DVDs on Presentation and Impromptu Card Magic

LingLing · Jul 14, 2008

Hey guys, I'm looking for DVD's and books on two subjects: presentation, and hard-hitting, impromptu card magic. What do you guys recommend? BTW, I already have Paul Gordon's Powerful Impromptu Card Magic. EDIT: And I don't like it very much, so please don't recommend getting the tricks down- they are very bland and RRTCM-esque. Not the kind of killer material I'm looking for.

PS: I'm fine with recommendations for card magic books/dvd's that contain gimmicked/setup effects, as long as a majority of the effects are impromptu with a shuffled deck.

EDIT2: Just to give you an idea of my skills, I'm not excellent at culling or the pass or any "advanced" sleights. But feel free to ask about my skills.

tsarothpaco · Jul 14, 2008

Define impromptu (as I never grasped what its standards are/what it means) and I'll edit with reccommendations.

~PaCo

LingLing · Jul 14, 2008

tsarothpaco said:
Define impromptu (as I never grasped what its standards are/what it means) and I'll edit with reccommendations.

~PaCo

Thanks man. It means that I can do the trick with a borrowed, shuffled pack of cards. If a trick has a totally justified setup that can be done in front of the spectators, like pulling out a pair of cards in Daniel Madison's Half Vanish, then it's still impromptu (for me!)

copperfield 14 · Jul 14, 2008

The Card College series has pretty much everything you need. So I heard.

slider · Jul 15, 2008

There is tons of material out there that can be "impromtu".
What is it that you are looking for? I may have some ideas for you.
Strickly cards?

and BTW nothing is "impromtu" only seems that way to the audience.
~poof~

Ke

Medifro · Jul 15, 2008

In other words, you want to work From a Shuffle Deck in Use, FASDIU.

www.fasdiu.com

I don't know about the technical demands on the notes there.

Paul Cummins is a Marlo student.

Cheers,

PjPinsonnault · Jul 15, 2008

A lot of Harry Lorrayne's work is impromptu card magic, and that guy will give you more in one book than you can remember.

The Paper Engine is another great source. Aaron has changed how I approach card magic in the two times I've studied with him. This book helps me keep that paradigm shift fresh.

David Regal's newest book, Approaching Magic, has some wonderful effects that are well thought-out and impromptu. Most work is done on the fly.

Ortiz, Malone, Nash, Sankey, and Harris...all great sources.

Happy Hunting!

Pj

LingLing · Jul 15, 2008

Does Ortiz's Strong Magic have any tricks/routines in it? I'll be picking it up anyway, but just wondering. And I'm sure I'll get The Paper Engine too. After that, I'm going to splurge on a gimmick- I'm thinking either John Kennedy's Mystery Box II or the BKM wallet. What do you guys think?

PjPinsonnault · Jul 15, 2008

No, Strong Magic does not explain any effects. It's worth the read, though.

Scams and Fantasies, Ortiz at the Card Table, and others have his routines.

Pj

adjones · Jul 15, 2008

LingLing said:
they are very bland and RRTCM-esque. Not the kind of killer material I'm looking for.

That's one of the most ignorant statements I've heard in a while, Ling. Any effect can be "killer" with the right presentation. If you're not getting the reactions you want with an effect, re-work your presentation and see if that helps.

LingLing · Jul 15, 2008

adjones said:
That's one of the most ignorant statements I've heard in a while, Ling. Any effect can be "killer" with the right presentation. If you're not getting the reactions you want with an effect, re-work your presentation and see if that helps.

Screw off, man. I'm not going to work on presentation for a crap effect. If you can get a great reaction with the most basic key-card effect (look at cut-to card when spec is replacing his card, find it by spreading face up) and get it on video, then I will work tirelessy on the tripe I found on Gordon's video to perfect the patter.

What I'm saying is, if the effect is way, way below-average, then I'm not going to waste my time on it.

PjPinsonnault · Jul 15, 2008

Just to point out, I've met Paul Gordon and I've enjoyed performing his effects for a few years now. Demonic Prodigy is a blast, and the one effect I've kept in my working repertoire.

That doesn't mean there aren't other great effects to be found in his works, just that I've whittled my repertoire down to a working set.

His video does not do his effects justice. Paul is a cocktail and corporate worker, and in the video I have I see him seated in a living room performing for one spectator or none at all. It's tough to gauge the "Triteness" of an effect based on that.

And I recently caused a few knowledgeable magicians at my local club to drop F bombs over a key card effect I did. I've been working on the key card principle for the last couple of years with live crowds in bars and restaurants. Done well, this can be pure magic. I'm learning to do it well.

No offense, but just because YOU can't work something doesn't make it bad magic. Maybe magic that needs the right performer, sure, but bad? Hardly.

Sponge ding-dongs notwithstanding.

Pj

LingLing · Jul 16, 2008

PjPinsonnault said:
Just to point out, I've met Paul Gordon and I've enjoyed performing his effects for a few years now. Demonic Prodigy is a blast, and the one effect I've kept in my working repertoire.

That doesn't mean there aren't other great effects to be found in his works, just that I've whittled my repertoire down to a working set.

His video does not do his effects justice. Paul is a cocktail and corporate worker, and in the video I have I see him seated in a living room performing for one spectator or none at all. It's tough to gauge the "Triteness" of an effect based on that.

And I recently caused a few knowledgeable magicians at my local club to drop F bombs over a key card effect I did. I've been working on the key card principle for the last couple of years with live crowds in bars and restaurants. Done well, this can be pure magic. I'm learning to do it well.

No offense, but just because YOU can't work something doesn't make it bad magic. Maybe magic that needs the right performer, sure, but bad? Hardly.

Sponge ding-dongs notwithstanding.

Pj

I have no doubt that Paul is an excellent magician, and he is well-practiced from the looks of the DVD. I just really don't like the effects.

By the way, I know that key card effects can kill- Do as I Do is a great trick. However, I wasn't talking about key card effects in general, just the specific one I described.

Medifro · Jul 17, 2008

LingLing said:
What I'm saying is, if the effect is way, way below-average, then I'm not going to waste my time on it.

I agree with John Bannon ( very good card guy ) say about this, on how there ARE bad and good tricks. Bad tricks with good presentation may become GOOD, but good tricks with good presentation become GREAT.

That's being said, as you go in card magic you'll find it alot of fun presenting effects that are actually ..... below average. I find it very challenging, and alot of fun. Work on the tricks you like is the rule of the thumb!

Key card effects rock. I love using distant key cards, George Mcbride has alot of work on this.

Cheers,

RikAllen · Jul 17, 2008

Card College can teach you all the sleights and techniques to get you on your way to creating your own impromptu effects.

And a lot of people recommend the Art of Astonishment for presentation tips, along with tricks and moves, how to use them to your advantage, etc..

Depending on your venue Gazzo has also written a book, The Art of Krowd Keeping, which teaches a lot in terms of general preforming (eye contact, how much to educate the crowd, what volunteers to choose, etc...)

And on the secondary topic: I actually enjoy simpler tricks when dealing with my friends now because it's almost harder for them to figure out because they burn my hands knowing I have the potential for 'tricky' sleight of hand. While they burn-I laugh, and they totally overlook obvious methods of doing tricks.