Mentalism Question
- Thread starter manonthemoon
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I feel that the wallets at outlaw are very reasnably priced. I use my hideout daily as both a regular wallet and for it's peeking abilities. Everything over there has true value for the performers who are willing to invest in the product.
You cannot use a deck of cards as an example to compaire prices because they are different things. One is a prop the other is a untility device. Look at HCE it is a half hour ACT that only uses two decks of cards. If I was to fly anywhere in the world I could do my entire stage show for less than $20. I even know enough material to do a full hour show with nothing.
You cannot use a deck of cards as an example to compaire prices because they are different things. One is a prop the other is a untility device. Look at HCE it is a half hour ACT that only uses two decks of cards. If I was to fly anywhere in the world I could do my entire stage show for less than $20. I even know enough material to do a full hour show with nothing.
I wasn't complaining about them, heck I want one. But also need monies. I agree completely Outlaw effects are an incredibly high quality and are one of those rarer companies where you actually get what you pay for, that is just my opinion.
That's why I laughed out loud when a magician laughed at me paying around $20 for 2 decks of cards and said "Good thing I don't do cards." Then proceeded to pay for his $25 spongeball magic props.
But it costs you quite a bit to learn the methods in order to perform without any props. Unless you create everything you perform based on Practical Mental Effects, in which case hats off to you.
Max Maven uses props on his nothing DVD he just used limited practically everything else. Still a great show though, but back to the idea. I could do a whole hour show with nothing more than an audience and the knowlodge that I possess.
As a mentalist I will happily spend $100 (and have) on a clip board that looks like it costs three dollars from the supermarket. If it does everything that I need it to.
As a mentalist I will happily spend $100 (and have) on a clip board that looks like it costs three dollars from the supermarket. If it does everything that I need it to.
That, sir, is what true mentalism means for me. That's what I would do if I was really psychic. But if you can, why bother with props anymore?
I have been thinking of doing that.
The second half of my current show is 45 minutes with no methods other than real ones. I also used very limited props (6 forks, one sketch pad and one sharpie).
The second half of my current show is 45 minutes with no methods other than real ones. I also used very limited props (6 forks, one sketch pad and one sharpie).
Because the things you can do without props are quite limited.
Props are used to make the routine more "colorful" and add "randomness" into the routine. Although i cannot do a stage show with nothing, i pretty much can say that i can put together a 45 minute long stage show with around 20-25 dollars.
Once you start performing those kinds of routines you see that props are actually just tools you use and nothing more.
M.
Mikk you'd be suprised as what you can do when you really just let go. When I first started taking mentalism really seriously I wanted to he the next Derren. When I learnt more about mentalism and the methods it took away what I saw Derren doing. However the more I learnt the more I could replicate what Derren does. But now I don't want to do what he does I want to push it further than him.
Whislt his TV shows are amazing the only real thing to compaire are his stage shows. The single most beautiful thing I have ever seen is his Q&A. The more I researched Q&A the more I learnt that Derren could have made that so much more.
Whislt his TV shows are amazing the only real thing to compaire are his stage shows. The single most beautiful thing I have ever seen is his Q&A. The more I researched Q&A the more I learnt that Derren could have made that so much more.
Sorry, but I consider a 45 minute stage show to be anything but "quite limited".
Living in China, I sometimes wonder why mentalists like to pride themselves on how little money they require to set up a stage show. I can set up a show (Annemann's) for less than $15. Including NW, white boards, markers, and a stack of index cards.
True, and they MUST be "just tools" to your audience. But what I'm getting at is how wonderful it must be to be a TRUE mentalist for 45 minutes. Oh, the joy, D ICE R! Jealous me.
I believe the western culture of mentalism and the lack of cost required for a show, comes from a pleasure in knowing that you can leave it all behind and have no real worries about it. Most of my show gets left behind after the show, nothing I use in stage shows is magic shop purchased so I dont need to worry about it.
In my close up work however I use a lot of store purchased gimmicks and tools. ESP cards my wallet and recently the directors cut cards again. This stuff stays with me for the reason that it is difficult and costly to replace. The other props (cards, billets sketch pads etc.) are so natural that I just leave them for the host to keep. (Once I did leave my clipboard though, they were nice enough to mail everyone of my props to me. That was one of the last times I used it for that reason, I now use the Connection Board.)
It is so liberating to leave everything behind you after a show, because the magicians need to spend so much time packing away their cups and what have you I go straight into mingling with the audience and trying to book another show.
In my close up work however I use a lot of store purchased gimmicks and tools. ESP cards my wallet and recently the directors cut cards again. This stuff stays with me for the reason that it is difficult and costly to replace. The other props (cards, billets sketch pads etc.) are so natural that I just leave them for the host to keep. (Once I did leave my clipboard though, they were nice enough to mail everyone of my props to me. That was one of the last times I used it for that reason, I now use the Connection Board.)
It is so liberating to leave everything behind you after a show, because the magicians need to spend so much time packing away their cups and what have you I go straight into mingling with the audience and trying to book another show.
1. True, but how well could you actually perform it. Without having props the variation of effects become narrow. You have a lot to choose from yet you have so little to choose from. Its sort of a two way gamble. Although there cannot be anything more powerful than doing a 1on1 mind-reading routine with someone using preshow but lets be honest people do get bored and while it's awesome to watch it happening the concept will fade every minute. Effects should vary so that the audience is always finding out something new.
2. I don't usually take it as a pride thing its more about the basic point that you don't need much to do a lot.
Annemann's acts are always in that category that you could be up and running with just a half an hour of preparation, including the trip to the shop. Starting from booktests and ending with mayor hitting predictions.
Propless effects have as much variation as the human brain can handle. Isn't that the specialty of mentalists?
Amen to that. So I heartily recommend Practical Mental Effects to the original poster of this thread, who I think has fled this thread due to our off-topic discussions.
But good reads, these are.Again, the amount of propless material is low compared to the amount of 'prop-ful" material, but surely there are 6 or 7 propless effects that string together to create a compelling demonstration. That's really all you need.
But "is it propless" should NEVER be taken into account when you think about effects. If the "propless" version is ANY WEAKER than a version that uses gimmicks or such, then abandon it and go for the strongest version. As always, we're only with a certain audience for a short amount of time- why would you compromise the strength of what they see?
But "is it propless" should NEVER be taken into account when you think about effects. If the "propless" version is ANY WEAKER than a version that uses gimmicks or such, then abandon it and go for the strongest version. As always, we're only with a certain audience for a short amount of time- why would you compromise the strength of what they see?