Multiple card find structure ideas?

Jan 22, 2012
418
1
Hey guys, I've been performing my own type of multiple card find routine for quite awhile but I've been finding lately that is doesn't give such a big wow factor. I was wondering if you guys know of any resources on other revelations to use and how to structure ideas and such. Thanks.
 
Sep 2, 2007
1,186
16
43
London
The problem with multiple card revelations is that after the first two, the audience pretty much knows what to expect so they're unlikely to be surprised. They might be impressed by the first revelation, and the second one if it looks different and more impressive than the first. After that, though, they're just watching someone demonstrate the fact that the cards weren't really lost to begin with with and therefore they were a bit stupid to be impressed the first two times. So, there needs to be some theatre injected into the routine. Why should they care? What's the narrative here? What abilities are you using to find the cards that are intrinsically interesting? Why are these abilities intrinsically interesting? When you know the answers to these questions, it will help you structure your routine better.

Having said that, here are a couple of other thoughts:

1. What tricks are you performing before this routine? Anything in which a selection is lost in the deck and then found again is bound to reduce the impact of yet more revelations.

2. How convinced are the audience that the selections are actually lost? Can you, without breaking from your narrative structure, add any extra convincers ("accidentally" drop the deck on the floor, hand it out to be shuffled, blindfold yourself, etc.)?

3. Do your revelations build to a climax? The last revelation is the most important by far. Think about ways to build tension as much as possible. Maybe this particular technique is the most difficult, the one you're most worried about messing up, maybe you weren't planning on doing it because you don't always get it right but this is such an encouraging audience you thought you'd give it a go, etc.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,900
2,951
Two people spring to mind with this plot. The first is Ricky Jay. He does it in Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants. I think his revelations are different enough and the pace quick enough that it's entertaining the whole way through. Plus his finale for that trick is funny.

Doc Eason is the other, because he uses this trick to memorize everyone's name and that always helps get a good reaction. He also does it out of order, which I think adds a bit of something to it.

This is a tricky one to structure because if you don't do it just right it gets boring fast, as TeeDee was saying. If you try to make every revelation The Revelation, then it will quickly lose it's punch. Keeping the pace moving so there's not so much separation between each revelation I think helps it just build instead of build, drop, build, drop. You have to remember this is all one trick, not a series of tricks to be built up individually.
 
Mar 22, 2013
342
2
Munich / Germany
The best Place to learn how to create a powerful and entertaining multiple selection routine
is the Multiple Revelation Project by Andi Gladwin and Rob James - this is one of the best DVD's I've ever purchased - it's a must for those who want to start with MS routines...

Hope that helps - I highly recommend this!

- Konrad
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Apr 6, 2011
540
6
Lansing, MI
If you haven't already, I would highly recommend purchasing and studying Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz; both for its benefits to your entire act, and because he has a whole section on how to powerfully structure effects if that nature.
 
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