Tell that to Bill Malone and any of the other guys who make a living doing card magic. Hell Juan Tamariz makes a living doing card magic and he is a celebrity in Spain. Need I go on naming guys that make their living with cards?
Put the cards down...
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Tell that to Bill Malone and any of the other guys who make a living doing card magic. Hell Juan Tamariz makes a living doing card magic and he is a celebrity in Spain. Need I go on naming guys that make their living with cards?
Good stuff man.
I am a card magician myself and the first card trick I ever saw, in fact the very same trick that sparked my pursuit of magic was performed by David Blaine on his Drowned Alive tv special.
It was the effect where he had a little girl choose a card, it vanished from the deck, he showed her the bottom card that wasn't her card, threw the cards down and the bottom card exploded like glass and at the same time, changed into her card.
I LOVED this trick and still do now (even though I have a good knowledge of sleights) cause it was...
1. Performed flawlessly
2. It was INSANELY visual
3. It was organic and original
I try to apply a process to any card effect I invent or do: I look at the trick the way it's taught and then I make it better. Whether I have to add more presentation to it, make it more visual, or just make it easier. But not only that I give it some bad@$$ originality that is makes the trick infinitely better than it could've been if you learned the sleights, went outside and did it.
Be original guys, and cut back on the card tricks if you do them too much, you FREAKS!
I am a card magician myself and the first card trick I ever saw, in fact the very same trick that sparked my pursuit of magic was performed by David Blaine on his Drowned Alive tv special.
It was the effect where he had a little girl choose a card, it vanished from the deck, he showed her the bottom card that wasn't her card, threw the cards down and the bottom card exploded like glass and at the same time, changed into her card.
I LOVED this trick and still do now (even though I have a good knowledge of sleights) cause it was...
1. Performed flawlessly
2. It was INSANELY visual
3. It was organic and original
I try to apply a process to any card effect I invent or do: I look at the trick the way it's taught and then I make it better. Whether I have to add more presentation to it, make it more visual, or just make it easier. But not only that I give it some bad@$$ originality that is makes the trick infinitely better than it could've been if you learned the sleights, went outside and did it.
Be original guys, and cut back on the card tricks if you do them too much, you FREAKS!
This is a good thread/question/statement and indeed a tough one for me to formulate a decent answer to. As you can tell from the syntax in that first sentence.
First of all, I am a card guy. I adore card magic because of practicality - all you need is a deck; the variety – think of the number of plots and effects there are out there; and the way people relate to it – people know cards, are familiar with them and most of the time can shuffle or cut them making them perfect spectators. Almost already involved in the magic by simply knowing what the symbols and numbers mean.
However, I do remember hitting somewhat of a wall, more like a small fence, when I was slightly put off by cards. I can say that those phases quickly passed and my love for card magic increased tenfold.
At times it was Lennart Green who completely destroyed my understanding and limitations of card magic. Other times it was Juan Tamariz or even Jay Sankey whose approach, while sometimes looked down upon by certain people, is very direct and unique.
I mustn’t forget Paul Harris, Derren Brown, Earnest Earick or Cameron Francis and others who took cards and made them feel special. Spectators would never see a signed card in a paperclip before or ripped and restored transpositions or even extremely clean fingertip card to boxes.
All these bizarre and impromptu card tricks seemed new, full of inspiration and yet never confusing or too…aesthetic. Most are workers if the right context is created beforehand.
Now what the hell am I spouting all this verbal diarrhoea for? It’s only to tell people to further the art by learning other fields of magic. It’s about variety and originality.
As you have probably noticed, I love card magic. But I have put that consuming love on hold. Perhaps not completely but I certainly reduced my daily allowance of finger-flinging masturbation.
I began studying other sources of magic, presentation, Bobo’s Coin Magic, sponge balls and impromptu material.
Well why are you doing that you silly bugger? What a ridiculous idea considering the number of great new card tricks coming out every 15 minutes!
And that’s the point, I do it in order to BE a magician, a true magician could do magic with anything and at any time. Fred Kaps is a leading example of somebody who could perform everything with anything. He could do it all. And so could the Professor and many others. If you buy a dvd of a performer’s repetoir, don’t just learn the card material on there, learn it all.
Learn and soak up as much magic as you can because only then will you be trully confident in every possible situation and you shall never utter a phrase that contradicts their understanding of who you are at heart…a magician.
Thanks.
First of all, I am a card guy. I adore card magic because of practicality - all you need is a deck; the variety – think of the number of plots and effects there are out there; and the way people relate to it – people know cards, are familiar with them and most of the time can shuffle or cut them making them perfect spectators. Almost already involved in the magic by simply knowing what the symbols and numbers mean.
However, I do remember hitting somewhat of a wall, more like a small fence, when I was slightly put off by cards. I can say that those phases quickly passed and my love for card magic increased tenfold.
At times it was Lennart Green who completely destroyed my understanding and limitations of card magic. Other times it was Juan Tamariz or even Jay Sankey whose approach, while sometimes looked down upon by certain people, is very direct and unique.
I mustn’t forget Paul Harris, Derren Brown, Earnest Earick or Cameron Francis and others who took cards and made them feel special. Spectators would never see a signed card in a paperclip before or ripped and restored transpositions or even extremely clean fingertip card to boxes.
All these bizarre and impromptu card tricks seemed new, full of inspiration and yet never confusing or too…aesthetic. Most are workers if the right context is created beforehand.
Now what the hell am I spouting all this verbal diarrhoea for? It’s only to tell people to further the art by learning other fields of magic. It’s about variety and originality.
As you have probably noticed, I love card magic. But I have put that consuming love on hold. Perhaps not completely but I certainly reduced my daily allowance of finger-flinging masturbation.
I began studying other sources of magic, presentation, Bobo’s Coin Magic, sponge balls and impromptu material.
Well why are you doing that you silly bugger? What a ridiculous idea considering the number of great new card tricks coming out every 15 minutes!
And that’s the point, I do it in order to BE a magician, a true magician could do magic with anything and at any time. Fred Kaps is a leading example of somebody who could perform everything with anything. He could do it all. And so could the Professor and many others. If you buy a dvd of a performer’s repetoir, don’t just learn the card material on there, learn it all.
Learn and soak up as much magic as you can because only then will you be trully confident in every possible situation and you shall never utter a phrase that contradicts their understanding of who you are at heart…a magician.
Thanks.
visualartist is absolutely right about this situation.
This art is called "magic" for a reason. Not, "Look at me, I'm cool doing all this stuff-gic."
Magic (to me) is something to leave someone with something that they will remember. If you decide to just do a card "trick" then that's O.K. Just know that your audience probably won't feel the same way if you would've done card "magic."
It doesn't matter what trick(s) you do. It's all about your presentation. That is the key factor that separates card "tricks" from card "magic."
;D
This art is called "magic" for a reason. Not, "Look at me, I'm cool doing all this stuff-gic."
Magic (to me) is something to leave someone with something that they will remember. If you decide to just do a card "trick" then that's O.K. Just know that your audience probably won't feel the same way if you would've done card "magic."
It doesn't matter what trick(s) you do. It's all about your presentation. That is the key factor that separates card "tricks" from card "magic."
;D
Actually, funny you mention this. I was asked to do magic the other day, on a bus, on the way back from camp. Cards were in the luggage - didn't have a thing on me. I mentioned it in passing, and my friend, who had asked to see the magic, replied, "Well I guess it tests how much magic you can actually do - test your improvisation."
It was interesting, then, to hear from the horse's mouth.
Don't get me wrong, I love card magic, I perform primary with cards, and I did a great routine with cards the day before which got great reactions. But if I can magically read minds, divine cards, predict the future, etc., why do I need cards anyway? If you have these abilities, why can't you apply it to something without your cards?
Well, I can, why not? I ended up performing a number of suggestion/prediction routines that work entirely with minds. I mean, in a performance situation, cards can be passed off as something useful to simply focus on for the sake of the effect. But really, there's so much more you can do.
The point is that the impromptu nature of performing magic with absolutely nothing, no props at all, and on a seemingly spontaneous whim, can only enhance your magic.
I feel it is inappropriate to refer to Tamariz, Malone, etc., in this situation - they perform great card magic yes - but how many of us have the skills of Bill Malone? Seriously, how many?
For all of us who aren't Bill Malone - this sort of impromptu magic is an excellent way to increase our diversity, our skills and range of magic, and even our perceptions as magicians.
In other words, put the cards down. You're not someone who does tricks, you're a magician. I hope.
It was interesting, then, to hear from the horse's mouth.
Don't get me wrong, I love card magic, I perform primary with cards, and I did a great routine with cards the day before which got great reactions. But if I can magically read minds, divine cards, predict the future, etc., why do I need cards anyway? If you have these abilities, why can't you apply it to something without your cards?
Well, I can, why not? I ended up performing a number of suggestion/prediction routines that work entirely with minds. I mean, in a performance situation, cards can be passed off as something useful to simply focus on for the sake of the effect. But really, there's so much more you can do.
The point is that the impromptu nature of performing magic with absolutely nothing, no props at all, and on a seemingly spontaneous whim, can only enhance your magic.
I feel it is inappropriate to refer to Tamariz, Malone, etc., in this situation - they perform great card magic yes - but how many of us have the skills of Bill Malone? Seriously, how many?
For all of us who aren't Bill Malone - this sort of impromptu magic is an excellent way to increase our diversity, our skills and range of magic, and even our perceptions as magicians.
In other words, put the cards down. You're not someone who does tricks, you're a magician. I hope.
One more name to add to the list.. Darwin Ortiz.
I never said it's wrong to do other things. Just that you keep mentioning how card tricks are "boring" and "lame". Yet all these pro's out there made their name with card magic. Which is why it's silly to say it's lame or boring. I told you to come up with stuff that isn't boring. If you watch guys like Bill Malone and Darwin Ortiz, they also get the audience involved in their card magic. So think about that for a min.
I never said it's wrong to do other things. Just that you keep mentioning how card tricks are "boring" and "lame". Yet all these pro's out there made their name with card magic. Which is why it's silly to say it's lame or boring. I told you to come up with stuff that isn't boring. If you watch guys like Bill Malone and Darwin Ortiz, they also get the audience involved in their card magic. So think about that for a min.
Don't worry about it Randy. Its just a bunch of kids who don't know what they are talking about. Indeed, the name Darwin Ortiz probably doesn't even ring a bell.
This thread was started for no other reason than to cause a conflict. Don't fall into it. This dude is in the smallest minority.
This thread was started for no other reason than to cause a conflict. Don't fall into it. This dude is in the smallest minority.
I don't think you guys are getting this, he never said that all card magic was "lame" or anything of the sort, he said that most card tricks nowadays are mediocre, and expected. When was the last time you showed someone a card trick and they said "ok, now let me show you a card trick I can do"? And when was the last time you showed someone a trick with a cheeseburger (yes, i'm still on the cheeseburger thing....) and they said "ok, now let me show you a trick with a cheeseburger"? like I said earlier, I like card tricks, it's the majority of tricks that I do, but the way our audience see's it, if we can do all that stuff with cards, why can't we do magic with other stuff? One day I was showing my freind some cheap card tricks, and me took of his hat, gave it to me, and said "here, make my hat dissapear" and I had no idea what to do, all I could do was card tricks, my main point here is: card tricks are great, but magic isn't about cards, it's about making our audience experience something they never have before, and most people have experienced card tricks.....
Darwin Ortiz. Look him up.
He does mainly Card magic and yet I've never heard people say "Do something else. LOL!!!" to him.
Juan Tamariz.. Card magic.. He is a huge celebrity in Spain. I guess people expected his card magic so much, that he got on TV and became a huge success.
Bill Malone does do other things besides card magic, but he is MAINLY known for his card magic.
Just because something is expected doesn't mean it's bad. That gives you the chance to take the expected and turn it into something completely different.
He does mainly Card magic and yet I've never heard people say "Do something else. LOL!!!" to him.
Juan Tamariz.. Card magic.. He is a huge celebrity in Spain. I guess people expected his card magic so much, that he got on TV and became a huge success.
Bill Malone does do other things besides card magic, but he is MAINLY known for his card magic.
Just because something is expected doesn't mean it's bad. That gives you the chance to take the expected and turn it into something completely different.
Darwin Ortiz doesn't perform for a living either.
Conflict is better than complacency and mediocrity. If you're not prepared to say something intelligent, don't open your mouth in the first place.
Anyway, I am sick to death of card tricks. It's all anyone ever wants to do, and it's the same old crap time and again. For all the talk of creating interesting presentations, most people don't.
You can talk about the endless number of plots until you're blue in the face, but it doesn't change the fact that even now in my lowest slump since I first started working, I only do about a half-dozen card tricks professionally and I'm still out-earning most of the people who can't stop their urge to buy the latest and greatest.
How many people actually take that chance? Very few. Most of them would rather sit on their asses and do what requires the least amount of work and research. Everybody loves to quote Darwin Ortiz, but maybe 1% of the people who have actually read his work invest the time and effort into making use of it.
Name dropping doesn't impress me is what I'm saying.
Which is why I told them if they are tired of all these "boring" card effects. Then use the knowledge they have and come up with something of their own.
Honestly it goes back to the story I told. If you want to make a change, you gotta start with yourself.
Honestly it goes back to the story I told. If you want to make a change, you gotta start with yourself.
Which is a completely pompous thing to say because that was the point the threadstarter was communicating. Put the damn cards down, rub two brain cells together, and come up with something interesting or at least remotely entertaining. And that's exactly what he did.
Kind of makes you a blowhard to act as if the idea was yours.
God I hate magicians.
hmmm?might sound stupid, but what is that?
oh, crap, read you post wrong, thought you said you are A shadowlander....
Anyways, back on topic. Rico Suave.
The problem with him telling kids to come up with stories for their magic is that most of them will be hard to swallow. In all honesty, if you were in high school or if somebody you knew. Came up to you and tried to present their magic with some story how they learned it in Vegas or whatever. Would it make the magic more believable? Or would you just snicker at them.
The problem with him telling kids to come up with stories for their magic is that most of them will be hard to swallow. In all honesty, if you were in high school or if somebody you knew. Came up to you and tried to present their magic with some story how they learned it in Vegas or whatever. Would it make the magic more believable? Or would you just snicker at them.
Eh, in all honesty that's most likely the reason WHY people get interested in magic. For the "Look what I can do." aspect. They just change their thought process as they get older. I still say that telling them to come up with mystical stories to tell their friends how they learned it from a Vegas black jack dealer... Sounds a bit too silly. Specially when most people here just perform for their friends. Steerpike may be able to get away with it, because his clients don't know him personally and don't know that he mainly comes up with this stuff in his room while blasting Megadeath music.