Time Machine

T

twisted jokers

Dec 27, 2008
76
0
i just had this idea on how to start the time machine plot.
-so you'd start by showing the top card and saying how thats not the time machine but you had it on top of the deck earlier that day.
-you then spin the card and say your spinning it back in time and it changes to the time machine.

another idea i had on this is that one buck twins effect where they have the card on bottom and top switch and then switch again.(hedbergs peak maybee)
well do that at the end of your time machine routine.
hope this helps someone out.-jake
 
praetoritevong

praetoritevong

Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
I've never liked the Time Machine plot. Why?

"This card is a time machine."

*Snigger*

Happens every time. Has anyone ever believed you when you said you have a time machine? It's a nice effect - but there's probably much better patter you could use. Mostly, whenever I see this, I feel like the magician thinks I'm a dumbass. It's rather insulting. And I feel bad as a magician when fellow magicians go up to layman and attempt to convince them that they hold time machines within a deck of cards. I really feel embarrassed - I watch the layman's faces, something magicians seem to be bad at doing (actually paying attention to their audience) and the face is usually one of skepticism, ridicule, incredulity, or offense.
 
R

Retype.SW

Nov 23, 2008
121
0
praetoritevong said:
I've never liked the Time Machine plot. Why?

"This card is a time machine."

*Snigger*

Happens every time. Has anyone ever believed you when you said you have a time machine? It's a nice effect - but there's probably much better patter you could use. Mostly, whenever I see this, I feel like the magician thinks I'm a dumbass. It's rather insulting. And I feel bad as a magician when fellow magicians go up to layman and attempt to convince them that they hold time machines within a deck of cards. I really feel embarrassed - I watch the layman's faces, something magicians seem to be bad at doing (actually paying attention to their audience) and the face is usually one of skepticism, ridicule, incredulity, or offense.
Click to expand...

I usually use the patter very tounge in cheek. Of course they will not believe you have a time machine that looks like a deck of cards, but done in a very jokey way, it makes it funny and effective. A bit like Whit Haydn and his ACR..

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7146671548216413805
 
adjones

adjones

Sep 3, 2007
2,562
0
Europe
Greg Wilson uses his watch as a "time machine" in his effect "Flashback" on Pyrotechnic Pasteboards. Of course, he plays it off as a joke, but he keeps with it throughout the whole effect, and he still gets awesome reactions. I would feel cheesy doing it, too, but it's better than hearing a monotonous, "Now look, your card came to the top." "Watch." "Look, it changes back to your card.", etc.
 
praetoritevong

praetoritevong

Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
True - but very few people can pull it off like Greg Wilson does, he's an incredibly funny man and it fits his presentation style. Retype - it's great if you can pull that off, that definitely works.

Unfortunately, most magicians don't have the skill to play off such a presentation convincingly as a joke - it comes out as "This is a time machine." *deadpan*

I'm sure there are other presentations you could come up with. Deja vu, for example. I'm certainly not advocating what you're saying, adjones.
 
R

Randy

Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
praetoritevong said:
True - but very few people can pull it off like Greg Wilson does, he's an incredibly funny man and it fits his presentation style. Retype - it's great if you can pull that off, that definitely works.

Unfortunately, most magicians don't have the skill to play off such a presentation convincingly as a joke - it comes out as "This is a time machine." *deadpan*

I'm sure there are other presentations you could come up with. Deja vu, for example. I'm certainly not advocating what you're saying, adjones.
Click to expand...

That's because most magicians often take themselves too seriously. People could actually learn a lot from guys like Gregory Wilson or Bill Malone. They are able to do silly things and yet completely amaze people.

As Gregory Wilson once said "We can take our art seriously, but not take ourselves seriously."
 
D

Donald C.

Nov 10, 2007
1,706
1
praetoritevong said:
I've never liked the Time Machine plot. Why?

"This card is a time machine."

*Snigger*

Happens every time. Has anyone ever believed you when you said you have a time machine? It's a nice effect - but there's probably much better patter you could use. Mostly, whenever I see this, I feel like the magician thinks I'm a dumbass. It's rather insulting. And I feel bad as a magician when fellow magicians go up to layman and attempt to convince them that they hold time machines within a deck of cards. I really feel embarrassed - I watch the layman's faces, something magicians seem to be bad at doing (actually paying attention to their audience) and the face is usually one of skepticism, ridicule, incredulity, or offense.
Click to expand...

I think this is probably the only thing I disagree with you. I believe the time machine patter is grest because you are trying to make them believe you really hold a time machine in your hand. But hey if its not your style then thats fine, everyone has their own style of performing.
 
M

Medifro

Dec 19, 2007
453
4
Saudi Arabia
www.medifro.wordpress.com
praetoritevong said:
I've never liked the Time Machine plot. Why?

"This card is a time machine."

*Snigger*
Click to expand...
I open with it all the time especially if I'm performing for small group or a single, I know excatly what you mean, I acknowledged the problem, and I believe I solved it. :)

Its really a great theme, I advise you to re-look into it. Just because you've seen it done badly, doesn't mean it can't be done.

Proper patter and delivery can make it or destroy it.

Cheers,
 
praetoritevong

praetoritevong

Nov 20, 2007
4,410
6
Sydney, Australia
magicman1212 said:
I think this is probably the only thing I disagree with you. I believe the time machine patter is grest because you are trying to make them believe you really hold a time machine in your hand. But hey if its not your style then thats fine, everyone has their own style of performing.
Click to expand...

Haha, it was only a matter of time :p

Hmm. Well I won't say that it's not my style... I just... Like, ok, my thinking is this. Say you pull the trick off flawlessly, and the spectators are amazed, they jump and shout, etc.

What are they thinking in this moment?

"Holy crap that's magic!"

or

"Holy crap he really does has a time machine!"

I don't have anything against the plot... I just don't think anyone has ever believed you when you say you have a time machine. Sometimes, I have no doubt your spectators may well have thought that it was magic, that it was impossible, etc. You may even have convinced them to believe in magic. But I still don't think anyone will ever actually believe you really have a time machine.

So if you're telling them you have a time machine, and getting them to believe in magic - why not have a presentation geared around something more magical, rather than patter that people just snigger at? Seems like wasted breath to me. To re-iterate, I don't think you ever make someone truly believe that you hold a time machine in your hands - which makes the moment somewhat insulting in a certain circumstance - but rather, you can simply make them believe in magic - which is a very different thing. So in this sense I think the classic patter is just plain silly, and it does very little for the trick.

Medifro said:
I open with it all the time especially if I'm performing for small group or a single, I know excatly what you mean, I acknowledged the problem, and I believe I solved it. :)

Its really a great theme, I advise you to re-look into it. Just because you've seen it done badly, doesn't mean it can't be done.

Proper patter and delivery can make it or destroy it.

Cheers,
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I'm not at all deriding the plot in any way, I merely wish to advocate a different perspective in its presentation, whether it be a different presentation or a different attitude - and I'm sure you do a great job with it.
 
Steerpike

Steerpike

Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
praetoritevong said:
Happens every time. Has anyone ever believed you when you said you have a time machine? It's a nice effect - but there's probably much better patter you could use. Mostly, whenever I see this, I feel like the magician thinks I'm a dumbass. It's rather insulting. And I feel bad as a magician when fellow magicians go up to layman and attempt to convince them that they hold time machines within a deck of cards. I really feel embarrassed - I watch the layman's faces, something magicians seem to be bad at doing (actually paying attention to their audience) and the face is usually one of skepticism, ridicule, incredulity, or offense.
Click to expand...

Generally true. Generally so.

Time travel... and a card trick. Peculiar combo. Seems kind of stupid.

However, there are two ways it could be made to work. The first is obvious: do it extremely tongue-in-cheek. Make it clear you don't buy your own line of crap, and the very fact that you're doing it is akin to letting audience in on an inside joke.

The second... I must confess I've never tested it, though I'd like to. Suffice to say that theatricality plays a big role in it.
 
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