What happened?

nexusmagic · Mar 21, 2009

Did your balls drop off?
Joker reference

Anyway, I was wondering why magicians care if a gem of a magic trick can end clean?
Is it because your lazy and do not want to do the extra work to create a miracle?
Recently a very good effect has become available, and a lot of the questions revolved around these 2 points.

Can it be done with borrowed objects, and does it end clean?

I am going to focus on the ending clean question. What makes a magic trick end clean now a days? Let me explain a bit more, in your opinion how dirty is your clean.

tally-ho · Mar 21, 2009

I don't really care if I end clean or if I use gimmicks. The method is not important, it's how it looks to a spectator. They don't know if you end clean, they don't if you're using a gimmick. Why should you let it get in the way of magic.

jake the snake magic · Mar 21, 2009

tally-ho said:
I don't really care if I end clean or if I use gimmicks. The method is not important, it's how it looks to a spectator. They don't know if you end clean, they don't if you're using a gimmick. Why should you let it get in the way of magic.

took the words rightt out of my mouth

tally-ho · Mar 21, 2009

jake the snake magic said:
took the words rightt out of my mouth

Oh that's where they came from. They've just been sitting on my desk.

cedwards90 · Mar 21, 2009

Basically, most young magicians want perfect tricks. Start clean, end clean, impromptu, angle proof, simple, self working.

NO TRICKS ARE THIS PERFECT

I dont understand how everyone expects all the work to be done for them. Pressure is a perfect example. There is one TINY TINY flaw with the final result, and so many people are crying about it. I thought about it, and with very little thought came up with a way to fix this. Grow up, magic is in no way an easy hobby. I am discusted by this whiole thing..

r.zhang · Mar 21, 2009

In magic, the ends justify the means. More often then not, I will not care if a trick doesn't end clean as long as clean up isn't impossible. People these days are lazy and complain that something is a piece of crap when it's not usable for every single day in every situuation and hope that it gets the reactions for them. Of course, I would love for something to be impromptu, practical and hard hitting, but I wouldn't mind using something that takes a 5 minute set up and can end clean with misdirection. If you're not going to use it everyday, that's fine, but think about why you chose to buy it in the first place. In the right situation at the right time and moment, that effect could really work and make that impact.

The Tumbleweed · Mar 21, 2009

cedwards90 said:
Basically, most young magicians want perfect tricks. Start clean, end clean, impromptu, angle proof, simple, self working.

NO TRICKS ARE THIS PERFECT

While I disagree, I understand where you're coming from.

cedwards90 · Mar 21, 2009

Tumbleweed said:
While I disagree, I understand where you're coming from.

Which part do you disagree with

nexusmagic · Mar 21, 2009

Funny someone mentioned pressure, that discussion is what motivated this post. I use to perform this cellphone in balloon. It is from Nefesch,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tpV97qqoWQ

It has set up time doesn't end very clean just a bit dirty, can't be done standing up in most case yet it killed all three times I performed it.

r.zhang · Mar 21, 2009

cedwards90 said:
Which part do you disagree with

There are self working tricks that are amazing.

The Tumbleweed · Mar 21, 2009

cedwards90 said:
Which part do you disagree with

My repertoire is almost completely based on imprompu, self working tricks that end clean.

tally-ho · Mar 21, 2009

drkrelemnts said:
There are self working tricks that are amazing.

any trick can be amazing with good presentation.

cedwards90 · Mar 21, 2009

Tumbleweed said:
My repertoire is almost completely based on imprompu, self working tricks that end clean.

You are right there are plenty of good tricks like that, but I was just trying to say that there are no PERFECT tricks. Some come close, but no trick is 100%. And many of the best tricks require extra work and are quiet difficult.

The Tumbleweed · Mar 21, 2009

cedwards90 said:
You are right there are plenty of good tricks like that, but I was just trying to say that there are no PERFECT tricks. Some come close, but no trick is 100%. And many of the best tricks require extra work and are quiet difficult.

Yep that's true, most of these 'self working' tricks require at least one sleight. I guess I was wrong

cedwards90 · Mar 21, 2009

Tumbleweed said:
Yep that's true, most of these 'self working' tricks require at least one sleight. I guess I was wrong

It all depends on your definition of self working.

nexusmagic · Mar 21, 2009

Well see that brings up my original question, How far will a magician this generation go for a trick?
How dirty is clean?

cedwards90 · Mar 21, 2009

If i can make it work for me, I will perform it. If it ends dirty, I will put as much work into it as I can to make it practical. I try to give tricks the respect they deserve.

The Tumbleweed · Mar 21, 2009

cedwards90 said:
It all depends on your definition of self working.

I have a 10 minute routine that only uses one control once. I'll call that self working.

D ICE R · Mar 21, 2009

One quote comes to mind 'if you believe you are clean then the audience will'. This was said in one TNR and it rings true for practically every tnr without going into the exact method. The real strength of Pressure in my opinion is not the last piece which is what the effect cannot of achieve, however what it can if someone sees you do it they can go and grab a balloon and a phone and you could do it.

This is the real strength of close up magic. Looking at something like the TNR and the sawing a lady in half. Essentially they have the same idea you destroy something only to fix it instantly. Yes the magnitude of it is completely different tearing a piece of paper is nothing compared to sawing a women in half. If the audience sees you cut a woman in half on stage they have a fair idea that it requires that special prop. But if you do a TNR with playing cards what is really stopping you from doing it with their deck. And there are a few truly impromptu variations Cinders and Sean Fields' one are two that come to mind. Even something like TORN only requires a moment of set up.

This is the problem with doing things that are require a set up if you play them off the cuff. If pressure required a gimmick to achieve the effect that many people hoped it would the method would loose a lot of its practicality. And you would loose a lot of the organic nature that makes it so natural.

nexusmagic · Mar 21, 2009

I completely agree with you d ice r, clever name.
I have performed it at least 12 times last night with different sized balloons not once has a spectator asked if they could bite the balloon to get there phone back, nor have they questioned the reasoning behind me biting a hole into the balloon. It all depends on how you present it.