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I was goofing off with a pack of cards, a bottle of Windex, and my camera tonight and came up with a nifty little switch that I wanted to incorporate into a new trick/routine. Here's what I've got, and I'd love your input, thoughts, and advice.

http://media.putfile.com/Robs-New-Trick

I'd put this in R&D so I could discuss the switch and the rest of the moves, but alas...

Ciao,
Rob

I didn't see any original moves. Just to clarify, what part are you asking about? Your trick is so full of moves that I'm not sure which one you're asking about. I like the structure of your routine, but as far as moves go, I didn't see anything new.
2P.S. s

Nice Penn and Teller poster (is it signed?) in the background. They rule.
In real life you should use a bit more time misdirection for the cross cut force. You probably do, so don't take offense to my petty observation.

*Written later: ah, I think I see what you mean about switch. I don't know about its originality, but personally, I wouldn't want to put a face up double that's a spectators on the table in front of them. They might a) notice it's a double or b) pick it up (which is, of course horrible).

Thanks for the advice. I thought I was pretty clear saying that I'm sure they are NOT original, but I came up with the switch independantly.

I'm not exactly a creative genius when it comes to routining, so I was hoping someone could lend some advice on how to turn it into a solid rouitne, and perhaps suggest some ideas on where to go after I reveal the two cards.

I like Derren Brown's "marathon" three card routine and would like to have something that is similar in the way that it's a complex routine with a very simple concept. Three cards are lost, they are found by the spectators, and they continuously reappear under the box....

Hmm... perhaps I'll just do that as a kicker. I'll work on it and update this thread later.

I don't really have a problem leaving a double on the table. I've only been called out on it once when doing an invisible palm routine. I think that my humble presentation often keeps the audience from getting too grabby or suspicious. It's only when you do suspicious moves that you get called out.

I like Lennart Green-style "sloppy" magic. I do the Dai Vernon m******e s***t in that vid and I just sort of flop the cards around. If your "moves" look like "moves," you're in trouble

Oh, and your reaction has mirrored that of the couple of professional magicians and amateurs that have seen it--they don't catch the s****h until they watch it two or three times, and it's not like I'm going to do it two or three times for a lay audience

Ciao,
Rob

Okay, you've got the moves down, it looks good and I can imagine that it takes your specs completely off guard. Well done. It's refreshing to see someone actually put the time into getting it right before asking for advice.

If your "moves" look like "moves," you're in trouble

Absolutely. I couldn't agree with this statement more.

You're looking to routine this...Okay, well what's with taking a drink from the glass cleaner? Where does that fit in? It has nothing to do with anything and it is a direct rip off from other performers (I believe The Amazing Jonathan, specifically). May I suggest that you find a different schtick? You know, rather than copying someone else? Possibly take a drink of transmission fluid and, as a segue from you last trick (say, coins), and you state "I always take a sip of this when I'm going to change up gears." But, be original at least.

Now, you can move onto another trick from this if you continue to control the first two selections. Have the next spectator pick a card and it turns out to be the ace of clubs. Stop, say "Wait, that's (spec's name) card. Try another." It turns out to be the two of clubs. You say, "Geez, are all these cards the same two?" Then have them select a card that is different. From here you go into whatever effect you like...Card to forehead, to wallet, whatever.

In fact, you could make an entire routine around the original two cards selected constantly coming up as a thread that runs through your entire routine. You try to find the card selected and you keep finding the two or ace of clubs...Something along these lines may be quite comical. It certainly would add an entirely new dimension to an ACR if those two, original selections keep getting in the way. And, to my knowledge, nobody else is doing such a thing (although Doc Eason does do this to a lesser extent).

Not too long ago, on Visions, Dan Paulus had an aricle called "Push It" where he considers the idea of taking things further. He uses the old Carlin routine about the "7 words you cannot say on television," amongst other examples, to prove his point. The further you go, the more comical something becomes. I suggest that you give that article a look over and consider the ramifications of pushing the idea of the subsequent chosen cards being the same as the originals. This will, of course, require a very careful handling on your part to continuously control the original two cards, but it gives certain possibilities that are not being explored by other performers at this time.

In a routine, the general rule is that the opener should be quick, grab attention and set the pace of the tricks to follow. There are different theories as to how the routine should continue after the opening.

One theory states that you should go for peaks and valleys. The first trick is a peak, the next a valley, the next a peak, the next a valley, finishing off with the hardest hitting of all. Another theory is that it should all be one plateau - everything of equal value. You need to decide which way to go. Personally, I prefer peaks and valleys.

The peak and valley idea allows you to start with something hard hitting to garner attention, then move into something a bit slower paced and more cerebral. Once you have their attention, you are more at liberty to slow the pace a bit and still maintain their attention. Upon completion, you whack them over the head again with something a bit stronger than your initial opener, which wakes them back up and you can again slow the pace.

Now, giving you advice on where to go after you've finished off the trick above isn't all that simple. I don't know what you're capable of, what you know, and so forth...

However, if you were to do a Triumph effect wherein the ace and two are the ones that stay upside down once the deck is righted, you might go for a sandwich effect with the final, chosen card coming out between those two. Now THERE is something nobody else is doing. Or, depending on your skill level, have the ace and two become the single chosen card (gambler's cop, maybe). Off hand, though, I like the sandwich idea...

Anyway, just some thoughts and I hope that maybe they've been of use to you. Again, your handling of the trick above is nicely done, smooth and magical.

Mike.

Two cards turning into the third! Brilliant! I'm already thinking of how this is going to work.

Bill Malone's handling of Gemini Twins ends with four cards becoming one. If you've seen it, you should know what I'm talking about, so I'll probably do something much the same after repeated attempts to find the third card. I might also incorporate Doc Eason's "card under glass" sort of theme, but in a different sense. Maybe cards under the box or something like Brown, but I would like some originality to this.

I'll probably have three cards selected, and in trying to find his card, the third person finds the first, then the first again, only to reveal that the first has changed to the second. I think it was Doc Eason (maybe Randy Wakeman, or both) that said that using multiple selections adds a certain degree of professionalism, taking the performance to a different level.

Oh, and the Windex gag was just for magicians who would catch the reference

Ciao,
Rob

Nothing wrong with the trick, think it would have a wonderful audience effect. Patter varies so much based on ur own personality. Only recommendation I would make , based on video, is don't watch ur hands when you make your moves. You called a lot of attention to the DL by looking at it and fiddling with it. Same with cut, u watched it too close and if you do your audience will. Best way to keep audience from noticing moves is to learn to do them without looking, look at ur audience instead.