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Hello,

Could anyone please name some good classy magic effects and their resources? Something like Coins Across To Glass or an elegant Linking Ring routine? Anything is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Michael Kras

2 of my all time favourites.

1) Zamiels Rose - The performer talks recalls a tale about the fist girl he had a crush on and ended up cutting himself up with the rose he planned to give her following a trick.

The performer then has the spectator select a card, and return it to the pack. Then with no cover makes the entire deck dissapear except one card. It is not the selection. He puts the card in his pocket and plucks a fresh card from nowhere. He does this repeatedly until he plucks the selection from thin air.

Then as a finale, he blows on th card, and the card changes to a fleet of rose petals!!

** Note: Zamiels Card is just as impressive, except with a different ending that's not entirely as graceful as Zamiels Rose. **

2) Card to box - Three Spectators, three selections. A beautiful routine. climaxing in the selections travelling to under the card box twice, then a complete deck vanish and the selections ending up INSIDE the card box.


Both of these beauties can be found in Pure Effect by the brilliantly English Derren Brown.

Thank you! Zamiel's Rose sounds amazing, I will definitely look that up.

For sheer elegance of handling, click here.

Very nice - elegant is truly the word for this presentation.

Mike.

Michael Kras wrote:Thank you! Zamiel's Rose sounds amazing, I will definitely look that up.

You got £100 lying around for a copy of pure effect?

I'll go dig through the couch cushions

It is also on The Devil's Picturebook, though to get it as smooth and elegant as Derren is rather difficult.
Though I have to agree, Zamiels Rose is a thing of beauty. In fact, I would have it as my favourite trick in the 'last man standing' thread. I have never performed it as I don't feel I could do it justice.

My bad..

Zamiels Card is in Pure Effect

Zamiels Rose in in Devil's picturebook

Yes its the most elegany effect I think I've seen I have to admit.

I will definitely have to look them up! Thank you very much.

Any more good classy magic ytou know of?

In my opinion, the class comes from the performer. Zamiel's Rose is a gorgeous trick, but one of the things that makes it so good is the story Derren tells, the "emotional hook" as he so often puts it.

Any trick (nearly) can be classy or elegant if delivered with elegance or class. It sounds like an easy answer, but if anything it's far from it. It takes work, and confidence, and a lot of work. I think it'd be beneficial to look at the tricks you already know and see how you could present them in a sophisticated manner, or whatever effect you are going for.

The "Trick" comes from the moves or the props. The "Magic" comes from you.



Oh, and I recently saw Lawrens Godon's one ball contact juggling routine. His isolations are tight, and the style he uses means it really fits with magic.

I.D wrote:Yes its the most elegany effect I think I've seen I have to admit.

Ever tried it on a lady?

Class is really all in the presentation and how you present yourself and the magic, but shadows by Teller is a good classy illusion in my opinion but as far as i know there has been no published work including the instructions.

I'm not really sure how you distinguish "non-classy" and "classy" magic. For example, if you take a Dai Vernon performance of the cups and balls (which I would count as classy). If you change the metal cups to paper cups, use balls ofscrewed up paper instead of sponge and ditch the green baize cloth. Also, take away Dai Vernon and replace him with me in working clothes (torn jeans etc). Finally, take away any patter, and replace it with spontaneous ramblings. There is absolutely NO class whatsoever in this. However, I would be performing the very same trick.
What this says to me is that, surely, class comes from the appearance of the magician, as well as the props he is using. If instead, I were to use the exact props as Dai Vernon, wear a smart suit and use carefully scripted patter to create a brilliant effect and wow the audience. Would this be counted as classy? To some extent, I believe so. (Never as classy as Dai Vernon because this is me we are talking about, and I have a long, long way to go to gain ANY sort of credibility as a magician).
Another point to consider isthat the majority of "class" (if that makes sense), is not in the mechanics of the effect, but in the presentation. If you were to take a simple card trick, like poker player's picnic, and use flourishes and carefully scripted patter and jokes (as well as a good appearance), would this be classy? To some extent, I think so.
To conclude then, I believe that "class" can be "created" from many elements, such as appearance and presentation as well as the effect used. Obviously, the chances are that an effect that is created in 5 minutes, and then performed will have little or no class as it is poorly thought out and not "road tested" and improved, no matter how expensive the suit being worn is or how funny the jokes are. I am using this extreme to highlight that of course the effect being used can play a part in wether it is "classy" or not, but at the end of the day, it is down to the performer to look presentable, know his moves/sleights inside out/upside down and to have an effective, rehearsed line of patter. This, coupled with "road testing" and a wealth of experince, I think, is the true definition of "class" in magic.