talkmagic.co.uk

I have similar feelings. RTCM is good but not as user friendly as later formats - the benefits of modern technology seem to have ignored RRTCM well and truly!

Where it does score is after you've gained some basic knowledge and begin to understand how RRTCM works. It's still not all that friendly but, if I may steal and bend a phrase, 'The Truth Is In There - Somewhere'.

If all the 'old time' magicians learned everything from RRTCM then I'm even more impressed with them than before. Or perhaps I'm just lazy!

I couldn't agree more really.
Every boards usual buy books advice doesn't cover the diversity of needs out there and books like RRTCM can serve to kill rather than light a fire.

They do have a valid place obviously, I just hope people don't take them as the only way to get any knowledge or respect in the magic community.
As we have shown here though, we are from all directions on this board, which is nice It is good that you have varied advice, sadly not always the same on other boards.

MagicDiscoMan is a shining example of how books aren't needed to have fun, love your craft and make money.

I would say learn what you want, if that's nothing but gimmicks and packet tricks cool, your audience wont know the difference anyway, sometimes I feel magis like to entertain themselves with technicality as much as the audience with wonder, just my two coins


BaB

if only so you can talk the lingo in the secret sections, now i know what all the fuss is over the pass you know the bus pass.

learn what you want, if that's nothing but gimmicks and packet tricks cool, your audience wont know the difference anyway

Bear in mind that all the great illusionists use items which are just larger versions of packet tricks. Buzz Saws, Guillotines, Zig Zag Girl Boxes, Trunk & Water Escapes etc. so gaffs and gimmicks are quite OK, folks!

ouch goes my open sore, lol, the pass, that thing gave me grief I tell ya

camera always broke so they wouldn't give me one

Bear in mind that all the great illusionists use items which are just larger versions of packet tricks. Buzz Saws, Guillotines, Zig Zag Girl Boxes, Trunk & Water Escapes etc. so gaffs and gimmicks are quite OK, folks!

Very good point.

I'm not sure why so many are against gimmicks, to me it almost feels like a form of snobbery, like they are saying your not a proper magician unless you can make an elephant disappear without a gimmick.

Anyhow I'm pleased to see I'm not the only one that thinks RRTCM may not be the best choice for the new magician.

Just hedging my bets here, I'm still impressed when talented folks can do stuff with borrowed and unprepared items - which tends to be cards - and I'll still keep trying to acquire some of those skills just in case!

yeah fair point
I'm glad I made myself work through those skills, but if I hadn't got the magic bug I wouldn't have made it, royal road was such an effort, I wish I'd had card college earlier, lol.

I think we are all impressed when someone does a good trick, esp when we know it didn't use a gimmick, however the original question was posed by someone that as far as we can tell had only done one trick and that was a self working one. He wanted to know where to go from there and while there is going to be a variety of opinions, I reckon that to start you can't beat a few self working tricks.

I reckon that to start you can't beat a few self working tricks.

Start easy and work towards the more complex stuff if and when you want to. Can't be bad! I'm still on the easy stuff and thoroughly enjoying anything I can do straight out of the box. The more difficult stuff takes a bit of time but is very rewarding so I get even more of a kick out of it.

hey ive made a career out of easy to do tricks and intend to do so for a long time to come.

ok i will invest in a stripper bike set and may do a few basic card slights learnt from royal and some coins from bobo's as a way of giveing bussines cards away but my main shows will still be the tried and tested stuff were i dint have to worry just perform them well, as i have said use thease books for reference or a learning tool if you are going into close up full on otherwise use watever gives you the edge and the purists be damed.

i for one will always use something that makes my life easier over something more skillfull after all its my bread and butter we are talking about

Well, we may have differing backgrounds and experiences but our points of view all eventually aim in the same direction - good magic. I reckon we should pass this on to certain persons who seem to think that stunts and theatricals are the only way to go (now, now, don't be nasty!) OK, will go home and read a bit more of RRTCM - just to make sure!

I think gimmicks are good, but i also feel that if someone wants to inspect an object you should be able to show them, especially in close up situations. This is why sleight is very important as it gives you the medium to "gaff" there coin there and then. I mean you can switch it for a gaff, but to the spec they will belive it is the original.
P.S i have many gimmicked "everyday" items

Also books aren't the only route, take royal road to card magic for example, fantastic bible of cards but maybe you don't want all that knowledge. Maybe you just want to learn a routine that with the easy moves you will learn you can move on, a few steps at a time.
The ninja, crash course amd street magic videos over at ellusionist are great for this though are quite costly, check out their site.
Much maligned on the web due to other videos offereng 20-30 tricks and these only offering 5 or 6 but they are shown as if you are new to cards and other videos are more designed for people confident with a deck.
Just an idea, as a learner that doesn't yet want it all their stuff is good
Great routines, easily expained without having to bend your hands in half and you will look like you know what you are doing.
http://www.ellusionist.com/

id also recomend the Easy to master card miracle series by Michael Ammar

I think gimmicks are good, but i also feel that if someone wants to inspect an object you should be able to show them, especially in close up situations.

Why?
Always?
any exceptions ever?
Is it possible to avoid this?

Is it possible that even if this is true, it's not the main issue for a new magician?