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Erm - unless you have a Copperfield-size budget...no idea's at all.

Also, finding a chosen card in mid-air, and then vanishing as you hit the water might make it difficult to display the correctly located card for any more than a split-second.

I'd really suggest starting out with something much smaller in scale.

Welcome to TM, by the way

Rob

Firstly... if you have an "idea" then you need to go a few steps beyond and have at least a few methods worked out in your head before your "idea" hosts any sense of validity, otherwise it's just another magician's wet dream that's non-viable. We all come up with "ideas" but in the majority of cases they either are impractical all the way through, or extremely limited... sadly, your idea falls into both categories in that it could not be presented live (without exceptional set controls) and it would certainly go down in history as the most expensive card trick ever created.

Yes, there is a method for doing what you want to do, it's called PERSPECTIVE and to get just the base performance use rights to it, you'll be looking at a $5,000.00 per use royalty fee + the related costs in video equipment and the other apparatus needed -- PERSPECTIVE can only be used through the lens of a camera... it's not trick photography but is very controlled point of view that can be presented live, on a big screen Tv, etc. but not live, as in having a real audience on location. To my knowledge, this would be the least expensive means of creating the effect as you describe... and yes, this is something you'd find Copperfield use (he has, many times) but the innovator of it has made major Casino-Hotels, the Space Shuttle and even a world famous Volcano vanish, reappear and even relocate via this technique.

Yes, there is a method for doing what you want to do, it's called PERSPECTIVE

You never fail to amaze!

Streetking, do not take this the wrong way, but I strongly doubt you have enough fans, enough fame and enough skill to perform such expensive and large scale effects.

Learn the real basics, no gimmicks, pure sleight of hand card magic. Move onto other effects that include gimmicks and then maybe coins, ropes etc etc.

If this goes well and your name starts to become well know, the money is rolling in and the public love you, take a look at what Craig said

What he meant was that how do you show people the card if the moment after you find it your in the water?
And I say just have the card floating but then people would have to look right in the water and most likely, sorry, they'll see you. Unless you have some brilliant method. Buy some books, perform some good magic that works well, slowly go up the ladder.

I think the whole thing is impractical, but giant kudos to you if you think you can pull it off.

Plot wise I think it might interesting as a challenge-type effect/stunt.

The magician states that he is going to demonstrate his quick abilities with cards. Normal card-selection bit on the ground. Magician states he will jump from a high-dive and before reaching the bottom he will have found the card.

Up he goes, flurry of cards, down he comes. Splash. Gone.

Drawn out pause... is he hurt? drowning?

Magician emerges (wet) from rear of theatre holding spectator's card.

The pause is a little more dramatic than other vanishes because the water, while clear, still obscures view, then people wonder if he might be drowning - an interesting element.

Theatrically interesting, I fear it's probably as Craig suggests: a "magician's wet dream"

Craig Browning wrote:it would certainly go down in history as the most expensive card trick ever created.

Hilarious!

why not nose dive into a pool with a weight tied to you, and the pool of blood you'll create forms the shapes of the card "merely thought of"?

as you're young, why not offer your services as a dogsbody for any local workers/illusionists? that way you stay fit, and after an aprentiship you'll start learning bit by bit...

seems the most sensible option to me anyway...

or just calm yourself down and adapt what you see in your head, to something more within budget and within your control? you could change the whole premise into a cute kinda flick-book revelation instead...

otherwise, if you break down your effect as it stands, there's alot relying on lots of things being in place - when im guessing you may well perform impromptu instead? may be wrong...but to have everything rigged up and ready, and a swimming pool, and enough passers by interested to watch, and everything else on top of that...just in case someone happens to be passing...

well...all i can say to you is good luck, and bring a good book!

Streetking wrote:The card trick is finding there card in midair jumping off a high dive or something but then I land in a pool. What I was hoping to do was disappear once I landed there. The hard part is finding a way to make me disappear because water is a very strong element. Any suggestions?

A pool of highly concentrated acid?

I definitly will want to see this on video if it is possible. If you still with us welcome to talk magic

Guys, why are we being so negative here? Honestly, yes this seems, by the methods we are thinking, to be too impractical and expensive...But why should we try to stop someone from being creative? If we stop him from thinking about it now, the chances of him figuring out a solution are 0; however, if we let him ponder about it, there is a chance, even if it is just slight, that he will find a solution to the problem and fool the pants off of every single one of us.

So here's what I'd say:

Streetking,

What you are thinking about doing is something that currently, no one has been able to do inexpensively and live. While not impossible that you will find a solution to it, it will be VERY difficult. So if you just think this is a "cool" thing to do, move onto some sleight of hand because that can be "cool" too. However, if this idea seems to be stuck in your head, something you truly and honestly think you will do (feel free to lie to us and tell us you will, just don't lie to yourself, and if you do not think that you will do this effect, do not even bother thinking about it anymore)...well, then go for it! But really, invest all the time and energy you have towards finding a feasible solution; otherwise, it just won't happen.

Sorry that I'm basically contradicting everyone here by saying that he should go for it. But honestly, why should we hold back passion and creativity? The worst that will happen is that no solution will be found and nothing is lost...But if a solution is found...Well, you know.

Best of luck to you my Creative pal,
~David