talkmagic.co.uk

I would love some ideas on good tricks to perform while doing strolling magic/close-up. I want to start performing some unusual tricks but NOT mind freak style tricks. I would love ideas on some tricks I could perform and links to sites I can purchase them at. I really want my routine to have something to be remembered by in it.

Thanks for the quick responses,

Brandon

There's so much that you could do, it really depends on the sort of magic that you do. Sponge balls are great, as are ropes, cards and coins. Anything that involves the spectator in my opinion works well, Ambitious Card is one which always goes down well.

Depending on venue, etc.....some of the stuff you will see in my routine each and every week.

Foam balls
Cup and balls
ACR
Immaculate connection
Holy Moly
In a flash
TT work
Ninja rings - a more recent addition to my routines
Voodoo card
Three card monte
Twisting the aces
Card to wallet style effects
Coin bending
Card warp

Crazy mans handcuffs (recommend that one on behalf of another member that I am sure will be proud of me for saying so)

Just some thoughts off the top of my head.....tons of stuff really. Any close-up items will work.....providing you can do it without a table (ground or floor can work) there are no angle issues, and reset is quick-if not instant....use your imagination

I hate using the floor. Do you do In a Flash on the floor?

Not that I perform much now, but when I do, I usually do ACR, 2 card monte, card to pocket, some sort of transposition, a packet trick then maybe card warp.

Obviously, not all to the same person, but these are the ones I did the most.

Love Crazy Mans Handcuffs! Isn't it bronz who loves it aswell? It goes nicely with another method of linking bands impromptu. Can't remember the name but it was taught on one of the Reel Magic DVD's.

A-C-R

Hurrah, my CMH campaign is working! Cheers for remembering me guys. The reasons it's the perfect trick are as follows:

-No angle issues.
-No setup.
-No gaffs.
-Very easy to follow.
-So visual, when done right it looks like the bands are melting right through each other.
-Entirely impossible.

There you go.

I'm not a professional magician so I don't have much to input. However I've noticed that everyone has suggested ACR (some to the exclusion of all others). Am I the only one who doesn't like this effect?

Don't get me wrong, it's a fun to perform - but it's done so often by everyone that it's gotta get boring? I only use one little 4 card Jumping Gemini Effect with the ACR theme, but that has two clear phases with a punchy ending. That means I can use packet counts and save other secret moves for use with the full deck.

Anyway, I can't comment on what I don't know so here's a list of tricks that I find work well:

Colour Changing Deck (best as a closer),
Mystery Card,
Triumph,
Cavorting Aces (I use this as a card to pocket),
Card Under Box,
Any effect you can do with "borrowed" items
Coin Flurry/Miser's Dream effects,
Coin tricks can work very well if you act as you clear some room at a table, and sneak something under a glass/ashtray (works well in the pub)

Don't forget everyone's favourite paddle move when handing out your business card.

You are being given excellent advice in this thread. Everything that I see above is pure gold. Unfortunately, the magic industry is riddled with an overwhelming amount of garbage and the problem becomes seperating the wheat from the chaff.

(You can probably tell already that my post isn't going to be anywhere near as useful as those above and, no doubt, those to come.)

What your job is, is to find the stuff that will work for you. As stated previously in the thread, everyone is suggesting ACR but tiw thinks that ACR isn't such a good idea. His opinion is valid. I fully agree that ACR is passe - it seems that you just can't be a magician unless you have a rip-rousing ACR routine. Personally, I don't have one.

But, this is opinion. So, should you have an ACR or not? Well, I don't know. You are the only one who can decide this. This particular fact is the point that I'm trying to make in this post and why this post will simply not be as valuable/helpful to you as the others who are giving you specific things that you can immediately purchase or find to start using in your walk around act.

I strongly suggest that you look for things that can be done in your hands or in your spectator's hands. When doing walk around, you will come upon two situations: Restaurant Style and Cocktail Style.

With restaurant style, if you have effects that need a table then you'll find that you have to move stuff (like glasses, salt shakers, plates, etc.) to give yourself a performance area. You might also need a close up mat to avoid coins clanging against the table or cards that are difficult to pick up off of a flat, hard surface. This means carrying the damn thing around with you as well as moving stuff to find a place for it. Oftentimes, people don't like having their space invaded and simply gives you another problem to overcome at the table. The easiest way to avoid this situation is to do effects that are in the hands.

With cocktail style, you are standing and your audience is standing. If you need a table, then you either have to bring one with you (which makes you, in effect, stationary) or you have to use a table that's handy, meaning that you have to move stuff and generally get in people's way. Again, the easiest way to overcome these things are to choose effects that are all in the hands.

Suggested above is CMHC, which is entirely in the hands and, if performed properly, stunning. The problem here is that there are magicians who will tell you that this is also passe (although I'm not one of them). So, again, this comes down to opinion.

In fact, whether or not the effects being given to you above are good or bad is, again, a matter of opinion. So, how to figure out what you should and shouldn't do...

I really want my routine to have something to be remembered by in it.

Each and every trick in existance has one, specific thing about it that makes it memorable - that's YOU.

Let's take ACR as an example. I may just do an ACR for a table and then you do an ACR immediately following mine at the same table. Mine will be forgetable, by yours will be memorable.

Why?

Because my rendition lacks pizzaz whereas yours has lots of pizzaz. And therein lies what makes any given trick on the face of this earth memorable. YOU.

You see, it doesn't matter what tricks you do. What matters is how you do those tricks, how much of yourself goes into those tricks and what makes those tricks artistically your own. That's what people will remember.

Going back to CMHC:

A while back I was at a party over at a friend's house. This guy likes to announce to everyone that I am a magician. I love the guy, but I don't need the pressure...Anyway, I was asked to show a trick. I declined, they pushed. Okay, I asked my buddy if he had any rubber bands and he went and found a couple. A fat one and a skinny one (not a good coupling of bands for the effect, but workable).

I performed the effect and a guy looked at me and said, "Wow! I saw another magician do this and you're much better than him."

What did I do any differently? Nothing, from a technical point of view. Everything, from a performance point of view.

You, and you alone, are what makes any given trick memorable. Nothing else.

So, you can go over these lists that the good folks of this site are giving you and you can find the effects that fit you. In the end game, though, it is you and you alone that will make or break these effects.

And, I think, that's the most important thing that you can (and must) learn.

Mike.

Micheal Jay is right. We could each come up with a list, some things or at least a version of it will be on every list. And some things will be unique to each list. In the end it doesn't matter in the least. It is not the effect that is going to be memorable, it will be you. They may not remember your name or the face. But they will remember the guy who did that great effect. But if your performance is weak then there is nothing you will do to leave a lasting impression. If your performance is strong (and if the effect is c*** (not the best)) then you will still leave a lasting impression. Of course if your performance stinks and you did a bad job with the effect then they may remember you but not for the right reasons.

Its all you bud and nobody to blame but you, but then you get the credit for the good stuff too.

Ok some suggestions on performance would be great to

As usual, some excellent advice, particularly from Michael Jay who beat me to saying that this is an ideal opportunity for using effects that happen in the spectators hands and have lots of audience participation.

ACR's tend to work well for this reason and with there being so many different routines out there, the ACR can contain a lot of variety.

One of my personal favorites for strolling performances is the chop cup using the specs hands as your platform.

LeftEye wrote:I hate using the floor. Do you do In a Flash on the floor?

I do if I have to....I like to use my spec and have him hold his hands out and I put the deck on flat palms.....face down obviously....and then put the card case on top...stops them from turing hands over, etc....and with tons of talking and emphasis they all focus on the coin and the tissue paper wrapping anyway and the deck is above suspicion to most....so no don't use the ground unless it works for you....I just improvise as I need at the moment...that is one of the "enjoyable challenges" of strolling...you need to think as you go and improvise all the time.

ACR....have one....but it is only one by name....it starts out as one, then ends up as a signed card into sealed card box, then in next phase it ends up in my wallet....not a purists version of ACR but "MY" version of it....and read the posts above.....tons of options but MAKE IT YOURS!

MIchael Jay wrote:I fully agree that ACR is passe - it seems that you just can't be a magician unless you have a rip-rousing ACR routine. Personally, I don't have one.

I do my ACR because it's fun to do.

I enjoy being able to improvise and wind in and out of effects, and when it goes well it's quite theraputic.

Is the ACR passe? Well there are ways to make the ACR up to date... just think of what is fashionable in cards at the minute.

ACR still gets some of the best results ever!

I work it several time in an evening and just vary the end for each table! (Monkey in the middle, ripped and removed from shoe.. you get the idea)

eveyone loves the idea of "real" magic and this is it.
I have found though, that its often best to move away from the table straight after, or change from cards to something else as this leave a longer lasting impression.

I also do a "held in the hand" 3 card monte. No table space required, instant reset, great results.
Try lots, and just keep the illusions that YOU get results from. The posts above are all correct, eveyone is different and we all have our favourites that work for us.

On a performance note, I never do an illusion that makes the spectator look too foolish (got to be careful) and so i always perform 3 card monte in a 3rd person style.

Regarding my statement that the ACR is passe:

Please note, I did say it was opinion.

Mike.