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Burnt and restored napkin. Quick, visual and straight in with the magic - everything and openerer should be.

I'd never do effects with borrowed items until a couple of effects in when there's a greater trust between them and you. Would you hand over cash or your valuable ring/watch to a complete stranger who just wandered up and asked for it?

Ok for an opener I like it to be something which is quick and shapes the restof your act. A good opener should be quick and visual and get your audience snap to attention. For this reason I hardly open with cards anymore. I myself like HOLY MOLY, ALL SCREWED UP by doc eason or even a sponge ball routine will go down a treat.But at the end of the day you may already have something that is really suitable for an opener, I however think that James Brown 11p trick maybe better just after an opener, as the trick is very repetative and feel that as an opener will not grab your audience by the whatsits!
Get david stonesreal secrets of magic dvd for some really great stuff you could use as openers and also some expert advice.. warning.. some of the magic on the disc is tough to do but all pays off after the time you put into it. All the best though to you.
Andy

I have some layman "guinea pigs" whom I use to try out new effects on.
When you have mastered something that's difficult, you expect the laity to be as impressed with it as you are, but as I have said before, sometimes it's the simpler effects that appeal the most.

Often being magicians, we lose the layperson's point of view and whittling down the effects which are just total entertainment can be difficult and that's where having some "muggle" friends who enjoy watching your magic come in handy.

You can have problems with this as some friends will be overly encouraging and praise all you do whilst some may be nit-picky just for the sake of it.

I am thinking about an attention grabbing opener for my table-hopping act which I'm putting together (I think a Rubik solution effect could be a snappy, easily acessible opener) and tried out some effects on a friend of mine who really enjoys my magic and always asks to see something new.
The only problem is, depsite previous comments on here made by myself and others, is that he said he's never bored by my card work and wants to see more of that. Chop Cup? Yes, he thought it was clever and entertaining but preferred cards.

I think most laypeople see any kind of prop as suspicious but regard cards and coins as normal objects so therefore you must either have (a) good sleight of hand or (b) magic powers.

I don't think this is a general thing with the lay public, but do people really like card effects THAT much? We all love them, being obsessed by magic but do they capticate the public that much?

I always thought cards was a predictable opener and something more visual would be the best option.

Freddie!!!!! You nailed it in one!!!!
I think your Quantum leap would make such a cool opener, very visual and devastating!!!!!

Do something that seems to start very off beat....approaching the table as a member of the serving staff so to speak and "did you ask for an extra salt shaker?" while holding the salt shaker in your fingertips.

Spec "No!"

A topit vanish or any other vanish you can muster.....and say "okay....well then lets do a card trick shall we"

Just a thought off the top of my had really - more thinking outloud that anything.

I do like the suggestions of Holy Moly, and like card warp but never thought of it as an opener....hmm, may have to give it a go.

I have used my TT for vanishing a fist full of salt...can be very stunning. Come to think of it, you could start as I said above, then unscrew the lid and pour some into your closed hand....make it vanish. Then say..."you know taking it to the kitchen bit by bit like this will take all night - and won't leave us much time for magic will it?"

Then proceed to something else

How about Tommy Wonder's The Ring Watch and Wallet? It's visual and defies any human explanation! Or maybe some resetable version of the same trick. Probably tons of versions of it somewhere

Jon

Lord Freddie wrote:
I am thinking about an attention grabbing opener for my table-hopping act which I'm putting together (I think a Rubik solution effect could be a snappy, easily acessible opener) and tried out some effects on a friend of mine who really enjoys my magic and always asks to see something new.

Where can one find an explanation for an instant rubik solution trick?

Jon

I've a Surprise for You makes a good opener.

Scripting Magic has an excellent description and analysis of it by Jamie Swiss.

gammelsmurfen wrote:

Lord Freddie wrote:
I am thinking about an attention grabbing opener for my table-hopping act which I'm putting together (I think a Rubik solution effect could be a snappy, easily acessible opener) and tried out some effects on a friend of mine who really enjoys my magic and always asks to see something new.

Where can one find an explanation for an instant rubik solution trick?

Jon

You can purchase two different versions from magic dealers for about £40.

This may have already been mentioned but taking someone's money ripping it to pieces then vanishing the pieces with flash paper then producing the money from fruit or something else unexpected is always a nice attention getting opener.