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Hello, here's me performing Oil & Water.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF_QULX14YI

Comments wellcome.

To be honest, it looks far to complex to be natural and believable. I've seen a lot cleaner methods than that.

It needs patter. I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to be watching as a spectator (or, in other words, what am I not supposed to notice as a magician).

Patter can be so strong in an oil and water routine. The cards could be misbehaving. It can be presented as a scientific experiment of matter passing through matter. You can even use the fact that oil and water separates to apply patter to the effect.

With no patter, it's a fussy puzzle that needs to be watched twice to see what's being achieved. If I didn't already know it was an oil and water routine, I would have to have watched it twice to see the magic.

With patter, oil and water can be a whole routine with a beginning, a middle an end and even a huge kicker climax.

From the 'how good is my handy work' point of view, it's alright. No misdirection though, so turning the black cards over underneath looked extremely suspicious.

Thanks for the comments guys. It's just a "how do yo like my handling?" type of video, made for magicians to post comments. I will remove it from youtube soon, because there is no effect without the patter, therefore it's not magical for laymen. This is the classic method as taught by Larry Jennings, performed with the patter he uses (the usual I suppose).

You can even use the fact that oil and water separates to apply patter to the effect.

Well, that is the whole point of the "Oil and water" effect, right?

Zack wrote:Patter can be so strong in an oil and water routine. The cards could be misbehaving. It can be presented as a scientific experiment of matter passing through matter. You can even use the fact that oil and water separates to apply patter to the effect.

With the exception of Derren Brown's version, (which works because it involves lots of spectator participation) I don't think patter mixes well with oil and water. The worst presentations in my opinion are the ones where the magician actually talks about mixing oil and water, which is such a cliche (anyway, scientists now know how to make 'em mix). Never mention the words "oil" and "water" during an oil and water routine, that's my advice.

But a good oil and water routine can look wonderful performed to music. The first oil and water routine I ever saw was the one by our very own Rune Carlsen, and it wouldn't have the same elegance with patter. Nor would the spectator benefit from patter to follow what is going on, because each move is performed with such deliberation that the spectator cannot possibly miss it. It is a visual treat, almost a ballet of playing cards, and patter would ruin it.

What we have here, however, is not a good performance (sorry, Scriptorilsky - your consolation is that I've never attempted anything as sleighty as oil and water at all). It's impossible for the spectator to follow which cards are supposed to be red and which are supposed to be black, and there's therefore no magic when the magician reveals where the cards actually are.

I think if you had used patter instead of music, the trick would seem much clearer. You can do a really great oil and water to music, but I'm afraid that wasn't one of them.

Maybe it's just me, but I found that to be rather complex and a bit hard to follow in places.

Hi, I know I'm new hear but i hope you don't mind me giving my opinion. I first saw this trick done by Rene Lavand when i was younger on a TV show, i was totally blown away and this may have been what sparked my interest in magic. Oddly I've never tried to learn this routine as I'm quite happy with the version i saw and don't personally think i could ever replicate it. Your version was good but lacked in presentation, I'm sure that most of the people on here know the trick and what is going on in it, but when you presented it it seemed to me like you where trying to hide something, where as when i have seen others perform this it has always been as open as possible (obviously with any sleights hidden, though as I've openly said, I have no idea how to do this trick). Anyway, in my opinion a slightly more open presentation would look better hope this helps!