talkmagic.co.uk

Hello all,

After several late nights trying to write my definitive mentalism act, im almost there now. I have 3 out of the 4 acts that intend to perform, and need some padding for the 4th and final act.

I have been researching various sources for material with practical applications, which has plenty of room to play with presentational value.

I've narrowed it down to "Gods with Feet of Clay" vol 2 & 5.

Does anyone here already have these? If so, are they worth investing in.

I'm looking at getting there myself in the near future as from what I've heard on other forums they're really good. John Riggs stuff is great anyway

Just get the collection I can assure you that you will find tons of valuable information that only JR can reveal. But then I think student's of Mentalism need to be more than versed in most all of John's material INCLUDING that which was penned under his working name of John St. Germaine.

Pardon my Crassness here Tyler but how in the hell... why in the hell would you create so many show concepts when, at least from where I'm sitting, it appears you're not experienced on stage working as a real Mentalist?

The majority of the guys & gals I know that actually work this stuff have invested YEARS if not DECADES honing one act. They may toss in some new material here and there but they generally stick with what they started with. Maybe, a year or two down the road, creating that second act so they can do return gigs with established clients.

The other side of my question, because I'm seriously confused by your perspectives here, is just what is the cornerstone to your claims? Are you following the current trend of Cynicism; clinging to the Psychological angles or are you leaning more towards the old school way of doing things? Or, the gods forbid, are you just being a magician doing an array of tricks that you just like?

Contrary to the supposition of some, you really do need to have a foundation claim and learn to work within that claim to be an effective Mentalist e.g. if you are claiming to be an NLP expert of Lie detector you can't be bending flatware. Conversely, if you are a PK demonstrator you will not be as attuned to other psychic talents such as Telepathy; that's not saying you can't use them in your act (even Gellar does this) but that said skills aren't as pronounced as your main talent. Too, you would only have one ability that is as pronounced as your primary claim and possibly one other that "you are still developing" IF you are striving to be believable.

I honestly think you need to slow down, focus on creating one solid act and leave the rest alone. Develop what is viable for you right now and what will have the greatest sense of longevity for you at the commercial level. Focus on that and leave the rest of it alone! Otherwise you are simply masturbating and as we all know, it seems great at the moment but leaves you with little other than a mess when you're forced to recon with it.

you should buy them all, but watch the last five minutes of Vol 5 for mr. riggs advice...and then laugh....

brilliant dvds, bow down before the master...

Craig Browning wrote:Pardon my Crassness here Tyler but how in the hell... why in the hell would you create so many show concepts when, at least from where I'm sitting, it appears you're not experienced on stage working as a real Mentalist?

I honestly think you need to slow down, focus on creating one solid act and leave the rest alone.

Sorry, that’s my fault there – maybe I should have been a little more clear when previously posting. When I said I’ve written 3 out of 4 acts, I meant that they are ALL part of the same show.

I should have clarified that point actually. When I script a routine I break it down into ‘acts’ – much like any script for a theatrical play. It’s all going towards a 75minute show with a 15 minute interval between acts 2 and 3 which I have to have ready by this time next year. It’s nearly all ready to begin rehearsing (except for the missing Act 4). Here’s how it plays so far.

Act 1 comprises of some pseudo-origins of magic, demonstrations of sleight of hand, and card table cheats etc, etc. Essentially setting the tone for a ‘normal’ regular format of magic show

Act 2 demonstrates feats of memory, mnemonic / linking memory systems and a book/magazine test

- - - Interval - - -

Act 3 explains fake mediums and charlatans of days past and present. Including a little cold reading and Barnham statements, with some mixed material based around ESP tests (linking references to ‘testing’ psychic ability in the 40’s & 50’s)

And finally, Act 4 (as of yet, unwritten) will hopefully consist of some form of jaw dropping prediction effect, that builds up on itself in stages.

As I mentioned before, I haven’t settled on exactly what I think the closer effect/s should be for Act 4….hence the interest in the highly recommended Gods with Feet of Clay.

I appreciate your concern with trying to ward me off mentalism under the assumption I’m a bedroom dwelling, spotty little teenage ellusionist scrote, desperately trying to learn secrets for the sake of it. Nothing sir could be further from the truth. I assure you my intentions for this routine are genuine, and deserved of no less than my highest respect for the field of mentalism. (I know how personal you mentalists take it when you think some cardy just wants to know “How do you do that”)

I only really wanted to know if Vol. 2 & 5 contained any interesting material.

Ok... I apologies... if you damned Brits would just learn to speak English it would help we poor American types that are trying to help...

Over here we refer to what you describe as "Acts" as being "Routines"; your modular thinking being quite close to how I've always pull a show together, so kudos.

Understand, I'm mostly concerned with newbies taking on too much at once and then suffering that dreaded crash & burn syndrome which hurts both, them and the craft.

Watch for my PM