talkmagic.co.uk

Johnny Wizz wrote:I then have a joke prediction deck which is a %^%&^ deck with an ^&*^* card which I force, when I use this and show all the cards are ^&$$%$^ I can put it away again.

you've just broken my mentalist heart...

Deleted by me re response from Iain.

Don't know where I picked this routine up from so do not wish to reveal anyones trick, thanks for the tip Iain.

in that case - you may want to edit your text describing the effect, cos that's a dave campbell routine

I'm forever preaching, use the easiest method for the best affect. An easy method usually leads to better performance, a more relaxed performance. Also it usually leads to a more direct, (focus) cleaner presentation which makes it much easier for the spectator to follow.

Difficult sleights are for magicians performing/lecturing for other magicians.

I was once at a lecture (I won't say who's but you all know of him) and he was asked how much of the stuff in his many books does he actually use? His response? Without hesitation, "Very little" He went on to add that his books were not geared to the 'working pro' they were geared toward the hobbiest, the magic club guys, the armchair warrriors. And there is nothing wrong with that.

To the lay spectator the method is invisible.

When you get a deck of cards out, the majority of lay people will instantly be looking at what they then see as being trick that uses a gimmicked deck or deploys sleight of hand. I'm not saying that they won't be appreciative of the skills on display but there is a level of expectation before you begin.

However, the I.D. seems to transcend into being more than just a trick because it's more about what a lay audience sees as being mind reading or similar and not sleight of hand or a gimmicked deck. The cards are being used to illustrate something that's not a card trick in the eyes of the audience.

With these two methods eliminated there is less to believe in other than the impossible.

I use four totally different presentations using the I.D. which pyramid one after the otherm each one seemingly more impossible than the previous one and no-one ever guesses the method - they're just taken in by what they witness and they don't even consider what they see as a trick,