talkmagic.co.uk

i regularly use the sliding die box, everyone in the room knows how it works but the still scream and shout your tipping the box .
so i thought why not ask the performers and leyperson out there, which tricks are old hat and which are classics.

so over to you,
not sure ok an example: i feel that chineese sticks are old hat.
and that the square circle is a classic.

i think the raven is becoming old hat as it has been so well documented, as with most of david blains stuff that most people, or at least most that i know, are aware of how the trick is done

It was a big shame that these programs exposed the Raven, however, there is a move contained on the Raven Video which will throw people off the scent! You can effectively (and subtley) prove that you are not using a Raven the second before you use it!

Well worth the price of the video!

that is true, it is a shame all of these programmes were released, yet on the other hand it may be a good thing for magic and bring in new generations

on a slightly different note, look what happened to the wrestling industry when some of their secrets were exposed

What happened?

not so much over here, but over in the states, it is now watched more than base ball, sells out all of the events they book and is the top rated tv programme on the channel its shown on week after week

Wow!! Well, from a retail point of view, any magic publicity generates more business, whether it reveals secrets or not. I guess when lay people realise that magic is not beyond their reach, they start buying!!

yeah i suppose from your perspective, even more so

Even so, I'd still prefer the secrets to remain a secret!

at the risk of starting another "david blaine" debate im going to throw in my tuppence worth.... im relativly new to magic and i will admit i was probably inspired originally by david blaine, however i find that now i know how most of his illusions are done through this wonderful thing we call the internet, so from this point of view does this now mean he is old hat? maybe, maybe not. BUT im guessing he inspired a lot of people to look more at the "street" style of magic than perhaps anyone else? And through this maybe getting people to looking more at more "classical" styles also after they see there is a lot more to magic than just strolling down the road?

sorry guys so bussy nocking out the posts i neglecteted my own post
david blain has done as much for streat close up as pen and teller have done to keep us magi on our toes without giving the game away.
my only critisim of his shows (not him) is the use of camera tricks.
most of you who understand the centre tear will know what i mean.
the use of post editing makes him seem like a wonder worker 100% of the time whith his pick a card is it the 10 of clubs routine.
which i am sure is beyond his control ratings being the thing that keeps him on the air.

i origionaly started this thread to find out what props people use that are classified as antient like the sliding die box, that just wont be buried.
please feel free to take this thread in any direction you like, i just have to pop over to the scotch and soda thread to see whats cooking.
any advise for newbies and oldies I'm always happy to help though ive only benn doing magic of and on for 15yrs so be gentle with me

ok forgetting my little"blaine praise post" as for tricks that never die....

dynamic coins... old and widely known but still impressing people
scotch and soda... as above
TTs not so widely known to leypersons but old as the hills
finger guillotine i had a plastic version of this as a kid but it still impresses people (not the plastic one of course )

I reckon it doesn't matter whether you're using an established method or a relatively unknown one - it's all in the presentation. I've never used a Raven but would imagine that there are ways of disguising the use of this item by perhaps changing the style of the illusion. The real magic is in the routine – the patter, the presentation, the misdirection.

The idea behind those ‘Secrets’ Exposed’ programs was supposed to be to encourage the development and use of new stuff rather than old but, on this basis, we would never hear an old song, see an old film or a production of an old play and I guess Mrs. Shakespeare’s little boy, William, would be one of the first casualties of this thinking! In fact the programmes were nothing but low quality TV designed to make money from the popularity of Copperfield, Blaine, Burton etc. If you recall the program where the masked magician was revealed it turned out to be the great, the wonderful, the amazing Valentino – never heard of before and certainly not heard of since! I have further doubts as they went on to use another guy who was revealing a lot of newer stuff.

Most of the secrets revealed could be re-engineered and re-worked to give a fresh effect so perhaos this is more of an opportunity to become creative?

Classic or new, Magic is just that – pure Magic!

i like the way this thread is going, ive said this before on another thread but i think its relevent to this thread as well.
david blain's programes camera tricks not withstanding have done a great service to street magic as has pen and teller for generaly keeping us on our toes.
but i have come across some adults and kids in my shows fuled with masked magician envy who like nothing better than debunking you.
this type of programe is counter productvie.
ive yet to meet a magician that has been inspired to take up the art because of this type of show.
there just there for rateings, we trade on the mystery and effect not the secret.
pen and teller ok masked magician please have the decency to crawl away and die thank you.