Ice Breaker - Opener (Lee Smith)

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Ice Breaker - Opener (Lee Smith)

Postby Lee Smith » Jan 18th, '11, 23:26



Hi Guys,


This is Ice Breaker my prefered opener. I use this most often to open my set. I find it quick easy and always gets the reactions needed from the off. It's a simple three phase routine and has served me very well the years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UdhJC_rGOk


Full routine is taken form the STEP System DVDs produced by RSVP magic.

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Postby jim ferguson » Jan 19th, '11, 00:04

Nice one Lee :) Great reactions, especially on the last part.
    jim


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Postby Tommy Magic » Jan 19th, '11, 00:52

jim ferguson wrote:Nice one Lee :) Great reactions, especially on the last part.
    jim


seconded - you've no need to change what you're doing there as the reactions prove - great stuff. However I can't help myself in offering some feedback seeing as you've asked for it :) and it's only a couple of small niggles - and that is that it (you) were almost too good - let me explain - your pass' obviously went undetected, all good, but the cuts and flourishes after were just a little too neat / fancy? Some 'normal looking' slightly messier shuffling (whilst obviously still controlling the two chosen cards!) might have helped them (specs) to feel that the cards were genuinely being lost in the pack. And no real need to say 'so as you can see they are not on the top or the bottom'. Of course they're not - you just did a bunch of cuts / shuffles, and by saying that it might even make folks think that they actually are / could be on the top - which they are! Jeez - sorry, no idea why I'm rambling on - the tricks look great just as they are, and you have them down so feel free to completely ignore me :roll: :)

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Postby Lee Smith » Jan 19th, '11, 01:39

Tommy Magic wrote:
jim ferguson wrote:Nice one Lee :) Great reactions, especially on the last part.
    jim


seconded - you've no need to change what you're doing there as the reactions prove - great stuff. However I can't help myself in offering some feedback seeing as you've asked for it :) and it's only a couple of small niggles - and that is that it (you) were almost too good - let me explain - your pass' obviously went undetected, all good, but the cuts and flourishes after were just a little too neat / fancy? Some 'normal looking' slightly messier shuffling (whilst obviously still controlling the two chosen cards!) might have helped them (specs) to feel that the cards were genuinely being lost in the pack. And no real need to say 'so as you can see they are not on the top or the bottom'. Of course they're not - you just did a bunch of cuts / shuffles, and by saying that it might even make folks think that they actually are / could be on the top - which they are! Jeez - sorry, no idea why I'm
rambling on - the tricks look great just as they are, and you have them down so feel free to completely ignore me :roll: :)





Hi, thanks for the reply.

Often when I use this routine and in my lecture, I talk about using minimal moves (maybe just a pass/double undercut ect) I agree if makes it more impossible and that should go for all magic. This was filmed for my first DVD
project and we had to show the full routine as we taught all the controls and flourish on the explanation section.

Glad you liked it. It took me while to find the opener that worked for me. But this works, and I have had alot of fun with it.

Lee.

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Postby Tommy Magic » Jan 19th, '11, 02:45

Nice to watch you work - although this was filmed for a DVD they seem very much like real reactions from the specs? If not then they are certainly better actors than the L&L audience :)

I've been a Lennart Green fan for many years - and so of course I am a fan of some of the more 'sloppy' style shuffles he does - which I have tried hard to adapt as my own, and make them work 'in the hands' for close up bar and table work - hence my comments I suppose.

All in all I think it's a great opening routine you have... it ticks all the boxes in a good way - e.g. magic happens quickly, and then in their hands, no table / gaffs needed, and progresses to a nice finish with an instant reset. Boom.

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Postby Lee Smith » Jan 19th, '11, 09:23

Many thanks, yes the reactions was real. All the RSVP DVD's are shot live with real specs.

It's the best way to show the audience the effects in a real setting.

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Postby MagicalSmithy » Jan 21st, '11, 13:31

Please dont hate me if im right or wrong,

Loved it, allot, but I think I saw a pass (if you used one) maybe it was just because of the Camera but just wanted to say, please dont think im talking down to you, your much better than me, but well thats what this forum is for right?


SORRRY

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Postby DaveM » Jan 21st, '11, 14:01

I loved it! It's the sort of opener I am looking for. It's my sort of card magic.

I saw lots of method too, MagicalSmithy, but I guess most of us would because we are looking for it and are not affected by the misdirection due to it being video.

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Postby Lee Smith » Jan 21st, '11, 15:12

DaveM wrote:I loved it! It's the sort of opener I am looking for. It's my sort of card magic.

I saw lots of method too, MagicalSmithy, but I guess most of us would because we are looking for it and are not affected by the misdirection due to it being video.


Hi Guys

Thanks, I am glad you liked it.

This is in now way a magician fooler, and in no way is it performed perfect in this clip.

When I do DVD projects I do tend to still perfrom for the people as you can not easily misdirect a camera. The sleights would of been fine from the audience perspective.

It is a different ball game when filming a project.



P.S Check this clip for cheeky pass misdirection on camera :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqUQy04OzO8

Lee.

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Postby lukeclough » Jan 21st, '11, 15:54

Loved it, allot, but I think I saw a pass (if you used one) maybe it was just because of the Camera but just wanted to say, please dont think im talking down to you, your much better than me, but well thats what this forum is for right?


I have watched Lee perform this trick and many others literally 100's of times now and not once has a pass ever been noticed by a the spectator, his convincer is unbelievable too!

but the cuts and flourishes after were just a little too neat / fancy? Some 'normal looking' slightly messier shuffling (whilst obviously still controlling the two chosen cards!) might have helped them (specs) to feel that the cards were genuinely being lost in the pack. And no real need to say 'so as you can see they are not on the top or the bottom'. Of course they're not - you just did a bunch of cuts / shuffles, and by saying that it might even make folks think that they actually are / could be on the top - which they are!


I disagree here, I think that if you are a working magician then you need to be very neat and clean as it makes you look a lot more professional. Also, if you've performed lots of cuts, flourishes etc then the first thing a spectator will probably think is "they must have done that to make my card top", so if you can show them thats its not, then theyre back to being clueless :) Lennart Greens sloppy shuffle fro instance is not done I dont think to look messy, but as a gimmick and part of his routine.

Great dvds, I've got both and regularly perform many of the effects :)

[/quote]

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Postby jim ferguson » Jan 21st, '11, 18:44

MagicalSmithy wrote:Loved it, allot, but I think I saw a pass
    Of course you did, you are a magician :) The guys taking part didnt see a thing, as the reactions prove :wink:
jim

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Postby MagicalSmithy » Jan 22nd, '11, 12:34

Loving the mini routine there Lee, one thing, for the third part, you said I just want to confirm that your card is not at the bottom, I dont know about you but would you then not expect the same to be proven for the top,( i wont say anything for reveal reasons but might be worth not confirming that there card is at the bottom)

I hopw your not offended, It was not my intention, you could kick my ass at Magic anyday,

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Postby Lee Smith » Jan 22nd, '11, 13:49

Fair point, sometimes I don't even say or show anything I tend vary it everytime I perform it. It's a modular routine that can be changed and stoped at any phase and even done in a different order. The point of the first part of the opener is the speed and simplicity so I always do that first.

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Postby MagicalSmithy » Jan 25th, '11, 12:48

I really am sorry if anything I have typed came across critical, your a damn site better than me, my intention was never to belittle, and well you will notice I have never put a video on here, for one reason, im not good enough for a magician to enjoy, I totally get you with the camera thing, Im trying to put a smallvideo together with real spectators that potential clients can view but I cant seem to hide moves from the camera whilst getting the spec in the frame.

I saw another of your routines, the one where you tear the corner, I sat for several hours and have my own working, nothing as smooth as yours, you truly are a master performer.

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Postby Lee Smith » Jan 26th, '11, 10:22

MagicalSmithy wrote:I really am sorry if anything I have typed came across critical, your a damn site better than me, my intention was never to belittle, and well you will notice I have never put a video on here, for one reason, im not good enough for a magician to enjoy, I totally get you with the camera thing, Im trying to put a smallvideo together with real spectators that potential clients can view but I cant seem to hide moves from the camera whilst getting the spec in the frame.

I saw another of your routines, the one where you tear the corner, I sat for several hours and have my own working, nothing as smooth as yours, you truly are a master performer.


Thanks,

Dont worry about the camera and angles ect just perform the effects as you do them.

They will still come across. Dont worry about magicians either, always perform for the laymen, (they pay the bills :wink: ) and they are the ones who we want to entertain. They will not be looking for the sleights. (well not like we do anyway :D )

Lee.

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