talkmagic.co.uk

Hi folks. I was just looking at the coinmagic.com Bobo study guide for chapters one and two, and was wondering if anyone has any tips for how to test myself at the end of week one. At the moment it would just be a case of 'do the D**n's P**m x amount of times in front of the mirror', and so on for each sleight, but that basically ammounts to an elongated practice session, rather than a 'test'. Any ideas how to make things harder for myself? I don't want to practice in front of anyone yet, as my lack of skill might wind up in techniques accidentally being given away, so any alternative advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks.

two things that probably wont help but here goes, if you have a video camera tape yourself it will give you a beter idea of you style and wether your sleights are visible from diferent angles.

second go to a pub and sit and practise false transfers and coin vanishes to yourself, you'll be amased how the thought of being accidently observed improves your awareness of angles.
i used to do downs palm in pubs and you would get someone come over and say did i just see that coin vanish then come back again which can lead you into a magic show and a bussiness card opertunity.

'two things that probably wont help'- Don't be so hard on yourself. That 'going to the pub' idea is great, and not just for the going to the pub bit! That would give me the exact self conscious, but not doing it right in front of people feeling I require. Thanks a lot for the tip.
D

A question in the same vain.

I know when the time is right to go to the pub! But when is the right time to confront an audience be it down the pub? I am coming from the position as someone who has worn out at least one pack of cards on the ambitious card routine. But I find nerves get to my fingers, and then I feel I let down our community if a substandard routine gives away the secret?

try taking a few self working routines with you, as your a cardie I'm sure you could have a stack in your deck and do a packet control as you shuffle, off the top of my head maybey a setup for oil and water (red black seperation its sometimes referd to) or a double top card change , then steer the conversation to a trick you saw on telly last week that when something like this que the cards...........
this will give you an opener and get the audience primed and at the same time give you a needed boost and in the unlikely event that the self worker goes wrong you can say maybey you remembered it wrong and go on to something else by way of an experiment then if that dosn't pan out your audience will already be primed to accept it its called the sympathy complex also refered to as the stockholm syndrome in abductions.

for me it would go like this:-
i saw urigeller do something with a key last week and I'm sure he was cheeting....let me demonstrate....haunted key set up...my slef worker.

then go on to a false transfer to a bending key routine and so on, try it see if it helps.

you can always stop people in the street and say can i show you something, but that usualy only works when you have a camera crew with you.

Dean,

I have to ask this, why do you want to do the Downs Palm ??

Do you have something specific that requires it ??

Learn the art of entertainment first and you will find that you can entertain all sorts of people without any kinds of advanced sleights, be they card or coin. Its the way you do it, not how advanced the move is.

Simple magic performed well will blow people away. For all budding magicians, please remember the words PERFORMED WELL. Believe me, its more important than fancy sleights.

Thanks Magicdiscoman

I will make that my mission for Friday.

Cheers

At a recent Michael Ammar lecture, he was asked about practicing and using mirrors etc. He said that video is far better if you can because actually using a mirror might just teach you to "blink at the right time". What he meant is that when performing to a mirror at least half your attention is on watching yourself, so you cant fully concentrate on the handling and performance of the effect. You just convince yourself not to look at the right time!

Just passing on the advice of a true master

Hi Tenko- I was just using the downs palm as an example, it's really all the sleights in ch1+2 of Bobo's book I was looking for a suitable test for. Funnily enough though, in the last couple of days it's been the one Ive had the least trouble with, and I'm even beginning to practice it in a 'performy' sort of way, complete with a look of disbelief on my own face when the coin vanishes, followed by an 'oh, there it is' type line upon production.
Sitting in the pub alone, talking to yourself is great fun.