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The DVD I have is Richard Kaufmans Basic Basic Card technique. (obtainable at emagictricks for £25.95)

http://www.emagictricks.co.uk/product_i ... ts_id=4572

It is what it says very basic, but was exactly what I was looking for. It's all very well reading RRTCM - but it doesn't half help to actually whatch someone doing it - pointing out the pitfulls. I would also recommend it being on DVD as again it's much easy to locate exactly what you are looking for and play it back very slowly.

This DVD has proved a tremendous help for me. (It doesn't have the Flustration count though )

Just for interest here is a list of the topics covered.

The Proper Way to Hold the Deck
How to Obtain And Hold Breaks
Double Undercut
DL (2 methods)
False Cut (2 methods)
Force (3 methods)
Overhand Shuffle (Injogs and Outjogs)
Hindu Shuffle
Faro Shuffle
Zarrow Shuffle
Elmsley Count
Jordan Count
Hamman Count
Secret Addition (2 methods)
False Cut (2 methods)
Multiple Shift (2 methods)
Glimpse (2 methods)
Top Change (2 methods)
Multiple Top Change
Spectator Peek
Side Steal
Bottom Palm
Top Palm

I don't have another DVD to compare it against - but I would rate it very highly.

IMHO there's no better collection than the Daryl Encyclopedia set - they're excellent for all levels.

However, most of the Sankey DVDs cover a majority of the moves - excellently executed by Sankey - as part of his routines.
So you win in both ways - lots of routines/effects, plus how to do the moves.

The flustration count is covered very well in the Daryl 'Ambitious Card' and '3 card Monte' DVDs, along with many false deals, cuts and counts.

It depends how serious about sleights you are. Personally, I'd recommend some more books - like Buckley, Hugard/and/or/Braue, etc. It pays to read these. They go beyond the RRTCM.

Try:
Expert Card Technique
Annemann's Card Magic: V1 & 2
Card Control: Practical methods
Card Manipulations
More Card Manipulations, series 1-4

All of which are available on Amazon.

I've got so many books on the subject, and every one teaches that little bit further. DVDs and Vids are great, but they try to teach you the technique as interpreted by the individual teacher - whereas these publications teach the actual dynamics and handling,and it's up to you to find your most comfortable method.

This is true of most sleights - the Pass, second deal, riffle, faro, Hindu shuffle etc. etc. - it's far better to READ how they work, and then make your hands and charisma mould to that method, than it is to simply emulate another magician.

Trust me...

I know exactly what you mean Tom. I was never 100% happy with just the RRTCM as even if I thought I understood the described moves I was worried that I might be practicing something that was not quite right

Seeing it done on DVD ususally from different angles just made it one whole lot easier. For me anyway.

I guess the best way to learn would be to have someone actually there to show you, but a good book accompanied by a well shot DVD is a good (and more practical) alternative.

A good example of this is the CMH rubber band effect. I found it very difficult to work out what I was meant to be doing from the illustrations/booklet alone.

I also found it very interesting what Seige said about not necessarily trying to emulate exactly how one magician demonstrates something, and that we should all adapt to our own styles and lets be honest the size and shape of our hands. I agree with that totally, and that we should strive to find the most comfortable way of executing these techniques but we all need to start somewhere and for me reading it up in a book, and then SEEING it performed by a good magician is the best way to learn. Some of these techniques I am not sure that I would get at all if I didn't have slow mo reply on a dvd player.

Now in saying all that I will mention another great way of learning.

Join your local Magic Society. (I posted a list of links somewhere here).

I know I have mentioned this a lot recently, but thats only because I have only just discovered mine and was so so impressed. I admit I have only been to one meeting so far, but the people where very friendly and I am sure would be more than willing to help me out with some of the trickier techniques (or in my case some of the so called easier techniques).

I agree - seeing the effect done is the icing on the cake, but I'm implying that learning the sleights FIRST and their mechanics is the best way to understand what's happening.

To learn ALL the sleights via DVD/Video is very expensive.

Try the books first, is my opinion. I've just checked, they're about £7 each. Opposed to Daryl's Encyclopedia - at about £250 for the whole set.

... Know what you mean about fiancees... recently split up with mine due to lack of attention (hence my quietness and absence from the board for a while!)

You're absolutely correct in needing someone to show you the sleights.

As a cheap and entertaining quick-fix, I wholeheartedly recommend 45 by Jay Sankey.

Aside from that, you're going to have to split the piggy bank open which has been filling up from your Magic Merchandise!!!

Go for the Daryl Encyclopedia, out of recommendation. He's a great teacher.

I think this thread is highlighting something which has bothered me for a while now. Although I have RRTCM (paperback version) the style and presentation are obviously very dated and are certainly not up to the same standard as modern day methods of presentation - colour printing, photographs, video etc. There's no doubt that the wealth of information contained is well worth more than the cover price but it's about time it was presented in more modern form - if only to assist with those who prefer a more 'obvious' type of instruction. I'm in that category and I guess Tom might be in there as well.

Some weeks back I mentioned Kaufman's Basic Basic Card Technique Video (the DVD version hadn't been issued at that time) with it's quirky sort of angled camera shot introductions but the demo of the actual moves is crystal clear and highly recommended. Pictures are certainly worth many, many words! I take my hat off to all those who have ploughed through the written instructions and details and have mastered the sleights and I certainly applaud those who could walk into a room stark naked (figuratively speaking), pick up borrowed items and work miracles with them. Sadly I have to admit difficulties and probably a short learning attention span these days so I'd really rather cut to the chase and either use gaffed cards/decks etc or learn stuff the easy way.

Bottom line, there's almost no advantage to staying with the difficult formats so why not make it all easier?

OK - now all you finger flingers can shoot me down!

Seige Wrote:-

As a cheap and entertaining quick-fix, I wholeheartedly recommend 45 by Jay Sankey

I whole heartedly agree. Ive had this for a while now, but only got to watch it for the first time last night, and it really was very entertaining. It's not just good for watching how to do some of the many sleights but you get to see them performed as part of some pretty neat tricks too.

I won't go on about it too much as it has already been well reviewed here.

http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/viewtopic.ph ... ght=sankey

Mandrake Wrote:-

Although I have RRTCM (paperback version) the style and presentation are obviously very dated and are certainly not up to the same standard as modern day methods of presentation

Wouldn't it just be great if there was a RRTCM with photo's like in the Nicholas Einhorn "The Art of Magic and Sleight of Hand" book?

and better still, as an acompaniment (not instead of!) a "RRTCM, the DVD" - which goes through each chapter with a video example. Maybe a future project for the better Cardicians here. (Seige and NickJ spring to immediately mind). (Of course I would offer my services to help evaluate the completed product... )

mandrake wrote:OK - now all you finger flingers can shoot me down!

My 'Finger Flingers' DVD has just arrived from the States, coincidentally enough... and I'm itching to watch it!

Sorry if I sounded pompous about learning from the books, but I've always been a book fan. Back in the old 'dark' days of magic, books were all I remember, and they were hard enough to get hold of! The only way to see sleights being done was to visit magic shows or watch magic on TV.

I had great pleasure in learning from these old books, as I felt that I was part of something deep, dark and mysterious - the old monotone inked images, the old-fashioned use of grammar... I felt that I was not a part of the mainstream.

The modern method is like everything these days - instant. 'We want it, and we want it NOW!'

I must admit, my attention span and patience were younger back then, and I learned that way because I had to.

Please don't think of me as a 'soapbox' type - I'm not, really! But I feel that the path I trod has lead me to understand the whole thing quite well. Today, I watch Sankey's 45 and think 'yes, that's an AWESOME classic pass...', and his is SO different to my own. But mine works equally as well, and it is self taught.

I believe that many great magicians learn their own methods - otherwise, everything would just stay the same and be based on one method.

There's more than one way to skin a cat (sorry Mog), I believe. But, as you quite rightly say (and I bow my head and stand corrected)...

...each to their own.

To be fair,, there's no substitute for learning something solidy from basics - books are far better and much more durable. And you can read them on the bus or wherever. I'd go along with the idea of an accompaniment to, rather than replacement for, RRTCM and, if youse guys are doing the business on this, I'll volunteer to come and make the tea/coffee/look after the aardvark etc.

I've got some lemons I could bring...

Hi

I'd just like to start by saying how I've been enjoying this 'forum' for the last couple of weeks and have found all the posts very interesting and must admit to having 'had to' purchase a couple of tricks which had not only an excellent initial review but also great praise from other members.

I feel I should bow down to many of you, as you demonstrate a far greater understanding and service to the art than I know I ever will, however I'm heartened by the fact that there are other members who are amateurs caught up by the pleasure a well presented performance can have on friends.

I believe a great part of 'magic' comes from the performance and that is as individual as each of us, however I like Yankeetom and Bananafish, struggle to pick up the moves from books, sometimes you just need to see the move performed, for everything to click into place.

(A more recent and (sorry non-card) example would be the Pinnacle DVD, I'm sure if that had just been a printed booklet I would have consigned it to a drawer of 'great tricks which I'll never master').

The modern age of video and dvd opens up 'magic' to a whole new audience. From my perspective I wouldn't ever try to purely replicate the moves demonstrated, but use them to develop something that works for me.

I picked up the 'CMH' rubber band routine, through studying a videoclip demo... this gave me the idea of how to perform the effect, to be honest I'm not sure if my moves follow any published guidance, but they work for me.

So I'll end my ramblings here, but just before I leave can anyone suggest a DVD for coin sleights.

many thanks

Vats

ps.. if anyone ever publishes a RRTCM dvd, I'd be first (well probably third) in line to buy it

Vats - welcome to the madhouse - you'll find we're very varied in skills (yeah, right!) talents (ho, ho!) and abilities (what?) but we all love magic. After that there's not a lot more to be said! Your Pinacle analogy is spot on - I'd like to see the text only version of that one fine day!