An end to a fresh start

The blogger's version won't be anymore updated. If you want to keep following me it will be on tumblr.

Hope we'll keep hanging out.

Magic meeting

I have these days the rare opportunity to hang out with Tony Chang. And I think it's great thing to be able to share (more him than me) so easily and to cross our opinion on some questions we ask ourselves.

I can tell you he showed some incredible pieces. And I was baffled. I will next time show him some tricks of mine and try to get his opinion on it.

I've talked before about Tony Chang before but I want to be sure that I'm coherent with my way of thinking. And I can assure that he has various material not published so I'm not afraid he will go in the bin as some T11 character.

I will write a report at the end of the week and after that I'm going to Japan so I'll try to hang out with some Japanese magicians.

A concept I like quite much.

I was reading quickly the opus magazine vol 1 recently and have given some time to one trick about 2 selections and the presentation seems to be very good. I will up to date references later when I have the pdf under my hand.

The effect is in fact quite simple. A spectator choose 2 cards and put it back in the middle. By cutting the deck the 1st selection is produced in the center of the deck.This one is placed on the table face down. The magician turns the deck face up and while spreading cards he reveals a face down card. When he turns it over, it's not the 2nd selection but the 1st and on table the 2nd. So quite simple but here he introduced a very clever solution to dissociate the 2 selections in spectator's mind.

He asks first to remember the card then to forget it. Genius.

There is good quiproquo in this situation but awesome.

I've came up with a line I like in order to reveal the travel.

"What is the card I've asked you to remember?"

"...x of y" maybe applying here a bit of psychology in order to delay the answer or even better try the spectator to say the 1st selection's name?

"The strange thing here is because I've told you to forget the 1st one, you actually remember it much more than the 2nd one. This would explains why I have here still the 1 st selection."

"And because we didn't stress much on the second one, you're starting to forget it."

We come to a concept I call : brain hacking

I like it but I think the majority of you will think the opposite.

More an effect is simpler the better it is.

But I take the opposite here and want to drown the audience with effect and when the trick is over they don't catch everything but are convinced that it was awesome.

Of course the day after they will just say :

"Yesterday, I saw a magician he did an amazing thing"

"What did he do?"

"Hum, with cards but it's hard to explain. But believe me it was awesome."

Is this last sentence disturbing anyone?

Does the audience need to recall the whole trick or the fun he had is what it's most important no matter you're achieving to get it?

I think before wondering if it's a good signature trick or whatever. We need to focus on audience feeling.

Just a little thing

Last Wednesday, I met a guy who was in fact a magician. Honestly, I was quite happy and interested by sharing some thoughts or tricks. He asked me to perform some tricks. After that he's showed me some of his materials I was so disappointed. He performed dr daley trick and another classic. WTF. What was he thinking? And he claimed to be magician for 12 years... Despite that I think he was a good performer, he also showed us a variation of fiber optics that was very satisfying. Just not a magician guy which may not be bad at all.
I'm for sure a magician guy and you can testify that I've said I don't think it's the best solution in order to evolve because you will tend to be in a too technical / justified magic. (Dani Daortiz talk at EMC was great on this subject by the way). But still if you don't "hang out " with magicians you tend to be stuck with your assets and manage to create or even tweak.

A book I liked, ten on deck by Ian Baxter

This is a small book of 40 pages, but there is sweet materials in there.

I really advice you to read it. Even it's 70's, well this is quite modern.

It contains 10 tricks and here are the ones I liked.

Cheeky aces, which is a bundle of reverse, change, separation in a sucker trick way of 2 four of a kind. The structure is clever and the effect is great.

The somersault card, in order to not perform ACR when you're asked for a trick go on this one, simple and direct.

The wallet mystery is an innovative method for a classic trick without gimmicked wallet.

Honestly, the remaining materials are good too but I can't assure you I will once perform it so I've decided to include it in my list.

Besides that I've started studying my Hungarian lecture notes and some materials are a bit old school but found a cool variation.

Finally, I will also keep reading provocative hypnosis by Jorgen Rasmusen.

Trip

I've been these last 2 weeks in few cities, Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Istanbul with friends. It wasn't a magic trip at all but every time I'm wanting to discover the magic sphere in places I don't know.

So what I do each time is to check if there is magicshop or any organization i may be able to go.

For this last trip I had one hit in Budapest for a shop. I went there, salesman barely talked english but it doesn't matter. I'm here in a foreign country and if someone should be frustrated it would be them because I'd stayed in their country and didn't know hungarian.

I've bought a booklet of the "best hungarian card magician" but I haven't started to read it so when I'll finish it I'll maybe write a review about it.

I'm also quite pissed off against myself because I didn't go party enough I couldn't do enough magic and experience other cultures' reactions to magic.

Well, this is a bit sad but it's all for magic in my next trip I will definitely perform more.

Viszumtlatasrla (spelling is not good but it means good bye in hungarian)

Close up

Sometimes you see beautiful effect but once you know the solution you don't want to perform it anymore whereas the effect is great.
I had this feeling while watching both Noel Qualter alarmed and i deck. I was very intrigued by the effect but the explanation is a bit hard to perform and don't offer liberty for me. In fact I think I'm wrong and should focus more on the effect than the solution because your public won't or shouldn't (it depends on your level) understand how it works, well this is the meaning of magic.

This comes to the trendy subject which is about criticizing the ACAAN because of it's more an equation to solve between magician than a real audience thing. It's true you could do a CAAN (forget the "any" part) which is easier and go on. Your public won't notice any difference because they actually don't know that the ACAAN exists.

I want finish this post with a small ad for yoann with his 2nd version of his site, magicalsleight. Please have a look on it and maybe purchase some of the material available.

Just a snack

In order to make you waiting a serious card study post her

e is a little "bouchée" like we say in French.

Because after ending my exam which explains by the way why I don't often post recently, I will make a little trip. To get ready I'm learning few bar bets. I'm watching now the world best bar bets starring the real hustle team and dropped on this :

WTF!!! and who is holding that?

No one else than Paul Wilson, I'm wondering who the hell brings a deck of Jerry's Nugget in a bar? Is he showing off? Of course he is but who o

n earth besides us card geek is catching the thing?

You may think it's an magician exclusive dvd (because it's a dvd). Of course not it's available on amazon at £3,49. WTF again. The shipping costs more than the video, furthermore create the DVD itself may cost more than the price.

Back to the content, there are entertaining ideas but sometimes I feel like they're forgetting the fact if the audience thinks after the bet's wording it's impossible... then they will never take the bet.

For instance take a pen cap (bic) and drop it in a empty beer bottle and lay this bottle on the table. Do you think you can take back the cap without touching anything?

Again WTF... who will take the bet unless they no the solution.

Here it is enough WTF for today.

OK, the last one.

Jerry's Nugget 3 card Monte.

Lack of inspiration

I'm really wondering how http://pasteboardpimps.tumblr.com/ for instance is keeping such a high activity of his blog.

I was quite active in April but here in May I didn't have any inspiration.

I've seen few videos as the Paul LePaul by Paul Wilson... what a dumb trick. Sorry it's not because we have the same name you can/dare release such poor material.

Same critic goes to Jay Sankey's Bending the real. This is bad bad... It looks like a magic dvd but it's not.

So Sato

Today I want to talk about a Japanese magician. I have his book and his booklet, both are actually great. His name is So Sato and he's an amateur magician.

He has came up with a good triumph's version.

This is the one selection's version, the original version contains two.

I love the handling, we can notice a bit of Lennart Green influence with the mixed up display and honestly I've killed lot of guys with this one.

His materials are available for a long time but sadly for you only in Japanese and I think it's still impossible to get it from the rest of the world because Japanese retailers used to ship their products only in Japan.

But I have lot of expectancy from you and I think you may find the solution just by watching this video or the original one.

I'm quite generous today and in order to excuse my last absence I'm going to give you a clue.

The key point here is not to focus on technique that by the way he executes very smoothly but on the choreography because it's what makes this trick so deceiving.

close up mood

These last days I have been quite in a magic mood and have watched and read bunch of stuff.

First I've kept playing on the lazy rise/falling elevator duet in order to a decent result. In fact I'm not able to perform both but working on it. Wait for me I'm quite enjoying giving hard time to my small hands. I have now in mind a good effect I need to find a good flow and justified sequences but the effect could be cool.

-Two cards are chosen, one is the elevator card which we reveal and the 2nd one which is put back in the middle.

-Elevator card starts to climb to the top but pass through the selection so the performer make the card falling a bit.

-He spreads the deck but both above and below elevator card's cards are not the selection. (elevator card is still the genuine one)

-Performer retrieve these cards and the elevator card has changed in the selection.

I hope you'll enjoy it. Not very powerful but quite cute I'll say.

Today I was reading Jon Allen's book, Experience and stopped on the oralgami. What a nice trick. 'So' what I like : clever, mindblowing, easy to do, what else. Which brings me because of the techniques involved in the trick to Joshua Jay's cornered, a few years old material. It's a video produced by penguin magic before Joshua Jay has started vanishinginc with Andi Gladwin. This one too, so sweet, yummy. One of the most practical bill travel I've ever seen. Well I admit not being a close up expert but it's very deceiving. If you want you can appreciate my point of view as a layman. Isn't it even better?!

Elevator

I've always been intrigued by the raise rise move by ray kosby. It's a difficult move and lot of easier techniques have a appeared after that with one hand and the two. I've known the existence of lazy rise for more than one year but I've never spent time on it. No offence chris mayhew I don't know the reason myself.
But finally, I've decided yesterday to learn it. You'll ask me why, because I have to learn it now for an effect.
All this elevator moves have only one duty : rise. Not a single one fall ... until recently, the falling elevator. It's not from me but from Bizau Vasile Cristian. Not revolutionary it's even logical in the conception but the most important thing it works.

Here is my point now you can have the card rise and fall at your will in the deck. Here a situation I'm working on : Imagine having two cards selected, one will be lost and the other one will be used to retrieve the first one. You start by rising the card and you'll say I think it's a bit too far we have to lower the card a little. When you spread the deck the spectator will notice that the card just above once turned up is the selection.

Bonus : Chris Mayhew during his lazy rise explanation said : "[...] That's why you add a little bit of movement in this case some shaking especially I like to do it down here on my crouch area ... it's very subliminal."

I was quite busy recently in order to prepare my exam so I apologize for the delay.

This last month I've not spent much time on magic. I'm quite satisfied with my materials actually now and I prefer to master my stuff rather than exploring new landscapes. I have now a visual routine, a vietnam plot, an ACAAN and a variation of the trick which can not be explained. In fact I have other creation but I'm not working on it these days.

I've showed few tricks to a magic buddy who is used to perform in order to live and told me that it's definitely a bit complicated for laymen audience. Of course I'm enough objective to understand and accept his critics but I've thought there is a magic which is able to fit both magicians and laymen.

For instance lot of professional magician think ACAAN is definitely a brainstorming between magician and shouldn't be performed for laymen for simple reason they won't catch the complexity of the plot and will simply notice that you retrieve a card at a given position. Whereas I'm thinking it depends on the performance and how you introduce the plot. Because I like routine and not 30 seconds trick where you only watch performer's hand, ACAAN shouldn't be only a take/think of card ; give me a number between 1 and 52 ; take the deck and count to this position.

In my pattern I'm more likely to have a card selected ; ask the spectator to put it aside in his mind in order to come back to it later while I start on a new thing. I try then to wait in order to make the revelation more astonishing.

10 cards poker deal performance idea

I was quite surprised by this but with 10 cards poker deal you are able to win all the time.

In fact it's more powerful than that because you can either choose to win or lose.

Don't you see the opportunity here?

Introduce the way how pro poker player use to play a game.

A good gambler is someone who lost a bit but win a lot.

No one can win all the time so you have to minimize your lost and maximize your win.

Have a prediction on a piece of paper on which you have written:

1 : the spectator win

2 : the performer win

3 : the performer win

The start looks like a 3 cards monte and you on purpose take the jonas card.

During this 1st phase you show how the game will be played.

For the second phase and the third this time you don't take the jonas card and you leave it to him.

You finish by saying it's useless to always win because no one will play with you so the best way to keep increasing your money is to control the game.

In order to prove this point I've written here a memo before the start of the game, can you read it.

I maybe a bit wrong by revealing too much during the ante-prediction revelation but I'm thinking it can give false explanation to make the trick "un-back-trackable".

52 times a week

Mika respect for your work.

It's always a pleasure to study your performance.

He claims to be the genuine 365 project inventor and I believe him.

Have a look on his site.

52 times a week

I had a real great feeling this week, I've fooled one of my best magic buddy and damn this tastes good.

To sum it up because I don't want to give too many ideas (I cherish too much the method), it's my take on the trick that can not be explained. You may be wondering how it's possible to have a variation on it but I think this is the most similar trick which exists and even it's less impromptu, I don't need to see the face of the cards and have much more outs. Finally I don't ask the spectator's card. In fact it's a mix of this plot with an impossible location without looking the face of the cards.

One advise to you reader, if you want to fool your magic buddy even if it's not the best thing in magic go on the trick that can not be explained.

This a nice doodle from google.

Trendy magicians

Recently there are some ubiquitous magicians.

Here is the list :

Alex Pandrea

Calen Morelli

Patrick Kun

Tony Chang

The first one has just launched thebluecrown with his buddy Dan Hauss.

Calen Morelli is very active with his 365 project on youtube through Penguin Magic and releasing also on T11.

Patrick Kun and Tony Chang are a bit everywhere ellusionist/vanishinginc for the first one and D&D/vanishinginc/thebluecrown.

I don't know how much they make but I hope they will be enough clever to not disclose all their works in 1 or 2 years and like lot of T11's "star" be thrown away like a junk.

I'm not fan of Morelli's work but I have to admit this is tremendous how he is always able to publish never-bad idea on his channel and for that I'm respecting him.

By the way particularly to Patrick Kun, can you sometimes publish your own work?! It's not cool to sell old materials or even modern one.

I hope for you and for those who want be like them to cherish more your work and keep it for you and your close friend.

Jack Parker's 21 card trick

52 memories is a great book. It's not very expensive and it explains very solid tricks.

I borrow this book from a friend and this week I've just read the 21 card trick chapter.

One thing there is killer trick in here.

As a magician I have to admit I hadn't been in the mood of studying this plot but laymen will love it for sure. There is so many times when you meet people they will show the only they know : the 21 cards trick.

Here it's so easy to go on, you'll just need to perform sunken 21. This one require no sleight of hand just a bit of mental investment and you put the crowd on fire because usually you need to make 3 rows but this time with only one row you reveal the card. It kills even magicians you have interested.

Of course there is lot of great modern trick in this one.

Jack Parker you will be always in my heart.

trapdoor

First of all I want to share my solidarity with the Japan earthquake/tsunami's victims.

Here is few points I like in Trapdoor in the first 192 pages.

P69 : Very interesting essay on how to create magic.

P114 : Siamese stab, easy and powerful trick by exposing a double faced card

P120 : leftovers section, telephone trick with a deck of card

P126 : Middle - guage spread, very Beam's style, direct, easy to do and stunning

P132 : Double prophecy, a bit like the last one but more practical

P156 : Thumb print, deceiving impossible location (even if impossible location should be always deceiving and I'm quite a laymen to understand these types of things)

P161 : Charged cards, recently it's a bit the trend but Beam had thought about it 25 years ago and it's pretty convincing.

P178 : Silicard, a nice gaff you may have fun with it.

P187 : Clubbed, nice triumph with twist by Aldo Colombini but a bit old way.

Respect Roland who is running 2-3? impressive blogs at the same time.

Post scriptum about marked deck

I completely forgot to give credit to Luke Jermay with his memory routine. Awesome. Well build, sure fire. What else. He showed it at blackpool and even if I knew the solution I was deceived.
Loved 2 things.
When he did the marked deck check by dribbling the deck in front of the spectator and saying not marked deck.
The second is when he says never forget the spectator's name during a memory routine...

Marked deck

I have to admit generally I'm against any sort of gimmick or gaff. More precisely I don't perform props which include it.

Even if it's not fair I decide to not count the marked deck as a gimmicked deck.

Don't ask me why.

Maybe because it's invisible.

So I decide to do some research on the subject and besides the daub/juice which is more a gambler thing and works much more efficiently on Bee cards, every marking system use Bicycle, Bicycle, Bicycle...

The consequence is if I use any other playing cards' brand no one will ever doubt that it can be marked.

This was my 1st point.

Other thing I disagree with is all the Ted Lesley/Boris Wild. I don't think because the mark is physically written on the card you catch it faster than a symbol or any different marking system.

It's just easier to start with.

However for selling your deck this is the best way.

I quite like the STUD like I said before and take this brand as a support for my marking system.

Well I spend a bit of time on it and my idea to use a balance symbol on the back design and to unbalance it by erasing one line or two.

First I was writing on it with some pen but I didn't find it enough contrasting. I remembered when I was a kid I used to paint some warhammer (heroic fantasy figurine) and when you had finished painting one you add some black ink on it to give more contrast to it. How does it work? Ink doesn't color the surface but only the corner. I use the same principle for my marked deck.

I scratched a line and with a fountain pen I just touch it with the tip and the ink goes all along the scratch. Magic...

Of course you can use this for you but it's always better to create your own system (as a memorized deck?!)

My magic

Recently I'm quite interested by mentalism that you can practice on the go.
Well I'm currently thinking that this is the thing after card magic. I imagine a show where you start with some visual magic, slowly go for coincidence with cards and finish by some killing mentalism effect. You start classic in order to end personal. I want the spectator to get the feeling having been part of an unique experiment (again if you read me) where he is an actor. I don't want to astonish but do people think there is bunch stuffs in this world you can't understand and you should accept it. The worst thing here is that you likely prefer it.

Practicability

I think you will agree that there is 4 types of trick:

-The one that is not good.

-The one that is average but easy to do.

-The one that is good but too hard to do. (3)

-The one that is great and furthermore practical. (4)

I think we'll both agree on the first two but I want to spend some time on the last 2 point which from now on I will call (3) and (4).

There is lot of routines out there from various magicians.

When you learn a new one or create one you first analyse the effect. Is is powerful enough, will it deceive your audience...

Once you know or create the solution you'll probably try to balance both solution and effect.

Now a question should appears in your mind. Is it practical?

What does it mean?

Is the effect enough strong to use all the techniques/gaff/setup which are involved in?

For instance imagine an effect where you need a 12 cards setup for a single effect. You won't probably do it for the simple reason you don't think the effect worth all the setup needed.

Personally I think the Grail (trick I talked about this morning) will fit in (3) because even if it's an excellent effect and very clean but unfortunately it doesn't worth the set up. Whereas an effect like Diplopia by Paul Vigil belongs to (4) for the simple reason that with 2 techniques you obtain a killer effect. You just have to work on a glimpse and the clocking. This is one of my favorite effect and I always get good reactions with it also because it fits to my character.

But don't think because it's gaffed I won't like it. We can example here use the Kickback effect by Ryan Swigert which involves few props but deliver an awesome impact. I'm also quite in fond of Dice man by Andy Nyman and Kollosal killer by Kenton Knepper. I file all this tricks in the (4) because of their practicability.

To sum it up analyze your trick and try to calculate the practical/effect ratio. If it's under 1 don't do it...

Close prediction/selection

I've just realized a funny thing.

An effect where a match between a close prediction with a card occurs is much more stronger than retrieving a lost selection.

Well I watched yesterday The grail by Mike Rose and here the spectator doesn't choose a card but a prediction is placed face down on the table at the beginning. Furthermore the deck starts in the box and the spectator deals the card.

It's quite impressive even if it's not so practical.

Why I think it's funny because it's easier to get a prediction match than to retrieve a selection for the simple reason that you don't have to control it. Moreover since audience doesn't know what is going on, they won't be stuck on your hands trying to catch a move. Whereas if you have a selection then audience know this card will be involved in the future and will probably be the main key in routine or effect so audience will try to follow the card.

Clever methods

I was talking recently about my aacan and I've continued to stick to the presentation of the estimation thing but have changed the procedure in order to achieve getting a more practical method.
Well I'm quite in fond of automatic trick. By the way I've started to read trapdoor...just awesome.
And personally the best trick's construction is the mix of deceiving technique and a smart mathematical solution...in fact it's semi-automatic trick nothing revolutionnary. Furthermore I'm always waiting for nectar of cards.
Because of what it implies is you're now able to focus on the speech and get some freedom. We can also say that generally these types of tricks are more an experience than a show off.
I want again the spectator be part of the trick and no more the one who watch. This is my ideal magic.

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Any card at any number

The berglas effect peformed by the man himself at the session has a huge influence on me. No matter the solution there is time when you see a trick it enlights you. This happenned on me and I had a flash. A past discussion with a nice magic buddy came back in my mind where he told me a good trick should not involve many techniques. I have a technique I've created few months ago and now it's time to use it effeciently. It's always a pleasure to find a meaning to your creations. Of course nothing revolutionnary but it allows you to re-fool audience with a classic card magic technique.
I combined these ideas and I came up with a solution to the acaan and I have to say I'm quite satisfied of myself on this one.
Now for some details on the solution that I won't give right now.
I don't want to focus my magic on a showoff I want the audience to participate to the trick, to be part of it and to feel clever. I want them to think because of them the magic happen. For my version I success to obtain a result where I can almost never fail. I didn't say automatic but there is 3 out and of course one of them is better than the others. I introduce this trick as an estimation performance that I miss by one.
Here was my tip for the day.
Paul.
By the way muscle your pinky it definitly worth the effort.

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I came back from Gloucester earlier this week.

This session was a great convention even if at the end I was a bit disappointed. I'm responsible too because I didn't try at anyway to make contact with other magician. The convention was quite well organized even if the hotel wasn't at the best location in the city I think. There was a great line-up compare to the number of participant.

I saw the real deal too, the Berglas effect performed by the man himself. Honestly I have no idea how he did it but he'll publish a book during May maybe I 'll buy it.

I thought Darwin Ortiz has good theory.

Rune Klan is really a funny and creative guy.

Deutsch rocks. (Pit Hartling and Denis Behr)

Tyler Wilson is awesome. Creative, funny and generous. Thanks mate.

Sorry but Benjamin Earl is weird...

Sorry again Andy Gladwin but your dvd is useless.

By the way in Great Britain, even if the beer is cheap it's also weak in alcohol. Sometimes it tastes like water...

Happy new year everybody.

I've enjoyed my Xmas vacation a lot.

I've purchased some interesting material and keep working mine.

Next week, there is the Session in Gloucester organized by Andi Gladwin and Joshua Jay and I'm going to be present there

This is my 2nd convention, my first one was Blackpool 2010.

In order to make worth it the convention there is few things you have to get ready :

-Be social.

-Master some unknown materials as yours or some hided old-magazine one.

Because attend to a convention is far from cheap.

I'll arrive late Friday and go back Monday.

So for the math it costs me :

-70 € of flight

-75£ of convention's fee

-75£ of hotel

-£25£ of car renting

So I don't calculate the food and drinking (even if the beer is cheap in UK).

But we can expect more or less 300£ for 3-4days.

I think everybody should attend once at least to a convention and it's your duty to make it worth the bill.

You'll need to socialize in order to keep contact with some magicians and learn some marvelous tricks or technique. Really don't lose time to sleep.

I remember last year at blackpool I was so tired that I went to sleep whereas Bebel (one of the french master) performed one of his creations which he used to show twice a year and I missed it.

Here it is I'll probably write a report of the convention next week.