Category: Performance

Categories
Performance Tutorials

Gotta Hand It To You Instructions

Effect:

Offer your business card to a friend or associate showing them it is on the screen of your phone. Move the card around on the screen then pull the card out of the phone and hand it to them!

Setup:

Take a picture with your phones camera of your business card and crop to size, or load a jpg, png, bmp, or gif or your business card onto your phones sd card.

Under menu settings (or press the back key) select the image of your card you wish to use.

Secret:
Hide your business card under the phone, launch the app, then use your thumb to move the card around on the screen. When you are ready to “remove” the card slide your thumb off the screen removing the card from behind the phone and hand it to your amazed and baffled friend. You are guaranteed to be remembered!

 

Downloadable PSD business card template

Categories
Just Magic Performance

Mind Reading Number Magic

This is one of the oldest effects I know.  While cleaning out some old magic bins I came across cards for this trick  (several different packets of them) and thought it would be fun if this effect could be done online.

Continue reading “Mind Reading Number Magic”
Categories
Just Magic Performance

The Reason

This is something I try to think about when putting together a routine. The reason.  With TV magic as popular as it is, everyone want unbelievable magic right in front of them.  When you are getting props for a routine, or planning a move for a routine the reason can make or break your trick.  For example, reaching in your pocket needs a reason. Woofle dust can only work but for so long.  Reaching in your pocket or covering your hand causes suspicion, and if they are suspicious when they shouldn’t be the magic is lost. Whether they’re right or not.

Give a valid reason for props, moves, and misdirection.   I’m not saying every routine has to make sense. The egg bag has no rhyme or reason, but I do it anyway.  It’s good fun magic.  It could have a story involving a golf ball or a pool ball, but it doesn’t.  It’s just presented as magic entertainment. 

One example of the why in a trick. For those of you who do or have seen 3 fly, there is a steal in that effect where a coin needs to transfer from one hand to the other.  I have seen performers click the coins they have in their hands and transfer the coin then.  This is the way I learned to perform it but never performed it publicly because it was unnatural for me to hit coins together in my hand for no reason.  So 2 years later, a friend of mine presented a story presentation for the routine, which I asked to steal (borrow) that presented me with a reason and method to get the coin. I explain after the first coin travels that the coin must have “rolled around and came out of the sleeve”, as I say this I illustrate and take the coin as I show my right sleeve.  If you don’t know the routine this might not make sense, but the idea is I now have a reason to touch my other hand and steal the coin away.  If the move is unnatural and feels unnatural, it will look unnatural and the impact of your magic will be lost.  One good way to fix this is to make the routine your own. By making it your own routine it will help you to lose some of the moves that may not be natural for you to do. Like using woofle dust for example….

 

 

Categories
Performance Shows, Workshops, and Lectures

Arizona Thespians Convention

This was my second year down to the Arizona Thespians convention.   The convention consist of 2 days of multiple workshops across (at least) 2 buildings of the convention center.  I arrived Thursday, which gives me a day (evening) to wonder around downtown Phoenix. We met up an My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, if your ever in Phoenix you should try to eat there. 

I digress. This year I requested a larger room due to overfilling the first year I was there. Fridays first class was over full and we had to turn away people, the next class was average size, and the final class was only about 40 people. This was the same both days of the conference.   The kids were great, I got to meet several young magic enthusiasts, including an  S.Y.M. member from Tucson.  I always enjoy my time in AZ, the weather is always fantastic (I’ve been there every season but summer) and the streets and sidewalks of downtown Phoenix are the cleanest I’ve ever seen.  I’m already looking forward to next year.

Categories
Performance

Some Practice Techniques

There are so many ways to practice, and with today’s technology getting you routines we’ll polished has never been easier.   We always hear in books and trick instructions to practice in front of a mirror.   When mirrors were less expensive and easier to use than a camera, this was a good idea. Now that everyone has a digital camera and you can delete the video and continue to re-use the SD card I think mirror practice should be obsolete.   My primary issue with mirror practice is how easy it is to develop blink syndrome and fail to see when you flash.

I have seen several magicians (and have also done it myself) that blink right as they execute a slight.  This is developed while practicing in front of a mirror and blinking the second you know you are executing a slight.  By not seeing the second the move happens you get a false security that the move looks good.   This doesn’t happen to everyone on every trick every time they mirror practice, there’s nothing wrong with working in front of a mirror. My opinion is you should always do a few final runs in front of a camera and also a parent or a friend.  Performing to a camera give you a real view of what your doing and how your tricks look from the front.  If it looks bad and you flash on video that’s what it will look like when you are performing it.  It will also help you to look up while your performing so you can see the trick performed from the audiences perspective.  Remember Practice makes permanent.