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Help needed with tricks

Mar 24, 2009
60
0
I've been hearing in many forum that people are having issues creating routines, I have a deeper issue - I have been practicing card magic for around 2 months, I have several DVD's, I can do some basic moves and flourishes, enough to create a trick, I also have the Royal Road to Card Magic, yet can't forge a good trick with them, Brad Christian has said in one of his DVD's that simple hits hard, if its properly structured so I thought I might ask for some basics of creating trick, you know there are no protocols or whatever that tell how a trick should be done, I think creating them is somewhat like a painter drawing a painting, he can't do it when he is told to, only when he has inspiration, so I though maybe you could share your own favorite effects here, perhaps you could you could point out a trick from Royal Road that hits the spectators strong, share links with cool trick and explanations on youtube and vimeo or give me and others how you make tricks, and what makes an effect look impossible.
 
If you've only been doing card magic for about 2 months then you shouldn't be focusing on the creation of an effect. You should be focusing on the reproduction and imitation of good effects already available.

You need to learn to walk before you can run.

Originality is good, I commend you for it. If for nothing else, that will separate you from 90% of the magic fraternity as it is. But you're still a neophyte. Take your time, learn and practice more before you begin to experiment with the creation side of things.

As a side note:
Card tricks only have two (2) possible plots. 1) Pick a card & find it or 2) acrobatics & story done with them. Because of this incredibly narrow selection it is very difficult to create an "original" effect using cards for magic. At best you can hope for is creating your own handling to an effect or plot already available.

I would highly recommend developing your own handling for the classic Ambitious Card Routine. The ACR is incredibly simple in plot and (sometimes) in handling. You can switch it up in method to fit about any audience or needs of a specific environment. It appears to be pure magic to the common layman. Ignore the other magicians eye rolling at this effect. It's been a staple in my impromptu effects for a while now.

I also recommend, Triumph (any version of it), and Cards Across. They are both good effects and are also featured in many professionals set lists.
 
Jan 9, 2008
226
0
Sacramento
Welcome to the forums, Raekan.

Well, I advise you to go pick yourself up a copy of Strong Magic, by Darwin Ortiz. I think it should be required reading for those new to magic. As for creating a routine, you might find it hard because all of the effects you have learned don't flow well together. You need a thesis in your magic to make the ensemble go well together. Do you want your audience to think you can read their minds, tell if they are lying, make things disappear, change places? It's like writing an essay. Each point flows logically to the next, and they prove to the reader your thesis. Find out what you want your audience to experience, then create it. One can usually tinker with an effect to make it match his presentation.

for example, I present the idea that I can make someone forget something. Something so important that they wouldn't believe it. I start out with the 2 card monte, then before the queens turn to aces (or whatever cards you are using), I have them set them down before they see that they switched. I then go on to do the ambitious card routine, talking about how their mind sees what it wants to, that they are expecting magic to happen so they see it. I tell them that their card isn't really the one on top, they are just seeing things. That flows into believe by JP, telling them that now I've told them they should let themselves see the reality, that it isn't their card. We go back to the two queens on the table, and they are aces.

This routine flows well, because it has a theme. The effects go together and the whole routine leads up to a climax, with a kicker. The audience loves it and will remember it forever because it has somewhat of a story line to it. Find out what you want to prove, then present it.

kevin
 
Mar 24, 2009
60
0
Ok, but can you share the best tricks from the Royal Road, because it has tons of tricks, so many that I couldn't have gone trough them all and probably I haven't read about the best of them...
 
Ok, but can you share the best tricks from the Royal Road, because it has tons of tricks, so many that I couldn't have gone trough them all and probably I haven't read about the best of them...

There is no quick road to card magic. You need to take the time to experiment with everything. Not only are you building the fundamental basics that you will need later to perform card magic, but what works for me may not work for you. You need to develop this yourself.
 
Mar 24, 2009
60
0
There is no quick road to card magic. You need to take the time to experiment with everything. Not only are you building the fundamental basics that you will need later to perform card magic, but what works for me may not work for you. You need to develop this yourself.

Maybe your right but it sounds kinda like you odn't want to reveal your secrets...
 
there are lots of tricks with cards, not just find a card or acrobatic. there are torn and restored, color changes, size changes, location location location, basically anything can be done with cards. but the basic one is the pick, loose, find.

and yea dont worry about making up tricks if you've only been performing magic for 2 months. I've been performing for 2 years and still havnt really created too much. when something comes to you, you'll figure out what to do.
 
Sep 2, 2007
1,229
0
creating something is nowhere NEAR as important as reading, learning, and performing. after awhile if there is a trick you like, but there is something off about the way it's done, modify it so that it fits your personality.
 

Jack

Elite Member
Sep 5, 2007
268
0
Decatur, GA
When I'm coming up with a trick I work backwards. I decide what effect I want then go backwards and use the knowlege and sleights that i know to achieve the effect.

If you are just 2 months in listen to what the others have posted and keep learning. Don't focus on creating your own effects. Eventually you will come across a trick that you like and will try to think of a way to simplify it or make it more visual. But you need the tools before you can start building. The more you know about card magic the easier it will be to create effects further on down the road. Don't be impatient, the payoff is huge!

Cheers!
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
Maybe your right but it sounds kinda like you odn't want to reveal your secrets...

First of all, what the hell did you think we were going to tell you? You can't get something for nothing.

Second, read this.. Creating new tricks should be the least of your concerns at this point.
 
Maybe your right but it sounds kinda like you odn't want to reveal your secrets...

I understand that you are a noob, so I'll not chastise you for this comment.

I will however point out a few things.

1) I already gave you the names of the effects that you asked for. I would do some research on those.

2) I can tell you what you should read, or consider; However it is ultimately up to you to decide to learn the effects for yourself. Nothing in card magic that is worth doing comes with no effort in the learning process.

3) I may sound a bit off by saying this; But I don't want to do all the work for you. I'll point you down the right roads but I'm not going to hold your hand while you walk them. It's your career, not mine. I've already put in my time on Royal Road, and I frequently return to it.
 
C

CaseyC

Guest
I completely agree with what everyone has said so far but I thought I'd share something that Eric Jones posted yesterday. It may help.
As far as creativity goes, here's an exercise I invite you all to try. I promise this will get your creative juices flowing. Pick up any magic book, instead of looking through the method, read and re-read the description of the effect. Imagine that you were viewing that effect for the very first time w/ your "Spectator Cap" on. After you've imagined the moments of astonishment, only then do you conjure your own methods to achieve the same effect. Use all the techniques and gimmicks you already have knowledge of, and have access to.

Once you're satisfied w/ your own method, only then read the published method to see how close you came. Perhaps you can combine your method w/ the published method to come up with something completely new. It's a technique that I've employed over the years, and I certainly invite you to do the same.

E-Roc
 
May 31, 2008
1,914
0
Just keep learning other people's effects. I've been doing magic for 3 years. I only started creating effects a few months ago.
 
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