Discussion
Earlier this year, I compared a charity magic show where the star performer was Jamie Allan. I've long been fascinated by magic and magicians and thought that by standing backstage, I might get a glimpse of how some of the tricks are done. Not a chance. His finale was appearing to make cards appear out of thin air. I was stood a few metres away at an angle where I should have been able to see what he was doing but from what I could see, we was genuinely making cards appear from nowhere.
About a month ago, I decided to start learning magic myself....not the usual cup and balls stuff (although that is where you are supposed to start) but with proper, complex sleight of hand stuff. I'm about a week away from mastering my first trick but have been playing around with a few others.
I'm completely hooked.
Any other magicians here?
About a month ago, I decided to start learning magic myself....not the usual cup and balls stuff (although that is where you are supposed to start) but with proper, complex sleight of hand stuff. I'm about a week away from mastering my first trick but have been playing around with a few others.
I'm completely hooked.
Any other magicians here?
I was interested in it as a child and as I grew up I became more interested in card magic. That there are no flashy props and just a pack of cards (and maybe a small gimmick) to work with means that the skill involved is impressive.
I learned a couple of tricks out of curiosity and I'm definitely no performer, nor intending to be one. A friend of mine is a very good close-up illusionist and aside from corporate functions all over the world his main job is designing stage illusions. One of his best gigs, according to him, was stuffing 3 x Sugababes into a box each night, which was then wheeled on stage looking empty. The 'babes would start the show by climbing out of it. There's a joke about sugarcubes in there somewhere. I digress...
At the risk of generalising I now suspect a lot of amateur magicians – and maybe some not-so-amateur ones – are insecure people. The ability to control an audience and have them in your thrall betrays a lack of confidence in themselves as a person. It's a little bit nerdy and I would suggest that if you studied magicians, a lot of them would fall into some sort of spectrum if you see what I mean.
Certainly from watching documentaries on magicians – there' a good one on Netflix – you can that just beneath the surface of these grown men are children who grew up wanting approval and recognition from a parent that perhaps they never got.
I learned a couple of tricks out of curiosity and I'm definitely no performer, nor intending to be one. A friend of mine is a very good close-up illusionist and aside from corporate functions all over the world his main job is designing stage illusions. One of his best gigs, according to him, was stuffing 3 x Sugababes into a box each night, which was then wheeled on stage looking empty. The 'babes would start the show by climbing out of it. There's a joke about sugarcubes in there somewhere. I digress...
At the risk of generalising I now suspect a lot of amateur magicians – and maybe some not-so-amateur ones – are insecure people. The ability to control an audience and have them in your thrall betrays a lack of confidence in themselves as a person. It's a little bit nerdy and I would suggest that if you studied magicians, a lot of them would fall into some sort of spectrum if you see what I mean.
Certainly from watching documentaries on magicians – there' a good one on Netflix – you can that just beneath the surface of these grown men are children who grew up wanting approval and recognition from a parent that perhaps they never got.
I've got a friend who's a very good magician (full time).
Some of the stuff he does is incredible, he can do all the close up/sleight of hand stuff.
As well as some amusing tricks like doing a card trick, whilst stealing someones watch without them realising (obviously he gives it to them back).
Another memorable one of is, would be doing a card trick, then the card ending up in the persons wallet without them realising.
All very impressive when you stand and watch him as i still have absolutely no idea how he does it.
Some of the stuff he does is incredible, he can do all the close up/sleight of hand stuff.
As well as some amusing tricks like doing a card trick, whilst stealing someones watch without them realising (obviously he gives it to them back).
Another memorable one of is, would be doing a card trick, then the card ending up in the persons wallet without them realising.
All very impressive when you stand and watch him as i still have absolutely no idea how he does it.
StevieBee said:
Earlier this year, I compared a charity magic show where the star performer was Jamie Allan. I've long been fascinated by magic and magicians and thought that by standing backstage, I might get a glimpse of how some of the tricks are done. Not a chance. His finale was appearing to make cards appear out of thin air. I was stood a few metres away at an angle where I should have been able to see what he was doing but from what I could see, we was genuinely making cards appear from nowhere.
About a month ago, I decided to start learning magic myself....not the usual cup and balls stuff (although that is where you are supposed to start) but with proper, complex sleight of hand stuff. I'm about a week away from mastering my first trick but have been playing around with a few others.
I'm completely hooked.
Any other magicians here?
I don't but I love close up sleight of hand tricks (I can't say magic, it just doesn't exist!), I think I'm more intrigued by the skill and abilities mostly.About a month ago, I decided to start learning magic myself....not the usual cup and balls stuff (although that is where you are supposed to start) but with proper, complex sleight of hand stuff. I'm about a week away from mastering my first trick but have been playing around with a few others.
I'm completely hooked.
Any other magicians here?
keep it up!
R8Steve said:
I am always amazed at what they do but having seen how a very well known magician/illusionist does some of his tricks i'm surprised at how simple they actually are.
Most of the best tricks are inherently simple from a mechanical point of view. The difficulty and thus skill is the fluidity of the move that performs the trick convincingly. Most require the contortion of you hand to angles that you would not normally use. You then need to work out the angle at which you perform the trick to the audience. I've been told that it takes between 10 and 15 hours to get to the point at which you can comfortably perform a trick with confidence.cobra kid said:
What did you compare it to? (sorry)
I SO wanted to say that, I hoped someone would save me from myself, well done.On another note, years ago, there was a graffito on a wall in Stepney, East London, which read;
Millwall are magic, watch them disappear from the second Division.
ZOLLAR said:
I don't but I love close up sleight of hand tricks (I can't say magic, it just doesn't exist!), I think I'm more intrigued by the skill and abilities mostly.
keep it up!
This Penn & Teller video is excellent - after watching it you can skip back and notice things that are obvious when you look at what's going on:keep it up!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmwT7L0hToQ
Mate of mine did card tricks and stuff at even, fairly basic stuff but filled 20 minutes, Final part of one of his tricks he speared the persons card on a sword.
One night he did the trick, final flourish he stabs the sword in the air with the card impaled.
He didn't take into account the low ceiling, stabbed one of the light fittings, electrocuted himself and blew the fuse for the lights plunging the place into darkness.
Outstanding finish.
One night he did the trick, final flourish he stabs the sword in the air with the card impaled.
He didn't take into account the low ceiling, stabbed one of the light fittings, electrocuted himself and blew the fuse for the lights plunging the place into darkness.
Outstanding finish.
The up close 1 on 1 card tricks or coin etc can be very impressive.
I've was on a lengthy, boozy train ride at a 4 person table in the dining carriage with a random Frenchman doing a coin trick who was happy to repeat it over and over for me to try and figure it out.
Maybe the beer didn't help but I was utterly perplexed at how he did it. Simple f
king coin trick.
Equally amazed and frustrated.
I've was on a lengthy, boozy train ride at a 4 person table in the dining carriage with a random Frenchman doing a coin trick who was happy to repeat it over and over for me to try and figure it out.
Maybe the beer didn't help but I was utterly perplexed at how he did it. Simple f
king coin trick. Equally amazed and frustrated.
I can do basic coin magic - making it disappear and appear somewhere else, putting a coin into a can etc - and would love to learn more of it, especially illusions. It absolutely fascinates me. It can be very intelligent stuff and there are people who spend days/weeks/months working on one short trick, just to make one person smile or feel 'amazed' at it. On the whole though, it is very simple when you see the basics and most of it relies almost entirely on the person in front of you not spotting something.
I'd fully agree that there are a lot of weirdo's who do it (I may be one
) and it can be incredibly geeky, but with the advent of YouTube etc, you can easily distance yourself from those people! Don't let it put you off if you want to look further into it, you don't have to become a cape wearing oddball to enjoy it and you certainly don't have to involve yourself with that kind of person in any way either.
If you want to explore it, use YouTube to start with and look for the French Drop. It's a really basic hand movement that can be used in hundreds of tricks, practise it for about 10 minutes and you'll be able to entertain a few people if you're at the pub for 3 or 4 minutes. It doesn't take long to get good at it at all and you can adapt it yourself to expand to seemingly more difficult tricks (which aren't any more difficult at all!).
I'd fully agree that there are a lot of weirdo's who do it (I may be one
) and it can be incredibly geeky, but with the advent of YouTube etc, you can easily distance yourself from those people! Don't let it put you off if you want to look further into it, you don't have to become a cape wearing oddball to enjoy it and you certainly don't have to involve yourself with that kind of person in any way either.If you want to explore it, use YouTube to start with and look for the French Drop. It's a really basic hand movement that can be used in hundreds of tricks, practise it for about 10 minutes and you'll be able to entertain a few people if you're at the pub for 3 or 4 minutes. It doesn't take long to get good at it at all and you can adapt it yourself to expand to seemingly more difficult tricks (which aren't any more difficult at all!).
DrSteveBrule said:
I was interested in it as a child and as I grew up I became more interested in card magic. That there are no flashy props and just a pack of cards (and maybe a small gimmick) to work with means that the skill involved is impressive.
I learned a couple of tricks out of curiosity and I'm definitely no performer, nor intending to be one. A friend of mine is a very good close-up illusionist and aside from corporate functions all over the world his main job is designing stage illusions. One of his best gigs, according to him, was stuffing 3 x Sugababes into a box each night, which was then wheeled on stage looking empty. The 'babes would start the show by climbing out of it. There's a joke about sugarcubes in there somewhere. I digress...
At the risk of generalising I now suspect a lot of amateur magicians – and maybe some not-so-amateur ones – are insecure people. The ability to control an audience and have them in your thrall betrays a lack of confidence in themselves as a person. It's a little bit nerdy and I would suggest that if you studied magicians, a lot of them would fall into some sort of spectrum if you see what I mean.
Certainly from watching documentaries on magicians – there' a good one on Netflix – you can that just beneath the surface of these grown men are children who grew up wanting approval and recognition from a parent that perhaps they never got.
Yes, magicians always look a bit creepy and weird. Saw one at a garden party last weekend who used to be on TV and pretty much everyone said he looked like a bit of a p*do.I learned a couple of tricks out of curiosity and I'm definitely no performer, nor intending to be one. A friend of mine is a very good close-up illusionist and aside from corporate functions all over the world his main job is designing stage illusions. One of his best gigs, according to him, was stuffing 3 x Sugababes into a box each night, which was then wheeled on stage looking empty. The 'babes would start the show by climbing out of it. There's a joke about sugarcubes in there somewhere. I digress...
At the risk of generalising I now suspect a lot of amateur magicians – and maybe some not-so-amateur ones – are insecure people. The ability to control an audience and have them in your thrall betrays a lack of confidence in themselves as a person. It's a little bit nerdy and I would suggest that if you studied magicians, a lot of them would fall into some sort of spectrum if you see what I mean.
Certainly from watching documentaries on magicians – there' a good one on Netflix – you can that just beneath the surface of these grown men are children who grew up wanting approval and recognition from a parent that perhaps they never got.
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