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Tricky Regular user 108 Posts |
In the ambitious card, when the card "rises" to the top, do you riffle the deck, make a magical wave or flick the deck or snap fingers or what?
I was working on my routine today, and I wondered what gestures you make. James |
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r4bid Veteran user 386 Posts |
Well, I do a couple things depending on my audience...
Snapping is good if your routine is not too long, I don't want to hurt my hands trying to get a nice loud snap every 30 seconds for 5-10 minutes especially if I intend to perform the routine a couple of times in a row for different crowds. A clap is great, you can ask the audience to give it a try and act like they are applauding you and start thanking them for the applause. It's also very loud and seems like a magic type distraction, disturbs one sense and can trick the others if done as a misdirection (to get ready for your next move). I find the hand wave thing to look kind of weird and people are often pretty skeptical about it, so I don't use it. Blowing on the deck is another good option, I have a different audience member do the blowing each time. In a gambling type setting this would work nice, blowing on the dice? Why not try the deck? Note this works best with female audiences, in my experience, many guys will feel kind of weird blowing on the deck if it's in your hands. There are probably a bunch of other ways that I have done it, I tend to improvise to see how different audiences will react to various different things I could possibly do. Try whatever fits your persona... |
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Geoff Williams Special user St. Pete Beach, FL 617 Posts |
I use the Ammar idea of "casting a shadow over the deck." It highlights the moment that the magic happens without actually doing anything to the deck (such as riffling the cards).
Later in the routine I have the spectator push the card into the deck and then cast the shadow over the deck and then show everyone the top card. It plays very strong.
"Saját légpárnás tele van angolnák."
(Hungarian for "My hovercraft is full of eels") |
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Rolando Santos New user Atlanta, Ga. 86 Posts |
I have the spectator blow on the deck or if I am doing it for kids I have them say the magic word of the day.
Lately, because I have purchased some gorgeous cocobola wood wands,I have the spectator wave the wand. As you can gather from the kinds of things that I do, I use things that allow the spectator to be involved or be the magician. Audience particiption is something I am big on. I am always looking for ways to connect with the audience or bring them into the moment. By the way, don't ignore the way Geoff Willaims and Ammar do it. The shadow over the deck can look really cool under the right light and with the right patter. Good Luck, Rolando |
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Ray Eldard New user Phoenix, AZ 90 Posts |
Nothing groundbreaking here, but I like to riffle the deck with my thumb and then snap my fingers before revealing the card has returned to the top. I use Ammar's "casting a shadow" on other effects, but for the Ambitious card I just like the auditory aspects of the riffle and the snap.
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DaveVegas New user Leicester,England 89 Posts |
I turn the deck face almost face up with a quick flick of my wrist, so it almost looks like a move; I also get people to blow on the deck. Actually I do a number of things. The important thing is to do something, so there is a magical element shown.
Sometimes I'll not do the move, DL and show that their card isn't on the top, do 'the move' and up it pops.... works for me. :) |
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p.b.jones Inner circle Milford Haven. Pembrokeshire wales U.K. 2642 Posts |
Hi,
It's been years since I did ambitious card commercially, but when I did, I framed it slightly differently, rather than the card going in the middle and rising to the top. I would put the card in the middle and boomerang the top card of the deck claiming each time I did so it changed to the selection (transposition) to end the routine I would boomerang the card face up claiming that you should never do it this way or strange things happen, catching it in mid-air with both hands as it apparently splits into the four of a kind of the selection. I did it this way as it was more visual to larger tables. phillip |
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Stephen Long Inner circle 1481 Posts |
I have presented this in the past with the five of diamonds (or whatever card is signed) as a good friend of mine.
It begins with; "it's funny you should choose the five of diamonds, he's an old friend of mine. In fact, if I put him in the center of the deck, all I have to do is knock on the top of the deck like this..." I then knock on the top of the deck and the five (or whichever card) jumps up. I've found that personifying the card plays well with quite a few audiences; it also gives the audience opportunity to get involved by knocking on the deck themselves. If I have the card on top, often I will do a double to show an indifferent card, have a spec knock on the deck and let them turn over the top card. This also lets me, let them take credit for half the effect. So when asked, "how did you do that?" I can reply, "I didn't." Although I have never performed for children (except for that occasion on my brother's tenth birthday which I'd rather forget) I can imagine turning the card into an old rabbit who lived in the ground would play quite well. My thoughts, Gonz :carrot:
Hello.
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Luke Dancy Inner circle Las Vegas 1157 Posts |
A fun thought here could be using an
"elevator" theme to the ambitious card. In a formal setting using the bell as you would find at a hotel to grab attention of the clerk is a nice tool to use to cause the card to rise. Just simply ring the bell each time, ding! As a finale causing the card to appear folded under the bell sure sounds like a nice final touch. No pun intended Luke Dancy |
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Lonnie Dilan Special user Canyon Country, California 823 Posts |
I do a back flip when the card is on top....or I snap my fingers. Or I just do whatever I feel. My ambitious routine changes everytime I do it....it's my super impromptu worker. it depends on the crowd I'm working with.
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Lonnie Dilan Special user Canyon Country, California 823 Posts |
You can have a lady blow kisses at the deck or something like that. Wave a dollar bill over the deck or something like that...
oh... oh.... Here is an idea to work on. Use a rolled up dollar bill to wave over the deck to cause the card to rise to the top. then as a finale... you wave the rolled up bill over the deck, turn over the top card but it's not the card... then unroll the bill and the card is in there..... unroll the bill with the card.... just an idea. What do you guys think? |
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Tricky Regular user 108 Posts |
Sounds good, but may be a bit technically challenging
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phonic69 Special user 560 Posts |
I let the spectator click their fingers (if they can!) because it gets them involved. Is this casting of a shadow as literal as it sounds or is it the name for a move? Sorry if that's a dumb question!
Saxon |
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Scott F. Guinn Inner circle "Great Scott!" aka "Palms of Putty" & "Poof Daddy G" 6586 Posts |
It's literal--you pass your hand above the deck, casting a shadow over it. The phrase is taken from the Bible, when people were healed in the accounts in the book of Acts when the apostle Peter's shadow was cast over them as he passed by.
More info than you wanted, right?
"Love God, laugh more, spend more time with the ones you love, play with children, do good to those in need, and eat more ice cream. There is more to life than magic tricks." - Scott F. Guinn
My Lybrary Page |
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Ray Eldard New user Phoenix, AZ 90 Posts |
One day I hope to be able to give an answer like "Popularised by Charlie Miller in the mid '40s, Hugard and Braue refer to Casting a Shadow as a "little chestnut" that predates Erdanse, but alas your suspicions are correct. Just as literal as it sounds, it's Michael Ammars more theatrical alternative to saying "as I wave my hands over the deck" as he waves his hand over the deck.
Not a dumb question, just shows how many of us have seen at least one Michael Ammar video. |
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Tricky Regular user 108 Posts |
On ETMCM, when he teaches the amb card, he riffles, not casts a shadow. Well on vol 2 anyway.
James |
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Geoff Williams Special user St. Pete Beach, FL 617 Posts |
Quote:
On 2002-04-03 02:20, phonic69 wrote: Saxon, Later in the routine, I build it up to get one, then two, then several people involved: one pushes the "selected" card into the center of the deck, one "casts a shadow" over the deck with their hand, another turns over the top card to reveal the selection back on top. Plays well. I agree with you. Get the spectators involved whenever you can. The more they "invest themselves" in the routine, in either actions or emotions, the more they'll get out of it.
"Saját légpárnás tele van angolnák."
(Hungarian for "My hovercraft is full of eels") |
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Stephen Long Inner circle 1481 Posts |
Did anyone ever consider playing ambitious card as a magic trick gone wrong?
In which the magician would tell his audience that he needs to loose the selected card in the center of the deck only to find (to his annoyance) that the darned thing keeps on appearing on top of the deck. Still puzzled he calls upon his audience to help him put the thing into the deck. They are hopelessly bad at it. When the magician finally does succeed, he could breathe a sigh of relief and pull the card from an impossible location. Card to wallet? Or Kennedy's mystery box...? I had this idea a couple of days ago and thought I might throw it out here. I have yet to try it, but it would probably play well in terms of comedy. Maybe it's not even original... Thoughts? Gonz :carrot:
Hello.
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Geoff Williams Special user St. Pete Beach, FL 617 Posts |
Gonz,
I like that idea a lot. I'm a big fan of the "magician in trouble" scenario.
"Saját légpárnás tele van angolnák."
(Hungarian for "My hovercraft is full of eels") |
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Greenshock Regular user Vancouver, Canada 149 Posts |
Hey Gonzolo,
Actually, I use a similar patter in my ambitious routine. After the spectator has put their signed card in the middle, I ask a second spectator if they would also like a card. When they reply "yes", I suggest we use any random card such as the top card. When I flip it over to show it's the first spectators card, I apologize and say that I swear I put it in the middle. The routine is full of apologies on my part, and laughs on the audience's part. Sometimes after the card keeps showing up on top, I'll suggest we stop using the top card as a random card and just have the spectator select any card from the deck as I classic force the selection on them again. |
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