Could you take a look at this trick I do and tell me what you think?
I know that when I say "they come right apart," it sounds cheesy
Please tell me what I need to do to make it better.
Here is a link to the vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HEUWBay62E#GU5U2spHI_4

Hey you guys keep reading this form but won't comment.
COMMENT!!!! on my trick please

Totalmagic,

Your mechanics of the rubber band penetration are well done and clean.
I would work on the patter and presentation. Perhaps when you say "they come right apart!" you could do so with a wild look in your eye to give the presentation some comic slant.
If you wish for a more serious angle, then a more 'mysterious' mood should be accented.
Then again, that depends on your performance style. You are young and all this will come together as you discover what works best for you.

Hope this has been helpful.

Andrew

Might want to count how many times you use the word obviously.. You had the moves down but need some presentation.

The presentation needs some work. I would look into an acting class. This will help when presenting an effect and understand how to put a patter together to be more believable. I didn't believe anything I saw because the patter was not solid at all. You want the audience to BELIEVE everything you say. Also the acting classes will help with the slight stutter you had in your speech.

Other ideas is to practice in the mirror. This way you see yourself right away and see how you look as you perform the effect. You want to be fluent with your speech and moves.

Other then that keep it up!

Performing CMH I believe no patter is necesdsary,,,, doit zlowly and the audence will not what happened.
vinny
ps use the mirror as was already suggested and watche other performers and see how they do it this will help you as well

Thanks for the comments and encourgment guys. This is the first trick I really learned. I am trying to Improve the tricks I have been doing for a long time before I start learning to many new tricks.

I can only repeat what everyone else said about the patter and presentation: it needs work. The mechanics were solid but without proper presentation the effect comes off as awkward. I agree with Vinny - patter is not necessary for this particular effect. If you are going to use patter, then script it. Jot down some ideas for lines and practice them, just like an actor would. Presentation is the key to any great piece of magic, or at least it's very important. Also I do not think you got the hint yet because it's still on the video so let me say this in plain English: "Believe" is not spelled "belive" as written on your video. Might want to look into fixing that.

Yes the presentation needs work, here is what I would suggest you work on-

Don't make obvious comments (e.g. here I have two rubber bands) only say something that adds to the effect.

Secondly, try to be more natural-in other words don't act.

Gil Scott

If you want your presentation to improve, one of the best way to do it is to WATCH the other "masters" at work - not the floating around video of the ambitious card, but some clips of FISM videos, various competition, some true masters.

See their persona on the stage, study how they conduct themselves, look at great parlour magic videos and dissect why it's so great. Look at Darren Brown videos and break down his patter and how he conducts himself on TV.

After you've watched them over and over again until you have the images (don't watch just one, unless you'd like to become a clone of whoever you watched) start to study yourself. Then apply the things you've studied from those clips.

You'll see some significant improvement in your ability to handle things with grace and elegance.

Here's some keywords you can search on YouTube - there are tons more but I'll leave the search upto you.

For elegance - Lance Burton and watch that Shawn Farquhar clip doing "Shape of my Heart"
For patter - Darren Brown
For general stage clips and some audience management - FISM
Audience Management and Comedy - Tim Ellis

like I said, there are tons out there to study. Just put in some time, watch and study. It'll be worth it.

Really bad presentation dude! Try redoing tapeing it with better patter, and a better camera.

Ethan, I'm sorry but you have absolutely no right to judge others videos - even more so without giving clear reasons behind what can be improved.

Here's what I noticed from your video - yes your video on the blogspot
- you have no presentation behind your little "patter" whatsoever
- you do horrible double lifts
- your audience management is slim to none
- your stance during the performance (if you can call it that) is horrible
- your attitude is EXACTLY what we discourage because it's so detrimental in your learning.

So all in all, you have no right to even judge other videos. At least the OP had right mindset to humbly ask for opinion on his videos. Get your attitude straight before you can call yourself a magician.

TotalMagic,

I find using thin rubberbands for CMH is a lot more deceptive. You can do the pull apart slower and one band at a time. Just a thought. Good luck.

-Paul

I do judge other's vids yes, I even judge my own, I know my video was terrible, and yes most of the things you said about it are correct.I have been working on my double lifts since I shot the video, and I am going to try to retape it. Before you judge me on my video I would like to point out that I am a way better performer in person. The reason the audience management was really bad was because my Dad has seen this trick so many times I had to beg him to help me by being my "spectator". I have performed this trick in Niagara Falls,NY and Canada many a time and have gotten unbelievable reactions. In my post on the Café about my video I also asked for people's opinion's and took them with what I thought was a "greatfull" attitude.


Here is the reason I said your presentation was bad- you were confusing and said "obviously" way too much.

This is only instructive critiscism, I have never seen you perform the trick in person, therefore I can only judge you by your vid. (The same thing goes for my video.)

Totalmagic,

it is very clear that you love magic. Please take all the sound advices and understand them. Always remember that it is not only about knowing the move or having a patter. Its about clarity as well. Just state the important facts and let the visuals do the narration. Just hand the rubberbands to the audience and let them stretch it a couple of times. By doing so... you have made it clear without saying that they are what they seem to be...and that there are only 2 bands in play. Just like that. Pick it up from there.You have gotten really great advices here. One of the most notable is the one from Vinny "The Godfather" Marini. Do it slow! Take it from him. He must know everything there is to know about rubberband magic and more. You did say obviously one too many indeed. Perhaps its a generation thing. My teenage daughter says it all the time as a connector of words or something like that. I just laugh it off....but WE must think of the general audience as well. In the early or mid 80's I was studying in L.A., I remember kids talking in a funny way, new slang, weird intonation etc.... I believe it was called "Valley talk" or something like that. Every sentence started with...."like totally '' and end with ...."like totally fer sure". This come to mind because I had a buddy then who was a magician. I saw how he would transform for the audience. Not so much the personality as he wanted to be sincere, but with the word he used. It was a conscious effort. You seem to be in the right track. Keep it up and goodluck!

Rannie Raymundo
aka The Boss
aka The Manila Enforcer

Your working's of the trick are very good, but like I said before you need to work on the "patter".

Also, you should also invest in spellchecker. I am not sure if we are allowed to "crituqe" on this forum.