I need some tips on doing the Pheonix Ace Production.

I first learned it by wathcing Greg Wilson in his video Double Take. What an awesome video it is. If you don't have it, get one now.

He stunned me when he performed the production of the aces, and could it actually be done in close-up? I mean, he did it close-up in the video, but I thought producing cards was supposed to be done on stage so that you can get a good distance from your audience and they cannot see if you make a mistake. So I would like to hear from all of you.

Thanks

While there are no set rules like "you have to produce cards on stage," I think it is very difficult to think up patter for producing cards in a close-up situation...

Any suggestions?

I'd be glad to hear them.

Hi,
I have been working on the Cardini single (I can do it with about 8 Bicycle cards now)and the split fan,both from Jeff McBride's The Art of Card Manipulation vol.2.
Anyway,I have a pretty neat idea about closeup card manipulation:you set up your cards with the following(when I practice the single production I hold the whole deck in Biddle grip and take my stock off the bottom).
Take 4 cards (low values or jokers)and write THIS IS YOUR CARD on the faces of them.One word for each card.Practice producing just those 4 until you figure out how to hold them so that when you produce them the words are all right side up. From the bottom of the deck when in Biddle grip,if you have those 4 cards face up on the bottom you can just backpalm them right off the bottom and youre in position.
Those who know the Cardini single will understand.
Now for the card trick!
Put your word cards in order face up on the bottom of the deck.
Find a victim,er,spectator,and have them pick a card and sign it.Do a no card bluff pass to get their card on top while they think theyre putting it in the middle,he he!
I do that alot,I love being bold!Btw Ive never been caught doing a single card or a no card bluff pass.Try it!
So now their signed selection is on top so patter about it being lost in the middle,get eye contact,and do a single card classic pass to get the face down top card face down on the bottom,underneath your face up word cards.
Put your deck in Biddle grip and get a thumb break above your face up cards and when you get a chance backpalm them.When you produce them one at a time you will get 4 face up cards saying this is your card and then the last one is face down.Slowly turn over to reveal their signed selection!Tada.

This is only an example.Im sure there are many other things that can be thought up.
Drop a line and tell me what you think!

If you can find a copy of 'Professional Card Magic' by Cliff Green there is a great description of the routine that you are trying to do in there. That, along with your video may help you out.