Dear all:


Would like to gather feedback as to what is the difference in the extent of use of misdirection if one were to compare John Ramsay's Cylinder and Coins Routine against:

a) Coins Across;
b) 3 Fly Routine

And how would mastering Cylinder and Coins Routine make one become a much better magician in the use of misdirection?
Wouldn't mastering a Coin Across routine, or 3 Fly routine makes one become better in the use of misdirection?

Would appreciate some enlightenment for me in this aspect.
Thank you!

C&C is a classic w/ props. All Ramsay's magic helps one know more about using misdirection, more so than standard coin routines. Dr. Sawa uses coins with props more than anyone I've seen. David Neighbors has some great coins with props routines. I'm surprised we don't see more.

Misdirection is fundamental to powerful magic. Studying misdirection will make all your magic better. There is definitely a lack of misdirection in most coin magic.

There are many ways to answer your question. Frankly, I think most people fail to consider misdirection, or attention management as it's now known, when performing "3Fly". It's sad, because that effect needs proper attention management the most. In fact, it's all about managing what the audience sees and doesn't see.

But I wouldn't start with the Visual Coins Across. Some experience with misdirection is essential before one tackles that one.

More germane to your question is this: the C&C routine requires you to vanish four coins, and they're all gone before you reveal where they've gone. That takes more mastery of attention. In coins across, a coin vanishes, and then you almost immediately show where it is. Less need to lead attention away from things. (sorry about vagueness, but there's some rule about exposure here) In jargon, the longer you're holding out, the better you need to be at controlling where people look, what they see, and what they think about what they see. And it's no surprise that in a John Ramsay routine (which the C & C is) you're holding out for days.

That's not to say that everyone who has published a C&C routine has worked out the misdirection. Some have, some haven't. Some have, but don't talk much about that stuff in the explanation. I'd suggest you study the original routine, John Carney's excellent version in "Carneycopia", and Tom Stone's write up in "Vortex". There are others about that are excellent, but those come to mind as being focused on the misdirection.

Who would you like to lead down the garden path and what would you like them to find at its end?

Doug Brewer's new DVD (Red Light) has a great updated C & C routine with some new ideas for the cylinder. Very impressive thinking.