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Johnny252 New user 10 Posts |
Hello guys!
I'm quite new to magic and would therefore be grateful to get some feedback concerning my performance which you can find here: click here The quality isn't exactly amazing I know. That's why I look for a new way to record my videos. How do you do it? With a good webcam or with a good digital camera? Thanks in advance! Johnny |
puggo Inner circle 2022 Posts |
Hard to tell with the webcam.
Credit to you for sharing and asking for feedback, I hope all feedback will be positive and honest. A few points: One of the strengths of ACR is that it can be done silently, as the effect is obvious. The change to 4 aces added confusion. The display of aces starting at 2:05 needs work - it is fairly obvious that the ace of diamonds shows twice. Have you considered a diminishing lift sequence? I was a bit confused by the ending I'll leave it there - this is only my opinion and may be wrong! Keep practicing and I would think about the clarity of the effect (can it be described in one sentence?) Charlie |
Chad Sanborn Inner circle my fingers hurt from typing, 2205 Posts |
Oh boy.
I know you are new to magic. So I am going to cut you some slack. 1. The routine was not well structured. The different phases didn't flow well from one to the next. 2. Your patter and its delivery isn't up to snuff. 3. Your card handling skills were not ready to be shown in public yet. and that's enough for now. Ok that was the bad. Now for some ways to make it better. 1. Create a routine that moves from one phase to the next in a logical sequence. Where each phase sets up the next one for success while seemingly making it more impossible. There are hundreds of ACR routines and ideas out there. Finding a short sequence will not be hard. Now as for how long the sequence should be, I would limit it to 3 phases. As you progress in magic and other forms of entertainment, you will learn The Rule of 3. So 3 times it comes to the top and you're done. Time to move on to another trick. 2. Patter...Try and create a story around the card coming to the top. At the very least add in some humor. Humor is appreciated by every single human on earth and it has a bonus function of building in misdirective moments. When people laugh they relax and are not staring at your hands. that's the moment you do your difficult moves. The most important thing is that it has to sound like its something YOU would normally say. So figure out who you are and that will go a long way toward writing patter. If you find talking isn't your thing, (its not mine!) then perform to music. 3. The way you hold the cards says a lot about your skill as a magician. First, Learn to hold the cards in Mechanics Grip. Next tape yourself dealing cards onto the table naturally. As if you are dealing out poker. Deal them like YOU would deal them not like someone on a video you watch dealt them. Turn some of the cards face up from the top of the deck. Then watch it all back and try to make your magic moves look like your actual moves. Your double lift is a straight up copy of what David Blaine does and hence every teeny bopper 'magician' since does. And it's not very natural. Especially when compared to how sloppy the rest of the routine was. It didn't look natural because it wasn't natural to you. Don't worry about learning a sleight just to say you can do it. Contrary to popular belief, sleights don't matter in magic. Entertainment does. So start with the basics. Learn to palm and do a natural double lift and your career in magic can go far. Free advice* Figure out who you are as a person. Look around your house/room. What kind of posters are on the wall? music playing? Books? These are all things that point to the type of person you are. Once you have that go to google and look up Acting Types. You will find pages dedicated to helping you figure out your 'type'. Find yours. Now combine that type with the interests that you have and you will start to see who you really are! This is how the world sees you! Now start to structure the ACR routine based on the info that you found out about you. It should start to seem a bit more obvious now on what you should be saying and how you should be presenting your routine. Then practice it 50 times and record some of them. Watch them back. Critique yourself. Then on the 51st rehearsal, show it to someone. Someone you trust. A friend or family member. Ask for feedback. What did they like or not like etc.Rework the routine with the new suggestions. Keep doing this until you get people who applaud and laugh because they enjoyed what you performed for them. Now you have a routine that you can be proud of! Repeat this process for every new item you want to learn. |
Johnny252 New user 10 Posts |
Hi!
Thank you very much for your detailed response. That was exactly what I hoped to get. One thing that both of you unfortunately didn't adress was how to improve the recording. How would you suggest could I record myself so that more of my body language comes into play? I think tomorrow I will try out a camera to record my routines. To my video. As this was my first video I couldn't act naturally. Normally I try to add more story and humor to my presentation which is also, like you said, very well appreciated by people. I find for myself that it is very hard to be humorus in a video as my humor requires people to interact with me. So I made a video that only includes the techniqual side of the routine. I will try to do another routine and record it in full body view just as I would present it to others. Thank you for your advice! May I ask what double lift you would suggest? Actually the one I do seems to be at least a little more natural than the rest. Yours, Johnny |
Bernardo Rodriguez Loyal user 233 Posts |
Since you are new to magic I'd like to say I was glad that even though you didn't do a double lift I'd recommend, you did in fact do it the same way the whole way through. A huge flaw in most ambitious card routines I've seen was the use of a bunch of random and different double lifts. I recommend finding another turnover method. The one I use I don't know the technical name, but I do know it doesn't involve flashy or fumbly moves which is something to look into. Another thing is how the deck was held. I recommend putting your pointer finger across the front of the deck because it looks more professional and separates your handling from a lay persons in most cases. After that, then I'd work on a phased routine like the others said previously. As for the video that doesn't matter at all. You don't need to do crazy patter. This is video so dragging out the routine would make it boring. Not so say a good camera and sounding more exciting wouldn't help .
Hope that helps, Bernardo Rodriguez |
Chad Sanborn Inner circle my fingers hurt from typing, 2205 Posts |
When you watch the video, look at how you turn over 2 cards as one and then look at how you turn over single cards. They are very different. Emulate what you normally do. The best advice I have ever had in magic is from Harry Loraine. He preached "Don't make a move out of it!" It took me years to understand that fully. But I think that advice works well here.
Also read up on some acting books. They will go a long way toward your future in magic. And its better to learn that stuff and incorporate it into your routines now rather than later. As to the camera, try using your cell phone. Most phones nowadays record in HD. Mine records in 1080p and I record crystal clear auditions with it. Also try adding more light. Most cameras have a hard time in low light. So shine a lamp on your hands. And please set the camera to look at the action in your hands and not your crotch as do thousands of other videos. Sit at a table and film from the opposite side of it. Frame up your hands to the top of your head and no more. Definitely put your face in the video! You are the magician not your hands and certainly not the cards. And for now, since you are not sure what to say, just do a silent routine and add in some music. It'll go over a lot better. |
Johnny252 New user 10 Posts |
Thanks. Gonna be back with a few new tries . Actually I obtained a few books about magic performances which I'm starting to read. Right now it's Richard Osterlind's "The Principles of Magic".
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Johnny252 New user 10 Posts |
Hi!
So I finished my videos now. New record of ACR I don't feel like no talking at all in the performance even though it seems a little silly I know. I can do better but for now it is a starter. Money Change Looking forward to your feedback! |
Johnny252 New user 10 Posts |
I was wondering what advantage magicians wax has over a plain glue-stick? I used it and found the consistency and the stickiness very convincing! I never tried magicians wax though.
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Chad Sanborn Inner circle my fingers hurt from typing, 2205 Posts |
Ok stop doing that routine right now! Its not good. The 4 aces ending is not worth all the work. It adds nothing to the routine and isn't structured all that well. Kinda like that sentence.
Figure out a different ending. And work on your card handling skill more. Im going to tell you to stop buying new or current magic items until you have learned from the past and have a good foundation under your feet. Go look for a book called The Amateur Magicians Handbook by Henry Hay. Its and old book but it has a brief history in it and then teaches you sleight of hand in sections. Cards, coins, billiard balls, mentalism. Read It. Learn It. Live It. Make it your new bible. Start at the beginning and learn your way through the book. By the time you have reached the end, you will have better chops (skills) than 95% of the people out there. I guarantee that! Also find a book called The Mark Wilson Course In Magic. Again start at the front and read it through. You will start small and learn some sleight of hand and in the back it teaches some stage illusions that you can make at home. Its a good crash course. Ok now I don't want to see another video until you have improved. |
Rizzo Inner circle East Coast 3346 Posts |
Henry Hay book readily available. Get yourself a copy today, agreed!
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professorwhut Inner circle Posts R US sold me 1353 Posts |
Welcome to the world of magic.
Now put the cards down and re-read everything that Chad said. best of luck
After much soul searching about a signature, I decided not to have one.
TG Pop [aka ProfessorWhut] |
jcrabtree2007 Special user 627 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-08-30 23:03, professorwhut wrote: Yeah , what he said. Great books. Learned many of the classic routines I still do from the Mark Wilson book. Learn them then own them. And remember , it's better to do only a few tricks very well then to do a lot of tricks poorly. And Welcome to the Café. Good people in here willing to help each other out. |
jcrabtree2007 Special user 627 Posts |
BTW. The DL is one of the first moves I learned. I am by no means a card expert. I am more a coin guy , classics of magic type of guy. But all magicians should know at least a few strong routines with cards , especially when someone hands you a deck of cards.
The ACR has served me well thru the years. I probably know less than 10 card tricks/ routines (I've forgotten the rest) but most people that know me would think I'm an expert. Not so. The ACR makes me look a lot better than I really am. If you into videos- Greg Wilson has an excellent one on the DL called DOUBLE TAKE. And I learned the routine from Daryl's ambitious card video. It's worth a look- you can probably YouTube it to see a well structured routine. |
Johnny252 New user 10 Posts |
Hello guys. No more new videos just a little update . Working on my own ACR right know.
I was invited to a magic cercle in Vienna and I'm going to be there tomorrow evening. Pretty excited about that. The people there seem to be ok - even with beginners. Another thing. I ordered Henry Hay's "The Amateur Magicians Handbook" and Mark Wilson's "Complete Course in Magic". I hope they will arrive soon but they need to be shipped from abroad so it'll take a while until I have them. In the meantime I was able to get my fingers on Tarbell's Course in Magic. What do you think about that book? Thanks! Yours Johnny |
Chad Sanborn Inner circle my fingers hurt from typing, 2205 Posts |
Now you're talking! Tarbell! Great stuff in that series of books. Get all of them when you can and you will have a lifetime treasure trove of material and principles at your disposal.
Glad you got the books I recommended and have fun at the meeting! |
Johnny252 New user 10 Posts |
Got the complete course (Vol 1-8) .
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Johnny252 New user 10 Posts |
Hi! I know you guys gave me the advice not to buy gimmicks right now. I just have a question though. Every day items like wallets, watches etc. are ideal to gimmick. But I didn't find anything like a magicians cigarette lighter ... That's strange. I would have considered a lighter a perfect magicians tool. Do you know any magicians lighters? Just out of curiosity.
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