Hello everyone,

I am making a video set for instruction - and I'm going to include the following (assuming I can get the OK from the creators)

1) Here Then There
2) The Cups and Balls (Variation of Penn and Teller)
3) The Symphony of the Rings
4) Basic Card Control (passes , lifts)
5) Coins - Across, Matrix, Roll Over, vanishes
6) Sponges - Multiplying, from no where, Basic Goshman routines
7) Professors Nightmare (Dustin Hurley Count Variation)
8) The Dustin Hurley Ambitious Card Method (Variation of Daryl; credit shall be given to all other sleights included)

This is about all for now. I will be producing about 3 videos, and I know a lot of these tricks are easy to find, but I'm hoping to target the new magic members.

Tell me what you think - and if you think I should add something let me know! I'm trying to cater this to the Café.

Twisted -
Instead of re-releasing a bunch of stuff from other performers that's been done to death, why don't you devise a more interesting video of lesser known material from older sources that people may have forgotten about?
You sound like you know a bit about the history of the effects you listed. It's just that nowadays the market is SO over-saturated with rehashes of magicians doing other people's material, it's wearing thin on a lot of beginners.
Magic itself is hitting a new generation of performers at this point in time. A TON of incredible magic is going to become new again once people begin digging deep into the past of the art.
Strike out for some kind of originality! Give new members something to get REALLY excited or buzz about by developing a video that will capture their attention. How many variations of the Equal/Unequal rope type of tricks can magicians sit through? How many sources are there for the ambitious card? The linking rings? Cups and balls? Spongeballs?
Dig into magic's past and you'll find a closet full of precious gems that just need a little dusting to make them shine!
I'm not trying to nay-say your idea. Hopefully you'll produce a great video! However, what is going to make YOUR video stand out from the other 300 magicians that are currently creating THEIR own videos of the same type of material? How are YOU going to teach people that hasn't been done before?

Take care and best of luck,
Tony Ley

I agree with Tony; put out something fresh and they will come. Put out rehashed material and your video will get an unfavourable review probably.

Ok - after review, these are the effects (revised) in which I hope to teach - please keep informing:

1- The Twisted Deck (my own color changing effect)
2- The Matrix (Variations)
3- The Ultimate Handcuff escape (houdini)
4- Coins Across (variation of Greg Wilsons)
5- The Ambitious Card (Dustin Hurley Remix)
6- Sponges - Ultimate Vanishes
7- The Empty Bag (empty paper bag coin production)(twisted reality origional)

These are only revisions - please inform

Twisted -
Again...there is really nothing appealing in your list to make me interested. Twisted Deck might be interesting (effect description)?

The Matrix (variations) - Variations? Do you really want to show more variations on this poor classic of magic. Leave the poor, continually beaten and rehashed effect alone unless it's going to be something so remarkably different that people's eyeballs will just melt like marshmallow creme.

The Ultimate Handcuff Escape - Houdini never did anything called the 'ultimate' handcuff escape. What will make yours revolutionary?

Coins Across - Another beaten dog of magic. Why do the coins go across? Why is it always three of four coins? Why should your audience even care? This plot has just about been beaten into the ground. I've seen a LOT of Greg's coins across material. Why would try to pull off a variation? Is it better than what he's already put on the market? Greg's coin routines are great! How will you improve it?

The Ambitious Card - The Dustin Hurley Remix? C'mon. This is yet another punching bag for magicians. Why will people want YOUR version of this effect? How is it different from what's been done?

Sponges - What the heck is an 'ultimate' vanish? Put it in a thumbtip? Put iron filings in it and vanish it with a certain device named after a bird? Do a false transfer, sneak it into your mouth, swallow it and finally digest it? What is so spectacular and different about what you do with a spongeball that will make a purchase of this video worthwhile?

The Empty Bag - Productions from a bag? Like a person's watch you hoisted earlier? Like when Andrew Mayne produces a bowling ball from an empty sack? Like when I take an empty bag, pour water into it, put it on my head to show the water vanished and finally turn it upside down to pour out a ton of water? There are hundreds of things already on media for magicians. What will make them want Twisted Reality's version?

As you can see, Twisted, it's been done. Just so you understand, I'm not trying to belittle you or throw your hopes into the trash. What I'd like to see you do is make sure that your material is top-notch. Making a video, especially for beginners, is an important tool in promoting magic to laymen. Give them things that they'll think are cool or different. They can go get several videos from the local library for free that will teach most of the effects that will be on yours. Sit down and really think about all of this. I hope it helps you. Personally, I'd dig on seeing a really great beginner magic video myself.
But just remember, money is tight for everyone right now. What will YOU do to make me give some of mine up for your video?

Take care and I hope this helps,
Tony Ley

Twisted,

An important reason to purchase any material from another magician are:

He is a working professional who uses or used the material in the real world.

He has won competitions with the material.

Beginner material or not, it must stand above the rest for me to lay out my cash.

Bill

The Ultimate hand cuff escape was performed by houdini for many years - If you were to watch the video biography - you would understand. The Ultimate handcuff escape uses the "ultimate" handcuffs - said to be un escapeable.

The Ultimate vanish is a way - of Closing your hand around the ball - short sleeved, empty handed, - and having the ball vanish. no "funny moves" just - close your hand and open - gone.

The Twisted Deck - Is a Remarkable color changing deck which can be read about in another thread- I just recently put them into production.

Here then there- This is a version which uses tenkai palm switching, and some fun and easy card flourishes to make begginners magic seem very advanced.

The matrix is not beaten down - I think your doing it wrong. Everyone loves a nicely performed coin matrix - and the videos at the "library" don't always go into great detail.

The Variation of Greg Wilsons Coins Across that I do - isn't an improvement - equal, but different. Alot of the moves in gregs coins across are discouraging for begginers - this I took his methods and simplified some of them - as well as added a few of my own, such as the "snap transfer"

The empty bag production doesn't use any funny props or gimmicks. It is used with a borrowed (if need be) paper bag, which then fills with coins, one at a time - never leaving the spectaors sight. This trick was developed by Mitchelle Thompson as a way to teach begginers strong manipulation in small ammounts of time.

And I don't beileve your reasons for purchaing vidoes are right.. if you base everything on reputation - your missing alot of good magic. I have however performed professionaly in the "real world" (as opposed to a fake one?) for years now, and have one some competitions with my routines. Im not saying I am a perfect magician, (far from it) and nor do I want to be - I strive for knowledge, not excellence.]


The Idea behind this video isn't to rip people off - its only going to sell for 15 bucks on dvd - The Idea is to inspire new magicians, teaching easy to learn effects, as well as provide a history to some of magics greatest feats (such as oh? coins across, cups and balls, and coin matrix's?)

If they didn't put old material on magic videos - they would have all been done by now. Every new effect is in some way or another a variation of a trick from the past.

I have created many new effects (such as the twisted deck which will be on the video) and have learned many old ones - I beileve that by releasing a fresh new video - the new magicians will be more inspired - not everyone enjoys the older, "dimmer" videos - where the teaching is good, but the quality of film has begun to fade over time.

T.R., You're correct when you wrote: "And I don't beileve your reasons for purchaing vidoes are right.. if you base everything on reputation - your missing alot of good magic." I have no doubt that people will miss a lot of good magic.

But if I'm looking for a video and I have a choice betwen a tape or DVD by someone who is well known and who has other videos I've received value from, as opposed to one from a person I've never heard of, I choose the former.

This, of course, can be overcome with kick-butt advertising, recommendations, etc. And frankly, I don't think any advertising is going to get me to buy a video with cups and balls, coins across, and matrix. You're correct that audiences frequently like these effects. I'm not sure that you're correct when you say that magicians want to learn more variations on them.

If you have something really, really, REALLY new--even if it's an entirely new way of doing an old effect--there will be a market for it. For example, I remember how excited I was when I first discovered the Indian cups and balls, and later the Don Alan single bowl routine, as compared to the traditional version. But I would have never paid money for just a variation of what I already knew from someone I'd never heard of.

So respectfully, I would suggest doing either new effects or new ways of accomplishing older ones (not just variations) that are superior to the older ones followed by lots of effective advertising.

Good luck!