Hey everyone,

I need some honest and open criticism. I am providing a video of me doing the Bertram change. This is one of my all-time favorite color changes and it took me FOREVER to learn. Please note that I am in no way a working professional, just a mere hobbyist. I am not a skilled sleight of hand artist, but do know a few and am working on learning more. I just need some pointers from all you working pros out there. Just don't be too cruel on me. I am not a beginner, but have been away from the art for a long time and am slowly crawling my way back. This is the effect that I saw that inspired me to get going again and I have busted my butt trying to learn it. OK. I've rambled long enough. Let the judging begin.

Phil

PS: This file is not compressed, so it may take a minute to load, plus you will need quicktime to view it.

http://media.putfile.com/Bertram-Change-by-Phil-Thomas

Less twirling, please!!!

Looks fine, not much we can say from that angle though.

Would like to see it from audience perspective, so unless they are all 3ft tall and standing with their noses next to the cards, this video doesn't help much in terms of critiqueing... all we can say is whether you flashed and overall crispness of the handling. My only comment would be that your double handling could possibly use some work since you are either twirling or noticably sticking to the corners with a pinching motion... learning the gorden turnover or just some other methods for moving the double around besides twirling would be helpful imho.

You also start out "setup", and getting in and out of any off-the-deck color change is very important and that is a key step in any criticism we could provide.

I'd like to see another video from an audience's perspective, starting with a deck and ending how you normally would...

How do your spectators like it?

Hey thanks Daegs,

Yeah, you are right. Less twirling, I just picked that up like a bad habit from watching other performers do it before a change. I know the start looks a little rough since it is setup, but I was the only one to record this and it was like 4 in the morning so my options were a little limited . I'll try to iron out those edges a little. From what I have seen so far, my spectator's LOVE it. I have gotten a lot of "What the?" and many just gasp. I'll work it into a routine and post that video another time. I'm just not really sure how or if there is a correct angle for this since this is how I learned it and show it, but I have seen it done many ways. Thanks again Daegs. Very helpful.

Try setting the camera about 5-6 feet off the ground and about 3-5 feet away from you, depending on the lense.... make sure we can see most of your torso rather than just the cards.

If you are handling cards at crotch level, then most spectators are going to be looking down at the cards, they wont be dropping their heads to right in front of your crotch to watch.

Also hard-code your framerate higher even if the picture is darker... 30fps is really needed in order to evaluate most card magic imho.

Most of the time camera programs would rather have a really bright image that is blurry than a crisp image that is a bit darker, which is exactly the opposite of what we need when looking at magic video's... so goto your camera's options and see if you can change that up.

But generally you want a wider angle and from the appropriate height... you will fool yourself and waste a lot of time by taking these crotch level/extreme closeup video's and trying to use them for critiquing.

That's a lot of useful advice Daegs, I'm going to have to remember all that next time I use video as a practice tool.

Wish I knew what a gorden turnover was...

No crotch cards. Got it. LOL!!!

Yes, lose the twirling.

Do the move more slowly, run your right hand up and down the card a few times, slowly, turn the card over in the same grip in your left hand to show the back and front, then move your right hand up and down the card again, fingers slightly wider apart, and more slowly. Done properly, the card appears to morph, and it appears as if it never goes out of sight, being seen through the right hand's open fingers.

I knew Ross Bertram fairly well, and he spent some time with me on the fine points of this change.

- entity

Thanks a lot Entity. That does make a lot more sense. I'll give that a try. I did learn this method from a bad source (let's just say a certain Penguin magic video) and perhaps the teaching was not the greatest. I'll give that method a try. WOW! You knew Mr. Bertram? What an honor. Thanks again man. Very helpful info. I'll get to work on it.

-Phil

Entity - just to check, do you mean turn the single card over to show the back after the first move? (Trying not to expose here.) Also, how slow is slow enough? How do you find the balance between making it look as magical as possible and just revealing the method? I've been working on this move for a long time, trying to get it perfect. Sometimes I still flash slightly under the right hand, which is really annoying. It's the most beautiful yet infuriating move I know.

This is how I do it:

Take the card(s) in the right hand at the corner of the card. Turn the card and show both sides. Transfer card to left hand fingers (doing the move). Now,slide right hand up and down over length of card in the left hand a couple of times. Take right hand away slightly, and use left hand to turn card over, showing it's back briefly. Turn card to face audience again. Slide right hand up and down card once more, then perform the change, widening your right hand's fingers slightly as the change is made so that the illusion is that the card is never out of sight, and it appears to morph into the new card before their eyes. Take card in right hand by its corner again and show both sides. Repeat as necessary. Rinse thoroughly.

The slower the better. It's not so much a matter of speed, but rather of angles. It is infuriating at first, but with practise all becomes clear. I'd say that personal instruction from someone who does it well is very valuable. It's not something easily learned from a book, and most videos teaching it are done by people who really don't understand how it is supposed to look.

There are several U.K. magicians (I see you're from "over there") that do it very well, including Sadowitz, Derren Brown and Stephen Long. Perhaps you could ask one of them for guidance.

- entity

Thanks entity, I really appreciate you help. Personal instruction would definitely be useful for getting to the next stage. Much as I'd love personal tuition from Derren Brown I should think a lot of people would, and unless I run into him somewhere quiet I doubt I'll be that lucky. Haven't heard of Stephen Long, so will have to see if Mr. Sadowitz is willing to help at some point. Hmm.

It's odd how you can find dozens of magicians who are happy to tell you how things are done, but very few who can tell you how to do them well.

Stephen Long is a very clever young Mentalist/magic fellow/Playwright who is a friend of Derren Brown. As around. I'm sure many know him over there.

- entity

VERY nicely done Phil. I've seen a few other people do it and never knew what it was called. Is it published somewhere?

Thanks for the kind words Pepka. I learned this from not such a great source (Stealing Pips by Oz Pearlman) I don't think he truly knows how this change should look, so I need to go back and re-vamp it a little. I would suggest learning from the creator. Check here http://www.charliesmagic.com/2005/050805......1-2.html

Hope this helps you out a little. Again thanks for the kind words.

:cheers:

Phil

Beautiful job Phil. I'm just now reading Bertrams first book, and trying to learn the 3 changes in there; one being the Bertram change.

I don't know HOW you guys make it look so smooth. I know the handling, but it's just SO SMOOTH AND VISUAL.

I doubt I will ever get it as smooth as you Phil, but I'll have fun trying.


BEST...

smitty

Thanks for the kind words Smitty. I am going to re-do this video minus the twirling as suggested. I just haven't gotten around to it. You can do this change too. It is kind of difficult to learn, but it is more of a knack and once you get it down, you'll have no problems. I just practiced, practiced,practiced and oi, practiced some more until I could no longer stand it, but I finally got it down. Just play with it when you have some free time, maybe while watching tv or something...that's what I did. Best of luck to you. I know you can do it too. It just takes time and patience. Have fun and thanks again for the kind words.

:cheers:

Phil

I believe you are right Phil: PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Like I've heard many times over the years regarding magic, if you want to master something, PRACTICE until you can do it in your sleep. There was a story I read several years ago about a Toronto magician. He would practice everything 'new' he learned 1000 times, before ever showing it to anyone.

I think, like you say Phil, while watching T.V. with cards in hand, just practice.

But, in some of the demo's I've watched, the hands 'look empty'. I don't know how this is accomplished.

Anyway Phil, I will REALLY look forward to future demo's of yours.

Keep up the AWESOME WORK!


BEST

SMITTY

I originally learned this change from that penguin video too, and I don't think that's at all how it's taught there. Oz does the "work" WHILE turning it face up (don't want to specify outside secret sessions, in case it matters). In that video, you seem to do the work after it's already face up, and that makes for an awkward moment where the card is almost completely covered by your hand.

With all that twirling, there would be plenty of chances to do what you have to do, no need to get it face up THEN get to work.

(Disclaimer: not at all saying that the penguin video is the best way to learn the change, because I have definitely seen much better versions than what's taught on Oz's video, I'm just saying that it does teach a better method than what was used in this thread's video.

I thought the change it self looked good but I wish I could see it from a farther distance.

One tips I can give you is just be a little faster and a bet smoother when your stealing the card in to Tenkai.

Hey Chris,

Yeah, I noticed that too. Thanks for the tip. I am in the process of re-doing this video from a farther distance and minus the twirling, plus a little something more I am trying to throw into it. I'll let you all know as soon as it is done and posted. Thanks again to everyone!

:cheers:

Phil