I was wondering if any of you card manipulation guys and girls have a problem with your fans sometimes coming out perfectly— and then when you do the fan again, the cards do not fan properly. Also I have noticed the cards in b**k p**m position sometimes do not line up straight, and I have to use my thumb to push the cards into proper alignment. This will somtimes cause the next fan not to come out properly. Is this a common problem?

I also have noticed that when I split off the first few cards, I have a problem of sometimes splitting off too many. Do the magicians here that do split fan productions know what happens to the rest of the card fans? They look pretty weak. The problem is not consistent; it happens every once in a while, but can be embarassing if you are performing. This is a problem that has just recently popped up.

About the alignment of cards, at least align them with the thumb in an up and down motion. Like when you go to vanish a fan, for example.

In the split card fan production, you may open the fan and put the pinky immediately below the fan. Or make a fan, and then in an up and down motion do the secret move.

If you have not understood what I said, PM and I will try to help you.

Regards

I think just with practice, the cards will start aligning better and your splits will be more accurate. Just don't worry about it and keep practicing.

Look at my video.

http://joaomagico.planetaclix.pt
In the section "photos", I have a video where I'm doing some split card fan productions.

Regards

Hi guys. With bicycles, I can start off with 15 cards in my right hand completely backpalmed and not even an edge showing right out of the box. I can also do 15 cards again in my left hand in front palm. Anyone have a good amount of cards that I should split off with the right hand? Should I do three splits with 5 cards each or 2 splits of about 7 cards each?

You are a pro then.

I have never once performed magic for anyone except maybe showing my girlfriend and her mom and sometimes my mother as well. I sure wish I knew how to act when performing in front of a lot of people. I am very skilled with card manipulations and 'the pass' move. I'm also very good at combining sleights.

My favorite routine that I've created so far is spreading the pack, asking a spectator to choose a card and sign the card. After the spectator signs the card, I perform an invisible pass right under their noses and they won't see anything at all . I then take off about eight of the cards and tell them that their card is in the middle of the pack in my left hand and I set it down. I state that a card is going to jump out of the eight cards in my right hand and into the air. I say "watch". Then I go to perform a one-handed fan but stop in the ready position for this move and flick a card with my right thumb upwards into the air straight up. Very very quickly turn the 7 cards back over and then catch the card that was tossed into the air that is spinning. The card is then caught on the way down after I turn the packet of 7 cards over and fan them out, leaving the signed card right at the bottom of the fan.

I learned that card flick move from Jeff McBride's Art of Card Manipulation videos. Took me a heck of a long time to be able to quickly turn the packet over after flicking the card in the air. Usually the flicked card must be flicked very high. I have yet to try this in a house. Probably about a full month each day of practicing is required . The effect is killer.

Dude... Joao,

Nice manipulation, I checked out your video & it looks very nice. I do manipulation too but I just started getting into it so obviously I'm not NEAR as smooth as you are. I've seen people doing manipulation live and thought "hmm, weak."

Kudos.

crash.

Thanks a lot for your kind words!!

Regards

Darkwing,
What kind of cards do you use? I use red backed Bee's and have no problems. I have a deck that's 4 years old that I practice with that still fans nicely (and I've never used fanning powder.)

Practice, practice and practice and you will get it. BTW, also learn single card productions as well, so you can mix them in with the fan productions.

Cheers,
Harv

To Harv and all you other folks-- thanks for all your advice. I have worked the problem out. I must confess it was a lack of practice. I had not been working with the split fans and Cardini CS production daily like I had been. Shame on me !!!!

Anyway all is well again, and again thanks for all the help.

I suggest you start out with less cards; it sounds to me like your trying to improve too fast. It took me four years to get down perfect single productions, and now it's been nine years of my magic life and I can only do twenty-five card split fan productions, and still practicing with it. Practice, PRACTICE, AND PRACTICE!!! makes perfection.

At your stage right now (you say you can't do good split fans), you shouldn't show anyone yet, and keep on practicing unless your showing a magician. Magicians are best to show tricks to; they tell you what's wrong and how to improve. Go to your local magic store and perform for him/her, and they might show you how to become better at it. All and all try easier productions and lastly PRACTICE!

Joao (nice manipulations by the way), one thing that would help would be to slow it down a notch. It's more effective when people can see what your doing, otherwise it looks like cards are dropping from your hands.

-Chris

Thanks for the point!

Regards