Hi Homer!
I'm Elliot, the guy who has sent you a lot of e-mails.

I love CoinTwo.
But I have some questions about the performance of it.

Three coins appear, dissapear and then appear again.
My problem is, there isn't really a moment where they can give this big reaction, there isn't a big climax despite that it is a very magical routine.

At the end of the routine when you produce your last coin, how do you handle that, for me it looks like, wow he is a good magician, and you put the coins away... How do you really make the whole routine very magical and how can you really put a climax at the end?

This was very hard for me to describe but I think you know what I mean.


Thank you very very much.
Elliot

HI Elliot,

Very valid questions and they are exactly the points of CoinTwo I am also concerned with. From experience, there isn't a big moment during the routine where the audience reacts. But I've always gotten a reaction when I finished the last coin and took a small bow. The audience is sort of taken for a "ride"; Its like they hold their breath and suspend disbelief until the last coin is produced, then they relax and applaud. This is how I think my audiences have perceived CoinTwo. This is my observation. It may have different effects in different hands. By looking at people's faces during the routine, I have found that after the double vanish and you are middle of the hand wash, it will feel like the routine is still being executed but the audience is reacting to the fact that all the coins have just vanished. It is important that after the double vanish and you are doing the handwashing, that you relax and look at the audience as if the trick is over. Pause as if you are not going to bring the coins back - just for a few moments... then continue the ride to the end. It doesn't show on the video, but when I do it for real people, not the camera, I pause after the handwashing and almost take a bow there - let them know the coins are gone and that the moment is grand.

When I perform this for people I also really build up the vanishes at the beginning. I say something like, "A lot of magician's make coins disappear like this (perform a quick retention vanish and produce the coin a moment later). But I'm going to leave the coins in full view. They will never leave your sight (hold coins up at your fingertips and stare at them during that sentence). Do not take your eyes of the coins. I'm going to tell you exactly what's going to happen before it happens. These coins are going to disappear one at a time and do not want you to take your eyes of these coins. Very important! See? You just looked up at me. Keep looking at the coins. They are going to disappear one at a time. WATCH! There's one, two and the three..." (first vanish, pause a couple of moments - longer than the video) Oh, sorry, that leaves us with 2... (relax during the transfers then focus intensely again for the number 2 vanish.... ) This is how I make the vanishes important. If you don't you lessen your impact and the first couple of vanishes will blur by while your spectators finish their soup. I let everyone stop what they are doing and focus on what is about to happen. I tell them that its special. If you are in a situation where people are finishing their wings or the game on the TV is more important then this is NOT the time to do the trick.

When you produce that last coin, take a bow. You will be surprised of the reaction when you let them know the "ride" is over. Also, my friend Chris Korn had a great line for the last coin. He would produce the first 2 coins, calling each something classic like, "Trick Knee", "Silver Lining" etc. He would produce the last coin and look at the audience and say, "and that coin I like to call 'UNTITLED'"! Funny stuff.

There really is know climax to the trick. Like a roller coaster - ups and downs with a big peak near the beginning and settling back where you started. But it WILL be appreciated by your audience if you present it as a special thing, like a private performance of 3 coins vanishing and they are going to see something special.

Hope that makes sense! It is something I've always thought about the routine, and that is how I handle it.

Homer

Wow Homer , thank you so much for responding to this.

These were questions I had about the routine for a long time.
This text really is a perfect addition to the DVD, the DVD didn't really cover how to perform it.

I see this routine from a whole different perspective now!

Another question Homer: Did you ever think about having a bit more audience interaction in the trick? For example doing the first count vanish and giving the ' last coin' to them, where it vanishes on their hands?
Can you give me your thoughts on that?


Thanks again Homer!
Elliot

Yes, Elliot. I actually did that often, especially when there was a great spectator near me - I would count "one, two, and please hold on to the third..... oh! sorry, let me do it with 2 coins!" It got good reactions. Your instincts are good. It all depends on the situation. Sometimes going to the spectator breaks the Proscenium and the "Theatre" of the trick if you are presenting it a special "screening". Its up to you and the situation.

Homer

Thanks again Homer!

When I produce the first three coins, people look a bit suspicious at them, like they're gimmicked.
I am thinking of aging them much more, that could help making them look less like "perfect-bought-from-a-magic-site-coins"
Do you have any way of handling that and do you let them examine the coins when the routine is finished ?

Homer sorry for all those questions, but I really love this routine and I am working really really hard on it. I really hope you don't mind my hyperactivity in this topic.


Elliot

Hi Elliot,

I never liked having gimmicks in my hands afterwards. In CoinOne, you finished with 4 coins out that could be examined and you could ditch the gimmick to end clean. Cointwo I ended by taking my bow and placing them in the purse. I know that some people have come up with versions where you end with 3 normal coins. Tim Hill from Cleveland was one of them. Haven't taken the time to end clean yet.

Homer

I thought of making a clip at the side of my body with a normal coin.
When the routine is finished I can take the coin, add them to the other three coins, and I can palm the gimmick so everything can be examined.


Elliot

I also enjoyed that DVD. It was a nice journey into more modern coin sleights.
I also liked your lessons on reducing the JW display to a minimum.

Great suggestion.

At the very beginning of the routine when there are 3 but the first one disappears and you're not sure where it went, I feel that it's a perfect time to (instead) make the coin disappear and do a mock JW display to get the audience used to seeing that hand position (even though it's only for a split second).

How do you feel about using that moment to condition the audience instead of the "hey, where did it go" bit?

I'll take your comments off the air.

That doesn't sound like a bad idea Frank. Keep trying it and see how it works for you.

Homer

This reminds me of a point my teacher told me. When you do strolling magic and approach a group, it is good to start with a routine that has multiple phases. Reason is, you may not immediately have the entire group's attention. Hence, such routine is suitable because the multiple phases allows them to jump in any time. As opposed to a routine in which it is essential to see the beginning.
I think CoinTwo is ideal for this function, since they are taken 'for a ride' and people can join in as they wish. Once you have all of the attention, it is time to do your next effect...
In addition, something like CoinTwo immediately establishes you as as a pro.

Wow! Look at Homer tipping the real work! Good job of explaining how you do Coin 2 for real peeps. Anyone reading this should read and re-read what Homer wrote above. This effect is fast, visual and a strong way to grab an audiences attention. I have been doing this routine and a billion variations of it for years. Though it does not look as good in my "Houdini-esque *** chops" it still packs a powerful punch! There are so many lessons on finesse and HOW to handle coins on the DVD. If you don't have it and do any type of coin work, this DVD is a must.

Homer,

When producing the first coin, there's the challenge of them talking. I have Schoolcraft's soft Walking Liberties. Any suggestions for making them quieter.

Also is it just me or performing the J W grip with smaller coins a little more difficult or is that something to just get used to. Sometimes wearing a ring on the index finger aids keeping the index finger less curled, more natural looking. Does that make sense? Lol. But the sound in the beginning…

Wolfstone

Wolfstone,

For me its actually easier with smaller coins. On those bad Youtube videos of me doing the JW vanish, I think my hands look much better - the finger doesn't have to stretch to grip the bigger coin.

For the sound - two things.... slide them slower and you can also slide the coin closest to you up slightly, then grip the edge between the side of the 1st and 2nd finger, then lever it up with your thumb. That was shown to me by Chris Kenner. In the context of this routine it might be worse to have the extra finger movement unless you produce the coin behind your elbow instead of in front of it. I've always been in a not so quiet environment and never had problem with sound. I would get coins that are smooth and make very little noise. I rub my coins together a lot when they are newer to smooth them out against each other.

Homer

Hey Homer, I was wondering if you could give some additional advice on the number two vanish (for coins...not poop). I just can't seem to get the positioning properly for the coin to be hidden, therefore it's not a number two vanish but rather a number two "oh, there's where he hides the coin!" type of deal. When I try it the way you teach it in CoinTwo, I have to actually tilt my hand a little sideways to take the coin out of view. It works, but I like the look of the two fingers being upright and looking normal. Any other tips on how to get the coin to hide out of view?

Hi Solar,

I think you might have to send me a pic of your hand so I can help you.

I'll do it once my girlfriend's 8 year old cousin is finished owning wolves with her priestess on WoW.