|
|
Go to page 1~2 [Next] | ||||||||||
coolini Regular user australia 176 Posts |
Hi guys,
I don't know if this has been discuused before, and if it was,i would appreciate if somebody post the link for it, but I have a question about improvising when it happens that we loose a controled card or when we miss the card in the deck in a walk around situation... in this case, its time to improvise, is anybody willing to share their ideas about what to do in such case based on previous experiences...? I ll start with my idea, I always keep a (52 0n 1) card in my pocket...and when I lose the card, I just say in a very serious way, "i had a prediction of your card, for the first time name it out loud" as I m bringing from my pocket the 52 on 1 card facing down....they name their card, and I end it as a gag... any ideas??? |
|||||||||
Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Every pro that works out there "in the trenches" has had this happen to them from time to time. If somone says it's never happened to them then either they're not a worker or they're lying.
It's important to have an "out" for everything. The more frequently you perform, the more of a chance it will happen to you. Depending on your situation and the routine you're performing, you may need a different out! If the card was signed, then no out is necessary and you should be able to easily sight the card in the deck during your shuffling and cutting sequences, and then regain control of the card. However, if it's not a signed card and I have completly lost it, then I will usually turn the routine into a gag. I'll have them cut the deck and say "would you be impressed if the card you cut to was YOUR CARD?" They say "SURE!" I ask them to name their card. They do and I have them turn over the card. When they see it's NOT their card, then my response is, "yeah, I'd be pretty impressed too!" It gets a laugh, and in that off beat (since I know now what their card is) I can quickly sight their card, cull it to the top, and then do a color change or top change the wrong card with theirs to turn a joke into the magic moment. Remember...they don't know what trick you were going to do anyway, so for them, it was a great moment. On the RARE OCCASSION when they cut the deck, I have had it be CORRECT CARD! At this point, you are GOD and nothing you can do will top it. Let them keep the card, pack it up and move one! Don't ruin the moment by trying to top it...cause you won't! Christopher
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
|||||||||
S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-04-30 23:38, Christopher Lyle wrote: Unfortunately, it's impossible to have an "out" for everything. You may be able to have an "out" for many - perhaps most - pick-a-card-and-I'll-find-your-card effects, but that's only a subset of card effects. Quote:
On 2010-04-30 23:38, Christopher Lyle wrote: Sometimes, alas, they do. To answer the original poster: for p-a-c-a-I-f-y-c effects I stumbled across a great "out" that offers a (somewhat, at least) plausible explanation for your failure to find their card: it disappeared from the deck. The subsequent Triumphant revelation works quite well. I think I came across the principle in a book by Harry Lorayne, but I cannot find the reference. Shoot me a PM for the details. |
|||||||||
Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-05-01 02:27, S2000magician wrote: I don't agree 100% on this statment. Obviously, to have an OUT for every single thing would be a challenge. However, if you're able to think quick on your feet and you know your routines solid, then it is possible to have an out for everything in your repitore. My mentor use to tell me that he would rehearse his outs for everything in his show. During his rehearsal time, he would purposely screw up the same routine several differnt ways and rehearse his lines, body language and so on so if it ever happens, it would all seem as if it were just another part of the show. To put it another way, I remember seeing Tiger a few weeks back at The Masters. During the first round of play, he shot an increadible hook shot out of the trees that must have curved about 90 degrees and landed that ball just a few feet shy of the pin. Do you think that was an accident? Pro's regardless of what they do (Magic, Golf, etc.) practice these tough situations so when they're faced with them, they know what to do. Quote:
On 2010-04-30 23:38, Christopher Lyle wrote: Again...I disagree with this. HOW would they know what you're going to do? Our job is all about the doing things they don't expect. A classic example of this is the Magician in Trouble plot. Do you really think that they believe you have screwed up. Very few are truely able to pull it off with an ounce of believability. They don't know that you have a card loaded in your shoe and that you missed your classic force of the dupe in the deck so now your changing your routine up by doing a differnt routine. They have no idea what's happening next. Sometimes, a happy accident occurs that turns out to be BETTER than what you were planning in the first place. Christopher
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
|||||||||
S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
Suppose that you're doing a routine in which you've convinced that audience that you have exactly four playing cards, you accidently drop the cards, and it's obvious that you have five (or six, or eight, or whatever).
If you dismiss this example, there are others. It is impossible to have an out for every situation. As for your Tiger Woods story: of course he's practiced tough shots, just as you and I have practiced our routines, thought of possible mistakes and recoveries, and so on. You're clearly correct that performers (pros and amateurs alike) should do so; you omitted, however, that many don't. What you don't say is that this is only one example (for Tiger), and that he might get into a lie that offers no recovery. Even Tiger Woods cannot recover from every possible situation. |
|||||||||
Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-05-01 03:19, S2000magician wrote: Ain't that the truth!!!! I bet he wish he could...especially now!!! (and I ain't talkin' golf!) I will respond further (as I agree with "some" of what you're saying) once I have had a few hours of sleep...at this late hour, I'm not at my best... Christopher
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
|||||||||
twistedace Inner circle philadelphia 3772 Posts |
I had this happen on New Year's Eve while I was working at Trump Plaza casino. I controlled the 3 selections to the top. A waitress bumped into me mid shuffle and I literally dropped the cards on the table. The three spectators laughed and the guy said "THIS is going to be interesting." Thankfully the three stayed together in a cluster. I asked them to name their cards out loud, snapped my fingers 3 times, and told them their cards were gone. One was in my left pocket, the other in my inner jacket pocket, and the was one was under the card box. I had 3 tables burst out into loud applause. You just have to roll with it and hope for the best.
|
|||||||||
zimsalabim Special user Orlando Floirda USA 520 Posts |
When strolling I always carry a Brainwave deck IF such a situation comes up one can use it as the "out"
Joe Zimmer
"The Second Greatest Magician in the World" Who is the Greatest? Everybody else! Borrowed with respect from the late Great Eddie Fechter Owner of the Forks Hotel Zimsalabim Orlando Florida |
|||||||||
Scott F. Guinn Inner circle "Great Scott!" aka "Palms of Putty" & "Poof Daddy G" 6586 Posts |
My favorite "out" with a missed unsigned selection:
I turn the (wrong) card face down on the table, snap my fingers (as if changing it into the right card) and then flip it face up, secretly loading a coin under it. "Hmmm... well THAT obviously didn't work! How about a coin trick?" Slide the card aside to reveal the coin and go into a flurry. Makes it seem like the whole card thing was just a gag. If I lose a signed card (and Christopher is right--even the greats lose a card once in a while), I stop and "realize" I was "supposed" to have another person sign it, too. I openly spread through the deck and hand a different person the card and marker and then go back into the routine. When I get home that night, I practice some more! There are, of course, lots of other outs I use: ID, cull the card to top during spread, palm it off and pull it from pocket or wallet (remarking they couldn't have chosen THAT card, as it wasn't even in the deck!), swami, etc.. Those are just two that are easy.
"Love God, laugh more, spend more time with the ones you love, play with children, do good to those in need, and eat more ice cream. There is more to life than magic tricks." - Scott F. Guinn
My Lybrary Page |
|||||||||
Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts |
Every performer with any trench time under his belt will develop their own means to cover, or recover, as the case may be. You won't survive long in the real world without adopting some plans for damage control.
Only some of this will come from pre-planning, which is likely limited to hearing the ideas of others and/or imaging the obvious disasters and devising a "Plan B". Most scenarios will come to you unexpectedly... things you never dreamed could happen. In these cases, pre-planning may not have banked on the current details, and may or may not work. While it is entirely possible to take an uncharted alternate course, and gracefully get back on the path later, it may be like nearly crashing a bicycle, and somehow managing to stay upright without killing yourself. You're not entirely sure how it worked, you just know that it did... that one time. But, the best line of defense will usually take effect, the NEXT time a similar thing goes wrong, and it can be surprising how many repeats of "once in a lifetime" disasters you'll encounter. If you do a reasonable post-mortem and figure out why things went wrong, what might prevent the same occurence in the future, and what to do if it happens anyway, you'll simply be better prepared for the next time if and/or when it happens again. Experience will eventually build up a cache of outs for mishaps, but more importantly it will also build up a knowledge of how to keep your balance when the proverbial waitress bumps the deck from your hands. I'll stick my neck out a bit and disagree with part of what Chris said (yeah, I know... dangerous ground! ). I do not think it is possible to have a plan for recovery for all mishaps. Sometimes, the trick is just flat out blown. I have a nice collection of them in the formaldehyde-filled jars of my mind to keep me humble. Grace under fire is the ultimate goal, regardless of how you get there. It's not a battle to necessarily win, but it is a test of the magician's professionalism. This reason alone is probably one of the most important why the connection between your character and the audience, be as strong as possible. This is the wrong time to treat the audience as the enemy, by trying to "hide" things when it cannot effectively be done. This is equally as bad as adopting a challenge attitude during the normal presentation. Ok, so enough of that... Methods for covering muddy footprints on the clean white carpet when you lose a card during shuffle are going to be based entirely on the presentation at hand, the magician's character, and what has or has not gone before. Fortunately for many of us, we present magic with a bit of "fun" built in. The audience is made aware early on that the magician does not take himself too seriously. Comedic bail-outs will usually work for such a scenario. These are limited by the magician's own imagination, and would probably be as quickly adopted (stolen) by other magicians looking for good ways to cover their own keesters, as they would "borrow" any funny line that works in a routine. Because these lines, bits of business, and techniques are as individual as those in the routine itself, I choose not to divulge mine openly. The best way to learn them is to see me use them when the s*** hits the fan. However, if the stars happen to be aligned at the time, you may never know one was used!
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
|||||||||
Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Ok...so after going back and reading what I wrote, I can see where "I WAS WRONG!" Everyone hear that? I, Christopher Lyle, on this Sunday May 2, 2010 am admitting that I was wrong! Take a picture...!!
Seriously...what I wrote and what I thought were actually two differnt things (in part). That's what I get for posting on so little sleep so late at night. Anyhow... What I MEANT TO SAY was that if you know your material then it is possible to think thru "almost" every possible situation so when something goes outside of the plan, you have outs. For card magic, you can plan "what to do" if Ilose the card during the control, or if you drop a card or flash a card while palmed, or if you let coins talk that arn't supposed to talk during a routine, or if you're accidentally set a small child on fire with your Fire Wallet...you know...everyday stuff that could happen. As was stated earlier by others, you can't have them for everything but it is possible to try and plan ahead so when the unthinkable does occur...your ready. As Michael said, obviously, a time will come when something happens and there is NO RECOVERY for it, no way to save the effect, you just have to take your lumps and move on. Something so out of the norm that there was no way to plan a "what to do if..." type of thing. How you handle the situation is what will define you as a performer and is what seperates the pros from the amateurs... Christopher
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
|||||||||
Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-05-01 17:02, Michael Baker wrote: ALERT! ALERT! DANGER WILL ROBINSON! Whew...returning to normal D.E.F.C.O.N. Levels... (That was a close one!)
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
|||||||||
Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts |
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
|||||||||
S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-05-02 11:17, Christopher Lyle wrote: Bingo! (By the way, I knew that you knew.) Returning now to our originally scheduled thread . . . . |
|||||||||
Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts |
"...and there you have it folks! This title bout between the sensitive side of California vs the not so sensi..., er... um, the man from the big state of TEXAS has ended in a draw. Sorry folks... no refunds. Hope you had a good time. Tune in next time to see timid kid from southeast Asia vs snooty Brit. Be careful driving home everyone! This is your Midwesterner-posing-as-a-Southerner announcer signing off!"
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
|||||||||
S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-05-02 16:11, Michael Baker wrote: Um, no: I won. I demand a recount. |
|||||||||
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Plan b, c or d is always a good thing.
Sometimes plan c is a better outcome than expected. When I meet my brother, he usually request something for the friend he is with. It was valentines day...lost track of the queen..and somehow got a Jack.. really jacked that up...started doing somethings with the Jack..and then and then..placed the Jack on the table... which later turned up to be the queen (of hearts of course)..and the Jack..you guessed... in the box.... I am guessing that is a routine created by many...and perhaps I read it a long long time ago..or not... my wife kept giving me that magician's wife look...like I had planned it...after I truthfully told her..I was not sure how the routine was going to end... It went a bit longer than my usual card stuff..(I am card challenged)... the kick was all 3 said it was the best..(heard that one a time or two or three) they had seen me do....go figure???? My work with an improv troupe (Comedy Sportz) for a few seasons back in the 80's has really helped my magic. Every 5 or 10 years I take a theatre or improv class..(or audition for a troupe..though I really don't have time to take part in the ongoing activities..) harri
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
|||||||||
Josh Chaikin Inner circle Kansas City 1430 Posts |
Yes, there are some effects where you cannot have an out for everything. One night I was working, closing with the Anniversary Waltz, I have no idea what forces were working against me, but...well...the r***** force worked against me. Luckily it was on the first selection. Even more luckily, I had just attended a lecture a few nights earlier where a one-card version was taught. I hadn't had much time to practice it, but I was adept at most of the sleights and was able to work through it unscathed. That was a little unnerving.
For the rest...as has been stated before, go for a gag or go for culling, I've done both, it just depends on the table. |
|||||||||
Bad to the Balloon Inner circle Clearwater Florida 2116 Posts |
Quote:
I demand a recount. You have to be from Florida to do that!!!
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy As seen on the TODAY SHOW www.balloonguy.net Creator of Bad to the Balloon DVD series Go to my store: http://tinyurl.com/Bad2theBalloon |
|||||||||
Bad to the Balloon Inner circle Clearwater Florida 2116 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-05-04 11:32, Harris wrote: Yep I worked with Comedy Sportz for a while too.... no money in it but valuable experience to say the least. Tim Ellis just sent me the Magic Sportz PDF the other day. Wow would it be cool to do it with a good group of magician. Too bad last time I tried this everyone cried because they are not about expanding their magic as an art but want to do their pat routines and that is it.
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy As seen on the TODAY SHOW www.balloonguy.net Creator of Bad to the Balloon DVD series Go to my store: http://tinyurl.com/Bad2theBalloon |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Table hoppers & party strollers » » Improvising... (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page 1~2 [Next] |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.08 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |