Hello, my name is sam (male) and I am from london, england. I've been doing magic for about 12 years (but I've only been doing it well for 8).

I specialise in cards, nothing special there!, but do dabble in other areas, and I am really trying to learn more about stage magic at the moment.

my fondest memory of magic was during the international magic convention, where Jim Cellini (may he rest in peace) taught me a bit about cards and street magic.

my fondest memory of performing magic was on a bus coming back from a gig. I still had my "gear" in my pockets and the person sitting behind me (ilegally) lit a cigerette. everybody else on the bus looked agitated by this person so I turned around and asked if I could show them a trick. I did the classic cigerette vanish and got a spontanious round of applaus! not only that but it was the first time that I had ever seen a speechless chav!

I am not a member of any magic club or society, I just learn from the books and occasionally attend conventions. I do have formal training in performance skills, and am currently studing for a degree in Street Arts

so, umm, yeah... that me!

Hi there Sam.
Your vanishing cigerette story is great!
Welcome to the Café.
Bob.

"Gear in pocket" ... student in "Degree in Street Arts" ...
sounds like a Performing Arts candidate ...

Like the way you handled the bus passive smoking problem ... a TT I assume.

Sit down ... what you having?
Wulfie

Performing arts candidate? what does this assertion mean?

and yes, it was vernet (well a cheap imitation probably)
thanks for the welcome guys!

Welcome to the Café Sam

Cheers
Bill

I´m newer to magic than you magicalmilton - I realise it´s out of place to ask what the classical cigarette vanish is, as the Café isn´t a place for "Exposure" of methods. But I´d be very curious to know if you did it with the "lit" cigarette !

I know a very simple cigarette vanish, but it wouldn´t be possible once the cigarette had been lit !

p.s. if it was done with a lit cigarette, I´d be extremely interested in knowing where I learn the method!

Hi Irlandes

I'm pretty certain that you will be able to find the method for this in most of the classical texts on close-up magic such as Hugards Magic Manual or the Tarbell course, definitely in the Stars Of Magic series!

It's also in Jim Cellini's the Royal Touch, but I don't know if that has gone out of print.

It's quite a commonly known trick however and I'm almost certain that there must be an exposure video on youtube if you desperately wanted to know how it was done... I'm not advocating that method of learning though!

Hope that helps,

sam

Thanks Sam - I will have to go back to my Tarbell book. I have it packed away in a box along with Mark Wilsons complete course. I´m moving house at the minute and don´t know which box it is in (girlfriend packed away my books!).

I admit that when I started to develop an interest in magic I had a look at some exposure videos. However since I´ve put in some hard work, and invested some cash, I´m extremely disappointed to see dire performances of some effects appearing on youtube, and people revealing effects for all to see.
Whilst exposure makes magicians innovate more, I think it´s destroying the art somewhat. I´ll exercise patience, and look the effect up in Tarbell. I think that putting in a bit of hard work helps one to appreciate and respect the effect!

Do you dabble in hypnosis at all?
there is a section on here that might interest you if you do:
The Attic - You are getting sleepy...very sleepy...

about a third of the way down the home page.
My real name is owen by the way.

Hi owen, I used to be interested in hypnosis but now I am not sure of the ethics of it.

also, hypnosis, like magic, is a bit of a misnomer amongst professionals, I feel, because its not actually a singular thing but a catagory of techinques that give the impression of a singular thing... does that make sense?

I'm more interested in magic a stage act and big stage illusions, really excited by what I could learn in that forum!

coolio

sam

I do hate people that make exposure video's, they ruin many years of work and steal the magic away from spectators who watch them... the reason that I wrote that you would probably be able to find an expo-vid is because you are clearly a magician and the trick is so old that I doubt anyone can be claiming royalties for it, so little harm would be done.

Well, knowledge in the wrong hands can be dangerous, that´s for sure. I wouldn´t use hypnosis for anything I thought were nasty or embarrassing to someone. I think the applications for magic are much more interesting
I think I get what you mean when you say hypnosis is a category of techniques, but as with magic I´m concentrating on one thing at a time
Stage magic is way out of my league, I´m a hobby-magician, doing a few card tricks in bars for friends and friends of friends. But I have to expand my repertoire fast or it´s going to get very boring.

I will be spending a week in London near Russell Sq (after Blackpool)perhaps we could have a pint or coffee