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Perseus Arkomanis Loyal user 208 Posts |
Recently I had this analysis in my head and wanted to hear your thoughts on that.
I think most of you agree that magic is an artform...an art where we as magicians offer something unique to every spectator. And every human has the right to experience astonishment and magic right? Well...how about the blind?! I was thinking this...What kind of effect would I perform for a blind man?How can you give the experience of magic to someone who cannot see the coins go into your hand...to a man who would know that he has 2 spongeballs in his hand as soon as they touch his skin? I would love to hear your thoughts and solutions to my little mystery... Take care all! De'Mon/Greece
The things that are most real to me are the illusions which I create...everything else is quicksand...
<BR> <BR>www.orionmagicproductions.com |
Payne Inner circle Seattle 4571 Posts |
Years ago I was performing at a festival. Standing in he back row was a gentleman who was really enjoying my performance. He was laughing at all the jokes and applauding loudly at the end of each effect. At the end of my show I was surprised to see his companion take him by the arm as he unfolded his white cane. Sometimes the presentation and the shared experience is magic enough.
But if you want an effect for the blind try this. Take a large marble and place it in the palm of your left hand. Then cross your fingers of the right and place them on top of the marble. Roll them around and eventually you'll feel two distinct marbles. A sensory deception you don't need eyes to experience.
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
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Perseus Arkomanis Loyal user 208 Posts |
I can't get to feel the Marble trick you said...but I'll keep trying.
I understand what you mean about the performance but I wanted something astonishing...not only entertaining... Many thanks for the thinking Payne Take care
The things that are most real to me are the illusions which I create...everything else is quicksand...
<BR> <BR>www.orionmagicproductions.com |
The Burnaby Kid Inner circle St. John's, Canada 3158 Posts |
Braille playing cards exist. A few ideas come to mind where their lack of vision wouldn't be too much of an obstacle for them appreciating the effect. You might want to make sure that they have somebody with them that they trust to ensure that the magician didn't pull a fast one that everybody else could see. One advantage that comes to mind is something involving the torn-corner... motivated by the fact that a signed card doesn't make sense in this context.
On Nothing, Max Maven came up with a very hands-off (from the performer's point of view) Bank Night style of routine, that could be played up in terms of fairness so that their lack of vision isn't an impediment to enjoying the effect, and there's no way your ability to see can be used as an advantage against them. There's also the very old effect where coins are mixed up and dropped, and everything that's not heads is eliminated, with the last coin matching a prediction -- one might be able to get the props necessary for a similar routine that so that a blind person could appreciate it. Sleight-of-hand magic is going to be a tough sell, if only because the really good stuff is visual, and most of the methodology requires you to handle the items, which basically removes the item from their sphere of perception, at which point you could be doing anything. Something involving a shell or a coin tray might work, if you can play up the tactile features that allow them to appreciate the conditions.
JACK, the Jolly Almanac of Card Knavery, a free card magic resource for beginners.
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Payne Inner circle Seattle 4571 Posts |
It would be almost impossible to perform with Braille Playing cards as the deck is at least three times as thick as a regular deck. Also many Blind people can't read braille.
The Marble trick is called the Aristotle illusion You can read about it and other tactile illusions here http://mrhoyestokwebsite.com/WOKs/Percep......ions.pdf
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
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Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
I published my "Routine for the Blind" (The Impromptu Card Code) in my booklet, "Street Magic." Other interesting effects for the blind include the Gauci marble trick and Mohammed Bey's routine in which a harness ring passes thru a handkerchief onto the spectator's thumb from his "Effects with the Ellis Ring" booklet.
I think that tactile and optical illusions aren't magic illusions. They may be used as magic methods, but the effects are not magic illusions at all because there is never any "agreement" on the premises--one can know that the "actual condition" and the "observed condition" are in opposition, without experiencing a dilemma. |
The Burnaby Kid Inner circle St. John's, Canada 3158 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-12-15 01:50, Payne wrote: Just looked up a few brands, and found that most were plastic, which pretty much eliminates my idea about using a torn corner (darn). However, the width/height dimensions are enough to allow for smuggling in via sneaky ways, such as under an envelope containing a prediction. If they can shuffle the deck, there are effects that can be done to completion with little to no difficult handling on the part of the magician. Another brand I found had the dimensions listed at about 3"x4" by 1"(thick), which is comparable to poker-sized cards -- presumably it'd be difficult to do much sleight of hand with them anyway since (again) if you take the cards away from their hands, it's out of their field of perception, in which case you might as well be doing a deck-switch, or whatever. Not being able to read braille, though... that'd be a problem.
JACK, the Jolly Almanac of Card Knavery, a free card magic resource for beginners.
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volto Special user 603 Posts |
How about objects disappearing from containers, or moving between containers? A rattle box effect and a Lippincott box could work for everyone, with the premise established and agreed without anyone being able to see the object once it's in the rattle box. The blind fellow could be holding both boxes. From the small amount of contact with blind folks I've had, I think a blind guy would be more likely to discover the secret of a rigged box, so it'd need careful management.
An equivocated prediction stamped on a braille card might be cool. There's a load of purely verbal mentalism effects that would work. I'm sure there's a book test method that would work with braille books if that's an option. There's a few ring-off-rope and other rope effects that you could do with the blind guy examining and holding the rope. Some stuff along the lines of Checker X/Grandma's necklace too. There's a class of metal bending effects (like the 'psi key') that are truly amazing, sighted or not, with the bend happening literally in their closed hands. I don't own one, but I'd like to... You could make a production box that was specifically directed at blind people, that was entirely tactile. They examine it thoroughly in their hands, and then - while they're holding it - an object appears within. The difference here is the tactile, rather than visual examination. The box I have in mind would need careful crafting but it'd be a very cool prop. Along similar lines, it's possible to make cubes and other platonic solids that fold almost flat and pop-up with elastic or springs into solid, hard braced objects. Harbin has quite a few plans and ideas for folding/popup objects in his books (and in Sphinx articles iirc). It's a really interesting problem. I guess getting the tone of presentation right would be difficult too; you need to be inclusive without being patronizing, which is difficult. Also, if lots of the audience is blind, it'd be really hard to communicate some of these effects. Definitely a noble cause though, good luck! |
Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-12-15 12:37, volto wrote: Remember that the blind person has to physically feel the object going into the box and being closed inside, he has to feel the ring go onto the rope also feel the rope to the ends, any expanding objects will have to remain solid under examination--most would collapse under examination. It is not enough to have the results "observable," but the premises of the effect must be "observable" to the blind person as well. Try being the spectator with your eyes closed. See how meaningful most of these suggestions might come across. Another thing to keep in mind, is that in most situations, you will not be expecting to have a blind person at the performance, so whatever tricks you want to do for the blind must be impromptu or nearly, with stuff that you normally carry to every show. |
magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
De'Mon,
Here's a related thread you might find helpful: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=27 |
volto Special user 603 Posts |
Point taken Whit. The mentalism is fine though, and the metal bend. Although the metal bend has a slightly impractical reset, so realistically it's an expensive trick that would only work for a few audience members.
I still think the ring off rope would be absolutely practical. To clarify, I'm thinking of a brass Gemini ring, which is a variant of the Jardine-Ellis ring. I have one of these; a tactile examination works fine if the magician is also holding the ring; the ring is large enough to allow this (1 1/4"). The spectator examines the rope (about a foot and a half long), and holds the ends the whole time. They feel the ring, and they put the ring on the rope. While they're holding the ends of the rope, the magician slides the ring up the rope; the spectator themselves takes the ring off the rope and gives it to the magician. When the spectator feels their way back along the rope, the ring is still there. |
Perseus Arkomanis Loyal user 208 Posts |
First of all, I want to thank all f you for your kind thinking on my puzzle.
Also thanks to magicalaurie for pointing out the similar topic that has been made before. The thing that a lot of come to realize(my self included) is that we can't use something visual. My first take was on mentalism (equevoques and stuff) but I want to do something purely magical,not mental. I personally think that the answer lies where the spectator must feel at all times the objects used (remember their feel is their sight) and also keep in mind that the sence of feel is extre sensitive to them (so using a shell may not fly...sorry Musgrave) it's gotta be in the hands I think but not too something that flashes(in a touchy kind of way) I was thinking of spongeballs but even if the 2 ones fly in the hand they can't experience the vanishing of the other... maybe science can help here... I once know of paper desolving in water...so maybe there's paper that desolves with heat and can be put in their hands or something and build a storyline routine of some sort... Mr.Haydn pointed out some great thoughts on the matter and I totally agree on the effects beeing impromptu...that's also a key element. All of you imagine on some show or gig doing close up and someone bringing their blind friend to you and asking you to do something for them...what would you do?Damn I bust my brain for days now and I feel powerless... Thank you all for your thoughs and please bring more to the table...something good might come out from this... De'Mon
The things that are most real to me are the illusions which I create...everything else is quicksand...
<BR> <BR>www.orionmagicproductions.com |
magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-12-16 18:44, demonmagic wrote: You're welcome, De'Mon. |
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