We all know here how to do French drops and false transfers but non-magicians can tell what is happening. Is there any tips that you know of that makes either of these moves more convincing? It would be much appreciated thanks

Practice more?
I am totally serious.
And also study Mickey Silver.

Doubt everyone here can do deceptive false transfers as at least one claims to be unable to decieve his audiences.

That said, where in routine do you get busted?

A feint can be useful in selling a false transfer.

I held this mythical view too until my french drop got good. I'm consistently surprised by the reaction from a french drop - it's one of my favourite sleights

Tips:
Videoman is spot on - practise until it is exactly the same as if you took it and you look relaxed.

Have a reason to do the move. I rarely do a french drop stand alone, but sometimes do if I have a coin in hand and get asked to do something. In that case, I demonstrate how the coin will dissolve at this spot (the feint, transferring the coin to left hand to lift the coin to the correct spot), take the coin back with my right so I can point to that spot with my left, then french drop it while supposedly taking it with my left again and mark the magic moment by crumbling it away. I find when I do this, noone looks at my other hand. I then reproduce it before they get chance, or pick up the "remnants" of the coin with my other hand, performing a change over palm, before reproducing.

But then sometimes, I just perform the french drop with no patter. In Vietnam I did it silently to some train passengers as we didn't share a language. I quickly gained an audience and performed for ages to pass the wait time

So just practise more!

Actually, an important specific tip:

Take the coin with your finger tips - nobody closes their fist to take a coin like that! Then the taking hand can close into a fist after, which sells the coin being in that hand. The other hand should fall naturally. You can use Ramsey subtlety before vanishing to show that hand empty, but I haven't found that necessary.


Of course, the real trick is to use it as part of a routine. Use if for Expansion of Texture (see Bobo) and the audience won't care about your other hand - they care about what happened in theirs!

There's always the good ol' "put" the coin in the other hand so you can pick up your magic wand item in order to cause the coin to vanish

Just using a French drop as a one trick pony
is hard to pull off.But in conjunction with
a array of move's in a routein is a different story.
Todd

Honestly, there is a whole process to this thing, way beyond just doing a trick. It takes time and good knowledge of all the parts. You have heard some good tips here, the rest are found along your own journey.

Oh, and welcome to the Café.

-Mb

Yes it is a journey. Along the way, mime, acting, music, timing, juggling, dance,balance including katas such as Tai Chi, sub vocal and voiced scripts might add into the equation.

They did to mine.

Or you could just practice.

My harmonica playing and magic improved with a teachers guidance. Learning what to do as well as what not to do.

Priceless

You'll find tons of great thinking in this former thread.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......&forum=3

Miguel Angel Gea shows a nice variation of the French drop in his Penguin Live Lecture. Also, R Paul Wilson has a nice "spin" on the French drop.

Cheers,

Bill

I have no problem with french drop so far

Work on your acting. You can do this with no coin at all...just mime, until you are sure what you are trying to convey. When using a real coin, and the viewers are supposed to see it, YOU look at it too. When it vanishes, not to be confused with when you do the MOVE, you should look where you want the viewers to think it went, for example into thin air might mean you look slightly upward which takes the viewers' eyes away from the concealment. Too often people work on the move but not on the acting. Regards, Gregg Webb

Videoman is right! The MASTER of the coin vanish...Mickey Silver!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9LP0q1rtco

Doug

Thanks Doug...Man, that never gets old.

Hay Man Gregg Is Right! I have used Mine In my coin Vanishes for 35 - 40 years! You also have to know WHY is this coin Vanishing! And WHERE is it going!!! It is best if you can reproduce it some where! You have around 20 or so Sec.'s Before they starting looking for it! If you can show where it went Even if you have a 2 TH. Coin say loaded under a Coin purse, or a card! Then they wont be looking for it! ( And as you show that coin You can load the 1 ST. coin back under the Coin Purse! )

Hey guys !

I have a few coin work penguin , a coin routine and a coin vanish, you might want to check out.

Np Technique (Vanish a coin at finger tip) - http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/3621

A DCOIN a coin routine (Twist on 3 fly plot) - http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/3621



Deepak M Smile

How is this relevant to the topic in any way?

See the discussion of the French Drop in "The Dai Vernon Book of Magic."