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Ben Blau Inner circle 1475 Posts |
Here's some footage of a routine I'm donating to Patrick Redford's next book, "Completely Out Of Order". The routine is called "Vindicator".
Hope you enjoy it. https://youtu.be/jb1oz9qnR3o
Ben Blau
http://www.benblaumentalism.com |
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Pasteboard Alchemist Special user 502 Posts |
Very nice! Okay, I'm officially looking forward to the next book.
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Nicolino Inner circle 2893 Posts |
Lovely thinking, and even better: it works with any stack!
The Mati Envelope
A brandnew peek device for the working mentalist! Chance's Token Tarot cards in a scenic piece of mystery..... |
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Sudo Nimh Inner circle 1866 Posts |
VERY nice.
Some interesting presentational and routining possibilities immediately leapt to mind while watching this. The only thing I wonder is: What advantage is being offered when the routine involves the divination of a single playing card using a memdeck...when the stack is destroyed at the end. Is it worth it? Regardless of this thought, I still think any participant would find this intriguing. |
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Ben Blau Inner circle 1475 Posts |
Quote:
On Jun 17, 2017, Sudo Nimh wrote: I destroy setups all the time. Ending clean is important to me, and if I'm performing a set with playing cards there are tons of routines I can follow up with that do not require a setup. Also, I carry a messenger bag with a few decks in it, each with a different setup. I like to perform one or two effects with cards, and then put the deck away (in the bag) to move on to non-card material. If I decide to return to the cards (which is frequent, because most people ask for me to do "one more thing"), I go back into the messenger bag and come out with a different deck, which they assume is the same one as before. I personally have no specific need to maintain a stack throughout an entire performance, although there are many great ways of doing so. Patrick Redford's new book contains a ton of material that allows this.
Ben Blau
http://www.benblaumentalism.com |
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Ben Blau Inner circle 1475 Posts |
Also -- if one is familiar with my material, you probably know that several of my routines utilize setups. Most of them are unique to the specific effect, so there is no single "universal" stack that I'd want to maintain, since I would find that limiting. I don't want my repertoire to be determined by the characteristics of one specific stack.
Ben Blau
http://www.benblaumentalism.com |
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Waterloophai Inner circle Belgium 1368 Posts |
Quote:
On Jun 17, 2017, Ben Blau wrote: I don't want my repertoire to be determined by the characteristics of one specific stack. Very wise words and congrats for vindicator. |
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Waterloophai Inner circle Belgium 1368 Posts |
Quote:
On Jun 17, 2017, Sudo Nimh wrote:The only thing I wonder is: What advantage is being offered when the routine involves the divination of a single playing card using a memdeck...when the stack is destroyed at the end. Is it worth it? You wanna make an omelet, you gotta break some eggs. |
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Nicolino Inner circle 2893 Posts |
Or, as we Spaniards would say: "Para hacer una tortilla hay que romper unos huevos".
This is just an innuendo to Waterloophai...and maybe to Ben, as well!
The Mati Envelope
A brandnew peek device for the working mentalist! Chance's Token Tarot cards in a scenic piece of mystery..... |
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Sudo Nimh Inner circle 1866 Posts |
Hi Ben.
I hope you didn't take what I wrote as criticism - it certainly wasn't intended that way. I did say that I thought it was VERY nice. I have a set of guidelines that I go by when evaluating material to see if it's something I will add to my repertoire, and most of that criteria comes from my experience working in professional settings, where, if I am going to use a full deck memorized stack, I need to keep it intact if possible as I don't have time to reset it after every group or table. I'm not adverse to destroying it if needed - but it MUST be worth it. With the plethora of ways there are to go about revealing a mental selection using such a tool, I simply meant that I'd not had a chance to compare it up against other effects that accomplish the same result, that's all. Audiences don't often perceive certain subtle details that we "in the know" do. For me, any effect that requires a full deck stack is one thing. But if that same effect also destroys the stack, in my opinion, that *is* a con. Doesn't mean that it isn't worth doing, but it is a factor that needs to be considered when weighing out pros and cons, no? I'll give you a good example: Dani DaOrtiz's "Or Not" routine. It's an absolute show-stopper of an effect that allows for the revelation of THREE cards under exceedingly impossible conditions, and yet still manages to keep the deck intact. Again, these are all considerations I make based on my own criteria. Either way, I have quite enjoyed your previously released works and I look forward to your future offerings as well. I've also enjoyed what work I have seen from Patrick too, so for me, this is a "no-brainer" when it comes to purchasing it. |
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Waterloophai Inner circle Belgium 1368 Posts |
Hi Sudo Nimh,
My comment was not meant to be negative. You are right when you write that a trick that destroys your MD is a "con". It will always be a personal choice and decision if a particular trick is worth it or not. And.... some tricks don't destroy your MD completely... |
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Ben Blau Inner circle 1475 Posts |
All opinions are welcome and appreciated. Each one of my thought-of card routines looks a little different, and seems to present different conditions. I like that. For example, Max Maven's masterpiece, "The Mockingbird" requires a semi-elaborate setup that is destroyed in the process of performing the routine. Yes, the end result is similar to other routines in which a thought-of card is divined. However, the ending of the trick is not what defines it. It's the journey the audience takes along with the performer.
This aligns with my position. Ben
Ben Blau
http://www.benblaumentalism.com |
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Ben Blau Inner circle 1475 Posts |
Also, there's no reason to assume that Vindicator has to be the first trick you perform. Patrick has a metric sh!t ton on material in his new book that not only preserves a stack, but allows you to CREATE one in the context of doing other tricks.
:) Ben
Ben Blau
http://www.benblaumentalism.com |
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Sudo Nimh Inner circle 1866 Posts |
Hey Ben - agreed! Like I said, I just haven't had a chance to road test it yet, that's all.
And yes!, I am totally looking forward to what Patrick has got cooked up here - especially since this allows you to shift easily into NDO etc. Because from there, I can also shift quite easily into my preferred stack of choice - Mnemonica. I'm liking the versatility in options here and the ability to cherry pick. @Waterloophai: No offense taken at all my friend - I was more worried that what I had wrote earlier might have offended anybody! On another note: How refreshing it is to see a thread on the Café where people can respect and consider others opinions and be civil. I am somewhat amused by the fact that we all seem worried about offending one another here, if even in the slightest. |
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Patrick Redford Inner circle Michigan 1751 Posts |
Over the next couple of memorized deck releases I'll have a huge section on stacking any memorized deck in a couple of minutes under the noses of an audience while performing one effect. One of which would be a great follow up to this effect if you wanted to go that route. Again- we might be jumping the gun talking about all of this so quickly but Temporarily out of Order was never meant to be a one book project. It's intention was always to be at least three in the same format of the first.
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Sudo Nimh Inner circle 1866 Posts |
Hey Patrick - quick question:
Will this ever be available in digital format? I'm getting more and more excited about all of this - I dearly love memorized deck work. |
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mtgoldstein Veteran user Houston, TX 325 Posts |
Aww go ahead Jump the Gun, Jump the Gun!!!! Some of the most exciting stuff has come out this year and it keeps leaping to higher and higher levels. And with due respect from all.
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Nicolino Inner circle 2893 Posts |
Quote:
On Jun 18, 2017, Sudo Nimh wrote: That's indeed a good and valid comparison. Given the overall length of both routines I tend to believe that "Or Not" does tick the box here again as it has a certin entertainment factor by simultaneously involving a bunch of spectators. Also, impact-wise they both are on par for me BUT this consideration also depends on who you perform for: with "Or Not" being straightforward it's well suited for an amaterish audience; apart from that it's dead easy in terms of technique. "Vindicator", on the other hand, has a more sophisticated approach in being more complex at core, and thus needs even better audience management than "Or Not" . For a seasoned audience and/or other magicians, though, it's way more baffling and impossible looking. The repeated (and legitimate) shuffles still enhance this impression! That fact alone could be worth for many to destroy the stack after all.
The Mati Envelope
A brandnew peek device for the working mentalist! Chance's Token Tarot cards in a scenic piece of mystery..... |
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Patrick Redford Inner circle Michigan 1751 Posts |
Quote:
On Jun 19, 2017, Sudo Nimh wrote: I don't plan on that. Though all purchasers have access to part of the book in digital format after purchase just not the entire work. |
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Ben Blau Inner circle 1475 Posts |
I think Dani's "Or Not" is a fantastic piece. There is no reason not to love it.
Ben Blau
http://www.benblaumentalism.com |
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