Magic for a Social Media Age?

Review of Profiles
Just about every magician is using social media, but almost no one seems to have found a way to use it as a theme for a great magic routine (except, perhaps, for Justin Willman). For this, Profiles offers a mentalism routine with several variations that rely on printed cards.

In the first routine, called Catfish, you show six cards that each present a profile of an attractive female. A male spectator freely selects a card and winds up with an unattractive profile. It's mostly a gag and there have been numerous effects with such themes in the past. This one is easy to learn and perform.

Face-book Test?
In the pure mentalism routines, a profile can be freely selected and you can somehow derive the hobbies, country, a key friend and a phone number without apparently seeing the card. Actually, the cards are cleverly marked so you can determine which profile the spectator has selected.

There's minimal memorization and even the phone number can be derived through a straight-forward formula. Just a note, the phone number for a profile who lives in San Francisco is a European number and not one in the United States.

Great Mentalism?
Is this great mentalism? To spectators, there may be no way for you to possibly know the card that they are holding. But it doesn't take much of a deduction to conclude that with only six cards, you may have already memorized the information on them. Just a consideration.

The cards are attractive and should prove to be quite durable. You could, as the ads suggest, carry the cards around in your wallet. An accompanying DVD teaches you everything that you need to know.

Like or Dislike?
So is this the end-all in magic tricks based on social media? It's a bit ironic that a trick about social media has to resort to cards, but given my distaste for magic with smart phones, this is probably about as close as we'll get, for now.
 
More Reading:
Review of The Social Media Deck by Soma
Review of Love Cards
Trick Review: Houdini Book Test
Trick Review: Double Coincidence by Devin Knight and Al Mann

A Collection of One-Handed Cuts: "A Cut Above"

When it comes to flourishes with playing cards, most magicians learn THE one-handed cut, or Charlier (click here to learn the cut). But for many of us, the Charlier is simply a starting point. And for those with an inclination towards one-handed cuts, I recently came across an excellent new book, "A Cut Above," by Msgr. Vincent Foy. This comprehensive and classy book teaches some 100 one-handed cuts in a mind-numbing array of variations.

If you could sequester yourself in a room for a year, you probably wouldn't be able to come up with half of the variations that Msgr. Vincent Foy has compiled and developed and teaches. The cuts are roughly categorized into transpositions, spins, table cuts, throw cuts and more. And there's a section on "challenge cuts" that will keep you practicing a long time.

The book features clear step-by-step explanations and lots of pictures. This is the way that I like to learn complex moves - from a clearly illustrated book that doesn't ask me to constantly "pause and rewind." Particularly when both my hands are holding and balancing cards in precarious states and can't reach for the remote.

Wish List
There's no question that "A Cut Above" is a crowning achievement and the culmination of years of experience and experimentation in card magic. Despite the many things that I liked, I still had a wish list that I believe would have made this excellent book outstanding.

The cuts are presented in chapters, each of which represents a certain category. However, the categories are never explained. While I could discern most of the categories based on the cuts that I saw within, it would have been nice to offer some information to introduce the reader to each particular genre.

Another wish was for a list of Msgr. Foy's favorite one-handed cuts and his reasons why, which may guide readers to those with the highest relevance to the author. Just a simple tag that identified a cut as one of Msgr. Foy's favorites would have been greatly appreciated. As it stands, the book leaves the reader to, one-by-one, decipher each cut and visualize it, and then determine if it is one the reader would like to learn.

One final observation. I generally equate card flourishes and extreme card manipulation (XCM) with magicians under 30, and yet, here's a book of flourishes by an individual who is not only over 30, he's an astounding 95 years of age. Msgr. Foy was not only performing magic when the Buck Twins were in diapers, he was likely doing so when the Twins' grandparents were in diapers. Despite the generational difference, Msgr. Foy's work is relevant to anyone interested in card flourishes.

More Reading:
Learning Card Flourishes
Card Flourishes Versus Card Magic

Review of The Social Deck by Soma

Mix Facebook with playing cards and you get Soma's brilliant "The Social Deck." The cards depict images inspired by social media so you can add themes such as "friending," "image sharing" and more to your card magic. And the accompanying DVD is filled with great tricks, adaptations and ideas. 

Click here to read my review.

More Reading: 
Review of Love Cards - Magic & Illusion - About.com 
Review of Profiles: Magic for a Social Media Age?
 

Review of "Series of Unfortunate Effects" by Chris Mayhew and Ben Train

This DVD teaches eight great tricks but the extra fun lies in an accompanying movie where the tricks are part of the plot. 

Years ago, Lee Asher released his “Five Card Stud.” The instructional title was notable not only for the magic that was taught, but for the accompanying movie – starring Asher and friends - that surrounded the tricks and created a setting. 

Fast forward to now and “Series of Unfortunate Effects” follows much of the same path. Lee Asher himself makes an appearance and don't miss Bill Abbott as the bad guy,

You can read my review here. 

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Review of Cakes and Adders (DVD and Gimmicks) by Gary Dunn

Here’s a great routine for children that has a birthday theme, and it’s got built-in gags and elements that will excite the kids.

Six Snake Repeat?

The effect is somewhat like classic six card repeat. You show a series of cards with pictures of candles on them that you plan to use on a birthday cake, but the last card shows a snake instead of a candle.

The snake card is thrown away and the candles are shown and counted again, but there’s always a pesky snake card left in the mix.

Kids will love pointing out the snake card and the gag gets funnier as the routine progresses. Depending on how you play it, you can add a bit of “magician out of control” where you don’t realize that there’s a snake card and allow the kids to noisily alert you and then act surprised. And there’s a gag that you can use where kids are yelling “snake” but you hear “cake.” In any event, this routine should whip the kids up into a frenzy.

Let Them Eat Cake

At the end, after throwing out the last snake card, you are not left with a candle but with an entire new card with a picture of a cake. If you like, there’s a suggested ending that uses an additional standard dealer prop that you can purchase separately.

The trick is easy to learn and perform. Angles are not an issue and the trick practically resets itself as you perform it. The cards are bright and attractive and available in a poker sized card set and a larger set for stand-up situations (sold separately).

Kid Friendly

This one is great for kids. You’ll find that you can have your snake and practically eat it too. 

More Reading: 

Review of "The Art of Presenting Magic to Children" by Danny Orleans

Reviews: Kid Shows

Distributed by Murphy's Magic 

Review of The Art of Presenting Magic to Teenagers by Danny Orleans

Does the thought of performing magic for teenagers make you nervous? If so, you'll want to check out Danny Orleans' excellent new DVD: The Art of Presenting Magic to Teenagers.

Just as he did on his prior title: "The Art of Presenting Magic to Children," Orleans teaches his entire act and offers extraordinary insights into the techniques and principles of entertaining teenagers.

You can read my review here.

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Review of "The Art of Presenting Magic to Children"
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Jason Latimer Launches Science and Magic Show

According to a recent story, Jason Latimer has teamed up with San Diego's The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center to present a show steeped in science and magic.

"'Perception: See Beyond the Illusion' is the first of its kind," says Latimer in the story. "...it immerses the audience in the dome projection environment while combining a live aspect, too. But it’s much more than just a show, it’s more like a theatrical lecture with visual example."

You can read the story here. 

Paul Daniels on Modern Magic

Paul Daniels is the subject of a recent, in-depth article.

"Nowadays you are getting guys who can only do card tricks," says Daniels in the story. "The rest is staged for television to add the variety, which I learned to do when I was a young man..."

"He likes them and enjoys their work but does not view it as a generational shift," says the story.  "‘I am surprised,’ Daniels grumbles, ‘that people think that magic has changed when I have not seen anything new on television in about 20 years. The only thing which has changed is the clothes."

You can read the entire story here.

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Review of Rainbow Connection (DVD and Gimmick) by Mathieu Bich

Here’s a great packet effect with playing cards that’s visual, fast, and fun. It’s got a hard-hitting plot with cards that change colors.  

Read my entire review here. 

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Review of Shock Twist by Gary Jones - Twisting With a Color Change
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Distributed by Murphy's Magic 

Review of Die-Namic by Martin Lewis

Here’s a baffling penetration-style effect where you cause a die to pass through the side of a drinking glass. And the cool part is that the spectator is holding the glass.

This one is easy to perform and it’s a visual winner.

Read my review here. 

Join the magic community at Facebook.

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Rogue Debuts on America's Got Talent

Queens-based magician Rogue recently debuted on television's "America's Got Talent."

His entertaining Russian Roulette-inspired routine impressed the judges and allowed him to move to the next round.

Well done.

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Review of L.O.V.E (DVD and Gimmick) by SansMinds

Want to perform some cute and whimsical card magic for that someone special or for a couple? Until now, this scenario called out for “Anniversary Waltz” (usually attributed to Doc Eason but my favorite version is by Garrett Thomas).

Read the full review here.

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Distributed by Murphy's Magic 

Karl Koppertop Rocks Some Magic

Karl Koppertop, AKA Karl Hein, performs one of the best televised magic tricks of the year. The effect is impossible to lay spectators as well as impressive to magicians. And best of all, it's entirely entertaining. It's an outstanding and notable performance.

Review of Senses by Christopher Wiehl

Can you make magic with a "take out" cup that restaurants use to pack sauces so you can bring them home? This it the premise behind Senses by Christopher Wiehl, a gimmick and DVD.

I admire the clever ideas and all of the considerable thought that went into this magic system. And many of the tricks look great. On the other hand, I just can't wrap my head around the fact that one is performing with a take out container.

Read my review here.

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"Ice" McDonald Elected President of SAM

Congratulations to "Ice" McDonald for being inaugurated president of the National Society of American Magicians (SAM).

There's been lots of positive press covering the event. You can read an article in Jet Magazine. You can also watch video segments that ran on the Fox affiliate in St. Louis here.

"Magic Camp" Now on Netflix

If you haven't seen it yet, Magic Camp, a documentary film, is now available for viewing on NetFlix.The film depicts a special summer camp where youngsters go to hone their magic skills.

This is not about learning a few simple tricks. The attendees have already studied magic and are there to hone their acts at a high level. Some magicians who have attended the camp and gone on to prominence include David Copperfield, David Blaine, Criss Angel and Steve Cohen. 

Documentary Style
The film takes the now standard documentary approach of depicting a contest (the big competition at the end of the week) and profiling and tracking several contestants. The camp features some impressive (and, at times, harsh) coaching by well known and accomplished magicians. The advice that these young magicians receive is simply amazing. It's indeed a foundation for pursuing a career in the art of magic. 

I do have lots of observations and thoughts but in this instance, I'll keep them to myself. After all, these are kids who are shown in all of their glory and down times.

This is a fun film and if you're a NetFlix subscriber, you won't want to miss it.

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Commentary on David Blaine Real or Magic

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Review of Definitive Guide to Restaurant Magic by Wayne Goodman

Here’s a book with an ambitious premise. As the title implies, Definitive Guide to Restaurant Magic promises to teach you the art of performing magic in restaurants for money and profit (and maybe fun?). It’s got some good advice – much of which hasn’t been covered in other books and DVDs that I’ve studied – and there are some areas that Wayne Goodman can almost call “definitive,” at least for now.

Fast Read
The book is a short read – I finished it in less than an hour. I was most impressed with the way that Goodman emphasized the business aspects.

This is the first time that I’ve seen a magician discuss the true business of restaurants: rates of returns, the big firms that control dining establishments and how they work (from a UK perspective) and how restaurants view potential entertainment in their restaurants.

I think that most who want to get into restaurant magic – and I’m often asked – think that magic is there to enhance a restaurant’s atmosphere– but few understand that it’s there to enhance the bottom line. Goodman is able to offer some insights into these aspects.

Definitive?
You’ll find lots of useful advice on getting the gig, working the gig, marketing and more. There are no tricks taught – you’re on your own for the magic that you’ll perform.

If you’re trying to get into restaurants, you’ll learn some useful information and advice in this book. But don’t expect it to teach you everything that you need to know. In my experience, no book or DVD will offer you that magic bit of information to make it all happen. It takes work, effort, motivation, and yes, some rejection, to successfully make it in restaurant magic. 

More on Restaurant Magic: 
Review-Live at the Jailhouse: a Guide to Restaurant Magic

Review of Restaurant Magic Reader by Jim Sisti

Distributed by Murphy's Magic 

Review of Infallible by Mark Elsdon and Alakazam Magic

Infallible offers a combination mentalism and card trick that offers a strong prediction.

I’ve definitely seen the basic effect and method before, but the effect makes use of a couple of brilliant innovations.

You can read my review here. 

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Review of Collision V2 by Ravi Mayar and MagicTao

Collision V2 teaches close-up magic with everyday objects such as finger rings, gum, matches, coins and more. And notably, there are no card tricks.

The effects by Ravi Mayar aren't difficult to learn and perform and most are quite visual. You'll find that many require gimmicks that you learn to make. I found lots to like.

You can read my review here. 

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Review of the Vernet Card Guard

Does one really need a card guard? I personally don't use one but know several magicians that do to protect their decks of cards and keep them in good working order. (A conventional card guard is a partial sleeve that fits tightly over a box of playing cards.)

Card guards are traditionally made of metal but the Vernet Card Guard is made of ABS plastic. It offers an advantage in that it's lighter in weight. If you've ever had a deck of cards in your pocket with a metal card guard, this is a significant difference.

Plastic Versus Metal
And although it's made of plastic and not metal, from what I can tell, it mechanically serves every function of a metal card guard.  It applies constant pressure to the cards to keep them in working order.

The only downside is that the Vernet Card Guard, while it's pleasing in appearance, just doesn't look as cool or edgy as most metal card guards. And from this standpoint, it's all personal preference.

Distributed by Murphy's Magic 

Review of Two Mentalism Products by Romano

Looking for some new angles on mentalism?

I've recently been introduced to Romanos, a magician with a new DVD called Mentally Exposed and a peek device called The Business.

With "The Business," Romanos has created a powerful peek device that looks like an ordinary business card case.

On his "Mentally Exposed" DVD, he shows you how to make utility props to switch currency and billets and view a picture that a spectator has drawn on a business card.

You can read my reviews of Romanos well done mentalism products here. 

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