IntenseDebate - MichaelFeldman

17 years ago @ double facers - Vanishing Inc Magic · 0 replies · +1 points

love the use of the CLAW!

17 years ago @ double facers - Sleight of hand vs Gim... · 0 replies · +1 points

I don't think laymen are stupid, and if you use gimmicks from the very beginning, I think laymen know it. Some gimmicks make things just too clean and laymen dismiss what you do as "just a trick." If you do stage magic, they attribute it all to the box, if you perform "WOW" close up, they'll attribute the effect to the thing you are holding (if you actually ask them how they think it's done).

So... I think it's about trust. Performers need to establish their skill before an audience will just dismiss anything you do as "just a trick." Once you perform a few effects that are clearly the result of sleight of hand and the audience begins to trust that you have the skill you claim to have, that's when you can (judiciously) thrown in a gimmick or two to really blow them away.

Do some really knuckle busting stuff, and then for your last trick, combine some sleight of hand with something simple like a shell, copper silver, or a double faced card and watch their jaws drop. If you start with that same trick for someone who has never seen you do magic before.... it just won't go over nearly as well.

17 years ago @ Visual Madness - Practical Measures · 0 replies · +1 points

That was the best magic trick I've ever seen you do.

17 years ago @ Visual Madness - The New Theory11 Logo · 0 replies · +1 points

HAHA!!! I never thought about it like that, but that is so true

17 years ago @ double facers - We do things no one ca... · 0 replies · +1 points

What do you mean this move was beaten to death? Does it not work in front of laymen anymore? Just because 100% of the magic community is obsessed with a move or a concept at any given time doesn't mean the same proportion of the lay public is aware of it.

17 years ago @ double facers - We do things no one ca... · 1 reply · +1 points

I actually think this is particularly prevalent in coin magic.

Coin magicians tend to throw in a ton of aquitments, trying to prove that their hands are empty, but instead, they just tip off the spectators that they are transferring unseen things from hand to hand. Even if you don't flash, spectators aren't stupid and they can see the awkward movements of the hands and guess what is going on.

Here's another example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ-lT3Uv0IM&fm...
The technique is not "bad" per se, they are actually executed with decent proficiency. But he seems to think that just because the techniques keep the spectator from seeing extra coins, it also keeps the spectators from understanding that other coins exist and how they are switched. And that is just not true.

17 years ago @ Visual Madness - A Perfect Equation · 1 reply · +1 points

You can just leave Watchmen on repeat in your DVD player until this comes out. Maybe that'll ease the pain

17 years ago @ double facers - Peru Peru Peru... Claro? · 0 replies · +1 points

In terms of the different styles of magic (the Latin American style involving more counting and math, or involving character acting), do you think that relies on the different audiences, or do you think their style could work for audiences in the US and our style could work down there?

Also, in terms of the stuff you shot, can you just not show it because the magicians are releasing the material, or just don't want it released? or are you just saying it'll take forever to edit?

I'd love to be able to see the convention through your camera lens whenever you can show it.

17 years ago @ double facers - Cascade control and a ... · 1 reply · +1 points

Tony --

I'm curious. Why did you decide to make it an all-facers routine instead of an all-backs routine (besides the one methodological advantage)?

Maybe you'll address that in the full-on patter version if/when you post that, but it certainly seems like the kind of detail that you tend to think through in the routines I've seen of yours. So I'm just curious if there was a particular philosophy behind it.

17 years ago @ Visual Madness - We still love you, Vis... · 0 replies · +1 points

Wheeeee I like this style better too. (

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