I find that one of the most crucial things that magicians take for granted is the process of losing the card back into the deck. Take the standard selection of the card and putting the card back into the middle and doing a simple pass to control it. Now between the card coming back into the deck and the control is a very short time. Does the audience really believe the card is really back in the middle? Does the fact that the card is in the middle enough to convince them that it is out of the magician’s control?
Maybe the bigger question would be does it increase the impact of the magic? Depends I guess. If we use the context of a simple selection/revelation type of card trick then I would say it certainly does. Examine the way you take the selection back into the deck. How much do you convince them that it is lost? Does a simple double undercut really do the trick?
I would say that handing the deck out for shuffling would be one of the strongest. But maybe your palming isn’t up to par. I find that a simple confirmation of the losing of the card a huge convincer. Let’s say while you are doing the cascade control you say, “Your card is somewhere in the middle that even you nor I would know, yes?”. Now I know many would say that the spectator would always say “yes” in a sense, but the mere fact of him/her saying it themselves is a big thing later on when they reconstruct the effect.
Remember that the magic trick is the “show”, but the most important part is how you color the effect afterwards. Take the David Blaine levatitation for example. He really only floats up 2-3 inches, but when he asks the person how high he went, his hands extended 2-3 feet. The spectator will remember it that way, and tell his friends that down the road.
It’s these little things that make an effect stronger. So next time try to convince the spectator more then you usually would about losing the card and see if the result is better.
Anton
I really like this kind of posts. Not too long, just little reminders of something you've been thinking about.
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Keep 'em small
Anton
steinvegard
This was a good reminder. I like the way you point out small things that we other magicians often forget. That's really the only way to be a better magician. Study _every_single_part of a trick and the handling of it.. And when we forget something, you remind us. Thanks a lot. Appreciated.
-Stein
Mindpirate
Great post. I just started reading your blog, and I'm really enjoying it. Thanks for the tip. I need to go back and examine what my losing of a card really looks like.
MichaelFeldman
I think one of the biggest problems magicians have with losing the card back in the deck is that they are so used to controlling the card, that they brush over this part of the effect and since they don't care, the audience doesn't care.
If we as magicians don't take the time to emphasize the "fairness" or importance of the card being lost again, the audience will just assume we've done whatever we want with it. As Tony mentioned, in effects where the card being lost is particularly important, I think losing the card deserves more emphasis than it normally gets.
Bryan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWo8fv2ZNpw
Case in point.
Lucas
I only partially agree with your post here Tony. While it does help to ask them if the card is in the middle and what not, I would say that this isn't the main problem. The main problem is, as you say, "Now between the card coming back into the deck and the control is a very short time." There's a simple solution here. In his lecture, Kostya Kimlat spoke about this, and the whole thing is DONT DO THE CONTROL RIGHT AWAY. Instead, take the cards back and get a dribble break now, do the most important thing; drop your hand to your side. Nothing happens. You took the card back then gave no thought to it.
The reason they dont think it's in the middle is because no matter how good your pass is, there's this importance you placed on the deck. Dropping the deck to your side implies that it's not important. They blatantly see you put their card in the middle and then, for the one time in magic, what you want them to see happens is actually what happens; nothing.
It's a very small thing, but i feel that dropping your hand to your side casually makes a huge difference. Only do the pass as you come back up.
Just another little addition.
Cheers,
Lucas
liquidsn
I feel that works well in context of parlor magic. I think Kostya does more parlor magic than close-up now-a-days for his professional work. Personally I would say that during close-up magic, putting the deck down to the side would really alert some people to what you are doing.
I think that because in parlor magic or even stage magic for that matter, you can walk around being natural and say your patter but close up I feel you can't bring the deck out of frame of their view.
JeffreyTong
Sounds like a great idea. I would say crimping and allowing the spectator to shuffle is the best way. Also, simply holding a break longer than, do the pass or control will be more convince as appose to right when the card is returned to the deck. This way, people will loosen up.
Lucas
I guess it really depends on how you present it and your natural habits when you talk and whatnot. I'm a fairly big hand talker so when I drop my hands to my side, they don't exactly stay there. They move around, I gesture, I do all sorts of things with them that are fair and natural FOR ME. Now if this isn't something you would normally do, it will obviously alert them, but as a casual performer, it works for me.
At worst, they'll watch the deck go to your side but once its there, they forget about it.
While I agree with you about framing being important, depending on how you patter when you you say, dropping your hand to your side will actually create a moment of relaxation; an off-beat.
I guess it generally depends on your presentation and what not.
CardAddict
Why overprove something? People don’t need to be force-fed information all the time. They’re not idiots. If you say “look, it’s an ordinary deck of cards,” what do you expect from them? Let them convince themselves.
And bringing your hand down to your side in a general close-up situation absolutely works. Carney says the same thing. I’m curious. Does your feeling come from experience or are you just guessing? It’s not about the deck leaving their field of view (it usually doesn’t), just out of their field of attention. Unless of course, you’re like Jerry Andrus and feel they should burn you at every point in the process. Then that’s a different story.
Gary Au
I agree with the ideas already presented here. Either delaying the move (hold that break, jog, whatever a bit longer) or somehow presenting it differently. I'm a *bit* worried about calling attention to it so outright though. It's the whole, you're asking them a question they can answer no to, or at least introduce suspicion. It's the whole "see, my hands are empty!" "Let me see!" kind of thing versus just showing them empty. When you tell them their card is lost, aren't you kind of doing this too?
Not that I don't do that either. Just from habit, I do the shift immediately but then I do a dribble immediately afterwards. They see the same thing as far as I'm concerned (if they miss the move that is
). I would misdirect at this point of course. But I have even been known to say things like "Notice there aren't any bends in the cards, etc…" Maybe it's slightly different, but I don't know. I feel a bit eh at myself whenever I do that.
I think what's really important is attitude too. If you don't care about it, they won't. Like what Lucas says about dropping the hand off to the side. Of what others have said about putting the deck on the table. But it has to be done with seemingly no concern whatsoever at the state of the deck.