Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Out Of This World



Let's talk about card magic and also about why "Out of this World" is a bad influence on magicians. Card magic is not a serious issue. It's playing cards, you know for actually playing. Naturally it is hard to be serious with cards. But I often see magicians who try do to the intricate mysteries, who desperately strive to create some sort of wondrous magic atmosphere, which is of so hard to accomplish with PLAYING cards.-

Card magic should not be treated other then lightly. In my humble opinion that is. The majority of laypeople I met know one or two card tricks. To them it is not a complicated, difficult serious matter, to them it is just a freaking trick. And that is were most magicians who do card tricks seem to fail. They try to make it more than it is. And it feels like a comedian who tries do do stock jokes that are old as hell and not funny.

And this is were Paul Curry comes in. The creator of a marvelous self working card miracle simply called "Out of This World." For the very few who don't know about the effect. The spectator deals down cards from the deck on the table into two piles. When the face down cards are turned around they are separated into red and black.

Why is this trick cool? Well it is self working. It is a "in the spectators hands"-effect. It really has an impossibility build in that is hard to top.

Why is it bad? Because it takes too much fucking time to deal out those cards.

And to cover that dead time (dead time defined as the time in a show where no magic effect happens) the magician needs to make it interesting. And this is where almost all fail. You need one hell of a good "cover" to get past this part without boredom. Yet "Out of this World" is performed really often. Simply because it is self working. Naturally is often performed badly. Thank you Paul Curry.

So here is my little thing: Treat card magic playfully! If you need to, use Tarot cards!

5 comments:

Magic Unlimited said...

Good post. At least you know what you're talking about when it comes to cards - unlike http://pasteboardpimps.tumblr.com/post/1165069746

Does he even understand the basic OOTW plot? LOL!

Magic Unlimited said...

Perhaps, if the WV Freak, can't handle a full deck, he should stick to GunsNRoses

Trickster said...

Perhaps the WV Freak should get this book, it seems full of cards tricks ripped off from other people and easy for any one to do. It even makes grandiose claims about a very simple card transposition that I think nearly every magician to pick up a deck of cards has done.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.andigladwin.co.uk/products/dominatricks/

Card warp should really suit him, it only uses 2 cards so he definitely won't have trouble with handling a full deck for that one.

Hey Roland, have you considered changing the description of his blog, I think "Vaunt and petty attacks on Tim Ellis" would be an appropriate title.

Roland said...

Have I attacked Tim in any way? I am unaware of that? Please enlighten me!

Trickster said...

Not you Roland, I suggested changing the description of the P&P (WV Freak)blog.