Advancing the Art of Magic
August 13, 2010 9:25 PM Subscribe
Theory 11 is your source for the latest and greatest magic tricks, instructional magic videos, and playing cards.
Also: their member discussion area, which is oddly subtitled: For all general discussion related to magic and cardistry. No discussions of Danny Garcia's nunchuck skills, legos, pogs, or ninja related activities.
Also: their member discussion area, which is oddly subtitled: For all general discussion related to magic and cardistry. No discussions of Danny Garcia's nunchuck skills, legos, pogs, or ninja related activities.
pepsimagic?
there is a whole community of innovators, and many magic message boards, to zoom in on one without the context of the rest seems... inappropriate.
posted by el io at 9:50 PM on August 13, 2010
there is a whole community of innovators, and many magic message boards, to zoom in on one without the context of the rest seems... inappropriate.
posted by el io at 9:50 PM on August 13, 2010
I once escaped a straitjacket and sawed a woman in half.
Shit. Am I in wrong forum? Is this where we discuss serial killing?
posted by twoleftfeet at 9:57 PM on August 13, 2010 [4 favorites]
Shit. Am I in wrong forum? Is this where we discuss serial killing?
posted by twoleftfeet at 9:57 PM on August 13, 2010 [4 favorites]
Well, I linked only the site above because: a. I thought the card video was really cool b. hundreds of videos worth watching and c. I wasn't interested in creating an encyclopedic list of magic websites. But, by all means, feel free to link to any that you consider innovative.
posted by ColdChef at 9:59 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ColdChef at 9:59 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I have to think the Alliance is gonna frown on this.
posted by Back to you, Jim. at 10:00 PM on August 13, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Back to you, Jim. at 10:00 PM on August 13, 2010 [3 favorites]
One time while performing a magic show, I caught a bullet in my teeth. I swallowed the bullet and pulled it out of my ear, along with an endless stream of handkerchiefs and a dove. Nobody applauded.
Fucking kids' parties.
posted by twoleftfeet at 10:16 PM on August 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Fucking kids' parties.
posted by twoleftfeet at 10:16 PM on August 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Everytime someone posts a magic link to the blue I end up looking up explanations for all the tricks, because I JUST HAVE TO KNOW.
*spoilers*
The Invisible Deck is done by putting every other card face down, and putting them in such an order that the reverse of each card is the same number in a paired suit. So on the back side of the KC is a KD and the back side of a KS is a KH, and so on. If you'll note, the card immediately before the reversed card is the King of Clubs
The hard part is not showing the backwards cards while you're riffing through the deck until you find the key card. You can make it less obvious by making it so it's 14 minus the card -- key card for the King is an ace, for the q is 2, for j is 3, for 10 is 4 and so on.
The Smoke trick is that when he draws the dot on his hand, he holds a sharpie or something similar in his mouth. Inside that is an electronic cigarette that injects water vapor in his mouth.
The Color Blind trick is almost certainly a trick deck -- probably a tapered deck.. He's feeling the edges with his other hand.
For Cookie Cutter, I'm pretty sure he just marks it and the way he handles her last pick will depend on which one she picks. If she had picked the one with the blade in it, he would have said, okay.. so one left -- I'll just eat that one. And then he would have had her open the one in her hand.
posted by empath at 10:29 PM on August 13, 2010 [3 favorites]
*spoilers*
The Invisible Deck is done by putting every other card face down, and putting them in such an order that the reverse of each card is the same number in a paired suit. So on the back side of the KC is a KD and the back side of a KS is a KH, and so on. If you'll note, the card immediately before the reversed card is the King of Clubs
The hard part is not showing the backwards cards while you're riffing through the deck until you find the key card. You can make it less obvious by making it so it's 14 minus the card -- key card for the King is an ace, for the q is 2, for j is 3, for 10 is 4 and so on.
The Smoke trick is that when he draws the dot on his hand, he holds a sharpie or something similar in his mouth. Inside that is an electronic cigarette that injects water vapor in his mouth.
The Color Blind trick is almost certainly a trick deck -- probably a tapered deck.. He's feeling the edges with his other hand.
For Cookie Cutter, I'm pretty sure he just marks it and the way he handles her last pick will depend on which one she picks. If she had picked the one with the blade in it, he would have said, okay.. so one left -- I'll just eat that one. And then he would have had her open the one in her hand.
posted by empath at 10:29 PM on August 13, 2010 [3 favorites]
I've got the best trick you've ever seen. No, really... this one is mind-blowing. I can even do it over the web. I can do it here. Are you ready?
I want you to think of a card, any card.
Are you ready? Have you got a card in mind? Focus on the card, try to visualize the card. Can you see it? I'm going to read your mind.
It's the Queen of Spades, right?
This trick should only work one in 52 times. But that 52nd person just blew their mind.
posted by twoleftfeet at 10:31 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I want you to think of a card, any card.
Are you ready? Have you got a card in mind? Focus on the card, try to visualize the card. Can you see it? I'm going to read your mind.
It's the Queen of Spades, right?
This trick should only work one in 52 times. But that 52
posted by twoleftfeet at 10:31 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I didn't mean to threadshit. I hope more qualified folks than me can give an expansive view of the magic community (which I glimpse into, but am not an active part of).
There are those who are impressed by the inventions of Japanese magician Katsuya Masuda. (in the UK you can find his stuff here, in the US you can find it here, in Canada here). His most famous trick is pretty mind-blowing, it's called WOW (you don't have to understand Japanese to get the full effect of the trick shown - I assure you).
Theory 11 does create it's own cards. Other cool custom cards are produced by ellusionist, and Magic Makers. It's actually a good thing that all of the above cards are made by US Playing Card. As they make pretty darned good cards (including many brands like Bee).
posted by el io at 10:31 PM on August 13, 2010
There are those who are impressed by the inventions of Japanese magician Katsuya Masuda. (in the UK you can find his stuff here, in the US you can find it here, in Canada here). His most famous trick is pretty mind-blowing, it's called WOW (you don't have to understand Japanese to get the full effect of the trick shown - I assure you).
Theory 11 does create it's own cards. Other cool custom cards are produced by ellusionist, and Magic Makers. It's actually a good thing that all of the above cards are made by US Playing Card. As they make pretty darned good cards (including many brands like Bee).
posted by el io at 10:31 PM on August 13, 2010
Oh, as long as I'm here, can I make a polite request from this thread: do not post spoilers please. The magic is lost when people understand the effects; yes the secrets are all over the net (and effects like the invisible deck really are in the public domain), but the magic really is over when the mechanism behind effects is exposed.
Personally, I already feel like I know too many techniques, and relish ignorance of how tricks are done (and try to avoid learning how they are done).
posted by el io at 10:36 PM on August 13, 2010
Personally, I already feel like I know too many techniques, and relish ignorance of how tricks are done (and try to avoid learning how they are done).
posted by el io at 10:36 PM on August 13, 2010
I respect el io's request for people not to post spoilers of tricks here, but I've been trying to find out the name of the card trick that Rachel Weisz performs in The Brothers Bloom so that I can learn how to do it. (The trick itself begins at about 1:14 in that clip.) I understand the first part where she cuts the deck to get the four aces and the final part where she deals in a particular way to get the four kings, but the middle part still mystifies me to no end.
Perhaps I should post an AskMe or something.
posted by ooga_booga at 10:51 PM on August 13, 2010
Perhaps I should post an AskMe or something.
posted by ooga_booga at 10:51 PM on August 13, 2010
>
I think this is a good thing. Magic "secrets" are pretty flimsy, and in this cynical age a good magician needs to always be pushing the envelope instead of relying on the old stock.
100 year old tricks can be incredibly entertaining, incredible effects newly invented can be boring to watch poorly performed. Magic 'secrets' are misdirection, and general performance skills. People that watch magic with laser eyes and an attempt to determine the secret are one of the (many) reasons I don't do magic myself.
Do you watch movies carefully trying to figure out where the special effects are? If so, doesn't that mess with your suspension of disbelief?
I'm not against people hunting down secrets if that's what they want, I'm just not as thrilled about people exposing secrets to folks that didn't ask for it.
posted by el io at 10:56 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I think this is a good thing. Magic "secrets" are pretty flimsy, and in this cynical age a good magician needs to always be pushing the envelope instead of relying on the old stock.
100 year old tricks can be incredibly entertaining, incredible effects newly invented can be boring to watch poorly performed. Magic 'secrets' are misdirection, and general performance skills. People that watch magic with laser eyes and an attempt to determine the secret are one of the (many) reasons I don't do magic myself.
Do you watch movies carefully trying to figure out where the special effects are? If so, doesn't that mess with your suspension of disbelief?
I'm not against people hunting down secrets if that's what they want, I'm just not as thrilled about people exposing secrets to folks that didn't ask for it.
posted by el io at 10:56 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I got two tricks from these guys. Digital Dissolve (which I can't find now, arg!) is pretty close to the best trick I ever did - I literally get gasps from the audience. It's a little tricky (I practiced it at least 100 times before showing it) and I worked out my own handling to get rid of any apparent "moves" at all, but in the end it's almost angle-proof, and the moment where the coin switches is so amazing I do it for my own amusement.
Oh, and don't give away tricks. The secrets are always disappointing - like breaking a piggy bank, it isn't worth it.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 11:10 PM on August 13, 2010
Oh, and don't give away tricks. The secrets are always disappointing - like breaking a piggy bank, it isn't worth it.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 11:10 PM on August 13, 2010
the card trick that Rachel Weisz performs in The Brothers Bloom so that I can learn how to do it.
Well, it's a stripped deck with aces reversed, which is how she can cut it to 4 piles with aces on top. I'm unclear how she gets all 4 aces to the top immediately, unless there are 8 aces in the deck. And I think she just lifts the queens over the aces when she puts the aces back on top of the deck at the end.
posted by empath at 11:22 PM on August 13, 2010
Well, it's a stripped deck with aces reversed, which is how she can cut it to 4 piles with aces on top. I'm unclear how she gets all 4 aces to the top immediately, unless there are 8 aces in the deck. And I think she just lifts the queens over the aces when she puts the aces back on top of the deck at the end.
posted by empath at 11:22 PM on August 13, 2010
You don't need a stripper deck to cut aces. Heck, I can cut to aces (most of the time) if I'm given a brand-new deck (that relies on the fact that they have less ink and are less sticky - in a new deck!)
I do a lot of card tricks. I haven't used a stripper deck since I was a teenager...
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 11:25 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I do a lot of card tricks. I haven't used a stripper deck since I was a teenager...
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 11:25 PM on August 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Sleight-of-hand artist David Roth is the brother of a good friend. He has, very kindly, demonstrated his artistry for us a few times when he's come to visit. I've sat across a table from him while he does unbelievable things with coins (and cards, too). I know there's no such thing as magic. But it's magical to watch someone with that kind of skill perform just a couple of feet away. I really admire the kind of discipline it takes to develop the expertise that someone at that level has - a combination of manual dexterity and the ability to read (and distract) your audience without them really realizing that that's what happening.
posted by rtha at 6:28 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by rtha at 6:28 AM on August 14, 2010
Information about practical magic, available to the general public? Mr Norrell will be frightfully put out.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 6:41 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 6:41 AM on August 14, 2010
I'm currently in the middle of a serious Dai Vernon obsession, reading volume one of his biography and seriously considering buying his 15-hour lecture Revelations. Although the tape quality is awful, this is a thing of beauty.
It's too bad shitty magicians ruined magic for most people.
posted by Bookhouse at 7:20 AM on August 14, 2010
It's too bad shitty magicians ruined magic for most people.
posted by Bookhouse at 7:20 AM on August 14, 2010
"Illusions, Dad! Illusions!"
posted by applemeat at 7:21 AM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by applemeat at 7:21 AM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
i like Penguin magic myself. THe cipher for an invisible deck is different than the one empath has listed.
I have good handle skills, but i get too nervous in front of people and end up flubbing something up.
posted by djduckie at 9:00 AM on August 14, 2010
I have good handle skills, but i get too nervous in front of people and end up flubbing something up.
posted by djduckie at 9:00 AM on August 14, 2010
I've checked this out a couple of times because I'm really* interested in learning card mechanics. If anybody else enjoys that they may want to check out The Virts. The also have a Youtube channel with some really cool stuff.
*Damn you, small petite hands!!!
posted by P.o.B. at 12:28 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
*Damn you, small petite hands!!!
posted by P.o.B. at 12:28 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
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posted by twoleftfeet at 9:45 PM on August 13, 2010