Hey All,

Newbie to the group here, but I thought I would post a link to some clips of myself doing a little manipulation. There's a bit of everything in there. Nothing I would call spectacular but I'd like to have comments about them.

http://homepage.mac.com/joelsidwell/FileSharing10.html

Thanks!

Yes. Pollock can be seen performing his act in a film entitled "European Nights". You can get a copy of this from Steven's Magic Emporium. Also, if you happen to get re-runs of the television show "Daniel Boone" starring Fess Parker, there is an episode that features Pollock as a traveling magician. If anyone has a copy of this, let me know, as I would like to see this again myself.

Hello, I'm also a newbie to the group, but not to magic. I have to agree with Wikiro. Going from "101 Amazing Card Tricks" to Jeff McBride's "The Art of Card Manipulation" videos is quite a jump. The information on those videos may be overwhelming to a beginner. I would suggest the Brad Burt's "Basics of Card Techniques" which covers double lifts and false shuffles.

Channing Pollack was featured in The Best of Magic and The Art of Magic. When I was in the States last time I saw a book "The Art of Magic " and I guess that you can buy the video too. I have the tape but I am in Europe. I agree that Channing was one of the best. Using the method of Charles Kettle, he eliminated flashing the stock of cards that has been stolen from the fan. Two other guys I would mention are Cardini and Fred Kaps. Most of you have never seen Kaps performing card productions but that was what he used before he used bill grab routine.

12 years isn't that young. I started around 8. Not until age 14 did I figure out that this stuff is hard!!!! And it was a good thing to start young, to gain the movements and experience, to execute the move now, with 20+ cards, I am able to do so. I suggest you, magicial_kid, to start as soon as you can, because once you learn how to produce one card, you will start to amaze people, and even yourself. Soon you'll find out there are many other ways to produce a card.

You are lucky, since you have all of the help you need right here in the magic Café. I think that's why this place was created, right? Magicians helping magicians =)

-Chris

Ohh and Zauber280, your split fans are nice, but I suggest you use fewer cards. It looks like you're struggling with them and on your angles, too. Just a suggestion.

A couple of Café friends asked I post another clip demonstrating a pivot and manipulation of 5 cards.
Well finally got a few minutes to record one via web cam. And yes, I slowed down on this one.

It's Here!

Enjoy.

Randy Stewart

Randy,
I can't open your file. Is it zipped with Winzip? Thanks,

Luca

Yes Masilon, it is a 21mb clip zipped with WinZip. I'll be loading the same clip as a AVI (doesn't need to be unzipped). However, 21mb will take an hour at 56K connection and just a minute or two on high speed connections (cable, DSL, T1 etc.)

I have a question. If you give the cards a sharp bend and then unbend them so it is easier to backpalm them is it cheating? Lol, I can backpalm 7 cards not doing this but 15 cards giving them the bends.

The best result is glue 5 or 6 cards tgher
and practice a lot lol

"I have a question. If you give the cards a sharp bend and then unbend them so it is easier to backpalm them is it cheating? Lol, I can backpalm 7 cards not doing this but 15 cards giving them the bends."

Haha, no not cheating. That's what we call breaking the cards in.

You don't want a permanent bend in the cards, though. If you produce a card, you want it to be as straight and flat as possible. If the audience can see a bend or curve in the card, it's easier to mentally connect where the card was produced from.

Michael

Mr. Original-I totally agree with you in regards Mr.McBride. I was wondering why you suggest not using fanning powder? The owner of my favorite magic shop makes the same comment on a video but, does not explain why. I have not been able to talk to him lately. He's hundreds of miles from me and I've never thought to e-mail him (I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack!!),but,I will ask him too. Please share your opinion about fanning powder. Thanks in advance.
Sincerely, Lee.

My own experience with fanning powder has been mixed. I think that it can be useful for card fanning routines such as those in "Routined Manipulation" but I don't like it at all for production work. I tried to use it very sparingly and beat the snot out of the cards trying to get the coating as light as possible, but the cards always felt gummy to me. The abuse I put packs of Bees through (which effectively ruins the slick plastic coating on the cards) to prepare them for manipulation is fairly adequate to keep them from slipping all over.

A strange but appropriate analogy could be: when your face is shiny (i.e. slippery) you could either wipe off the oil or use powder to cover it up.

Perhaps for actual "manipulation" cards (Marvey's, Murphy's, etc) it has some use, but I wouldn't know. As it stands, I think fanning powder is only good for fanning. It's not called "manipulation" powder, after all

Randy, your video was brill. I liked the way you went from back palming to spring palming. Very neat. It helped me with my back palming as I had been having trouble but am better now.

Keep practicing Geoff! Never give up. You really improve with every minute of practice. Every minute is a precious investment. I had given my hands a break for two days and returned to my card manipulation today—I was like a wild man with those things! Hehehe. A little break now and then helps. Good luck!

Yeah, fanning powder really makes singles and split fans a lot stickier and harder to do. I captured a clip of Channing Pollock doing some doves and cards from some history channel show. Let me know if you're interested in seeing it.

I'd love to see the Channing Pollock footage. What was the show about on History Channel?

Regarding the 12 year old magician, I was probably 13 when I studied Ganson's Routine Manipulation books. The third one has a lot about his card production techniques and routine. By the time I was 14, I was opening my birthday shows with Ganson's card production routine. All 75 cards! White cotton gloves, etc. Wish I had movies of that but I don't. I say go for it, kid!
Jim

Randy,

Your card work is way too good to be bringing your thumb in on the pivot. Try keeping the thumb completely extended while you do it, and just let the wrist and fingers look like they are they only things moving. I know that might be very old school and Channing of me, but it does give it a different look. Give it a try.

Glenn

I think the history channel show was about the vaudevilles; I didn't end up watching it after the Pollock segment. I'll let you know if I find somewhere to host it ...

Thanks, Kipling.
Also, for our young magician, if the McBride tapes are a bit too pricey at the moment, go with what we used—Lewis Ganson's Routine Manipulation books.
Jim