As the title says I love IT but am parnoid that it can be seen. I know lighting and clothing has a lot to do with it, but I get really nervous when using it.

I make some loops and get scared to use it.
Is it just me that's scared of IT or is anyone else scared ?
Is it because I know it's there that I'm nervous ?

Tony,

I understand the nervousness. Much like doing the Pass, Magicians choice or the TT. Sometimes things seem so obvious, yet they work.

Honestly, there are times where I have someone notice, but that is about 1% of the time. And it depends on the effect. If I am doing Yegal's animated fork, I don't get busted at all, because all the heat is on the fork. If I am doing a floating bill, then people sometimes notice.

I would recommend the book, "Whose Afraid of IT," by John LeClair. Some very useful tips. Also do a search on this board and you will find much discussion around this topic!

RevJohn

Thanks for the reply I will look around for the book.. Don't get me wrong I love the effects I'm just scared of getting caught out... When I perform any trick I get nervous and fill with adrenalin and even shake a bit... but I get such a buzz from people's re-actions.

Tonycrew, I used to think like that too, but then I never performed with IT because of it. By point being, so what if you get caught. I'm sure most magicians got caught at something one time or another. Did they stop performing? No. Did the world come to an end? No. It makes you a better magician the next time you perform. Life still goes on.

It sounds like you're already aware of lighting and backdrops but how about the other possibile problem? Pop!

When I use IT I make it clear that moving things with out touching them is new for me and that it's extremely difficult to do.
That being said, I pretend great effort and often just move things rather than float them.
If there is a problem, I've told them it was difficult and new for me so fear of failure is eliminated.
This also covers me if I don't have any IT with me. I just act it out and fail.
It's just not working because my mind's on something else or whatever.

As for their noticing it, I agree with RevJohn. Focus is on the object.

Hey, Tony:

I once worked with another Magician who killed with his "Floating Dollar Bill," using the commercially available "Loops." Once in a while, some smart aleck would start shouting, "I saw a thread! I saw a thread!!!" Whether they did or didn't is beside the point, but I would take the bill and say to the Magician, "You're busted, buddy...that guy saw the thread. But I wonder why EVERYBODY didn't notice it as well?" As I spoke, I had rolled the bill around a TT loaded with 6 feet or so of eye-catching green coloured ribbon. The production amazed the audience, causing them to think the wise guy was a goof ball, and completely took any heat off the "method."

Moral: Have a back up plan, and maybe have some fun with the Wise Ones

Leland

Hi Tony,

Sounds like you have the right idea - make sure you have a decent background for floating with Loops. Usually, a muted shirt color (on the darker side like a soft gray, or green, or brown, but not deep and dark like a black)with patterns - stripes or something liek that. If the person is facing you, so your shirt is the background, you'll almost always be fine. Obviously, if the room lighting is muted or dim, that's the best - completely undetectable if you are in a nightclub or outside at night.

I also subscribe to the theory of doing a brief rather than extended float. The nice thing about a float with loops is you can hand the bill to the spectator immediately.

Well since I posted this message a I have used IT a little more just in little bits here and there to build confindence. I don't make it a big part of my routine... hehe I say routine I only perform at present for my family when I get some people round my house.

But having said that I have done a full performance of Steve Fearson Floating Cigarette and pulled it off ok, no one knew how it was done as I smoked the cig when I had finished to destroy the evidence. I performed this in my front room at home in front of 4 adults and 5 kids and like I say they never saw the thread as all focus was on the Floating Cigarette.

Sometimes you just have to throw yourself straight onto the problem and see what comes of it. Basically learning by your mistakes.

It helps to see what kind of reactions you get from people and only through many performances and seeing what comes of it, do you then start to understand what is expected and what works and what does not work.

Black thread ofcourse it is expected that you wear black but there is also the light around you etc...

Good to hear things workout OK.

@troller Thanks...

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I do a lot of IT work and have rarely been caught , I once had someone go to grab the note I was floating and actually felt the IT and in fact snapped the line . Because they snapped it no-one else could see or feel it and that person wasn't believed by the other spectators. So not all was lost.
I now create space around me and pretend I need it so I am not distracted and my powers are not broken and this seems to strengthen the effect and I always wait for the right dim or shadey lighting conditions. If the lighting isn't right just do it another time as I'm not feeling right.
Has anyone heard of GSP(gel spun polypro)? Apparently it's two or three times stronger than kevlar !!! but I am having problems finding it, I know it's made by Uni Cord.
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Mark

If someone would have grabed anything I was floating around I would have died on the spot.... But maybe like you said as it broke the IT no one else could see it.. That serves whoever grabed it right.

Dan Harlan actually makes a point of letting a spectator feel the IT. He calls it Electric Fingers (check out Premium Blend, vol. 1).

Also, there's another current forum topic regarding IT that has some great resources for purchasing various string types.