Bound And Gagged!

.:164/365: Dai Vernon:.

It seemed fitting to end card magic month by giving tribute to arguably the most famous name in card sleights and magic among magicians for decades already: the Professor, Dai Vernon.

According to Wikipedia, the man born David Frederick Wingfield Verner, Dai started magic at seven years of age, even remarking that he “wasted the first six years” of his life by not doing magic. His eventual stage name, Dai Vernon, was the amalgam of two misattributions to his first and last name that became so persistent, they ended up being his name.

Arguably the most influential magician of the last two or even three generations, Dai Vernon’s renown is possibly topped only by the likes of Erdnase and equalled only by Marlo when it comes to the magic industry. Nonetheless, his ability to perform, to impart knowledge, and ultimately, to mentor such luminaries in the magic world such as Ricky Jay and Michael Ammar, both performers that have been discussed earlier on this month.

With his wide body of knowledge, Vernon has managed to capture the imagination of both magicians and card sharks throughout the 20th century. He has invented or discovered sleights and moves that have allowed him to actually fool none other than Harry Houdini himself seven times with the exact same card trick, which has earned him the monicker “The Man Who Fooled Houdini,” and rightfully so.

The things we now take for granted, such as the DL, the Ambitious Card, and other similar moves and principles were all bits and pieces that Dai Vernon has managed to bring into the forefront for our generation. It cannot be stated enough how his devotion to the art of magic throughout his entire life has shaped future magicians who learned from the man not only his skills and his knowledge, but his work ethics as well. With today’s world of get-famous-quick magicians as peddled by certain unscrupulous magic merchants who prey on the craze magic has become in the last decade, Dai Vernon’s influence is one that emphasizes meticulousness, mastery, subtlety, and finesse in performance.

Dai Vernon spent the last three decades of his life in the Magic Castle, as a resident prestidigitationist of sorts in its hallowed halls, which has given him the opportunity to mentor the luminaries we have earlier mentioned. Anyone who could catch the infamous video series called “Dai Vernon: Revelations” would see precisely the kind of perfectionism and pride that Dai Vernon places upon his work and those of his
mentees and contemporaries.

Magic is experiencing a rebirth of sorts, with much thanks to the rise of street magic from Blaine and (Ugh.) Criss Angel. As such, the new generation has bypassed some of the gatekeepers of old, Dai Vernon being one of them. It is with the fervent hope that this reaches a new generation of magicians that I write this Project 365, both as a journey into the kind of magic I’ve exposed myself to, as well as the kind of history that I have dug up, being an avid student of the art, albeit I don’t have the kind of experience under the belt my elders have.

It’s all about respect for the art, and knowing those who came before us. Before we blaze a new trail, we need to know what trail we already walk upon.

Project 365 cards, magic, magikel, project 365 2010

Since I’m not going to be in town for a few days starting tomorrow, I figured it would be best if I made my posts in advance rather than made them after the vacation. Hope you like them all!

.:163/365: Rock And Roll Aces:.

Ever wanted to learn a routine that requires nothing but constant repetition of basic card sleights from you? Elmsley? Flustration? DL’s?

Well, Rock and Roll Aces is definitely the routine for you, with a simple script, and very methodic, systematic moves meant less for superb magic and more for acquainting a beginner magician with basic card moves that are necessary for one’s progression in the art form.

Watch how simple the routine really is, and see if you can follow what’s going on. The fact that it’s performed silently helps you piece together the logic of each and every move involved, and it makes for a very entertaining way to train yourself as sleights can only get harder and harder as you progress, yet your job is to constantly make it look like you’re not doing a single one, to begin with.

Rock and Roll Aces may not be the most impressive card routine out there, but mastery of the routine would reap major dividends for a beginner card magician wishing to step into

.:162/365: Closeup Illusion:.

The close up illusion was supposed to be something I’d talk about in Stage Illusions month, but I decided to talk about it right now instead because it’s one of my favourite packet routines of all time. It’s a pretty awesome head-scratcher and really hits the spot, since it achieves the seemingly impossible card penetration with the most minimal tools: a measly three cards, as opposed to an entire deck, in the case of Raise-Rise or Fallen.

That this routine is performed as though it were a true illusion like the ones you see onstage makes it all the better. The script is very simple, but the visuals accompanying the script, out and out penetration occurring right before your very eyes, is undoubtedly a thing of beauty. The card melting through is just so stark and visual that you can’t help but be stunned at it happening so plainly in front of you.

For the most part, I also like the simplicity of performing this routine. I was never fond of excessive sleights, and this has next to none, yet the eye-popping results are simply awesome. Keep on watching this routine as often as you can, because it just never gets old, even for someone like me, who already knows how it’s done.

Anyways, there are many people who have done this, including Copperfield himself, but the first version I learned was by Geoff Williams in his “Miracles For Mortals” video.

.:161/365: Raise-Rise:.

Now, if you really wanted to perform something like Daniel Garcia’s Fallen, I personally believe this is the better routine to do it with.

There are many versions and names for Raise-Rise: Elevator, Lazy Rise, Shifty, all of these are variations of the same principle: take any card, and magically make it rise from near the bottom of the deck all the way to the top of the deck, all the while keeping the card in apparent full view at all times as it magically melts from card to card.

It’s visual, it’s impromptu, and most of all, it’s nowhere near as angle-sensitive as “Fallen”. The magic is clean the minute the card has jumped places, as opposed to the amount of time you’re “dirty” when performing Fallen. There is just no comparison, when it comes down to these two routines, in all honesty.

I have seen multiple versions of this routine while looking around for videos, and I must say that every single video that was properly done has impressed me far more than Daniel Garcia’s performance of his own take on the card melting to the top routine. Half of these performers aren’t even named magicians, so that underscores how strong these routines are as opposed to the other one I’ve been maligning for quite a while already.

.:160/365: Elevation:.

Card transpositions are very tricky, but when done properly, the results can be mind-boggling, to say the least. Elevation is one such routine.

The script is rather simple: you can make a deck of cards act as an elevator, sending four suits of the same card from top to bottom of the deck in rapid-fire fashion, without having to break into a sweat as you put each card in the middle of the deck. The routine has to be fast-paced, because it’s really the best way to present this one, and the performer definitely did well in this regard.

This routine reminds me of that old 3-jack routine everyone seems to know about. It’s one of the first tricks a non-magician would learn to do with cards.

.:159/365: The Haunted Deck:.

I used to have this routine in my arsenal, but it got a little too clunky for my tastes, when I specialized in street magic.

Looking back, though, I realize that I may have not given this routine a fair shake and go back to it at some point. It has the makings of a powerful performance simply because there’s something very surreal about seeing a deck move on its own to reveal a selected card or two or three. I know this would’ve been best for Supernatural month in November, but I guess I’d rather go over it now, to at least remind myself to give this routine in particular a second look. I do believe it has a lot of potential, and with the perfect script, it can definitely take you places.

It’s very impressive the way the deck just moves right in your hands. Watching it just do that slowly and eerily tends to have quite an effect on you, especially since it’s something that would often happen virtually unannounced and silently in order to maximize the impact of the apparent ghostly apparition.

By the way, for the more knowledgeable out there, what nationality is Jay Noblezada exactly? He looks very Filipino to me.

Project 365 cards, magic, magikel, project 365 2010

.:157/365: Stigmata:.

This was a routine I was hoping to save for street magic month, but I think it’s fine enough as is as a card routine, although in reality, it’s a bit of mentalism on the side as well.

Stigmata is a classic that for some weird reason, i forgot to continue using despite the obviously powerful mileage that this routine really gets if you ever bothered to learn how to play it up. The mechanics are very simple, but I must warn you that it’s not very camera-friendly as a routine, so don’t try doing it for the video, unless you have an HD camera that could really show what happened.

Essentially, the mechanics are as follows: they pick a card, and then they can do whatever they want with it, like maybe shuffle it back in or whatnot. Afterwards, they focus on the card and imagine the card imprinted in their hand, and then they reach out to clutch your arm as tightly as possible.

Where the finger marks should be, the blood slowly rushes and forms the figure of the card they selected. If your spectators have a wild imagination, watch how crazy their reactions can get. You’d personally be amused.

I like this routine because it’s very simple and yet it can generate pandemonium given the right circumstances. People go nuts over it, because if you think about the whole routine itself, the layout can be quite creepy if you start attributing anything to something otherworldly or spiritual.

If you know how to do this, and you haven’t for a long time, do yourself a favour and give it a try. It’s refreshing getting those insane reactions all over again.

Project 365 cards, magic, magikel, mentalism, project 365 2010

.:156/365: Practice, Practice, Practice:.

Project 365 cards, demotivational, magic, magikel, project 365 2010

.:Yet Another Successful Taumbayan Variety Night!:.

Last Friday, myself, Stanley Chi, and the great Ony Carcamo took Taumbayan by storm one more time as we performed for a packed house in T. Gener corner K-1st in the Kamuning area. It was a night filled with laughs and gasps, and I was pretty happy about how things went for everyone that night, as I went significantly longer than I normally do, going for a full half-hour of magic and comedy as I established the rhythm for the other performers that night.

I opened with the Coloring Book repeat, followed with some shackles and some rope, then went off to do some good ol’ mentalism by doing some card improv, the shaker, some psychokinesis, and of course, the piece de resistance, levitation.

Stanley was on fire last Friday as he went close to half an hour of old and new (!) material that just had everyone chuckling and then guffawing like mad. The audience was a perfect mix, as half of the audience were laughing because they got the 80’s jokes, and the other half were laughing because they realized they were too young to get the joke.

It was a great run-up, really, because after about an hour’s worth of performances, after packing the house to the point that people were actually watching us by the stairs already since the venue had two floors worth of people watching, sir Ony Carcamo took to the stage and gave everyone more than their money’s worth by doing an hour of amazing ventriloquism. Everyone was in stitches over how funny the jokes were, and he even did his own brand of mentalism while he was at it, as he joked around and “botched” predictions left and right, only to prove to everyone that he knew all along what was going to happen.

All in all, this was a pretty amazing show, and I even managed to sit down and chat with none other than John Lapuz that night, whose movie, “Here Comes The Bride,” I was especially fond of. Hopefully, when we do our show again next month, even more people would come and see it, because at 150 bucks, the show is practically a steal.

Thanks, everyone! You can expect more from us in the days to come.

News and Updates comedy, magic, magikel, mentalism, taumbayan, ventriloquism

.:155/365 Grandfather’s Aces:.

This routine just screams “elegance” from top to bottom, don’t you think?

David Copperfield proves once again why many consider him the greatest magician of our generation, as he does what is supposed to be a simple card routine, yet he does it with so much flair and win.

The routine, on the surface, is rather simple: produce four aces magically, then lay out three indifferent cards with each ace. Then, make each other ace disappear, and have them reappear as the three cards set aside under the ace of spades.

Now, doing the motions for this effect would be elegant enough as is, but Mr. Copperfield decided to take it one step further by doing the motions in tune with the music that he selected. This synchronicity that he has managed to convey is nothing short of genius, as I am flat-out dumbstruck over how well he pulled off his routines, to say the least.

This is one of those routines that you simply want to do from start to finish in almost the exact same move for move that David Copperfield performed it, with the same musical score backing you up. It almost feels like you’re part of the orchestra that plays in the background as you are performing as you move harmoniously and in time with the music. I cannot convey my admiration for this routine enough.

Project 365 cards, magic, magikel, project 365 2010

.:154/365: Fallen:.

Ladies and gentlemen, here lies a ripoff of a routine, especially when you consider that this dreck was sold as a full-priced DVD.

Even the average layman who watches the performance can easily decipher the method for this one, and what’s worse, it’s one of the most angle-sensitive routines I’ve ever seen, completely defeating the purpose of having good, fast-paced, and impromptu magic on the streets. This routine just really makes you wish you could do something else, like, say, just actually learn the mechanics of a real Elevator routine, and reap the benefits of that one instead.

To be honest, this has got to be Daniel Garcia’s worst output, and I found it incredibly disappointing. He’s had a lot of great material, and his Project has been nothing but awesome, but this particular video screams “ripoff” if you ever planned to pay your hard-earned money to learn how to do Fallen.

The script is indeed simple: take a card, make it magically melt from the middle all the way to the top of the deck, visually, and quickly. Unfortunately, this assumes that your spectators are stupid enough to just stare at your hands dead-on as you perform this routine, and I can assure you that no amount of crowd control would let you get away with this one if you ever performed for more than one person.

And really, this is why I featured Fallen today: to warn would-be magicians out there not to fall for the hype of the E or Theory 11 and just go buy everything they churn out without first listening to some honest opinions from working magicians out there if the routine was worth the DVD it’s burned on, or the money you’d part with for it.

Project 365 cards, magic, magikel, project 365 2010, vituperation

.:153/365: The Stripper Deck:.

Laymen have to appreciate the fact that I am using official terms for some of the stuff I talk about here, even if I still stop short of actually spoiling any actual secrets. In the event a layman ever wants to learn magic, they will find it easy to get into it by referring to this blog simply because I have referred to most routines, gimmicks, and other similar stuff by their proper names, majority of the time.

The stripper deck is no such exception, and is one of my personal favourites in magic simply because it can do so much yet require so little, and stands up to a lot of scrutiny from sceptics, for the most part. The applications are nearly limitless, and considering how clean the deck is, the things you can do with it are unbelievable: you can do routines that require a regular deck, and on top of that, you can do routines that are possible only with a stripper deck. What’s not to like, really?

Well, if even the great Paul Potassy utilizes the Stripper Deck in one of his most powerful effects ever, who am I to argue with success? I just can’t emphasize enough how useful this deck is, because it’s proof eternal that there’s always more than one way to skin a cat. If it’s good enough for a Paul Potassy, it’s good enough for me.

Project 365 cards, magic, magikel, project 365 2010

.:152/365: Indecent:.

Oh, you, Ellusionist and your false advertising! ::rolls eyes::

This is a pretty strong routine, but the demo video is misleading in that it’s a lot more powerful than the routine really is, if you’re not a layman. Nonetheless, Indecent is still a very good card-through-something routine, and works well whether as a table to table effect or a street effect. It’s very powerful, and gives you a ready-made souvenir for your spectator at the very end of the performance.

Admittedly, for this month, my focus has mostly been on pick-a-card routines, and I’ll admit that’s a bit of a cop-out, as there are a lot of other routines that don’t necessarily require that kind of script, but as a guy who doesn’t really focus too much on cards, the pick-a-card script tends to be the easiest one to get down, and the one that people really look out for, more often than not.

In any case, I’m a fan of this routine because it’s custom-made for the working magician who likes giving away souvenirs for spectators. Indecent is relatively inexpensive as a souvenir, so long as you don’t mind losing singleton cards for your performances, and ultimately, it’s nothing but sheer bliss to be able to give something like that away to someone and have them remember you for a long time because you know how to really make a lasting impression as a performer.

I just really wish E would stop fooling buyers into thinking things are better than they seem, though. This “demo” version of Indecent is something that is simply unachievable in the real world even after buying the video, which to me smacks of false advertising and deceptive marketing. It’s bad enough that the E has made it seem normal that you can make a killing off of marketing one trick no matter how crappy so long as you have production values to dress it up, but for them to pretty much lie and fool newbie magicians into thinking they’re getting something that’s better than it actually is has to be something I can’t abide by.

Project 365 cards, magic, magikel, project 365 2010

.:151/365:The Ultimate Transpo:.

Here’s a routine that I absolutely love and use every chance I get, because there are a million and one ways to establish your magician persona with it, depending on what you want to project that day.

The premise is very simple: they get a card, like, say, the Queen of Hearts. Then, they select a card at random, like, say, the Five of Clubs. Then, while they’re holding the Queen tightly in both hands, you switch the Queen in their hands for the Five in yours.

The result is: the card they’re holding very tightly is the Five Of Clubs. The card in your hands is the Queen Of Hearts. Very baffling, very impressive, and can be done as quickly or as slowly as your persona dictates, which is what makes this routine very useful and flexible at the same time.

I’ve used the routine as a mentalist, emphasizing hypnosis as the method by which I perpetrated the exchange.

I’ve used the routine as a fast-talking hustler, emphasizing the speed by which I do things, that the naked eye can’t catch me swipe their card and trade places with them.

I’ve used the routine as a mystic time traveller, using my abilities to travel in time to go back and swith the cards from the beginning despite what their eyes may tell them.

Doesn’t really matter how you posit the performance, actually. What matters is that the options are all there, and the routine lends itself naturally to any which way you wish to pursue it.

Project 365 cards, magic, magikel, project 365 2010