Hey people! I'm just a bit confuse. So hoping some of you experts would clarify a few things if possible........

When it comes to cards, what's the difference between normal card tricks and cards 'street style' tricks? I mean they both use sleights right? So what makes street magic so much more, 'awesome'?

And oh yea, how do u guys practice? in front of the mirror or what? I'm not sure how to do mine, besides practicing in front of the mirror, but then again, it's not like i can see from every angle. Should i like practice in front of my friends, so you know i can get feedback? Or maybe i should wait a bit longer, till i can things a bit more smoothly?

Hopefully you guys understand what i mean! :D

Hey Jennifer,

Card tricks for Street magic style is mainly in the hands magic. There's no table... just stand up and perform. There's only selected tricks that you can do for this case. I used to do this kinda tricks a lot when I first started magic

But for me... now my magic mainly lies on Card Table magic. It is so much more fun and nice to do. So much more effects and ways u can do things (ie u dont have to always have ya hands to hold the deck). Table card magic... u can spread u can put deck aside etc etc.. so much more freedom :).

I practice in front of my webcam... at an angle... Mirror is not a good thing as u already mentioned the angle is horizontal and not correct. Eg. practicing a pass on a mirror is so different to an angle on the camera or from spectator eyes. I would strongly recommend investing in a getting a webcam. Not expensive.... RM80? Do test it first and make sure it is clear. It will do u great. No regrets.

Meanwhile, Jennifer u can practice in front or mirror. I wont show people a trick unless I can really do it or unless they are magicians and can help u out with ya sleights.

Cheers,
Brendan

someone advised me, I think it was Singaporean mentalist Pambudi (you rock !! ) , if you are doing things in a parlour setting, its best if you could have multiple cameras , each at different positions to simulate audiences at various angles around the stage, which i think is a really good idea. That way, you can see if you neglect any part of your audience or if all your angles are covered.

Its gonna be a bit expensive though.

But that's not you asked, was it? :lol:

Hehe, not really but yea, it helps. Thanks all the same!

I do agree with Jeff that to practice with multiple cameras is the best thing you can do. Though it seems pretty costly and I don’t think so for a casual hobbyist would afford to does so. For me, I just practice in front of a mirror or occasionally I’d ask my closed friends to help me out. IMO, if you performed a trick for more than 5 times to different audiences you may know well about the angle problems of the trick itself.

Erm basically i don't think street magic is more awesome. It looks cool to general public because of David Blaine's TV special. However, to me table card magic is much more impressive. Take a look at some magic castle's close-up performance video and you'll get what i mean.

As for the practice part, you can just call up your magic buddies and practice infront of them when you have enough practice infront of the mirror. then after you get your sleights down by performing to magic buddies, try your effects out on your friends.

Possible positions would depend on the venue of performance. Indeed great pointers from MMF's pro's :)

again, no pros here, honestly, and seriously.
Just hardcore fanatics....

For my opinion nothing better than audience view , when i practice magic ,hardly practice i won't care bout angle first . Then i practice and show to one of my close friend , ask him wether that i'm flash or not ask his feedback which angle should be cover and polish it nicely . Then you started perform to someone you dun know or you are not close may be your friend friends then got the feedback from them again see wat their respone to your magic.

Hello ffellas,i'm still new in street magic kinda thing.I joined this forum coz i've heard from my friend before that i could get tons of useful informations and friends.Well,i hope i can find someone who can be my friends.

(by the way,you can tell which country i came,just look at my ID)

I've just learned how to perform a STREET MAGIC trick called "The Ash Shake"
It's so cool,i've also create my own trick.

Msian Card Master, please read the rules before posting if you havent. Very Important.

Also please give ya introduction at the Introduction thread, NOT here.

Also let us know ya real name. We are getting people to use real names in this forum.

-Brendan

don't ask feedback from your friends. you are revealing the secrets to them. practice with multiple angles. I often use the mirror as well. but webcam is my favourite mirror.

after you've mastered the trick, you can perform this to your friends or family. don't tell them you want to show a trick first.

here's how I got my reputation in magic in school. we always play big two and here's how I gots started. after we finished the game, there were about 3 of my friends hanging out in the class. I borrowed the deck and start shuffling and preparing the trick as natural as possible. they thought I was just messing with the deck. I immediately performed the two card monte to one of them and I thought I was going to screw this trick up. but as soon as the trick finished, I am speechless to explain how amazing their reactions were (you know, swears).

i learned from it. i didn't ask for feedback because they are not magicians nor they are interested in magic. if you really want feedbacks, send your videos here or YouTube and let people comment your trick. Be open. recreate the trick as perfect as possible and resend them to youtube again. wait for comments and you are on your way.

regards,
rahman

Hey thanks for all the tips!!

But if u do post it up on youtube, it's a bigger chance of exposure.... u know in case u flash or miss some move that wasn't suppose to be in there! For god's sake, it's for the general public's view!!! :lol:

How about asking family members? Def not cousins or aunts, they won't be bothered (well... at least mine won't)......

Comments please!

hmmm... yeah u can put ya vids on youtube for people to comment.

Jennifer, regarding flashes and all... surely one can see if his or her video has flashes or exposure. If it does, then perhaps better not to put unless he or she dont mind flashing.

Besides there are already plenty of lousy vids on youtube. It doesnt really matter anymore really. If I've made a video, there should be a purpose for it and I'd put it on youtube but I dont really take their comments seriously. The best persons to give comments are your magic buddies... B)

hi jennifer...this is my two cents....

i started out performing 'street magic' style tricks when i was in form three....i had just started learning magic then, and the moment i had learned something new, i would perform it for my friends. The first trick i did for them was 'Do as i Do' trick with two decks. They were blown away....i screwed up a bit here and there then with the tricks i did for years to come(form 4, form 5)
but my friends were sports and they actually advised me on how to perform tricks better...and most of the time, their advise is GOLD, and that is how i would practise my tricks, and audience management at the same time, with my clique of friends...and also you must have a thorough knowledge of the tricks that you perform for them, and also practise with mirror loh.....it does come in handy...

anyways, i hope this advise comes in handy.....cherrio

and about the asking the familymember thing.......i wouldn't really encourage that....well occasionaly...but not on a daily basis B)

well regarding family, i think it is the best way to practice....thats just me...

I would practice in front of the mirror or webcam..once im comfortable, ill show it too my mum...or my little sister....(its usually my mum for critics, flashes, this and that....and my sister as performance test)

i guess trust is very important...but, if you cant trust family, who can you trust?

My mum is pretty much a magician too, with all the knowledge ive let her in on haha She would know when its a DL, pass, etc. So to me, my mum is the best person to practice on...after thats all completed, i'd put it into performance for cousins, friends, etc....work out any other kinks...and im done.

regards,

Nadz the Nadz

In my humble opinion, I think the comments posted on Youtube is mostly cr@p.

You are performing to a camera, all focus is on where you want the camera to focus.

That's never the way in a real life performance. How about the rest of your body? A lot of us beginners have some sort of wierd habit when doing the dirty move. Don't believe me, record yourself (whole body, not just hands) performing.

Look at your eyes, mouth and for wierd twitches when you are executing the sleight.

I gave up metal bending and relearned it to get rid of my bad habits when bending metal. Unfortunately it still comes back every so often.

Anyway, this is getting seriously off topic

The kinda magic people do on webcam and in real life is somewhat different. Webcam magic is more of a visual magic.

In real life performance.... like Jeff said.... u need to take note of other aspects, not just ur hands, well... unless u are just flourishing or doing a visual change.

But hey... some flourish styles using some body movements as well... which is pretty unique, eg. Daniel Madison. :P.... he has the style.

And... Im off topic now.... :wacko:

I guess the answer to the Q "To whom should I practice and show my Tricks to" is:
- The person whom you can rely on for honest feedback
- A person who is sound in the art, technically and knowledge wise

Showing off new tricks to laymen as a testing ground may be dangerous as you dont really know if you will expose etc. So yeah.. again... test on the two points i made above. If i showed my mum my tricks... she's so easily impressed... but its much harder to impress magicians.... so yeah... I like that challenge :)

what Brendan says is true. the one who gives the best comment is your fellow magician. Like us here :) we could see mistakes and we will comment on it. magician's comment will help you perfect your sleights. whilst laymen's comments are not enough to make your trick smooth and perfect.

talking about spoon bending, has anyone tried the real method of spoon bending? I mean with the mind (apparently with the mind). you are going to have your inside energy flow through your arm, to your finger tips. does this method really work? i've tried this method (needs practice 100x) and all I got was hot sense at the end of my fingertips that I could not dare to continue it before the spoon bends. i just don't want to burn my fingers. seriously.

What kinda spoon bend are you refering to Mann?

The one I do is Osterlind's... and I also do the one from PM... cant remember the name.

did u mean Liquid Metal from PM?

How the heck do u let the internal energy flow straight to the fingertips?? Or this is some secret???

If you really manage to get the spoon to bend, do contact James Randi at the James Randi Education Foundation, show it to him and get ....ONE MEEEELLIIIIOOON DOLLARS !!!!

I'm not joking.

No one has won it yet.

I assume mannthusiastic is joking...