Price$29.95
Media TypeeBook
CategoryMentalism
Date AddedFeb 22, 2014
793.8: Where is The Magic?
Jeff Stone
Stone Cold Magic
(Based on 3 reviews)
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793.8: Where is The Magic? Today!
Presentation is where it's at. The connection between you and the audience is the true source of real magic. Gone are the "Put and Take" so called "presentations" of so called "magic." How do you connect with your audience? How do you find the magic in your effects? 793.8 turns magic, presentations and effects on their heads, and on many levels rebuilds them from the ground up cutting out the superfluous and bringing to the table the lean and mean necessary components of a true magical experience. Then from that foundation, we build and we build.
Through thought experiments, exercises, essays, presentational ideas, scripts, and over a dozen effects ranging from basic ideas to fully fleshed out and complete routines right out of Jeff's repertoire, you'll transform right before your very eyes. Your presentation and performance skills and ability to capture and truly "move" your audience will be like none other.
You'll be taken on an emotional ride from laughter to loss for words, from surprised to shivers. You'll be moved emotionally as you read the 270 pages of creativity and concepts found in 793.8. You will truly learn to remember what magic is supposed to feel like as you are taken down a path that leads to wonder and astonishment.
EFFECTS:
Spectator's Choice:
Magician's choice without the magician's choice. The spectator makes up all the rules and procedures. Yet in the end, you still were able to predict what ESP symbol they would choose.
What's the Deal with the Down Under Deal:
Take this utility move and use it in a way that gives meaning to the move and gives the feeling that you truly are clairvoyant as you merely sense (by touching the cards) which ESP symbol they are thinking of.
Luke and the 15 Force:
A brand new technique for forcing a range of numbers and building a true and meaningful connection with your spectator at the same time. This technique has endless applications.
Forces of Nature and Book Test Subtleties:
These two concepts change the book test genre and take it to a new realm. Move beyond merely "guessing" the word they looked at in a book. Instead, use the spooky revelation (of which you have photographic proof) given to you from "the other side." Over a dozen pages dedicated to ways to give your spectators the chills with a simple book test.
Twinkie Picker:
Give the spectator a Twinkie for helping out. Then borrow a dollar from them. It vanishes and reappears inside the Twinkie they've been holding since before they loaned you the money. The Twinkie is completely sealed, and they can hold it and open it themselves. The presentation and script are designed to flow with built in humor and timing. It's a simple and beautiful presentation piece.
Leaving Decks:
A deck is shown to be normal and mixed. The spectator can shuffle the cards. The deck is tossed into a paper bag and shuffled about. Yet you can (blindfolded if you wish) reach into the paper back and remove their chosen card. Only one deck is used. No palming, no peaking and you can even do the trick naked.
Martika:
An audience interaction piece that plays solemn and serious. A fake military battle is played out on stage. In the end, you've predicted the number of survivors in a poignantly written letter that the General (your volunteer) must read to the soldiers' families.
I Need a Hero:
A staple of Jeff's stand up act for years. A silly battle of the superheroes involving as many as 8 spectators that concludes with a powerful and completely unexpected hilarious prediction of the outcome. Included are the actual printable props that Jeff uses for his show.
Ace Re-Revisited:
An update in presentation of a Larry Becker effect published here with Mr. Becker's permission. This takes a simple dictionary book test and makes it portable (for strolling) and lends itself to a logical presentation and a powerful outcome for both close up and stage.
No ESP Cards, No Problem:
A powerful effect using 5 borrowed business cards and nothing else. This effect is Jeff's go to effect when someone says "show me something." It brings together simple props with a simple principle that feels like real magic and leaves the audience member believing that you can read their mind.
Gemini Shopping:
A fun routine that involves several spectators, a whole bunch of foreign currency and your collection of postcards from your "world travels." The spectators make all the decisions, yet they are somehow able to magically figure out what money you spent (and where) while on vacation. This one's just plain fun.
Memory Relapse:
A presentational and slight methodological update to Jay Sankey's Memory Lapse. Published with Sankey's permission, this effect is so baffling and so powerful that the spectator will walk away a changed person, questioning reality. Simply put, you cause them to forget a thought, and you have proof. The audience is your proof. The audience remembers everything, yet the one spectator does not. There are no stooges.
Tower of Babel:
Cause your spectator to speak in tongues. Yep. She has no idea how it happens either. Cause her to speak a language that she has never spoken before. Further, if someone in the audience happens to speak that language, they can verify what she is saying. There are no stooges, and the spectator really does speak in another language for a brief moment.
Ode To Charlie:
When Jay Sankey read this effect, he a) said that it actually gave him the chills and b) "dared" Jeff to use this effect as the closing piece to the book. Jeff did just that. This is another effect straight out of Jeff's close up repertoire for the past 25 or so years. Simple put, a coin vanishes. It re-materializes later when the spectator is alone and by herself. The coin can be signed, and you truly are no nowhere near her when the coin "comes back."
Much More:
This only scratches the surface of the powerful effects found in this epic volume of magic.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
Well, this book was thoroughly entertaining to read and by 'entertaining', I mean thought-provoking.
When you read this e-book (or the printed version) you will find that most of the book is mostly a collection of theories that Jeff has based on his experiences. I do know Jeff quite well, virtually speaking - he is well-known performer in the magic community, a big name on this site and he and I are both admins of a Facebook group for magicians. Jeff is not a full-time professional magician but if he did not say that outright, you may never guess that about him when reading this body of work.
You will not agree with everything you read in this book (nor should you - I certainly did not), but the main idea behind them is to cause you to think more about your own magic and your own performances and ideas. Jeff states which ideas/theories have been tested before an audience and which have not. Many would ask, "Why publish an untested idea/theory?" I ask, "Why not?" Paul Harris and Tom Stone are two notable authors that have done and continue to do just that because even untested, they are something to think about which may lead to experimentation and/or answers in other areas of your work. It is great to see them put out there.
As I read through the effects in this book, I realized that like me, Jeff loves 'old' material - classic material from the old masters. Those things are still around because THEY WORK! I am not saying that the effects here are old or that they are just a re-publishing of old effects - far from it. Instead, those old effects serve as a starting ground for the material here, the inspiration for them. There are both original effects in here as well as additions to effects published by others. The crediting for each item in the book is very well done.
There is a section that I particularly enjoyed and it was the last part of the book, which is a tribute to Max Malini. Readers may not know that Malini was well-known for carrying around a set-up for an effect that may never be performed because it requires just the right setting, requires lots of work and may never be topped or repeated. I myself have one particular effect that I have had for a good ten years now, which I carry in many different situations ready to go and have only performed it about 17 times in those ten years. This section certainly has some of those kinds of effects in it worthy of consideration and study.
Both the printed book and the e-book reference videos on YouTube as a supplement to certain sections throughout the book - I think it is a great idea and a great way to illustrate certain points in the text that words alone could not fully explain.
There are extra files that come with this which can be used for some of the effects in it, such as a receipt maker, cards (not playing cards) that Jeff uses for one of the effects, etc.
Even though you will not agree with everything in this book and you may not like every effect in it, you will certainly find something of use in this book whether it is a thought/theory or idea that makes you think about your own work or an effect that you would like to try. I found a couple of them myself and one of his effects I found solved a problem for a similar idea I had been working on for a while.
For the record, the ad copy is 100% accurate and I wouldn't expect (nor accept) anything less from a guy who would be the first to eat a product alive for an inaccurate ad copy.
To sum everything up here: Get off this site and go buy this book or this e-book - you will enjoy it!
Very highly recommended!
When you read this e-book (or the printed version) you will find that most of the book is mostly a collection of theories that Jeff has based on his experiences. I do know Jeff quite well, virtually speaking - he is well-known performer in the magic community, a big name on this site and he and I are both admins of a Facebook group for magicians. Jeff is not a full-time professional magician but if he did not say that outright, you may never guess that about him when reading this body of work.
You will not agree with everything you read in this book (nor should you - I certainly did not), but the main idea behind them is to cause you to think more about your own magic and your own performances and ideas. Jeff states which ideas/theories have been tested before an audience and which have not. Many would ask, "Why publish an untested idea/theory?" I ask, "Why not?" Paul Harris and Tom Stone are two notable authors that have done and continue to do just that because even untested, they are something to think about which may lead to experimentation and/or answers in other areas of your work. It is great to see them put out there.
As I read through the effects in this book, I realized that like me, Jeff loves 'old' material - classic material from the old masters. Those things are still around because THEY WORK! I am not saying that the effects here are old or that they are just a re-publishing of old effects - far from it. Instead, those old effects serve as a starting ground for the material here, the inspiration for them. There are both original effects in here as well as additions to effects published by others. The crediting for each item in the book is very well done.
There is a section that I particularly enjoyed and it was the last part of the book, which is a tribute to Max Malini. Readers may not know that Malini was well-known for carrying around a set-up for an effect that may never be performed because it requires just the right setting, requires lots of work and may never be topped or repeated. I myself have one particular effect that I have had for a good ten years now, which I carry in many different situations ready to go and have only performed it about 17 times in those ten years. This section certainly has some of those kinds of effects in it worthy of consideration and study.
Both the printed book and the e-book reference videos on YouTube as a supplement to certain sections throughout the book - I think it is a great idea and a great way to illustrate certain points in the text that words alone could not fully explain.
There are extra files that come with this which can be used for some of the effects in it, such as a receipt maker, cards (not playing cards) that Jeff uses for one of the effects, etc.
Even though you will not agree with everything in this book and you may not like every effect in it, you will certainly find something of use in this book whether it is a thought/theory or idea that makes you think about your own work or an effect that you would like to try. I found a couple of them myself and one of his effects I found solved a problem for a similar idea I had been working on for a while.
For the record, the ad copy is 100% accurate and I wouldn't expect (nor accept) anything less from a guy who would be the first to eat a product alive for an inaccurate ad copy.
To sum everything up here: Get off this site and go buy this book or this e-book - you will enjoy it!
Very highly recommended!
(Top ▲)
Jeff Stone is a very kind guy and he may well be the most read magic reviewer in the business. His book 793.8 combines magic effects, essays, and theory to make up a unique collection of magic thought. At times I disliked the magic, I disagreed with the theory or did not feel that Jeff’s additions were significant. For example his mantra is “Astonishment over moves” I don’t understand/disagree with the logical connection between the moves used and the astonishment of the audience. The instances where I disagree with Jeff will not detract from my rating at all.
I will give this 3.5 stars because while most magicians will get something out of it there are places where his thinking is not very original in method or effect and I do not see the point of republication.
This book is a mixed bag, there has been some confusion over what it is. To help out I have broken down everything in the book. All of the italicized titles are magic effects, moves or magic methods.
Magic is a Drug and Drugs are Dangerous: Here Jeff makes clarifies some fine points concerning his mantra “Astonishment over moves” and his thoughts on magic for magicians. I disagree with much of what is said here. He mentions XCM in passing, I can’t help but feel like he misinterprets the goal of cardistry.
You, Me and Dupree: This is one of the best essays on presentation that I have come across. He mixes various examples and a striking piece of word trickery to illustrate the impact of slight changes in presentation.
That Reminds me of a Time Back in ‘Nam: This is a good essay highlighting the power of nostalgia with a very clever replacement for the classic “NO” gag that hits with much more power.
Dedicated to the Art: This is a high concept piece that may never be performed by anyone. An old magician has found the fountain of youth and de-ages in front of a live audience. It is the kind of thing that someone could make a movie of. It reminds me of the film the prestige or Steinmeyer’s book A Glorious Deception and the magician it is about.
You Can’t be a King in Your Hometown: Here are some notes on character and performing for people you know. He tackles some common problems for magicians, especially amateurs and hobbyists. Most people will get something from this. I do not like the types of magic that he prefers to perform for audiences that know him, but alas this was not the main focus of the essay.
Sherlock: A small selection on handling hecklers, and antagonists of magic.
You Don’t Want to Know: This essay tackles what we should say when someone asks “How did you do that?” Even if you disagree with Jeff’s approach you should think about your response to this question.
The Invisible Door: I love stories like this! Jeff talks about a vanishing act that his friends did for him one day. I don’t think that you’ll ever be able to replicate this but I love strong magic experiences like this.
Self Working Layperson: This is a discussion on what to do when you get that terrible comment “I’ve seen this trick” when you pull out a deck of cards.
The Black Heart Reveals Itself: A simple gaff can be used as a very powerful revelation tool. This is another discussion on found magic in everyday life. He suggests a couple effects using these principles. I enjoyed his stories of found magic more than the actual effects.
Thinking Outside the Box: A discussion of how our assumptions make us easier to be fooled.
You’re Right Stack: This is an open easy to do slow motion stacking technique hidden under the guise of a gag. This is very clever and I will probably be using it.
Paper Balls Under the Head: This is a clever theoretical finale to the paper balls over the head. I’m not sure how well you could sell this in an actual performance.
Specator’s Choice: This is a very nice trick where you use equivoque to control a situation, 2 times in a row. This is a very clever solution for what tends to be a painfully obvious process. He adds some flavor to this routine by including optional ESP Card cold reading tips.
Force Schmorce: This is a practical way to get a spectator to select an object. He shares his thoughts on various ways.
Notes on Miscalls: He gives some tips here to make your miscalls that much more believable. After you switched out an object you are able to give the spectators conviction that you did not switch it out.
What’s the Deal With the Down Under Deal: This classic move is very deceptive but it rarely fits in presentation believably. Jeff adds some presentation tips that may help make this a bit more natural.
Card Memory: This is a small gag that you can include after someone has shuffled the deck. He suggests that you perform it right before his effect Spectral Chill.
Spectral Chill: This is a very fooling effect, the presentation gets a little dry in places. The deck is shuffled, and after a small dealing sequence you are able to name the location of a specific card. I want to use this but I will need to work on the presentation.
Luke and the 15 Force: Jeff has had a laymen friend help him out with this piece and has come to a very cool force. This is a very quick and clean piece of mind reading involving a freely selected number. In one step it narrows down their free selection to a small group and in 2 steps you know exactly which number was chosen.
Forces of Nature: This is an interesting study on creativity, Jeff shows how one idea can spawn many. He gives 10 ideas on book tests in this essay, I wasn’t crazy for any specific idea but if you like book tests, check it out.
Book Test Subtleties: A couple more ideas on book tests are discussed here. I do like these, they are all subtle but I can see them adding to the power.
Faux Quivoque: He teaches his effect Little people here and demonstrates a powerful concept that turns equivoque upside down.
Little People: A small hand on a stick is able to find a selected card. I love the kicker here! This is a very fooling trick, the handling is a unique take on classic principle in magic.
Invisibly Subtle: This is a nice tip but it really isn’t original at all. About four years ago I saw this discussed on an invisible deck download by Zack Percell and later was talking with Dan Harlan about the invisible deck and found out that he had discussed using this subtlety years ago.
Twinkie Picker: Using an old effect of Jeff’s you can orchestrate a very fair very unique publicity stunt using Twinkies.
The Fake False: This is a fun technique for a false second deal. I think this could be used for magicians and laymen.
Leaving Decks: A spectator selects a card loses it the deck and shuffles. The deck is placed into an examinable paper bag and mixed some more. The magician then reaches into the bag and pulls out the selection.
Martika: Based on a pretend battle with small green soldiers you are able to predict the final soldier standing.
I Need a Hero: This is my favorite effect in the entire book. It is a large scale battle between superheroes. It has the look of a chair test on stage. The method is classic and unfortunately the presentation isn’t one hundred percent original either.
Ace Re-revisited: This is another very strong effect and is a good adaptation of a stage effect. Two people select a page number together and the magician is able to divine a selected word on that page. Jeff suggests using a pocket dictionary for this.
Stone Cold Magi-card: This uses a gaffed card that some magicians carry in their wallet. It’s really a card that is used for multiple gags but Jeff has made it into a more serious piece of mentalism. Personally I dislike both the original use for the card and Jeff’s update.
No ESP Cards No Problem: This is an almost impromptu effect using some pieces of card. I don’t mind this effect. Basically through a bit of shuffling a selection is made and the magician is able to divine the selection.
Gemini Shopping: A deck of blank cards with objects written on them is used in conjunction with a stack of foreign money. The spectators stick the bills into the deck at random intervals and it is revealed that the bill was inserted next to an item from that country. I feel like the force, while it is a good one, is a bit overused and I dislike the idea of blank cards with writing on them. One idea I do like is his idea in applying the same force to monopoly money and Community Chest cards.
Memory Relapse: This is Jeff’s handling on Jay Sankey’s effect Memory Lapse. Jay Sankey has allowed Jeff to teach it in this book. Basically four shapes are shown to an audience member and they instantly forget one. This is a great trick using an old principle of magic in a new way, in classic Sankey fashion. Jeff gives various tips and scripting idea to help make this more powerful. It is a great trick but I don’t feel like Jeff has added a whole lot.
Tower of Babel: Using an old method in magic the magician causes a spectator to speak a foreign language. I have mixed feelings with this one, it is a high concept piece and should be given kudos for that. Jeff acts like having bilingual audience members may help the effect, I feel like for these people it may fall extra flat. I teach French and have a lot of experience hearing people read a language they are not familiar with, it’s tough to understand. I imagine that there would be a lot of stress on the performer and audience.
Almost all of these effects are theoretical or VERY sensitive to time and place.
Moab, UT: A friend names a word, object or anything else and it appears in ashes on your arm. I don’t like this. I feel like it would be very difficult to find the right spot to perform in and it would be very tough to perform once you are ready. I think that there may be a way to pull this off in real life but I feel like it is way too niche to bother with.
The Fading Coin: This is an effect by Tomoyuki Takasha. A coin is named and it appears in the magicians clenched fist.
Everything Fades: An object is named and it appears in the magicians clenched fist. The freedom that this lends to the audience may harm the effect to some degree. I feel like the Fading coin is much cleaner in method and that the clean up you have to do for Everything fades muddies it up a lot.
Don’t Try This at Home: This is another piece that is just there to inspire. The spectator witnesses a letter being mailed and then makes some random decisions. On receiving the mailed letter a few days later it shows that the magician divined what was going to happen. There’s something missing here, I feel like the effect is incomplete but I am intrigued with the idea.
Ode to Charlie: The magician makes a coin vanish and later, when the spectator is out of sight the coin reappears. I really like the idea here. The problem is that you lose control of the appearance.
I will give this 3.5 stars because while most magicians will get something out of it there are places where his thinking is not very original in method or effect and I do not see the point of republication.
This book is a mixed bag, there has been some confusion over what it is. To help out I have broken down everything in the book. All of the italicized titles are magic effects, moves or magic methods.
Magic is a Drug and Drugs are Dangerous: Here Jeff makes clarifies some fine points concerning his mantra “Astonishment over moves” and his thoughts on magic for magicians. I disagree with much of what is said here. He mentions XCM in passing, I can’t help but feel like he misinterprets the goal of cardistry.
You, Me and Dupree: This is one of the best essays on presentation that I have come across. He mixes various examples and a striking piece of word trickery to illustrate the impact of slight changes in presentation.
That Reminds me of a Time Back in ‘Nam: This is a good essay highlighting the power of nostalgia with a very clever replacement for the classic “NO” gag that hits with much more power.
Dedicated to the Art: This is a high concept piece that may never be performed by anyone. An old magician has found the fountain of youth and de-ages in front of a live audience. It is the kind of thing that someone could make a movie of. It reminds me of the film the prestige or Steinmeyer’s book A Glorious Deception and the magician it is about.
You Can’t be a King in Your Hometown: Here are some notes on character and performing for people you know. He tackles some common problems for magicians, especially amateurs and hobbyists. Most people will get something from this. I do not like the types of magic that he prefers to perform for audiences that know him, but alas this was not the main focus of the essay.
Sherlock: A small selection on handling hecklers, and antagonists of magic.
You Don’t Want to Know: This essay tackles what we should say when someone asks “How did you do that?” Even if you disagree with Jeff’s approach you should think about your response to this question.
The Invisible Door: I love stories like this! Jeff talks about a vanishing act that his friends did for him one day. I don’t think that you’ll ever be able to replicate this but I love strong magic experiences like this.
Self Working Layperson: This is a discussion on what to do when you get that terrible comment “I’ve seen this trick” when you pull out a deck of cards.
The Black Heart Reveals Itself: A simple gaff can be used as a very powerful revelation tool. This is another discussion on found magic in everyday life. He suggests a couple effects using these principles. I enjoyed his stories of found magic more than the actual effects.
Thinking Outside the Box: A discussion of how our assumptions make us easier to be fooled.
You’re Right Stack: This is an open easy to do slow motion stacking technique hidden under the guise of a gag. This is very clever and I will probably be using it.
Paper Balls Under the Head: This is a clever theoretical finale to the paper balls over the head. I’m not sure how well you could sell this in an actual performance.
Specator’s Choice: This is a very nice trick where you use equivoque to control a situation, 2 times in a row. This is a very clever solution for what tends to be a painfully obvious process. He adds some flavor to this routine by including optional ESP Card cold reading tips.
Force Schmorce: This is a practical way to get a spectator to select an object. He shares his thoughts on various ways.
Notes on Miscalls: He gives some tips here to make your miscalls that much more believable. After you switched out an object you are able to give the spectators conviction that you did not switch it out.
What’s the Deal With the Down Under Deal: This classic move is very deceptive but it rarely fits in presentation believably. Jeff adds some presentation tips that may help make this a bit more natural.
Card Memory: This is a small gag that you can include after someone has shuffled the deck. He suggests that you perform it right before his effect Spectral Chill.
Spectral Chill: This is a very fooling effect, the presentation gets a little dry in places. The deck is shuffled, and after a small dealing sequence you are able to name the location of a specific card. I want to use this but I will need to work on the presentation.
Luke and the 15 Force: Jeff has had a laymen friend help him out with this piece and has come to a very cool force. This is a very quick and clean piece of mind reading involving a freely selected number. In one step it narrows down their free selection to a small group and in 2 steps you know exactly which number was chosen.
Forces of Nature: This is an interesting study on creativity, Jeff shows how one idea can spawn many. He gives 10 ideas on book tests in this essay, I wasn’t crazy for any specific idea but if you like book tests, check it out.
Book Test Subtleties: A couple more ideas on book tests are discussed here. I do like these, they are all subtle but I can see them adding to the power.
Faux Quivoque: He teaches his effect Little people here and demonstrates a powerful concept that turns equivoque upside down.
Little People: A small hand on a stick is able to find a selected card. I love the kicker here! This is a very fooling trick, the handling is a unique take on classic principle in magic.
Invisibly Subtle: This is a nice tip but it really isn’t original at all. About four years ago I saw this discussed on an invisible deck download by Zack Percell and later was talking with Dan Harlan about the invisible deck and found out that he had discussed using this subtlety years ago.
Twinkie Picker: Using an old effect of Jeff’s you can orchestrate a very fair very unique publicity stunt using Twinkies.
The Fake False: This is a fun technique for a false second deal. I think this could be used for magicians and laymen.
Leaving Decks: A spectator selects a card loses it the deck and shuffles. The deck is placed into an examinable paper bag and mixed some more. The magician then reaches into the bag and pulls out the selection.
Martika: Based on a pretend battle with small green soldiers you are able to predict the final soldier standing.
I Need a Hero: This is my favorite effect in the entire book. It is a large scale battle between superheroes. It has the look of a chair test on stage. The method is classic and unfortunately the presentation isn’t one hundred percent original either.
Ace Re-revisited: This is another very strong effect and is a good adaptation of a stage effect. Two people select a page number together and the magician is able to divine a selected word on that page. Jeff suggests using a pocket dictionary for this.
Stone Cold Magi-card: This uses a gaffed card that some magicians carry in their wallet. It’s really a card that is used for multiple gags but Jeff has made it into a more serious piece of mentalism. Personally I dislike both the original use for the card and Jeff’s update.
No ESP Cards No Problem: This is an almost impromptu effect using some pieces of card. I don’t mind this effect. Basically through a bit of shuffling a selection is made and the magician is able to divine the selection.
Gemini Shopping: A deck of blank cards with objects written on them is used in conjunction with a stack of foreign money. The spectators stick the bills into the deck at random intervals and it is revealed that the bill was inserted next to an item from that country. I feel like the force, while it is a good one, is a bit overused and I dislike the idea of blank cards with writing on them. One idea I do like is his idea in applying the same force to monopoly money and Community Chest cards.
Memory Relapse: This is Jeff’s handling on Jay Sankey’s effect Memory Lapse. Jay Sankey has allowed Jeff to teach it in this book. Basically four shapes are shown to an audience member and they instantly forget one. This is a great trick using an old principle of magic in a new way, in classic Sankey fashion. Jeff gives various tips and scripting idea to help make this more powerful. It is a great trick but I don’t feel like Jeff has added a whole lot.
Tower of Babel: Using an old method in magic the magician causes a spectator to speak a foreign language. I have mixed feelings with this one, it is a high concept piece and should be given kudos for that. Jeff acts like having bilingual audience members may help the effect, I feel like for these people it may fall extra flat. I teach French and have a lot of experience hearing people read a language they are not familiar with, it’s tough to understand. I imagine that there would be a lot of stress on the performer and audience.
Almost all of these effects are theoretical or VERY sensitive to time and place.
Moab, UT: A friend names a word, object or anything else and it appears in ashes on your arm. I don’t like this. I feel like it would be very difficult to find the right spot to perform in and it would be very tough to perform once you are ready. I think that there may be a way to pull this off in real life but I feel like it is way too niche to bother with.
The Fading Coin: This is an effect by Tomoyuki Takasha. A coin is named and it appears in the magicians clenched fist.
Everything Fades: An object is named and it appears in the magicians clenched fist. The freedom that this lends to the audience may harm the effect to some degree. I feel like the Fading coin is much cleaner in method and that the clean up you have to do for Everything fades muddies it up a lot.
Don’t Try This at Home: This is another piece that is just there to inspire. The spectator witnesses a letter being mailed and then makes some random decisions. On receiving the mailed letter a few days later it shows that the magician divined what was going to happen. There’s something missing here, I feel like the effect is incomplete but I am intrigued with the idea.
Ode to Charlie: The magician makes a coin vanish and later, when the spectator is out of sight the coin reappears. I really like the idea here. The problem is that you lose control of the appearance.
(Top ▲)
I have to be honest here. I know Jeff Stone, the author of this book, and he is one of the heavy hitters here on MyLovelyAssistant.com.
This is mostly a ‘theory’ book. There are a lot of armchair theorists out there who just sit around and tell us how they’re right, without being full time real world professional performers. Jeff has stated publicly he is not a full time professional, and usually this makes me weary of someone who writes a theory book.
I found myself strongly disagreeing with some of these thoughts and ideas here. Some of the ideas are clearly untested, and will not do me any good, and that’s GREAT. Jeff has a way about him where he believes what he believes strongly, but he challenges you to ask yourself these questions.
That said, he has absolutely the BEST answer for “How did you do that?” I have ever heard. I read this article a while back in Jeff’s newsletter, and I’ve been using it ever since. He also has a wonderful article about wonder and misdirection called “The Invisible Door” that was a joy to read.
Some of the effects aren’t as polished as they’d normally be by someone who has worked them thousands of times in their restaurant gigs or endless corporate gigs, but for the most part, they pretty much all have a clever idea behind them that could be of use.
For example, I read his “I Need A Hero” routine that uses the PATEO force with spectators on stage with envelopes. He puts all the eliminated spectators to one side, and has them all open their envelopes at the end. I immediately realized that if each person opened their envelope as each of them were eliminated, that would make the process more entertaining, and keep it moving. I also realized the ending would most definitely NOT work for me. But I thought of an alternate ending that I thought would work for me, and tried it out in my stand up show, and it went over extremely well. I know I’ll be using this for a long time.
The only other negative I will say is that some of the explanations were extremely long and confusing on the first read, but I know I will be re reading this book time and time again.
I think everyone will get something of use here. Even when you disagree with Jeff, the book is accomplishing what every good theory book should do, THINK FOR YOURSELF.
For me, I got a new stand up routine, a wonderful response to a spectator's questions, and a lot of my ideas and thoughts challenged. I think a lot of other magicians will get use out of the information here as well!
This is mostly a ‘theory’ book. There are a lot of armchair theorists out there who just sit around and tell us how they’re right, without being full time real world professional performers. Jeff has stated publicly he is not a full time professional, and usually this makes me weary of someone who writes a theory book.
I found myself strongly disagreeing with some of these thoughts and ideas here. Some of the ideas are clearly untested, and will not do me any good, and that’s GREAT. Jeff has a way about him where he believes what he believes strongly, but he challenges you to ask yourself these questions.
That said, he has absolutely the BEST answer for “How did you do that?” I have ever heard. I read this article a while back in Jeff’s newsletter, and I’ve been using it ever since. He also has a wonderful article about wonder and misdirection called “The Invisible Door” that was a joy to read.
Some of the effects aren’t as polished as they’d normally be by someone who has worked them thousands of times in their restaurant gigs or endless corporate gigs, but for the most part, they pretty much all have a clever idea behind them that could be of use.
For example, I read his “I Need A Hero” routine that uses the PATEO force with spectators on stage with envelopes. He puts all the eliminated spectators to one side, and has them all open their envelopes at the end. I immediately realized that if each person opened their envelope as each of them were eliminated, that would make the process more entertaining, and keep it moving. I also realized the ending would most definitely NOT work for me. But I thought of an alternate ending that I thought would work for me, and tried it out in my stand up show, and it went over extremely well. I know I’ll be using this for a long time.
The only other negative I will say is that some of the explanations were extremely long and confusing on the first read, but I know I will be re reading this book time and time again.
I think everyone will get something of use here. Even when you disagree with Jeff, the book is accomplishing what every good theory book should do, THINK FOR YOURSELF.
For me, I got a new stand up routine, a wonderful response to a spectator's questions, and a lot of my ideas and thoughts challenged. I think a lot of other magicians will get use out of the information here as well!