Shooting Star Control by Jeff Prace

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Tom Frame
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Shooting Star Control by Jeff Prace

Postby Tom Frame » October 3rd, 2014, 3:26 pm

Shooting Star Control (Download) by Jeff Prace $5.95
Running time: 4.5 minutes
Available at: http://shop.dananddave.com/magic-tricks ... ntrol.html


Jeff Prace is back with this cool card control that was originally published in Magic magazine several years ago. It looks like this:

A participant freely selects a card. The performer holds the face-down deck in his left hand. He retrieves the selection with his right hand. Using his left thumb, he levers up the top half of the deck, creating a large gap.

He positions the selection behind the deck, hurls it into the gap and allows the gap to close. The selection is seen injogged in the middle of the deck. The performer pushes the selection flush and squares the deck. The selection is now on top of the deck.

Click on the link above to view a demonstration of the control.

The video was shot in Mr. Prace’s preferred venue, the stairwell of a college dormitory. The quality of the audio and video is very good.

Mr. Prace does a fine job of teaching the method, despite the brevity of the video. But don’t feel short-changed. Given his method, the video didn’t need to be much longer. You’ll learn everything you need to know in under five minutes.

His method is a bit angle sensitive and requires a certain knack. It will take considerable practice to execute it deceptively. But this visually arresting control is worth whatever amount of practice it takes to master it. It just looks so disarmingly casual!

I must mention one aspect of this control that Mr. Prace doesn’t address. While the action of losing the card by hurling it into the deck doesn’t look odd, the visual, kinetic nature of the action may make it memorable to the crowd. And we don’t want seemingly unimportant actions to be memorable.

The simple solution to this potential problem is to desensitize the crowd to the action by performing it often. In previous and subsequent effects, whenever you legitimately lose a card, do so by hurling it into the deck. It’s all about consistency of action, like making a double turnover look identical to a legitimate turnover.

The Shooting Star Control is a tasty piece of eye candy. I dig it. Unless you’re nauseated by the mere mention of hurling, I think you’ll dig it too.


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mrgoat
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Re: Shooting Star Control by Jeff Prace

Postby mrgoat » October 3rd, 2014, 6:27 pm

4.5 minutes?

Jeff.Prace
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Re: Shooting Star Control by Jeff Prace

Postby Jeff.Prace » October 5th, 2014, 1:47 pm

Wow, thank you for the great review, Tom!

Here's an idea that I did not mention in the download:

A spectator selects a card, and it's lost in the pack. The Ace of Spades is introduced, and you point out it resembles an arrow. You toss the Ace into the middle of the pack, hopefully stabbing in next to the selection. You "fail," and then reveal the Ace of Spades has transformed into the selection!

This is a common plot in card magic, but the use of the Shooting Star Control changes the moment of the switch, and it's done before ANY heat is on the Ace of Spades. It's fun!

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Shooting Star Control by Jeff Prace

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 5th, 2014, 3:53 pm

I'd pay $6 for a really great sleight if it was something I might use.
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Re: Shooting Star Control by Jeff Prace

Postby Jeff.Prace » October 6th, 2014, 4:23 pm

Tom mentioned another important aspect: performing this action previously. In casual performances, I frequently toss the card in the pack, conditioning the audience for the later control. Joseph Ovette has a peek that requires a similar first action, and I frequently use his move to acquire a key card for certain routines. It's amazingly casual. A fun search...


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