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Apology to Sylvain Mirouf re. February issue

Posted: January 30th, 2012, 6:01 am
by Tom Stone
In the February issue of Genii, I published "Scouting Party" - an idea to make Larry Jennings' "The Searchers" plot more visual. I was quite proud over one of the key moments, where two reversed cards moves closer together when doing a spread turnover.

Today I was shown the following clip with Sylvain Mirouf:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0dhS81r ... re=related

As is evident from that clip, it is obvious that I missed to do my homework properly.

I withdraw all claims to this piece, and apologize to Sylvain Mirouf for inadvertently duplicating his idea.

I will ask Richard to print a correction in Genii as well.

If anyone known Mr. Mirouf, please alert him to this thread.

-Tom Stone

Re: Apology to Sylvain Mirouf re. February issue

Posted: January 30th, 2012, 11:02 am
by Richard Kaufman
Those TV hosts are real jerks! They won't shut up and stop fooling around.

The real problem with this version of the trick is that the "searching cards" are face down during portions of the trick where the deck is spread, thus they are "searching cards" by inference only because they are face down. It's like all those versions of Vernon's "Twisting the Aces" where the packet is always face up and the Ace that has ostensibly turned over is the only face-down card. Unconvincing.

Correction to be made in the next issue of Genii.

Re: Apology to Sylvain Mirouf re. February issue

Posted: January 30th, 2012, 11:06 am
by Tom Stone
I have talked with Mr. Mirouf and he has graciously accepted my apology, and he does not doubt that my duplication of his piece was independent and unintentional.

He provide the following information.
The title of his unpublished piece is "Les facteurs".
It was shown, live, for the first time in the TV show "Studio Gabriel" on channel TV5 Monde in 1996 (which could be viewed in close to 100 countries).

Re: Apology to Sylvain Mirouf re. February issue

Posted: January 30th, 2012, 3:46 pm
by Donal Chayce
You're a class act, Tom.

Re: Apology to Sylvain Mirouf re. February issue

Posted: January 30th, 2012, 3:59 pm
by Brad Henderson
I believe Aaron fisher offered a version where the two cards are seen to move toward the selection as well. Obviously not the first, but another step along the history of ideas.

Re: Apology to Sylvain Mirouf re. February issue

Posted: January 30th, 2012, 4:35 pm
by Joe Pecore
I believe Aaron Fisher's take on "The Searchers" was called Search & Destroy (featuring The Nowhere Pass) in his book Paper Engine. And, he also later released the trick as a DVD.

Re: Apology to Sylvain Mirouf re. February issue

Posted: January 30th, 2012, 6:34 pm
by Pete McCabe
Aaron's trick is terrificI use it often.

It's a great lesson in thinking like a spectator. In Aaron's version the spectator does the work. At one point, the spectator cuts the cards, and the queens end up closer together. For card magicians this is perfectly ordinarywe all know that if you cut a deck, the top and bottom cards will be together in the center.

Few spectators know this or think in these terms. They treat this first movement of the queens as genuinely magical. And because the cards were in their hands, the impossibility is multiplied.

Re: Apology to Sylvain Mirouf re. February issue

Posted: January 31st, 2012, 4:15 pm
by Bob Farmer
I've got an unpublished idea that is similar to Tom's/Sylvain's but in a weird way. The effect actually works in reverse and it purports to be a demonstration of center dealing.

A royal flush is positioned face down in the middle of the deck but between two face-up jacks. I then deal five hands of poker (very slowly, so that they can "see" the center deal) and show that I've dealt myself the royal flush.

The deck is spread (both face up and face down) and the audience sees what they should see: two jacks now together in the center and the royal flush cards no longer there.

Of course, unlike a real center deal, this requires no practice and is sleight free. I'm calling it EcCentrick.

I agree with Pete, the Fisher trick is great.