Three Fly

[Pete McCabe]

Jonathan:

Jump (They Say)

I got your back.

Pete

[Jim Maloney_dup1]

Originally posted by Jonathan Townsend:
Some folks have taken the routine back to it's close up form. I saw one handling in NYC that stays open handed, and does not rely on backclipping.

This is probably a much more approachable handling than mine for most folks, and allows a magician audience to be looking at the hands more closely than my version. If you get into NYC to see the gang, ask if Matt is around.

Yeah, Matt's is pretty good. He showed me his original ideas with it several months ago, and recently showed me his current version. It looks good. But honestly, I'm not terribly thrilled with any of the versions of the fingertip coins across that I've seen. My reasoning? I have yet to see a version that doesn't look like you're "doing something." I certainly haven't seen all versions, so I may be missing out on something, but it doesn't seem possible (for me, at least) to perform this and not look like I'm doing something tricky. So, I've decided not to pursue this effect. I think I like the idea of Three Fly more than the actual reality of it.

-Jim

[Jonathan Townsend]

Originally posted by Jim Maloney:
I think I like the idea of Three Fly more than the actual reality of it.

Jim, that is where I started with the coins across. That same feeling. So I decided to try the trick with the coins in more open display. I am happy with my approach, and have learned much in learning it, and performing it. Where the effect takes you in your imagination is all yours. What do you envision as interesting?

[Matt Sedlak]

I originally worked out the handling that Jonathan Townsend mentioned after talking to David Roth about the Visible Coins Across premise. He stated that one of the things he did not like about the routine was the position of the hands and the fact that the insides were hidden throughout. I mentioned that I really disliked the fact that the hands had to come together at some point in the routine and if you could really make the three coins visibly fly across, the hands would never come together. I then set out to develop a routine in which not only would the hands be seen empty throughout, but also the hands would never come together. Unfortunatly, unless I used an excessive amount of coins the hands would have to come together at some point. The routine I ended up developing is now done with the coins held lower so the palms of the hands can be seen rather then the backs. This makes it perfect for a close up setting but as far as stand up goes it is not useable. So in that case it does not stick to the 3-Fly plot, however, the coins are always held at the fingertips and the hands are very freely shown. In fact, the audience is convinced that you have only three coins that the gesture actions that accompany the hands coming together fly right past them. Also, because of the method, when the hands come together they are palm up and it is only the fingertips that come near each other. As a magician, you will know that the moment of the move is at that point, however, in all the times I have done this for laymen there has always been a sense of utter fairness because it seems impossible for you to be doing anything. This routine also gets rid of the delay between the vanish and the production of the coin. If you want they can happen at the exact same moment which is nice. I choose to make the first coin travel with the delay and the second coin to travel instantaneously. The third coin I feel is the weakest because there is no surprise but the vanish I am using now is very similar to Jonathan's One Handed Vanish, at least in the way it feels. The routine should be put into print sometime in the spring.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Originally posted by Brian Marks:
If you get caught with a gimmick, you lose all credibility.... Your spectators will think all familiar with dollar coins. ... I can hand the coins out for examination than.

The option to use gimmicks offers both a technical resource and a venue for true on-your-feet creativity.

There are a few routines around where coins are fused into c/s coins. Likwise a gaff that seems to break or rattle or something could lead to some good moments depending on how the magii reacts.

Could the spell have worked on only half the coin?

Could the imps have eaten the coin from the inside out?

Could the coin be on its way to disolving comletely?

The magician/comic Carl Ballentine comes to mind here.

And yes of course a bad moment with a gaff that goes mishandled could lead to some embarassment. All the more reason to borrow the props when possible. Makes for a funnier 'out' too.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Dan Watkins:
On page 76 of Gary Kurtz' book "Unexplainable Acts" he details it and shows it in figure 33.

He says, "The technique used to vanish the third coin is Geoffrey Latta's previously unpublished application of Curl Palm to a one-hand vanish.

It is also on Gary's video "Creating Magic" video.

Jeff did you put it in print anywhere yourself? In 1990 Kurtz called it unpublished.

No, I never published it, or the tricks that used it. Why Kurtz published it without asking me, I don't know. I would certainly never publish, or even publicly perform an unpublished technique or effect without explicit permission from its creator. Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens all the time.

Geoff

[Mike Rubinstein]

Hey Geoff,
I was wondering how that got out before you published all of your wonderful applications of curl palm! Hopefully your book will be out soon, and everyone will be able to see all that great stuff you have.