Learn the Cascade Control

Addresses new and interesting links to other sites (not listed on the Genii website) that merit attention.
Ian Kendall
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Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Ian Kendall » June 4th, 2004, 3:16 am

Hello everyone,

After obtaining permission from Paul Chosse I am pleased to be able to offer a new video lesson on the Miller Cascade Control.

Available as a VideoCD or instant download, this is a 23 minute tutorial that teaches, step by step, how to learn this elusive sleight.

Full information and a video trailer can be found at www.virtualmagicshow.com/cascade Any questions can be mailed to me at m@gician.info

Take care, Ian

Ian Kendall
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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Ian Kendall » June 4th, 2004, 10:39 am

Eye thangoo! Link fixed...

Take care, Ian

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Glenn Farrington
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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Glenn Farrington » June 4th, 2004, 12:48 pm

BJ Bueno is a master of this control. I look forward to downloading it.
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Bob Farmer
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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Bob Farmer » June 6th, 2004, 1:38 pm

Ian, to be honest, this control does not look deceptive. I can clearly see the single card moving to the top and the wide swing of the hands does nothing to hide this and simply looks weird.

What's all the fuss about?

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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Jonathan Townsend » June 6th, 2004, 2:10 pm

Originally posted by Bob Farmer:
... and simply looks weird...
We've just about gotten used to 'Talk to the hand' and now... we have what appears to be 'Talk to the foot' going on here.

I like that Paul Chosse and a few of the next generation are taking the trouble to get the work on some classic moves out into available format.
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Michael Edwards
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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Michael Edwards » June 6th, 2004, 6:16 pm

I'm with Bob on this one. The movement of the selected card is more than obvious...and the angle of the cards and the movement of the hands (and/or foot) do nothing to diminish this. :(

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Richard Kaufman » June 6th, 2004, 8:57 pm

I have seen this sleight done well by a few people, including Michael Weber and Larry Jennings. It is extremely difficult to do well, and details were definitely lacking when it was published in Genii many years ago.
I have a good description of the Jennings variation going into the third Jennings book.
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Ian Kendall
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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Ian Kendall » June 7th, 2004, 12:15 am

Fair points from all...

I noticed the flash of the cards after the taping - it's because I was sitting down, and did not get the deck square to the camera (and that's a reason, not an excuse). Mea culpa for not tidying that up, but I was short of time by that point.

The foot is there because that's often how I sit in a chair. I'm 6'4" with three foot legs, so in most chairs if I were to sit with my feet on the floor, my knees block most of my body. For another graphic demonstration of this principle watch Michael Weber in Celebration of Sides...

I explain the history of the move in detail at the start of the lesson - Paul provided me with a lot of detail.

I'll get a better clip online, although I imagine few will be interested :)

Thanks again, and take care,

Ian

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Matthew Field
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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Matthew Field » June 7th, 2004, 9:58 am

I saw Ian's clip of the Cascade Control with the monster flash and figured, what the hell, here's another kid with a digital camcorder and a DVD burner who just learned a move and wants to show off.

I don't really like that, because of my belief that teachers of anything should be experts, not just folks who have just learned something themselves.

What made this different was the fact that Ian said he had only released the video "after obtaining permission from Paul Chosse."

Now, Paul is someone I respect, and it's his version of the Charlie Miller move which Jon Racherbaumer wrote up in "Card Finesse II" in 1992. So -- did Paul Chosse's permission mean that Ian had learned the move from Paul and was given the permission by Paul to teach it because he had mastered it to a high standard? Or did it mean that Paul had said, "I don't care. It's in print. Go ahead and make a video if you want."

So I talked to Paul Chosse this morning, and it's the latter. In fact, Paul hasn't even seen Ian do the move.

I applaud Ian for contacting Paul for his permission, even though he didn't have to (since the move is in print) and I'm not accusing him of anything.

But I'll reiterate my belief that, when making a video (or writing a book, lecture notes or anything, for that matter) which is teaching something to someone, that you know what you're talking about. That means not simply being able to perform a move but to have examined all its components, the areas in which a student might get hung up, possible pitfalls. These are usually things which are discovered only through years of study, performance, and living with a move.

I haven't seen Ian's video. I'd like to, because the Cascade Control is a difficult move to master.

I am put off buy a guy sitting in his chair in bare feet that I, the audience, has to look at. I don't care if that's the way Ian normally sits. In show business, which is what making a video is, you put what the audience sees first, not your comfort. Second, I am dismayed by Ian's statement that he included the flash because he didn't notice it and he was "short of time by that point." The video Ian is offering is not free; one has to wonder -- what else didn't he have time to "tidy up," as he puts it, in his teaching video?

The demonstration on his site is so poor that I got an indignant e-mail from a good magic friend of mine, a well-known magician who knows what he is talking about. He was actually incensed at the demonstration.

Moral: Don't teach on video that for which you have not attained the level of master teacher.

Let me reiterate -- I have not viewed Ian's video and I am writing only about his demo movie and the accidentally implied Paul Chosse imprimatur.

Matt Field

Bill Mullins
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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Bill Mullins » June 7th, 2004, 10:49 am

The post above is why I trust Matthew when he says something is good -- because he is willing, as well, to say when something isn't good.

There can't be any joy in writing a post like this one. I've never met Matthew, never spoken to him on the phone, just read his internet and print writings and swapped a few emails. But he has always been cordial and fair minded, usually with a sense of humor. All of this leads me to believe he likes people, and desires to generally treat them well. And many folks won't take criticism, no matter how constructive, well.

Writing a post like this is like asking for a nastygram from the subject. Even if Ian is above doing that (and I have no reason to doubt that he is), committing to write a review column means either that you do it with no integrity, or someone will get mad at you. And no one likes having someone mad at them.

If one of the reviewers from before RK took over Genii had written the above, I'd be stunned. That Matthew has done so isn't surprising -- not because I expect that he looks for videos to criticize, but because I know he regards magic and magicians highly, and works to make it better, even at the cost of having to dis a fellow magician publicly.

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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Ian Kendall » June 7th, 2004, 12:30 pm

I'm not angry at anyone, least of all Matt. Everything he said was accurate from an outsider's point of view. I'm more angry at myself for rushing the thing out - with the benefit of hindsight I should have been more professional and waited to do the thing again. The blame lies entirely with me and I accept that. I also believe that people who complain about bad reviews should be slapped...

Before I read these last comments I was editing a new trailer that shows the move in a much better light. It's up now, in the same place; the files are the same but the content has changed. I'm not sure if anyone will bother to check, but it's there anyway.

To answer some of Matt's points; I'm 36 years old and I have over 20 years of teaching experience. I've been doing 'serious' sleight of hand for around 19 years, and although parenthood and the required day job has curtailed my performing of late, I did spend ten years as a jobbing magician.

I was barefoot because it was about 85 degrees in my attic office that day, which is about thiry degrees warmer than Scotland is used to, and I was extrememly warm.

I'm not sure if anyone followed the link to the thread on the other forum discussing my coin CD and teaching style; I'm assuming not. The video is 23 minutes long, and I went into a lot of detail on each of the steps (neccessary, because this is a move with which you need to be happy with one part before you move onto another. Had I said 'you do this and this happens' the lesson would have been useless).

As for contacting Paul for permission; I believe that this is _absolutely_ neccessary, even if the move was in print. At the same time I asked a couple of other magicians for permission to teach my handling of their moves before recording them. Both very graciously agreed, and to them I am indebted. The thought that I can go ahead and explain something just because it's in print is wrong.

I do not offer my CDs to the mainstream reviewers. I let the word of mouth take up, and the resultant tiny sales keep me happy and in toy money. The vast majority of tutorials on my site are free, and they will always be. I charged for the Cascade Control video because a)it's not my move, when all is said and done, and b)to give it away would sell the move short. I'll send the download link to Matt to assuage his curiosity, but only on the understanding that it is not being submitted for review.

Which leads onto another point; the new trailer shows a method which is not detailed per se in the lesson (the mechanics are there, but in a different explaination). Which means reediting and compiling of the VCD. Due to travel, that's not going to happen for a couple of weeks. Existing customers will be sent an update.

As Matt will find out, the method in the lesson is not the exact one from CF II. The short version is that my copy of the book was eaten by Paul Wilson's dog in 1993, and what I do now is my own reconstruction of the move from memory, and having seen it done once in 1994. I've had another clip of the move on my site for about a year now, but to be honest I'm not that happy with that one either (it will be coming down soon).

I am sad that I have caused indignant email from third parties (it's sadder that they did not choose to mail me about it). It's sad that Matt had to get that mail. I would like to reiterate that I feel no malice towards him for saying his mind - would that more were like that.

Anyway, this has taken up way too much time already. I thank you for reading, and perhaps invite you to have a second look.

Take care, Ian

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Matthew Field
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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Matthew Field » June 7th, 2004, 12:39 pm

Ian --
A first-rate reply.
As I said, I haven't seen your video but would love to (MField2000@aol.com is my address) and, per your wishes, I will not review it.
I think you've answered everything.
As I said originally, I applaud your having contacted Paul Chosse for permission (if only others would do that sort of thing) and for having taken on learning the difficult move in the first place.
I also applaud your attitude, and for having made a forthright reply.

Matt Field

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Matthew Field
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Re: Learn the Cascade Control

Postby Matthew Field » June 7th, 2004, 12:43 pm

By the way, regarding the new video on Ian's website -- much better! (And no feet!)

Matt Field


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