Lennart Green Laser

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Ethan
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Lennart Green Laser

Postby Ethan » October 20th, 2008, 4:03 pm

Does anyone have any experience making the laser for Lennart Green's laser deal?

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Tom Frame
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Tom Frame » October 20th, 2008, 6:06 pm

Ethan,

You don't have to make a laser pointer. They are readily available at numerous stores. Here is example:

http://www.lasersale.com/catalog/displa ... asp?cat=86

Finding the laser is easy. Masterfully performing Mr. Green's lovely effect is another matter entirely.

Good luck.

Ethan
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Ethan » October 20th, 2008, 7:14 pm

That's very true, it is difficult to perform. However, what Lennart uses is not a laser. Its simply a red LED in a lipstick (or something similar) tube.

Leo Jr
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Leo Jr » October 20th, 2008, 7:18 pm

I think he takes a regular pen light and paints the lens with red finger nail polish.

JHostler
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby JHostler » October 20th, 2008, 10:31 pm

At the risk of sounding trollish (or at very least antagonistic), why would anyone but the brilliant Dr. Green want to perform - or attempt - Laser or Snap? These are just as pretty in his hands as the pass in Duffie's, but 99% of us aren't coming close. [And by that I mean Lennart simply *owns* this magic... it fits his hands, style, and demeanor like a $1,000 suit.]

Advance apologies to Ethan if that's not his intent...
Last edited by JHostler on October 20th, 2008, 11:03 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: Forgot about Lennart's suit...
"The gnomes' ambition is handicapped by laziness." Adapted from Charles Bukowski, and clearly evident at http://www.gnominal.com

Ethan
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Ethan » October 20th, 2008, 10:45 pm

Oh, no offense taken, however I'd like to point out that Lennart wouldn't have revealed his technique to us if he didn't intend for us to use it! Better to keep his brilliance than let it die out with him. Also, I had the marvelous opportunity to work on my snap deal with him this weekend at a lecture. Anyone there can tell you how entertaining it was to watch Simon Lovell being completely fried over and over by Lennart's ingenious FISM act.

Jonathan Townsend
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Jonathan Townsend » October 20th, 2008, 11:00 pm

John Hostler wrote:... why would anyone but the brilliant Dr. Green want to perform - or attempt - Laser or Snap? ...


Ordinarily one lets a work go out into the community to serve others as they see fit when one publishes.

Chris Aguilar
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Chris Aguilar » October 20th, 2008, 11:15 pm

John Hostler wrote:At the risk of sounding trollish (or at very least antagonistic), why would anyone but the brilliant Dr. Green want to perform - or attempt - Laser or Snap? These are just as pretty in his hands as the pass in Duffie's, but 99% of us aren't coming close. [And by that I mean Lennart simply *owns* this magic... it fits his hands, style, and demeanor like a $1,000 suit.]

You're right.

<snark> No one could ever "come close" to learning/performing this effectively</snark>

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 20th, 2008, 11:41 pm

Lennart's deal is like most other effects: there will certainly be others who can do them very well with their own spin on the presentation.
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JHostler
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby JHostler » October 21st, 2008, 6:40 am

Richard Kaufman wrote:Lennart's deal is like most other effects: there will certainly be others who can do them very well with their own spin on the presentation.


Absolutely. Some. But this is such a peculiar routine... why not also load a block of ice under a hat? I can see learning the key move... if you have a use for it, it's a great utility. But the pen light bit?

Long and short: In the time it takes to effectively replicate Mr. Green, someone could develop their own signature routine.

The ubiquity of streaming video, while certainly beneficial, tends to draw more bees to other bees' honey than... what were those called... "books." Not an altogether positive development. I'm probably in the minority on this one. Just call me "old school." :eek:
"The gnomes' ambition is handicapped by laziness." Adapted from Charles Bukowski, and clearly evident at http://www.gnominal.com

Gabriel
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Gabriel » July 15th, 2010, 3:52 am

Tom Frame wrote:Ethan,

You don't have to make a laser pointer. They are readily available at numerous stores. Here is example:

http://www.lasersale.com/catalog/displa ... asp?cat=86

Finding the laser is easy. Masterfully performing Mr. Green's lovely effect is another matter entirely.

Good luck.



that's right, if you want to buy a cheap green laser pointer, available at numerous store, for example: http://www.gadgettown.com/Green-Laser-Pointers--2615, i bought one three months ago and hight powerful. :cool:

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erdnasephile
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby erdnasephile » July 15th, 2010, 10:21 am

John Hostler wrote:
Richard Kaufman wrote:Lennart's deal is like most other effects: there will certainly be others who can do them very well with their own spin on the presentation.


Absolutely. Some. But this is such a peculiar routine... why not also load a block of ice under a hat? I can see learning the key move... if you have a use for it, it's a great utility. But the pen light bit?

Long and short: In the time it takes to effectively replicate Mr. Green, someone could develop their own signature routine.

The ubiquity of streaming video, while certainly beneficial, tends to draw more bees to other bees' honey than... what were those called... "books." Not an altogether positive development. I'm probably in the minority on this one. Just call me "old school." :eek:


I can appreciate both sides of this issue -- on one hand, some published effects fit one's own personality/style that you just know they are going to work well for you--perhaps this is the case with the OP and Mr. Green's effect.

On the other hand, I do believe there are routines that are so closely associated with a particular creator that there is no really no point in anyone else doing them.

A perfect example is Harry Anderson's Needle Through Arm. Harry says: "I have done the needle to death. Not only should no one else be doing this trick, but I shouldn't be doing it. It's finished. Let's give it a rest." (Wise Guy, pg 129)

I don't think Mr. Green's routine falls into this category quite yet.

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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Jonathan Townsend » July 15th, 2010, 10:35 am

? I thought the entire point was to let loose his method of dealing down cards which don't have to be the ones you let then turn over later. This generation's students who've explored classics including the six card repeat, cards across, cards to pocket, open travlers or ace assembly are expected to have considered this sleight in context and applied it to their work as they feel fit. That's old news - and now just homework for students as they come to find the sleight in their studies.

Discussing his "laser" routine: It speaks to him and for him. It's his. Why do folks even consider using anyone else's routines? What are the odds that it will work for you in the same way as it works for him, to communicate who you are to audiences?

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 15th, 2010, 11:30 am

I see no reason why someone who has mastered the sleight and has the proper presentation couldn't perform this effectively.
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Bill Mullins
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Bill Mullins » July 15th, 2010, 12:58 pm

Gabriel wrote: if you want to buy a cheap green laser pointer, available at numerous store, for example: http://www.gadgettown.com/Green-Laser-Pointers--2615, i bought one three months ago and hight powerful. :cool:


Shining a normal penlight or a low-powered LED light into your eyes generally isn't particularly dangerous (although I wouldn't shine some of the new Xenon bulb or super-bright LED lights into my eyes).

Shining _any_ laser directly into your eyes is a foolish and dangerous thing to do. Don't do it. Even a 1 milliwatt laser has the potential to do permanent damage to your retina. Some of the lasers linked above have tens, even a hundred milliwatts of optical power and can burst blood vessels in your eye.

I'm a research engineer for the Army in a laser leab. We have signs all over that say, "With your remaining good eye, do not look into the laser beam".

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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Bill Mullins » July 15th, 2010, 6:25 pm

I was discreetly notified by PM that I made a typo in my post above. When you see the phrase "laser leab", read it as "laser lab". Thanks, Jonathan Townsend.

That is all.

Benny Lau
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Benny Lau » July 21st, 2010, 4:11 am

Bill Mullins wrote:I'm a research engineer for the Army in a laser leab. We have signs all over that say, "With your remaining good eye, do not look into the laser beam".


Hi Mr Mullins,

I'm just curious, did you have any part to play in this project?

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-te ... 10iv8.html

Bill Mullins
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Bill Mullins » July 21st, 2010, 12:59 pm

Benny Lau wrote:I'm just curious, did you have any part to play in this project?

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-te ... 10iv8.html


No.

Ian Kendall
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Ian Kendall » July 21st, 2010, 1:47 pm


Bill Mullins
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Bill Mullins » July 21st, 2010, 2:13 pm

Ian Kendall wrote: How about this?

No. I work for the army. Nathan Myrhvold came up with this on his own. (I did see him give a really intersting talk about dinosaurs using their tails for bullwhips -- the sonic boom "crack" noise would presumably be used to attract mates. This was at the 4th Gathering for Gardner -- see HERE )

I have seen concept studies in which really big lasers (multi-megawatt) would be used to sweep the sky clear of clouds of locusts and other invasive insects. The cost, technology, and safety issues won't allow that to happen for a long time.

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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Ian Kendall » July 21st, 2010, 2:30 pm

I was being facetious (for a change).

I heard speak that this could clear 50-100 mosquitoes in a second. That would be interesting to see.

Ian

Edit: the sauropod whip tail tale is fascinating.

Pete McCabe
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Pete McCabe » November 1st, 2010, 5:32 pm

Long and short: In the time it takes to effectively replicate Mr. Green, someone could develop their own signature routine.

Indeed, developing your own routine is a great goal.

For some/many/most people, though, the long-term process of developing a routine will begin with replicating a routine they like. Then they might develop a new slant on the presentation. Eventually they might develop a new routine, using the sleights learned in replicating Lennart's routine.

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Steve Bryant
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Steve Bryant » November 2nd, 2010, 8:48 am

Do a Youtube search on Dani DaOrtiz. Dani does incredible magic in his own style, but is also hilarious at doing impersonations of Lennart Green (occasionally with Lennart sitting beside him). Really funny stuff.

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mrgoat
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby mrgoat » November 2nd, 2010, 9:35 am

quote Ian Kendall: I was being facetious

Stop stealing my act, man.

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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Jonathan Townsend » November 2nd, 2010, 9:50 am

Wrote: I see no reason why someone who has mastered the sleight and has the proper presentation couldn't perform this effectively.

I can see the dealdown used as a way to vanish the cards for a cards to pocket routine or a cards across. Also- if the venue permits a way to deal down to a selected card at a selected number where afterwords one finds the rest are gone ;)

Now as to why one would want to do an impression of a living conjurer in regular performance for lay audiences... ??
Last edited by Jonathan Townsend on November 2nd, 2010, 9:51 am, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: typos spin while gazing at a blue duck.

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mrgoat
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby mrgoat » November 2nd, 2010, 9:58 am

JT: because approx 99.999% of lay audiences will not have heard of, nor seen Mr Green's work.

The fastest way to get good at something you want to do, is copy an expert. Then if that student has teh skill, he can work on making the idea his own.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby erdnasephile » November 2nd, 2010, 10:45 am

Whit Hadyn has an interesting essay touching on this topic called "Against Originality In Magic".

He states: "It is essential that those who want to learn magic start by copying or imitating others. There is nothing wrong with this--provided of course, that the effects and routines being copied have been published by the originators. In fact, I don't believe one can learn to be a good magician except by imitation."

He goes on to say that "these (patter, feel for routining, subtleties of misdirection, etc.) are all learned best by the student taking a great routine and learning to do it the way it was created by a competent working performer". (I'm not doing justice to his insightful essay here--I'd encourage you to read the original in his "Chicago Surprise" manuscript.)

Harry Lorayne has expressed a similar thought in his writings: if he has spent literally decades perfecting a routine, why does it make any sense to immediately try to "improve" it without first learning and performing the routine the way he wrote it? Only after having lived with it in front of real people many times should you even begin to consider making changes. (Again, I am doing a poor job of articulating his point--I encourage you to seek out his original thoughts on this which are around in several of his books).

This all makes good sense to me, and this is precisely how I choose to learn a new routine. As I perform the routine over and over for people, I eventually make changes here and there to suit my personality and skill level, which will, in time, make the routine fit me best--sometimes so much so that it becomes much different than the original routine.

Others, of course, are able to change everything to fit them perfectly right out of the box--more power to them, but I think for the average hobbyist, Mr. Baker's well-known aphorism applies.

Just my humble opinion.

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Re: Lennart Green Laser

Postby Jonathan Townsend » November 2nd, 2010, 5:13 pm

I recall going to a production of "the incredible H. L. Menkin" with a friend back around 1980. After the show the actors discussed some aspects of the show. One of the things they mentioned that was that only a few performances ago they played instruments at one point in the show. My how things change as one evolves a work to suit the actor, the topic, the venue and the audience.

Had we been discussing Shakespeare's works - honed over that lifetime of active refinement in performance I'd be more likely to agree. Or perhaps a Mozart score - self evidently written just as he wished to hear it played with hardly any notes crossed out.

But to those who offer neither the context, story, motivation or character in their works ... I have to be skeptical about whether it serves as more than student exercise to get through the trick as written. It would be like insisting that one pull the small balls from the tip of ones wand then put them back at the end of the cups trick.
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time


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