Preachin' with the Three-Ball Trick

[Kent Gunn]

I've been doing a version of the three ball trick as long as I've been doing magic.

I ran around Magic-Con doing this for anyone foolish enough to stand still for two minutes. Sources of inspiration are discussed in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jq0sIIb3q4

The patter is rated PG.

KG

[erdnasephile]

"Read some books...maybe one day, you'll quit buyin' videos"

Brilliant! (as is your routine) :)

[Jonathan Townsend]

What you got against Chroma Spheres? :)

A fine video and an interesting frame for the three ball trick.

Thanks - I don't suppose you have an explanation video coming out soon to take preorders...

[Jim Martin]

Very nice routine, Kent, and nicely performed.

'Got books?'

[mrgoat]

Oh I really don't like you at all.

:)

Lovely stuff as ever Mr Gunn.

[Eoin O'hare]

Kent, if you're going to make a video with a subplot about reading more, the video should really be subtitled.

[Tom Frame]

Good stuff, Kent!

[Kent Gunn]

The irony of decrying videos within a video is a bit silly. So generally, is magic. There is, for me, a serious subtext here . . . .

I really believe magic can be taught well by multiple forms of instruction. I rarely see good mixes of text and video. Mike Close has done some really good work along these lines.

My learning path is set in stone. I started before there were easily accessable moving pictures of magicians. I can remember how incredibly special is was to catch, say, Derek Dingle on a talk show and see real magic. I'd work whatever I saw backwards, when I could, and try to replicate it.

I've put this on here before. It's what I thought I saw Dingle do. (I was wrong btw!) I know the tells that exist in this video. I really have cleaned them up. Relax!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-EiHtd8UxY

Seeing an effect performed often raises it's cache in our eyes. I really liked a Joshua Jay product I got some time ago, that only had performance video. The explanations were in the text but there was that video to entice you to work the stuff up. How did that kid get to be so damned smart and good??

By the time VHS tapes of every guy with a thumbtip came along I had learned too often from the printed word. I don't know all that much. I do I learn magic best from sitting and reading. I love it when someone like Denis Behr works performances up of a text, as he's done for much of the Earick pieces in "By Forces Unseen" Denis probably did as much as any person other than Minch or Earick in popularizing that GREAT book.

I don't mean to ignore personal instruction. I was lucky enough to be continuously insulted and demeaned by a real pro. Hank Miller helped me get better by yelling "Pass", or "Tell" across a crowded room at magic meetings. No form of instruction beats a knowledgable mentor, nothing. Hank would never claim me as a student. He'd be embarassed to be associated with me!

Somebody is going adapt a combination of flash, html and knowledge into a great mechanism for teaching people how to do magic really effectively. I've seen math classes, the stuff I teach people about photolithography and computer programming instruction all done very well.

I keep meaning to send off for the Giobbi stuff on video. I'm only half-way through volume 5. I'd love to see the work from those books performed.

Whoa . . . rant . . . I swear I didn't see it coming. Getting back on track.

I've learned more from taping my own attempts, reviewing and hopefully correcting flaws than any other corrective mechanism. It's these intermediate corrections I like to share. I appreciate the positive, jocular and negative feedback. Heck, I'm having such a good day, I even appreciate the occasional joust with my old pal Glenn Bishop.

To those of you who make your living doing magic, I bow deeply. I cannot imagine how many more levels you must slog through to get a piece good enough to feed yourselves. Paying the rent with this stuff has got to be tough.

Here's to irony. (Isn't that the taste you get from a rusty spoon?)

Here, above all else is to teachers like Hank Miller, oh and a shout out to his uncle Jack.

KG

[Jonathan Townsend]

Yes, yes, and thanks to your uncles Bob too while you're at it - and their tutorial DVDs.

Now back to asking why folks seem too busy to read and way too busy to learn.

[mrgoat]

Has anyone ever done an audio book of a magic book? I would like to try learning from that, having gotten into audible of late.

If you could have deck in hands (I said dEck) whilst listening to instruction may be easier than going from page to pack...

[erdnasephile]

Has anyone ever done an audio book of a magic book? I would like to try learning from that, having gotten into audible of late.

If you could have deck in hands (I said dEck) whilst listening to instruction may be easier than going from page to pack...

Eugene Burger made this suggestion as well in some of his published works.

[Ian Kendall]

Kent - some of us are using video and ebooks to teach. I think the combination has merit.

Damian - Acrobat 9 has a function to read the PDF to you. In fact, I'm listening to my Pass book at the moment. It's a strange accent, but I was impressed that he managed to pronounce my name correctly. Give it a shot if you want a laugh.

Ian

[Jonathan Townsend]

Stephen Hawking on sleight of hand?

[mrgoat]

Heh I didn't mean a computer voice. I meant a voice actor recording a book properly.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Try a chapter of Corinda's 13 steps to demonstrate proof of concept.

[erdnasephile]

I'm not sure what the advantage would be to have a professional voice actor read an instructional text--ideally, the magician would read and record the instructions themselves.

In that way, the magician would use two modalities to learn (reading, listening) rather than just listening. The reading before listening would also very likely enhance comprehension while practicing with the tape, instead of trying to listen to the instructions "cold".

Personally, I like reading the text of a routine, then watching the DVD (if available) for the reasons stated above. I often find that they fill the "gaps" in each other in terms of understanding the routine.

As Kent says: Mike Close's Harry Potteresque ebooks are a terrific hybrid method of teaching complex routines.

[Ian Kendall]

After I posted above, and while repairing a broken loo cistern, I thought about recording the Work books as MP3s. On more thought, however, that is what the video clips are for.

You can read the text, and get the nuances that we are able to put in there, and then you get to watch the video of the section, where hopefully all the pertinent bits are included.

I do feel that it would be important for the writer themselves to record the audio version - there is too much chance for someone not familiar with the subject to miss a point, or mess up the inflection which could alter the meaning.

Food for thought, anyway.

Take care, Ian

[Kent Gunn]

Ian,

Who is this Lou Sistern guy;some close-up worker you dragged in from the rain?

I've seen instructional materials with text, video and animation all in the same presentational sequence. I haven't seen any self-driven stuff I really like, but I think the instructional development wonks are turning out some good stuff. I think more lecturing magicians should use powerpoint or html to present the high points. I've only seen a few guys ever use a computer to present at conventions or lectures.

They were: Chad Long, Chris Kenner, Mike Close and Bill Palmer.

I'd like to see magic instruction move forward and have a stronger, more effective impact. We've enough DVDs showing the latest twist on the Elmsley count. I'd like to see someone dovetail text and video, theory and sleight all with some humor and good card trick.

KG

[erdnasephile]

Kent,

I concur with you, but I would point out that PowerPoint is merely a tool which can be used for good or evil.

For example, a lot of folks in the business and educational fields are sick of PowerPoint presentations because they are so ubiquitous and often so poorly done. (People that essentially read their slides to the audience drive me crazy! Those that can't resist the allure of loud sound effects are a close second :grin:)

[Jonathan Townsend]

Folks might enjoy Charlie Stross on that topic.

Now as to preaching or teaching ... how about we get the basics, a foundation shored up and build from there?

Here we have markers for the corners of a mystic rectangle. You can only see three of them at a time, but really there are four. If I put one away you can see the fourth one, even if it looks like a third one. It's confusing for those who have not studied occult geometry and string theory. Yes, you can see the markers are made of string all knit and knotted up. ...

[erdnasephile]

Seth Godin has an interesting post about how to avoid "really bad PowerPoint", which actually offers some useful food for thought in terms of constructing effective magic presentations. For example, he starts with: "Communication is the transfer of emotion..."
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog ... _powe.html

[Kent Gunn]

Jon,

You actually lost me, for not the first time.

et. al.

I do believe with Mssr. Giobbi's work that we have a widely distributed text with a great deal of modern card work covered very, very well. For me, I need would need little else to start these days. When people ask, "how do I start in card magic?" I send them to a magic store to buy volume 1 of Giobbi. If they're especially bright or motivated I give them a copy of "Close-up Card Magic". I simply love that book.

I think the fundamentals should be accessible but, with no struggle, there is no reason for the journey. If everything you know about card magic was easily conveyed and easily learned would you still be as ardent a student? Rising to the level of being just a good magician is a very difficult endeavor. I am deadly certain Powerpoints could only make things worse in that struggle.

I learned card magic, underwater from Lewis Ganson, Harry Lorayne and Darwin Ortiz. I had their books and carried them to sea. I spent countless hours poring over their words and RK's drawings, in some cases. I should be better with all the hours I spent. The time with those books made my sentence as a submariner pass far more quickly. The tricks I learned and showed my shipmates may have lightened their load as well.

Whatever your path in magic, I pray it wasn't too easy. I hope you struggled with the DPS or a side steal. I wish upon you a history of overcoming your own obstacles. I still fight my limitations, they are legion. I get a little better every year.

If this were all that easy, how many of us would be here?

KG

[Jonathan Townsend]

Kent, there's little to struggle with that script segment posted - just speak earnestly, and avoid telling folks things they can see for themselves, like what color the crochet work is on the balls. The references to string theory and Lovecraft's eldritch geometry are there for those who know of such things. The implications for those who know are sufficiently disturbing - while as palaver (or patter to those who listen but do not hear) suffices to permit them to follow the action. The layers of intrigue - about the colors etc are there for those who think about what they see. Let them see all the way to the abyss and the knitters in there who sometimes toss out yarn balls IMHO. ;)

Trippingly off the tongue, no sawing the air and Bob's your uncle (scratch),

Jon

[Kent Gunn]

Jon,

I consider you a friend, a good friend, so don't take this the wrong way.

I think stressing the colors of the balls as they go to the pocket is important. It emphasizes the intended effect.

I'll probably stick to my pawnbroker reference and use of the word transvestite as pause points. I like to think the palaver I dream up is pretty wacky. I don't have the power to shift to Lovecraft or string theory. You win all contests involving obscure references and non-standard sentence structure.

"When the going gets weird the weird turn pro." (H.S. Thompson)

KG

[Jonathan Townsend]

Kent,

The script segment was just an example of how to get folks looking while not stating the obvious. To each their own in terms of script work.

I promise you folks can see what colors the balls are. Telling people things they can see can easily come across as an audition for a role on Sesame Street - or leave them wondering if you are doing a simulcast on some XM channel for another audience at home somewhere.

Admittedly I'm making a presupposition about the audience being awake. Here's a way to test it. Ask them "If they were all back in my hand - how many would there be?" and listen. If they tend to say three...

[David Alexander]

Has anyone ever done an audio book of a magic book? I would like to try learning from that, having gotten into audible of late.

If you could have deck in hands (I said dEck) whilst listening to instruction may be easier than going from page to pack...

In a way, yes. When I was a teenager I taught myself the Slydini T&R Newspaper by recording the instructions on an old reel to reel tape machine and then following along as I watched myself in a mirror. After I'd torn up around 200 newspapers I had the handling down.

[Dustin Stinett]

Has anyone ever done an audio book of a magic book? I would like to try learning from that, having gotten into audible of late.

If you could have deck in hands (I said dEck) whilst listening to instruction may be easier than going from page to pack...

It's not a new concept, that's for certain. I have a few spoken-word records in my collection that teach magic.

Dustin

[mrgoat]

I wasn't suggesting it was a revolutionary idea. Just one I would like to try learning from.