Theory, Articles & Reviews in Magic & Conjuring: page 4

So, you want to be a good magician? Get these performance, routining, and creativity notes, which detail step-by-step instructions to make your magic better. Packed with time saving tips and techniques that you can use to quickly elevate your routines to a professional level. Learn how to use the Triple-Trilogy Structure and the powerful Series of Three Principle to plan your entire show. Then, you'll learn how to fully script your routines (forget about "patter"), organize your props, practice and rehearse (yes, they are different!), and conduct your business professionally.

Plus, you'll...

As the title suggests, this is a pure work about theory, but not old and dusty thoughts, instead a fresh and new look by Daniel Tyler. Certainly you will find topics which are as old as magic, such as 'the merit of gimmicks' and 'misdirection', but you will also find a chapter dealing with 'where to shop', which is up-to-date and includes places on the internet. This chapter alone can save you a multiple of the price of this ebook. Or what about 'getting the girl' or 'how to admire Blaine, but be yourself' - all topics that Daniel discusses. You might be shocked to hear that Daniel is just eighteen...

This ebook addresses in a fairly comprehensive and very thoughtful way, how should one approach a stranger with magic. I have not seen any other work which addresses this issue in such detail and with such practical advice. If you are looking to do some 'street magic', this is an ebook you should not ignore.

1st edition, 2005; 140 pages.

• Why the Public Approach?
• Reversing the Perspective
• Fundamental Human Nature
• People are Bored
• Personal Confidence
• The Freedom of Indifference
• Reframing Limiting Beliefs
• Performance Anxiety
• Practice Makes Perfect
• Testing the Waters
• It's Nothin' Personal ...

Dariel Fitzkee authored one of the best trilogies on magic theory. This volume, book one in the trilogy, primarily deals with theoretical aspects of a magic performance. This book has been cited numerous times and is one of the standard works every serious magician should read. Fitzkee has a very analytical mind and describes his thoughts clearly. As with any theory not everyone will agree with every detail and every suggestion. Regardless of if you fully subscribe to Fitzkee's thinking or not, there is plenty to learn from his writings.

Paul Fleming wrote:

This volume, book three in the trilogy, is all about the psychology in magic. Mechanics alone, a sleight or move, are not sufficient to produce a strong magic effect. Dexterity by itself is more like juggling. Only if misdirection, the psychological aspect of deception, is added into the mix, will one be able to create a truly magic experience.

There aren't many good works on misdirection. This is one of the must read ebooks, a classic in the theory of magic. A shorter but modern discussion of misdirection can be read in Pocket Power by Jarle Leirpoll.

Paul Fleming wrote:

This is book two from Fitzkee's trilogy and is unlike any other book ever written on magic. It was the first book (and to my knowledge the only book) to attack magic methods from a scientific standpoint. Fitzkee develops here a classification of effects, from appearances to vanishes, and then describes a system to invent or develop new trick plots. This is an invention system. I would say it is one way to invent new trick plots. But even if you are not of the scientific sort, the classification and discussion of magic effects and methods is a tremendous resource to expand your horizon and think...

This is an early version of what would eventually become Magic by Misdirection.

A detailed analytical treatment of the principles and methods. Explores the psychological basis and its adaptation to the performance of magic. Many detailed ruses included covering the entire field. How to develop misdirection to fit all situations. What it is and how it works. The first concrete work on a subject that is common to all effects and all performers.

Paul Fleming wrote:

The oldest, most pernicious, and insoluble problem in the history of magic was stated best by Henning Nelms, in his 1969 Magic and Showmanship: A Handbook for Conjurers ...

"No matter how astonishing a trick may be, it suffers from one major fault - it has no point."

This ebook is the long-sought-after answer to that statement.

[Please note that access to appendix 11 and 12 requires registration at the author's website.]

• Acknowledgements
• Foreword by Eric Evans
• Preface
• A Long Time Ago
• A Lot of Simple Tricks and Nonsense
• Best Star Pilot in the Galaxy
• Scum and Villainy
• Hokey Religions and Ancient Weapons
• What Are You Trying To Push on Us
• Tremor in the Force ...

Woes of a Wizard was written by David Devant before he was partner to J. N. Maskelyne in his famous Egyptian Hall in London. Devant became a partner after George Cooke, Maskelyne's former partner had left the enterprise. Devant was a natural choice as he was fast becoming the top magician in England. But at the time of this publication he was, as Paul Daniels says, "a jobbing magician." His base was just outside London, and he traveled the country repeatedly giving shows for society and in the Music Hall. In his famous book, now happily made available once again, he relates the stories that every professional...

This is a very in depth work on The Gozinta Boxes. This is not just a little eBook that teaches a single effect. It is a book on theories, philosophies, and thoughts on the effect; however, the thoughts on the effect itself that David discusses can be applied to all magic. This eBook really lets you in on the mind of David Devlin, how he thinks, how he puts routines together, and his feelings about magic as an art and the performance of magic. So, even if you do not use the illusion that is discussed you will learn ways of creating and improving routines of your own. The effect of the Gozinta...

"Devin Knight is the Guy Jarrett of our time. He exposes many common magic "facts" as myths and explains why they are not true and should not be believed. You can improve yourself and improve your magic if you stop taking to heart those age-old lies that magicians and magic dealers made up just to ease their conscience about taking money from strangers." - Jim Kleefeld

"A fast, informative, high-impact read from the ever-interesting Devin Knight. As magicians and mentalists, we often lose sight of the observations detailed here. Highly recommended!" - D. Ulin

The theme of this e-book is that...

With 1000s of magic routines available, why do many magician's perform the same routines, without any change, modification or effort to make those routines unique?

The Creative Mind is simply Don Bursell's ideas for creating new routines, brainstorming new variations, and keeping track of those ideas.

The 2nd half are tricks that Don has created over the years, and based on advice from Jon Racherbaumer, wrote them down so as not to forget them. One of them, Headmover, has been an odd signature piece of Don's programs for over 20 years. Another routine, The Needles, is Don's solution to the East Indian...

Tips and tricks from a Vaudeville professional including openers, audience appeal, costume, make-up, and a lot more. The ideal is to have a director who pays attention to these areas, but most magicians are performers and directors rolled up into one person. It is therefore important to read and study showmanship and presentation.

From the introduction by Park Shackleton:

Illustrated with nostalgic, rare photographs by Irving Desfor. Not to be read just once, but to keep as a reference ebook in your library.

• Great Writers Discuss Books, by John Braun
• Buy Lines, by Jimmy Findlay
• Quest for Magic Books, by George Jenness
• The Magician and Comedy, by Bob Orben
• The Magical Bookie, by S. R. Patrick
• Calculated Risk, by Dr. Edwin A. Dawes
• Pleasures of Reviewing Books, by Sid Lorraine
• Are Magic Books Worthwhile?, by John Mulholland
• Books About Books, by Robert Lund
• Magic Catalogues; Exciting Reading, by Dr. Grossman
• Rarities, by Edgar Heyl
• Thoughts on Lecture Notes, by Gary Bontjes ...

Gene Anderson shares his international experience and opinion on things ranging from the difference between semi-pro and part-time pro, timing, entertaining. Excellent information on how to improve and get the most out of your act.

This tape contains a first class routine embodying a couple of tricks that blend beautifully into a linked routine...not only practical but devised for maximum impact. The full performing routine for Gene's world famous torn and restored newspaper effect is given. The secret is not revealed as the manuscript can be purchased from most magical dealers but the actual...

If you think you have no creativity in you, you should read this article. Gregg describes concrete examples of his own creative process and development and how you can start with baby steps to ease yourself into becoming more creative. Progressively you take bigger and bigger challenges to ultimately create your own tricks.

Gregg Webb encourages magicians to create some original magic tricks, even though there is plenty of good material out there, for several reasons. It is a good exercise for the part of the brain that thinks creatively, and that part gets stronger by use. Also, even though...

This is an all-mentalism issue, and the first essay is about the various kinds of mentalism, to help you describe your "powers" to your audience. These include Thought Reading, Remote Viewing, Precognition, Drawing Duplication, Clairvoyance, Psychometry, Living and Dead Tests, and also Metal Bending, and Psychic Healing (Faith Healing) and unusual "powers" such as Handwriting Analysis. Calling your feats by the correct type of power will go a long way in establishing yourself as an expert.

The next essay is about presentations that may be new to you so that your act will have more thought...

This issue will begin with an essay called "What a Place for a Mission Statement!" by Gregg Webb. Indeed, 9 issues in and a Mission Statement? Anyway, it should make Gregg's position on magic even more clear for any newcomers.

The next section is about ideas for mentalists. Here is how to revamp your entire lifestyle to make it easier to convince others that you are a mentalist ... before you even begin. You don't even have to change your name (although in some cases it may help). Other ideas include having your business card re-printed differently. And, looking through your wardrobe....

This volume, Volume 10, will be the last issue of Triplets. It will include Magic News including some new contacts and various pieces of magic news. Following this will be many "Thank you's" to all the people who helped me over the years.

The next essay will be a retrospective of the theories that have guided my movements of minimalism and streamlining. These go back to the 60's and 70's when every trick in every magazine ended with "lap the extra item", to end. Many other trends began with ideas that were ahead of their time. While there have been great thinkers along the way, my magic...

Two hours of practical professional advice from the man who has entertained the Royal Family on several occasions and who for many years was the choice of the world's richest man, Paul Getty, as entertainer. In each volume there is a classic feature trick explained in the fullest detail move by move. Years of performing experience have enabled Harold to perfect each effect to gain maximum effect. Packed with professional advice and including several live show extracts.

Volume 2 opens smartly with the Harold Taylor presentation of the marvelous Stodare Egg effect. Use this and you will be...

Mysterious Mr. Yu or Haldane of the Secret Service is a story (film script) to one of Houdini's own movie creations. It features Houdini as Haldane, a secret service agent who fights an evil ring of counterfeiters, interwoven with a love story.

1st edition, 1921, Harry Houdini; 6 pages.

Harry Leat presents a great selection of cartoons with a magical theme, many of which reveal a universal truth. They will make you think, just as they will make you laugh. Harry also continues his stories from Forty Years in & around Magic.

1st edition, 1927, Harry Leat, London; 95 pages.

3. Truth
7. Your Mirror
11. Introduction
15. A Good Opening
16. The First "Palm"
17. "See the Thread"
18. Not for Magicians
19. The Flying Candle
20. Apparatus and Books
22. Chemical Magic
24. New Apparatus
25. A Great Future
26. Fakirism
28. Dreams and Reality
29. Telepathy
30. Refined Magic
31. "Uncle"
32. Mr. Charles Conyers
34. Mr. Wilfrid Jonson
35. The Modern Conjurer
36. The Good Old Days
37. Circumstances...

Not a trick in the ebook, but contains more real information on how to entertain with magic than you can get by reading a hundred others. Gives details so frequently neglected. Invaluable to any magician, for not only must one know how to do tricks, but he must also understand how to make his tricks entertaining.

• Preface
• Hermann Pallme
• Foreword
• CHAPTER I. History Of Magic
• CHAPTER II. The Literature Of Magic
• CHAPTER III. Educational Value Of Magic
• CHAPTER IV. Magic As A Profession
• CHAPTER V. The Study And Practice Of Magic
• CHAPTER VI. Concerning Deportment
• CHAPTER VII. The Dramatic...

This is the first lesson from Egotistical Opinions. In this 12 minute video Ian talks about entrances, and how to make that important first impression. Covering both stage and close up situations, he shows examples of how he starts a show, and then explains why he does what he does when he does it. The final story is not only true, but still makes him wince...

1st edition 2009, runtime 12 minutes