I didn't give up!

Timothy Drake · #1 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008, 05:57 AM

How many of us have effects we purchased sitting in the closet instead of using them. We really loved the effect when we saw it performed but for some reason never really mastered it or found it got the reaction you expected.

This happened to me years ago. I was really fascinated by Dick Zimmermans Linking Hula Hoops but never could get a good crowd reaction from it during performance. I really saw potential in it so Istayed with it and two years later finally found a presentation that worked well for me. The routine stayed the same but the presentation and music is what made the difference for me.

Does anyone else have stories of effects that took them a long time to get right? Lets here them.

Best,

Tim

Timothy Drake · #2 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 03:24 PM

44 views and no replies. I guess everyone else nails all their effects off the mark? LOL Glad to see I am surrounded by such a skilled lot of performers.

C'mon there has got to be some similar stories out there.

Best,

Tim

Kipp Sherry · #3 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 05:51 AM

Sorry Tim, I guess I missed it the first time you posted it, but I'll bite.

5 years ago I decided to pick up a classic, the Zombie Ball. I had put off the purchase of this for years. I felt like it was so over used that I really wanted nothing to do with it. But finally, the idea of revisiting classics lead me back to the Zombie and purchased one. I have seen so many bad performances of the Zombie, and I promised myself that I would not perform it until it was totally polished and fluid.

I've been practicing for 5 years now and still have not performed the Zombie in public. When I do show it, it will get a good reaction.

Until we appear again,
Kipp Sherry

Timothy Drake · #4 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 06:25 AM

Thanks for the reply Kipp,

I posted the thread because of all the similar stories I sure that exist with effects that are purchased with high hopes only to sit in the closet. It's all too common. A friend of mine once told me that if an effect didn't do much for me to put it away but NOT though it out. He said eventually you might rediscover it and he was right. Many times I've discovered a trick I had abandoned and put away only to finally " get it" and make it work for me.

I find that many beginners in magic purchase effects in the hopes that the magic is in the prop and give up on it quickly when we find it takes a lot of hard work. LOL This is exactly the time I encourage magicians to NOT give up on it and stay with it until they beat it. I don't care if they ever perform it... they need to beat it simply to not let it beat them. The confidence gained from beating that effect that seemed to difficult will contribute an awful lot to all their future performances.

Your Zombie story made me laugh because I was in the same boat. I could not get past the point that I believed it was floating. It wasn't until a friend of mine saw me do it and freaked out that I had an confidence in it. From that point I was fine. I perform Losanders Table now so I don't perform Zombie much. You can see my routine from years ago here.

http://www.timothydrake.ca/daytime.wmv

Best,

Tim

Kipp Sherry · #5 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 10:24 AM

Timothy,

I looked at your video and your friend was right, it looks like it's floating.

I made my post to take a slight twist on your original thought. Your thought was "revisited", my thought was "refined". I see so many magicians who perform an effect before it's ready. You know the scenario, someone buys a new trick, gets it in the mail, watches the video, tries it once, then grabs the video camera and tapes themselves doing the effect, and by that evening they have posted their performance on YouTube. The performance is so bad that it usually gives away the secret.

So like a fine wine, no magic should be served before its time. Maybe that means that you put it away for a while. Maybe that means that you practice it for years before you perform it. Maybe............well maybe it takes time to produce good magic.

Until we appear again,
Kipp Sherry

Timothy Drake · #6 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 02:09 PM

Hi Kipp,

I like your " fine wine" reference. I agree that effects need to be perfected before presented. This really is a problem with YouTube Copperfield wanna bees these days. I think that it might be easier to show off a poorly rehearsed effect on youtube than it would be to a live audience because the audience or at least their less than enthusiastic response would set you straight mighty quick. LOL

On You Tube all your friends will vote 5 stars and say how good it is to protect your feelings from reality. Nothing like a live audience to tell you if you need more rehearsal or not. LOL

Thats why I mentioned the Zimmerman hoops. I had the technique nailed but not the presentation. It laid an egg every time. After some presentation work it now gets a great response.

Best,

Tim

Joseph Nestoryak · #7 (**permalink**) 06-23-2008, 04:25 AM

Same here with the Zombie ball. I've had it for awhile and mostly do it for myself. I enjoy the classics, linking rings are my favorite. I also do multiplying balls which I love. Keeps the fingers nimble, but haven't done it in public much. If you go to you tube..type in Nestoryak. I have a zombie ball and multiplying ball videos there. They were shot during practise right before I did them in public. They are about three years old. Take a look if you like.
Joseph

Timothy Drake · #8 (**permalink**) 06-23-2008, 01:07 PM

Good Work Joseph,

One of the cool things about Blacks Forum is that you can paste YouTube videos. Here is yours.

Best,

Tim

YouTube - Joe's Zombie Ball

Kipp Sherry · #9 (**permalink**) 06-27-2008, 07:51 AM

Joseph,

I just looked at your video. You said this is how you did it 3 years ago, so I'm not sure if your are still doing it the same or not. Here is just a helpful suggestion for you if you have not already done this. Make sure both hands are holding the scarf in the same way (same number of fingers behind the scarf).

Keep it up, it looks good.

Until we appear again,
Kipp Sherry

David Nethery · #10 (**permalink**) 07-24-2008, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timothy Drake

Your Zombie story made me laugh because I was in the same boat. I could not get past the point that I believed it was floating. It wasn't until a friend of mine saw me do it and freaked out that I had an confidence in it. From that point I was fine. I perform Losanders Table now so I don't perform Zombie much. You can see my routine from years ago here.

http://www.timothydrake.ca/daytime.wmv

Best,

Tim

Tim,

Your handling of Zombie is great . I have watched that clip numerous times. Very good example of how to do Zombie the right way !

Yours looks like it is really floating.

Have you seen this clip of Tommy Wonder with his Floating Bird Cage ?

It's from a Dutch television show which features small dramatizations by magicians ... in this one Tommy plays a desperate man who is irritated by his pet bird in a cage . At a certain point he covers the cage , then causes the bird and cage to levitate. Then he makes the bird vanish . Another beautiful example of floating technique done the right way.