In Front of the Mirror

Hey guys,

This is a little piece of video from a large project that will be underway in a week or two.  Keep tuned, this is going to be awesome!

Hey Guys,

I know you’re out there and I know you’re reading this, if you haven’t commented, this would be the post to do it on.

I’m thinking about creating a dvd, but the question is, would anyone buy it? Let me know if you’d be interested in that. It wouldn’t be this youtube graininess, I’m talking about high quality, or even HD video and sound, super high end production and best of all, awesome effects by yours truly. I’m also going to post a Youtube video asking, “If I made it, would you buy it?” If so contact your local magic shop and tell them you want my DVD!

Alan

That’s right, I’m actually staying on a posting schedule! Pretty awesome huh? Nah, but anyway, for your viewing pleasure.

I want to let my readers know that they can also watch any of these new videos on my Facebook Page, at United Cardists.net and can find them with links on my Twitter account. So…don’t tell me you can’t find them! Without further ado, Bicycle League Backs…

Just got a little crazy with the editing software, but, the update is important none the less, so make sure to click play on the video below.

Alan

Alright, so my birthday was yesterday and what a day it was.  Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s your chance! Him and I were at the same event TAOM 2009 and he put on the best lecture I’ve ever seen.

Thought you guys might enjoy this!

Cheers,

Alan

P.S. In this video you can see John Born, Diamond Jim Tyler and Trigg, just to name a few…see if you can spot them.

                 Ok, I’m going to share a crazy story from one of my performances.  I do not recommend that anyone do this…or at the least should be considered only after a lot of meditation and preparation before hand.

 I was at a point where I had been performing professionally for about ten years, had studied and spent a lot of time improvising. 

Say, you go somewhere, like a restaurant a lot and they know you as a magician, but maybe you leave your pack of cards in the car or something, kind not in magician mode, and it never fails that, someone wants to see a magic trick.  The cardinal sin for a lot of magicians, is when given the opportunity to do magic, instead, the magician apologizes and says “Sorry, I don’t have anything on me”.  If you’re a real magician then it shouldn’t matter. Right?

 So anyway, it started as a way to deal with those situations, then I got more and more into this area and thought process, to the point that it became my favorite part of performing.   I would play with “everyday” objects. Matches, sharpies, coke cans, diapers…you name it.  Ok, not so much the diapers…anyway, I read up on effects that had already been created for some of these objects, some not.  Where I found the literature lacking, I would apply basic magic concepts and principals to have something to work with.  One that stands out is using a dry erase marker as a “hot rod”.

So I get this call from the entertainment agency I’m working for about doing a show for an Easter get together.  At this point I’m feeling confident in myself, working on a lot of impromptu material and I made a judgement call.  Like I said, I DO NOT recommend this, at least not for a paying gig.  I went to the show with absolutely nothing on me.  I had the shirt on my back, and that was about it.  I did an hour set, with nothing and the audience had no idea that I was sweating bullets.  It was the single most important, fun and absolutely terrifying performance of my life and I learned a lot from it.

I do suggest leaving the house without your cards sometime.  Go out and when someone asks to see a trick, improvise.  There is a lot of great material out there on impromptu effects, but you have to dig a little deeper to make sure it’s not an impromptu effect with an object that cannot be easily borrowed.  Things I would look at are coins, pens, matches, napkins, drinking straws, things like that.

Just don’t do this for a paying gig.  It’s crazy, stupid and can get you in a lot of trouble with whoever is paying you to be there.

 If anyone else has any stories like this, or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to share or ask.

Cheers,

Alan