Fate by Geraint Clarke
I have recently received a copy of Fate by Geraint Clarke so I thought I’d go ahead and review it. It’s a great effect, I love it so I’m going to go ahead and get into the details.
Effect- The effect is strong if performed right, though it gets confusing to the spectator if you put it on shuffle then make them go forward and back and then you get the song you’ll predict. It is a bit confusing and as much as you have to tilt away the iPod, it does look suspicious (Though it’s so natural) I like it but it’s a bit hard to follow for the spectator.
Method- The method isn’t the best thing ever, it’s hard, confusing, but once you get it down it’s so worth it. Only thing I wish is that the spectator could handle the iPod, press shuffle and all that, though it appears fair to them.
Quality- Average quality that you’d see from the Wire not many points to hit with this…It’s OK
Explanation- He explains everything great and clear and you might think ‘well this will never fool anybody!’ which of course it won’t be as fooling, but he goes over all the little details that’ll make it the highlight of your mentalist act.
My overall rating would be around 8/10 since the fact that the spectator can’t handle it and you have to turn the phone so much. Still good once you get past those points.
So that’s my review on Fate, I suggest picking it up, a good killer with some practice. I also picked up Nadia with iPredict+ yesetrday, will get that review posted tonight.
What is happening at Masked Magic
Today I have come to the decision that it will be best to get rid of the social networking side of Masked Magic. It simply isn’t getting used as much as it used to which means it is just using up space on the servers that could be used for something else. We are going to be changing the site to be just a blog if I cant get things to pick up a little more. Sorry about this guys but I gotta think of what is best for masked magic.
Member Under The Spotlight: Raiserblack
We have decided that a good way of getting our members known a little better here and in the field of magic is to put them under the spotlight. I will ask them questions in which they answer and then readers can also ask their own questions in the comment form and the answered questions will be added to the post. Our first member under the spotlight is Raiserblack. So here is how the questioning went down:
1. How long have you been learning magic?
Raiserblack: I have been in to magic from the age of about 7. I remember watching Tommy Cooper on my mom’s TV and just being blown away. I had seen magic before but he just brought it to a whole new level for me. I knew there didn’t have to be so much seriousness about it like I had seen from other magicians. My mom bought me a very cheap magic set for my 10th birthday. From that day I was hooked. I would practice before school, after school and any other times I could find free. I remember telling my mom on occasions that I was ill just so I could have the day off school to practice.
2. Do you perform professionally? If so, for how long?
Raiserblack: I have been performing professionally only for the last 3 years. I had a long time away from magic due to health issues but once I got back in to it I got straight out there promoting myself and performing in hospitals, restaurants, outside malls, basically anywhere that would have me I didn’t turn down. I didn’t get paid for most of what I did when I started but I loved what I did and it gave me experience. I know tour with my magic shows which has always been my ultimate dream.
Steps to Getting Started in Magic
Photo by dustin.askins
Here are five steps to get you started on the right path in magic.
1. Check the Library
Read every magic book you can get your hands on from the local library. The good thing is that most of these books will show magic tricks that can be performed with items that can be easily found around the home or office. Learn a couple of good simple tricks. Practice, practice, practice and only then perform them to your family and friends.
Ask for honest feedback from your friends and family for ways that you did good and ways that you can improve. Knowing how a magic trick works is only one part in the success of a magic trick. The real success comes with the presentation.
2. Visit a Magic Store
Most magic store owners are very friendly and will help pick out the perfect magic tricks for a beginner. They will not try to get you to buy as much from them as possible. One tendency of beginners is to just buy a variety of magic tricks, take them home and try to learn them. The problem is that some will be near impossible for a beginner. You have to start from the bottom and work your way up. Tell the owner you are a beginner and they will show you the best magic tricks for your level.
How to Perfect your Sleight of Hand
1. Start slowly
When first learning a move it is important to start slowly in order to get your fingers used to the actions. Doing this, you will be able to notice little adjustments that can be made to allow the move to flow more easily if needed. The idea here is just to learn the basic steps of the move and allowing the fingers and hand to carry it out.
Repeat the above as much as needed.
2. Slowly perform the move in a mirror
Once the fingers have got used to the move it is now time to perform the move in front of a mirror. Examine every single step closely and make sure that you are not revealing any little secrets whilst performing. What you are doing is seeing the move from the same angles that a spectator would be seeing them. If you can see something wrong then so will they.
Once everything is perfected at this step you can move on. It doesn’t matter how slow this process goes. It is about mastering the move, not creating shortcuts.
iPredict+ Review
This is an amazing piece of mental magic and you will always have it with you. The reactions are a bit different were instead of being asked ‘How’d YOU do that?’ you’ll here ‘How’d SHE do that?’ but it’s so worth it.
Price: $9.99. This might seem pretty steep since other magic apps are usually 3 dollars but it’s so worth it. The second you call the number and Christen tells you your card, that one moment if worth 10 dollars. Also you can buy another physic named Nadia that can predict any number between 1-75. I haven’t tried her out yet since this purchase broke me but next pay day I’ll come back with news on her.
Method: What you see when you open up the app is your regular contact page, with all contacts. Yet you’ll find a different one added in for you and that’s Christen. If you click on her you won’t see anything different from a regular contact and you’ll be wondering how it’s done. Then it’ll pop out at you (I mean that literally). It’s extremely sneaky and you’ll be doing it to yourself in minutes. And the method’s covered up by natural iPhone actions.
Quality: The explanation’s well written and shot. It teaches you everything from how to perform it, how to change the settings, and how to perform. All this is really great and it’s won’t leave you guessing how it’s done (Though, as mentioned, it’ll pop out at you).
Convincers: You might be skeptical when someone goes through your iPhone that they might click on it being curious and find the secret. But this came with a way to avoid that.You can change it to show a log in page with a passcode to get in a stock prediction app. Sneaky, sneaky. And also you can download and print the physics business cards with the number on it so you can hand it out to check to see if the number had changed. Yet again, sneaky.
Add-ons to v2.0: With this new version you can have the ability to have them call or text Christen which is nice. If you text her, get a prediction, and text her again, she’ll politely ask you to sop 4 times then she’ll say you’re getting put on her ‘black list’ and she’ll stop responding. Even cooler way to not reveal the secret.
Down-side: It’s not actually Christen Gerhart’s number….
So that’s my review on iPredict+ expect a review on Nadia soon.
Account Activation Back
OK, so you may know that I removed the email activations for new members due to some people not receiving their emails. Well, it hasn’t taken me long to realise that this was a bad idea. I have been bombarded with spam accounts over the last couple of days so am very pleased to have it re-enabled.
For new members, if you cannot see the activation emails then please check your junk files. If accounts have not been activated after 2 days I will re-send an email out reminding them. If after a week they have still failed to activate their accounts I will close the account.
I maintain this site on my own. I have a good member that is quick to point out when he has seen spam for me to remove but it got rediculous over the last couple of days. Anyway, now to get back to writing.
Biggest Mistakes Made by Beginning Magicians
People that say they don’t like magic is more than likely because they have only seen “poor” magic. There is nothing worse than thinking something is going to be amazing, only to find that it is boring. This is completely down to the magician. Here are some of the biggest mistakes made by beginning magicians. The sad fact is that some of these points can even be seen in some professional magicians.
1. Arrogance
You are no better than any one of your spectators. I am sure you do not like an arrogant person or somebody that thinks they are better than you so why should the audience have to put up with you doing it? Magic is not about showing off or showing how much smarter you are than everybody else.
By trying to be smarter than the audience, they will simply try and work out the effects to prove that you are not.
2. Humiliating Volunteers
When a member of the audience comes up to help the magician they don’t come up to be embarrassed. ALL volunteers should be treated with respect at all times. If you get known for humiliating volunteers then it wont be long until they simply don’t come to your shows. You will have ruined a career in magic before even getting it started.
10 Steps to a better Magic Show
Hopefully by following these simple steps you can be a better magician and put on a show to remember.
1. Start with a strong Magic Trick
It is important to grab the attention of the audience and keep hold of it from the start. The best way of doing this is to perform a strong opening magic trick. A strong opener will get the audience interested in your magic. It doesn’t take long for an audience to know if they are going to like your magic or not. They may not leave the show but they will simply be thinking about other things instead of watching the show. Start with something quick and flashy. This will leave them wanting more.
2. Relax
I have seen countless performances (especially from beginners) in which they are just stiff, they mumble and it simply does not lead to a very enjoyable show. Relax. Heck if something goes wrong, it’s not the end of the world, we are human after all. If it is confidence that a magician is lacking then something as simple as practising more can help boost the confidence. The more you do a magic trick, the better you will get at it and the less nervous you will be.
One thing to remember is that the audience are there for YOU. They want you to succeed so just relax and give them a show to remember.
Magician Criss Angel Flips Out
According to the Las-Vegas Review Journal Angel threatened to “Knock out” his 52 year old producer. Magician Joe Monti filed the police report that claims that Angel assaulted him at Angels office complex. There is audio evidence laced with profanity that was sent to the Las Vegas Review Journal that apparently has Criss Angel shouting at Monti.
This is not the first time that Criss Angel has flipped out at Joe Monte. He reportedly has quite a history of bullying his employees.
To read more on this story, you can check it out here
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- Raiserblack on Steps to Getting Started in Magic
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