Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
issue 2
Ollie Mealing
HELLO
Hallelujah, youre back! Maybe now that I have an attributes of normal. In the comfort of my seat and
audience I should start selling you overpriced playing with two stops to go, I drifted into thought, what is
cards. (tip 13 dont exploit your audience) normal
In all seriousness though, thank you for coming back, it *my eyes glaze over*
allows me to fulfil my promise.
what was that quote again, oh yeah, Normal is an
So lets pick it back up, I last mentioned break- illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the
ing-norms, I said it was a technique that influences
issue 2
fly. Charles Addams
Chat
issue 2
the list below it will. So here they are, just a handful of With these and many others norms, it is possible to find
Chat
our very own card trick norms unspoken rules that examples that successfully oppose their rule, but gen-
govern our material: erally the bulk of our material does not. Now of course
this evokes no worrying problem, our material still has
the effect is observable a vast amount of flexibility, but I believe the more we
can break norms the further we can build new edges
the effect is sequential (Structure) to our understanding. Who wouldnt want to know what
that looks/feels like? Since very early on, looking for
the effect is short-term what magic can be rather than what it is, became the
pursuit thats kept me here. Its a pursuit that warrants
the performance occurs in light innovation if you do what youve always done, youll
get what youve always got, which is precisely not what
the performance requires a participant (Warmth) Im looking for. (tip 16 change permits continued
growth)
the performance inhabits a conventional space
The pursuit of something cant be left to chance, it
the performer is present/visible during the performance requires a lot of critical thinking, our approach has to
be evaluated, reasoned and modified if were to guide
theperformer is present/visible for the revelation of an ourselves strategically. In my pursuit then, the tech-
effect (Serendipity) nique of breaking-norms has become a highly useful
tool without it, would remain a huge amount of ideas
theperformer is responsible for the revelation of an Id have yet to explore.
effect (Assumptions)
Anyway, Ill wrap this bit up here, but long story short,
the
audience know when the performance has begun I missed my tube stop by an extra three and I
(Choices) couldnt have cared less.
theaudience believe the performer knows the effect (tip 17 take the seat)
(Inspiration)
Before reading the explanation, I recommend watching The method to making this trick succeed every time,
the performance so you can experience how fooling it relies on skewing whatever the outcome/order, into a
is. It is however from four years ago, so I apologise supposedly logical deduction. A sortve improvised dot
in advance for my younger-self, hes such a dick, but to dot.
perhaps in another four years Ill be cringing at the
current me (tip 18 its about where youre going not Think about how a medium operates, they peddle a load
where youre from). Anyway, heres the link: of lines/nonsense to seemingly create incredible hits
youll be adopting the same approach.
Performance:
issue 2
Chat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcxWGNCNA40 I can only recommend you grab some cards now, think
of one and begin running through the process youll
Hopefully youve just watched the performance, if not, soon encounter the range of outcomes & begin devising
go back and click the link! (I wouldnt say so unneces- your own armoury of nonsense.
sarily)
(tip 19 enjoy nonsense)
Assuming youve now seen the performance, this effect
is all about remaining cool under pressure and learning
to bullshit which fortunately for us, comes naturally.
The norms being broken in this trick are the performer deliberate, because besides presentation, the effect
is responsible for the revelation of an effect & the says something about you which ties in directly with
performer knows how the trick will play out. I also feel the delicacy of pitching status. As I mentioned in the
that the audience doesnt believe its a trick is men- previous issue, well be returning to status as well as
tionable, as in concert, it really can feel like a pseudo the many merits of modesty/minimalism in a future
explanation/demonstration of a real thing. issue.
You might be wondering why just five packets. Well I Another reason why I love this effect, is because of the
think if you were to exceed five, it would begin to dilute
issue 2
variety that comes with it no two performances are
Chat
the impossibility of the effect, diminishing the impact the same, it genuinely gives me a thrill to perform. (tip
and perhaps even transpiring the method as with 20 enjoy what you perform)
most things, less is more. Five is simply my preferred &
suggested maximum. The success of this effect lies not only in what you
say but of course the management of miracle hits. So
If
when they cut, the displayed card offers no con- continuing our meander, miracle hits will be our theme
ceivable assistance, then its ok not to deduce it. In for next weeks issue. Well be exploring how to weave
these instances, Ill act pensively and say OK, lets them into our routines, encourage their hit rate &
have a look at the next card. This tactic as well as solidify the idea that it wasnt just luck.
many others, serve to strengthen your delivery by
keeping it credible & flowing an excess of incredulous Breaking-norms is a creative device for innovating
deductions or hesitation will fail to preserve maximum ideas. If we dont find ways of innovating, our actions
impact. will only produce similar results. Its results, that build
the edges of our understanding.
What if theyve cut five times and theres just zilch to
work with? In desperate measures, Ill say something
like I think this shows me all I need to know collect
up the cards, spread through/remove selection and
feigning some uncertainty, reveal. Although this slightly
changes the plot, it redeems a logic for the cut-packets
& still leaves onlookers mystified better to deliver
something than nothing.
Ifat any point they cut to their card, theres a lot of fun
to be had with that. But for reasons I mentioned in the
previous issue, Ill leave you to envisage those implica- GOODBYE
tions for yourself.
Thanks again for returning. If you enjoyed what you
Thiseffect has always had an allure for me, I love read, please tell your friends.
how its procedures are so minimal, nonchalant &
unostentatious, its an effect that has its feet firmly Good to chat, see you soon.
on the ground. Striving to instil modesty in effects is