Routining..... How you do it ?

Beginning.... Middle..... End.....

Every good magic routine has to has this 3 parts.

You can take this like appetizer, main course, and desert in food, but what's in it not the same.

Lets talk about beginning.
Beginning part should be become an introduction. Although it has a magical effect as well but the effect, for me, must be "smaller" compare to middle part.
On this part you "introduce" about what effect you wanna do, but say it explicitly. You give the audience analogy of it. You may say what you wanna do or not depends on what audience you perform in front of. Sometimes tell about the effect beforehand would ruin the surprise. You may also introduce the props by produce it or just take it out from your pocket.

The Middle.
The middle is the building part and climax. You lead them almost to the climax then BANG them with climax and surprise. This is part where your routine is all about. If you can do all and fantastic effect, you do it here.

The End
It basically just a closer, you take bow to receive applause from audiences probably you can vanish your props here or just leave it. The audiences have seen too much magic actually. Don't forget to say thank you and give back appreciation to the audiences.


Let talk about routine as a single unit.
The purpose with magic is to entertain of course. Build your routine to achieve this. The analogy is probably like this you offer them a brand new drink, persuade them until they want to try it, if they ask for more after they drink it, you stop it there.

Routine should not be boring. You must be able to deliver the entertainment aspect to your audience. Give them jokes line or very short story to refresh the mind or at least they can "accept" you in their mind.
About timing for me the ideal time for each session would be 15 minutes long maximum.

It's not easy to create entertaining routine. Tough job, really.

What makes our magic is worth to be seen ?

Hi, gang back again.

Few days ago, I re read my Maximum Entertainment. What a great book it is.

One question tickle my curiosity and myself,

What makes our magic is worth to be seen ?

Have you ever asked yourself what are the answers for that question ? Why people want to spend their time to watch you ?

Because, we can't deny that magic is an entertainment. You gotta have "something" to offer to your audience. Like singing, you over lovely voice. Movie, you offer the story.

With magic, what would you offer ?


For me, first of all, Magic itself bring the curiosity. People are always amazed by how people can get out off locked box while a bomb is ticking besides it, how things could vanish and appear somewhere else, something like that.

People fancy those stuff especially with excitement.
Put example like stunt show with motorcycles or big cars. It's just jumping over something, yet people still love and cheer watching it. You could feel the adrenalin too though.

For me, the first aspect to answer above question is a feeling created by magic. An amazement towards magic.
From my experience, first time I saw magic, it brought something different in my life. I saw something impossible happened in front of my very own eyes. Maybe you feel the same way first time you saw it. I fell in love with magic that very moment.
I really like David Copperfield's Show. How he packages simple stuff into big meaningful show. How he tells other people about his childhood story about snow (dunno if it's the truth or not) but it creates atmosphere so he can delivers his feeling to his audiences. It doesn't matter we speak about true story from our experience or just something we make up, as long we can create the feeling.


Second, the creating feeling action must be backed up by "sufficient" show package. Show and your performing character basically. Your creativity to create magic moments, sad story, funny story, happy story.
You can take a look at Bill Malone funny character, perhaps combination of serious and elegance of Gary Kurtz, the charming Guy Hollingsworth, or elegance of Lance Burton. They have certain character to create the atmosphere of the show. So that the feeling can be delivered.

For me that two things will be essential to make our magic get appreciation and will become one of main entertainment in the world. We all love good show, don't we ?

Perhaps my view different from others....

-AL-

Arturo Ascanio

For those of you Cards lover and Cardician.

Ascanio material is a must have.

My Magic Buddy, Kent, once again show one of the greatest classic magician works.

For me, Ascanio subtleties, handling, and works are real elegant, delicate, and beautiful.

It makes me wanna know more about his work

Perhaps you too should

-AL-

New Matrix Idea

My mate, Kent, gave me an idea 'bout Matrix sequence the other day.

I just got a chance to think about it lately. I have a routine built to accomplish that idea...

Its very new in Matrix world and hasn't seen anyone doin it.

Stay tuned cos it's a new trend in Matrix World

-AL-

Fingertips Retention Pass and Fingertips Muscle Pass

Just practiced these two moves in the last few days

- Fingertips Retention Pass

This move is brilliant or what. I'm loving this sleight more and more every day. I've seen this sleight done by The Great Goeff Latta. To be honest it was fooled me.. I know it's kind like retention pass, but I didn't know how it's done

Value Of Magic, Is it still exist ?

Do you think in these days the value of magic is still exist ?

Before we go on, what do you think is the value of magic ? 

For me the value of magic is the feeling created when we see magic happens in front of our eyes,

It's the amazement when we see magic. No matter "how" the tricks is done.

Let's take a look first at the world of magic today. It's so many "free" magic stuff out there for us to learn, especially for new people started in magic. 

From one point it's great which means world of magic is evolving, but from others it's a degradation.

With so many "free" stuff out there, there are many magicians (I'm talking about newly started magicians, maybe amateur too), don't value the magic.

You may ask newly started magicians, "where do you learn your stuff ?". I believe it's hard to find a person who learns magic from Tarbell, Royal Road to Card Magic, Card College. Most of the answer (maybe) from internet or from their friend.

How many magicians concern about the history of magic ? Or perhaps you can ask yourself (I asked myself too) how good is your knowledge and do you care learning them ?

If the answer still no or still a little, perhaps we have a homework to do. 

Learning from that all "free" stuff, the newly started magicians only value the trick. All they want is best trick, easy/self working magic with high impact. 

Why is that happening ? 

From my experience in many magician's society (maybe different from yours), I've found that New magicians probably don't understand about what magic really is, they only learn what they think is the magic, they even don't know about the ethics (They claim others' routine as theirs), and they also want to be a big shot a person with best trick. 

They think magic is instant, learn easy trick and expect to amaze their friend with that. We know we need a lot more than that. 

With this kind of attitude, Laymen (I prefer muggle term thou lol) probably will see it only as a trick and it will make them curious how's it done. 

My friend said to me "If you don't believe the magic yourself, how could you deliver that magic to your audience ?"

Now let's take a look at the value of magic itself. 

In my opinion, the entertainment value has the biggest portion in magic.

Let's take a look at David Copperfield  when he performed Crazyman handcuffs. Do you think it's a difficult trick? It's simple stuff, but see how he packaged the trick. Since then so many magicians use that trick. Another example see how he packaged his "Grandfather Aces". It's only a McDonald Aces, but see the entertainment value and the audience amazement. 

Other example, how the Professor Dai Vernon amazed so many people with his Cups And Balls Routine or so many street performers and close up magicians out there. 

Magic is not all about trick. So many stuff go with it and those what are make the magic is magical. 

There are so many rooms for improvement. Why don't we start ?

Thinking outside the box

What the most magical stuff ever happen to you.... ???

Have u ever seen the magic and know it was there then it really wasn't there?

I wanna create such effect

But still no idea how to do it...

What sleight to do to "convince" ppl and also faint move to fool magician....

Hope the idea come soon

-AL-

Jakarta's D'Miracle Gathering

I'm so excited for this event. After quite some time I can attend another D'Miracle gathering

The theme for that gathering is Freestyle but NO CARD Allowed.

Its quite a challenge especially with beginner in magic. See how it goes.

If the theme wasn't no card allowed, I wanna try new card effect which I created quite some time ago. It's not that original cos I took a bit from here and there and construct it to be "Card to impossible location" plot trick.

Anyway... I've prepared full routine for coin anyway... production of 4 coins. My Illusion Matrix V6. Then coin vanish....

Still thinking which way the best to connect them all... I have an option already. Still need to find another option....

Stay tuned... The gathering will be on Dec 13th.... long way to go

-AL-

Amplified Aces Assembly - Gary Kurtz

For those who familiar with that routine, I have to say this is one of the best aces assembly out there....

Kurtz didn't make we practice with all knuckle busting sleight, but He teaches to focus on psychological aspect.

It's hard to believe sometimes how ppl can make such a trick and be one of the favorite

The other trick which Kurtz likes the most was Ultimate progression. It's queen assembly.

It's a heck of a trick as well

It's rare as well thou

Anyway... gotta go back to practice

Take care

-AL-

Illusion Matrx V6 reworking

A great news... The other day an idea came to me. It's about how to do IMV6 with "simpler" prop... The effect looks the same but the work behind that a bit different...

I have 2 variations on the reworking stuff and it's remind me of Hayashi's Matrix and Ogawa's Matrix. The effect pretty much the same... but i believe the starting position and sequence on each phases are different....

My Illusion Matrix V6 is done... and ready to perform it in public...

Hope it gets a great reaction as in the video clip

-AL-

Illusion Matrx V6 rehandling

I practiced the new handling of this matrix las night. Still hard to decide whether this gonna be pure magic or with a bit of faint ?

Btw I also found new coin vanish... not really new though. It's a slight variation of retention... but it does look good. I will use it along with IMV6 rehandling....

My friend suggested VX name.... but I dunno... Will think bout it

In the mean time.... stay tunned

-AL-

We're Goin Home - Coin to purse effect

I'm re working on this effect. Hopefully I can release this effect to Magic Community worldwide. Featuring 2 new moves. One of the moves can be replaced due to the skill you must have to do it. Apart from that, I believe it's doable.

I wanna create effect which doable with simple moves and great impact. It's, once again, inspired by Doug Brewer - The 3 Famous Coin Trick.

It's just my own handling. The premise is all the same.....

Hopefully someone will help me to do a research

-AL-

?!?!?!?! NEO ?!?!?!?!

Few days ago my mate "gave" me a nickname. It was NEO.... lol

It's because all my magic effect on my youtube are mostly about matrix coin effect.... then He told me I'm the new NEO.... lol

If NEO goes with Andre so it'll become Andre Neo or Andre Neotrix, it wouldn't be so bad....

hahahaha... just a little intermezzo in my busy life....

-AL-

Flip Aces ----- Update

Still no way for me to go far with this trick....

Still have to think...

I've finished the production, but still thinking how to start

Stay tuned
-AL-

New effect on progress.... flip aces

Sat still nothing to do in my office this afternoon gave me new idea for magic effect.
I always like Marlo Miracle Aces... I thought how can I achieve that kind of effect with my way

In my mind the effect goes like this... you lost 4 aces in different parts of the deck. with no movement one ace appear face up. cut the deck the aces appear reverse inside the deck. you show no card is reverse in the deck and with simple cut the ace appear face up again. the last one you put it in spectator hand then spectator themself spread the deck to reveal final aces

It's called flip aces....

Stay tuned

-AL-

Illusion Matrix V6 is finally done

After the long wait... Illusion matrix V6 is done..... it for video performance only....

I have finished the real time performance as well...

I couldn't believe my eyes too when I watched the reply the other day...

Hopefully it will please everybody...

Still choosing the song to go with it...

Will be up soon

Stay tuned

-AL-

Magic Wondering

Last night my friend told me about one great effect which is not available anymore in any manuscript. It's aces assembly type of routine and it's from Gary Kurtz....

He said his friend showed him the other day and make him so baffled although in his opinion it wouldn't be easy to do it. What we can expect from Mr. Gary Kurtz.

Anyway, we decided sometimes to "reconstruct" the routine but with our own handling... Perhaps it would be great

I just wondering how they can come up with such impossibility.....

-AL-

orthodontist

I got orthodontist today

it wasn't planned before....

hopefully will get great result

-AL-

Illusion Matrx V6 update

I stayed up late last night, thoughts about the second problem I had for this routine.

still no good solution I got. I came up with one way. For me it still lack of impossibilities

Anyway.... stay tuned

-AL-

Illusion Matrx V6

Okay... after received a great reaction for Version 3... I manage to create further more version of illusion matrix. now it's version 6 although there were no version 4 and 5. just like the look of V6. lol... btw you can watch the effect through this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAVb8iEUpxA and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVWqO4H8_7A

couple things are still in my mind to make this effect even more impossible to understand even for fellow magicians.

I manage to solve the first problem but still finding a way to solve second problem.
Thinking hard bout it thou...

Hmm it's even hard to create the magic for my audience

Stay tuned for the effect

-AL-

Choice

You will always make a choice sooner or later in this life.
The question is would you sacrifice an option to get another option ? example you get a great job which far away from your family.

How you put your point of view looking at this kind of matter ?

Do we have to sacrifice something all the time ?
Any option which provides all of them ?

-AL-

I'm Back

After long time this page has inactivated, now is the time

Let me take you to real world and also the magic world.

Stay tuned

AL

Learn This !

Learn to love the people who are with
you at
present. Forget the people in the past and thank
them for hurting you, which led you to love the
people you have right now.

When you love someone, you'll do crazy things
you can't explain, you'll deny the truth and believe
in lies. When you love someone, you sacrifice,
give everything you've got and don't think twice.

You risk it all no matter what.

Everything in life is temporary because everything
changes. That is why it takes courage to love,
knowing it might end anytime...having faith will
make it last.

Friends are not the one who laugh when you laugh
and cry when you cry. They are the ones who
make you laugh and stop you from crying.

Love is the feeling we fall in and out of, and every
time we fall off, we learn to hold on tighter...hoping
that next time, we may never have to let go.

They say when love knocks at your door, open it.
But do you know that sometimes love enters
through the back door and before you begin to
notice it, it's on it's way out.

Have you ever loved only to let it go?..

Have you ever hated someone and loved him so?..
Have you ever missed someone so bad it made
you cry?.. Have you ever seen someone left alone
without knowing why? ..

True: Lucky is the man who wins the first love of a
woman but luckier is the woman who wins the
lastlove of a man.

Love is not the right word to say when you feel
guilty nor the right word to say when you like a
person but love really matters when we share our
thoughts, our minds, and our hearts...

Life has a way of changing things but not the joy
that friendship brings, for friendship is like the
shining moon, makes each night a brighter one.

Love is not for beauty or color of the skin, but for a
heart that is loyal within, for beauty fades and the
skin would grow old but a heart that is loyal will
never turn cold.

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your
heart, forgive them for they have helped you learn
about trust and the importance of being cautious to
whom you open your heart.

A love is easy to feel, so hard to explain; so easy
to get, so hard to let go; so easy to spell, so hard
to define...and yet everyone is still taking the risk.

That's love !

We are all a little weird and life's a little
weird, and
when we find someone whose weirdness is
compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall
in love in mutual weirdness and call it LOVE!

Never be afraid to fall in love. It may hurt a lot, it
may give you aches and pain, but if you don't
follow your heart; in the end you will cry even more
for not giving love a chance.

Don't run ahead of God. Let Him direct your steps.
He has plans and He has His time. God's clock is
never one minute early nor one minute late. It
always strikes right on time.

If someone loves you, love them back not only
because they love you, but also because they are
teaching you to love and opening your heart and
eyes to things you have never seen or felt without
them.

The past is meant to be used as a tool for the
future. Bad experiences indeed make you bitter
but the lessons learned should make you better.

On letting go: it hurts to see someone you love
happy with somebody else; but wouldn't it hurt you
more to see that person unhappy...with you?

When you find arms that will hold you at your
weakest, eyes that will see you at your ugliest,
lips that will kiss you in both instances, and a
heart that will love you at your worst, then you
have found true love.

Someday, someone might come into your life and
love you in a way you always wanted.

If your someday was yesterday.. LEARN

If your someday is tomorrow.. HOPE

If your someday is today.. CHERISH.