The Spookclub Magic Community

[jgoldsney]

I have an idea floating around in my cranium that I would like some constructive comments on....

I seem to have cups & balls on the brain lately and have been trying to put together a routine.

I have found that I am a very visual learner and pictures are a big help.
I found that the routine in Mark Wilson's book was very easy to understand as each step was detailed with a picture.

My brainwave (or possibly brain fart) was to create some cue card sized drawings of the various positions of the cups during a routine. Also detailed on the card would be the content of each hand and a space to fill in patter.

then I would print them off on stiff paper and assemble them in to the order of the routine that I am working on and sketch in the location of the balls for each step.

when practising the cards for each phase could be laid out and gone through step by step.....

well what do you think....is this a useless endevor?

[Wayno]

The cue cards are surely a good method for memorizing your motions if you're a visual learner.

Not to mention that the cue cards would certainly be a great documention for your routine. I know I have had routines down and you end up not performing or practicing in a long time, and then it's just simply gone.

[jgoldsney]

here is a quick idea of what I was thinking about....

possible variations include the positioning of the cups in various formations i.e. stacked or on their side

[canadasphere]

and if you want to switch phases around, or change them completely, it's as easy as 1-2-3.

[mattsharpe]

It's a nice idea, and if it works for you, that's all that matters.

I find that when creating a new routine, I usually have so many ideas I can't keep them straight. So what I do, is write a script for the routine. As I'm writing the script, usually more ideas will come to me and I can incorporate them. The biggest thing to remember about doing something like this, is to not use it very much.

I usually read it over to myself a couple times, walk myself through it doing the moves, and then practice again from memory, then don't look at the sheet again. If you become too dependant on the sheet/pictures, you're going to have more difficulty performing without it.

[Gregory Ross]

I Know Wilson's book has great pics/ graphs but if you have not seen or own it already, another great book for that as well and the learning material is brilliant is Ammar's book on magic. If you don't want to get his DVDs on cups and balls. But the step by step drawings are terrific. All the effects he teaches in the book are well done. I believe Wayne sells it.

[Magicman845]

Couldn't you also do this with a digital camera? Just write your notes on the back of each pic? Just a thought.

Kent

[jgoldsney]

Hmmmm that is a good idea.....