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| I can’t tell you how many times my old friend and mentor, the late Bill Smith, came to mind as I worked on this project. In 1976, Bill took me to my first magic convention in Philadelphia, where he bought his first Wonder Bar from Steve Duschek himself. Bill dearly loved thread magic, and instantly bought any new effect that used them. I’m sure he must have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on his obsession with animations and levitations, and I’m sure his giddy passion played a part in my own love for the topic. I truly wish I could have watched these videos with that dear friend. He would have giggled with delight so many times that it breaks my heart to think of his absence, and if this concentrated dose of thread magic doesn’t turn you into a thread head as well, then nothing probably will.
If you are familiar with the Easy to Master series, you’ll notice we’ve approached this topic a little differently than with previous videos. The cards, coins and currency used on those videos are not only more common than invisible threads, but the genre of thread magic itself is, by comparison, in its infancy. Threads more invisible than human hair have only been around about 40 years, so it seemed logical that I should give much more supporting information than I did with established topics such as cards and coins. So these videos present an overview of thread magic that includes details on what threads to use, where to find them, comparisons in terms of strength and visibility, the various hookups used in thread magic, and details on a wide range of gimmicks used to accomplish different things. I realize some people might question the very idea of thread magic as an Easy to Master topic. Isn’t invisible thread another way of saying fragile and difficult to manage? And doesn’t something that’s expensive and invisible carry a built-in frustration factor making its use impractical? Good questions, and you’ll find answers to those questions on these videos. You’ll learn how to find invisible thread at a fraction of the cost you’re probably used to paying, as well as how to rehearse thread magic in ways that make the most sense. In fact, anyone who has an Invisible Thread Reel, or I.T.R., is going to find a method for rehearsing that is, as they say, worth the price of the videos. I suppose the main contention would revolve around the term “Easy” in the title. Over the years I’ve learned that “easy” is a term that can mean something different for every person that uses it. Card magic has such a broad range of techniques and methods, that you can feel safe drawing a line dividing those that require countless hours of practice from those that are comparatively simple. But can you do the same when it comes to the techniques used with invisible thread? Frankly, I think it can be done. Many thread techniques require less time to learn than a card routine of any length or complexity. When it comes to thread magic, most of the difficulty revolves around the idea of handling the threads, rehearsing with them, carrying the thread around with you, and then accessing the thread for performances in real world situations. I’m happy to say these videos contain lots of information about how to do that, much of which has never been revealed anyplace. Beyond that, it would probably surprise you to learn how simple it is to animate and levitate objects using invisible thread. Why it’s downright easy! In fact, most of it so so easy you might feel guilty about how the powerful impact thread magic will have on an audience. Try it a couple of times and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Of course people have been using silk and even human hair for many years to create magic. The Floating Bill, for example, is printed as The Floating Paper Ball in the June 1901 issue of Stanyon’s, only instead of the primary anchor being in the mouth, it’s attached to the back of the ear. The irony is that over 100 years ago, this effect is referred to as an “old chestnut.” Consequently, historians might take offense to the reference of modern performers in titles such as the LeClair Hookup, but this is certainly not the first time that has been done. Bobo did a similar thing with the Goshman Pinch in Modern Coin Magic, but even closer to home, the LeClair Hookup was used by Marvelli and Joro of Germany to float a cork years before Bruno Hennig taught his modifications to Fred Kaps. Yet we still refer to that routine as The Fred Kaps Floating Cork. So the established pattern is that when a current performer does such an outstanding job with a specific technique, it’s simply easier to reference that performer when discussing that technique, and I think that’s OK as long as you make it clear when teaching the technique whether the title refers to the creator of that technique or just its most prominent proponent; a distinction which was made in every case on these videos. In the end, these videos represent the most condensed synthesis of contemporary thread magic, methods and concepts in any form. Anyone with experience using threads will probably agree that there is more magical potential in a single length of invisible thread than in almost anything else. It has the potential to create lifelong memories and carve legendary reputations. So if the idea of moving to a higher level of astonishment appeals to you, maybe now is the time to see why thread magic creates the excitement that it does. I just wish I could be there with you when you do it, because you, too, will probably laugh with delight, just as Bill used to do, and that would make it all worthwhile! From L&L Publishing Presents, Special Issue Number 18 |