Spots by Michael Ross And Bill Abbott
- Product Code: C#7467
- Reward Points: 10
- Availability: In Stock
- $5.99
-
$2.99
- Price in reward points: 299
- Bill Abbott
The Effect
The performer explains that he will place the audience under a mild hypnotic spell and demonstrate an optical illusion in the form of a card with four(?) sides. True to form the magician proceeds to show a large black domino-like card with white spots. One spot on one side, four on the other, then three on the third(?) side and six (?) on the other! This is shown two more times and then the performer explains the psychological and manual manipulation that creates the illusion of a four sided card. Due to the way the card is held the spots are either displayed or covered by the fingers and the minds of the audience create the illusion of a four sided card. Then things get strange when the performer shows that the illusions have become a reality and spots start magically appearing at every turn of the card. Finally in one final turn of the card, it is suddenly filled with white dots bringing the routine (and hypnotic spell!) to a mind blowing conclusion!
An Introduction
The spot card has been an unsung standard in the repertoire of many professional performers, including magic superstar David Copperfield. Michael Ross, under the stage name of Merlin, has developed the perfect fusion of elegant technique and engaging performance unlike any other spot card routine. With Michael's handling you can perform this up close and completely surrounded as Michael often has in the over 30 years of performing this routine. On the street, at a house party or for 2500 on a theatre stage, Spots is truly a pack small play anywhere routine.
SPOTS Pro Package Includes:
- Printed scripts for both the adult routine and the family routine.
A 60 minute DVD featuring:
A Live Performance
Michael performs the routine for an adult audience at an intimate private party. You will experience how Spots plays for a modern audience of professionals in a house party environment.
A Personal History
Michael shares his initial inspiration for the optical illusion presentation from a Pavel effect and his discontent with the traditional spot card handling that led to SPOTS Michael's original spot card technique.
Routines, Audiences & Venues
Michael has performed this routine for every kind of audience and in every kind of environment. Children audiences, family audiences, corporate audiences, comedy clubs and even silently to music. Michael explains how he has used SPOTS as a great segue piece, a lead in into the Invisible Deck or to the Torn & Restored Newspaper effect. The idea, the premise and the patter sets everything up for the tricks he performs during his show. Michael dissects the guaranteed laugh points during the routine, how to play the optical illusion sequence to get a laugh and then how to get two steps ahead of the audience into the multiple spots.
An Audience Proven Routine
This is a not a trick that Michael has performed on dozens of show, or hundreds of shows but a staple in his repertoire he has performed for thousands of shows over the course of 30 years. Michael explains how SPOTS became an audience tested and audience proven effect over years of experience.
The SPOTS Method & Handling
Michael shows how the standard handling and method for the spot card had to be re-worked to achieve the impact that he wanted the trick to have on his audiences. He explains how to hold the card so it doesn't block the audience's view of your face and how to be sure everyone can view the changes and transformations from any angle, even from behind! The surrounded handling is explained and demonstrated so that all the secret movements become invisible no matter where your audience is situated. Even if you don't ever perform this surrounded Michael explains why learning the 'surrounded technique' makes for a better rehearsal experience and overall theatrical competence. Vertical and horizontal positioning of the card for psychological reasons is clarified and explained to get maximum impact from the audiences viewpoint. Getting precise spot movement and how to adjust on the fly if needed is demonstrated in detail.
Walk-Through from The Performers View
A complete routine sequence from the performer's point of view to nail the necessary hand positions perfectly for rehearsal. Every nuance of how to perform the routine and the important "why's" of every aspect are also explained.
Practice Sequence from the Front & from Behind
The routine sequence performed silently from the front (audience view) and then from behind (performer's view), to practice along with. This will help you get the hand positions into your physical memory and get you up and running that much faster.
Adding Glue or Wax to Perfect Your Technique
Michael explains how he used drops of glue or wax when he first performed the routine to help line up the spots by feel under fire. This may be of great help when adapting the routine into your repertoire for the first few performances.
Adult Routine Studio Performance
The entire routine utilizing the adult script (included) is performed for the camera in the studio.
Family Routine Studio Performance
The complete family routine with family script (included) is performed for the camera in the studio.
Set-Up & Prop Placement
Pre-show spot set-up for both sides of the cards and how to get the card in and out of the bag without upsetting the set-up. How and where to place the card before your performance to ensure a safe, secure and exposure-free placement of the prop.
Conversation with Bill Abbott
Bill Abbott and Michael Ross discuss their professional relationship over the years and how Michael's performance of SPOTS made a strong impact on Bill early on in his performance career. A wide variety of topics are touched on and commented on including; performance commitment vs. strong material, how audiences sometimes resent applause cues, producing laughs by expressing an audience's inner thoughts, letting an audience enjoy the moment, SPOTS as a 'tester' routine for audiences, and much, much more.
This Package does not include the Spot Card!
Reviews (0)
Related Products
Rift by Cody Nottingham
Passing through a solid object isn't just for comic book heroes anymore. Rift is a revol..
$3.99 $6.99
Hole In One by Sansminds Creative Labs
We honestly feel that good magic is magic that solves a problem. Modern magic is visual -- peop..
$1.99 $5.99
Recommend
Back Me Up by John Carey
We are delighted to release this new download by our friend John Carey called Back Me Up!It's a very..
$0.99 $8.55
The Vault - Rope With Hole 2.0 by Dingding
An impossible penetration effect!Show a playing card with three holes punched through it. You tie a ..
$1.99 $12.00
Jon Armstrong Close-Up Magic Download Bundle by Jon Armstrong
Three practical and commercial routines from one the most popular performers at the Magic Castle and..
$2.99 $26.95
Out Of This Blah Blah Blah by Jon Armstrong
Your new favorite take on Paul Curry's most famous card trick "Out of this World" has finally arrive..
$1.99 $16.95
Orbs Of Power by Jon Armstrong
Fun, practical and powerful. Jon Armstrong's "Orbs of Power" is an excellent take on the classic Fol..
$1.99 $16.95
Three Blank Monte by Jon Armstrong
A true gem directly from Jon Armstrong's working close-up magic set. "Three Blank Monte" offers an i..
$1.99 $16.95
Thought Of Card To Box by Christian Grace
One of my favourite plots in all of card magic is Card to impossible location. Here I teach one of m..
$0.99 $3.99
Locking The Deck by Christian Grace
A surprising effect whereby a deck that's been handled by the spectator becomes completely blank. A ..
$0.99 $3.99
May 2022 by Genii Magazine
FEATURE18 Randy Pitchford: Saving The Magic Castle20 The Creation of a Magic Castle by Dustin Stinet..
$0.99 $3.99
101 Amazing Card Tricks by Bob Longer
Have nothing but a deck of cards? With this book youll soon be dealing out playful poker, and four-a..
$0.99 $3.99
3 Foolers (Video+Pdf) by Christian Grace
Full lecture by Christian Grace from the London Underground Event hosted and filmed by @Studio52 inc..
$0.99 $3.99
Memories by Nikolas Mavresis
Drawing Duplication (DD) is one of the APEX predators of Mentalism. It is simple to follow, direct i..
$1.99 $4.99