Video: Talent Show

So, here is the video of me performing at a talent show.

Just a few points:
The lights were fine live...just white washed on the video.
The beginning was cut off, so you miss the part where I ask if anyone has a dollar bill, and to fold it so Washington is on the inside.
This is the raw video of a raw performance, so there are some rough spots, and parts where it grinds to screeching halt. I've made note of where some problems lie and I am working on fixing them.

So, for your enjoyment, hopefully, my video:




Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Old Magic Videos

A while ago I started Magic Archives. I recieved video tapes of old magic performances, mostly from Japanese television, from eBay. I felt that these videos could be better served than sitting on my shelf. I uploaded them onto YouTube to let public, and magic community see the past masters of our art. I feel this is a great tribute to them, and I feel a great respect when I see them posted on other sites. I regularly check the comments the videos get, and delete any that even hint at methods (although the other comments are sometimes worse). The Dai Vernon videos are clips from a Dai Vernon documentary, and are only there to pique the interest and encourage people to watch the documentary (Dai Vernon: Spirit of Magic). There have been DVDs released in the past few years that are "performance only" clips of past magicians performing on TV shows, and live shows (Fred Kaps, Magic Ranch, You Asked For It). I thouroughly enjoy those kind, and I own a few. I could simply upload them onto YouTube, but since they are now commercially sold, I would encourage other people to actually buy them. I wish other people would not post commercial videos on YouTube. All the response I've gotten from the videos I put up has been positive, and I will try to upload more videos (I swear there's a missing tape I have yet to find). In the mean time, I will be posting information about old magic magazines every once in a while. I did that with Genii magazines, but I think it would be more interesting to do the lesser known journals.

I look foward to posting.

Step Inside,
R. Ruse

Looking Back

The year is 1928, London.

Number 3, Volume 2 of Edward Bagshawe's Magical Journal.




Included:

Adverts for:

"Radiana" (A mentally selected card vanishes from a full deck, and reappears to be examined) "Four Shillings, Post Free
"Cigarette Magic & Manipulation" By Dev. Deveen. Price 4s. 6d., postage 2d.
"Original Spiritualistic Effects" By Edward Bagshawe. Part Four.- "Novel MYsteries." Price 3s., postage 2d.
"The Super Self Shifting Pack" (A selected card is placed in the middle of the deck, without any movement the card is found on the top of the pack) Two Shillings and Sixpence, post free.
"Syko, The Insolvable" Price 6s. 6d., post paid.

Tricks:

"The Sympathetic Number." By F.R. Squire
"Simplified Psychic Writing" By S.H. Sharpe
"A Card Sleight" By F. Edward Cook.

Jottings:

"A lot of people talk to themselves, but the ventriloquist is the only man who can make a living that way."
"To-day's biscuit goes to- the magical author who said if his first publication: "Undoubtedly the best book I have ever written.""
"The Great Bunco cables us that he has just had a very interesting chat with the Prince of Wales. Up to the present, the Prince of Wales has not cabled that he has had an interesting chat with the Great Bunco."

(All text Copyright original author, reproduced for posterity.)

A Magical Weekend

This weekend was quite busy.

Saturday:

A while back I entered into the Asian Student Organization's talent show. I didn't expect much, just do a quick bit, and be done. It was for a $200 cash prize for first. So Saturday comes around, the performers met in a room, and went over the itinerary, this included activities that had those who were not attending the University, to take a tour, and get to know it a little. They had to have some sort of campus involvement which luckily, I did not have to go on. So I went home, the meager the lunch was not enough, so I had some supplemental lunch. I waited until the 5:00 sound check. This ended up being the 6:30 sound check, and finally, 15 minutes late, the show started. I was 6th, maybe 7th..it was a small roster. Before me was a guy I knew, and he sang and played the guitar, and another singer, guitar person was on after. Then a song and dance group closed the show. They are the only ones I saw, since I was in the dressing room backstage during most of it.

Being an Asian Student Organization, most of the talent were Asian, and I was the only white guy.

An interesting thing, while the sound was getting checked, the judges came in, and one of them brought their kid. I was delighted to see that this kid had a deck of cards with him. I instantly made note of that, and instead of using my deck, I would use his, and being the son of one of the judges, thought I'd get a favorable score. It was a nice bit, and it worked out. I should have some video of it up soon.

Then I got ready for the next day.

Sunday:

It all started off rather nice. Didn't have to wake up to an alarm, stayed in bed until I was ready to face the day. And even then, it was a pretty easy day. I was driving over to Madison, about 2 1/2 hours away, to go to the I.B.M Ring 31 meeting. I went a couple months ago to see a lecture, and wanted to see what a normal meeting consisted of. So, I get there around 5:00, have dinner at the restaurant where the meeting is, and then came in as they were finishing the buisiness end of the meeting. I'm thinking of joining the I.B.M, so I could get the two signatures I needed, and possibly join the "local" ring. The other Wisconsin ring is in Milwaukee. After attending a meeting, I'm still not sure whether to join the local club, the lecture was fine a few months ago, but the meeting was a little lackluster.

I bought a book, and did some tricks, and then at 8:30 started the long drive home.
If I lived maybe half and hour away, I would go every month, but I don't think it is worth it to drive 2 1/2 hours to see a few tricks.

I still think I'll join the I.B.M though. I am already a member of S.A.M.

The magic filled weekend had some ups and downs, it was mostly relaxing.

And the talent show.... The night was filled with hip-hop dancers and singers. A nice piece of mentalism just brought things to a screeching halt, I didn't win any of the prizes, but you live, you learn.

Step Inside,

Robert Ruse

Putting on a Show

I am currently in development for a one man show.

Robert Ruse
Might of Thought

I submitted a proposal to work on the show through the university I am attending. The proposal was approved, and set for the performance date of November 14.

I have seven months to create tricks, write, block, and rehearse a 70 minute one man mentalism show.

The theatre is a 3/4 thrust stage that is on the same level as the first row seats, and the seats are stepped. This is going to be a unique challenge for angles, but I feel it will be worth it because of the intimate nature it provides.

I will keep an update of my progress through out the months, and hope enough people will be interested in it.

So far here are some of my ideas:

-Balloon Monte (trick)
-Cosmopolitan (trick)
-Video interlude...transitioning into a live ending
-Video of past magicians (preshow)
-Pow (trick)
-Drawing duplication (need to create, or find one)
-Metal bending


This is going to become my touring show, so the technical aspect (in terms of theatricality) will be minimal-enough light to see me, and to see the audience, and make sure they can hear me. This of course puts more pressure on me to carry the show for the entire time, and not let it drag. I welcome you all to

Step Inside,

R. Ruse