Ambitious Card Dread...

I'll be making another trip to the mall tomorrow, and this time the repertoire will be consisting of two things -- Card to Pocket and the Ambitious Card. Now, I've worked with variations on the Card to Pocket theme and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to work with it, particularly if I've got a borrowed deck situation, but the Ambitious Card, on the other hand, yeesh...

A while ago I wrote about my feelings about the ACR, and I'm in the weird situation where I've now got to do it, despite the fact that those feelings haven't changed. My own reasons for not wanting to do it are very similar to Tyler's... the power demonstrated in the ACR (making a card jump to the top of the deck) is one I don't want to claim. I'd rather have a card secretly come to the top of the deck to get set up for a totally different effect. Unfortunately, Tyler's calling the shots on this one and I have to go along with it.

I know there are many useful things I can learn from doing this -- understanding the power of the offbeat, capitalizing on the right timing, adjusting to the needs of the moment (ie: switching methods depending upon the situation), understanding how spectators' suspicions evolve.

I've got ideas on how to present the ACR as well (the current favourite being a spin of the way Eugene Burger introduces Triumph -- eg: highlighting its place in the history of card magic), but unfortunately, another part of this exercise that's important is eliminating all presentation and concentrating purely on execution -- presentation being the luxury and privilege of the experienced. Plus, there's also the fact that the venue that I've got isn't conducive to large presentation pieces anyway. I'm not even supposed to write down a set plan for how the routine will go, but instead keep overall strategic goals in mind. When I went to Tyler with an idea that I wanted to do something nice and brisk, three phases and then the Pop-up Climax, ta-da, he said that was too short. When I told him that I didn't want it any longer than five, that idea was shot down, in favour of this... I'm to perform ACR phases until I've completely sold them on the conviction in the effect, and then end with a Climax in which they get to see it arrive, such as a face-up rise or the Pop-up Climax.

So, instead of being able to map things out, I've got to look at ACR phases in terms of sequences and combinations, and use their reactions as the routine evolves to make alterations on the spot. In a sense, this is very much what Daryl talks about doing in his Ambitious Card DVD (and by proxy of Minch in the Omnibus) with the term "jazz-magic", and while I can certainly see the merits in this, under no circumstances do I want to do anything close to Daryl's juggernaut of a routine.

So instead of actually doing a routine from start to finish, I've been practicing units -- pass and top change, tilt + DLs, Bluff Pass + DLs, and finding a way to get into a face-up rise. I'm putting off the Pop-Up Climax for the moment since I might have to use borrowed decks and I'm already spreading myself pretty thin with all this new stuff.

The ubiquitous nature of the plot does make it pretty risky to be doing this routine for random people, and while thankfully I do have a couple of secret weapons that you won't find Youtube tutorials for, I'm hoping I don't need them.

I'll report back on how it goes.