Magic Stories

Paul Green: Twice in One Day at Motor City Convention
Paul Green Teaching in Optional Session

When we left our running account of John Luka’s Motor City Close-Up Convention this weekend, we began our observation of Paul Green’s lecture en medius rex.

We entered the lecture room mid-way through his explanation of a paddle trick.

The effect was clever.  On a white paddle upon which he wrote the volunteer’s name. Despite our concern that we had vastly over-rated Mr. Green’s abilities and the value of his lecture, we decided to wait out this one segment before leaving. 

We remained in the lecture room for most of the day and evening. 

Mr. Green, we learned, had an unique talent for hooking both laymen and magicians.  As in the case of the paddle trick, he showed us not only a new routine and refined handling, but a clever way of leaving an audience member with a souvenir of the close-up routine. The white paddle ends with the spectator’s name on one side and the word “magic” on the opposite.

It was an unexpected twist and clever as all get out. 

We liked Mr. Green’s style, substance and durability.  He not only gave the morning lecture, he also held a special afternoon “workshop” for some of us for a very reasonable additional charge.

The morning lecture used many effects we all have purchased over the years but perhaps have not used or considered even finding.

Consider the venerable Magician’s Insurance Policy. 

If aliens were to suddenly land on our planet to abduct all those who currently possess the Magician’s Insurance Policy for probing experiments, there would be only mimes available for kids’ parties. We’d be willing to bet our current Visa cash-advance credit limit we’d be feeling special — either “good special” or “bad special” in some space ship. 

Mr. Green’s routine makes use of the Insurance Policy along the way but it is only one-third of the finale.  In fact, it is not even the final revelation of the chosen card.  His thinking on the effect was like a woosh of fresh air into a previously boarded home.  It flung things around in our spider-web covered mental attic, and for the first time in a long time, we noticed things previously covered with dust.

Okay, maybe that’s overstating it.  Still, it was a great routine and we did go so far as to buy a new policy from Mr. Green as well as the other prop for his three-part finale. 

Mr. Green is known for his incredible mastery of The Classic Force.  Later, during the evening close-up show, we watched as he successfully used The Classic Force five times in a row on the same person.  He missed on his sixth attempt but hit it on the seventh. 

He gave some instruction in the general lecture but his teaching during the workshop session was more in-depth and tailored to our individual needs. 

We can count the number of sleights we believe we have mastered on one hand.  And if we counted the same one twice, we’d still have two fingers and a thumb left. …

Paul Green Teaching in Optional Session

When we left our running account of John Luka’s Motor City Close-Up Convention this weekend, we began our observation of Paul Green’s lecture en medius rex.

We entered the lecture room mid-way through his explanation of a paddle trick.

The effect was clever.  On a white paddle upon which he wrote the volunteer’s name. Despite our concern that we had vastly over-rated Mr. Green’s abilities and the value of his lecture, we decided to wait out this one segment before leaving. 

We remained in the lecture room for most of the day and evening. 

Mr. Green, we learned, had an unique talent for hooking both laymen and magicians.  As in the case of the paddle trick, he showed us not only a new routine and refined handling, but a clever way of leaving an audience member with a souvenir of the close-up routine. The white paddle ends with the spectator’s name on one side and the word “magic” on the opposite.

It was an unexpected twist and clever as all get out. 

We liked Mr. Green’s style, substance and durability.  He not only gave the morning lecture, he also held a special afternoon “workshop” for some of us for a very reasonable additional charge.

The morning lecture used many effects we all have purchased over the years but perhaps have not used or considered even finding.

Consider the venerable Magician’s Insurance Policy. 

If aliens were to suddenly land on our planet to abduct all those who currently possess the Magician’s Insurance Policy for probing experiments, there would be only mimes available for kids’ parties. We’d be willing to bet our current Visa cash-advance credit limit we’d be feeling special — either “good special” or “bad special” in some space ship. 

Mr. Green’s routine makes use of the Insurance Policy along the way but it is only one-third of the finale.  In fact, it is not even the final revelation of the chosen card.  His thinking on the effect was like a woosh of fresh air into a previously boarded home.  It flung things around in our spider-web covered mental attic, and for the first time in a long time, we noticed things previously covered with dust.

Okay, maybe that’s overstating it.  Still, it was a great routine and we did go so far as to buy a new policy from Mr. Green as well as the other prop for his three-part finale. 

Mr. Green is known for his incredible mastery of The Classic Force.  Later, during the evening close-up show, we watched as he successfully used The Classic Force five times in a row on the same person.  He missed on his sixth attempt but hit it on the seventh. 

He gave some instruction in the general lecture but his teaching during the workshop session was more in-depth and tailored to our individual needs. 

We can count the number of sleights we believe we have mastered on one hand.  And if we counted the same one twice, we’d still have two fingers and a thumb left. 

Paul Green Holds Court

We decided 30 years-ago to always attempt The Classic Force when starting a card trick.  If we succeeded, super!  If we failed, we learned something important for our next try with our next participant.  This practice philosophy helped to develop a pretty refined touch, and good timing.  It also required us to constantly invent new “outs” for our intended card tricks.

So, we knew we had nothing to learn from Mr. Green.  The portion of the lecture dealing with The Classic Force and the intensive workshop on several tricks but with emphasis on The Classic Force, would be for others.

We were wrong.

Just as we were way off-base thinking the paddle move was beneath our station, we soon learned we could stand to receive instruction from someone who performs The Classic Force for a living.

Mr. Green’s discussion of the six dimensions of space in which the force is offered was enlightening.  We had never thought about our approach to the force to be anything other than timing the rush of the cards and the grasp of the volunteer’s hand. 

Mr. Green’s spatial and time approach to the sleight sounded too academic at first, but after listening to and watching his instruction, we are convinced he is correct.

If you have a chance to see Mr. Green lecture, seize the opportunity.  If you do not currently use The Classic Force or you have “mastered” it, you will benefit greatly from the instruction and insight.

Mr. Green taught us the Roy Walton Card Warp.  Pursuant to his agreement with the inventor, he swore he would never teach the effect outside a face-to-face setting.  He could teach it, then, in a lecture or workshop, but never on-tape or in a book.  The right to exploit the invention belonged — as it should — with its inventor. 

He required us to promise to keep the secret.  We will abide by the promise but we want to tell you so badly.  We can’t but we want to.  It is funny how there are so many parallels between the world of magic and our real-world but unfortunately, there is no nationally-hyped medical treatment for our frustrated desire to tell you the secret.

Mr. Green spent about 20-minutes on the Roy Walton Card Warp during his morning lecture and spent almost 45-minutes giving us personalize instruction on the handling.  It is outstanding.  We can tell you it is different than any Card Warp than we’ve seen before. The ending to the routine makes sense and leaves the spectators with a literally warped card in a condition they can fully-examine.

Mr. Green’s morning lecture also included his tips on how to secure and keep trade-show gigs.  In a market where the magician’s skills must focus on bringing his or her client “hot leads,” it is not the tricks you perform that matter.  How you perform the effects (including the patter improvised for you client’s particular needs) must provide real-world results. 

Produce sales leads and the world is your oyster.  Fail to provide sales leads, you’re breakfast, lunch, and dinner will consist of oyster crackers and Ketchup. 

Bottom line: Paul Green’s lecture is fantastic.  It was helpful, interesting, and very practical.  Even more beneficial, however, was the intensive session during his optional workshop.  Mr. Green is a patient instructor and was willing to take the time to teach each one of us the handling of sleights and routines.

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