|
|
Interviewer: Chris Beason
When I normally do these interviews, I speak very highly about the magicians beforehand. I could talk about how good Richard Hucko’s magic is all day, but I’d rather let other people do it.
“Hucko, you are the king of double card changes.” – Rich Aviles (Author of ‘Above the Fold’)
“Richard Hucko is causing a stir with his technically demanding and visually stunning color changes.” - Joshua Jay (Magic Magazine, April 2012)
With so many top magicians raving about Richard’s magic, I had to ask him a few questions.
1) You have released several GREAT ideas over the last couple of years. How did you get started with creating magic?
First of all, thank you for the extremely kind words. As far as specifically focusing on creating and contributing ideas, I think it stemmed from wanting something that wasn’t available. I love to break down moves and really analyze them as well as combine them to see if there’s hidden potential. It’s also a great feeling to be able to come up with a unique idea and be able to fool or fascinate people with it. It gives both a joy in a performance-sense as well as a satisfaction in a design-sense.
“NOTHING could be more fascinating to me than understanding how great card magic is created” - Richard Kaufman (Jennings ’67)
Something that’s inherently clever within its design is extremely fascinating. Not just about the design itself, but also within the thought process used to create it. Just as technology builds upon itself in the modern world, so should our magic and our available techniques.
Sometimes ideas come quickly while sessioning with other magicians or even while working alone. However, I have found that many great ideas come later when your mind is relaxed and not under pressure to come up with something. I’ve had ideas come to me while talking on the phone and casually toying with the cards, playing with cards on nights I have a hard time falling asleep, and even gotten ideas while sitting on the toilet! I’m sure that has all been stated somewhere before but I find it very true. It also really helps to have a solid bunch of friends to bounce ideas off of and share thoughts and opinions. Remember that you can’t always make everyone happy, but different perspectives give you different opinions and can lead to solidifying an idea or even spawn new ideas.
2) How long does it generally take before you feel that a product is ready for release?
You sort of know that when your idea is becoming a separate product in itself it’s time to release it. I don’t think there’s any definitive period of time that it takes for a product to be ready for release since each individual product’s time period is relative. As stated previously, all my releases have been tied to Subtle Concepts in one way or another; although it should be noted that it was not planned that way. After the release of Subtle Concepts, Jo Sevau and I kept playing with ideas on our moves and subsequently came up with more ideas building on our existing moves. With that said, these ideas kept building and building until they sort of became separate entities within themselves.
At that point it seemed like it would be a disgrace to not release our findings. To not share the wealth of potential with moves we’ve previously taught would be very inconsiderate to our fans or fellow enthusiasts that use our moves and ideas. Also, more detail can usually be added in regards to explaining ideas anyway so it tends to make sense to add it onto the release.
Jo has some really nice ideas on a color change he released on Subtle Concepts called ‘half2twelve’ and I’m trying to get him to release it as a download since it’s at the stage of becoming a separate entity in itself because of the great ideas he’s added onto the original. I’m sure those that already know the move will be just as intrigued with the new ideas as those that aren’t familiar with it.
3) You also have some incredible flourishes. What are your thoughts on flourishes with magic?
“We have discovered, while working in bars, etc. that people enjoy watching exhibition card work. One hand cuts and shuffles, fans, spreads, color changes, etc., all have their place in card magic” -Jim Steranko (Steranko on Cards)
I know that the late great Jerry Andrus had similar thoughts regarding flourishes as well. Flourishes can certainly be used effectively in card magic. It’s true that they should be used to enhance the overall magic effect you are trying to convey rather than take away from it. I’ve found some spectators request me to do just fancy cuts for them after they see me do a couple fancy things in a trick since it is something they don’t see everyday and enjoy it. On the other hand, there are an occasional few other spectators that look at it and say “so what”, it obviously takes skill, but isn’t magical and they would prefer to see magic; however, they certainly still respect that it takes skill to do it. The combination of magic and flourishes also keeps things visually interesting. So it seems as though a blend of the two can really be used to your advantage if combined nicely.
The one great thing that flourishes do better than anything else is show that you have skill and hence you know what you’re doing. Laymen understand that and will respect you for it; I’ve found that it’s the quickest route to gaining respect from spectators.
Although, It’s not a new idea, I find it fun and effective to say that I have a ‘fake deck’ that does the work for me and do a bunch of difficult flourishes. Everyone realizes that this takes skill and seems to enjoy the tongue in cheek aspect while watching you display your dexterity. It also doesn’t scream out ‘look at me and how good I am’, but rather shows you know your stuff and have a good sense of humor. Sort of tying the skill in with being down to earth rather than being snobby about it.
“A demonstration of one-hand cuts and shuffles is probably the best method known of gaining a reputation among laymen as a skillful card handler” - Lynn Searles
4) Your magic is incredibly smooth. How do you generally practice a new move?
Practice is something that is very much enjoyable to me and I find that allowing yourself to get acquainted with a new move is absolutely essential. Understand the mechanics of the move and do it slowly, build up the speed and after you get it down, re-examine it and do it slowly some more. Examine if every aspect makes sense and is done in the best way possible for making the move work. Try different ideas out to see if they work better, if they make sense then keep doing it, if they don’t then drop the idea (or re-examine it and come back to it later). Always practice what you know works and do it repetitiously to make it a habit.
5) Finally, what advice do you have for someone who wants to make their magic smoother?
Once you can do a move without thinking about it, you can then work on smoothness. Smoothness is much related to mastery. You may have to adjust timing or the technique in order to make it smoother.
“Make your moves casual, not strained, not awkward — that’s one of the biggest hurdles we must overcome. Make it smooth — SMOOOTH.” - Jerry Andrus (Andrus Card Control)
Have fun with what you do and video yourself to get unbiased feedback. Make your actions look like the actions of someone actually doing magic and try to convince yourself that what you are doing is magic while you do it or at the very least be sure to treat it as an art form. Try it make each thing you do as beautiful as you can, so if someone just sees only one part of your performance they can be satisfied to say they experienced magic.
Thanks for your interest and I hope I’ve provided you with an entertaining experience as well as some insight on improving your magic and some new techniques to add to your arsenal. If you did enjoy this check out the new Subtle Concepts 2 DVD, it will certainly please; keep your eye out for it on Penguin’s site and take care!
- Chris Beason>
born to perform.
When I normally do these interviews, I speak very highly about the magicians beforehand. I could talk about how good Richard Hucko’s magic is all day, but I’d rather let other people do it.
“Hucko, you are the king of double card changes.” – Rich Aviles (Author of ‘Above the Fold’)
“Richard Hucko is causing a stir with his technically demanding and visually stunning color changes.” - Joshua Jay (Magic Magazine, April 2012)
With so many top magicians raving about Richard’s magic, I had to ask him a few questions.
1) You have released several GREAT ideas over the last couple of years. How did you get started with creating magic?
First of all, thank you for the extremely kind words. As far as specifically focusing on creating and contributing ideas, I think it stemmed from wanting something that wasn’t available. I love to break down moves and really analyze them as well as combine them to see if there’s hidden potential. It’s also a great feeling to be able to come up with a unique idea and be able to fool or fascinate people with it. It gives both a joy in a performance-sense as well as a satisfaction in a design-sense.
“NOTHING could be more fascinating to me than understanding how great card magic is created” - Richard Kaufman (Jennings ’67)
Something that’s inherently clever within its design is extremely fascinating. Not just about the design itself, but also within the thought process used to create it. Just as technology builds upon itself in the modern world, so should our magic and our available techniques.
Sometimes ideas come quickly while sessioning with other magicians or even while working alone. However, I have found that many great ideas come later when your mind is relaxed and not under pressure to come up with something. I’ve had ideas come to me while talking on the phone and casually toying with the cards, playing with cards on nights I have a hard time falling asleep, and even gotten ideas while sitting on the toilet! I’m sure that has all been stated somewhere before but I find it very true. It also really helps to have a solid bunch of friends to bounce ideas off of and share thoughts and opinions. Remember that you can’t always make everyone happy, but different perspectives give you different opinions and can lead to solidifying an idea or even spawn new ideas.
2) How long does it generally take before you feel that a product is ready for release?
You sort of know that when your idea is becoming a separate product in itself it’s time to release it. I don’t think there’s any definitive period of time that it takes for a product to be ready for release since each individual product’s time period is relative. As stated previously, all my releases have been tied to Subtle Concepts in one way or another; although it should be noted that it was not planned that way. After the release of Subtle Concepts, Jo Sevau and I kept playing with ideas on our moves and subsequently came up with more ideas building on our existing moves. With that said, these ideas kept building and building until they sort of became separate entities within themselves.
At that point it seemed like it would be a disgrace to not release our findings. To not share the wealth of potential with moves we’ve previously taught would be very inconsiderate to our fans or fellow enthusiasts that use our moves and ideas. Also, more detail can usually be added in regards to explaining ideas anyway so it tends to make sense to add it onto the release.
Jo has some really nice ideas on a color change he released on Subtle Concepts called ‘half2twelve’ and I’m trying to get him to release it as a download since it’s at the stage of becoming a separate entity in itself because of the great ideas he’s added onto the original. I’m sure those that already know the move will be just as intrigued with the new ideas as those that aren’t familiar with it.
3) You also have some incredible flourishes. What are your thoughts on flourishes with magic?
“We have discovered, while working in bars, etc. that people enjoy watching exhibition card work. One hand cuts and shuffles, fans, spreads, color changes, etc., all have their place in card magic” -Jim Steranko (Steranko on Cards)
I know that the late great Jerry Andrus had similar thoughts regarding flourishes as well. Flourishes can certainly be used effectively in card magic. It’s true that they should be used to enhance the overall magic effect you are trying to convey rather than take away from it. I’ve found some spectators request me to do just fancy cuts for them after they see me do a couple fancy things in a trick since it is something they don’t see everyday and enjoy it. On the other hand, there are an occasional few other spectators that look at it and say “so what”, it obviously takes skill, but isn’t magical and they would prefer to see magic; however, they certainly still respect that it takes skill to do it. The combination of magic and flourishes also keeps things visually interesting. So it seems as though a blend of the two can really be used to your advantage if combined nicely.
The one great thing that flourishes do better than anything else is show that you have skill and hence you know what you’re doing. Laymen understand that and will respect you for it; I’ve found that it’s the quickest route to gaining respect from spectators.
Although, It’s not a new idea, I find it fun and effective to say that I have a ‘fake deck’ that does the work for me and do a bunch of difficult flourishes. Everyone realizes that this takes skill and seems to enjoy the tongue in cheek aspect while watching you display your dexterity. It also doesn’t scream out ‘look at me and how good I am’, but rather shows you know your stuff and have a good sense of humor. Sort of tying the skill in with being down to earth rather than being snobby about it.
“A demonstration of one-hand cuts and shuffles is probably the best method known of gaining a reputation among laymen as a skillful card handler” - Lynn Searles
4) Your magic is incredibly smooth. How do you generally practice a new move?
Practice is something that is very much enjoyable to me and I find that allowing yourself to get acquainted with a new move is absolutely essential. Understand the mechanics of the move and do it slowly, build up the speed and after you get it down, re-examine it and do it slowly some more. Examine if every aspect makes sense and is done in the best way possible for making the move work. Try different ideas out to see if they work better, if they make sense then keep doing it, if they don’t then drop the idea (or re-examine it and come back to it later). Always practice what you know works and do it repetitiously to make it a habit.
5) Finally, what advice do you have for someone who wants to make their magic smoother?
Once you can do a move without thinking about it, you can then work on smoothness. Smoothness is much related to mastery. You may have to adjust timing or the technique in order to make it smoother.
“Make your moves casual, not strained, not awkward — that’s one of the biggest hurdles we must overcome. Make it smooth — SMOOOTH.” - Jerry Andrus (Andrus Card Control)
Have fun with what you do and video yourself to get unbiased feedback. Make your actions look like the actions of someone actually doing magic and try to convince yourself that what you are doing is magic while you do it or at the very least be sure to treat it as an art form. Try it make each thing you do as beautiful as you can, so if someone just sees only one part of your performance they can be satisfied to say they experienced magic.
Thanks for your interest and I hope I’ve provided you with an entertaining experience as well as some insight on improving your magic and some new techniques to add to your arsenal. If you did enjoy this check out the new Subtle Concepts 2 DVD, it will certainly please; keep your eye out for it on Penguin’s site and take care!
- Chris Beason>
born to perform.