Dai Vernon Seminar by Roberto Giobbi

Roberto Giobbi Lecture – Chicago, IL 3/7/09 Roosevelt University

I met Simon Aronson, John Bannon, Benjamin Barnes, Eric (Bluefield, WV), David Kovac, and then of course the man of the hour Roberto Giobbi.

Before we start the lecture Roberto is beside of me speaking to a gentleman about how to take out the cards. Bending the flap back to break it in. Establishing eye contact first. Saying something of importance while you get the cards out into your hand THEN look at the cards, do a thumb fan, introduce the deck.
He was questioning the gentleman’s handling of the faro shuffle. Roberto asked was he left or right handed. Roberto said that this is a very important question regarding the sleight. And then he mentioned about a bread cutter. When you purchase, it comes for right handed people or left handed people.
I’m sitting there doing flips inside as Giobbi creates these wonderful life analogies. He went straight from the bread cutter to the Japanese sword. He said that you can’t see it unless your very close, but the swords are designed specifically for your strength, right hand or left.

Now the notes:

Japanese saying: In a small world there is a big world
Giobbi- 1982 sons were born
Dai Vernon, people produced info about him, Faucett Ross, Lewis Ganson, Stephen Minch, David Ben
Dai Vernon maybe the first magician to introduce a lecture to magicians as we know it today.
Learn from the masters. Study, Practice
Structure:
Method-Technical Execution
Dramatic- See and Hear
Psychological-an intelligent mind can’t penetrate
“I’m going to teach you” is so much better then saying I’m going to “show” you. Show you is exposing yourself…low, teaching…that’s when the fingers touch…the great painting of God and Adam.
Cups and Balls clear symbols in magic
Psychological construction
Great thinker of magic—Ascanio
Establish a Theme
Classics repeat a trick over and over, but they add something to enhance
Theatrical Challenge is accepted where as Physical challenge is not.
Perfection is in the details
Geniuses will identify problems
Pop Kreeger and Max Malini were the first to get the fruit out of the back pocket. Before then it was from a servant or belly pocket.
Be careful of the “word pictures” you create in someone’s mind. Don’t work against the magic but with it.
Fake fruit use it
Use the pendulum move for fruit production
Sherlock Holmes, “you look, but you don’t observe”
Don’t pause in between the fruit production, but once at the end let the audience assimilate. Quote “Wonderment is the first step of wisdom”
Get Dai Vernon video “Spirit of Magic”
Youtube Expose of Magic
Stars of Magic- 5 card mental-a beautiful psychological construction (push off move)
Vernon said, “box the double lift on the deck”
Argentina has the highest level of magic
Dan Garrett’s banana trick. Roberto does this for luggage inspectors. If they open his luggage, they are on top of everything. He sheepishly tries to place it in his pocket with no success; it repeatedly keeps coming back in his hand. Paul Potassy said” Put your promo photo on top of your cloths in your luggage and if checked, it helps with you getting through.
Roberto likes sophisticated looking pens
Masterpieces: slow-motion aces, triumph, all backs, cups and balls,linking rings.
Roberto “Please yourself first, so you have something to give your audience”
Mark of a genius is to be complete
Roberto “Juan Tamariz is a universal genius”
Tricks should have emotional appeal
“dead mans hand” Henry Christ
Beg. Establish Plot… define the character
Mid. Conflict
End. Resolution
Find the plot
Define the plots to your magic and how that relates to life
Vernon was a perfectionist
Roberto wanted to use a prism of university knowledge to look back to magic and how it was constructed
Max Maven said “Whatever Dai did it was NOT trivial”
Magic was his vocation
He made his living by cutting little silhouettes
Ball and Cone was designed for large crowds, where the cups and balls would not play well.
Dai Vernon said “ When problems come, adjust, and don’t worry”