Stranded with a Stranger: David Ellis

In the subject line please put my desert island list . That way it comes through to me and I can get one of these recorded for you . We do have another stranded stranger with us this week , and his name is David Ellis . Now David has given us a little bio so that we can get to know him more .

Here's what David says Hi , my name is David and I'm a hobbyist magician who mainly performs for family and friends . However , I'm planning to bring a few tricks to our work Christmas party in December to see how I handle performing for a larger audience . This will definitely be out of my comfort zone , but I think it will be a fantastic learning experience .

To be honest , even performing for family and friends still gives me the shakes , but I've read that this eases over time , so I'm hoping that it will be the case for me too . My love for magic started when I was young , with my first favourite trick being the sword through ring effect or crystal cleaver . I loved it so much I actually wore it out .

I need to repurchase it soon for the nostalgia . I prefer close up , and many of my chosen tricks aren't heavy on slides . With most of my time spent working or looking after my daughter , I only get a little time each night to practice .

I'm working on some coin and card slides through Alakazam Unlimited an amazing resource with great value for the amount of content . I also try to focus on learning the tricks I already have rather than buying too many new ones , though I know it's a common challenge for all of us Because they are not slight heavy . My aim is to concentrate on the presentation .

I'm also excited to be attending Blackpool for the first time next year . Although I'll be travelling alone , I hope to run into some of . For the first time next year , although I'll be traveling alone , I hope to run into some of you and talk all things magic .

So , without further ado , here's my list of eight favorite tricks , along with one magical book and one non-magical item . Well , david , it's going to be great to see you , because I'm presuming you're going to come up and say hello to us . Of course the Alakazam team will be at Blackpool and it will be great to put faces to names .

So please do come up and say hello , if it's your first one as well . I really hope you enjoy it . I'm sure you will . It's always a great event every year . They put so much time and hard work into it as well . It's just fantastic . You mentioned Crystal Cleaver as well . It's just fantastic . You mentioned Crystal Cleaver as well .

A great trick , such a great effect . I remember having one when I was younger as well . I still have my one . I don't have the ring the ring's definitely lost , but I do still have the trick and it's just a phenomenal trick . So I'm really excited to see what your list involves . So let's get into it . David in number one has put shrapnel by Kim Anderson .

He says when I first saw the trailer it blew me away with its clean look . The trick involves a safety pin that visibly penetrates a spectator's borrowed ring . My favorite part is when the spectator holds the ring in their hand and I perform the penetration directly there . I love tricks that happen in the spectator's hands , especially when there's a fun lead up .

For instance , as taught by Kim , I start by asking if the spectator can link the ring and pin themselves , which usually involves them attempting to open the pin , as someone normally would Then I link them in an impossible way . Such a satisfying effect , great choice . And you know , if you guys haven't seen this trick , watch the trailer .

I think the trailer opens up with a visual link straight away . It just looks unbelievable . It's really like a uh , a close-up stage illusion . It's almost like a modern linking rings . It just looks phenomenal and a great opening gambit there . So that brings us to number two , which is magnet o by henry harrius and armando c .

I love bar bet style tricks or betchas . While magnet o is not sold as a betcha , I love performing it that way , betting that spectators can't knock a coin off a sharpie cap covered by an upturned glass without touching either the glass or the table .

After a minute of frantic attempts , I reveal the magic , which always brings surprised reactions , but presenting it as a betcha , I feel it adds a playful quality while still keeping the magic strong . What a great way of performing it . Such a lovely idea there with the Becher yeah , superb . It's such a great trick .

It's such a clever idea as well , and it's a very small moment , but the impossibility of having the glass there well really elevates it to something quite magnificent . So that takes us to number three , which is the apparition coin set by craig petty . Craig is such a huge figure in the magic community and I love following his youtube channel .

Apparition coins uses a silver coin , chinese coin , and a small purse to create constant transformations where the coins switch places , appear and disappear even right in the spectator's hand . It's super visual and offers a seamless flow between phases that keeps the audience guessing . I also love that it's portable and plays so well in close-up .

Another great one again . That happens in the hand , much like the ring and uh , pin , one shrapnel . Yeah , it's a great , great choice . It's a wonderful set of coins that you can do so much with , but that is the sort of standout routine for me as well . It looks incredible . And that brings us on to number four , which is Holywood by Hanson Shen .

Holywood is an incredible penetration effect where a card passes through a solid block of wood . I'm a big fan of penetration illusions and while Industrial Revelation was my original favourite , holywood is lighter , more portable and visually just as impressive . As a hobbyist . I prefer something that's easier to carry , and this is perfect .

When I perform it , I like to reference my favourite movie Back to the Future , explaining that the deck box is my time machine . We start with the cards and then go back in time to the cardboard pulp phase , where the card penetration happens , before finally arriving at the original block of wood .

This storytelling element gives it a unique twist and the audience seem to love it . I've also heard great things about Minted by Craig Squires . I should say to something that is just bigger , plays bigger and feels more impossible . And then , when I saw Holywood , I just thought what a great idea .

It just makes it so much more practical instead of having this massive , heavy lump of metal and it still looks as incredible . So a great , great choice there .

That brings us to number five , which is harry-o by lord harry , an impossible location trick . Harry-o involves vanishing a ring and making it reappear inside a bag of harry bow . This is a light-hearted trick with a great reveal , and the spectator even gets to keep some sweets at the end .

Instead of completely vanishing the ring , I sometimes change it to a haribo candy ring first , which always gets a laugh before the surprise reveal or the ring in haribo bag . A great choice . I know a friend of mine who does a version of this and I've seen him gig it . It gets phenomenal reactions .

As long as they don't accidentally eat their ring , I think it will always be good . Yeah , it's a great choice , a great effect . And it brings us to number six , which is another very sweet trick Lucky Ladybug by Joshua Ray . This is such a charming trick , which involves three cards with logs on one side and ladybirds on the other .

One of the ladybirds disappears and reappears on the back of the spectator's hands Think the web , but without the screams . I think this trick is a lot stronger because of the positive reactions .

I first performed this for my daughter , my biggest fan , who was amazed by the appearance and then even happier when she found out she could keep the ladybird as a souvenir . Never underestimate the power of a souvenir , as I still have a signed bent coin from a trick I saw when I was a child .

I genuinely believe this is a trick that can actually brighten up people's days and , like all of the tricks on this list , it's very simple to perform . Superb choice , yeah , I think if you watch the trailer to this , it's really sweet because they perform it to this , this little girl , and when the ladybird disappears there's a great reaction there .

Then when she sees the ladybird on her hand , she's not scared at all , she's just um sort of amazed , I guess is the best way of putting it . And then when , when he says to her you can keep it , her reaction is even better and I bet she keeps that for you know , forever . So yeah , great , great choice .

And that brings us to the tail end of your choices . In at number seven is Imagine by Harry and Peter Nardi . This trick is very beginner friendly but packs a punch . The effect is that the deck starts with every card's back being different .

After the mind-reading portion of the routine , the entire deck changes , with both the front and the back of all the cards turning blank . An unexpected kicker . Although the technique is straightforward , it's the presentation that makes this so memorable .

Multiple spectators can each select a card , which adds to the the interactive feel , and they're all caught off guard by the blank reveal at the end . Another great choice . Now I can't talk this trick up because it will give harry and peter an even bigger head than they already have . But in honesty it's well deserved , because this really is a phenomenal trick .

And what's interesting is there are two aspects to this which make it so unique , in that we've had so many performers mention that a blank deck ending is so interesting for a non-magic audience . Number one , because it's just an alien thing to happen , it's just a strange thing to happen , and number two , because you know , they're not aware of blank cards .

That's not something they interact with at all , that's not something that's in their world . Of course it's normal for us , but not for them . But equally , a rainbow deck , a deck of cards where each card is from a different deck of cards , is also something that's just visually striking and it's just a bizarre notion to the general public , right ?

So what's great is this has both of those aspects . It starts with that rainbow deck and then it turns blank , or you can start with it blank and then it turns into a normal deck , and then , of course , you have the little mind reading section in the middle as well , which you can have multiple spectators choose .

So , yeah , a great , great effect , and I urge anyone that hasn't checked it out do check it out . It really is a superb effect . And that brings us to a number eight , which is Invisible Deck by Eddie Fields . I was torn between B-Wave by Max Maven and the Invisible Deck , but I ultimately chose the Invisible Deck because I use it more frequently .

It's a reliable trick that gets amazing reactions with minimal setup . While some might feel it's overused , I find that audiences still find it surprising and powerful . The classic routine where a spectator shuffles an imaginary deck and flips over one card that then appears reversed in the real deck consistently wows people .

I've heard people say it makes bad magicians look like good magicians , and whilst I feel that's a slight against hobbyists , I do understand the sentiment . That being said , it's something I rarely leave home without . I mean , invisible Deck is a classic for a reason .

It's going to be around for a long time and it's one of those effects that I think we probably take for granted . It's not in the public domain enough for them to really know about it . So many people around the world use this day in , day out at their gigs and it really is just a phenomenal trick . So let's look back at your list , david .

We started off with shrapnel by kim anderson . Magnet o by henry harrius . Apparition by craig petty . Hollywood by hansen shen . Harryo by lord har . Lucky Ladybug by Joshua Ray , imagine by Harry and Peter Nardi , and Invisible Deck by Eddie Fields . What a great diverse list of tricks there . I like that .

You've got the sort of curveball in there which I would argue is probably Lucky Ladybug . There's probably not a common effect that's being performed everywhere which will make you stand out instantly . You've got the visual magic there .

You've got obviously shrapnel , and then you've got apparition , and then you've got sort of the thinker tricks like imagine and invisible deck , like the ones to make the audience really think , and then , of course , you've got car to impossible location and Hollywood , which are , you know , just phenomenal ending effects . So a great , great choice .

And that does bring us to our last items , which are , of course , our curveball items , because you're allowed eight tricks , but only one each of these . So let's find out what you put in your book . Position . Notes from a Fellow Traveller by Derren Brown is my choice , and it's a popular pick for a good reason .

His insights and stories are invaluable and he's one of my favourite performers . His live shows have even made me question reality , like his card under box routine . The book has so many layers of wisdom for any performer to appreciate . Yeah , it's a great choice and , again , it seems to be one of those books that so many performers can relate to .

It's a big , old book , but there's so many interesting anecdotes , lessons learned that we can learn from . It's a phenomenal , phenomenal book and his new show comes out next year , which I cannot wait for . I'm so excited for it . So , yeah , I think that's a superb choice and it does bring us to your non-magical item , which is pocket storage .

Keeping tricks organized and undamaged in my pockets is a constant battle , so I rely on an accordion wallet from TCC . It has space for packet tricks , my TT wooden ladybirds and my magnet-o gimmick . It's a lifesaver for keeping everything in order and preventing props from getting damaged or covered in pocket fluff .

The accordion wallet from TCC you know it just advances what we already have into something even more unique . So a great , great choice and a great list . So thank you so much , david , for sending in your list to us and , once again , if you guys want to send in your list , please send in your list to sales at alakazamcouk .

The more of these we get , the more episodes we can get . I think at the time of recording this one overall , in terms of the main podcast and the Stranger with a Stranger episodes . I think we're on about 57 episodes , which is incredible , and our listenership , week on week , is growing .

So please do share this with your friends , let everyone know about it and , you know , we may even have a little christmas special that we're thinking of recording over the next few weeks . So , you know , keep an ear out for that . Now , david , you are no longer a stranger to us . We know everything we need to know about you .

So , thank you once again , stay tuned this friday for another episode of the main episode and , of course , we'll see you again next week with another episode of stranded with a stranger

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