Most Magicians Don't Know About The 'Dumb Force'

I do these consultancy calls over video with members. I enjoy them. It’s usually only TV magicians who work with consultants, so it’s a new arena. The other day I suggested using a ‘dumb force’ for something.

The magician had never heard the term ‘dumb force’ before. It got me thinking. How many magic principles are well-known by consultants and TV magicians but unknown by most of the community?

I often find it fascinating how money drives the industry. Something like a dumb force isn’t widely known or discussed, likely because it’s difficult to package up and sell to you. The same goes for principles like pre-show, instant-stooging and dual-reality.

The only way to learn such things are by working and learning from experienced magicians, as I have done or by reading about them in books. But books will never be quite so commercial. It’s why countless magicians know about Loops but do not know what an ITR is. They might know how to perform the Invisible Deck, but they’ve never heard about the classic force.

I suppose it’s a reminder of where the value of this newsletter lies. You give me the freedom to explore and tell niche magic industry stories, but I can also offer an insider perspective on open secrets often used by industry professionals.

Part 1. The Dumb Force

I’ve also heard this force referred to as a pointless or pseudo-force. Regardless of how the consultant refers to the forcing technique, the method is always the same. The force tends to be used as a garnish or an additional convincer.

We’ll get into why later, but let’s begin with the method.