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[johnm]

With the national contest soon and ARÀCNOCTAMBULO suggesting he may make a tricks DVD, it seems appropriate to have a thread about things to consider for best visibility of spintop tricks for performances, teaching, and recording in general (perhaps for review by others to help determine why you cannot master a trick).  Perhaps the contest judges know best what types of things make seeing the top easier, thus ensuring maximum points for the effort.  Of course we realize not all suggestions are practical or affordable or even within the control of the player, but all suggestions are welcome and perhaps some can be implemented in some situations.

A few things that I can think of include:

--a top with a cap in a contrasting color to the body helps the viewer determine where the tip is pointed even in low quality video

--clothes that contrast with the color of the top (and string now that lots of people make their own string in various colors) help to not camouflage the top (or string)

--a backdrop and floor of a single color which contrasts the top colors and matches the clothes helps the top stand out

--a larger top is easier to see and can conveniently slow some tricks down for understanding

--an overhead view or 'helmet cam' can give the student the player's perspective which frequently eliminates confusion due to some needed metal gymnastics required when viewing from the normal position

--slow motion video is awesome for understanding complex string maneuvers


Here is a link to a portion of a NOVA Science Now episode on youtube about how the brain works where some studies were done on why magic tricks work.  One conclusion is that basically for personal safety, people focus on faces so attention is naturally drawn away from the hands performing the trick.  Perhaps for teaching tricks some of the action should include only the hands, string, and top for best attention.  This condition is automatically achieved with the helmet type camera angle.

[lincolnrick]

Great set of ideas, John.  Another one that comes to mind is to get a mirror image of the trick for us lefties. 

[Dick Stohr]

After viewing Neff's KC show, I think the bright blue shirt distracted me a few times.  The lighter colored tops disappeared in the shirt as a background.  The black tops looked good in front of the shirt.  So what color tops & shirts should we use?  And think about each top, shirt, background combination?

[ta0]

Thanks for the suggestions, John.

I have tried to follow most of those suggestions but not consistently. The one I haven't is using an oversize top to better show a trick.

[Neff]

After viewing Neff's KC show, I think the bright blue shirt distracted me a few times.  The lighter colored tops disappeared in the shirt as a background.  The black tops looked good in front of the shirt.  So what color tops & shirts should we use?  And think about each top, shirt, background combination?

In person that shirt is much darker, the high contrast of the spotlight made it seem almost white.  I should have just worn black, but I was worried about seeing the two black tops at the end.  In sunlight that shirt would be perfect for any color top.  Except blue.