First off, I was a bit skeptical about this effect. I had a large amount of problems with E. I really liked the trick though, and love all of Garcia's effects. I thought I would give them another try. I got this DVD with no problem.
Effect: You borrow a dollar bill, have them sign it, then you move the seal from one side of the bill to the other.
DVD: The DVD quality is HD and is excellent. The artwork is pretty nice, too.
Teaching: The teaching is great. He goes over EVERYTHING into detail. You will not have any questions. He explains everything clear and well.
The Gimmick: It does require a gimmick. You will most likely have everything you need to perform this effect. There is a slight chance, however, that you will not. I would say about 95% of you have it. If you do not have it, it can be rather expensive. I am sure you can use your friend's or use it at work if you have it. The gimmick took me about 15 minutes to make for the first time. You will want to make a few gimmicks so you will be set for a week or so, depending on how often you perform this effect.
Angles: This trick is ALMOST angle proof. Depending on how you perform it, it can be 100% angle proof. The way I perform it, it can be almost completly surrounded. You can though perform this completly surrounded.
Difficulty: Once the gimmick is set up, a five year old could perform this effect.
Reset: This effect has about a 30 second reset, maybe less. You can not reset in public but it will be rather quick to reset the trick.
Reactions: I performed this effect for my mom the second day I got it. It took me only about 15 minutes of practice. My mom sat there and stared at the bill. She was dumbfounded. She said it was a really good trick I performed.
Price: With shipping, this trick cost me $30 USD. I would say it was well worth the price.
Overall: If you do not mind set up and making a gimmick, then I would HIGHLY reccomend this trick. The reactions are great. It is a reputation maker. However, if you do not like set up, you will probably be dissapointed in this trick and not like it.
8.5/10
Friday, August 31, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Review of Ellusionst
I heard about this company a while ago. I decided to check them out when first starting magic. Now I will admit, they do have SOME great exclusive tricks, such as Fraud. However, in my opinion, it is all about money to them. What ever happened to a simple magic store that sells magic tricks? Ellusionist is selling everything from T-Shirts to Dog Tags. I feel they will sell and do anything to make a quick buck. It is also funny how ALL their reviews for tricks and products are simply amazing. Every trick is just the greatest thing known to man and simply could not get better. When you read a review of a trick on their website, you simply read 10/10 reviews. You never read the real honest reviews. Can a trick really be that amazing that it deserves a perfect 10? No, not unless it is REAL magic, which none of these tricks are. How come no bad reviews you ask? Not because there are no bad reviews, but because it may tell the truth, which Ellusionist does not do much of. I feel that they hype up every product possible in every possible way. They make Hollywood movie trailers, which are used just to sell the trick. I would much rather see the trick with NO editing then what they do. Also, the prices are outrageous. Just for one example, an uncut sheet of playing cards. Those playing cards that run about $3 a deck. Just imagine that before it being cut. Well, you can get it from Ellusionist if you are willing to spend $250. $250 for uncut cardboard? I don't even have to explain why that is outrageously ridiculous, I am sure you can figure it out. Now this is just my honest opinion of Ellusionst. I am not saying do not shop/associate with them, I just wanted to give my honest opinion from an honest guy, unlike the people at Ellusionist.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Hershey Kiss by Cyril Takayama
Demo: http://youtube.com/watch?v=YtDLJEJLwho&search=
Anyhow, let's get on it.
Preparation
1. Hershey Kiss Playing Card.
I recommend photo paper (the one with the shiny look) to print the Hershey Kiss on (link for image should be below). If you don't have photo paper, try the normal one but make sure it's neat. With an exacto knife, you'll need to cut the shape of the Hershey Kiss as near of the edges as possible, then with Rubber Cement or normal Glue Stick, stick it on the back of a playing card. If you have some spare Double Backer, It'd be even better (I'll explain later on)
http://www.siteselection.com/ssinsider/images/pw030616c.jpg (make sure to print on in White and black to make sure the size is right)
2. Get the Hershey kiss
Method
Have the Hershey kiss under the deck (which is in mechanic's grip) and the card with the Hershey kiss print on it on the bottom. Make a spectator choose a card, and if you desire, make the spectator sign it. While they are look at their card, swing cut half the deck in your hand that has the Hershey kiss. So far, what you have is, The Hershey kiss, random pack of cards, and in your other hand, on the bottom of the other part of the deck, the special card and the rest of the deck. Put the spectator card under the special Hershey card, and just dribble the rest of the card on it. Use whatever pattern you want to make the spectator kiss the deck or any pattern you want to make the Hershey kiss appear. Spread the card, and find the card. Take every card on top of the Hershey kiss card in your pocket, and do a double lift to show the spectator's card. Now, what you should have is Their card, random card face up (if you have a double backer then just the back of a face), rest of the deck face down, and a Hershey kiss in your hand. Make sure you do this fast enough so they don't notice. In mechanic's grip, take the whole deck except THEIR card (slide it off) with your other hand and, really fast, put the rest of the deck in your pocket. So basically, you have a face up card, and the Hershey kiss in your hand. Make a spectator cup their hand, and just produce it like the video :o
I hope I was clear enough... I tend to over say things. Just tell me how I did =).
This trick is really effective with girls =).
Another point would be to, really, I mean, really use a double backer, the back of the cards are all examinable and it can stay in views at all time.
Anyhow, let's get on it.
Preparation
1. Hershey Kiss Playing Card.
I recommend photo paper (the one with the shiny look) to print the Hershey Kiss on (link for image should be below). If you don't have photo paper, try the normal one but make sure it's neat. With an exacto knife, you'll need to cut the shape of the Hershey Kiss as near of the edges as possible, then with Rubber Cement or normal Glue Stick, stick it on the back of a playing card. If you have some spare Double Backer, It'd be even better (I'll explain later on)
http://www.siteselection.com/ssinsider/images/pw030616c.jpg (make sure to print on in White and black to make sure the size is right)
2. Get the Hershey kiss
Method
Have the Hershey kiss under the deck (which is in mechanic's grip) and the card with the Hershey kiss print on it on the bottom. Make a spectator choose a card, and if you desire, make the spectator sign it. While they are look at their card, swing cut half the deck in your hand that has the Hershey kiss. So far, what you have is, The Hershey kiss, random pack of cards, and in your other hand, on the bottom of the other part of the deck, the special card and the rest of the deck. Put the spectator card under the special Hershey card, and just dribble the rest of the card on it. Use whatever pattern you want to make the spectator kiss the deck or any pattern you want to make the Hershey kiss appear. Spread the card, and find the card. Take every card on top of the Hershey kiss card in your pocket, and do a double lift to show the spectator's card. Now, what you should have is Their card, random card face up (if you have a double backer then just the back of a face), rest of the deck face down, and a Hershey kiss in your hand. Make sure you do this fast enough so they don't notice. In mechanic's grip, take the whole deck except THEIR card (slide it off) with your other hand and, really fast, put the rest of the deck in your pocket. So basically, you have a face up card, and the Hershey kiss in your hand. Make a spectator cup their hand, and just produce it like the video :o
I hope I was clear enough... I tend to over say things. Just tell me how I did =).
This trick is really effective with girls =).
Another point would be to, really, I mean, really use a double backer, the back of the cards are all examinable and it can stay in views at all time.
Kontrol Kard
Control Card
What will YOU do with it?
With a Single Card You Get:
Control of Multiple Cards
Thick Card
Holdout Card
Spittle Card
Easy Double or Triple Lift
Hides Reversed/Peeked Card
Double Face/Double Back Card
And More!
Imagine a single card that can control two other cards, provides automatic double lifts, that causes cards to vanish and reappear, makes double faced or double backed cards, all out of your own favorite brand of cards.
Possibilities are truly endless when a single card can replace many other card gaffs and gimmicks. You need only add or remove one card to use multiple trick cards in an otherwise regular deck.
The Card itself may be forced, allowing you to control it and two freely chosen
Cards - three selected cards in all. This makes for some dramatic card revelations and
Impressive card control. Its ability to become a thick card at will is perfect for "test
Condition,” type mentalist effects.
Ok, So what the heck is it ?
There is a spray clear rubber coating that comes in a can.
Rust –Oleum Grip & Guard (clear)*seems hard to find*
I went to Ace Hardware and found Performix Plasti Dip 11 oz spray can for $8.49.
Most people use this as a way to provide a grip on the handles of tools such as hammers, wrenches and so forth. You may have seen the red rubber dip used on tool handles.
It is similar to this except of course it isn't red, it's clear, and comes in a spray can.
Place a card on a sheet of cardboard and spray an even coat as you would with roughing spray. Don’t soak them.
After a few trials and you'll find the correct amount for your use.
When one side of the card is completely dry, turn it over on a clean sheet and spray the other side. Let this side dry, and you are finished.
**Note: You can also make single sided card if you like**
**Coat double backers/facers**
**No need for double sided tape-for NFW etc**
In some lighting conditions or with some types of card decks, you may not wish to show the Card due to its slightly more shiny appearance. It will become less shiny the more you use it, but you should be aware of your preferred working conditions.
You may always use the Control Card without it being seen, while maintaining many of its other advantages.
Here are some ideas for its uses:
The Control Card will cause another card to stick to both sides of itself. Selected cards above and below it will stay "stuck" together along with the Control Card. This makes for a three cards thick key card.
It also allows the cards to stay firmly together during overhand shuffles. No breaks are needed, as the Card becomes thick with the other cards. This alone has fooled many wise card players and performers. It is difficult to find a more fair control
Of multiple cards.
A selected card placed behind the Card will "disappear". The entire deck may be counted out one at a time, and the selection will be seen to have vanished - secretly adhering to the Card. It may reappear easily due to the thick card control, even after shuffling and cutting.
Place the Card face up on a face down deck. Thumb the face up Card over -and you have created a secret double-face card! Do snap change and the card changes.
Allow the Card to rest with its sticky face side against the top of the deck. Thumb it to one side and do another change or flip move. Now the card is seen to change again!
All of this easily, naturally and fairly - with little or no effort at all. Just a little bit of pressure keeps the block of cards together
.
Show the Card’s face and place it face down on top of the face down deck. Thumb it over to one side and show the face again. The face has changed instantly. Flip this card(s) face down and lift up the top Card only by grasping the inner and outer short ends of the Card. This allows the original top Card face to be shown again. An amazingly natural double lift face change!
Do the same thing but sandwich the Card between two selected cards.
Overhand shuffle. Secretly cut the sandwich block to the top by feeling for the block,
Thanks to the Card’s properties and now triple thickness. Flip over the top block (it's easy!) and show you have found one selected card. Flip this face down, and remove the top card by the short ends, as you drop this on the table face down. Show the top Card, as not being a selected card. Frown and then have the spectator look at the tabled card. It has changed to the other selection.
Secretly make the Card a double-face card and place it on the bottom of the deck. Turn your back and have someone deal cards one at a time face down on to the table. They stop anywhere and look at the last card dealt. Have them turn their chosen card face up. Next, tell them to bury their chosen card by placing the rest of the deck on top of the tabled pile. This secretly places the Card and a face up indifferent card on top of their card. Remind everyone that one card - his or her card - is face up. Snap your fingers and spread the deck. Their face up card has changed. Cut this card (secret Card block) to the top of the deck. Turn it face down on top of the deck. Legitimately take the real top card off at the short ends, being careful not to show the face up Card underneath it. Just turn the hand with the Card and deck in as you table the face down top card. Snap your fingers, and the tabled card changes back to their selection! Cut the deck, and the whole deck can be seen front and back, all facing the proper way.
Mentalists should consider how this very idea might be applied to index cards, business cards, notepaper, billets, and so forth.
You may make your own special items; there is no need to limit this method to playing cards, or even Tarot or ESP cards. Think beyond common card stock.
What will YOU do with it?
With a Single Card You Get:
Control of Multiple Cards
Thick Card
Holdout Card
Spittle Card
Easy Double or Triple Lift
Hides Reversed/Peeked Card
Double Face/Double Back Card
And More!
Imagine a single card that can control two other cards, provides automatic double lifts, that causes cards to vanish and reappear, makes double faced or double backed cards, all out of your own favorite brand of cards.
Possibilities are truly endless when a single card can replace many other card gaffs and gimmicks. You need only add or remove one card to use multiple trick cards in an otherwise regular deck.
The Card itself may be forced, allowing you to control it and two freely chosen
Cards - three selected cards in all. This makes for some dramatic card revelations and
Impressive card control. Its ability to become a thick card at will is perfect for "test
Condition,” type mentalist effects.
Ok, So what the heck is it ?
There is a spray clear rubber coating that comes in a can.
Rust –Oleum Grip & Guard (clear)*seems hard to find*
I went to Ace Hardware and found Performix Plasti Dip 11 oz spray can for $8.49.
Most people use this as a way to provide a grip on the handles of tools such as hammers, wrenches and so forth. You may have seen the red rubber dip used on tool handles.
It is similar to this except of course it isn't red, it's clear, and comes in a spray can.
Place a card on a sheet of cardboard and spray an even coat as you would with roughing spray. Don’t soak them.
After a few trials and you'll find the correct amount for your use.
When one side of the card is completely dry, turn it over on a clean sheet and spray the other side. Let this side dry, and you are finished.
**Note: You can also make single sided card if you like**
**Coat double backers/facers**
**No need for double sided tape-for NFW etc**
In some lighting conditions or with some types of card decks, you may not wish to show the Card due to its slightly more shiny appearance. It will become less shiny the more you use it, but you should be aware of your preferred working conditions.
You may always use the Control Card without it being seen, while maintaining many of its other advantages.
Here are some ideas for its uses:
The Control Card will cause another card to stick to both sides of itself. Selected cards above and below it will stay "stuck" together along with the Control Card. This makes for a three cards thick key card.
It also allows the cards to stay firmly together during overhand shuffles. No breaks are needed, as the Card becomes thick with the other cards. This alone has fooled many wise card players and performers. It is difficult to find a more fair control
Of multiple cards.
A selected card placed behind the Card will "disappear". The entire deck may be counted out one at a time, and the selection will be seen to have vanished - secretly adhering to the Card. It may reappear easily due to the thick card control, even after shuffling and cutting.
Place the Card face up on a face down deck. Thumb the face up Card over -and you have created a secret double-face card! Do snap change and the card changes.
Allow the Card to rest with its sticky face side against the top of the deck. Thumb it to one side and do another change or flip move. Now the card is seen to change again!
All of this easily, naturally and fairly - with little or no effort at all. Just a little bit of pressure keeps the block of cards together
.
Show the Card’s face and place it face down on top of the face down deck. Thumb it over to one side and show the face again. The face has changed instantly. Flip this card(s) face down and lift up the top Card only by grasping the inner and outer short ends of the Card. This allows the original top Card face to be shown again. An amazingly natural double lift face change!
Do the same thing but sandwich the Card between two selected cards.
Overhand shuffle. Secretly cut the sandwich block to the top by feeling for the block,
Thanks to the Card’s properties and now triple thickness. Flip over the top block (it's easy!) and show you have found one selected card. Flip this face down, and remove the top card by the short ends, as you drop this on the table face down. Show the top Card, as not being a selected card. Frown and then have the spectator look at the tabled card. It has changed to the other selection.
Secretly make the Card a double-face card and place it on the bottom of the deck. Turn your back and have someone deal cards one at a time face down on to the table. They stop anywhere and look at the last card dealt. Have them turn their chosen card face up. Next, tell them to bury their chosen card by placing the rest of the deck on top of the tabled pile. This secretly places the Card and a face up indifferent card on top of their card. Remind everyone that one card - his or her card - is face up. Snap your fingers and spread the deck. Their face up card has changed. Cut this card (secret Card block) to the top of the deck. Turn it face down on top of the deck. Legitimately take the real top card off at the short ends, being careful not to show the face up Card underneath it. Just turn the hand with the Card and deck in as you table the face down top card. Snap your fingers, and the tabled card changes back to their selection! Cut the deck, and the whole deck can be seen front and back, all facing the proper way.
Mentalists should consider how this very idea might be applied to index cards, business cards, notepaper, billets, and so forth.
You may make your own special items; there is no need to limit this method to playing cards, or even Tarot or ESP cards. Think beyond common card stock.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Sweet Bread
Effect:The magician takes a dollar bill,folds it and hands it to the spectator to keep it sealed in their fist. After that the magician takes a sugar packet,folds it and rubs it over the spectator hand. And viola,the dollar bill is in the magicians hand and the sugar packet is in the spectators hand.
Preparation and sleights needed:Palming..a lot of palming needed. For preparation all you need is a bowled(folded?my English is not perfect sorry) sugar packet.
Performing:
Have the folded sugar packet finger palmed in your right hand.
Borrow a dollar bill and if you like you can have it signed. Squeeze it nicely and fold it tight in your left hand.
Pretend that you take the dollar bill with your right hand,while in reality you just keep the dollar bill palmed in the left hand.
Now,you have the "dollar bill" which is actually a sugar packet in your right hand and a dollar bill finger palmed in your left hand.
Put the sugar packet in to the spectators hand and tell them to make a fist and keep it sealed
Right now,the spectator thinks he|she has a signed folded dollar bill,while in reality you have it finger palmed
Now pick up a sugar packet from a table,or a bowl etc. and fold it too. Show it to the spectator and pretend to put it in your left hand(where the folded dollar bill is).
You current situation after the false transfer should be like this -> The spectator is holding a sugar packet,which they think is a dollar bill in their fist. You have a sugar packet palmed in your right hand and a dollar bill in a fist in the left hand.
Now you rub the dollar bill against the spectators fist and PURE MAGIC! Now you have the signed dollar bill and the spectator has the sugar packet.
Preparation and sleights needed:Palming..a lot of palming needed. For preparation all you need is a bowled(folded?my English is not perfect sorry) sugar packet.
Performing:
Have the folded sugar packet finger palmed in your right hand.
Borrow a dollar bill and if you like you can have it signed. Squeeze it nicely and fold it tight in your left hand.
Pretend that you take the dollar bill with your right hand,while in reality you just keep the dollar bill palmed in the left hand.
Now,you have the "dollar bill" which is actually a sugar packet in your right hand and a dollar bill finger palmed in your left hand.
Put the sugar packet in to the spectators hand and tell them to make a fist and keep it sealed
Right now,the spectator thinks he|she has a signed folded dollar bill,while in reality you have it finger palmed
Now pick up a sugar packet from a table,or a bowl etc. and fold it too. Show it to the spectator and pretend to put it in your left hand(where the folded dollar bill is).
You current situation after the false transfer should be like this -> The spectator is holding a sugar packet,which they think is a dollar bill in their fist. You have a sugar packet palmed in your right hand and a dollar bill in a fist in the left hand.
Now you rub the dollar bill against the spectators fist and PURE MAGIC! Now you have the signed dollar bill and the spectator has the sugar packet.
Homing Bird
Effect:
Magician has a pack of cards with a rubber band on it. He then takes off the rubber band and explains its no ordinary rubber band its a homing band, it always comes home. he takes it with both hands and shoots it and the rubber bands back on the deck double banded.
Materials:
2 rubber bands
1 deck of cards
Explanation:
its really a simple trick but a great opener to start a card routine
have BOTH rubber bands wrapped around the deck. pick up the deck with your left hand and take ONE rubber band off hiding the other one with your left hand fingers. call attention to the rubber band by saying this is not an ordinary rubber band, at the same time you set down the deck you then do the sure shot vanish. heres how you do that
take the rubber band between your thumb and pointer (1st) finger in both hands. move each hand up and down a little like your stretching the band now heres the tricky part. With your right hands pinkey and third finger you grab the band but still hold onto it in your pinch between thumb and 1st finger. now you act to shoot the rubber band with your left hand thumb releases moves forward giving the illusion it shot out of your hands but it actually came back to your right hand fist. from there you just look at the deck.
Magician has a pack of cards with a rubber band on it. He then takes off the rubber band and explains its no ordinary rubber band its a homing band, it always comes home. he takes it with both hands and shoots it and the rubber bands back on the deck double banded.
Materials:
2 rubber bands
1 deck of cards
Explanation:
its really a simple trick but a great opener to start a card routine
have BOTH rubber bands wrapped around the deck. pick up the deck with your left hand and take ONE rubber band off hiding the other one with your left hand fingers. call attention to the rubber band by saying this is not an ordinary rubber band, at the same time you set down the deck you then do the sure shot vanish. heres how you do that
take the rubber band between your thumb and pointer (1st) finger in both hands. move each hand up and down a little like your stretching the band now heres the tricky part. With your right hands pinkey and third finger you grab the band but still hold onto it in your pinch between thumb and 1st finger. now you act to shoot the rubber band with your left hand thumb releases moves forward giving the illusion it shot out of your hands but it actually came back to your right hand fist. from there you just look at the deck.
Silver and Glass
Effect:
You have a glass in front of you, you take a handkerchief or a paper towel (napkin if at restaurant) and cover the glass with it. You take out two quarters, you give them everything to examine.then you say how every thing is solid matter including the table. You pick up one coin and hold it over the glass. The magician then drops the coin. The specs. see nothing but hear the coin hitting the glass. You do it again with the second coin and they not see but hear it drop in the glass. now the magician firmly slams the napkin down and the glass is not there. The magician then brings his other hand up from the bottom of the table and has the glass with both coins.
Materials:
All you need is two coins a glass and a handkerchief or napkin something that holds its shape newspaper is the best.
Explanation:
This effect is a much stronger version of saltshaker thru table.
First you put your two coins to the right of you and place them down. You then place a napkin so its covering the glass. then you give them the coins to inspect and the glass and napkin then you show that the table is real and not a gimmick or something, While doing that you bring the glass backwards and ditch it in your lap ( you have to have some real guts using your friends glass) this takes practice practice practice!
you put the napkin back down make sure it holds its shape. Then you pick up one coin with your right hand, false transfer into a thumb clip and have that right hand by the edge of the table. You then take your left hand (they think its in this hand) and hold it over the glass and pretend like your dropping an invisible coin. at the same time you do that you drop the coin thumb clipped into the glass on your lap. repeat with second coin.you then say matter doesn't matter to me then you firmly smush the napkin on the table.bringing up the glass on your palm and drop out the coins.
You have a glass in front of you, you take a handkerchief or a paper towel (napkin if at restaurant) and cover the glass with it. You take out two quarters, you give them everything to examine.then you say how every thing is solid matter including the table. You pick up one coin and hold it over the glass. The magician then drops the coin. The specs. see nothing but hear the coin hitting the glass. You do it again with the second coin and they not see but hear it drop in the glass. now the magician firmly slams the napkin down and the glass is not there. The magician then brings his other hand up from the bottom of the table and has the glass with both coins.
Materials:
All you need is two coins a glass and a handkerchief or napkin something that holds its shape newspaper is the best.
Explanation:
This effect is a much stronger version of saltshaker thru table.
First you put your two coins to the right of you and place them down. You then place a napkin so its covering the glass. then you give them the coins to inspect and the glass and napkin then you show that the table is real and not a gimmick or something, While doing that you bring the glass backwards and ditch it in your lap ( you have to have some real guts using your friends glass) this takes practice practice practice!
you put the napkin back down make sure it holds its shape. Then you pick up one coin with your right hand, false transfer into a thumb clip and have that right hand by the edge of the table. You then take your left hand (they think its in this hand) and hold it over the glass and pretend like your dropping an invisible coin. at the same time you do that you drop the coin thumb clipped into the glass on your lap. repeat with second coin.you then say matter doesn't matter to me then you firmly smush the napkin on the table.bringing up the glass on your palm and drop out the coins.
Needle from Eye to Eye
WARNING: I will not be held responsible for any damages and or injuries while performing this effect.
Effect:A small needle is cleanly pushed into the right eye
and emerges from the mouth.it is pushed back into the mouth.
It is pushed back into the mouth and finally emerges from the left eye.
Required: 3 perfectly smooth needles made from from silver. Size should be 1/2 inch by 1/16th inch. Lager sizes can be used after alot of practice.
Method: Basically one needle is previously hidden in the left eye between
eye and lower eye lid and one is hidden in mouth behind lower lip.
During the show a needle is introduced into right eye and hidden behind
the lower eyelid.You pretend to push it along the veins and expose
the needle in the mouth pushing it out with tongue.This is then replaced in
mouth and pushed to the left eye from where previously hidden needle is removed.
Practice is essential in introducing the needle and keeping it there.The needles should
be perfectly polished and free from scratches ans barbs.The needle is pushed into the
inner corner of the eye in a downward direction and finally rest behind the lower eyelid.
Initially you feel an itching sensation and the eyes tend to water.however after a few hours of practice these sensation vanish.
Once you can keep the needle in the eye for some time without showing
on feeling and sing of discomfort you are all set to perform the feat.
The needle from the mouth is pushed out by the tongue without the hand
going near it to eliminate suspicion of a palmed needle.The needle from the eye is pushed out by running
a finger on the outside of the lower lid to enable the audience to see it clearly emerging form the eye.
Note again: It is dangerous!
Effect:A small needle is cleanly pushed into the right eye
and emerges from the mouth.it is pushed back into the mouth.
It is pushed back into the mouth and finally emerges from the left eye.
Required: 3 perfectly smooth needles made from from silver. Size should be 1/2 inch by 1/16th inch. Lager sizes can be used after alot of practice.
Method: Basically one needle is previously hidden in the left eye between
eye and lower eye lid and one is hidden in mouth behind lower lip.
During the show a needle is introduced into right eye and hidden behind
the lower eyelid.You pretend to push it along the veins and expose
the needle in the mouth pushing it out with tongue.This is then replaced in
mouth and pushed to the left eye from where previously hidden needle is removed.
Practice is essential in introducing the needle and keeping it there.The needles should
be perfectly polished and free from scratches ans barbs.The needle is pushed into the
inner corner of the eye in a downward direction and finally rest behind the lower eyelid.
Initially you feel an itching sensation and the eyes tend to water.however after a few hours of practice these sensation vanish.
Once you can keep the needle in the eye for some time without showing
on feeling and sing of discomfort you are all set to perform the feat.
The needle from the mouth is pushed out by the tongue without the hand
going near it to eliminate suspicion of a palmed needle.The needle from the eye is pushed out by running
a finger on the outside of the lower lid to enable the audience to see it clearly emerging form the eye.
Note again: It is dangerous!
Homemade Appearing or Dissapearing Cane
Materials:
Shower Rod Cover(I'll try to explain below)
Cheap Pen Cap
Spray paint
Rubber bands
Really Small Solid Ball(imagine rolling up a rubber band into a ball(that big))
Super glue
Tools:
Scissors
Knife
Time or Hair Dryer
Shower Rod Cover?:
It is like a plastic tube(with a slit going down it). It is very similar to blinds for your windows. It bends and snaps back kind of the same way. Except more rolled up to resemble a tube. It comes in several colors but probably not the best for canes except white.(Jeff Mcbride uses a white cane in one of his acts)
Where to purchase?:
Well,I'm sure you guys know where to get materials such as spray paint and a pen cap. But to get the shower rod cover you need to go to the Home Depot in the shower section.(In my Home Depot it is by the towel bars). They run about 2-4 dollars ea.
Constructing:
Roll out the shower rod cover. It should be about 3 inches wide and several feet tall(maybe 4-6). Cut it so it is about 2 inches wide. You can spray paint it to your liking,but may make it open(or close) slower.Now you will cut the end of it so it looks like a pyramid with a bar on top. You cut the sides so the end up at the closest point about half and inch from each other then you go outwards to make a bar shape about an inch long and 1/3 inch wide. Now Take a pen cap and slice a slit about 3/4 of an inch long. Then cut off the tip. Take the tiny ball and super glue it to the pen cap(the top). Paint that piece black. It will be the head of the cane. Insert the tiny bar shaped end of the shower rod cover into the slit. It should stay but glue it to be safe. Now start rolling it up at the pen cap side downwards. It should end up being a two inch cylinder with a pen cap in the middle.
Now for Conditioning(to make appearing or disappearing)
Appearing Cane:
Ok. now grab the cap in the middle of the cylinder and pull extending the cane(maybe 3-4 feet long). Put a tight rubber band around it at about every 5 inches or so. Leave it extended with the bands on it for about 24 hours. Or alternatively you can condition it with a hairdryer making the conditioning part less time consuming. I have not experimented with how long since i just wait the day for it to condition. After the 24 hours it should be in the state where if you try to push it back in the cylinder,and let go, it will spring back out. For Performance put the tip and stuff back into the cylinder form and tightly rubber band it. When you want it to appear take off the band(secretly of course) and the release of pressure should make it extend.
Disappearing Cane:
It is much easier to condition. You just put a rubber band around the cylinder form. Leave it in a warm-hot place for two days. Thus making it spring inwards.
Thats about it.
Much better than paying 23-32 dollars.
Shower Rod Cover(I'll try to explain below)
Cheap Pen Cap
Spray paint
Rubber bands
Really Small Solid Ball(imagine rolling up a rubber band into a ball(that big))
Super glue
Tools:
Scissors
Knife
Time or Hair Dryer
Shower Rod Cover?:
It is like a plastic tube(with a slit going down it). It is very similar to blinds for your windows. It bends and snaps back kind of the same way. Except more rolled up to resemble a tube. It comes in several colors but probably not the best for canes except white.(Jeff Mcbride uses a white cane in one of his acts)
Where to purchase?:
Well,I'm sure you guys know where to get materials such as spray paint and a pen cap. But to get the shower rod cover you need to go to the Home Depot in the shower section.(In my Home Depot it is by the towel bars). They run about 2-4 dollars ea.
Constructing:
Roll out the shower rod cover. It should be about 3 inches wide and several feet tall(maybe 4-6). Cut it so it is about 2 inches wide. You can spray paint it to your liking,but may make it open(or close) slower.Now you will cut the end of it so it looks like a pyramid with a bar on top. You cut the sides so the end up at the closest point about half and inch from each other then you go outwards to make a bar shape about an inch long and 1/3 inch wide. Now Take a pen cap and slice a slit about 3/4 of an inch long. Then cut off the tip. Take the tiny ball and super glue it to the pen cap(the top). Paint that piece black. It will be the head of the cane. Insert the tiny bar shaped end of the shower rod cover into the slit. It should stay but glue it to be safe. Now start rolling it up at the pen cap side downwards. It should end up being a two inch cylinder with a pen cap in the middle.
Now for Conditioning(to make appearing or disappearing)
Appearing Cane:
Ok. now grab the cap in the middle of the cylinder and pull extending the cane(maybe 3-4 feet long). Put a tight rubber band around it at about every 5 inches or so. Leave it extended with the bands on it for about 24 hours. Or alternatively you can condition it with a hairdryer making the conditioning part less time consuming. I have not experimented with how long since i just wait the day for it to condition. After the 24 hours it should be in the state where if you try to push it back in the cylinder,and let go, it will spring back out. For Performance put the tip and stuff back into the cylinder form and tightly rubber band it. When you want it to appear take off the band(secretly of course) and the release of pressure should make it extend.
Disappearing Cane:
It is much easier to condition. You just put a rubber band around the cylinder form. Leave it in a warm-hot place for two days. Thus making it spring inwards.
Thats about it.
Much better than paying 23-32 dollars.
Edge by Kevin Parker
Basically, rip a corner off a card and make a duplicate rip on another but don't take it completely off the card. Now take the fully ripped off one and attach it to a loop of IT with wax on both sides. One side of the it goes to the card, the other attaches to the first joint of your index (the part thats higher if you bend all your fingers back). Now you're ready.
Walk up to the window and show its solid (hiding the corner of the card with IT behind your hand) and then move that hand around the glass and stick the wax from your hand onto the glass. Now when you throw the card at the glass, hit with the ripped corner first and it will bend down behind the card. As this is happening, move your other hand (the one behind the glass) upwards so tat the the corner flys into view.
For the clean up, take the corner and show how it matches (do this on the opposite side as whichever direction the corner turned underneath) and rip off the corner still attached to the card as you do so.
Walk up to the window and show its solid (hiding the corner of the card with IT behind your hand) and then move that hand around the glass and stick the wax from your hand onto the glass. Now when you throw the card at the glass, hit with the ripped corner first and it will bend down behind the card. As this is happening, move your other hand (the one behind the glass) upwards so tat the the corner flys into view.
For the clean up, take the corner and show how it matches (do this on the opposite side as whichever direction the corner turned underneath) and rip off the corner still attached to the card as you do so.
How to Make Your Own Magicians Wax
Materials:
-a deep spoon
-wax from a candle
-glue
-a lighter
-something to hold the finished product
SAFETY WARNING!
I RECOMMEND YOU DO THIS AT A SINK JUST IN CASE THERE IS AN UNCONTROLLED FLAME! KEEP A WET RAG NEARBY ALL THE TIME!
The Process:
Put a piece of wax in the deep spoon, and pour glue over it. Now take the lighter, and hold the flame under the spoon. Since the spoon is metal it wont melt or catch fire. The wax will begin to melt and blend into the glue. Wiggle the spoon around a little to mix it up. After about 10 seconds of mixed, hot wax, pour it into your canister. You might want to use an altoids canister or aluminum foil. Let it dry for a while. Now, when you are ready to create your prop, just blow your breath onto the wax to get it warm, and then it'll be easy to use.
SAFETY WARNING! DO NOT PUT ALUMINUM FOIL INTO THE MICROWAVE! IT WILL CREATE AN ELECTRICAL SPARK! YOU WILL HURT YOURSELF!!!
-a deep spoon
-wax from a candle
-glue
-a lighter
-something to hold the finished product
SAFETY WARNING!
I RECOMMEND YOU DO THIS AT A SINK JUST IN CASE THERE IS AN UNCONTROLLED FLAME! KEEP A WET RAG NEARBY ALL THE TIME!
The Process:
Put a piece of wax in the deep spoon, and pour glue over it. Now take the lighter, and hold the flame under the spoon. Since the spoon is metal it wont melt or catch fire. The wax will begin to melt and blend into the glue. Wiggle the spoon around a little to mix it up. After about 10 seconds of mixed, hot wax, pour it into your canister. You might want to use an altoids canister or aluminum foil. Let it dry for a while. Now, when you are ready to create your prop, just blow your breath onto the wax to get it warm, and then it'll be easy to use.
SAFETY WARNING! DO NOT PUT ALUMINUM FOIL INTO THE MICROWAVE! IT WILL CREATE AN ELECTRICAL SPARK! YOU WILL HURT YOURSELF!!!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Card Through Window
Effect : The performer asks the spectator to pick a card without him seeing the face and replace it in the pack.
The pack is then shuffled and the performer is apparently unsuccessful in locating the card.
After a few attempts, the cards are thrown against a window in a fit of rage. On looking at the window, the chosen card is seen to be sticking to it, even more surprising is the fact that the card is on the inside of the window.
Preparation : You will need two identical packs of cards and a willing helper.
Method: This trick should be performed in an area with a large window nearby and with the spectator facing away from the window.
The spectator is asked to choose a card from a pack, memorize it and without showing you, replace the card in the pack.
The pack is then shuffled and and a couple of attempts at "is this your card " tried followed by a look of disbelief when the spectator tells you that it is not their card (this is all part of the act as you don''t even need to know the card).
After a few attempts you fake an angry outburst and making sure the cards are squared up throw the pack broadside at the window, where they will hit the window and fall to the ground, except the chosen card which is sticking to the window.
Your helper was already positioned behind the window and spectator and had an identical pack of cards. He was able to see the chosen card and took the duplicate from his pack.
A small piece of looped sticky tape or magicians wax was attached to the duplicate card and it was stuck to the inside of the window.
The helper should then have walked away from the window.
This trick creates a real surprise but it is important to pick up the fallen cards quickly and to pocket the original chosen card.
Voodoo Ash Trick
Effect: The spectator writes a name on a page in a notepad. The spectator then tears out the page, crumples it up and places it in an ashtray. The paper is set alight and the magician then rubs the ashes on his arm, on which the name written by the spectator, mysteriously appears.
Preparation: You will need a small notepad, pen, ashtray, lighter and a small piece of soap or wax.
Method: The spectator is asked to write either a name or favourite anything of their choice on a notepad. They are then asked to tear out the page, crumple it up and place it in the ashtray. The magician then sets the paper alight. At this point the magician should take the notepad from the spectator. If looked at closely, it should be possible to see an imprint of the spectators written word on the top page of the notepad. ( It should not be made obvious that the magician has been looking at the notepad..) Then subtly, perhaps by using a little misdirection, the word should be written on the magicians arm by himself using the soft soap or wax. ( Again, this action should not be visible or obvious to anyone.)
The magician can then take some of the ashes and rub them on his arm where the ash will stick to the soap or wax and the name become visible to the astonishment of the audience.
This is a great trick but depends o the magician creating an atmosphere with an entertaining routine and patter about black magic to enhance the trick and create misdirection to allow himself an opportunity to pull off the trick.
Criss Angel Levitation
Materials needed: One or two (depending on your height) 5 gallon heavy duty plastic buckets(walmart, lowes, k-mart)
A drill (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
A hinge that locks out (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
A jigsaw (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
Steel toe boots (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
2 pairs of the heaviest ankle weights you can find (no lighter than 10 lbs)
Some socks (anywhere)
Six nuts and bolts (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
A sharpie marker
Some elastic bands large enough to fit around your leg (walmart, k-mart, sporting good stores)
Some sandpaper (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
Two pairs of pants one size smaller than the other (walmart or wherever)
A measuring tape (wal-mart, lowes, k-mart)
A now that you have all of those supplies with you.
Making the leg brace:
first you are going to take your own personal measurements for the leg/back brace. First you want to take the width of your waist. Not all the way around, just from one side of your hip to the other. Then, measure the length from just under your armpit to your hip bone. This will be the back brace part of the gimmick. Now you are going to draw out the exact measurments of your back onto the bucket, except for this peice, and this peice only, your going to add about an inch and a half to the length. Whats going to end up happening is that you're going to draw a rectangle with the two shorter sides being the width of your hips, and the two longer sides being the length from your armpit to your hip. Cut out this rectangle with your jigsaw, and sand the edges with the sandpaper until they are smooth and have no sharp parts. Now, you're going to do the do the exact same thing (measure, draw, cut, sand), except you're going to do it with the measurements from the top of your buttock to your knee pit (the part just behind your knee), and from your knee pit to your ankle. You're going to end up with three separate pieces. Now, You're going to hinge the two leg pieces together. So, take the hinge, mark where the holes need to be on the plastic pieces, drill the holes, and hinge the upper leg part to the lower leg part with the hinge and nuts and bolts. Make sure the hinge is facing the right direction. It should be attached so that it acts as sort of a knee between the two leg pieces. (Note that the leg pieces should wrap comfortably around your own leg, with the hinge directly behind your knee, and locking out in the position your leg would be in if you were sitting down in a chair). Now, you're going to connect the leg piece to the back piece with the nuts and bolts the same way you connected the two leg pieces, minus the hinge. You want this gimmick to be attached to your strongest leg, so adjust it accordingly. Since most people are right handed (right legged?), I'll describe it from the right leg perspective. You want to overlap the two pieces about an inch or an inch and a half, the upper leg on top, and drill/bolt them together with bolts about an inch from each side. Since this is the right leg, you want the right side of the gimmick to be completely flat, and the left side to be the side that has the back brace section sticking out. You would simply reverse this for the left leg.
Attaching the Gimmick- Now, you're going put on your smaller pair of pants, and lay
the gimmick flat against the back of your leg OVER the small pants. Take the elastic
bands and wrap two of them around your lower leg, and two around your upper leg,
helping to fasten the gimmick in place. Now, you're going to put on your regular pants
over top of the gimmick, and the small pants.
Adjusting Your Center of Gravity- You need to do a few things to help push your center of gravity more towards your lower body, allowing you to balance more easily. The first thing you're going to do is attach all 4 ankle weights to your gimmicked leg. They should be stacked one on top of the other, running from your ankle to just under your knee. Walking to be uncomfortable, but for an effect like this, it's well worth it. It's going to be hard for you to walk with 40+ pounds strapped to one leg and not the other at first, but you'll soon get used to it. Then, you need to take two socks, fold each of them in half, stack them on top of each other, and place them in the heel of your right (if your gimmick is on your right foot) steel toe boot. This is going to cause you to stand sort of tiptoe on this one foot, shifting your center of gravity more towards your leg. The combination of the heavy steel toe boot, the tiptoe positioning of your foot inside the boot, and the ankle weights will be enough to shift your center of gravity more towards your legs, and allow you balance better.
Performance- Now you're ready to perform. With everything in place, have two spectators hold your hands (one on each side of you), and slowly lower you back. You want to do this very, very slowly. Not only does this give the illusion a more realistic feel, but it helps to prevent the gimmick from snapping, and not only ruining your hard work, but embarrassing you and possibly causing you SERIOUS injury. As soon as you're bent back in position and you can feel yourself being supported and balanced by your right leg, tell them to open your hands, and allow you to let go of them. Slowly, slowly, slowly let go of their hands, showing that you're suspended in mid-air. Keep this position for several seconds, and then slowly lift your left leg into the air. The funny thing is that lifting your left leg straight out actually helps you balance by shifting your center of gravity even further towards your legs. Keep this position for as long as you want, being careful to keep your balance and not fall (falling could break the gimmick, and possibly break YOU). As soon as you're ready to get up, call for your assistants to come over, grab your hands, and help you get back to your feet.
Warning
If you're a heavier performer, you may not want to even try this effect, as the brace apparatus likely won't be able to support your weight. Do NOT try this effect if you have any back, leg, or neck problems.
This effect is presented extremely well if you claim to be inducing hypnosis, or a similar trance like state on yourself. This effect is best done with a very serious tone. It is not very well suited for comedy. If you still have problems balancing, try performing on a hill or a slight incline (with your legs towards the bottom of the hill, and bending back towards the top). This will shift your center of gravity even further, and make it much, much easier to balance.
A drill (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
A hinge that locks out (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
A jigsaw (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
Steel toe boots (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
2 pairs of the heaviest ankle weights you can find (no lighter than 10 lbs)
Some socks (anywhere)
Six nuts and bolts (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
A sharpie marker
Some elastic bands large enough to fit around your leg (walmart, k-mart, sporting good stores)
Some sandpaper (walmart, lowes, k-mart)
Two pairs of pants one size smaller than the other (walmart or wherever)
A measuring tape (wal-mart, lowes, k-mart)
A now that you have all of those supplies with you.
Making the leg brace:
first you are going to take your own personal measurements for the leg/back brace. First you want to take the width of your waist. Not all the way around, just from one side of your hip to the other. Then, measure the length from just under your armpit to your hip bone. This will be the back brace part of the gimmick. Now you are going to draw out the exact measurments of your back onto the bucket, except for this peice, and this peice only, your going to add about an inch and a half to the length. Whats going to end up happening is that you're going to draw a rectangle with the two shorter sides being the width of your hips, and the two longer sides being the length from your armpit to your hip. Cut out this rectangle with your jigsaw, and sand the edges with the sandpaper until they are smooth and have no sharp parts. Now, you're going to do the do the exact same thing (measure, draw, cut, sand), except you're going to do it with the measurements from the top of your buttock to your knee pit (the part just behind your knee), and from your knee pit to your ankle. You're going to end up with three separate pieces. Now, You're going to hinge the two leg pieces together. So, take the hinge, mark where the holes need to be on the plastic pieces, drill the holes, and hinge the upper leg part to the lower leg part with the hinge and nuts and bolts. Make sure the hinge is facing the right direction. It should be attached so that it acts as sort of a knee between the two leg pieces. (Note that the leg pieces should wrap comfortably around your own leg, with the hinge directly behind your knee, and locking out in the position your leg would be in if you were sitting down in a chair). Now, you're going to connect the leg piece to the back piece with the nuts and bolts the same way you connected the two leg pieces, minus the hinge. You want this gimmick to be attached to your strongest leg, so adjust it accordingly. Since most people are right handed (right legged?), I'll describe it from the right leg perspective. You want to overlap the two pieces about an inch or an inch and a half, the upper leg on top, and drill/bolt them together with bolts about an inch from each side. Since this is the right leg, you want the right side of the gimmick to be completely flat, and the left side to be the side that has the back brace section sticking out. You would simply reverse this for the left leg.
Attaching the Gimmick- Now, you're going put on your smaller pair of pants, and lay
the gimmick flat against the back of your leg OVER the small pants. Take the elastic
bands and wrap two of them around your lower leg, and two around your upper leg,
helping to fasten the gimmick in place. Now, you're going to put on your regular pants
over top of the gimmick, and the small pants.
Adjusting Your Center of Gravity- You need to do a few things to help push your center of gravity more towards your lower body, allowing you to balance more easily. The first thing you're going to do is attach all 4 ankle weights to your gimmicked leg. They should be stacked one on top of the other, running from your ankle to just under your knee. Walking to be uncomfortable, but for an effect like this, it's well worth it. It's going to be hard for you to walk with 40+ pounds strapped to one leg and not the other at first, but you'll soon get used to it. Then, you need to take two socks, fold each of them in half, stack them on top of each other, and place them in the heel of your right (if your gimmick is on your right foot) steel toe boot. This is going to cause you to stand sort of tiptoe on this one foot, shifting your center of gravity more towards your leg. The combination of the heavy steel toe boot, the tiptoe positioning of your foot inside the boot, and the ankle weights will be enough to shift your center of gravity more towards your legs, and allow you balance better.
Performance- Now you're ready to perform. With everything in place, have two spectators hold your hands (one on each side of you), and slowly lower you back. You want to do this very, very slowly. Not only does this give the illusion a more realistic feel, but it helps to prevent the gimmick from snapping, and not only ruining your hard work, but embarrassing you and possibly causing you SERIOUS injury. As soon as you're bent back in position and you can feel yourself being supported and balanced by your right leg, tell them to open your hands, and allow you to let go of them. Slowly, slowly, slowly let go of their hands, showing that you're suspended in mid-air. Keep this position for several seconds, and then slowly lift your left leg into the air. The funny thing is that lifting your left leg straight out actually helps you balance by shifting your center of gravity even further towards your legs. Keep this position for as long as you want, being careful to keep your balance and not fall (falling could break the gimmick, and possibly break YOU). As soon as you're ready to get up, call for your assistants to come over, grab your hands, and help you get back to your feet.
Warning
If you're a heavier performer, you may not want to even try this effect, as the brace apparatus likely won't be able to support your weight. Do NOT try this effect if you have any back, leg, or neck problems.
This effect is presented extremely well if you claim to be inducing hypnosis, or a similar trance like state on yourself. This effect is best done with a very serious tone. It is not very well suited for comedy. If you still have problems balancing, try performing on a hill or a slight incline (with your legs towards the bottom of the hill, and bending back towards the top). This will shift your center of gravity even further, and make it much, much easier to balance.
Winning with a loosing ticket at the dog track by Derren Brown
Well, this is a transcript surrounded by what theory I can put to it.
Here he's using a series of pattern interrupts, Trans Derivational Searches (TDS), and hypnotic-style suggestions to achieve this effect. The basic idea is this -
Get the teller behind a window at a dog racing track to pay out on losing tickets.
Well, here's the script. These are just the words and actions. Where the text is bold, these words are emphasised apart from the rest of the script. The bits in [square brackets] are actions (just in case you have a little trouble working it out
).
[Walk up to the window, ticket in hand, believing that it is a winning ticket, look her right in the eye, and say...]
"This is a winning ticket."
[The teller will take the ticket off you, run it, and return it saying that it isn't. As she's handing it back to you, bang hard against the side of the window and say...]
"This is the dog you're looking for. That's why we came to this "window."
[she will look confused, run it again, and will, if you've done this right and with the right demeanour, pay out. To emphasize the idea say...]
"Thankyou!" [followed by...] "It's quite easy to misread them sometimes."
Ok, that's the script. All those who are getting off at this station, before I go into the psychology behind it, do so now
OK, the psychology behind this follows this train of thought. The tellers are using the machines day in, day out. To them it's a totally autonomous process. At the point at which you're banging the window, you're interrupting her natural processes. That will confuse her (generating a pattern interrupt and TDS) giving you just long enough to give her the commands (that 'this is the dog, look. we came to win.') When emphasizing these, it's imperative not to overdo it. It's just raising the voice, without it being too obvious. All that follows this is to reassure the teller that they've done the right thing - as you would give a dog a biscuit when training it for obedience etc., and it does what it has been told to. The teller is confused, and this will remove that by making them think that they've done a good job.
[NB - for those who think that I'm sexist or misogynistic, the examples in the DB TV show were both women, hence I have referred to the tellers as 'she/her'.
]
This structure of suggestion will get you to be able to get most people to do almost anything. I can't find the clip ATM, otherwise I'd transcribe it, but there's a clip there DB just asks people to give him their personal effects (wallet, mobile etc.) and walks off. And they don't realise until he's almost long gone. This was originally a technique used by con artists, and it's quite fun. It's structure is slightly different to this, but it has the same idea around it.
Here he's using a series of pattern interrupts, Trans Derivational Searches (TDS), and hypnotic-style suggestions to achieve this effect. The basic idea is this -
Get the teller behind a window at a dog racing track to pay out on losing tickets.
Well, here's the script. These are just the words and actions. Where the text is bold, these words are emphasised apart from the rest of the script. The bits in [square brackets] are actions (just in case you have a little trouble working it out
).[Walk up to the window, ticket in hand, believing that it is a winning ticket, look her right in the eye, and say...]
"This is a winning ticket."
[The teller will take the ticket off you, run it, and return it saying that it isn't. As she's handing it back to you, bang hard against the side of the window and say...]
"This is the dog you're looking for. That's why we came to this "window."
[she will look confused, run it again, and will, if you've done this right and with the right demeanour, pay out. To emphasize the idea say...]
"Thankyou!" [followed by...] "It's quite easy to misread them sometimes."
Ok, that's the script. All those who are getting off at this station, before I go into the psychology behind it, do so now
OK, the psychology behind this follows this train of thought. The tellers are using the machines day in, day out. To them it's a totally autonomous process. At the point at which you're banging the window, you're interrupting her natural processes. That will confuse her (generating a pattern interrupt and TDS) giving you just long enough to give her the commands (that 'this is the dog, look. we came to win.') When emphasizing these, it's imperative not to overdo it. It's just raising the voice, without it being too obvious. All that follows this is to reassure the teller that they've done the right thing - as you would give a dog a biscuit when training it for obedience etc., and it does what it has been told to. The teller is confused, and this will remove that by making them think that they've done a good job.
[NB - for those who think that I'm sexist or misogynistic, the examples in the DB TV show were both women, hence I have referred to the tellers as 'she/her'.
]This structure of suggestion will get you to be able to get most people to do almost anything. I can't find the clip ATM, otherwise I'd transcribe it, but there's a clip there DB just asks people to give him their personal effects (wallet, mobile etc.) and walks off. And they don't realise until he's almost long gone. This was originally a technique used by con artists, and it's quite fun. It's structure is slightly different to this, but it has the same idea around it.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Thread performed by Criss Angel
Warning: Before anyone does this, I am warning you that it does hurt and it can cause damage to your eyes. If you perform this trick, you are taking all of the responsibilty for anything that may go wrong.
Effect: Spectator takes a piece of thread and puts it in his mouth, allowing just a tiny piece to stick out. He then pulls at his eye lashes and starts pulling one out. It turns into the string and he pulls it farther out. The piece of string that is sticking out of his mouth is pulled all they way into his mouth and the rest of the string is pulled from his eye.
Method: First, take two pieces of thread that are the exact length. With one, place it in some warm water. You want this water to be about room temperature, maybe a little warmer. You don't want it too cold, because it will irritate your eye, and the same thing with it being to hot. Now that the string is saturated with water, take it out and ring it out a little bit, making sure it stays damp.
This is the main trick now. Before you perform this, you have to insert the thread into your bottom eye lid, making sure just a little sticks out. Once the thread it in your eye, do not move your eyes downwards, as this increases the chances of damage to your eye as the thread may become lodged into your eye. You also have to make sure that some of the thread is sticking out. This way it looks like an eye lash and people won't think anything of it.
Now that you have that down, take the other piece of thread and insert it into your mouth, allowing a little to hang out of your mouth. Now act as if you are forcing the thread up to your eye. The acting really sells this trick.
Once you have acted as if the thread has gone up to your eye, find the thread that you have already inserted into your eye lid and start pulling. At the same time, suck in the thread that is hanging out of your mouth. By doing that, it looks as if it is just one thread. Keep pulling the thread out of your eye, and once all the thread is in your mouth, you can either swallow it, or just hide it in your mouth.
Keep pulling all of the thread out of your eye. Do it slowly because it really does hurt. Like all tricks, practice this. And be careful.
Effect: Spectator takes a piece of thread and puts it in his mouth, allowing just a tiny piece to stick out. He then pulls at his eye lashes and starts pulling one out. It turns into the string and he pulls it farther out. The piece of string that is sticking out of his mouth is pulled all they way into his mouth and the rest of the string is pulled from his eye.
Method: First, take two pieces of thread that are the exact length. With one, place it in some warm water. You want this water to be about room temperature, maybe a little warmer. You don't want it too cold, because it will irritate your eye, and the same thing with it being to hot. Now that the string is saturated with water, take it out and ring it out a little bit, making sure it stays damp.
This is the main trick now. Before you perform this, you have to insert the thread into your bottom eye lid, making sure just a little sticks out. Once the thread it in your eye, do not move your eyes downwards, as this increases the chances of damage to your eye as the thread may become lodged into your eye. You also have to make sure that some of the thread is sticking out. This way it looks like an eye lash and people won't think anything of it.
Now that you have that down, take the other piece of thread and insert it into your mouth, allowing a little to hang out of your mouth. Now act as if you are forcing the thread up to your eye. The acting really sells this trick.
Once you have acted as if the thread has gone up to your eye, find the thread that you have already inserted into your eye lid and start pulling. At the same time, suck in the thread that is hanging out of your mouth. By doing that, it looks as if it is just one thread. Keep pulling the thread out of your eye, and once all the thread is in your mouth, you can either swallow it, or just hide it in your mouth.
Keep pulling all of the thread out of your eye. Do it slowly because it really does hurt. Like all tricks, practice this. And be careful.
Fool Your Friends
This simple Criss Angel trick will fool your friends. All you do is fill in their info such as their name and phone number and they send you a link for a video with Criss Angel guessing their info. It is freaky at first. Check it out.
The Icarus Effect
HERE IT IS : ALL ABOUT ICARUS (Grab a Coke, this is gonna be a long one )
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There is a slit in the back of one pant leg which extends up from the top of the back of the shoe to where the knee joint bends so that there is leeway to exit from. In addition, you leave the last two to three inches of the pant uncut so that the pant leg doesn't flop around when your foot is in. This also makes so that the slit begins right where the top of the shoe ends.
This should be a pretty easy step. First of all, make sure you purchase or use a fairly baggy pair of cargo pants, or jeans. I would recommend a color close to your skin tone for safety, just in case there is a flash. They should extend at least to the bottom of your shoes. All you need to do is to make sure that the slit begins where your knees join bends, and it ends right where the top of the shoe is. You need to do some measurements on yourself. First, put on the jeans and mark where your knee joint bends on whatever leg you feel more comfortable with. (Right handed/left handed.). Do this directly on the back side of the pants. Then, measure off about two to three inches on the bottom to leave uncut and mark that on the back side of your pants. Also mark where your knee joint bends. At this point, lay down the pants flat on the ground. With a ruler and thin marker or pen, draw a straight line from the knee joint to two to three inches from the bottom. Make sure it is directly on the back side of the pants. Finally, with a knife, scissors, or box cutter, carefully make the slit on the back layer of the pant leg exactly where the line is.
The bottom of one of the pant legs is attached to its corresponding shoe where the rubber on the back heel begins so that it doesn't come up and reveal that your leg is not inside during levitation.
This is a fairly easy process. I recommend you attach the pant leg to the shoe where the rubber on the back heel of the shoe begins. You can do this with either a heavy duty staple gun, strong tacky or hot glue. If you don’t want to really ruin the shoe, I would recommend you use either tacky or staples. Just make sure that you even up the back and attach or staple it right on the edge of the back half of the shoe. This step is pretty self-explanatory. One thing you need to make sure of is that the other pant leg is always baggy down to the same point that the other pant leg is attached at. It will look more even and natural. When the jeans are attached, you should realize that when you put on the jeans, the slit begins right about where the top of the shoe ends.
There is a type of durable shell (Hard plastic or thin metal.)(SEE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW ON HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT SHELL) which retains the shape of the exited leg. It begins at the knee and extends all the way into the front of the shoe as a hook and inside the sides of the shoe. Its purpose is so that pant leg, when exited, doesn't go limp. It goes into the shoe so that it holds up the shoe while giving the effect extra durability during levitation. This shell extends around a bit more than the front half of your leg and is attached to the pant leg. It only goes around the front because the spectators only view from the front and it will give you space to move around your leg inside the pant leg and also exit the pant leg.
IF YOU DONT WANT TO MAKE A PROPER LEG SHELL FAKE IT LIKE THIS ( it wont look as good)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You need to buy or acquire a hard, yet flexible sheet of plastic from a hardware store that measures about three feet by one foot (You can also use a thin piece of metal.). It all depends on the size of your legs. The color is irrelevant, but if you’d like, get it closer to your skin tone. Then, you need to do some measurements on yourself. First, put the sheet on the ground vertically touching the ground, and mark where it comes even with the middle of your knee joint. Then, add about eight inches to a foot, depending on your size, to that measurement to compensate for the plastic threading inside the front of the shoe. Then, with the plastic straight up again, loosely wrap the plastic along the front side of your shin. Make sure that it wraps a good length of way around your leg while still having enough space to take your leg out of it. Now, mark off how much of the one foot is not needed to wrap along your leg. You now have two marks; one for length and one for width. Now with a ruler and thin marker, draw straight lines along those marks. Then, with a knife or box cutter, carefully cut of the excess plastic that is on the other side of the mark. Now, on the bottom eight inches of the plastic, cut two slits in the plastic. You should leave about three or four inches in width in the middle of the two slits to accommodate the width of the inside of your shoe. There should be equal space on each side of the three to four inches in the middle. It depends on the size of your leg. At this point, just fold up and crease the middle three to four inches. Next, just try to bend and form the plastic to stay in a half-cylindrical shape (It doesn‘t need to be perfect because it will do so later anyway.). You are now done with setup. Again, you can use either a heavy duty staple gun, strong tacky, or hot glue. If you don’t want to really ruin the shoe, I would recommend you use either tacky or staples. There are only really two steps to installation. You can complete the process with either the pants on or by turning the pants inside out. You first match up the top of the shell with the center of where your knee joint would meet on the front of the inside of the jeans. Then, attach or staple the very top of the shell (I will refer to the plastic or metal as, “shell”.) to where the top of the shell meets up the knee part of the pant leg. You do so by just attaching or stapling along the edge of the top. The jean can drape over the rest and stay very baggy and look natural and normal. The middle part is free to move. The last step is to push the shell all the way down to the bottom of the shoe and thread on the inside of the shoe and on the insides or sides of the shoe. Now, attach or staple the three to four inch flap in the inside of the shoe, and attach or staple the two sides on the inside of the shoe all the way to the bottom. This will help retain the half-cylindrical shape to emulate the shape of your shin. After this is done, the shell will not be apparent. If you would like to make it even more normal looking, continue shaping the plastic to be as the shape of your shin. It will be very baggy and natural, yet the shell is well in place. Additionally, because the pants are baggy and the bottom part isn’t cut, the slit will be fairly camouflaged.
HOW TO PERFORM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When you are done with your setup and ready to perform, put on your gimmick (Gimmicked pants and shoe.), and you are ready to perform. You are ready at any time without set-up, as Aaron Paterson claims. Once you have it on, you could wear it all day, but I don’t recommend it. When you are ready to perform, slide your heel that you’ve prepared the gimmick on top of your shoe, and that will cut down fidgeting and fishy movement later. Then, go up to either a step or flat ground. It’s recommended that you put your hands on top of your spectators and do the levitation one on one. You could though, get away with two or three spectators if you need to. Once you are directly in front of the step or on flat ground and ready with your heel in ready position, take your leg out of the slit and place it onto the step or ground. At this point, the spectator will be directly in front of you, and you will need to keep it that way. Once your leg is there, slowly lift onto the step or into the air. Then, slowly descend. Finally, immediately put your leg back into the slit and shell. You’re then done! Your spectators are amazed. From there, you can walk away. Just watch out that they don’t look too closely at the pant leg that has the slit in it, or you can get busted. That’s all there really is to the presentation.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN LEG SHELL (perhaps even better than whats supplied:)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You will need :
1. Fibre Glass and resin (get it from your hardware)
2. Plaster of Paris ( lots of it - get it from the hardware)
3. A shallow tub ( you'll see why just now)
3 sandpaper
4. Pantyhose (optional)
* Note: you will need to shave your leg ( no, I'm not kidding - no one said magic was easy)*
Mix the plaster of paris into the tub and let it start to harden. When its at the consistency of clay
and will retain a shape press your leg into it .
The Red part in pic 2 is the shape you of your leg once the plaster of paris has dried. You can fill the toes part up with some more plaster of paris because all you want is the red part. This is your mold.
MAKING THE SHELL
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take your fibreglass matting and resin and mold it to the shape of the mold. It will take a while and will be a mess. don't worry! Make sure you smooth it out and the the fibre glass covers all the areas in the mold evenly.
Allow to cure for a day.
After its cured and you are happy with how thick it is etc.. remove it from the mold. (if it sticks - just use a hammer to crack the plaster around it. However once you got the mold made i suggest your make a few more fibreglass casts for more pants and if you break it.
Take your sand paper and smooth out the fibreglass shell on the inside then on the outside. It will also take a while but you can get it to be as smooth as the surface of a cars bumper!
Then put it into the panty hose and trim off all the excess edges. Glue the ends neatly. And there you have your leg shell!!! Follow the instructions above , read and re-read it! then do stuff!
Special thanks to TheMac for the detailed explanation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is a slit in the back of one pant leg which extends up from the top of the back of the shoe to where the knee joint bends so that there is leeway to exit from. In addition, you leave the last two to three inches of the pant uncut so that the pant leg doesn't flop around when your foot is in. This also makes so that the slit begins right where the top of the shoe ends.
This should be a pretty easy step. First of all, make sure you purchase or use a fairly baggy pair of cargo pants, or jeans. I would recommend a color close to your skin tone for safety, just in case there is a flash. They should extend at least to the bottom of your shoes. All you need to do is to make sure that the slit begins where your knees join bends, and it ends right where the top of the shoe is. You need to do some measurements on yourself. First, put on the jeans and mark where your knee joint bends on whatever leg you feel more comfortable with. (Right handed/left handed.). Do this directly on the back side of the pants. Then, measure off about two to three inches on the bottom to leave uncut and mark that on the back side of your pants. Also mark where your knee joint bends. At this point, lay down the pants flat on the ground. With a ruler and thin marker or pen, draw a straight line from the knee joint to two to three inches from the bottom. Make sure it is directly on the back side of the pants. Finally, with a knife, scissors, or box cutter, carefully make the slit on the back layer of the pant leg exactly where the line is.
The bottom of one of the pant legs is attached to its corresponding shoe where the rubber on the back heel begins so that it doesn't come up and reveal that your leg is not inside during levitation.
This is a fairly easy process. I recommend you attach the pant leg to the shoe where the rubber on the back heel of the shoe begins. You can do this with either a heavy duty staple gun, strong tacky or hot glue. If you don’t want to really ruin the shoe, I would recommend you use either tacky or staples. Just make sure that you even up the back and attach or staple it right on the edge of the back half of the shoe. This step is pretty self-explanatory. One thing you need to make sure of is that the other pant leg is always baggy down to the same point that the other pant leg is attached at. It will look more even and natural. When the jeans are attached, you should realize that when you put on the jeans, the slit begins right about where the top of the shoe ends.
There is a type of durable shell (Hard plastic or thin metal.)(SEE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW ON HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT SHELL) which retains the shape of the exited leg. It begins at the knee and extends all the way into the front of the shoe as a hook and inside the sides of the shoe. Its purpose is so that pant leg, when exited, doesn't go limp. It goes into the shoe so that it holds up the shoe while giving the effect extra durability during levitation. This shell extends around a bit more than the front half of your leg and is attached to the pant leg. It only goes around the front because the spectators only view from the front and it will give you space to move around your leg inside the pant leg and also exit the pant leg.
IF YOU DONT WANT TO MAKE A PROPER LEG SHELL FAKE IT LIKE THIS ( it wont look as good)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You need to buy or acquire a hard, yet flexible sheet of plastic from a hardware store that measures about three feet by one foot (You can also use a thin piece of metal.). It all depends on the size of your legs. The color is irrelevant, but if you’d like, get it closer to your skin tone. Then, you need to do some measurements on yourself. First, put the sheet on the ground vertically touching the ground, and mark where it comes even with the middle of your knee joint. Then, add about eight inches to a foot, depending on your size, to that measurement to compensate for the plastic threading inside the front of the shoe. Then, with the plastic straight up again, loosely wrap the plastic along the front side of your shin. Make sure that it wraps a good length of way around your leg while still having enough space to take your leg out of it. Now, mark off how much of the one foot is not needed to wrap along your leg. You now have two marks; one for length and one for width. Now with a ruler and thin marker, draw straight lines along those marks. Then, with a knife or box cutter, carefully cut of the excess plastic that is on the other side of the mark. Now, on the bottom eight inches of the plastic, cut two slits in the plastic. You should leave about three or four inches in width in the middle of the two slits to accommodate the width of the inside of your shoe. There should be equal space on each side of the three to four inches in the middle. It depends on the size of your leg. At this point, just fold up and crease the middle three to four inches. Next, just try to bend and form the plastic to stay in a half-cylindrical shape (It doesn‘t need to be perfect because it will do so later anyway.). You are now done with setup. Again, you can use either a heavy duty staple gun, strong tacky, or hot glue. If you don’t want to really ruin the shoe, I would recommend you use either tacky or staples. There are only really two steps to installation. You can complete the process with either the pants on or by turning the pants inside out. You first match up the top of the shell with the center of where your knee joint would meet on the front of the inside of the jeans. Then, attach or staple the very top of the shell (I will refer to the plastic or metal as, “shell”.) to where the top of the shell meets up the knee part of the pant leg. You do so by just attaching or stapling along the edge of the top. The jean can drape over the rest and stay very baggy and look natural and normal. The middle part is free to move. The last step is to push the shell all the way down to the bottom of the shoe and thread on the inside of the shoe and on the insides or sides of the shoe. Now, attach or staple the three to four inch flap in the inside of the shoe, and attach or staple the two sides on the inside of the shoe all the way to the bottom. This will help retain the half-cylindrical shape to emulate the shape of your shin. After this is done, the shell will not be apparent. If you would like to make it even more normal looking, continue shaping the plastic to be as the shape of your shin. It will be very baggy and natural, yet the shell is well in place. Additionally, because the pants are baggy and the bottom part isn’t cut, the slit will be fairly camouflaged.
HOW TO PERFORM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When you are done with your setup and ready to perform, put on your gimmick (Gimmicked pants and shoe.), and you are ready to perform. You are ready at any time without set-up, as Aaron Paterson claims. Once you have it on, you could wear it all day, but I don’t recommend it. When you are ready to perform, slide your heel that you’ve prepared the gimmick on top of your shoe, and that will cut down fidgeting and fishy movement later. Then, go up to either a step or flat ground. It’s recommended that you put your hands on top of your spectators and do the levitation one on one. You could though, get away with two or three spectators if you need to. Once you are directly in front of the step or on flat ground and ready with your heel in ready position, take your leg out of the slit and place it onto the step or ground. At this point, the spectator will be directly in front of you, and you will need to keep it that way. Once your leg is there, slowly lift onto the step or into the air. Then, slowly descend. Finally, immediately put your leg back into the slit and shell. You’re then done! Your spectators are amazed. From there, you can walk away. Just watch out that they don’t look too closely at the pant leg that has the slit in it, or you can get busted. That’s all there really is to the presentation.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN LEG SHELL (perhaps even better than whats supplied:)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You will need :
1. Fibre Glass and resin (get it from your hardware)
2. Plaster of Paris ( lots of it - get it from the hardware)
3. A shallow tub ( you'll see why just now)
3 sandpaper
4. Pantyhose (optional)
* Note: you will need to shave your leg ( no, I'm not kidding - no one said magic was easy)*
Mix the plaster of paris into the tub and let it start to harden. When its at the consistency of clay
and will retain a shape press your leg into it .
The Red part in pic 2 is the shape you of your leg once the plaster of paris has dried. You can fill the toes part up with some more plaster of paris because all you want is the red part. This is your mold.
MAKING THE SHELL
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take your fibreglass matting and resin and mold it to the shape of the mold. It will take a while and will be a mess. don't worry! Make sure you smooth it out and the the fibre glass covers all the areas in the mold evenly.
Allow to cure for a day.
After its cured and you are happy with how thick it is etc.. remove it from the mold. (if it sticks - just use a hammer to crack the plaster around it. However once you got the mold made i suggest your make a few more fibreglass casts for more pants and if you break it.
Take your sand paper and smooth out the fibreglass shell on the inside then on the outside. It will also take a while but you can get it to be as smooth as the surface of a cars bumper!
Then put it into the panty hose and trim off all the excess edges. Glue the ends neatly. And there you have your leg shell!!! Follow the instructions above , read and re-read it! then do stuff!
Special thanks to TheMac for the detailed explanation.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Prohibition
Effect: You walk up to someone and borrow there beer bottle. you pick up a cap and hit it on the bottom and it instantly penetrates inside the bottle!!
Method: Before you start the trick have a ring on with a magnet attached. Or just a plain PK ring. Now walk up to someone and ask to see there beer bottle. Pick up three caps off of the table but palm one so to the spectator it only looks like you have two. Now take one and say look the only way i can get this cap in the bottle is if i bend it a little and squeeze it in. When you say this you are demonstrating. Now let the cap drop into the bottle but since you are holding the bottle with the hand that has the ring on the cap will stick on the inside of the bottle. Now use the palmed coin to make it look like you have taken the cap back out. So now you still only have two caps. Now take one and place it on top of the bottle so nothing can get in that way. Now take the last cap and hit it one, two, and three toss it up to the hand with the ring and it will catch the magnet and the one inside the bottle will drop. That is Prohibition!
The no magnet method is this. You take a little bit of invisible thread and attach it to a cap! Now put the cap in the bottle and hold the thread so the cap is at the top. Now show its empty and shake it a little. Now when you hit the other cap on it pull hard on the invisible thread so it snaps!! and let the cap fall into the bottom!! And just palm the other one away!
Method: Before you start the trick have a ring on with a magnet attached. Or just a plain PK ring. Now walk up to someone and ask to see there beer bottle. Pick up three caps off of the table but palm one so to the spectator it only looks like you have two. Now take one and say look the only way i can get this cap in the bottle is if i bend it a little and squeeze it in. When you say this you are demonstrating. Now let the cap drop into the bottle but since you are holding the bottle with the hand that has the ring on the cap will stick on the inside of the bottle. Now use the palmed coin to make it look like you have taken the cap back out. So now you still only have two caps. Now take one and place it on top of the bottle so nothing can get in that way. Now take the last cap and hit it one, two, and three toss it up to the hand with the ring and it will catch the magnet and the one inside the bottle will drop. That is Prohibition!
The no magnet method is this. You take a little bit of invisible thread and attach it to a cap! Now put the cap in the bottle and hold the thread so the cap is at the top. Now show its empty and shake it a little. Now when you hit the other cap on it pull hard on the invisible thread so it snaps!! and let the cap fall into the bottom!! And just palm the other one away!
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