0BC3 Blah Blah Blah Hello and welcome to issue 3 (at last). Also, please note that issue 4 will be with you at the end of July. I know once again that the mix of magic and mentalism that you are receiving in this magazine is all excellent, practical material that will put a smile on your face when you read it and a song in your heart when you perform it. If you have any feedback about the magazine, then feel free to e-mail me at:
[email protected] This e-mail address is working once again. Yoursly yours, ME
CONTENTS OF ISSUE 3:
FLASH PAPER PRODUCTION – PAUL NELSON…2 TEST YOUR BOOK – ALISTAIR CROW…3 STATION MASTER – MARK ELSDON…5 CIGARETTE ON CEILING – SEAN EASTWOOD…7 THE PO GIMMICK – MARK ELSDON…9
Entire contents copyright ©2002 by OBC publications. Marketing rights remain the property of the contributors.
FLASH PAPER PRODUCTION – PAUL NELSON What Happens? Whilst in a bar or club where he has never been before, the performer pays his bill by giving the barman a small piece of paper, muttering " Thank you, " and continuing his conversation with friends. A few seconds later he looks back to the bartender as if he just realises something is wrong. He looks down and apparently notices his mistake. Picking up the paper, he starts to apologise, at the same time holding the paper at his fingertips and setting it alight with his lighter. Suddenly, there is a bright flash and the performer now holds in his otherwise empty hand a $50 bill or £20 note. He hands it to the bartender as if nothing has happened. The bartender, however, is having none of it and wants to know if the performer is a magician, and could he possibly see some more tricks please, and... Several hours and many free drinks later, the performer leaves, having impressed and astonished the manager who only came over to see what all the fuss was about, and having obtained a booking for twice his normal fee.
The Hype: This looks absolutely fantastic. It creates an incredibly magical effect for very little work. Also, as you will see, it is a true utility technique that can be used to produce any small object.
How Does It Happen? The method is actually surprisingly easy. All you need is a small piece of flash paper. However: TAKE CARE - FLASH PAPER IS A DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE. USE WITH EXTREME CAUTION, AND THEN ONLY IF YOU ARE SURE THAT YOU CAN USE IT SAFELY. PAUL NELSON AND THE PUBLISHERS OF OBC ACCEPT NO LIABILITY FOR ACCIDENTS OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE USE OF FLASH PAPER. IF YOU ARE NOT AN EXPERIENCED USER OF FLASH PAPER THEN DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS EFFECT. Begin with the object you wish to produce, let’s say a banknote folded into quarters, in a right pocket and a cigarette lighter in a left pocket. Keep the flash paper somewhere safe - I keep mine in my wallet. Take out the flash paper, and tear off a square piece which measures about a quarter of an inch on each edge and put the rest away. Screw the piece up into a small ball and drop it onto someone's hand, saying "A gift ... ", or whatever (see the above 2
scenario for a suggested presentation). They will look a bit perplexed. Don't give them chance to throw the piece of paper away (sometimes people think the paper is rubbish, and that you're just being stupid - well they're half right!) Continue as per the presentation, and reach into both your pockets, the left hand bringing out the lighter, and the right hand bringing out the banknote in finger palm. Make it look as if you've just been reaching for your lighter and were not sure which pocket it was in. With the right hand palm down and the object still in finger palm (in this instance your second, third and fourth fingers are all closed,) take the piece of flash paper and pull it open a bit, so that the right first finger and thumb can grasp just one edge of it. With your left fingers squash the paper again, although this time into more of a cylindrical shape than a round one. The right hand is holding just one end of this small "tube". Here comes the potentially hazardous part, TAKE CARE. Light the flash paper, and a fraction of a second later turn your right hand palm up, open all your right fingers out and let go of the flash paper. These last three actions all happen simultaneously. The object you produce, which has previously been hidden by means of the Ramsay subtlety, seems to suddenly pop into existence, as the flash from the paper fades. The paper burns so quickly, that as you let go of it the last bit flashes out, so that it doesn't contact your skin something that you definitely want to avoid! And that's all there is to it. You end clean (and hopefully un-burnt!) and have produced the object in an eye-popping way.
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Test Your Book – ALISTAIR CROW What Happens? The magician riffles down the edge of the pages of a book. Neither the spectator nor the magician can see the pages. The spectator calls stop. The magician opens the book at that spot and the spectator remembers the first line of text (or the last, or whatever). Despite the fact that the magician's head has been turned away all the time, he successfully divines several words from the chosen sentence.
The Hype: You use a regular book, which you may give away following the performance. You do not keep any finger breaks during the selection process. The whole selection procedure looks very clean. You just pick up the book and away you go.
How Does It Happen? You use a ‘Raven’ gimmick. For those of you who have been living on Mars for the past six years, a Raven is a very powerful magnet, covered with felt. It is attached to a length of strong elastic, which is pinned to the top of the inside of a jacket sleeve. It enables the performer to vanish any small ferrous object. Here it is put to a decidedly more offbeat use. In addition to the Raven you will need a small, flat strong magnet. Many magic dealers now carry a range of small magnets. Also, you will need a paperback novel of less than 200 pages. This should be of standard dimensions. Open the book to anywhere between pages 30 and 50. Remember the top line of text on the left hand page. Or the bottom line, or if you’re up to it the whole page. Place the magnet into the book at that page and close the book. Hold the book flat on your left hand with the front cover up. Bring the Raven down on top of the book, and then lift your right hand back up. The Raven will pick up the magnet (if it doesn't, turn over the Raven in your hand - the magnets' polarities need to match) and all the pages in between as well. This is how you will force the page. In performance, begin with the magnet loaded in the book at your force page, and the Raven on your right hand. 4
Hold the book flat on your left hand, with the pages facing away from you. Turn your head away to the right. Bring your right hand down on top of the book. You will feel the magnet pick up. The right hand is lightly holding the book in a sort of Biddle grip across the width of the book. The right middle finger pulls up on all the pages, slowly riffling up them. Try to time it so that when the spectator calls stop you are in the general area of you force page. Let go of all the pages and lift up the right hand a fraction. The book will open at your force page. Re-grip the book with your left hand, your left second and third fingers entering at the force page from the top of the book, although it's the left hand side from your perspective. Your left thumb holds the book's spine. Remove you right hand by sliding it off across the edge of the front cover. This will steal the magnet out directly onto the Raven. Show the book upright to the spectator and have him look at the top line of the left hand page (or whatever you memorised earlier.) Almost as an afterthought allow him to take the book, in order to concentrate on his "chosen" sentence. Using all your acting skills and theatrical training, reveal the words he is thinking of! Don't reveal the whole sentence but just one or two words from it. For the real work on how to reveal information in a book-test refer to Banachek’s ‘Psychological Subtleties.’
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STATION MASTER – MARK ELSDON What Happens? The performer introduces an envelope which he says contains an unusual playing card. The envelope is shaken so that the spectators can hear the card moving about inside. One of the spectators is given a pin and pierces the envelope and the card inside (he feels the card in the envelope to make sure) at a random spot. The card is then withdrawn and the spectators are shown that its back design is a map of the London Underground. Upon closer inspection, the spectator can see that he has pierced the card (and therefore the map) at Charring Cross. The performer explains that when he arrives in London from his home town, he always alights at Euston station. The performer then removes something else from inside the envelope. Inside is a London underground ticket – it is for the journey from Euston to Charring Cross! The Hype: Only one card and one ticket are used. Neither are gimmicks and the spectator may keep both at the end. How Does It Happen? A manila (or brown) envelope is used which measures 3½ inches by 6 inches. The playing card with the London Underground map is standard poker size and is taken from a deck of such cards. I have found these ‘tourist souvenirs’ available in pretty much every city I have ever been to which has a subway or tube train network. This card is pierced with a pin at any destination you choose (I always use Charring Cross.) You will also need a one-way subway or tube ticket for the journey from a specific point in the city to the destination that you have (literally) pin-pointed on the playing card. As pointed out in the effect above, I always arrive into London at Euston station, so my prediction tube ticket is from Euston to Charring Cross. Obviously this prediction should be made to fit whichever city’s playing cards you are using. Hold the envelope flap side towards you, with the flap pointing up. The pierced playing card is face down with the tube ticket underneath it and they are both loaded upright into the left hand side of the envelope. The playing card is almost the same height of the envelope. You also need to place a piece of stiff card which is about a ½ inch shorter and narrower than a playing card is inserted into the right hand side of the envelope. Fold the envelope’s
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flap over, but do not seal it. Finally a duplicate, empty envelope is screwed up and placed in your left jacket pocket. To perform, hold the envelope flap side down so that you are holding the end containing the card and ticket in right hand ‘Biddle’ grip. Proceed as per the effect. As you shake the envelope from side to side, the piece of card which is at the left, free end of the envelope will be heard moving around. This is supposedly the playing card. Have the spectator pierce the card and allow him to feel through the envelope that he has actually pierced the ‘card’. Withdraw the pin and without turning the envelope over, open the flap. The right fingertips now enter the envelope, contacting the back of the card and shuttling it along to the other end of the envelope and at the same time withdrawing it from the envelope. This makes it look as if the card is withdrawn from the same place in the envelope as it was when they just pierced it. Show them the hole through the face of the card and have someone turn it over to reveal the stations. Point out where they pierced it. Next reach into the envelope and remove the ticket. Crumple up the envelope with your left hand and absent-mindedly drop it into your left jacket pocket. Pass them the ticket to read the journey which constitutes your prediction. They match! As everyone is examining the card and the ticket, without saying a word, casually reached into your pocket and remove the duplicate, empty envelope and drop it in the nearest bin (or ashtray or whatever, depending on where you are performing). Please notice the many subtle convincers in this routine. They all add up to block any possible explanations the spectators might have. If you have problems obtaining the necessary cards and/or tickets please get in touch and I’ll do my best to help.
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CIGARETTE ON CEILING – SEAN EASTWOOD What Happens? A cigarette is thrown vertically at a ceiling (of almost any height) and sticks there. Forever.
The Hype: This trick/bit-of-business is something that I'm certain the late Ken Brooke would have paid far more than his customary £50 for! It is a relative of the card/coin on ceiling, but it is accomplished without any of the usual wax, glue, magnets, threads or thumb tacks. It CAN be performed as a magic trick, but it is best to present it as a challenge or stunt and then openly show everyone how it is accomplished. Chaos usually ensues as dozens of people start throw cigarettes at the ceiling with varying degrees of success.
How Does It Happen? Basically what you are going to do is hollow out a cigarette to make it very light, and then lick the end of the cigarette, enabling it to stick to the ceiling. Here's the full working: Take a cigarette and nip a piece of the filter between your teeth, and gently pull it out of the cigarette. Throw this filter away. Now gently roll the cigarette between your fingers, which will cause the tobacco to work its way out of the cigarette. You will be able to get most of the tobacco out of the cigarette this way, but to get the last pieces out you will have to blow through the hollow cigarette. Point it down as you blow, or the last bit of tobacco will go everywhere. (The tobacco I have already rolled out is either in an ashtray or on the floor, depending on where I'm working.) As you are doing all this, you can joke: "Of course this isn't the original reason I learnt to empty a cigarette!" which raises a laugh and covers what is otherwise a non-moment. As you're hollowing out the cigarette it is important that you don't press it flat at all. When you've finished, the empty paper should be virtually indistinguishable from a normal cigarette. Later when the cigarette is on the ceiling people will not be able to tell that it is anything other than a normal cigarette. The next step is to use your teeth to bend over a 2mm lip all around the top (filter end) of the cigarette. Your teeth will actually make tiny tears in the paper, which will allow the lip of paper to bend out at a ninety degree angle, all around the cigarette. Now wet this lip of paper with your tongue, transferring only a small amount of saliva onto the paper. Too much and the paper will get soft and mushy and be useless. 8
Now hold the cigarette in your curled right fist with the wetted end next to your thumb. Your hand is in the same shape as it would be if you had just loaded a thumbtip into it. Now for the throw: Start with your arm by your side, and quickly jerk it through ninety degrees, so that your arm is now parallel with the ceiling, and the cigarette is pointing straight up at the ceiling. It is at this point that you let go of the cigarette. Your arm and wrist combine in a snapping movement that transfers its momentum to the cigarette as you let go of it. The cigarette is a perfect projectile, very aerodynamic because it is hollow. The wet end serves to give it weight that carries it up to the ceiling. If you have thrown it properly it should be stuck to the ceiling directly above you. It will only take a couple of minutes for the paper to dry, and it actually dries itself onto the ceiling, so there is no chance of it ever falling off. Be careful of ceiling fans or air conditioning, because even though you might not be able to feel them on the ground, they will knock the cigarette off course as it gets near the ceiling. To perform this as a trick rather than as a stunt which exposes the method (although that is definitely the best way to present it,) you need to have a few cigarettes already prepared in the packet. Have them in the back row, covered by the silver paper. Offer a cigarette to someone, and after they have taken one or refused, take one of the prepared ones yourself. Raise it to your lips as if you are going to smoke it, but actually just lick the end. Turn away from the audience slightly as you do this so that they cannot see that it is hollow. As you lower the cig ask them if they have ever seen anyone throw a cigarette and catch it in their mouth (a common smokers gag) and offer to demonstrate. Throw the cigarette up and it will stick to the ceiling. Look up at it for a few seconds and then say "Never mind," and just go on with something else. They will go crazy!
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THE PO GIMMICK – MARK ELSDON What Happens? The performer writes prediction on a small Post-It pad. The spectator then selects a playing card. The prediction is shown and it is wrong! However the performer simply waves his hand over the pad and the prediction visibly changes so that it is correct.
The Hype: The prediction can be anything: a word, a picture, a number, a playing card – anything! No forces are involved at all. The change is almost visible and due to the way the eye perceives change, it gives a fantastic morphing effect. This is one of those times that I really wish you could see the effect performed before you knew the method. You do not touch the pad at all during the transformation, and at the end everything is examinable. This principle opens up a world of possibilities.
How Does It Happen? You will need a ‘Raven’ gimmick. These are available from most every magic dealer on the planet, but in case you don’t know what it is, I have given a brief description elsewhere in this issue, in the ‘Test Your Book’ effect. The Raven is worn in either jacket sleeve. You will also need to make what I call the ‘Po’ gimmick. It is made up three layers of a post-it pad, with a shim between the second and third sheets. The third sheet has been reversed so that its underside is no longer sticky. The correct size pad measures one and a half by two inches. To see what this gimmick can accomplish try out the following: You will need the Po gimmick and a matching size post-it pad, a pen and a deck of cards. Write Jack of Clubs on the top sheet of the Po gimmick. Place the gimmick on top of the post-it pad. Keep this in you pocket. Have a spectator select a card from your deck. Have it replaced and glimpse it. Bring out the post-it pad with the gimmick squared on top. Tell the spectator that you are going to try and guess his card and write it down. Do not let him see that anything is written on the pad.
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Slide the gimmick down (this is hidden by the back of the other hand) exposing the top blank sheet of the pad. On this sheet write the real name of his selection. Square up the pad and gimmick and put it down on the table. Tell the spectator that he picked the Jack of Clubs. He will tell you that you are wrong. As you are talking load the Raven onto your hand. Ask the spectator the name of his card. Direct attention to the pad, and pass your hand over it, executing a standard Raven vanish of the gimmick. It will appear as if the words visibly changed to say whatever the selection was. The post-it pad can now be examined. I think you get the idea. The pad and gimmick can be used to change any word, picture, cartoon etc. Use your imagination.
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BONUS – COMPETITION Anyone who can e-mail me and tell me what the following is all about will win a special prize:
ALADIN
I can’t tell you what the special prize is, or it will give away the solution. Good luck!
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