The+Yes+No+Trick+by+Derren+Brown+(Constr...

The key to all the effects described within this book is an easy to construct gimmicked card. The center section of the gimmicked card can slide to change the appearance of the card from a ‘Yes’ to a ‘No’:

The above image shows the regular Yes and No cards as well as the gimmicked card which has been slid half way between the two words. The center section slides very smoothly and only needs the gentlest of nudges. The gimmick is never spotted by the spectators. Firstly, the ungimicked cards can be given to the out for inspection at the start of the routine. After the spectators are satisfied that the cards are ungimicked – it is simply a matter of switching one of the ungimicked cards for gimmicked one. Secondly, the beauty of the gimmick is that the sliding panel is surrounded by a black circle - this makes it impossible for spectators to see that the face of the card isn’t exactly level. Finally, it is often possible to swap out the gimmicked card for a regular one at the end of the routine. This way – you end completely clean, with no risk of discovery. The gimmick is so effective that in some circumstances I even allow spectators to pick up the gimmicked card themselves. It is only if they run their fingers over the front of the card that they will notice anything! It fits all my needs – it is a gimmick so it works every time; the sliding section is undetectable and reliable; the writing on the card can easily be changed just by naturally turning it over; with careful planning you can boast to your audiences about how they can inspect the cards; and finally it is cheap and easy to construct.

Materials You Need: Card: You will need a total of 7 identically sized pieces of blank card. Personally, I use blank playing cards. These can be bought very cheaply, are already identically sized, they look professional and since they have a satin finish – they allow the sliding panel to move very easily. That said you can use any card that has a smooth finish. Glue: You need some glue that is suitable for sticking paper and card. Ideally you want something that doesn’t get too hard, nor wrinkle the card when dry. This allows the cards to still feel flexible and look normal. You may have to experiment with glue brands that are available in your local area – but I have found that Copydex and Rubber Cement works well. Marker Pen: You need a thick, black marker pen to draw the circle on the card. This is important as it disguises the sliding panel and gives the illusion that the writing on the card is bigger than it actually is. Depending on the exact thickness of your pen, you may find you need a slightly thinner one to write the Yes/No on the card. Craft Knife & Pin: You need a craft knife to accurately cut holes in the pieces of card. They can be bought very cheaply either online or from stationery shops. You also need a pin so that you can push through the template and make tiny marks on the card to guide your cutting. Ruler: You need this for cutting straight lines with the craft knife as well as for taking measurements if you do not choose to use the template I provide.

Constructing the Gimmicked Card: The gimmicked card is three layers thick. The bottom layer (Layer 1) is a full, uncut card. The middle layer (Layer 2) has a large rectangle cut out of the middle. The piece cut from the center is then cut again and placed inside the frame. The top layer (Layer 3) has a circle cut out of the center. To give you a clearer idea, here is a view of the three layers:

Print out the template which is located on the final page of this document.

1. Layer 1 is just a blank piece of card. You don’t need to cut anything, just set the card aside for later.

2. For Layer 2 - take a piece of card and position the template neatly on top of it. Press a pin into the corners of the large rectangle as well as the center of the sliding section. These points are marked with blue spots. Remove the template.

3. Use the craft knife and ruler to cut out the large rectangular section. Once you have the middle piece removed, you need to cut the end of the middle piece. Cut level with the final blue spot. Finally trim the sliding piece along all sides and round the corners. This allows the sliding piece to slide easily once the card is glued together. Layer 2 is now complete.

4. For layer 3, overlay the template on the third piece of card. Use a pin to make several pin pricks on the inside edge of the thick circular line (marked with red spots). Now remove the template and with a thick marker pen, draw around the OUTSIDE of these pin pricks.

5. Use the craft knife to cut out the center of the circle. Be careful not to cut into the black line. Once you’ve done this, take the marker pen and color the inside edge of the circle. This will help disguise the hole.

6. Glue the outer frame of Layer 2 to Layer 1. Apply some tiny touches of glue around the edge and then spread it around. You can use the wasted part of layer 2 to help spread it. After pressing the two Pieces together, run your finger around the edge and remove any glue that has seeped out. Put it under something heavy to dry

7. Now apply glue around the frame of Layer 2. Carefully place the sliding piece in the middle and press layer 3 on top and remove any glue that seeps out as in the previous step. Be careful not to get any glue on the sliding piece.Leave to dry.

8. There is a small area of the sliding section that is visible when the card reads both ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ – as illustrated by the red line in the picture. You must be careful not to write in this area. To locate exactly where this area is, slide the center panel all the way to the left and make a tiny pin prick on the sliding panel beside the left part of the circle. Then slide the panel to the right. Write ‘No’ to the left of the pin mark you have just made. Make a pin mark on the right, by the line, then slide panel to the left. Write yes to the right of that pin mark.

Constructing the Ungimicked Cards: The ungimicked cards need to be double thickness. This is because the gimmicked card is three cards thick so as to allow room for the sliding section. It’s important that the ungimicked cards are of similar thickness so that they do not appear different. I have experimented with making these ungimicked cards triple thickness – so that they are of equal thickness to the gimmicked card. I have found that it is more useful to have the ungimicked cards a little thinner. This allows you to tell the cards apart by touch, even if they are out of sight inside your pocket. I have never had a spectator notice the difference in thickness. 1. Apply a small amount of glue across the back of one of the blank cards. Then carefully place another blank card on top. Press the cards firmly but evenly together. Make sure that the edges are lined up and flush with one another. Leave to dry. 2. Repeat the same process with two other cards. 3. You should now have two blank, double thickness cards. Look at the gimmicked card you have made and set it to ‘Yes’. Now try to reproduce this as closely as possible on one of the cards. 4. Set the gimmicked card to ‘No’ and reproduce this as closely as possible on the remaining double thickness card. Hopefully by this stage you have three cards – two normal and one gimmicked:

Now it’s time to put away the craft stuff and start blowing some minds!

Template

The card is 88mm long and 63mm wide. This is the exact same size as the industry standard Bicycle playing card. I make my Yes/No Trick cards out of blank Bicycle cards that are available very cheaply fromonline magic stores . If you are going to use the template in conjunction with blank standard sized playing cards, you need to make sure that you print this page without any scaling. To do this: 1. Click “File” and then “Print” in this window (Adobe Acrobat Reader) 2. Change the “Page Scaling” menu option to “None” 3. Under “Print Range” select “Current Page” 4. Press “OK” These instructions should work for most printers – but every printer is different so you may have to experiment. If you need to recreate the template by hand, I’ve enclosed a copy with key measurements marked. Of course if you are going to use plain card – the exact size that the template is printed at is not too important.