In a famous quote, David Devant said "The Magic Circle seems to think the mechanics of a trick are the secret of its success. In my view it is only the artistry of the performer that can make it magic." Rich Ferguson proves that premise is true with mental magic.
This is Mentalism is a two hour master class on how to present mental magic. If you have looked at the mental magic effects in Marc Wilson's Complete Course in Magic or Fulves' Self Working Mental Magic and dismissed those effects because the method was too simple or the the effects didn't seem powerful, Rich will show you the secrets to turning those effects into mental masterpieces. The video is structured to show the effect and then the explanation. Watching the effect first lets you see how powerful the effect is with Rich's presentation.
When you learn the methods, they may seem simple. In my opinion, if you can use a simple method to produce a powerful effect, the method qualifies as being ingenious. However, beyond the methods, the value of This is Mentalism is that Rich teaches you the nuances of how to perform those effects. You can watch this video just to learn the effects or you also can think about what Rich is telling you regarding presentation and apply that to other mentalism effects and magic effects. If you do the latter, you will get a double benefit from this video. Also, it is worthwhile to spend some time re-watching Rich's performances to pick up on some of the subtleties that he doesn't go over (he goes over a lot, but there are some that are in his performances that he doesn't mention).
Here is the rundown on the effects:
DECK EQUIVOQUE
A thought of card appears at a named position in a deck of cards. We all know equivoque, but Rich takes it a step further by using the patter to provide the rationale for how equivoque is used in the effect. Rich's use of a "marker" card at the beginning of the effect perfectly sets the stage for what the spectator is about to do.
NUMBERZ
A calculation based on numbers selected by the audience match a prediction. The combination of using a i-Phone or Droid for the calculation and having the prediction appear a signed business card held by the spectator elevates this effect to the next level.
ALPHA PACK
You read a spectator's mind to determine what is written on a card that they freely selected from a stack of cards (can be blank playing cards, business cards or index cards) each of which have a different word written on them. The method is beautiful and the nuances make this effect great. You pick the words so that you can have different sets of words for different contexts.
WINDOW
You read a spectator's mind by determining which word in a magazine they viewed through a window cut into a randomly placed business card. It is genus, pure genus. I was fooled by this one in the presentation. I had several ideas as to the method... all of which were complicated and required significant amounts of memorization. I was wrong, really wrong. The method and handling that Rich provides are just beautiful.
PAPERBACK PREDICTION
The ultimate in impromptu predictions. You can determine a word that the spectator selected from borrowed book. You touch the book for the first time as you riffle through it while asking the spectator to stop at any page. Rich uses natural justifications for doing the dirty work so it blows past everyone.
SPRING PEEK
Spring the cards from one hand to another and have the spectator say stop. You know their selected card before they do. If done right, it is completely invisible. A great card peek... now if I could only spring cards.
NO RISK POKER
You always get the better hand, even when the spectator picks your cards and their cards. A great routine that is made to be performed several times and is heckler proof. As in many of the effects, the secret is simple but it kills. The effect can easily be turned around so that the spectator always wins.
GRIDLOCK
Writing numbers in a square grid sounds boring, but the impossibility of the result will astonish people. I can see myself performing this on a whiteboard or flip pad for a larger audience. Again, the tips that Rich gives make performing this impossible effect easy.
SECURITY
I think this is the best effect shown. A prediction written is on a card by a spectator and put into a security envelope by the spectator and the envelope is sealed by the spectator. Only the spectator knows what is written. The only way you can find out is if you read their mind. No set up required. All you need is a card, a sharpie and a security envelope. You would have to pay (and I have paid) the price of the video to get gimmicks that accomplish the same thing.
TIME STOP
No PK ring required to stop time here. This is a great study in misdirection. However, this is one effect where I thought Rich's patter was a little over the top, but that may just be my style. I went to test it out and noticed that three of my watches (I have around 10 watches) had stopped... all between 5:30 and 7:30 which is time that I was watching the video last night. VERY STRANGE.
SIGNED PREDICTION
Not really an effect in itself, but an enhancer based on the "Out to Lunch" principle.
I can't say that I'm going to perform all of these effects. I can say that I will definitely use Window, Security and Alpha Pack (thinking about a kids show application using index cards with a theme tying all of the words together). The Paperback Prediction is great to know, especially if you are performing Tagged (or a book prediction using the methods in Tagged) and a spectator challenges you to use one of their paperbacks. I also think I will use Gridlock, but I need to develop a presentation to fit my style.
If you are a beginner or even an intermediate in mentalism or mental magic, this video will be perfect for you. You could perform the effects just like Rich does and get great reactions. But my recommendation is to use the effects but come up with your own patter and your own style. Watch Rich's presentation and explanations and see what he puts into each effect to make them work. Take Rich's suggestions for ideas and run with them. If you go further in mentalism, this exercise will prepare you to take the effects in books and make them into masterpieces.
If you have worked through the standard texts of mentalism (Self Working Mental Magic, Fundamentals, Practical Mental Magic, 13 Steps to Mentalism, Psychological Subtleties) and have experience performing mentalism you will get less from this video than someone who is just starting out. I've picked up a couple of new effects that I want to try out. For me, Rich's teaching of the nuances of presentation were applications of what I already knew... it is the presentation and artistry of the performer that matters.
This is Mentalism is a two hour master class on how to present mental magic. If you have looked at the mental magic effects in Marc Wilson's Complete Course in Magic or Fulves' Self Working Mental Magic and dismissed those effects because the method was too simple or the the effects didn't seem powerful, Rich will show you the secrets to turning those effects into mental masterpieces. The video is structured to show the effect and then the explanation. Watching the effect first lets you see how powerful the effect is with Rich's presentation.
When you learn the methods, they may seem simple. In my opinion, if you can use a simple method to produce a powerful effect, the method qualifies as being ingenious. However, beyond the methods, the value of This is Mentalism is that Rich teaches you the nuances of how to perform those effects. You can watch this video just to learn the effects or you also can think about what Rich is telling you regarding presentation and apply that to other mentalism effects and magic effects. If you do the latter, you will get a double benefit from this video. Also, it is worthwhile to spend some time re-watching Rich's performances to pick up on some of the subtleties that he doesn't go over (he goes over a lot, but there are some that are in his performances that he doesn't mention).
Here is the rundown on the effects:
DECK EQUIVOQUE
A thought of card appears at a named position in a deck of cards. We all know equivoque, but Rich takes it a step further by using the patter to provide the rationale for how equivoque is used in the effect. Rich's use of a "marker" card at the beginning of the effect perfectly sets the stage for what the spectator is about to do.
NUMBERZ
A calculation based on numbers selected by the audience match a prediction. The combination of using a i-Phone or Droid for the calculation and having the prediction appear a signed business card held by the spectator elevates this effect to the next level.
ALPHA PACK
You read a spectator's mind to determine what is written on a card that they freely selected from a stack of cards (can be blank playing cards, business cards or index cards) each of which have a different word written on them. The method is beautiful and the nuances make this effect great. You pick the words so that you can have different sets of words for different contexts.
WINDOW
You read a spectator's mind by determining which word in a magazine they viewed through a window cut into a randomly placed business card. It is genus, pure genus. I was fooled by this one in the presentation. I had several ideas as to the method... all of which were complicated and required significant amounts of memorization. I was wrong, really wrong. The method and handling that Rich provides are just beautiful.
PAPERBACK PREDICTION
The ultimate in impromptu predictions. You can determine a word that the spectator selected from borrowed book. You touch the book for the first time as you riffle through it while asking the spectator to stop at any page. Rich uses natural justifications for doing the dirty work so it blows past everyone.
SPRING PEEK
Spring the cards from one hand to another and have the spectator say stop. You know their selected card before they do. If done right, it is completely invisible. A great card peek... now if I could only spring cards.
NO RISK POKER
You always get the better hand, even when the spectator picks your cards and their cards. A great routine that is made to be performed several times and is heckler proof. As in many of the effects, the secret is simple but it kills. The effect can easily be turned around so that the spectator always wins.
GRIDLOCK
Writing numbers in a square grid sounds boring, but the impossibility of the result will astonish people. I can see myself performing this on a whiteboard or flip pad for a larger audience. Again, the tips that Rich gives make performing this impossible effect easy.
SECURITY
I think this is the best effect shown. A prediction written is on a card by a spectator and put into a security envelope by the spectator and the envelope is sealed by the spectator. Only the spectator knows what is written. The only way you can find out is if you read their mind. No set up required. All you need is a card, a sharpie and a security envelope. You would have to pay (and I have paid) the price of the video to get gimmicks that accomplish the same thing.
TIME STOP
No PK ring required to stop time here. This is a great study in misdirection. However, this is one effect where I thought Rich's patter was a little over the top, but that may just be my style. I went to test it out and noticed that three of my watches (I have around 10 watches) had stopped... all between 5:30 and 7:30 which is time that I was watching the video last night. VERY STRANGE.
SIGNED PREDICTION
Not really an effect in itself, but an enhancer based on the "Out to Lunch" principle.
I can't say that I'm going to perform all of these effects. I can say that I will definitely use Window, Security and Alpha Pack (thinking about a kids show application using index cards with a theme tying all of the words together). The Paperback Prediction is great to know, especially if you are performing Tagged (or a book prediction using the methods in Tagged) and a spectator challenges you to use one of their paperbacks. I also think I will use Gridlock, but I need to develop a presentation to fit my style.
If you are a beginner or even an intermediate in mentalism or mental magic, this video will be perfect for you. You could perform the effects just like Rich does and get great reactions. But my recommendation is to use the effects but come up with your own patter and your own style. Watch Rich's presentation and explanations and see what he puts into each effect to make them work. Take Rich's suggestions for ideas and run with them. If you go further in mentalism, this exercise will prepare you to take the effects in books and make them into masterpieces.
If you have worked through the standard texts of mentalism (Self Working Mental Magic, Fundamentals, Practical Mental Magic, 13 Steps to Mentalism, Psychological Subtleties) and have experience performing mentalism you will get less from this video than someone who is just starting out. I've picked up a couple of new effects that I want to try out. For me, Rich's teaching of the nuances of presentation were applications of what I already knew... it is the presentation and artistry of the performer that matters.