Presentational Ideas #2

Sep 1, 2007
1,395
8
39
Belgrade, Serbia
I have been brainstorming about presentation and patter a lot in the past few days. Before I go into detailed presentation and patter for some of the more famous effects, I have one question. Can I reveal a method of a simple mathematical trick?
It is like "21 card trick" but with numbers only (no card trick? go figure). I saw it on "Incredible Magic Made Easy - Magic at the Bar vol.1". On that DVD there are "Invisible Deck", "Fizz Master", "Twisted Sisters" etc. So basically, non of the tricks he performs (and explains) are his own. And the trick that I'm talking about is a simple math trick, with a pen and paper. It's not even a trick, it's a principle. So I have a presentation idea for the trick, but I would also like to explain the trick for better understanding of it.

If that is not OK, than I will just post the patter and presentation.

Thanx
 
Mar 6, 2008
1,483
4
A Land Down Under
Most people will say no. However I feel that this can be a very powerful moment as you are giving them something. It takes away from the I am so much better than you image of a magician. This will also help with them taking something away that they can show their friends. The biggest idea is knowing how far you can go. You do not want to explain anything like a tilt or pass.
 
Sep 1, 2007
1,395
8
39
Belgrade, Serbia
Most people will say no. However I feel that this can be a very powerful moment as you are giving them something. It takes away from the I am so much better than you image of a magician. This will also help with them taking something away that they can show their friends. The biggest idea is knowing how far you can go. You do not want to explain anything like a tilt or pass.

Thanx for your reply Ice ;)

That's what I was thinking. It's not a double lift, it's not a pass, it's not even a sleight. And there is noone to credit, because it's mathematical principle. It's like 2+2=4, but in a slightly complicated manner.

I will write my presentation and patter for the trick later, and if someone wants to know the secret, I will put it also.

And yes, I am trying to share for free, and contribute to the community. And this one is the second contribution out of many that I plan to do. First one was my Biddle Trick patter.
 
Sep 1, 2007
1,395
8
39
Belgrade, Serbia
Ok guys, here it is...

I've been brainstorming a lot in the past few weeks, working on patter, presentation, linking effects together (to make sense), even waiting for "Strong Magic" book to knock on my door any day now.
I have decided to share that brainstorming with you. Some of you will like my ideas, some of you will not. But you need to remember, before you start bashing me, that these are all IDEAS, not the "end all" for presentation, I'm not even claiming that these IDEAS are original, but they should serve the purpose of starting your own brainstorming, off of my ideas.

First one you can find here: http://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?t=20791 . That is my patter for Biddle trick. It is a little upgraded by now, but the skeleton of that patter is still the same.

Today, I will give you mine presentation and variation of that presentation, for a VERY easy, mathematical effect, that I use when performing mentalism. I'm not into mentalism for that long, as the matter of fact, I'm not into mentalism at all, but these past few weeks brought me much much closer to it.

Basic idea for this patter is about "Deja Vu". I know that Deja-Vu phenomenon has been used a million times before, in magic, and specially in mentalism, but maybe never in a way that I am about to describe. Enjoy...

Presentation:

Have a pen, paper and spectator, and you are good to go. Start of by explaining the phenomenon of Deja-Vu.
"Do you know what Deja-Vu is?....*wait for an answer*... Do you know how it works? Let me tell you. It is scientific proof that Deja-Vu is happening because right side of the brain takes information a fragment of a second later than a left side. So that information that the left side of the brain already received, is just starting to be received by the right side. So you get the feeling that you saw "that" a long time ago, but in reality, it was only fragment of a second difference.
Now, have you ever tried to close your eyes in the middle of Deja-Vu?....*99% of the time, they will say NO"... Right, because everybody tries to keep their eyes open as long as they can, because they want to have that feeling of Deja-Vu to last as long as it can. But that is the mistake. Actually, if you close your eyes in the middle of Deja-Vu, you will make the feeling a lot longer.
Also, you can train yourself, and your brain, to slow down that right side of the brain just for that fragment of a second, and to have a FEELING of a Deja-Vu. Not the actual Deja-Vu, but the same feeling as one. Let me try it now, just give me a second." Now you close your eyes, and pretend to have a feeling of Deja-Vu, and then "come back". "Ok... I only managed to see a couple of minutes ahead. Let me write down what I have seen." Now you take a peace of paper and write down your prediction. Then fold up the paper. And yes, spectator is not supposed to see what you are writing down. "Ok, I will leave this peace of paper here, under this glass (or whatever), in full view the whole time. Remember that this peace of paper was here before we even started anything. Now, please, take this pen, and a new peace of paper. We will try to come up with a number, in the most random and fairest way possible. Ready? Good."
Turn your back, or close your eyes, and start giving the instructions. "Think of a person, someone that I don't know. Any person you wish. Now write down the year of birth of that person. Not the whole date, just the year. Got it? Ok... Below that, write down a year that is somehow related for you and that person. It can be the year that you two met, or the year when you went on a vacation... Any year that connects you in a way. Great. Below that, write down a number of years (how old) that person has now, as we speak. And finally, below that, write down how long has passed from that year that connects you, until today. How many years have passed since that year, till now. Now add all those numbers (years) together, you can even use a calculator if you want. Remember that final number that you got from adding all those numbers. Got it? Great." Now you can turn back around, or open your eyes. "There is no way that I can possibly know what person you thought of, right? And even less chance for me to know the year that connects you. With that, I cannot know how old is that person now, nor how many years has passed since that event, right? Now, concentrate on that final number. Specially on the first digit." Now you start to reveal that final number in any way you want. I prefer to do it with "picking up" vibrations from a spectators mind. When you reveal the number at the end, they will be left with their jaw dropped, believe me on this one. And as soon as that reaction start to cool down, remind them of your Deja-Vu prediction under the glass. "But, remember, I have written something down on this peace of paper before you even took the pen and paper, right? I went a couple of minutes ahead, and got that final number. Don't believe me? Unfold that peace of paper." Wait, and enjoy even stronger reaction when they see that number on a peace of paper, that you wrote before anything even begun.

Read below for variations and tips...
 
Sep 1, 2007
1,395
8
39
Belgrade, Serbia
.... From above.

Alternate presentation:

If you want, you can mix it up even more, for a better kicker at the end. Instead of writing down the exact number, you write down the number with the last digit incorrect, ie. instead of "5903" you write "5902". Than cross that "2" at the end, and write "3" below it (like you correct yourself). Than, at the end, while revealing number by number, you say: "And the last number is kind of a low one, it's 2 or 3.... It's 2, the last number is 2." They will say, "no, it's 3". You look them confused and tell "So it's not 2, but 3? Well, I was close". Now, when they open the folded up paper, they will see the number "5092" with the "2" being crossed, and with the "3" below it. And then you say "See, just like you said, not 2, but 3." And that is a great way to end, it's like you managed to see in that Deja-Vu, that you will go wrong, and then correct yourself.

Alternate presentation 2:

You can make this effect totally impromptu, in the way that you don't need pen and paper, and you left out that Deja-Vu story. You can be sitting with your friend, talking, and all of a sudden you say "Wow, guys, I just had Deja-Vu, and it was really long too. Hold on a second." Try to look surprised and kind of serious. Take out your cellphone, and write the number down. Than you say "This Deja-Vu also involved you Jimmy (or whatever the name of your friend is). Let's try something." And go into the routine from there. Of course, if you present it like this, than skip that phase of reading their minds. As soon as they add those numbers together, take a look at the result, put on a face like you have just seen a ghost, and show them the number on your cellphone.


Alternate presentation 3:


If you think that noone will buy your Deja-Vu story, just say that you had the weirdest dream last night. And you dreamed about that person, and some of his friends, and throughout the whole dream, there was this number that kept showing up. Write it down, start telling your dream, and continue with the effect.


Thanx for reading. There is A LOT more to say about this presentation, other presentations of this effect, and about the effect itself. But I will do that as the part of answering your questions, if you have any. Remember, this is the most simple effect in the world, and it is all in the presentation. I have "killed" a lot of people with this effect and this presentation. It was very hard to describe all those things in words, specially because English is not my native language. And it is also 0:15h here, so it is kind of late :)

Cheers
 
Mar 6, 2008
1,483
4
A Land Down Under
In this situation I would not tip the method, as you have spent so much time to make it into a full effect. Maybe at a later date but defiantly not on the same day.
 
Sep 1, 2007
1,395
8
39
Belgrade, Serbia
In this situation I would not tip the method, as you have spent so much time to make it into a full effect. Maybe at a later date but defiantly not on the same day.

Yeah, I guess you are right. Althou, if you want to know the method, just PM me.

I'm surprised that noone actually replied to this thread except you.
 
Sep 1, 2007
1,395
8
39
Belgrade, Serbia
Yes I hate a lot of spectator mistakes. I was doing ACAAN and when I asked the spec to think of a number between 1-52 i got told she wanted 76.

Haha...
But, the most funniest thing is when you offer them calculator to add those numbers, they find themselves offended. "I don't need calculator, it's simple math." And then they make mistakes...
 
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