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Hi, Sorry to be pestering everyone again, but I am in the process of devising a 2-3 minute mentalism routine and I figured that any advice and help would be welcome.
There are some strict guidelines for my routine:
It must be entertaining- (a lot to do with personality and charisma, not routine)
It must captivate people from the start and throughout
It must end on a huge finale
It must look exactley as a real mind reader would
It must be visual and memorable- not just 'I know what your thinking'

There are a few ideas bouncing around my head at the moment- any suggestions for something to think about.
I was thinking of a chair prediction routine, but it's difficult because people have to see it through to the end.
Just any ideas for the type of routine that could do that, bearing in mind if my audience are lost at any point its a competition and they can kick me off. A lot of that has to do with charisma, but if I procure alphabet cards and leather wallets and other such hideous devices I'm off. So, to conclude, I have to establish myself, keep people watching all the time and do that all in two-three minutes.

You might stuggle with a chair test in 2-3 minutes. Depends what effect you want to achieve. Are you influecing one person to do something, a influencing a group?... Using cards ? Coins ? Any item in the room ?..are yu going psycological or spiritual ? Thnk of an amazing effect and then work out how to do it...best effects are born that way

So, which is it? Mentalism, two to three minutes or a routine? To paraphrase a popular maxim about projects, you can have any two of those three! I thought that you might have meant trick or effect instead of routine, but you also referred to a finale.

Take a look at your 'requirements' and consider if they are realistic for a three minute spot - the time it takes to soft boil an egg.

I assume this is for a talent show, or an audition of some kind, rather than close-up, because of the various conditions you have named.

Anyway, in an effort to be helpful, I shall suggest a magic square, based on a two digit number chosen by a spectator, but unknown to you. Highly visual (you construct a magic square on a flip chart on stage), impressive (especially to anyone who isn't a maths whiz, or a magician) and with a surprise finale, that the lines add up to the unknown chosen number.

It might be a struggle to fit that into three minutes, with appropriate presentation (displaying your natural charisma and ability as a performer).

Another broad type of effect you could consider is a drawing duplication. There are many ways to do this, of course. If you stand back-to-back with the participant, you can save a bit of time, and make it visually more exciting. There is also a visual finish, when the drawings are displayed.

Why does it have to be 2-3 minutes? What constraints are causing this restriction?

Also, can you call something 2-3 minutes long a "routine"? I'd have barely introduced myself by then!

dont do mentalism in a competition. Why?
Because mentalism always uses a member of the audience, and it often takes 2 or more minutes to get them up... then you have to instruct them on what to do.. then you need to do it.
Its just not enough time, and your doomed to failure.

seriously....stick to magic in this case.

Andy Nyman's Get Nyman DVD contains a short and entertaining chair-choice routine.

I'd agree with Dale. I would say that 99.99999% of the stuff I do is mentalism and I wouldn't even consider doing anything in the time frame you've mentioned.

I would consider looking at some of the standard magic fare - you might be able to add a 'mental' spin on something but steer clear of predictions, etc!


Sean

maybe a crossover mental magic item like an ID could work in 2-3 minutes.

Actually , Ted makes a good point about the chair routine on Nyman's DVD. I've used that a couple of times and it almost takes no time at all !


Sean

Relish wrote:maybe a crossover mental magic item like an ID could work in 2-3 minutes.

This is one effect you can put a mentalism slant on and which you can routine to exactly any time you need.

If you have time to construct or find (I think you can buy them) a giant card ID you can do it from a stage easilly, otherwise you will need to have someone close enough to confirm the prediction.

My first suggestion would be to not do a 3 minute "routine" to begin with.

But...

In 3 minutes you will not be able to get an audience member on stage, in front of the rest of the group, etc. You will have to go to them- and make it quick. I would use Tossed Out Deck. Simple to follow, you "go to them" by throwing out the deck to a handful of people and you directly involve more than one member.

Thnk of an amazing effect and then work out how to do it...best effects are born that way

Thats what I want to do.
I suppose I can't really call it a routine, but possibly just a single effect.
And yeah, it's kind of like a talent thing. I do understand that mentalism is INCREDIBLY difficult to squeeze into such a small timescale, so if Im gonna do mentalism I have promiced the art I will do it well and not torture it.
Also, spectators is a difficult thing to include, so it will probably have to be something which doesn't involve spectators or 1 at the most. But that is why mentalism is difficult, because it is naturally dependant on audience participation- which leads me to think I will be using psychological forces on the audience- something which involves everyone, and no one has to move.
But, as a spectator, what would amaz you?

nah, again i wouldn't use mentalism that relies on a psychological force. Not in this situation any ways. If the force doesn't work, you are kind of bugrd, in that you then have to add time, in order to get to your out..
If your going to do something short and snappy, then do a routine which has a multi out ending. then you can concentrate on the presentation, because you know it will work out what ever goes wrong.

Tossed Out Deck...

I think you could do a drawing duplication. Someone went in the semi final of a tv talent show with it.

Otherwise I agree with invisble deck or toss out deck.

If you go to BGT or something similar, make sure it is something visible from far and don't use too many "props"