talkmagic.co.uk

Ok, so the title may be a bit misleading

I am currantly running through several creative ideas for a closer mentalism routine, and naturally there are verious options. I want to do a prediction, and I've found I have one of two options: either use secret writing onto a small billet, and place that into a glass box/buttertub etc; or use a large prediction.

If I use a large prediction, it would have to be forced (as I have no assistance) and so would naturally look less free by the nature of its "forcing". However it would look more impressive to display a bit prediction than a little one.


What do you think? On the one hand if I use a small billet prediction, the reveal is less impressive, but the selection of the word/number/whatever can be much more free.

Does the size of you're finale prediction matter?



Tom
xx

most of derrens big endings use a force of some kind.

the badge for example.

If it's your closer then go for size. There's nothing wrong with a force at all and if you're doing it right then no one should even notice that there's a force goingon. Have a think about what you're predicting, for a closer I'd make it something very unexpected, it needs to be something totally different to what you've been doing but at the same time not be out of place, does that make sense?

daleshrimpton wrote:most of derrens big endings use a force of some kind.

the badge for example.

Agreed, this allows his reveals to be "grand"; the exception being his MPS in An Evening of Wonders.

I was wondering if using such a system as the Glass Box Prediction System, or the buttertub would make the finale more "grand" even if the predictions were only small, because the "fairness" of the routine would improve.

Lady of Mystery wrote:If it's your closer then go for size. There's nothing wrong with a force at all and if you're doing it right then no one should even notice that there's a force goingon. Have a think about what you're predicting, for a closer I'd make it something very unexpected, it needs to be something totally different to what you've been doing but at the same time not be out of place, does that make sense?

Em... I don't understand :/

Eshly wrote:

daleshrimpton wrote:most of derrens big endings use a force of some kind.

the badge for example.

Agreed, this allows his reveals to be "grand"; the exception being his MPS in An Evening of Wonders.

I was wondering if using such a system as the Glass Box Prediction System, or the buttertub would make the finale more "grand" even if the predictions were only small, because the "fairness" of the routine would improve.

well yes. Assuming the show is a one off, and you can give that contaner to someone to look after.
If on the other hand your at a venu for a week, then you could have a container for every show, clearly marked up as Monday, tuesday, wednesday... ect. and have them out front on display.

and thinking about it, if you are in a place for a week, this would make the prediction so much stronger.

It sugests that your thinking a week ahead, and the press publicity for such a prediction, would be very strong.

because everybody who turns up on monday, would want to know about the prediction on tuesday... to see if it was the same.. And naturally It's not.

My plan was to give the glass box to an audience member to guard at the start of the show. My only worry is about the size of the reveal and how/when to do the secret writing.

I could force something, but it never looks quite as fair.

Eshly wrote:I could force something, but it never looks quite as fair.

to who? you or the participants? it's never about "you"...

the box being guarded...hmmm...seen that somewhere else before i think

so using derren as your point of reference (as you seem to not know about other mentalists throughout the years) - remember his prediction, all printed out nice and big on the bridge?

did that look forced?

your next post, asking for help - it should be "where can i find a bridge"?

your closer should encapsulate the emit premise for your show...if you're going to take from derren, take that from it...not the "tricks".

....annndddd once again attacked by Iain for liking Derren Brown :/

Can I just point out that I didn't mention him and all my routine ideas currantly are nothing like his, the closest is a newspaper prediction where the reveal is a series of numbers that have been in full view, whos numbers corrospond to the letters of the headline.

the box being guarded...hmmm...seen that somewhere else before i think

I meant actually giving them the box, haven't you ever done such a thing?

i wasn't attacking...

ok then...i'd recommend you use principals employed by Dr.Q, U.F. Grant and Dunninger...

IAIN wrote:i wasn't attacking...

ok then...i'd recommend you use principals employed by Dr.Q, U.F. Grant and Dunninger...

Could you please be a bit more specific? I was hoping to do a word prediction or a confabulation routine.

now now children!!!

Eshly, I wonder if you're thinking too much. Don't worry about forcing, as long as the force is logical and makes sense then there's no need to worry.

As for having an audience member guard the box, I don't like to do that. I know that it makes things seem fair top you but I've done it myself in the past but once or twice and heard people afterwards mention how the person looking after the (in my case) envelope must have been working with me and switched them. Now I much rather keep things out in the open where everyone can see it.

I would try and use the RPS, but I forgot the password long ago and cannot acsess the PDF file, I therefore have no idea how to write the writing while on stage or load it without an assistant.

The prediction would work MUCH better if it was large, because I finish the show with a small A5 prediction of a randomly said word (like a "closer closer"). This routine therefore should have a big prediction, to contrast with the final small prediction. If both are the same it creates the subconcious feeling that they have to be that size.

Eshly wrote:

IAIN wrote:i wasn't attacking...

ok then...i'd recommend you use principals employed by Dr.Q, U.F. Grant and Dunninger...

Could you please be a bit more specific? I was hoping to do a word prediction or a confabulation routine.

nope - part of the joy of mentalism is the self-education. The reason why i give you hard time on this is because you have a basic idea, and then ask for help - yet everything people offer you, you dismiss. I am not attacking you by saying this, i am using your own behaviour as the basis of this. What you are asking for are things people spend a lot of money on, and a lot of time LEARNING.

this is what happens, you ask for help, people give it to you, you dismiss it...you've already made your mind up as to what is right or wrong, without trying it. Again, I'm not attacking, merely pointing out the patterns in what you do on this (and other) forums...

so my advice is, save up a few quid - then spend that money on some nice old books (pdfs even by going to lybrary.com) - and read, AND TRY THOSE METHODS OUT.

the magic cafe has a good (yet frustrating) search engine, use it.

i am not prepared to give you answers, thats too easy. what do you get out of that? apart from learning to just go and ask on a forum? you want to be a performer, learn as much as you can, by reading as much as you can.

Again, not attacking - though you think i am. Your choice. And as for you liking Derren, thats a good thing, so do i. HOwever, the trap people fall into is, emulating him or his performing style (and explanations). Thats never good.

Thats why it would be great for a young guy to come on here and say "Right, Dunninger used to bend metal rods on the radio - i have an idea that'll work for radio and its....x,y,z..."

Eshly wrote:My plan was to give the glass box to an audience member to guard at the start of the show. My only worry is about the size of the reveal and how/when to do the secret writing.

I could force something, but it never looks quite as fair.

I don't think you've got anything to worry about really.