talkmagic.co.uk

Wizzyfax wrote:Morning all,

I have been involved in magic at a small level for a few year, and can do bits with cards and poker chips etc...

I was at a wedding on Saturday and there was a magician/mentalist employed for the event.

He did 2 tricks that amazed me.

1) He asked me to close my eyes, and then open them about 20 seconds later and asked me if I felt anything, I said yes, I felt you touch me 3 times on my left shoulder. He then told me he hadn't touched me at all, and infact he had touched my father-in-law that was about 5 foot away (and this was backed up by my Father-in-law)

2) He asked me to pick a random card in my head, and then say it out loud. I told him the card, and he went into his inside pocket, pulled out a pack of card and fanned them out, and the card I had picked was face up.

Now with the second trick he has no time to do anything, and short of him having 52 packs with each combination, I do not see how this is possible.

1st Question to you, is what is the first trick called?, so I can do some research, and is it under a certain category? Magician, Mind, Mentalist etc....

2nd Question, please could you give me the name of the trick again, or point me in the right direction for some research on this one too.

These both are mind boggling, and are real show stoppers I would love to perform.

Kind Regards

Wizzyfax

Hello and welcome.

Nobody seems to be telling you what you want to hear so I'll just come out with it. The second trick with the cards is from a book by Resol Ami called 'pull the other one' I'm not sure that it's easy to get hold of tho!

I've been trying to buy that trick for about a year now and no one seems to want to let go of it. I imagine it's quite pricey too as none of the main retailers seem to stock it anymore.

Right.... the mentalism 'trick' I'm afraid was a big trick on you!! As you closed your eyes the performer produces an extendable stick from his trouser pocket and leans across to tap you with it. EVERYONE ELSE was in on it but you! Great gag tho eh!?

Best of luck with your new career in magic.

Alec

(ps. Mods, please don't ban me due to exposure!)

jim ferguson wrote:What i think is amazing about the Zig Zag is that the illusion is so good, even when you know how it works it still looks impossible

Over lunch one afternoon at Abb Dickson's apartment Billy McComb, Hiram Straight and I were arguing over which of the grand illusions were closest to "perfect" the 3 that seemed to be on the top of everyone's list was the Zig Zag, the Buzz Saw, and the Broom Suspension. When they are built and presented properly they can be viewed very close-up and in the round leaving the typical snoop just as dumbfounded as everyone else.

I was surprised when Abner suggested the Buzz Saw but as we listened to his explanation I came to recognize that he was correct; especially in that he was item specific when it came to which designs on the effect were "perfect" -- the "Blackstone" style and the one developed by Richiardi topping the heep.

Hey Guys, hope all is well.

I’m just looking for advice on writing predictions on a piece of paper in your hand during a trick. So far example you have a few spectators pick a word and write on down viewable to everyone including yourself. As they are writing the words you are also writing the words on a piece of paper in your hand and then slip the piece of paper into your pocket or wherever so it looks like you had predicted in advance the words they choose. My question is regarding the act of secretly writing these words during the trick without being noticed.

Has anyone any advice on this or recommend anywhere I could get good tips on this. The possibilities are pretty endless if you could nail this. I would really appreciate any tips, advice anyone could provide.

Thanks a lot

Concept82 wrote:Hey Guys, hope all is well.

I’m just looking for advice on writing predictions on a piece of paper in your hand during a trick. So far example you have a few spectators pick a word and write on down viewable to everyone including yourself. As they are writing the words you are also writing the words on a piece of paper in your hand and then slip the piece of paper into your pocket or wherever so it looks like you had predicted in advance the words they choose. My question is regarding the act of secretly writing these words during the trick without being noticed.

Has anyone any advice on this or recommend anywhere I could get good tips on this. The possibilities are pretty endless if you could nail this. I would really appreciate any tips, advice anyone could provide.

Thanks a lot

Buy a book called 13 Steps By a gent called Corinda. The first chapter is all about what you are looking for.

Alec Kobain wrote:

Wizzyfax wrote:Morning all,

I have been involved in magic at a small level for a few year, and can do bits with cards and poker chips etc...

I was at a wedding on Saturday and there was a magician/mentalist employed for the event.

He did 2 tricks that amazed me.

1) He asked me to close my eyes, and then open them about 20 seconds later and asked me if I felt anything, I said yes, I felt you touch me 3 times on my left shoulder. He then told me he hadn't touched me at all, and infact he had touched my father-in-law that was about 5 foot away (and this was backed up by my Father-in-law)

2) He asked me to pick a random card in my head, and then say it out loud. I told him the card, and he went into his inside pocket, pulled out a pack of card and fanned them out, and the card I had picked was face up.

Now with the second trick he has no time to do anything, and short of him having 52 packs with each combination, I do not see how this is possible.

1st Question to you, is what is the first trick called?, so I can do some research, and is it under a certain category? Magician, Mind, Mentalist etc....

2nd Question, please could you give me the name of the trick again, or point me in the right direction for some research on this one too.

These both are mind boggling, and are real show stoppers I would love to perform.

Kind Regards

Wizzyfax

Hello and welcome.

Nobody seems to be telling you what you want to hear so I'll just come out with it. The second trick with the cards is from a book by Resol Ami called 'pull the other one' I'm not sure that it's easy to get hold of tho!

I've been trying to buy that trick for about a year now and no one seems to want to let go of it. I imagine it's quite pricey too as none of the main retailers seem to stock it anymore.

Right.... the mentalism 'trick' I'm afraid was a big trick on you!! As you closed your eyes the performer produces an extendable stick from his trouser pocket and leans across to tap you with it. EVERYONE ELSE was in on it but you! Great gag tho eh!?

Best of luck with your new career in magic.

Alec

(ps. Mods, please don't ban me due to exposure!)

i actually lol'd

Concept82 wrote:Hey Guys, hope all is well.

I’m just looking for advice on writing predictions on a piece of paper in your hand during a trick. So far example you have a few spectators pick a word and write on down viewable to everyone including yourself. As they are writing the words you are also writing the words on a piece of paper in your hand and then slip the piece of paper into your pocket or wherever so it looks like you had predicted in advance the words they choose. My question is regarding the act of secretly writing these words during the trick without being noticed.

Has anyone any advice on this or recommend anywhere I could get good tips on this. The possibilities are pretty endless if you could nail this. I would really appreciate any tips, advice anyone could provide.

Thanks a lot

I'll be a bit more blunt on this posting in that a.) it is seriously off topic and b.) you are looking for an explanation -- the secret as it were, and if you had read the forum rules & details you would know that to ask such is a big NO, NO and quite uncool (we ARE magicians and thus, we tend to know how to keep secrets) and too, we simply aren't that kind of low-life resource. That said, if you honestly wish to learn about Magic/Mentalism for the sake of amusement and possibly a vocational path later in life, you will come to know access to some awesome resources by way of this and similar forums out there. Like any skill however, it requires a good deal of study as well as practice; it's not just learning the mechanics (secret), that will never make you a "magician" just someone that has loads of trivial knowledge. A Magician is someone that can take the least bits of that knowledge & technology and deliver an absolute miracle simply because he/she has learned to be a proper showman and storyteller. More than any slight, secret writing or whatever else that one can buy or read about, the real secret to magic of all forms, is one's ability to enchant, which is why the effect you speak of is so intriguing to you and stupefying -- it's mystery has mesmerized you.

THE SECRET IN THIS CASE can be any one of at least a dozen methods; most all of magic has more than one way of accomplishing it. When it comes to predictions the book mentioned early (13 Steps to Mentalism) along with a host of others, will give you at least 90% of the many methods used for making your premonitions 100% accurate. Some of it does in fact require secret writing of some kind; most of it doesn't!

If you want to earn the answer to this question then you need to pick-up a copy of said tome and I'd also recommend you get Dunninger's Practical Mental Magic as well which is something like $10.00 as a pdf download at lybrary.com. In fact, while you are at that site you may want to look through the FREE books & articles inventory; my introduction to Mentalism can be found there. It will give you a fair overview about this craft along with a list of study resources. Too, on this very forum there is a sticky entitled "Becoming a Mentalist" that offers much the same information in a simpler, far shorter, format.

Firstly thanks for the replies, secondly I posted this in this thread by mistake, I had meant to start a new thread. Also I wasn’t looking for answers straight up, I asked for tips, advice and recommendations… not solutions. And recommendations is what you provided and I’m very grateful for that

Just a quick question, I am going to invest in the 13 steps of Mentalism, the only thing is my preference would be DVD format, as I enjoy to sit back and watch tutorials and opposed to read them, each to their own preference I suppose Just wondering Cordina's 13 steps seem to only come in book format, but I did find a DVD of the 13 steps by Richard Osterlind.

I was just wondering would you guys recommend me getting this? Again and help greatly appreciated

Buy the book. You'll find the style a little dusty at first but if you think past that, the methods are solid gold. Think about a different application for the methods that suits you and a more modern presentation and you'll be laughing.

Craig Browning wrote a guide to becoming a mentalist that is an excellent starting point (it's in a sticky at the top of the listing).

Have a look at http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic32844. ... ight=steps for a Review thread on that DVD.

Guys thanks a million for advice on this, im going to go invest and hopefully il find a few tricks I can perform, but eitherways il find the theories incredibly interesting Thanks again!