by Demitri » Apr 26th, '07, 19:30
You could do a pseudo psychometry style routine, perhaps. You pass out 5 velvet bags (do a search on the web, you can find nice, inexpensive bags which will look elegant and professiona), to 5 random spectators, asking them to drop their cell phone into them and pull the strings tight to close them.
Have them collected and mixed up out of your sight - as the 5 spectators come up. You then begin by removing a phone from a bag, then proceed to identify the owner in any method you prefer (cold reading style, phone details fitting the type of person, etc.). One-by-one you return the phones back to the spectators, until only one remains.
For the final spectator, you hold just the bag up by the drawstrings, attempting to use characteristics about the SPECTATOR to describe the phone. You now begin to describe what the phone looks like. You could even draw it if you wanted. You then take it out and return it to the spectator.
Something like that, perhaps?
Haim Goldenberg has an absolutely brilliant cell phone effect on his Between 2 Minds DVD. Essentially the performer shows a spectator his video club membership card, saying he has a movie on hold to pick up after the show. ANYONE in the audience is asked to name ANY movie they have seen. No stooge, no pre-show, no force - it is truly any movie they want.
The performer takes out his cell phone and hands it to the spectator to dial the number on the video card. It's put on speaker phone, and when asked, the movie that the store is holding is the exact movie the spectator just named.
If you need any help with the first one, pm me. I'll help you out. For the second effect, you'd need to purchase Between 2 Minds. Pricey ($100), but has some great material on it. Come to think of it, I should do a review on it, sometime.
Hope those ideas help.