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Does anyone know of a clipboard which allows more than one spec to write on a piece of paper, take it, pass the clipboard on and then allow the mentalist to get all of the info in the usual method. Similar to the boards Derren Brown uses in his shows. Is it a prop/gimmick or can you make them yourselves.

P.S: Currently i am making 5 specs write on 1 piece of paper, and the last person takes it, but i am not sure whether this diminishes the effect.

Any thoughts?

Thanks, Phil

You could try controlling where it is being written or perhaps create an excuse for everyone needing to write on the same piece of paper, like making sure that nobody goes for the same country if you wanted to divine countries. So, as long as there is a REASON why they need to write on the same bit of paper, even perhaps a neccesity, then it does not compromise the effect.
Hope this helps.

SamGurney wrote:If you are talking about the one from the routine he did in 'something wicked this way comes' just remember he was forcing the lier and that meant he knew whos surname he needed to peek.
Otherwise, you could try controlling where it is being written or perhaps create an excuse for everyone needing to write on the same piece of paper, like making sure that nobody goes for the same country if you wanted to divine countries. So, as long as there is a REASON why they need to write on the same bit of paper, even perhaps a neccesity, then it does not compromise the effect.
Hope this helps.

Wow, shows just how little thought i put into explaining it to the audience, simple and to the point. Thanks

Just out of curiosity now though, as i will take you up on your idea about not writing the same thing, how about the 20Q routine from evening of wonders, was this a special pad, or just good management?

the point is there are 80 different ways of doing the effect, be it with pads, billet work and so on... but Derren is a world class showman and bull-pooer and the audience buys it. It is much more interesting to watch a very impressive game of 20 Q than a boring ordinary (or should I say 'bordinary' hee hee! I apologise for any self harm that dreadful joke will cause ) billet reading routine, there is some theme to it to keep it interesting.

This isn't a give out methods or ask for how things were done forum.

Editing done.

In his Q&A Teach-In video Lee Earle shows a method in which the paper used is divided into thirds. You let spec #1 fill out the bottom "slip" and tear it off (it's perforated for ease of removal), #2 gets the middle section and of course #3 the top... you know who is who by the position of the information... this was used with his Ultra Thin board if I recall but can be used with most any imp system that is of reasonable size (I wouldn't use a Butterfly, for example)

You can likewise employ the same device in working with a group of three but not rely solely on the imp pad's stock gaff and with some very limited modifications get miles of extra advantage.

a.) Primary imp gimmick is set into the cardboard front or back cover. This allows you to remove a sheet of paper or else open the pad with a single sheet laying atop the gimmick -- simple, standard operation...

b.) Roughly 3 sheets down from the "top" (the same point where you opened the pad for the above work) you have a sheet of matching NCR paper (you can find this carbonless paper in a variety of colors and even with lines that match yellow/legal pads, etc.) with this you can either divide the new page in half so as to get two transfers of information from two more specs or just use it for stealing a single (large) image.

c.) The inside front cover (in this case) has a very smooth glossy blank white surface... it's not overtly obvious so it's nothing to worry about. As if a second thought, you re-open the pad but from the front side vs. the back (as before)... rather than spoil things here I'll just suggest you look into a method known as a "Fields Device"


Learn to sit down with an item and list everything you believe you can apply to it for using it in a solid bit of business or, as I do, to help obfuscate methods. For example, I might use a pad that's been set similarly to the above just to throw those "in the know" off my trial because of the casual and different modes of having folks jot down information... not always part of the same routine (you don't have to use separate gimmicks for each act after all).

With a simple shirt pocket styled notepad you should be able to readily deliver a stock billet routine (other than any kind of Center Tear... I mean BILLETS), a Psychometry styled act (ala Ronaldo the Great), and a Drawing Dupe... and that's just the easy stuff that can be done.

I use two clipboard's in my show (It is usually one but depends wether i am doing Q&A - Clearly )
I do a three envelope test using three pieces of paper, if you apply a bit of logic it easy to work out, however i will not divulge how i do it, as no doubt it isnt mine to share.

Do they all need to use the same clipboard? If you need them to each take their own papers, then why not let them each have their own board? If they don't need to take their own papers then having them all write on a single sheet makes sense to me.