Credits Credi ts & Inspirations
Introduction All great magic and mentalism is built on the shoulders o those who have come beore. It is important that we remember the names o those whose work we find inspiration and joy in. Our privilege is given to us in bringing those concepts, ideas and techniques to lie in our perormances; our reward is the reaction and applause rom the audience. Tis is, or the most part, applause those who have inspired us can no longer hear. Te applause is our reward, and remembering their names is our duty and their reward. Tis list o credits is ar rom exhaustive on each ‘premise’ contained on this DVD set; however I have done my best to directly cite those people who have directly inspired me in this work.
Silent Communication Tis routine is, as ar as I am aware, a new premise in the world o mentalism. It was developed in my exploration o the classic E.S.P match-up sequence, inormed by a desire to take the generic nature o the ESP cards and transorm them into something that would allow or a demonstration driven by personal inormation. Te simple method o edge marked boards can be traced to the early works on edge marked playing cards. However, with the simple nature o the method, it is impossible or me to credit any specific person. Tis routine has been shared or the first time on this DVD set, but was developed in the early part o 2012.
Dirty Secret Club I developed this routine sometime in 2010 or use in cabaret and comedy club settings. It was inspired by “Te OM Billet Box,” named afer its inventor, Otis Manning, which was introduced to mentalists in the 1940’s by Teo. Annemann through his writings in Te Jinx , and later in his book Practical Mental Magic. Tis routine allows the perormer to secretly exchange a large number o billets. I had made “Te OM Billet Box” and was searching or an interesting use within a show I was perorming at that time. Te premise came easily thanks to a continued ocus on making all mentalism driven by personal inormation. Tis routine also takes inspiration rom Banachek’s “Psychic Portolio” which I first learned rom his Escape From Te Asylum Convention - Lecture Notes, in which a handul o billets are secrets exchanged to orce a drawing. From these two points o inspiration the routine came together easily and quickly. I exchanged “Te OM Billet Box” or a simple switching envelope o my own design based upon the inormation continued within Practical Mental Magic by Annemann. A version o this routine was first published in my book Distractions in 2014.
Black Ball Location Tis routine was directly inspired by the modern marvel o minimalist mentalism, “Kurotsuke” by my riend and teacher, the great Max Maven. Tis appears on Volume 1 o the VideoMind series produced by L&L publishing. My routining was simply an effort to take the antastic premise gifed to us by Max and make it ocus on personal inormation. It takes inspiration rom the “ossed Out Deck” and “General Card” methodology (see “ouching on Hypnosis” or urther credits or these). I am certain that my specific method or locating the black ball (utilising a magnet) is something that has been explored by many others, but I am unaware o the specific routines utilising a magnet in print.
Shape Shifter Drawing Duplication Tis routine was inspired by the classic drawing duplication premise, dating right the way back to the very early days o Spiritualism. My method and approach to use preshow work was developed in total isolation rom outside sources. I simply developed this approach by actually doing preshow work or real people. Each time I observed something working or ailing, and I made adjustments to the process. Eventually I developed a reliable and trustworthy approach. Te concept o ‘multiple out’ preshow work was something I first developed in 2010 and first published in a limited edition manuscript titled Te Ink Blot est in late 2012. It was clearly inspired by the many magic tricks in which the perormer orces to a series o choices (or each o which he has an out). However, as it pertains to this routine, no specific effect or method inspired this preshow approach.
Touching on Hypnosis “ouching on Hypnosis” is a continued exploration o my effect “ouching On Hoy,” which I developed in 2006 and first published in my book Te Coral Fang . It takes inspiration rom the “ossed Out Deck” principle, as popularized by David Hoy with his neoclassic routine published in Te Bold and Subtle Miracles of Doctor Faust . Te basic principle o “ossed Out Deck” dates back to what is possibly the oldest card trick known: “Te General Card.” Te earliest reerence I have ound or this is c. 1700, on p. 79 o the Pieper translation. Inspiration was also taken rom the mechanics o Banachek’s “PK ouches,” which is a very different effect. Te specific application to a alse hypnotic demonstration was influenced by the classic works on alse stage hypnosis, and specifically rom the inormation contained within Te Mental Mysteries and Other Writings of William W. Larsen Sr . In that book, he details the “Dr Q Hypnotic Act” in which spectators are stooged in a very bold way to simply pretend they are hypnotised. My outcome is very different and removed rom each o these sources but nonetheless, each o these sources have played their part in bringing me to the present routine.
Modern Oracle Te modern oracle act utilises a flawless envelope to exchange one billet or another. I first encountered this wonderul switch on page 164 o Te Secret Ways Of Al Baker published in 1941. Te manner in which I utilise inormation (by cribbing it on the cards and introducing them into the stack) was simply a solution that appealed to me due to its bold nature. It might be inspired by the Q&A routines o old, in which the perormer held out a crib beneath a crystal ball. By hiding the inormation in the visible objects in use the secret is hidden in plain site, much like the crib hidden within the crystal ball or on the perormers shirt sleeve. My structure and handling came rom repeated perormance or real audiences. Tis routine was developed in isolation, but as with most o my material, it was inspired by the thinking o Michael Weber.
Fool’s Journey Tis simple concept was developed in isolation to any other material. It just seemed like a really simple way to get a big question answered without losing the eeling o mystery. I am sure many readers have developed such things over the years, however I have not seen anything like this anywhere else.
Using an iPhone as a Shiner Te blindold deal was inspired by the great stories o Walter Irving Scott, which I first read about in the wonderul Phantoms of the Card able: Confessions of a Card Sharp by David Britland and Gazzo. My use o a smartphone in place o a shiner was something that was inspired by a desire to achieve the blindold deal without the difficulty o traditional methods. A shiner seemed like a great option. Afer some thought, the smartphone options came to my mind. I then explored this in depth, applying it to different routines. Te history o a shiner is a long and detailed one. However, it is impossible or us to say who first introduced a mirror to the card table. One thing is or sure: this nameless card cheat deserves thanks. Te routines contained on this DVD set utilising the iPhone shiner concept was developed in isolation. I continue to explore the useulness o the Phone Shiner concept.
Marked Personality I developed this approach in my early teens, at a time in which I was obsessed with marked cards. It was inspired by the personality surveys that are so ofen ound in women’s liestyle magazines such as Cosmopolitan. A riend had me undertake one o these personality surveys and I instantly thought about how useul such a thing would be in the perormance o a reading. I then connected this to the idea o marked cards since they were never ar rom my mind during that time. From here the rest unolded naturally. Many years later Joshua Quinn released a antastic product called “Ascension” which also used an approach in which an audience member ranked various themes within their lie. Joshua’s concept was developed in isolation rom my own, since I had not shared it with anyone on a wide scale. Joshua’s routine is brilliant. I wish I had thought o it. I you enjoy my routine I urge you to seek out Joshua’s routine; it really takes this concept into a great direction.
He Will Find You Tis routine was indirectly inspired by the work o Rene Lavand and Robert Neal. I love the scripting these two men have created or their magic. Afer reading much work rom the pair, I developed this effect. I did this in an effort to achieve some sense o the mystery that their words create in their perormance o card magic. I make use o the first approach to “Methods or Determining a Card Tought o” rom the seminal Expert At Te Card able by S. W. Erdnase published in 1902. I also make use o a push off second deal; which also comes rom the pages o the same book. Both o these techniques can be traced back urther than the work o Erdnase. However, it was in his careul and clear text that I learned o them.
Story Without an End Tis routine was developed in my early teens while working at the International Magic Shop in London. It was developed in conversation with Kevin Baker, a antastic and enigmatic magician. I have continued to develop the presentation and the scripting in the years that have ollowed. Te concept o a duplicate stack was a simple solution or my desire to allow the audience members to shuffle the cards more thoroughly than would be allowed in the classic presentation o “Speller Stack” routines. I learned o the stack I use in the work o the great British magician Stanley Collins but I believe it goes back much urther than even Collins. Sadly, I have been unable to find a definitive reerence or the creator o this stack.
Nailed ACANN Here is a secret reward or those who have read this ar. I would suspect there will be very ew o you reading this. Well done! Please keep this between us. Don’t go telling everyone about it, or posting about it online. Instead, keep it as your secret reward or your interest in the history o the routines contained on this DVD set. Te Card At Any Number routine is accomplished by using the “multiple out” preshow approach shared in the explanation or “Shape Shifer” drawing duplication combined with a standard preshow approach. I preshow one spectator to have two different numbers in mind (which they can switch between during perormance). I preshow another spectator to have one card in mind. Beore the show I place this card and a duplicate o this card in both positions. I use an impression device to capture the inormation chosen by the audience members I work with in preshow. I suggest having the spectators “think” o inormation and write it down on the impression pad using the techniques discussed elsewhere on this DVD. Te premise was directly inspired by my riend and teacher David Berglas and his legendary “Berglas Effect” as well as rom a concept o Dunninger and Lustig. In their version, they perormed the ‘Invisible Deck’ with the deck in its box nailed to the wall. I loved the visual and when I considered the ‘Berglas Effect’ I immediately knew the power o the “nailed deck” visual would prove a wonderul fit.
Premonition Headline Prediction My headline prediction was developed in isolation rom outside sources. I simply decided what I wished to achieve with the effect and then approached the most obvious solution: switching the prediction. Many solutions to switching a prediction have been seen in the vast amounts o literature and teaching materials dedicated to mentalism over the years. However, my switch approach was not directly inspired by anything in print. I simply wanted to create an approach that would allow me to make use o normal looking objects that would appear as close to real as possible. Afer much thought, consideration, and testing, my method and approach was borne. Te headline prediction premise goes back to the early days o theatrical mind reading. Its creator is, sadly, lost to antiquity.
