Te Interlock Production by Michael Pascoe I first saw this years ago when I was a kid first starting out in magic. I use to love to watch magicians on television and saw a young handsome manipulator rom Italy named Silvan. He did very good card productions. I enjoyed it because I read so much about Cardini producing cards rom mid air and always wanted to do such an act. I had the basics down until I saw a move I was not amiliar with. Silvan interlocked his fingers. Ten he showed them empty by moving them ront and back. Ten without removing his fingers, he proceeded to produce cards one by one. I was stunned because I could not understand how he could have moved them around. Ten I looked at the reaction o my dad. He was so dumbounded by it that he laughed. I will never orget this reaction and wanted to learn to do a move that completely ooled my dad. I searched or this and ound it in Hugard and Braue, “Expert Card echnique. echnique.”” I learned so many moves rom this book including a second deal and a double lif. When I saw the interlock production, I was excited. Could I learn to do the move that ooled my dad? I ound out that Cliff Green came up with it. I practiced and practiced and it was something o an obsession. However, I could never really get the move down like I wanted. Down the years I picked up the move here and there rom others who taught it to me. I studied and worked at it and came up with a ew moves o my own. Effect:
Even though the hands are interlocked and shown ront and back, cards are produced singly. Ten the magician drops it either on the floor or in a hat. Afer producing a ew cards this way, he is dismayed to find out that his hands runs out o cards as he shows it ront and back. He does this again and still doesn’t have any cards. Ten the cards return as he produced them like this without unclenching his fist. His hands move in opposite directions and a an o cards are produced in each hand or a nice display that rames the two hands and ace. Te Sleight:
Hugard and Braue suggests practici practicing ng the move with one card. Tat is not a bad idea. I first learned it rom their book, “Expert Card echnique”. I never ound it practical, but kept it in the back o my mind or years. Afer playing with it or awhile, I realized that you really don’t need to do a Classic Palm with Palm with the cards, but Tumb Palm them. Palm them. O course you start off in the Classic Palm position Palm position and move it so you can clip the card or cards between the thumb in the upper part o the palm like you would i you you are palming a cigarette. See figure 1. Tis rees up the fingers so you can clench it together. We all know how to do. It’s like praying but with clenched fist. When you clench your fingers together, acing yoursel, the lef orefinger orefinger is first, then alternating as in figure 2.
Fig. 1 Te Interlock Production
Fig. 2
Afer you do this, move the lef index finger rom the back to the ront. See figures 3 and 4.
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Te reason or this is to hide the card or cards during the routine. One card is no problem, but a bunch o them will stick out and must be hidden. Te other purpose is to ree the right index finger to do one more set o camouflage. camoufla ge. Tis will be described in the instructions. With the card Tumb Palmed , the other thumb also does the same move so the corners the o the card sticks out at each end. See figure 5. Tis lef thumb is only there temporary. Next, move this right index finger over to the top o the card cradling the corner o the card with the tip o the finger. See figure 6. Move the lef thumb rom the corner o the card over the lef lower corner and under it as in figure 7. Notice that the right index finger is still cradling the corner. It must stay there to hide the edge o the card.
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Rotate the hand so the palms are acing the audience. As it does, the right thumb comes under the card and clips it just like the lef thumb as in figure 8. Finally, turn the palm o the hands still interlocked towards the audience as is shown in figure 9. It looks like the hands are empty. o bring it back, the right thumb goes back to the top right corner. Ten the hands rotate back. Practice in ront o a mirror to get the timing o rotating the hands so the card doesn’t flash. Te move is actually easier with more cards, but we will get to that soon.
Fig. 9 Fig. 8 Te Interlock Production
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Props:
About hal a deck I you use a hal a deck, it might be too much or the trick, but I like the idea o producing two ans rom each hand at the end. o solve this, I use the Nielsen cards which are much thinner so more cards can be produced, but it doesn’t take away rom the finale. o practice, use about ten or twelve to get the eel. Ten work up to twenty six. o perform:
During the course o a manipulation act, the magician palms about a hal o a deck in his right hand. Interlock the fingers as you did when you practiced with the single card. Tumb Palming is is easier because there are more cards. Remember to tuck the lef index finger in and have the right index finger cradle the top lef cards. Tis is also easier and more important because this bunch will now be seen even rom a distance. Te index finger is dead on to the audience and hiding the packet. In figures 10 and 11 the lef hand is removed to explain the move better. But during the perormance o the routine, you o course use both hands.
Fig. 11 Fig. 10
When the thumb goes under the packet, it brings it up a bit. urn the hands so the fingers are ace up. Put the right thumbs underneath while the hands rotate even more. Te lef index hides any cards peeking ree. Most magicians like Silvan would do this move over and over to show it empty, but I think this is overkill. One time is enough. Tere is no reason or it. We get the idea, the hands are empty. From there, the production o the cards should come. With the tip o the lef index finger, press the upper innermost part o the card near the right corner as in Palm the packet separating the crimp figure 12 and buckle it back. Don’t do anything with this yet. Now Tumb Palm the card away. See figure 13. Fig. 12
Te Interlock Production
Fig. 13
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Now that the cards are clipped in the thumb, rotate these cards up as in figure 14 away rom this single card. Ten the lef pinky grips the bottom o the card. As the pack in the right hand moves away, the lef index wraps around the single card and traps it. See figure 15. (Figure 15 is exaggerated to show how how the index finger is craddled around the single card. In practice, you don’t need to move the packet that ar.) Now as beore, move the lef thumb underneath as in figure 16. Once you do, then have the right thumb clip the bottom o the packet joining the the lef one like like you did in figure figure 8.
Fig. 14
Fig. 16
Fig. 15
Rotate both hands towards the audience and display the produced card as in figure 17. Pause or a second to let it sink in that a card appeared out o nowhere. I have seen magicians rush this production, but, I don’t think it’s a good idea. You want the effect to sink in beore you dispose o the card.
Fig. 17
Drop this card either on the floor or in a hat. I like to drop into something like a hat because the cards cost too much to let them all to the ground. When you do, the lef index finger is in the way blocking the packet thus preventing the audience rom seeing them. Now you can just move the right thumb back like you did beore in figure 8 and then move the lef thumb showing the back o the hand. I like to produce about three to our cards. Anymore would be too much. Ten I do a bit that Silvan did. I show the hands empty again. O course I am doing it to show that I do not have anymore cards, but in reality, I am also using this time or a bit o comedy. When I do the move, I am smiling, but when I show the hands empty this time, I am conused. “What happened? I must have missed,” missed,” I think to mysel. I would then go on producing another card. But, now I eel that this should be repeated again just to let it sink in that, “Damn, where did that card go.” Ten, finally produce a card and you are happy again. Ten I would produce another three more. I like to end the routine with a an o cards in each hand. Tat’s why I like to have so much cards in the beginning. I don’t want to deplete my supply too soon. Once you have the cards return to the beginning hold o the packet being Tumb Palmed , I place the lef pinky underneath the packet. Ten I move the lef thumb on top o the long ends o it as in figures 18 and 19. Ten the right thumb and pinky does the same thing and joins right next to it.
Fig. 18 Te Interlock Production
Fig. 19 Page Four
Te reason or this is because the two thumbs are going to split the deck in hal. See figure 20. Each thumb will rest on the top o its packet as in figure 21.
Fig. 21
Fig. 20
Te right hand and lef hand moves away Palm position so the two packets are in the Front Palm position like in figure 22, but o course not really Front Palmed at all. Ten the index fingers o each hand takes over as i you are about to Back Palm them. Palm them. However,, you don However don’t, ’t, but it’s the same eeling. Te two middle fingers push against the top o the packets to help hold them as these middle fingers Fig. 22 pushes them against the palms o the hands. From there, I like to move the hands across the opposite arms until it reaches the elbows. Ten I put the thumbs rom each hand behind the pack and hinge them orward as in figure 23 and an them. Brush them together a ew times as in figure 24, rom top to bottom. Tis is a good time to do the “S” move as in figure 25 and close out the packet.
Fig. 23
Fig. 24
Fig. 25
Te Interlock Production
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