Target Number ...... ......... .....The ..The Manu Ma nual al
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Target Number ...... ......... .....The ..The M anua an uall
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Te T ed Kar Karmilovich Limited Edition
Target Number ...... ......... .....The ..The M anua an uall
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Te T ed Kar Karmilovich Limited Edition
CONTENTS
Introduction................................................................4 The basic presentation .............................................5 Preparation and presentation.................................9 Afterthoughts and further thoughts.....................16 Target Number Cash Box ....................................... 20 20 Cash Box a fte rth rt h o u gh ts ...... ......... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...22 22 Target Key-r-rect.....................................................23 Target Target Tim e ............................................................. 27 27 Target Invisible Deck..............................................29 The P.S. Principle ....................................................30 Target Card ..............................................................33 Conclusion ...............................................................39 Illustrations...............................................................40 Actual client letter.................................................. 44 Bonus ...................................................................... 45
Target Number has been a signature piece and highlight of my show for thirty-five years. Developed back in 1980, it has been used to stun audiences in every conceivable venue. Over the years, with the help of NYC's Legendary Thirteen, it has grown to become one of the most powerful presentations in mentalism. While I discussed it briefly on Ben Cumming's Conversations With Mind Readers, it has never been officially released until now. Many performers thought that because I was talking about it during his interview, they were free to perform it. That was not the case. Over the years, a number of top pros have asked, and received permission, to perform it. After keeping it to a select few for so many years, I decided to make it available to a limited number of others. Also, I've decided to make available the many tips, subtleties, and variations that have come about over 35 years. Each routine discussed in the manual is easily worth the price of the entire manual to the discerning professional. I hope that those of you who have purchased the manual will appreciate what a powerful routine you now have, and will for the sake of those select few who have made the investment, keep the information contained within to yourselves. Enjoy one of my most favorite, reputation-making effects in all of mentalism! My Best, Ted Kamilovich
While Target Number is a great effect presented on it's own, Tm going to share with you how I present it in combination with a thought projection routine using the 37/68 psychological forces. I originally performed the 37/68 projection routine by itself, but then added Target Number as the ideal follow-up segment. Here is how I have presented it for over thirty years... Halfway through my show, I tell the audience that we;re going to try something a little bit different. "Instead of me trying to read your thoughts, I'm goingto think of something and try to send it to you. And I want you to try it; and take it seriously, as I think you'll surprise yourself with what you're able to do. Let's do this with numbers. I'm going to think of a number between I and 50, and since most of you are probably new at this, let's make it a number between 1 and 50, with both digits being odd, and both b eing different. So; I would think of the number 15, but I wouldn't think of 11 because both of those numbers are the same. On the count o f three Tm going to attempt to pro ject it to each of you. Don't say it out loud, but really try to get a sense of it. One, two, three/' Here I pause and concentrate for about 10 seconds. I continue, ''How many people got the number I was projecting, 37?" Many, if not most, hands will go up and you will hear gasps! I continue, ''Let's try it again. This time, let's do it with a number between 50 and
100.
We;ll make both digits even and both will be different. Again,
don't say it out loud, but really try to get it. I pause, concentrate for a few moments, and then continue. "The interesting thing is some of you may have gotten the numbers, but reversed them. I would coun t that as well. How may people got the numbe r I was projecting, 68?" Again, many hands will go up; and there will be gasps and chatter among the audience members! "Out of curiosity, how many people got either one, or both of the numbers I projected?" Almost all of the audience members will raise their hands, depending upon how they interpret your question. Those who got 37 will raise their hands. Those who got 68 will raise their hands. Those who got 86 will raise their hands. Th ose who got either a 6 or 8 will raise their hands. And th ose who got 37 and/or 68/86 will raise their hands! It's interesting to note that some of the more skeptical members of your audience will sit there and try to work out just how many possibilities there are for each of the projections. For the first attempt, you have 13,15,17,19, 31,35, 37, and 39. For the second attempt, you have 62, 64, 68, 82, 84, and 86. So they may sit there and smugly smile at the limited number of possibilities. So now you follow-up with Target Number! "Let's try it one more time. This time, let's make it a number 什 om 1-100, no restrictions." Well, this instantly gets the skeptics' attention. I count to three, pause and concentrate.
"Ok. By a show of hands, how many people actually got a number?" Virtually everyone will raise their hands ゾ Let's see how people did广 I'll point to a woman in the back. "Hi, ma'am. What number did you get?" She'll give her response. Let's say it's 45. rtHmm. Hi, sir, what did you ge t?wHI say pointing to a gentlem an off to the side. Let's say he says 72. Pointing to a woman in the middle of the audience, I continue. "Hi, ma'am. What number did you get ?〃 Let's say she says 24. "Twenty-four?! Hi, what's your name?" Let's say she says Cheryl. "Did anyone besides Cheryl get the number 24?w You may get one or two others raising their hands, depending upon the size of your audience. "Cheryl, did you seethe number, hear the number, or did it just pop in ?〃 She responds. T m going to ask Cheryl to join me on stage. Give her a round of applause as she comes up .〃 As she makes her way to the stage, I remove a 3-3/g x 6-inch, no. 6, sealed, kraft coin envelope from my pocket. Once she is standing next to me J verify that we have never met before, and I ask her if she got the numbe r 37 when I projected it earlier. I then ask if she got the number 68 whe n I projected that earlier. Often, she will have gotten either one or both of the numbers, and it's very strong to highlight this fact! ''But the third time, you got the number 24. Cheryl, the number I was attempting to project to the audience is written on the e nvelope." Here I show h er the face of the envelope. "Tell everyone wh at it is.〃 Most times she is surprised and her face shows it. It is the number she named, 24, and she is handed the sealed envelope to show the number to the folks in the front of the audience. ''So, here's the interestin g part. Earlier today, when I was having coffee, I had some impre ssions regarding tonight's demonstration. And I took a few moments and jotted down some notes. And the/re in that envelope. Cheryl, open the envelope, take out the paper, but don't unfold it just yet/' She does as requested. ''Folks, in a moment Cheryl is going to unfold the paper, and she is going to read aloud everything I wrote down earlier today. Cheryl, you're going to start by reading the date at the top, go through the brief message, nice and slow, nice and loud, and nice and clear. Don't rush through ANY of it. Take your time. You're going to end by reading my name on the bottom, Ted Karmilovich. That's very important by the way (said with a sly smile). OK. You may begin." Here is what she might read...
August 21,2015 Tonight I will attempt to project a number to members of my audience. Although a couple of people may receive it; one person will get it the strongest. She will be wearing red heels, black pants, and a black and white striped top. Sincerely, Ted Karmilovich
She has just read a physical description of herself! Generally, the person reading the prediction will gasp. Or her jaw will drop. Or she'll be speechless. Occasionally, Tve seen people stagger. It's a powerful moment! And the audience ALWAYS gasps in amazement! As I've said, the routine, as presented above, has been THE highlight of my show for over thirty years!
Preparation and presentation Let's talk first about the actual prediction. The final prediction will look like what you see in illustration number I. At home, prior to leaving for the show, I write out the prediction as seen in illustration number 2. Note that I leave out the
for 'she' in the third paragrap h and fill that in on-site. I wan t as much of the
prediction completed before I get to the venue. There are times when you may not have much time once you're on site so I want to add the minimal amount of information once Tm there. The prediction is written on a 6x9 inch blank piece of paper. I use a Paper Mate Flair to write it out. The lines created by the Flair are thicker than a normal pen (thus making the word s easier to read), but not as thick, as say, a Sharpie. This is important to me because I don't want to have to wait if someone needs to get their reading glasses. In all of my years of performing this, Tve never had anyone have to reach for reading glasses. The Flair pen works fine. The prediction is folded into quarters and tucked into a 3-3/8 x 6 inch, no.
S ,
kraft coin envelope. I find
the kraft paper to be a little thicker than a regular envelope giving a stiffer surface for when I nail-write the chosen number on the face of the envelope. So now we get to the venue. We are about to do what I like to call 'observational pre-show'. O bservational pre-show involves looking around your environment for information that can be used during the show and involves never actually approaching, talking to, or interacting with someone prior to your performance. I have a number of presentations involving this principle. Target Number is just one of them. You're going to spot someone who stands out with what they are wearing. Someone, preferably a woman, who is dressed in an interesting manner. I prefer to use a woman whenever possible as their reactions to the prediction are more visceral than a man's. That's important! So look for a woman who is wearing one or more of the following: stripes, polka-dots, leopard-prints, etc. You're not always going to find someone with these and that's OK. If you spot a woman wearing a bright red jacket or bright yellow top, that's just as good. Now, you're going to find a private spot on site to complete the prediction. It could be a restroom, a bar area, a lobby, a side room. There have been times when Tve gone out to my car to complete the prediction. If Tm performing in someone's home, I find the bathroom an ideal place to finish the task. Once the prediction is completed, it's placed back into the envelope and sealed, and placed in my pants pocket. Let me take a moment to mention other things (belt, sides clothes) that could be mentioned in the prediction. I find that the physical description should be made up of three parts. In the earlier example, shoes, pants, and a top were covered. But you could also use hair (especially if it's red) or glasses. Or if i^s a men's dub, you can mention a beard or mustache. So, a prediction could read: "She will have red hair, a black skirt, and a blue top." Or, "She will be wearing glasses, and a pink and black striped dress." Again, keep it to just three items. I find that more than that is overkill and less than believable. While on the topic of stripes and polka-dots. Occasionally, if the stripes are bold, you can count the number of stripes and include that in the prediction. "Her top will have seven black and white stripes."
If she is wearing a dress with many, many small polka-dots, I will write ^She'll be wearing a black dress with 1,875 white polka-dots/' That statement always generates gasps and laughs because it seems so incredible. After the laughter dies down, I turn to the audience and say バ ’If you don't believe me, count them/' Which causes even more laughter! There may be times, especially in a restaurant setting, when the lighting may be less than ideal. So it;s hard to make out exactly what folks are wearing. The lighting may be bad
；
they may be seated (not
allowing you a chance to see if they're we aring pants or a skirt). You m ay not be able to tell the difference between a black and a dark blue skirt. In situations like these, I wait for someone to come out and use the restroom. Generally, the lighting outside the room, in the hall or lobby, will give me a better look at folk's clothing. If Tm pressed, and can't tell the difference between a black pair of pants and a dark blue pair of pants
；
will simply write in the prediction, "And a dark pair of pants." That covers both possibilities. So, now it comes time to perform the effect in your show. What is the ideal time to present it? I would NEVER open with it. It's WAY too strong. I believe you must first establish a credible rapport and belief with your audience. For me, I find it fits perfe ctly in the middle of my show, after I have established myself. It would make for a strong closer, but HI relate my concerns about that a little bit later. You can now either present Target Number with the psychological thought projections, or on i^s own. Either way, proceed as in the presen tation. By the way, if you're g oing to go with the 37/68 part, i^s useful to note when the audience is raising their hands if your selected spectator gets them both, because you definitely want that noted when she comes up to read the prediction. So; you have projected a number from 1-100 to your audience members, and you ask, rtHow many people actually got a number?wWhen you ask that question, you want to note if your selected spectator raises her hand. If she does, you're good to go. But what if she doesn^? I will then say, "It seems like some of you didn't get anytnmg, so let me send it again." Again I pause and concentrate. I poll the audience as to how many people now have a firm number in mind. Normally, her hand will go up the second time. HI explain in a moment what I do if it doesn't. Now you're going to point to two or three random people and ask them what num ber they got. You wan t to pay attention to the num bers they say, but don't want to give any indication if they're right or wrong. The main reason for this is your selected spectator may mention one of these previously named numbers, so if you tell the first one or two spectators they"re wrong, and your selected woman says one of these numbers, you're screwed. Act neutral with a simple, "Hmm 广 when they're saying their numbers. Only once in all of the hundreds of times Tve performed this effect has the chosen spectator mentioned a number previously stated by one of the first couple of random audience members. So, now you come to her. Ask her what number she got. Ninety-nine percent of the time she will have a number in mind (she's already raised her hand indicating that she has). If she says she didn't get anything (and this is extremely rare), HI ask her to call out the first number that pops into her mind when I snap my fingers.
I
So either way ；you;re going to get her to name a number. Both handlings are strong. Here is a tip that really helps in getting her to focus on a number when you're sending it to the crowd. Throughout the routine be sure to MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH HER a few times during the process. I find this always engages my selected spectator. After she names a number, I react with surprise. I ask her name and whether she saw the number ；heard the number, or if it just popped in. I ask if anyone else got that number. Often, ONE other person will raise their hand. It amazes me that no matter what the size of the crowd is (it could be 20-200) l; more often than not；will have ONE other person raise their hand. If this happens, I continue this way. "Look. Out of all of these people, exactly two, this couple, got the number." Here I point to my chosen spectator and the other individual. "Not ten people. Not twenty people. Just two. This couple." If no one else raises their hand, HI ask if anyone reversed the two numbers. Tm hoping one other person will raise their hand. This way I can later refer to "this couple . " げ more than one other person raises their hand ；I simply invite the chosen woman on stage. As she makes her way to the stage, I remove the envelope from my pocket and secretly nail-write her number on the face of the envelope. All of the attention is on her, so I have plenty of time and plenty of misdirection to write the number and dispose of the swami. Because Tm right-handed, and have the nailwriter on my right hand, if possible I will choose a woman seated to my right. This way, Tm turned to the right which enables me to pocket the swami using my body as a shield. It should be noted that years ago I performed this effect at a Meeting of the Minds and it was videotaped. Bob Cassidy, who was not in attendance, later viewed the videotape and made reference to it in one of his books. Without mentioning me by name, he referenced the performance and noted that instead of pocketing the swami while the person is approaching the stage, he suggested that “the performer" might consider pocketing the swami after the envelope is opened and both swami and crumpled envelope being then pocketed. Tve never had a problem with pocketing it as the spectator walks to the stage. On top of that, I like for the spectator to keep BOTH the envelope and the prediction. But Bob raises an excellent point You can't misdirect a video camera. And in this day and age of cell phone videos, many more people will be taping your act, so at least be aware of that fact. Thanks, Bob! The woman has now joined me on stage and I inquire if she got 37 or 68. If she says both, I ask the room, "Did any one else get all three numbers?" If it's just her, it's super strong! I show her the number on the envelope and generally you get a GREAT facial reaction to the fact that she got the number. I have her show the envelope around. She removes the prediction, and I continue as in the presentation. Other performers have asked me if it would be stronger if I read the prediction. Obviously not I want that strong reaction from that individual as they read a description of themselves. As long as they are reading it slowly, loudly, and clearly, it's best that they read it. As they're reading the date at the top, I can gauge how they 're doing, and if need be, I'll stop them, and ask them to start aga in ,S lo w ly . Loudly. And clearly."
Now, I mentioned earlier that often one other person will also get her number. And I referred to "this couple/' If that happens to be the case, as I instruct to her to read slowly, loudly, and clearly, I will also say to h e r, A s you read, I'm going to stop you at some point .〃 As she reads the prediction out loud, when she says, “Although a couple of people may receive it..." I say, "STOP! That's E XACTLY what happened. Continue." It now appears that you knew exactly how many people would get the number. Obviously, if no one else, or more than one person gets the number you don't say anything and don't stop her. The phrase "Although a couple of people may receive it 广 THEN simply refers to a group in general. Let me just stress. If exactly two people (the chosen spectator and one other) get the number, MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT. Now she comes to the part describing herself. It's always emotional. I want to make sure she gets through it without rushing or blurring her words, so I will always say, "Slowly and clearly." She finishes by reading my name and leaves the stage to tremendous applause! I allow her to keep the prediction and the envelope with her number on it. People in the audience around her always want to look at it. D epending upon the type o f crowd Tm wor king for, I will say after things die d o w n ,l was debating whether or not to go for the un derga rme nts, which usually gets a big laugh. Occasionally someone will shout ou t,"She isn't wearing any !wTo which I respond w ith ,B u t I kept drawing a blank."
Afterthoughts and further thoughts Let's discuss some situations that may arise during the performance. Let's start with ^What do you do if your selected spectator leaves the show before you get to Target Number?" This is a definite possibility that may occur on occasion. This is one of the reasons I mentioned earlier that I would NOT use it as a closer. If this is your big finale, and they're not present, you can't close as strongly as you might like. There are a number of ways of handling this possibility. The first is, you just don't do the effect. No one knows it's coming, so if you don't perform it; no big deal. Now, you CAN pre-select TWO individuals. And write out TWO predictions in TWO separate envelopes. I've done this on occasion. I will ALWAYS do it if I'm doing a brief set that includes Target Number. As an example, I was asked to do a brief fifteen minute spot at a charity fundraiser. I did my version of the Tossed-Out Deck, 37/ 68; and Target Number. I came prepared with 2 envelopes and 2 predictions. One of the predictions described a regular person in attendance. The other described a m ember of the charity committee. I knew she would be there all night, so that was my back-up if need be. Fortunately, I didn't have to use her. But, you should make note that often people who are helping running an event or show will be sticking around. Occasionally, you'll find two people dressed identically (red jacket, white top, black pants). You could write this out as your prediction. If one leaves early, you still have the other left. Another way of handling it is this. A few times people have left to use the restroom during the performance. If they're not in the room when it comes time for Target Number, HI delay the effect until later in the program. There have been a couple of times where Tve just finished 37/68, and they leave for the restroom. At that point, I tell the a u d ie n ce ,W e ll try it again at the end of the show." I always carry an extra prediction (without the date) and envelope, as a back-up in my case. Usually, if someone leaves before Tm even brought onstage, I still have time to fill out another prediction. There was one time when I was performing at Rutgers University. I spotted a girl who was wea ring a white t- shirt；blue jeans, and leopard-print heels. That was what I wrote in the description, except I said shoes instead of heels. Just as I was being introduced, she left for her dorm. I was thinking, "Well, so much for Target Number tonight." As the show went on, I noticed a girl in the audience wearing blue jeans, a white shirt, and Puma-brand sneakers. I decided to use HER for the Target Number prediction. Later； jus t before she read the pre dict ion, I said to the aud ience, ''My vision s are never 100% correct ；but let's see how I do." She read the description, which got only an OK reaction (seeing there w ere no leopardprint shoes). I said to the crowd バ ’Like I said, I'm never 100 % correct, but I'm looking at the logo on the side of your sneakers. What is that?" When she s a id ,A pu m a, the place went wild!!!
So; again, if you're concerned about the spectator walking out, fill out two predictions. Another afterthought has to do with nail-writing skills. Because I want to leave the envelope with the spectator, I want the number on the front of it to be as clear as possible. I think most of us would agree that the most difficult number to swami is the number 8. Because I don't want to be looking at the envelope as Tm nail-writing (I want to be looking at the person coming up); Tve often had number 8's that looked like the one you see in illustration 3. It looks like scribble, and people will tell you it looks like scribble. Here has been my solution to writing a number 8; and it only took me thirty years to figure out. As in illustration 4; simply write a straight line down, then a backwards S. If you suffer from sloppy 8's; try it. You'll get a nice-looking number 8 every time. Often, it will take a few moments fo r the selected spe ctator to reach the stage. As Tve said earlier, I don't remove the envelope from my pocket until they start to get out of their seat. I swami the number, ditch the naH- writer, and if I have time will flash the numbered envelope to people do se by, before she reaches the stage. This way I can say, 'T he number I was p rojecting is written on the envelope. I actually showed it to people earlier. Tell everyone what it is." You should note that occasionally the spectator will remove their jacket or sweater and place it on the back of their chair. If this happens, after she is done reading the p rediction, simply ask if she brough t along a jacket or sweater. Gene rally, another gu est at her table will hold it up thus verifying your p rediction. Some performers have suggested using the spectators name (if you overhear it) in the prediction. You could, but because I refer to my prediction as a Visio n7, it doesn't make sense. Also, someo ne may think you prearranged it. In my opinion, it might be a bit much. Others have suggested including a brief cold イ eading. The spectator is already nervous enough about having to read the prediction. I find that the quicker it takes for her to get through it, the better. So that is the basic Target Number presentation.
What follows is an interesting presentation for Target Number. The performer is introduced and walks out onstage carrying a standard cash box. He does his brief introduction and then looks out into the audience as if sizing up the people in the crowd. He walks into the audience and ultimately approaches one spectator seated about a quarter of the way back. Handing the box to this person he says, rtWill you hold on to this? W e're go ing to need it later.wHe then continues on with the show. Later, when it comes time for 37/68, he removes a 4x6 inch pad and a bright yellow pencil from his pocket. He tells the audience that we're going to try some thought projection. As he talks about how he is “going to focus on a number be tween 1 and 50, both digits odd, both diff eren t, etc.w, he writ es the num ber 37 on the top of the pad without letting the crowd see it. He tables the pencil (I always use a BRIGH T YELLOW pencil as I want the aud ience to clearly see me tabling it). He concentrates as they try to get the number he's projecting. Turning the pad around to the audience, and showing them the written number, he asks, "How many people got 37?" And the crowd reacts. Picking up the penci し and drawing a line through the number 37 in front of the crowd, he continues, "Let's try it again. This time w e ll do it with a num ber between 50 and 100. Both digits will be even, and both will be different. As he is saying this, he is writing 68 underneath the crossed-out 37 so that the audience can not see what he's writing. Once again, he tables the pencil. He concentrates as they try to get the number he's projecting. Turning the pad around to the audience, and showing them the written 68, he asks, "How many people got 68?" And the crowd again reacts! Picking up the pencil he cro sses out the 68 in front of everyone. Tu rning the pad to him self he says, "'Let's try it one final time. This time, we'll make it a number between I and too, no restrictions/' As he is saying this ；he feigns writing a number, but instead, writes nothing. He tables the pencil and has his swami in place. He pauses and concentrates again. He now points to three individuals asking each in turn what number they received (as in the original presentation). When the third person (your target) says her number (let's say she says 24), the performer asks if anyone else got that number. While the audienc e looks around the room for responses, the nu mber is nail written on the pad under the crossed-out 37 and crossed-out 68. The performer now turns the pad around and shows it to folks down front and asks them to announce the number he was sending. The top sheet with the 3 numbers (which looks like illustration 5), can now be torn off and handed to someone down front. The performer asks the person who received the final number to come up onstage. "And, oh, by the way, could you stop by that gentleman's table who has the cash box, and bring that up with you." The performer, who NEVER touches the cash box, tells the audience he had earlier jotted down a few notes about the evening's performance (as in the original presentation). "They're in an envelope inside the box." The woman is given the combination to the cash box it's edge inside the box. The back of the envelope faces the audience and a big red seal secures the licked flap.
The performer invites six people up onstage. Having them form a line, he picks up a wine glass containing five keys. Dumping the keys into the hands of one of the spectators, he asks her to try each key in the padlock on the box. If a key does not open the padlock, she is to drop the key back into the wine glass which the performer has returned to the table. As she goes through the keys one at a time she finds that none of the keys opens the lock and all five keys are returned to the glass. The performer now produces a sixth key stating that THIS is the key that opens the lock. She tries it and it does. He tells her to lock the padlock and drop that key in amongst the others in the wine glass. Standing in front of the line of spectators ；with his back to them, he instructs the woman to hold the glass in one hand and cover the glass with her other hand. She now shakes the glass mixing the keys. With his back to the group ；the perform er now asks her to walk from person to person having each remove a single key and leaving the final key for her. She tables the glass as the performer asks each person to hold their chosen key in their closed fist. Turning to face the line of spectators, he asks them to extend their arms with their closed fists. The performer slowly walks up and down the line pausing in front of each spectator and passing his hand over each fist as if attempting to sense whether or not the key in the fist will open the lock. He stops in front of one of the volunteers. "Sir, I believe your key does not open the lock. Will you drop it into the glass and return to your seat." He again walks up and down the line pausing to pass his hand over the closed fists. "Ma'am, I believe YOUR key will not open the lock. Please drop it in the glass and return to Y 〇 UR seat." He does this with two more of the volunteers until just two people remain onstage with him. Having one person stand on either side of him facing the audience, the performer holds each of his hands over the remaining two closed fists. "Ma'am, I believe the key you are holding is the one that will open the lock. Sir, drop your key into the glass and return to your seat. Ma'am, please try your key in the lock.w And it does, in fact, open the padlock! After the applause dies down, the performer says, "Wei し here is the real interesting part. That envelope inside the box has been there in full-view, since the beginn ing of the show. It contains som e notes I jotted down earlier today when I was at home. Ma'am, take out the envelope, tear it open, and remove the folded paper inside." She is now going to read it out loud and it goes something like this:
Later tonight, a number of people will be randomly chosen to select a key that may or may not open a padlocked box. The woman who will select the correct key will be wearing a black skirt, black boots, and a pink sweater. Sincerely, Ted Kamilovich
And of course the prediction accurately describes the woman reading it! So, this is a SUPER STRONG (!) routine that never fails to bring about an incredible response! It often generates a standing ovation. The box I use is a clear plexiglass cube that measures 10 x 10 x 10 inches. I had a plastics company make it for me and asked them to put a hinge on the top and a hasp on the front of the box to accommodate a Master padlock. As in the original Target Number, spot someone prior to your show and complete the prediction. For this presentation, I use a white, business-size envelope (as opposed to a kraft envelope). Put a red seal on the back flap (it makes for a nice visual). Fold the envelope in half and open it up into a V so that it can stand on edge inside the box. Put the Key-R-rect padlock in place, and you're ready to go. For those who are unfamiliar with the Key-Rrect effect, b asically, once the sixth key is turned in the lock during the trial process, A NY key turned inside it afterward will open it. All you have to do is bring up your 'spectator' along with the other five people. Note: As you're pointing to people to come up, your ’spectator' should be selected in the MIDDLE of the process. She SHOULDN'T be the first OR last person chosen. Also, and this is important, she should NOT be the person trying the keys at the beginning. You want her to kind of get lost among the group until the very end. This is one of my favorite Target presentations as it involves a number of people, is very visual, fills the stage, and has an ending no one expects! Again, as in the Cash Box presentation, if the person leaves early, there's really nothing you can do. Because you never mention or call attention to the box, you can either not do anything (''We ran out of time to get to it"), or you can proceed with the Key-R-rect effect ignoring the envelope inside. That is Target Key-R-rect.
The performer removes an envelope from his pocket and places it on his table. He offers to try a test in thought projection with the audience. Removing his watch, he continues, ^rm going to set my watch to a random time and attempt to project that time to everyone here." He sets the watch to a time, and places the watch on the envelope. "On the count of three, I'd like each of you to try to get a sense of the time on the watch. One, two, three/' He concentrates for a few moments and then asks how many p eople got a time. Pointing to one individu al； he asks what they got. After they respond ； he points to another person inquiring what time came into their mind. He then points to a third person asking what she got. Let's say she says 1:30. The performer asks if anyone else got that time. She is then invited up onstage and asked to announce the time on the watch. Incredibly, it shows 1:30! She is then asked to open the envelope on the table and read aloud the note inside. It mentions that 〃a couple of people may receive the time. But one person will get it the strongest/' She then goes on to read an exact description of herself! Once again, we have a very strong variation for the Target Number theme. The watch used in this routine is the Perfect Time w atch. It; and its off-shoots; allow the performer to stop the watc h at ANY time called. Rich Bloch's Perfect Time is ideal, but there are other watches that can be employed. A 'gravity' watch can be used with the performer holding the watch by the band, as opposed to, placing the watch on the table. Also；Richard Busch released a watch many years ago that allowed the performer to control the rotation of the hands by pressing the crystal on the watch face. I am SO glad I purchased this limited watch when he made it available. For Richard's watch, I would put the desc ription pred iction, along with the watch, inside a sealed bu siness envelope that had a glassine window for the address to show through. This enabled me to see the watch face and control the time by viewing and pressing the crystal while it was contained in the sealed envelope. The spe ctator would come up, tear open the envelope, remove the watch and annou nce the time. I would take the watch back and have her now remove the prediction from the envelope and read it aloud. That is Target Time.
This is an idea that was inspired by a Neal Scryer effect. The performer places a sealed envelope on his table. He offers to try a test of thought projection with members of the audience. He announces he will attempt to project a playing card to everyone in attendance. After concentrating, he asks for a show of hands as to how many people got an image. He asks a few of the people what they got. The third person seems to have received it. He asks if anyone else got the same card (hoping we get one other hand to go up as in the original routine). Let's say the woman saysバ The Queen of Diamonds." She is invited onstage. She is asked to open the envelope and remove the box of playing cards that is inside and pass it to the performer. She retains the envelope. The performer says that earlier in the day he had reversed one card in the deck. This would be the card he would attempt to project. Slowly fanning through the cards, one is seen to be reversed. It IS the Queen of Diamonds! The performer states that after he reversed the card, he jotted down a few thoughts which are still inside the envelope the woman is holding. Taking the paper out and unfolding it, she reads aloud an exact description of herself as the person who will get the card the strongest! This variation is obviously accomplished by using the traditional, marketed Invisible Deck. This variation is a favorite of mine when Tm working a small, intimate venue. I find it makes for an ideal presentation when Tm attending a dinner party. I place the sealed envelope, with the deck and prediction, in the center of the table where it remains in full view until the end of the evening. That's Target Invisible Deck.
The P.S. Principle This is a concept that a number of people asked me NOT to release. They felt it was too darn good. But since Tm not really holding anything back, it's included here. The seasoned professional will realize just what a powerful concept this is. Recently, I was performing a 15-minute set at a charity fundraiser at a local country club (I referenced this earlier in the manual). It was on May 2,2015, the day of the Kentucky Derby. I was slated to go on at 8:15 that night and the country club was about twenty minutes from my home. I tuned in and watched the Kentucky Derby that started at about 6:00pm that day. We all know American Pharoah won the race and ultimately went on to score the Triple Crown. I had this idea. I decided to include a P.S. on my Target Number prediction. I wrote after my name: "P.S. American Pharoah will win the Kentucky Derby later today." I knew that many people at the fundraiser wou ld be there early and would not be aware of who the winner was. I also knew that some people would arrive late and have knowledge of the outcome. I got to the country club, selected a woman for Target Number, and completed the prediction. It looked as in illustration no. 6. I was introduced a short time later, and I performed the routine as in the original presentation. When it came time for her to read the prediction, I told the audience that I had written down some thoughts at breakfast that day (hence the 8:37 am time written next to the date). She read the entire prediction up until the PS. She was freaked out and the audience was about to break into applause, but I held up a hand as if to say, "wait." I turned to her and said, "Continue." And she read, "P.S. American Pharoah will win the Kentucky Derby later today/' There were gasps and a GREAT ovation! Now, I'm assuming some people who didn't know American Pharoah won would have been impressed once they found out. And Tm sure that some people who were already aware of the outcome were also impressed. Do I think everyone bought it? Probably not. BUT, you have two parts to the prediction. And with two different methods, they seem to cancel each other out. My guess is that on the car ride home, some of the more skeptical guys might turn to their wives and sa y ,H e must have written it after the fact广 And I can see some of the wives saying, “Yes, but how did he know who would get the number and what they would be wearing?" So, I do believe some people were saying the next day, "The guy predicted the winner of the Kentucky Derby/' And if only a couple of people were saying it, Tm more than happy with that. It could definitely become a reputation-maker with basically ZERO effort.
Now, I have used this principle in the past. I was at a corporate dinner where trophies and awards were being presented. During the cocktail hour, a guy lifted up one of the trophy cups and broke one of the arms o 门 it. The P.S. for that night read, "P.S. Someone will break a trophy." When that was read, not only were there gasps, the place broke out in laughter! So I suggest that if something occurs during the event that can be used as a P.S.; by all means make the most of it. A few weeks after the Derby, I was in Philadelphia for a corporate show. When I got home, I found out about the Amtrak crash that occurred in Philly that night. If I was checking news updates on my smartphone before my show, I could have included that as a P.S. So; yes, news items can also be used. Sporting events are another option. If I see that the NY Giants be at the NY Jets 18-7 on a Sunday afternoon, and I had a show later that night, I would write: "P.S. The Giants will beat the Jets by 11 points later today." You don't want the prediction to be too spot on, so instead of giving the exact score, just mention the point differential. Also, the two words that I think are essential in a prediction like this, is 'Later today/ It helps to give the impression that the prediction was written much earlier. And I always tell my audience that I jotted down my thoughts, at breakfast, over a cup of coffee. The P.S. Principle can be a reputation-making moment. However, use it judiciously.
Tve saved this to the end as it has been used exclusively and kept underground by NYCs Thirteen for almost thirty years! It is worth more than the cost of this manual. It is a GIMMICK-FREE handling of the Target theme and can be performed almost on a moments notice. Again, it requires nothing more than the sealed description. The performer tells the audience that he is going to attempt to project a playing card to members of the audience. He counts to three and concentrates. After pausing and concentrating, he's now going to survey the crowd to see how people did. "Let's see how folks did. First, how many people actually got a card?" Hands go up. "OK. How many people thought it was a red card?" Hands go up. "How many people thought it was a heart?" Hands go up. "How many thought it was a picture card?" Hands go up. "How many thought it was a Jack?" Hands go up. "A Queen?" Hands go up. "A King?" Hands go up. "I was thinking of the Queen o f Hearts. Did anyone get that?" One woman raises her hand. "Hi! WhatJs your name?" "Chery し would you join me onstage." An envelope is produced as in the original. She opens it, removes the prediction and reads, 'Tonight I will attempt to project a playing card to members of my audience. Although a couple of people may receive it, one person will get it the strongest." And it goes on to describe HER! No props. No gimmicks. Just the sealed envelope. So here's how it's accomplished. The performer is keeping an eye on his chosen spectator to see how SHE responds to each of his questions. Since everyone in the audience has allegedly received a card that he has projected, the performer simply needs to know what card SHE has in mind and then announce it later as the card he was projecting. ALWAYS begin by asking, rtHow many people actually got a card?wYou want to make sure that she raises her hand and that she has a card in mind. If she doesn't, m ake eye contac t with her and say, rtlt seems not everyone got a card. Let me try sending it aga in, N ow , how many people have a card in mind?wShe should raise her hand this time. If she doesn % HI explain later what I do. Let me stress again, and I said it earlier in the manual, making eye contact with your target spectator throughout your presentation goes a long way in engaging them and getting them to participate in the process.
In the above example, he notes that she raised her hand when he asked who got a red card. That means she either has in mind a heart or a diamond. Knowing that, he goes with the first most popular suit for women , which from my experience, is hearts. H ere he asks who got a heart, and again she raises her hand, so the performer now knows she's thinking of a heart, and now all he needs to know is the number or a specific face value. Once again, going with what is the most po pular choice for women, he asks how many people got a picture card. Again she raises her hand. So now he knows it's either a Jack, Queen, or King of Hearts. Now, he could simply jump to the question, "Who got a Queen?", which again is the most popular choice among women, but you want to ask the remaining questions in some semblance of order. So it's Jack, then Queen, then King, with the performer noting which one she raises her hand for. Consider it a modified version of Twenty Questions. In this case, the performer knows what she's thinking in six questions. By the way, this idea of polling the audience and watching and tracking their responses, is the brilliant brainchild of Daryl Bern. Tve long been a fan of this concept as it has so many possible applications. For those of you familiar with my astrology routine in my No-Prop Nightclub Act, you'll note that this principle was employed there. Let's try another example and see how the performer is guided by the chosen spectator's responses. After pausing and concentrating, the performer continues. "OK, let's see how folks did. First, how many people actually got a card?" Hands go up. "How many people got a red card?" Hands go up. "How many people got a black card?" Hands go up. "How many people got a spade?" Hands go up. "How many people got a picture card?" Hands go up. "How many people got a number card?" Hands go up. "How many people got an Ace?" Hands go up. "How many people got a 2?" Hands go up. "A3?" Hands go up. "A 4?" Hands go up. "A 5?" Hands go up. "A 6?" Hands go up. "A 7?" Hands go up. "An 8?" Hands go up. "A 9?" Hands go up.
"How about a 10?" Hands go up. "I was thinking of the 7 of Spades. Did anyone get that?" And, sure enough, your target spectator did. So let's analyze and breakdown what was occurring in this example. Your spectator gets the 7 of Spades during the projection. Start off by asking how many people actually got a card. You continue by finding out what color she has in mind. Again, because it's a woman, you start by asking how many people got a red card. She doesn't raise her hand, so you follow up by asking how many people got a black card. She should respond. Next, go for Spades (again, a more popular choice than Clubs). Next, go for the more popular picture cards. You should note that occasionally, but rarely, people will consider an Ace a picture card. So,if you're polling picture cards, and your target doesn't raise her hand when you ask about Jack, Queen, and King make your next question バ ,How many people got an Ace.w You'll get a hand raise at this point. If she doesn't respond to picture cards, you go for number cards and then go through the values individually from A-io. Now, that may seem like a lot of questions (as a matter of fact, it took fifteen questions to zero in on her card in this example), but trust me, the process moves right along. Again, in the audience's mind, you're simply conducting a ’scientific' survey to see how folks did. Also；for some reason, with all of these hands going up and down, later when you correctly describe the one person who got your thought, it seems absolutely incredible! By the w ay パ n this second example, I knew by the time I got to the question , "W ho got a 7?" that she was thinking of the 7 of Spades, but as I mentioned earlier, you want some semblance of order and process so you continue asking all the way to the number 10. It wouldn't make sense to simply and abruptly stop at
The polling and tracking process should be clear to you by now. Again, because you want there to be as few questions as possible to determine her card, always begin with the most popular response for each category of color, suit, and picture/number. Let me provide you with one final example. "How many people actually got a card?" Hands go up. "How many got a red card?" Hands go up. "How many got a heart?" Hands go up. "How many got a diamond?" Hands go up. "How many got a picture card?" Hands go up. "How many got a number card?wHands go up. "How many got an Ace?" Hands go up.
"I was thinking of the Ace of Diamonds. Did anyone get it?" Now, you'll notice in THIS example, I didn't run through all of the numbers from Ace to 10. Since I asked about picture cards and then "an A c e ' it makes sense to simply stop there. There really is no need to ask about cards 2-10. I hope this makes sense. Again, you want to get to her card in as few questions as possible in a logical manner. Please note, you shouldn't be staring at the woman during the polling process. As you 100k about the audience, casually keep her responses in mind. Now, what to do if the woman doesn't respond, or leaves early. Because the envelope is in your pocket at the start ； if she leaves early, you simply don^ do the effect. Or, you can prepare two envelopes as mentioned earlier in the original routine. What if she's in the audience but doesn't respond the two times you a sk ,H o w many people actually got a card ?〃 Obviously, you're not going to be doing any polling. At this point, since she is simply not engaged, it becomes a simple mass thought projection to the crowd, and I will say to the audience,
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originally thought of the Ace of Spades, but changed my mind to the
Queen of Hearts. Did anyone get either of them?wBecause you're mentioning two of the most popular cards, you should get a large number of hands going up. So; that is Target Card. As I mentioned earlier, we in the Thirteen have kept this to ourselves for close to thirty years. It is a simple, powerful effect!
Conclusion
So that, my friends, is the Targe t Nu mber Manual. As I said earlier, these effects have been THE h ighlights, signature pieces, and reputation-makers for me over the years. Because you have made the investment in this manual, I ask that you PLEASE keep these secrets to yourself. As mentioned on the copyright page, the manuals have been coded to the purchaser. I guarantee that the routines and presentations contained within will pay for themselves many times over in your professional career. My be st...TK.
For more thoughts on this type of presentation, be su re to che ck out The Croise t Affair in Bruce Bern stein's book, Perception Is Everything © 1999.
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13 Rozel Road, Suite B110 CELEBRATING Princeton, New Jersey 08540 JT“ p 609 987-5003 f 609 520-7979 www.enablenj.org years of service Sharon J.B. Copeland, MSW, LSW, Chief Executive Officer May 7, 2015 Ted Karmilovich 31-15 Ravens Crest Drive Plainsboro, NJ 08536
Dear Ted, Enclosed please find your check num ber. Thank you for helping m ake our 25th Anniversary Gala a success! People are still asking me how you knew what Virginia would be wearing! Wishing you the best in the future, Chief Executive Officer
Bonus: Name a card
Tve always been a fan of being able to leave the host or hostess of an affair with a souvenir or memento of the evening. Whether it's a bent coin or a relevant prediction (like the physical description of the hostess during my Target Number routine), nothing makes a bigger impression and provides more after-show word-ofmouth than something they can show to others. I actually know of a couple of CEOs who framed the Target Number envelope along with the physical description of their spouse in their home or office. Along these lines here is an idea that I've used over the years which may appeal to some. Many years ago at a meeting of NYCs Thirteen, the late Allen Swift talked about a routine he used to impress a host or hostess. He referred to it as the Dream Deck, and Tve since seen variations of it under different names over the years. What follows is my take on the effect. Performing for the host or hostess, (generally right before I leave at the end of the evening), I tell them that I want to show them "something special". I find that phrase implies to them that THEY are special and that's a feeling that can be especially powerful. I ask them to name any card in a deck of cards. Let's say that in tms instan ce our hostess names the Seven of Diamonds. And let's say her name is Angela. I remove a box of cards from my pocket and give it a little shake. I say,
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have some cards here, but it's
not a complete deck." Opening the box and pushing back the flaps, I shake it again allowing her to peek inside. "The deck is missing about six or seven cards because every time I perform this, I end up giving a card away." I dump the cards out face-down into my hand and place the box down. As I slowly run through the top approximately nineteen cards, I show her and mention that Tve written a different name on the back of each card. “This one says 'Cindy. This one says 'Vicki' This one says 'DavicT. I continue reading the names on the back of the cards stopping to show the faces of two or three of them. “This card says 'Cheryl' and it's the Queen of Hearts. This one says "Robert" and it's the Two of Clubs/' I stop after going through about nineteen cards, saying "you get the idea" and then flip the deck face-up. Slowly running through the face-up deck, I stop when I come to her card, in this case the Seven of Diamonds, and drop it face-up on the table. I tell her to turn it over. Written on the back in black marker is HER name, Angela. Of course they're ALWAYS shocked. As I box the remaining cards and pocket them, I tell her the card is hers to keep as a memento of the evening. It is a POWERFUL effect that requires the purchase of TWO decks and a little bit of preparation, but I find the benefits are more than worth it. Most of you are probably well aware of the method, but allow me to share a couple of little bits that I find add to the overall effect.
