Pro Tip #2 Be Clear about the Effect (iThought Receiver) | Pro Tips | Instant Download
Pro Tip #2 Be Clear about the Effect (iThought Receiver)
16/03/09 16:35 Filed in: Pro Tips
Separating the illusion from the secret is one of the most difficult aspects of learning a new trick - it's also one of the most important. It's important because when you have a solid grasp of the illusion, you then have a license to be very creative. Before delving into an example lets examine 'illusion'.
‘Illusion’ is basically an impossible story you create in the mind of the spectator. It's a story they then share, "yeah, this guy made his iPhone float!". Perhaps even more important, it's a story with huge pieces of information missing, now for the example.
With iThought Receiver you create the illusion that the iPhone reads someone's mind, telling them what color they're thinking of. This is exactly the story they'll tell their friends too "this guys phone knew what color I was thinking of!".
Just to re-cap - the secret behind iThought Receiver is that you (the performer) will be told what color they (the spectator) are thinking of before they even know the trick has begun.
Here's how to use presentation to solidify the 'effect' and hide the secret.
1) Performer: "Could you name any of these colors?"
Notes: The spectator is not expecting anything so this question seems innocent enough.
2) Spectator: "Um, blue."
Notes: They are just naming a color.
3) Performer: "Okay, if you could just think of your color, then when you're ready touch the iThought Receiver."
Notes: Now, this is when it gets interesting! Using the line "could you just think of your color" does multiple things. First you are planting the notion that they are 'just thinking' of a color, second you are personalizing the choice 'your color'. By using this dialog while asking them to do something 'touch the iThought Receiver' you are effectively creating distance from the first step where you ask them to name a color.
4) iThought Receiver displays the correct prediction.
Notes: The iThought Receiver guesses correctly.
When retelling the above story, the first step will probably be left out because it seems insignificant. The fact is, they touched your phone and it seemed to know what color they were thinking of.
Using presentation to control how people remember events is a key aspect of magic, this works best when you have a clear idea of the effect.
‘Illusion’ is basically an impossible story you create in the mind of the spectator. It's a story they then share, "yeah, this guy made his iPhone float!". Perhaps even more important, it's a story with huge pieces of information missing, now for the example.
With iThought Receiver you create the illusion that the iPhone reads someone's mind, telling them what color they're thinking of. This is exactly the story they'll tell their friends too "this guys phone knew what color I was thinking of!".
Just to re-cap - the secret behind iThought Receiver is that you (the performer) will be told what color they (the spectator) are thinking of before they even know the trick has begun.
Here's how to use presentation to solidify the 'effect' and hide the secret.
1) Performer: "Could you name any of these colors?"
Notes: The spectator is not expecting anything so this question seems innocent enough.
2) Spectator: "Um, blue."
Notes: They are just naming a color.
3) Performer: "Okay, if you could just think of your color, then when you're ready touch the iThought Receiver."
Notes: Now, this is when it gets interesting! Using the line "could you just think of your color" does multiple things. First you are planting the notion that they are 'just thinking' of a color, second you are personalizing the choice 'your color'. By using this dialog while asking them to do something 'touch the iThought Receiver' you are effectively creating distance from the first step where you ask them to name a color.
4) iThought Receiver displays the correct prediction.
Notes: The iThought Receiver guesses correctly.
When retelling the above story, the first step will probably be left out because it seems insignificant. The fact is, they touched your phone and it seemed to know what color they were thinking of.
Using presentation to control how people remember events is a key aspect of magic, this works best when you have a clear idea of the effect.
