Benjamin Earl Eye Candy [PDF]

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CONTENTS



vi



Preface



1



Framework



6



The SDS Vanish



11



Memento



PREFACE Eye Candy features three hyper-visual routines that will cause spectators to think you have either slipped them a hallucinogenic substance or that you went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Who can say? Regardless, you'll force spectators to question reality. before you dance back into the shadows like a magical creature from another realm... my precious! All magic is a combination of physical, psychological and theatrical elements, but what we think of as "visual magic' tends to concentrate on the most ohsenable characteristics of those elements only. Anything visual only has meaning or context when filtered through psychological and cognitive processes, so considered development of these processes is, in my opinion, fundamental to strong 'visual magic’. Therefore, the routines featured in Eye Candy are not just ‘visual', they also contain a huge amount of intentional psychological methodology in order to maximise their impact. These routines have been a part of my performing repertoire for a very long time and 1 have always used them when the situation called for something particularly eye-catching. ‘Framework’ is a deck vanish which looks like trick photography, "Memento' is an amazing routine which repeatedly assaults a spectator's eyes, and finally, ‘The SDS Vanish' is a complete vanish of a coin, which put simply... looks like actual magic. In all three routines, the ‘magic moment’ is totally unexpected, while allowing you to end completely clean. All you require is a deck of cards, a coin and a Sharpie pen - I'm assuming you have hands? You'll need a working pair of those. You must also be able to read. If you can't read, just look at the photographs and listen to the accompanying audio book which doesn’t exist. Enjoy. you lucky buggers. Ben August 2016



FRAMEWORK ‘Framework’ was inspired by a clever gimmick called ‘I lumbug', invented and sold by Angelo Carbone. Angelo's gimmick creates the impression of a full deck of playing-cards vanishing, but you don't end clean you end with the gimmick in your hand. ‘Framework' allows you to create the same illusion with a normal dcck of cards! No gimmick! Therefore, this can be performed with any deck of white-bordered cards... and you end clean! There isn't another impromptu vanishing deck method out there that looks this good. I sent all of my ideas and routines to Angelo in 2009. but out of respect I have kept this to my self for almost 8 years. 1 lowever, I think enough time has passed for this impromptu handling to finally be put in print. Effect A deck of playing-cards visually dissolves/vanishes leaving nothing but two, three or four cards. Method Look at Fig. 1, this is what "Framework' looks tike: it looks like a normal deck! The fundamental illusion is caused through the use ofa face-up Ace of Diamonds beneath a face-down covcr card. What your brain perceives as the vertical side of the deck is in fact the flat, white, horizontal surface of the face-up Ace ot Diamonds! Before I explain how to use this principle I need to explain two hasic ‘frame" positions: The Basic Frame Hold the face-up Ace of Diamonds in the palm-up left hand: now hold a face­ down card 3/4 of an inch above the Ace with the tips of the fingers and base of the thumb. In order to achieve the correct illusion at the front of the frame you must cover the corner index of the Ace by holding the frame in a deep grip, allow ing the thumb and forefinger to curl around the front end (Fig. I). This position is also aided by angling the frame slightly downwards and to the right. To get into this position, hold the two cards together in the hand and simply raise the top card while allowing the Ace to remain in the palm. This is the most basic version of the frame and will allow you to play «ith the angles and ways of covering the index of the Ace. After play ing around \\ ith this frame concept you'll quickly see how deceptive it is and how much freedom ol movement you have.



Constructing theZ-frame The position oft he frame in the hands is identical, however there is something else going on inside the frame which can create an amazing illusion. This uses three cards: the Ace of Diamonds is face up on the bottom and there is still « face-down card on top, but inside there is another card positioned diagonally between the two cards (Fig, 2). I'o gel into this position hold the three cards flat in the hand and get a break above the Ace by pulling down on it with the left little finger. Now hold the two top cards and lower the front end of the AD 3/4 of an inch while allowing the rear ends to now contact the face-up Ace the hands completely cover this procedure. Now* raise the top card into a horizontal position so that it is parallel with the face-up Ace. making sure the front end is still in contact with the second card (Fig. 2). The fingers now delicately squeeze the frame to hold it in position; from the front it looks like Fig. I. Although this may seem awkward, with practice in front of a mirror you'll see how quickly and easily you'll be able to get into this position. The Z-frame position allows you to do something amazing: you can apparently push a card into the middle of the deck (Fig. 3) by inserting a card into the opening in the frame at the back (Fig. 4) and holding it in place w ith pressure between the pad of the little finger and base of the thumb (Fig. 5). It can be pushed in slowly and yet the illusion created at the front of the frame is not broken (Fig. 6). There is a depth illusion happening at the back and a solid surface illusion occurring at the front; this is a deeply sophisticated visual illusion occurring in the palm of your hand! The Visual Deck Vanish In order to vanish the ‘deck’ you will essentially collapse the frame. There are two main ways to do this. The most obvious way is to bring the right hand on top and squeeze the hands together; when the hands separate the deck appears to have vanished, leaving just a few cards. This method is very simple and very magical. However, there is another way which looks like a special effect: simply allow the frame to visibly collapse by reducing the pressure on the sides of the frame as you very subtly shake your hand (Fig. 7). With some practice you'll be able to cause the frame to slowly collapse, making it look like the deck is visibly shrinking or evaporating from view! Once the frame has collapsed, open the hand (Fig. 8). This is not hard to do and people will freak out. Try this in front of a mirror - it looks insane!



The Clean-up Regardless of whether you have two, three or more cards, the bottom Aee is still reversed and there are a number of ways to clean this situation up. The following two methods are the ones 1 have always used. It depends on what handling you prefer, and how you are pacing the effect: 1) One-handed: Obtain a break above the bottom, reversed Ace with your pinkie and perform ‘Flippant’ by Looy SimonofF:1 basically you raise your hand slightly and then drop it. allowing the top three cards above the break to rapidly flip face up onto the bottom face-up Ace. This looks amazing; the deck has vanished and you have 'cleaned up with one hand! 2) Two-handed: Obtain a break abov e the bottom, rev ersed Ace and perform a half pass of some kind such as a Christ Twist2 or Asher Twist1-personally I prefer the Asher Twist as it is a covered move and looks smooth in this context. Ditching The Peek So. how do you ditch the deck? Well, there are two main ways I do it, and although there are many more, these have proved successful for me. All you need is an opportunity or reason to go to your pocket. I} Pen Removal: This is an extremely simple and covered ditch, which y'ou will have to choreograph based on your clothing and where you want to ditch the cards or remove the pen from. But basically, you ditch the deck while looking for the pen. and while they are removing the cap and signing a card, you set the cards into the Z-frame position. I will explain in a bit more detail how to do this in a moment. 2) The Turn Away: This is devious. Once they have made a selection turn away and ask them to show the card around. While they do this ditch the deck! I love this method and it is undoubtaedly my favourite. Often you can ditch the deck and set the cards into the Z-frame position all while your back is turned. As you can probably guess there are many ways to ditch the deck and use the Framework vanish in the context of an effect. You can leave the four Aces or two. three, four selections; it depends on what you want to do. Now that the techniques and principles are thoroughly understood, it’s up to you to decide how you want to use it.



FINDING FOUR ACES WITH FRAMEWORK A card is chosen. The selection is then inserted into the deck and the deck is squared up. Suddenly the deck slowly starts to dissolve leaving just the selection and its three mates in this case the four Accs. Everything can he inspected. Method Four Accs are on the lop of the deck in the following order from the top: AH. AC, AS, AO. Force the AH in whatever way you wish. Make sure the stock of Accs goes hack on top of the deck and get a break under them while the spectator is looking/showing the card. You can now ditch the deck in any way you wish (see page 4), but I'll describe the ‘pen removal* technique in more detail here: Mention that you want them to sign the card, grabbing the Aces above the break in Biddle grip in your right hand as your left hand retreats to a left jacket/trouser pocket and ditches the deck. You can either come out with a pen and hand it to them or... come out with nothing and transfer the three Aces to the left hand (simulating a full deck) as your right hand darts into another pocket to remove the pen. Hand the pen to the spectator and ask them to sign their card on the face. While they sign their AH you execute a half pass of the bottom card in your hand (AD) and construct the Z-frame (as described on page 2). If you don't want to do a half pass simply set up the deck with the AD already reversed, making sure you don't expose this card when you initially get a break under them. Take their card, and without looking at its face, insert it into the back of the frame and apparently square up the ‘deck’. Now say,



“What was your card? An Ace... ok. I'll try and find your Ace. plus the other Aces... at the same time. Watch. " Now allow the 'deck' to slowly dissolve from view (Fig. 7 & Fig. 8) and then use the one-handed clean-up procedure on page 4 to instantly show all the Aces in your hand. This is the way I have always preferred to use ‘Framework', however I don't always have the Ace signed: 1 often just turn around and ditch the deck while the card is being ‘remembered'. I then turn back and take the Ace from them.



Notes: Remember, if you can turn around and ditch ilic deck, do il. Ditching the deck this way is perfectly acceptable, psychologically invisible and extremely practical. Of course ifyou have the opportunity to do it this way then do. If you don’t want to have the Ace or any cards signed, then simply find another convenient reason to ditch the deck, such as removing the box or some other ruse. If you want to find some selections (two, three or four), it's up to you; all you need to do is make sure one of the selections is the AD. and you can then essentially proceed as previously described. Ihere are so many potential ways that Framework can be used in these effecls that it’s not worth explaining them all. However, remember that if you just want to reveal two cards, you can’t insert an additional card into the frame. In this scenario, you would control the two selections, find a natural way to ditch the deck, construct the Basic Frame, execute the "visual vanish’ sequence and then clean up. It’s my least favourite version of Framework but it's an option available to you. Many effects are possible with Framework: if you already have another deck in the box. you can have an interesting transposition effect, and you can find the Aces without a selection or without inserting a card, there are also many sandwhich, collector or transposition effects possible. It's also possible to end w ith one card by using the basic frame and stealing off the AD at the end. Ihere are so many possibilities, I could write a book on this concept alone, however I only tike to use it in the way described on page 5. There are other ways of setting up the illusion; for example, by simply creating a ’ V' with the cards (opening at the front) and inserting a card below the face-up Ace. All aspects of the illusion are the same. However, these variations often don’t look as good or they create other issues with the ‘clean-up’ phase. 1 like the Z-frame position the best. Framework is, of course, angle sensitive, so becoming completely familiar with those angles is vital. Put the cards in your hand and practise in front of a mirror, soon you'll develop a very good sense of your range of motion or what aspects of your 'frame' need to be improved. Very quickly you’ll realise how practical Framework is. Performing for a single person is, of course, the best scenario, but if you have a larger crowd just try to angle the hand slightly downward and to the right.



THE SDS VANISH The SDS Vanish (Slip, Ditch & Smoke) is a complete vanish of a coin. It is the result of many years of experimentation and development and has become refined into this smooth magical sequence which can be performed surrounded and in a t-shirt. The sequence is designed so the spectator will see a coin blink out of existence above their hands; there is no table, no sleeves, there is now here for the coin to go, it simply melts into thin air. That’s it. You could start a cult with this. 1 love the mixture of physical choreography, timing and psychology that all flow together to create something impossible. I initially started developing this technique after trying to create a coin vanish based on the style and movement of the Top Change. However, there are many people 1 must thank for indirectly influencing this technique over the years such as: Dai Vernon’s wand spin vanish,4 an unpublished ‘flurry’ move by my friend Kevin Baker. a coin vanish by Fred Robinson,5 the Bluff Vanish by Bobo6 and all of Slydini's coin magic although it’s hard to say exactly what elements have influenced what. However, the SDS Vanish is something new; it creates a new type of psychological illusion by forcing an observer to mentally simulate the presence of an object in multiple physical dimensions... when, in fact, no object is present. Method For explanation purposes 1 have used a Morgan silver dollar in the photographs in order to make the moves easy to see, but this can be used for any coin and other small objects. 1 have explained each phase in detail, but remember that in reality there is virtually no distinction between them as they all flow together in one smooth sequence. Slip Hold the coin at the tips of the fingers before the spectator (Fig. 9). Slowly rotate the hand palm down and place the thumb on it to hold it in place (Fig. 10). Now say to the spectator,



"Please hold out your hand flat like this. " You demonstrate by holding out your left hand flat and subtly retracting your right hand by several inches (Fig. 11). The next move happens in a fraction



of a second before the spectator has even had time to follow your instruction and raises their hand: retract >our left hand and extend your right hand, but as you do so your ieft hand passes beneath the right hand (Fig. 12) and the coin is allowed to fall into the left hand (Fig. 13) - the action is more exposed in the photograph for clarity: in realit> the left hand is never this open. I his moment is smooth and there is literally no hesitation of the left hand as it moves: timing the drop allows there to be zero hesitation. This requires practice but once acquired it will look perfect. I also use a vanish by Fred Robinson called the Pick-up Vanish,' in which the com is openly picked up from the left hand at the right fingertips and is immediate!) dropped back into the left hand as the right hand passes over the left fingers and advances forward (Figs. 12 & 13). Ditch The left hand continues to retract and drops to your side: it immediately enters your left pocket and deposits the coin. At the same time your right hand continues to move forward and positions itself above the spectator's hand - which by now should be raised to the same position you demonstrated (fig. 14). Your left hand only enters the pocket for a fraction of a second before coming out with nothing and taking hold of the spectator’s hand (Tig. 15). This moment simply appears as if you relaxed by unconsciously placing your hand in your pocket and then removed it in order to adjust their hand. Do not try and hide the movement of the left hand; if performed with the correct attitude and openness it will no* register, I have performed this sequence thousands of times and can testify to bow psychologically invisible it is. Smoke You are now about to execute a devious sequence of movements which will create a deeply convincing impression that the coin is still present and therefore make the moment the "vanish’ is revealed seem utterly impossible. To continue, your left hand is still holding their hand and your right hand is apparently holding the coin if ig. 15), Now transfer the ‘coin” into the left hand (Fig. 16) so that your right hand cart also adjust their hand (Fig. 17). At the moment your right hand adjusts their hand, subtly adjust the kcoin’ in your left band (by removing the thumb and subtly ‘bouncing- it a few millimetres before holding it again with the thumbj 7his happens extremely subtly - apparently unconsciously as your right hand adjusts their hand. Instead of placing the coin in the left hand ( will often throw it into the left hand, creating a sense of movement.



Now the right hand comes up to grasp the coin by its 'edges’ between the forefinger and thumb (Fig. 18). As soon as your right hand is in this position the left thumb lets go of the 'coin (f ig. 19) and then comes back down on top of it as the right fingers also close (F ig. 20). The movement of the thumb js exaggerated in the images; in reality this movement just has to be enough for them to notice it. Now, both hands rotate 90 degrees forward as the left hand Mets go’ of the ‘coin’ and adjusts itself b> apparently pinching the edge of the ‘coin' with the forefinger and thumb (Fig. 21). Stay in this position for a second before you slowly begin to squeeze and flex the fingers - as if you are squeezing/crushing the coin into a small ball. Imagine you are holding a tiny ball between the forefinger and thumb of both hands: now slowly allow the hands to separate fFig. 22), and then slowly separate the fingers. Notes: This entire sequence takes place above their hand and looks incredibly magical. The spectator will have no clue as to how the coin has vanished; it simply looks as if the coin has melted into thin air. Congruent/natural body movement and a brief visual flash of the coin at the beginning are all that is required. The Slip sequence will take practice, but once acquired it will become as easy as habit and completely deceptive. The Ditch sequence is psychologically invisible if you perform the actions as described in a casual way with a nonchalant attitude. It’s as if you are about to perform something with one hand, so you relax and casually put your hand into your pocket then you realise you need to adjust their hand, so your hand exits the pocket and adjusts their hand. Do not try to hide your hand going into the pocket; if you perform this sequence with a correct understanding of the psychology involved, the ditch becomes absolutely invisible. I have fooled many magicians with this exact handling. The Smoke sequence is actually doing something really interesting on a psychological level. The spectator constructs the existence of the ‘coin’ at a purely psychological level through a unique combination of perception, expectation and mental simulation; they perceive momentum and two distinct phjsica! orientations of a non-existent coin. This is extremely interesting to me. Do not rush through the Smoke sequence, it can be done very slowly. The slower you do this the more i mpossible it will seem, as there appears to be nowhere that the coin can possibly be but between your fingers.



Don’t feel guilty that the coin isn't actually there - if you believe it is and your actions are smooth, there is nothing to fear, lake your time and enjoy creating an impossible moment. I cannot stress strongly enough how impossible and magical this vanish looks. The SDS Vanish can of course be used as part of any larger coin routine such as 'Coin on Shoulder’ or any routine where you require a complete coin vanish. Causing a coin to vanish through purely psychological means has mans applications; however, I prefer to use it exactly as described, as an isolated moment of pure magic.



MEMENTO ‘Memento’ is related ‘'Backlash"7 by Paul Harris and ‘‘Tlie Ambitious Carid"8. However, it has become its own unique piece of strange, Effect A playing-card is signed both sides by a spectator. The card performs a number of impossible/magical movements before one of the signatures visibly morphs into the performer’s name/signature! Set-up Place the Joker on the face of the deck and any advertising card or additional Joker behind it. With the Joker on the face, make sure it is positioned so that it’s the right way up when they look at it - I’ll refer to this position as ‘facing them’ (Fig. 23). Now push the card over the right side of the pack with the left thumb and use your right hand to turn it face down. Sign your name along the right side of the card (Fig. 24). Turn the Joker face up onto the face of the deck and you are ready to begin. Although Memento can use any playing-card, I would suggest using a ‘pointer’ card to aid the choreography. Method With the two cards in your set-up at the bottom, execute a simple overhand shuffle and some complete cuts, sending them into the middle. You are about to execute the simplest force in the world. Start spreading through the pack as you say,



“I want to give you a memento... a cool one. So I'll use the Joker. ” Spread to the Joker and cut the deck so that it is now on the face; this is quite a simple force, but psychologically very innocent. Now you will ask them to sign the card along the right side of the card - while handing them the pen simply make sure that the Joker is orientated so it faces the spectator as they sign the face (Fig. 25). After they have signed the face of the card, perform a double turnover and have them sign the back in the same relative position (Fig. 26). I usually turn the card over a couple of times - as if allowing the ink to dry and simultaneously compounding the image of the card signed on both sides - and finish with card face up on the face of the deck. Spread the deck between your 7 lhe Art of Astonishment. VoI /. 1996 p 29



% I he Ambitious Card is one ohbe gr«1«i card trick* of all (ime ll itgowriJly attributed in his book Hr me if