Epic Marked Down

Marked Down

by

Dan Garrett 1

A Classic Effect of Mentalism Using minimal props Expertly routined and scripted

© 2005, 2012 by Dan Garrett All rights reserved. This work may not be copied or stored in any type of information storage and retrieval system now existing or henceforth to be invented. This work may not be disseminated in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of the author. Copyright violations will be aggressively pursued. 2

Epic – Marked Down Prologue (Effect): The performer attempts a mind-reading feat involving three volunteers from the audience. The volunteers need not leave their seats, but with a larger group, they are asked to stand. The mentalist removes four permanent ink markers of the retractable variety (they ‘click’ open and closed like a ballpoint pen). One of the pens is black and the other 3 are different colors. The first participant is asked to choose one of the colors and then to merely think of a letter of the alphabet. The mentalist writes a secret prediction on an index card with the chosen color marker, folds it up, marks it ‘Test 1’ and drops it into an empty cup. Another color pen is chosen and the second participant thinks of a number between 1 and 100. The prediction is made for ‘Test 2.’ The third person then thinks of a design with multiple shapes as the performer makes a final prediction. The participants reveal their thoughts and one of them is asked come up and dump out the predictions on the table. Each prediction is amazingly accurate, and the colors they are written in match the colors chosen by each spectator. The predictions are given out as souvenirs! Exposition: Here is a classic mentalism routine where you read the minds of three volunteers in the audience. This is a very old use of the “one-ahead principle,” which pre-dates Hen Fetsch’s Mental Epic, and uses a few presentation ideas from myself and my friends. Although I once used a published Alan Shaxon idea to perform Mental Epic with colored chalk, the marking pen subtlety I describe here was inspired by Mick Ayres and Ken Scott. Most people perform this one-ahead type trick with a card force of some kind to get the third “hit,” but I don’t. I’ll give you my thinking on using a psychological force for the third item. Epic - Marked Down completely eliminates the need for a special chalk board or dry-erase board. A trip to the office supply store will get you all you need. The entire act should only cost about ten bucks or less and fit in your pocket! 3

You’ll need 4 non-ruled (blank) index cards (or a small stack of them, but you’ll use up 4 in each performance), an opaque cup (a can, small box, or empty hat will do – any small receptacle that will hold three folded index cards), and four of the new Marks-A-Lot™ Retractable fine point permanent markers which may be found at office supply stores or online. They commonly come in a pack with four colors: black, red, blue and green. Perform the following one-time preparation of the 3 colored markers: With care, pop open the red, blue and green markers. Just bend the marker back and forth at the seam a few times until if pops free. Be careful not to break it! Switch around the ink cartridges with their springs so that each marker writes a different color. (In effect, it’s the same as switching the ink cartridges in ballpoint pens.) Because of the nature of these retractable permanent markers, the audience cannot tell that the colors have been switched. The black marker remains normal (untampered). Note: It really doesn’t matter how the cartridges in the colored markers are switched, just as long as each colored marker writes in a different colored ink from its outer color. More on this later. (Mick Ayres’ idea was to switch the caps around on colored Sharpie™ brand markers. However, this idea presented problems. With the release of the new Marks-A-Lot™ retractable style markers, Ken Scott told me it was possible to switch the ink cartridges. This method is far superior, thanks to the more advanced technology of the retractable marker. As of the 2012 revision of Epic – Marked Down this brand of marker is not as readily available, at least in stores. It can still be found if you search online. I’ve found other types of retractable markers that will also work, but usually they are more difficult to crack open. Just get out there and look for something that works for you.)

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The Story (performance): Bring out the four markers and a stack of index cards. Place an opaque cup, box, hat or bowl on the table (to hold the predictions), along with the markers, and you’re ready to begin. How many of you believe in psychics, ESP and the like? Many of you didn’t raise your hand, but that’s OK. I love to work with skeptics! How many believe in ESPN? At Duke University Dr. Rhine developed some specific scientific experiments to test individuals for ESP. Let’s try a few tests for telepathy right now, and we will keep under as strict scientific conditions as possible outside the lab. I will attempt to have 3 individuals send a thought to me. (Point to someone in the audience.) You will be first. Please stand up, but there is no need to leave your seat. Freely choose one of the 3 colored markers for the first test. Red? (This is a free choice. It appears that all the colored pens are freely chosen by the participants. In reality, this is the only free choice of color allowed.) Good, that color suits you perfectly. (Sometimes I give a quick cold reading for the participant based on their appearance and the color choice. This helps to solidify to the audience the fact that colors are involved, and that the choices are completely free. As an example: Your choice of red indicates that you are an individual who follows through on things. You often like to take the initiative. Sometimes you are driven by your emotions.) Pick up the color named and click the marker open in preparation to writing on the stack of index cards. Please concentrate on a letter of the alphabet, but not part of your initials. Don’t make it easy on me. Visualize this letter on a giant-sized movie screen in your mind. Stare at the participant for a moment. Draw a picture of a triangle inside a circle on the first card. Make a mental note of the color ink you are writing on the card. Let’s say the red marker writes green ink. You must remember this color (which is visible only to you) as well as the color pen 5

chosen by the first spectator. (In this example, you remember the colors Red and Green.) Fold the index card in half. (Don’t flash the drawing to the audience!) Write “TEST 3” on the outside of the folded card, then fold it in half again. As you write, miscall it by saying “Test 1, color red” out loud. Click the marker and drop the folded card into the cup (or hat) on the table. Put the marker in your pocket, removing it from play. Now let’s see how well I did. What letter were you thinking of? (For example, the spectator says “R.”) Hmm... that’s interesting. Not exactly what I expected. Would you be impressed if I were... say... within 5 letters of your letter? (Act a little flustered. This little bit of acting should get you a few chuckles.) OK, let’s try someone else. Pick another volunteer. Would you think of a two-digit number for me? Don’t think of the same digit twice, but use two different digits to form your mental picture. My odds for success are getting more difficult. Got one? Visualize that number on the big mental movie screen. Very good! This is the critical point for the color-matching aspect of Epic Marked Down. For now you must choose the color for the second spectator. It must be the color you did not see when making the first prediction. Pick up the marker that did NOT match the first choice or the color ink you wrote on the first prediction. Let’s say the first spectator chose Red and you wrote the geometric design and ‘Test 3’ in green. In this case the color you didn’t see is BLUE. Pick up the blue-colored marker and continue as you write your prediction. I sense you are a person who is liked by others, but you are sometimes critical of yourself, so I’ll use this blue color for your test. If you use this approach, most of the time no one will recall that you chose this color for the spectator. Click the marker open and write the letter “R” (in RED ink!) on the next card. Fold the card and write “Test 1” on the folded card as you miscall Test 2, color blue out loud. Fold once again and drop the folded card into the cup, click the marker closed and place it in your inside pocket. 6

(When I draw the letter, I always draw an outline of the letter. It’s a small detail, but it further disguises that you are writing something other than what the audience thinks you are.) Now, for the first time, tell us your two-digit number. 42? Uh, well… if I happened to be, say, within seventeen numbers of your number, that would still be impressive, wouldn’t it? This should get a laugh. Hey! What I’m attempting here isn’t easy. You should try it! You have again taken the heat off the fact that you need to know the number before you make your final prediction. Choose a final participant. Thanks for helping. You have a free choice of this final marker. (small laugh) If it’s not the color you wanted, you can blame the other two; not me! Let’s expand the possibilities and diminish the odds of being lucky even further. Please think of a geometric shape. For example, a Square . But please, don’t use any four-sided figure; that would be too obvious. In fact, think of two different geometric shapes, one inside the other.

“One…”

“...inside the other”

By eliminating the square you leave only two shapes to easily call by name: a Circle and a Triangle . In addition, you throw in a strong, subliminal visual cue by gesturing as you say “one inside the other.” On “one,” your hands subtly form a triangle shape with a few inches of separation. On “the other,” expand your hands and curl them to suggest part of a larger circle! The superimposed dotted triangle and circle in the photos are merely there to help clarify the concept. Do this casually as you talk, making sure you 7

have eye contact from the third person. It’s amazingly strong psychology. During your instructions you use the expression “simple geometric shape,” but later in the script you refer to the image as “a random design” or “a combination of random shapes.” Most of the time the subject will think of a triangle inside a circle, or a circle inside a triangle, either of which is construed as a direct hit. Sometimes you get a triangle with another polygon, such as a hexagon or octagon. But really, the more ‘gons’ you get, the more it looks like a circle anyway! On rare occasions you will get a star. (I actually was seeing several triangles, which is how the star appeared in your mind.) Whatever you get, you’ll do fine. Finish by picking up the last marker (green, in our example) and writing the number “24” in blue ink on the third card, then fold it, write “Test 2” as you say “Test 3, green,” make your second fold and drop the card in the cup. Note that I deliberately reverse the two digits of the number called out. Put the third marker back in your pocket and ask the final participant to describe his mental “drawing.” Even if you miss the psychological force, mentalism is not perfect and you should not despair. In some ways it makes the trick even better. The Lifeline: Poll the Audience (and we know how painful that can be). You can always ask the audience how many thought of a Circle and a Triangle with a show of hands. You’ll get a large response, which will serve as your ‘out.’ The Soliloquy: Here’s my closing script: I’m glad we had three willing volunteers. Our first person thought of a letter of the alphabet, and chose the color red. Admittedly, I have one chance in 26 in guessing the letter out of sheer luck. The second person thought of a number. Your color was blue and the number you thought of was… what? (42) Really? You know, it’s my word against yours! OK, the odds were even more unfavorable, because I only have once chance in 100 with the number. To be honest, I asked for a two-digit number so the odds were only 1 in 90. Well, to be totally honest I asked you to think of two different digits, so the odds were really 1 in 80. But who’s counting? Finally, the person with the green color thought of shapes or a design. Here, the possibilities 8

are too many to count. As you were concentrating, I was trying to write down your thoughts. Let’s see how well I did. Have another spectator dump out the cards from the cup and verify the Test numbers and the predictions as you repeat the test number, prediction and color of each. When the two-digit number is read, you say, I missed that one! I got the digits right, but I got them in reverse order. Can we call that a hit? (Let the audience respond.) I guess then, that I’m the world’s first Dyslexic Psychic! At the end, thank your participants again and accept your applause! Give them your predictions as souvenirs. The Understudy: In my performance, I usually ask the third participant to describe her drawing then cut her off immediately, pretending not to hear. It would probably be easier for you to draw the design you are thinking of than describe it. I hand her the Black (normal) marker and a blank card and ask her to do so. Handing the normal marker to a participant implies that all the markers are normal. You will know if you have ‘hit’ the force by what she says. If you make a ‘hit’ on this one, it makes a strong visual climax to the routine! If you ‘miss’ the final test just reveal it first, use the ‘poll the audience lifeline’ then reveal the correct predictions last.

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Epilogue: I’m of the school of mentalism that feels that in this type of test it is perfectly acceptable to miss the psychological force. I have many ways of handling most of the missed drawings, because I’ve performed Epic - Marked Down for well over 300 audiences and I’ve seen almost everything a person can think of to draw. Most of the time a miss comes from an individual who completely ignores your instructions. Just use the ‘out’ of asking the audience for a show of hands by those who thought of the Triangle and Circle, then suggest that you picked up on that larger mental projection by mistake. 9

Feel free to use alternate psychological forces if this one doesn’t work well for you. An example would be “Think of a flower.” (Rose) – whatever you feel gives you the best odds. Avoid a card force. If done as described, the geometric force gives more accuracy and is much stronger in the minds of the audience than most of the psychological forces I’ve tried. You can ‘predict’ any thoughts from any category you wish. I have chosen the letter, the number, and the design for a specific reason, as stated in the script. I want the predictions to be very improbable, but not completely impossible. I want to be able to reverse the 2-digit number and make use of the ‘dyslexic psychic’ gag line. I want to make the predictions appear to get more and more amazing (even though the final drawing is ‘forced.’) This is a very easy performance. You are able to concentrate on your presentation, provided you don’t forget the letter called and the two-digit number (for less than a minute). If you have go back and ask again before you write your next prediction, you’re dead. You also have to remember to number the predictions in “3, 1, 2” order, but that you miscall them in “1, 2, 3” order. Remember, the only thing in the routine you must control is the second participant’s choice of color for the marking pen. Wrap Party: Any mathematician will tell you that, when I say that you can switch around the 3 colors inside the marking pens any way you wish, there are truly only two possible ways this can be done. (Assuming each of the 3 pens must write a different color from the outer color.) I came up with the simple ‘rule’ for choosing the second pen so that you don’t have to think about it. This ‘rule’ can be mathematically proven as well. You can trust that it will work correctly during your performance. I hope you enjoy performing this routine as much as I.

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“Oh, and just one more thing!” – Lt. Columbo Photo 1 shows a blister pack of the Marks-a-Lot ™ pens that I use. They are made by Avery (the company that makes all the labels). You can do a search on the internet and find these. I just bought some from a seller going through Amazon. com. Avery also makes a similar 4-pack with dry erase ink. (Photo 2.) The center section of the dry erase markers is white, so you can tell them from the permanent markers at a glance. Either type of marker will work for this effect. If you write on an index card with a dry erase marker, it does not erase or smear. The difference between the two inks for use in Epic – Marked Down is negligible.

Photo 1 – Permanent Ink!

Photo 2 – Dry Erase ink

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For the Theorists: NLP If you have an interest in some of the more subtle theory behind the construction and script of my routine, I will begin by telling you that is is heavily-laden with NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). One of the better-known proponents of NLP applied to magic is Kenton Knepper. He has called this particular application of NLP “Wonder Words,” and made the concepts more accessible to the average magician. If they are still available, I highly recommend purchasing his books and audio files (for audiophiles) on the subject. Try going to www.wonderwizards.com. You can also search online to get more information about NLP. In Kenton’s parlance, “wonder words” are powerful ways to create and reinforce magic effects in the minds of the audience that far exceed what they actually witnessed (or didn’t witness). For example, in choosing the color of the marking pens, I use the principle of conjunction to suggest that all the color choices were completely free (only the first choice was truly free). I will say something like, Let’s have a hand for our three uncoached volunteers who had completely free choices of pen color and their secret thoughts. I will also make the psychological force seem more impossible to predict by changing my terminology after the fact, calling their drawing “a random complex design created in your mind.” Earlier, they were instructed to think of “simple geometric figures.” I will also use the line (after they have thought of the design but while they are still drawing it on the card), “I hope you are not drawing a detailed schematic of the Eiffel Tower or a map of the New York sewer system…” You’ll find more NLP built in to Epic - Marked Down if you take the time to look. Wow! 12

Final Thoughts: No, really. I mean it this time. Don’t dismiss this routine because of the apparent simplicity. I’ve spent a great deal of time honing and refining the presentation so that it is highly entertaining, logical, and completely masks the method. I still perform Epic – Marked Down in my professional shows all the time. The reactions are remarkably as strong as any effect you can do. Time after time audience members comment to me afterwards. Just recently I had a lady come up to me and actually say, “You must really be doing what you say you are. If you hadn’t missed a few things, I would have assumed that it was all some kind of trick.” (You have already been told this, but she said it much better than I.) We magicians and mentalists make our living out of fooling our audiences. We become so good at it, we all too often make the mistake of thinking that audiences aren’t that intelligent. Don’t be foolish! They are! Once again I would implore you not to discount the psychological force I’ve described, using the subtle subliminal visual cue. Note: Even though the photos show me holding the cards and marker in my hand, I don’t do that any more. I put everything down, and make sure I have the eye contact of the participant before I make the two gestures. The shapes I make with my hands are a little more compact and a lot more pronounced than the photos indicate. Even if you prefer to perform Mental Epic or another oneahead routine, try the Circle and Square TriangleForce Forceinstead insteadofof forcing a card. You’ll see what I mean.

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I hope you enjoy Epic – Marked Down for all its advantages: • Powerful mentalism. They WILL remember it. • It all costs less than $10. ( € 7,50; £ 6.30; ¥ 800 ) • Only common objects are used. • The colored pens mask the method completely! • Color choice opens up added “cold reading.” • The entire act fits in your pocket! No big props to pack. • The participants can take your predictions home. (You may be asked to autograph them later.) • It’s fun to do! End curtain. Loud ovation! House lights on...

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After

What Others Are Saying About Epic – Marked Down Sid Caesar, the US comedian, once remarked, “The guy who invented the wheel was nothing; now, the guy who added three more, that was something!” My pal Dan Garrett shared with me the workings of one of the most stunning Mentalist effects I’ve seen in a long while. He’s taken the old cumbersome Mental Epic, gotten rid of the large board, whittled it down to a few index cards, four colored markers and added a method of sheer genius!  Does it play big? You bet!  All for a cost of less than $10 at the office supply store. — Anthony Darkstone, (World-Class Mentalist and Author) Dan’s Epic - Marked Down brings Mental Epic right up to date with strong spectator interaction and the bonus of built-in neuro-linguistic programming techniques (NLP). Because of what you say, they’ll remember the effect even better than it was. — John Doyle (TV Personality and Voice Talent, Magic Enthusiast) When Dan Garrett offers one of his creations to the conjuring world, I know it is something that has been tested, worried over, tweaked and rewritten over and over until it is just right...like a master chef preparing a perfect recipe.  Garrett's Epic - Marked Down is a brilliantly structured and scripted mind reading demonstration that will leave your guests believing in you.  I'm a huge fan of those subtleties that add convincing moments to a presentation. Garrett has given EMD the perfect amount of ingredients. Dig in. — Mick Ayres (Featured performer at Walt Disney Resort, Hilton Head, SC) Epic - Marked Down is engaging for the magician to perform, mystifying for the audience to see, fun for everybody and strong entertainment!  This is classic Dan Garrett thinking and classic Dan Garrett magic. — Max Howard (Emmy Award winning Magician and Actor) Dan, if you don’t sell this routine for at least $20.00, you’re crazy! — Tom Craven (Magician, Inventor, Author)

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This Page Intentionally Left Blank

(Then why did you put the words on the page, dummy?)

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“What? You’re still here? It’s over! … Go home … GO!” — Ferris Bueller

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