Tom Hodgson - Drawn Intuition

Drawn Intuition Tom Hodgson

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Contents Introduction Performance The Principle Method Variations - Over the Phone - Drawing Duplication (Phone) - Stage - Extra Ideas Credits

Introduction: I've been fascinated by the "Spectator as Mindreader" plot for quite sometime now. There are some fantastic effects out there that follow this plot. The problem, I feel, for most people is that most require some method of dual reality or instant stooging. I have no problem with these methods at all, for some people thought, they are rather bold. Another favourite of mine are drawing duplications. What follows is my, I would say, almost self-working solution to both of these effects. Combining not only a spectator as mind reader but also being able to produce a fully detailed drawing duplication as a kicker. The basis of the routine began with George Sands "Reverse Bank Nite" featured in Karl Fulves "The Chronicles" magazine along with the well known "Sneak Thief" peek. The effect is completely impromptu, only five slips of paper and a pencil are required and hopefully you can bring about a convincing miracle they will be talking about for a long time. Let's get into it.

Performance: The spectator is handed a single card and is asked to draw absolutely any imagine in there mind, and when finished to place the card face down on the table. Four other participants are requested to draw a random image on four other blank slips of paper and then to mix the original drawing in with these. With five random drawings face down on the table, the performer begins to explain the unusual effect that numbers play in our every day lives. In ways we may not even know! "There are some obvious ways, like money for example. Less obvious though, may be the traffic lights. Traffic lights are designed to take a certain amount of time between the switch of green and red. Rather than a random event, which many people think" "We are going to try an experiment using numbers, and your thought of drawing, Hopefully this, along with a little intuition, and we will be able to find your thought through the clutter of other drawings" A pencil is then handed to the spectator whom writes the numbers 1-5 on the back of each card, these are his/her own choices. Another spectator is now asked to join and using his intuition the experiment will begin. The spectator shuffles the cards, face down, in his hands and is asked to stop on a random card. This is then flipped over and shown to the whole audience. "Now, using your intuition, do you believe this is the thought of drawing? Now remember, there are 5 cards. The chances of this being the correct one are not exactly high!" The spectator guesses no, which is the correct answer. "Okay, now you see how just using your intuition you made an unconcious choice as to which card you stopped on. Please deal the cards out into a row, you are now going to make a concious choice by choosing one of the 5 numbers.

Now remember what I told you, numbers play a more mysterious role in our lives than we may see on a surface level. Think hard about your decision. As the number you choose will start a chain reaction with all the other numbers." The spectator chooses the number 4. "Fantastic, are you 100% sure this is the number you'd like to choose?" (Spectator confirms their choice) "Because you chose the 4 the chain reaction begins here. Using the numbers we will elimate all the cards until one is left. Let me show you." The card with the number 4 is flipped over. "This isn't your thought of drawing, is it?" It's not. The performer counts 4 cards to the number 2, which is then also flipped over. This counting procedure is repeated until only one card is left face down. Which happens to be the thought of selection! (I know this last phase sounds confusing in writing, but please, bare with me) "See? Using your intuition, in making the choice of a number. We were led one by one to the thought of drawing. Thank you!" "Let's take this a step further. Since you've done the hard part by eliminating all of the other drawings it allows me to now focus on the single thought." The performer proceeds to draw a picture on another card and places it down next to the unseen drawing. Both are flipped, they match! A success all around.

Principle: As stated at the beginning of the booklet the inspiration for this routine came from George Sands "Reverse Bank Nite". The routine is an adaptation of the principle at play in his routine. In short, it's a force of the number 5. A self working and foolproof force. Go grab 5 different cards and write the numbers 1-5 on the back of them. Now you have two different options. One is to lay them out in a row of 1-5 or in a row of 1,3,5,2,4. (Left to right) Now place your finger on any number except the number 5. Let's say 4. Flip that card over and count 4 cards to the right (if you reach the end of the line circle back to the beginning) and you'll reach the number 2. Now flip the number 2 and count, again, two cards to the right and you will reach the number 1. Continue this procedure untill all the cards are flipped over and you will be left with the number 5! The above will work with any of the numbers you choose. This stack doesn't have to be in this order, of course. It can be cut and it will remain in the same working order. This is the crux of the method for the spectator as mind reader part of the effect. In terms of figuring out the drawing, I use the Sneak Thief method this involves showing the top card of the pack around to the audience, while having a clear peek at the bottom card. Although, any peek that doesn't disturb the order will work just as well. Now that you know the principles at play behind the effect, Let's get into the step by step method.

Method: To prepare for the effect you need to mark one card. This will become the card you write the number 5 on the back of and the spectator will draw their main drawing. Options for this would be; a pencil dot, nail nick, bent corner ect. As long as you can recognise, from the back, which card contains the thought of drawing. The marking only comes into play very briefly in the beginning of the effect. Once you have one card set-up you are ready to go on with the effect. Handing the spectator the marked card, ask them to draw anything that comes to mind. Also ask them to include a specific detail so everyone else knows that it's not just a generic drawing. While they are doing this you hand 4 other unmarked cards to other spectators and ask them to do a drawing as well. These will serve as a "distraction" from the main thought. You now have two different options for getting the spectator/s to write the numbers 1-5 on the cards. 1. Have the cards mixed up on the table, spotting your marked card bring it to the bottom and hand the cards individually to the spectator to write the numbers 1-5. 2. Or invite multiple spectators to join in the process of writing. With this many people involved in writing the numbers it won't seem so out of the ordinary that you join in to write the number 5 on the marked card. * *(I have to give credit to "Hector Chadwick" for this idea. He utilises this idea by having multiple people "mash" cards on the table to shuffle them. With so many people involved, it won't seem out of the ordinary that you would join in)

We are again left with two different options, after the numbers have been written on the cards, of how we choose to get the cards into the forcing sequence. 1. Simply pick them up in the order! 1,3,5,2,4 Picking them up in a haphazard order seems convincing, especially after just having multiple spectators write numbers on the cards.. Then handing the packet directly to the spectator. 2. Pick up the cards and have them arranged (From the top) 1,2,3,4,5. You will now guide the spectator through the "Down Under Deal" but slightly different. Lead them through dealing, as in the original procedure but when they reach the final two cards they will be placing the 2 underneath the 4. Instruct them to drop these both ontop of the main packet. The order will now be 4,2,5,1,3. Pick up the pile and deal the cards one by one down into a pile onto the table, reversing there order. Showing how fair the mix was. Hand the packet to the spectator. (To justify the Down Under Deal I say "See, if you were to just mix them in an overhand fashion, there would still be clumps of cards. For example I might get 1,2,3 but the 4 and 5 might only be switched! Let me show you a great way to thoroughly mix the cards.") The spectator should now be left holding the packet with the cards in a seemingly mixed order, which is actually our forcing order. The cards can be cut as many times as the spectator likes. Here we will use the fact that the 5 and 2 are right next to each other in the stack to our advantage. Allowing us to make the peek. Under the guise of the spectator cutting the cards to mix them, begin to tell them about Intellect and Intuition*, and the role numbers play in our lives. *Describing "The Captain Kirk Principle" always brings about interest. A great, small, essay on this can be found on page 169 of Michael Shermer's book Skeptic.

While talking about these things wait until they cut the number 2 to the top of the pile. This means that the number 5, thus the thought of drawing is on the bottom of the pile waiting to be peeked. Any basic bottom peek may be used here. My preference is the Sneak Thief glimpse by Larry Becker. In performance it looks something like this. The top card is flipped over and shown to the audience. While describing the drawing you see, your hand changes it's orientation for the audience to get a better look. It's in this action you perform the peek. Once the card is shown to not be the thought of drawing is is turned back facedown and the cards are again cut as many times as they like. Then dealt out onto the table from left to right (This is very important) Now you ask the spectator to select any number. The equivoke statement you make here sounds very open but can be taken in two different ways, depending on the choice the spectator makes. The statement is "The number you choose will affect all the other numbers and drawings, it will help us eliminate them. Please select a number, follow your gut." So now there are two different outcomes. Either, they place their finger on the number 5 and you're home free, Ask them to keep their finger on the 5 while you turn over the rest of the cards one by one confirming that the only card left face down, underneath their finger, is the thought of drawing. Or if they pick any other number, you begin eliminating cards using the counting sequence explained earlier. This is why we preface the choice by saying "The number you choose will affect all the other numbers" Let this effect settle. The spectator has seemingly used their intuition to locate the thought of drawing! Congratulate them and thank them for helping you eliminate all of the other thoughts. All that's left to do now, is to reveal the thought of drawing through any method you desire.

Variations: The great thing about this effect, and the basic principle, is that it can be applied to a variety of other presentations. Not just the main close up method described here. Next I will explain a few of my favourite variations on the routine. Even one for over the phone/Skype!

Over the phone: This variation came about, after reading effects from both Jim Steinmeyer and Michael Weber. Both have brilliant situational effects that can be performed over the phone, or even the radio. For the most part the effect is the same, as the spectator does most of it for you Begin by asking the participant to obtain 5 pieces of paper, and a pencil. Ask them to draw anything they wish as their target image. Then to make four other drawings and make a pile ontop of the first one. Now, ask them to write the numbers 1-5 on the pieces of paper. Due to the fact they have made a pile, they will write 1-5 from the top of the pile down. Since their thought of drawing is the last in the pile it will have the number 5 written on it. Alternatively, if you aren't comfortable with relying on the spectator to do this correctly, just guide them through it step by step by saying "Pick up the piece on top and write the number one on it" Continue this for the rest of the slips. (Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Oh, but they know that I know the thought of drawing has the number 5 written on the back" this very well may be the case, but with the procedure to follow, you only ask for one more number, which won't be the 5 an you'll know everything you need to know)

Continuing on, ask them to pick up the slips in order from 1-5 and guide them through the Down Under Deal, as per the original routine. Instead of you taking the cards back to reverse the order as the spectator to deal through the cards, singly, so they can confirm that the cards have been well mixed. Invite them to now also cut the cards, as many times as they wish, as it will not break the chain. Now the fun starts. Ask them to stop cutting the cards whenever they wish and to tell you what number is on top and then to peek at the card and to only thing Yes or No if it is their image or not. Now that they have told you the number you know exactly where in the chain they are! For example, if a 3 was on top the order of the stack would be 3,5,2,4,1 and so on. This is will be the first and last time you ask them for a number. After the spectator has answered the question in their mind. Ask them to place the card face up on the table and to now focus on the next card. In our example, we know the next card is their thought of card. How you reveal this is up to you, but usually I will ask the spectator to do the same for all the cards gradually making a face up row of them on the table. For the last time asking him to gaze over all the cards and asking him to turn all the other cards over one by one, except for the thought of drawing.

Drawing Duplication (Phone): Another ending to the phone routine is this. After all the cards are face up on the table ask the spectator to name the drawings outloud one by one, acting as if this will further help you divine the answer. Since you know where in the chain the thought of drawing you listen out for what drawing is in that position. They tell you what they drew! Assuming you have their number (You are on the phone to them after all) you can now recreate the drawing and send it to the spectator via text message. Leaving them to either hang up and see the reveal by themselves. Or look at it while you're still on the phone.

Stage: The only two changes for bringing this routine to the stage are the peek, and the addition of envelopes. We will run through this now. Allow the spectator to draw their thought onto a card, along with four others. Allow the spectators to now all join in and mix the cards around on the table. As the cards are being picked up place the marked, thought of, card on the bottom of the packet and introduce your envelopes. You will now peek the bottom card under the guise of off handedly asking the spectators to place a card in each envelope. The peek is performed while briefly showing the action of putting the cards inside the envelope. Just like the Sneak Thief glimpse, this flies past people. Continue as per the original routine. Asking the spectators to number each of the envelopes, making sure the thought of envelope has 5 written on it. I like this version due to the fact that you don't get the opportunity to see the faces of any cards right up until the reveal of the chosen thought.

Extra Ideas: I've personally found when learning routines that we tend to stick to the exact way it was taught. I love drawing duplications, but you may not. So here are a few other options you could chose to have the spectator draw/write. - Pin Number - Emotions - Names - Song Titles (This is fun) - Use Post-it notes (Have numbers on these, with 5 objects below) - Phone Numbers - Starsign

Credits & Inspirations: Karl Fulves - "The Chronicles" George Sands - "Reverse Bank Night" Larry Becker - "Sneak Thief" Michael Weber - (Inspiration for the "Over the phone" version of the effect) Jim Steinmeyer - (Another inspiration for the "Over the phone" handling) Joshua Jay - (For always telling me how it is, when I send him material) Peter Turner - (Inspiring use of the "Spectator as mind reader" premise) Hector Chadwick - (For the subtly of getting various people involved in the numbering procedure and really making me think about presentations and mentalism.) Michael Shermer - "Skeptic" (For the Captain Kirk Principle)

Along with a sincere thank you to anyone who has bought this and intends on performing it for anyone at all. -Tom Hodgson