The Genii Forum

Andrew

Martin Sanderson..I remember his name now. He has it on a corporate magic DVD.
Andrew

Andrew

It's a real culler.
Andrew

Andrew

I carry around laminated cards. Each has a different drawing: a baby, birds, tea, etc. I actually took the cards I bought once for "The Empress" effect, laminated them and now use them this way. Everything is in the hands, showing the spectator each drawing. Square up the 30 or so cards. T...

Andrew

Okay, it's my fault then.
Andrew

Andrew

It's a small, plastic nun that's sold to end a sponge ball, coin -- two in the hand, one in the pocket thing. [So how many would you say I have in my hand now? That's right. None. And you open your hand to show the nun.] It's cute. I found another use. The back of the nun -- a plastic toy, essential...

Andrew

Daniel Garcia recently issued a DVD on this. David Forrest [I believe it's him] had his own version several years ago. It's probably not original, but I've combined elements of the two. For those of you who know both, take flash paper and -- per Forrest's instructions -- glue-stick a jagged, curved,...

Andrew

Must have been a small object you made vanish.

Andrew

Very cool.
First reaction: on a serial number "divination": you can do that with the entire serial number. I think.
andy

Andrew

David, I recently contributed an effect called "The Mintalist," which comes in handy when some flirty lady pops a billet in her mouth. Ask her to breathe her thought to you. To think of one word... no, one letter of her thought. You take out a breath mint strip dispenser, apply one strip t...

Andrew

That said, it was admittedly a brilliant idea, Andy, brought to fruition by the incredible talents of David Acer and Earl Oakes. But I can guarantee they are relieved they only have to deal with you once every two years or so.

Andy

Andrew

Andy,
I think your penchant for self-promotion has reached an all-time high. Just because you get one effect published in a major magic magazine doesn't excuse your lack of productivity in the field. We'd like to see more out of you in the future.
Andy

Andrew

There's an effect in the new issue of Genii that's really cool. The mentalist senses a thought of word or number from the breath of a spectator and the image of the thought appears on a breath strip. Isn't this a little over the top?

Andy Baroch

Andrew

Andy Baroch [that's me] performs magic and mentalism at Clyde's Restaurant at Mark Center and Shooter McGee's in Alexandria, Virginia. Come on by.

Andrew

Merry Christmas, My Christmas wish is to find a no-frills, real-time, business-card-usen design duplication. I do not want to touch the spectator's drawing. I don't want to use "psychological principles." I have some ideas I've been working on a long time: including billet switches, p****t...

Andrew

Recently bought your quite clever new e-book with the apple on it. Please help with material to put in Sharpie to make it look like a line. If ya know what I mean?

thanks andy

Andrew

I recently purchased Yaniv Deautsch's manuscript. In part, here's what I think it lacks: he tends to dwell on generalities about human nature. "People do this"..."people do that..." Too many pages are wasted on this general crap. It doesn't make me feel confident about the feasib...

Andrew

Tom, how would I get a hold of the "At First Sight" lecture notes? I didn't find a way to on your web site.
thx, andy

Andrew

Hi, Yaniv Deautch is right. I interviewed him for Voice of America. My story on mentalists was broadcast and his voice was heard in many countries. His routine was very direct. I recall him seeming to struggle initially for an image in his mind of what I'd drawn. But then he got it dead on. [Yaniv, ...

Andrew

Hi, I wonder if somebody has had a similar difficulty with the "Super Sharpie" gimmick: it doesn't feel stable on my t****, no matter how much putty is used. Do I need a stronger adhesive, or what?
thanks, andy

Andrew

I think Chris has it right. Jay's a genius, but in his rush to get stuff out, he duplicates effects or duplicates techniques and uses them in somewhat different effects. All the same, duplication adds up to dilution.
thx, andy

Andrew

Cicada-related effects: Cicadas have a habit of latching onto people's clothing -- a natural HOO coin? Example: vanish a cicado, then reach for the duplicate on the spectator's clothing. Or...have the spectator sign the cicada. Using the Williamson Striking vanish, retrieve the cicada from the pen c...

Andrew

Hey Friday,

Thanks for the note. I love absurdity. I try to put it into my performances whenever possible -- because the world is too absurdly serious.

I do my gigs in the Washington, D.C., area, where people are very serious. Except teens. They're cool.

Thanks, Andy

Andrew

A cicada is that fat bug that's infesting the eastern U-S. They emerge from the ground every 17 years, they mate, and the offspring go back in the ground. A lot like mentalists.
:)

Andrew

How about... how about...using your TT to pull a cicada from a woman's purse? Maybe not such a good idea. But from somewhere. The cicadas fit very nicely and they're quite compliant -- tired after all that noisy activity. So pick up one, load it in, and you're ready. It's reminiscent of Blaine's fly...

Andrew

I think Jarrett has it right. As for this strange, bitchy discussion about money -- what was that all about? Can we stick to a thread?

Andrew

I started this post. Maybe I'll finish it. I started by saying that in my opinion, the best mentalism relies on a sleight, a trick, which is enhanced by presentation. There are some new performers who think the audience will go ga-ga on presentation alone. I think that's a mistake. If we don't watch...

Andrew

Okay, let's get down to specifics. Suggest to a spectator that the lines on their hands are moving. But they are not moving. They can't move. Now what?

Andrew

Let me state more simply what I've tried to say before: It's my belief that most good mentalist effects are really the result of effective sleights: switching billets, for instance -- or verbal sleights like miscalling the contents of a billet. The mentalist's presentation should help eradicate susp...

Andrew

I'd rather not name book titles or authors. But it's recently published stuff -- books that stress linguistics and suggestion -- that take that approach to mentalism to an extreme. Often, it's authors who promise their effect is not a pipe dream.

Andrew

I don't think it's sad at all. The challenge is to come up with new subterfuges that simulate mindreading. The best effects are FIRST grounded in hidden moves THEN ENHANCED by presentation. In works released recently, we're reading that we can fool our audiences with presentation alone. Enough is en...

Andrew

My point is there seems to be a trend toward lack of inventiveness on the part of the people who sell their ideas at exorbitant prices -- and if all you get is some claim that mumbo jumbo is going to alter people's consciousness, that doesn't cut it.

Andrew

I'm not talking about slates or awkward props. I hate that sort of thing, too. I'm happy with pieces of paper or spoons that bend. Let's just not fool ourselves into thinking we can alter a spectator's consciousness with verbal ploys. The art of mentalism, to me, is to invent clever misdirection and...

Andrew

Based on the work of some newly-published authors -- books and dvd's that have been widely praised -- I think I see a new face on mentalism. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this new look. It's all about using words to suggest, subliminal principles to create illusion -- as opposed to using tricks....

Andrew

Many thanks to all for your interest. I recently interviewed some prominent mentalists for Voice of America radio, which is where I've been employed for 20 years. I did the mentalism story for a VOA program called "Coast to Coast." The interview can now be heard by going to "voanews.c...

Andrew

Hi, I've read the blurb on Hank Lee's site, and it sounds -- sounds -- great. I wonder what the consensus is on its workability, say, for restaurant work. Since you presumably need a dish, that would be the perfect venue. Or would it? Thanks, andy

Andrew

Loki, I don't understand how you can separate Cassidy's work from his business practices. Integrity is seamless. You said earlier you'd worked out all your troubles with him and now have a good relationship. What about all of us who haven't been so fortunate? How can you look the other way? The only...

Andrew

thumb "t--"...anyone know where to get one witha suction cup?

Andrew

Loki, you have a point about the thread. My point is that when a mentalist becomes a businessman, packaging and SELLING his ideas to consumers who respect him, he shouldn't violate basic business ethics.

Andrew

I'm sorry but I'm tired of all this reverence for Bob Cassidy. Paypal has a record of my complaints about stuff purchased from his web site -- downloads that didn't work, shoddy materials sent in the mail, and a c-d that can't be accessed. What does it feel like to be ripped off? He had to close dow...

Andrew

Hey, don't worry about it. It happens -- especially when you're starting out. It's important to know the moves, patter -- everything -- inside out so when something goes wrong, you'll land on your feet. The most important thing is to be relaxed -- or appear so -- because the audience becomes relaxed...

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