Tenyo effect
Posted: December 22nd, 2001, 11:50 pm
The new vanishing cube effect has interested me since it was first advertised.
I knew immediately what the method was after reading the Tenyo blurb but, having performed the old trick with the glass penny and the water, I knew it could have quite an impact.
Sadly, however, the idea is good but the handling is really pretty bad. I found the following method to be useful. If you have the effect please try this - I know there is a better use for these props - in the meantime, those of you who can palm a cube might like this.
There is no mug in this routine, just the supplied props and an opaque handkerchief.
Lay the hanky flat on the table. In your pocket is the box, with the orange cube inside, and the gimmick.
Palm the gimmick and remove the box, emptying the cube onto the hanky and laying the empty box beside it.
Ask if they would please place the cube into the box and close the lid. "Very good. Do you think you could do that blindfolded?" When they say they could, state you will not blindfold their eyes, only their hands.
Remove the cube from the box (the gimmick is still palmed), place the lid on the box and place this under the hanky. Now take the cube in the same hand as the gimmick and reach under the hanky to place it beside the box.
Underneath, release the gimmick and palm the cube. Remove your hand.
They will now repeat their actions under the cloth.
To finish, the following sequence works VERY well. It seems to open up a lot of possible solutions which are quickly dismissed due to it's fairness.
With the hand palming the cube, take the nearest edge of the hanky saying "I will not touch the box at all" draw the hanky towards you, exposing the now empty box. As they look at this, you gather up the corners of the hanky and allow the cube to drop inside. They should NOT see this. To reveal, tap the cube inside the hanky on the box and allow the corners to fall (so the cube is now on top of the box - the hanky is under the cube and now draped over the box once more).
This pretty ending seems to direct people towards the cube and the hanky - noone (so far) seems interested in the box.
I knew immediately what the method was after reading the Tenyo blurb but, having performed the old trick with the glass penny and the water, I knew it could have quite an impact.
Sadly, however, the idea is good but the handling is really pretty bad. I found the following method to be useful. If you have the effect please try this - I know there is a better use for these props - in the meantime, those of you who can palm a cube might like this.
There is no mug in this routine, just the supplied props and an opaque handkerchief.
Lay the hanky flat on the table. In your pocket is the box, with the orange cube inside, and the gimmick.
Palm the gimmick and remove the box, emptying the cube onto the hanky and laying the empty box beside it.
Ask if they would please place the cube into the box and close the lid. "Very good. Do you think you could do that blindfolded?" When they say they could, state you will not blindfold their eyes, only their hands.
Remove the cube from the box (the gimmick is still palmed), place the lid on the box and place this under the hanky. Now take the cube in the same hand as the gimmick and reach under the hanky to place it beside the box.
Underneath, release the gimmick and palm the cube. Remove your hand.
They will now repeat their actions under the cloth.
To finish, the following sequence works VERY well. It seems to open up a lot of possible solutions which are quickly dismissed due to it's fairness.
With the hand palming the cube, take the nearest edge of the hanky saying "I will not touch the box at all" draw the hanky towards you, exposing the now empty box. As they look at this, you gather up the corners of the hanky and allow the cube to drop inside. They should NOT see this. To reveal, tap the cube inside the hanky on the box and allow the corners to fall (so the cube is now on top of the box - the hanky is under the cube and now draped over the box once more).
This pretty ending seems to direct people towards the cube and the hanky - noone (so far) seems interested in the box.