Looking for mentalism trick involving water.

[Guest]

I am working on a new show. A complete mentalism show under the theme of Water.
I am writing something very different and, in my opinion, interesting.
All kinds of effects, will be presented, and I was wondering if you know of one effect that is done with water ...
I'm thinking of creating one where someone fills a glass with imaginary water and marks the height with a marker. I then use an other glass, with real water, and fill that glass up to the line ... no more no less ...
I would be interested in your opinions and ideas.
:D

[Guest]

I think that this would have a limited appeal to an audience, and would seriously limit the scope of your performance options.

- entity

[Guest]

Originally posted by entity:
I think that this would have a limited appeal to an audience, and would seriously limited the scope of your performance options.

- entity

Would you mind elaborating a bit more?

As the theme of the show is water I am giving as an example a trick with 2 glasses. Plastic type, colored, for beer in large gatherings and events.
That's only one idea I got and I believe that even if the performance is limited it can still have an interesting impact if is well presented.
In my opinion that is where most magician, mentalist and others, fail.
They rely heavily on the trick itself and don't polish the presentation itself.

The craft is not, necessarily, in the trick but more in the presentation.

One day I will tell you about how I understood what being entertaining is all about on the streets of New York ...

[Guest]

Let me elaborate:

An entire Mentalism show themed around water might seem contrived to the point that the Performer would lose credibility with his audience.

Mentalism in performance is not so much about you as it is about the audience, their thoughts, imaginations, etc.. Having each effect built upon a water theme limits their emotional involvment and interest, and greatly limits the scope of the effects that you can present.

Part of good Mentalism, in my opinion, is making the process of the performance of the effect as entertaining as the outcome. In your example of filling the glass to match the participant's drawn line on another glass, why would that be in any way entertaining for an audience to watch? What is at risk? What process will they think is at work? How are you capturing the imaginations of anyone in that audience? If you get it wrong, what happens? In other words, why should they care?

- entity

[Guest]

Originally posted by entity:
Let me elaborate:

An entire Mentalism show themed around water and made up of effects using liquids would be impractical for real world situations, and might seem contrived to the point that the Performer would lose credibility with his audience.

Mentalism in performance is not so much about you as it is about the audience, their thoughts, imaginations, etc.. Having each effect built upon a water theme limits their emotional involvment and interest, and greatly limits the scope of the effects that you can present.

Part of good Mentalism, in my opinion, is making the process of the performance of the effect as entertaining as the outcome. In your example of filling the glass to match the participant's drawn line on another glass, why would that be in any way entertaining for an audience to watch? What is at risk? What process will they think is at work? How are you capturing the imaginations of anyone in that audience? If you get it wrong, what happens? In other words, why should they care?

- entity

LOL :eek:

I am sorry if you understood that the whole show would be water trick based ...
Since the theme is water I feel that I need one good Mentalism effect with water ... all others are done with center tear, Stebbens etc.

I was looking for someone who would know a trick done with water ... that's all. :)

[Guest]

Originally posted by JC Stardust:
I am working on a new show. A complete mentalism show under the theme of Water.
:D

Ahhh... My mistake then. I thought you'd said that you were doing an entire Mentalism show with a water theme.

My bad. Glad it isn't so. Must've missed something in the translation.

- entity

[Guest]

A trick based upon your original post could be done with a nail writer.

Tony Brent
Orlando, Florida

[Guest]

Originally posted by Tony Brent:
A trick based upon your original post could be done with a nail writer.

Tony Brent
Orlando, Florida

I was more thinking in the way of slush powder ... ;)

I was wondering if something had already been done with water ... water prediction, water PK ... I'm still searching.

Thanks

[Guest]

Originally posted by JC Stardust:
A complete mentalism show under the theme of Water.

A complete mentalism show under water would certainly catch the headlines. :)

Dave

[Guest]

Lee Earle used to do, and possibly marketed, an effect called "Urine Luck." The title was a play on words and it is a sort of water-based effect. I saw him perform this at the Last Invocational.

Lee turned his back on the audience, apparently urinated into a glass and then did a "Russian Roulette" sort of routine with three or four glasses of apple juice, selecting the right one not to drink. (I can't imagine the learning curve on this, but I guess I'm not that dedicated to mentalsim as Lee is.)

I don't recall how he determined he had selected the right glass or how he proved it to the audience, but, minus the kinks, it sounds like it's right up your alley, given all that street experience in New York City.

PS - Don't piss away this good advice. ;)

[Guest]

Originally posted by David Alexander:
Lee Earle used to do, and possibly marketed, an effect called "Urine Luck." The title was a play on words and it is a sort of water-based effect. I saw him perform this at the Last Invocational.

Lee turned his back on the audience, apparently urinated into a glass and then did a "Russian Roulette" sort of routine with three or four glasses of apple juice, selecting the right one not to drink. (I can't imagine the learning curve on this, but I guess I'm not that dedicated to mentalsim as Lee is.)

I don't recall how he determined he had selected the right glass or how he proved it to the audience, but, minus the kinks, it sounds like it's right up your alley, given all that street experience in New York City.

PS - Don't piss away this good advice. ;)

It really sounds like your pulling my leg !!!
:D
Thanks for the laugh but I guess I will pass on "Urine Luck"

:eek:

[Richard Kaufman]

How about a "Pea Can"?

hahahah. Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Steve Bryant]

Try a two-person telepathy act with a psychic mermaid in a tank of water.

Try pouring water into a clear container and freezing it with your mind rays. (Or vice versa: melt a block of ice with your xray vision.)

One of my early childhood magic books has psychic fish finding a card among those tossed into their tank.

[Fred Zimmerman]

You could take "Think-a-drink" a la a lot of people, especially Wakeman, and down-size it to be a mental-type effect.

Audience member calls out a drink, and it is produced from the (opaque) tumbler.

Perhaps a lot of work for a little effect, but perhaps it could build with others.

Fred Zimmerman

[Guest]

You could call your show: "Water on the Brain".

- entity

[Guest]

Barrie Richardson has a dramatic effect in his book 'Theater of the Mind'. He pours water into a glass, then stirs it with a spoon. He then stops stirring, concentrates, and slowly lifts the vertical spoon which is still in the water. The whole glass and water also rise into the air with the spoon! He then lowers the glass back on to the table, takes out the spoon and pours the water back into a jug.
Regards
Dr Adrian Solon

[Guest]

Originally posted by Dr Adrian Solon:
Barrie Richardson has a dramatic effect in his book 'Theater of the Mind'. He pours water into a glass, then stirs it with a spoon. He then stops stirring, concentrates, and slowly lifts the vertical spoon which is still in the water. The whole glass and water also rise into the air with the spoon! He then lowers the glass back on to the table, takes out the spoon and pours the water back into a jug.
Regards
Dr Adrian Solon

Now you're talking.
Thanks for the info.
I will look around for the book in question.
:)

[Guest]

JC,

Look up the Hydrostatic Glass. The best routine for it I have ever come across is in Ted Lesley's Paramiracles. Good luck!

-Karl

[Guest]

Originally posted by Karl Miller:
JC,

Look up the Hydrostatic Glass. The best routine for it I have ever come across is in Ted Lesley's Paramiracles. Good luck!

-Karl

Thank you Mister Miller,

I will look into it.

:)

[Guest]

Jim Gerrish has a water globe mental effect that he was going to write up for the Wizards' Journal #8, but then discovered that two of his clients were still actively using it in their shows, so he had to pull it at the last minute. However, the discussion about the effect is still available on The Magic Nook Forum under Street Magic and then Defining X-Treme. The plot goes something like this: The water globe has an innocuous Valentine sentiment in it at the start. A spectator shakes it and sees it is filled with water, and has little plastic hearts that float around when it is shaken. The spectator drops it into a little bag. Now the bag is passed from spectator to spectator until the first spectator (who may be blindfolded) calls out STOP!
The spectator who is holding the bag opens it and finds a photo of him or herself sealed inside the water globe.

[Harvey]

Scott Alexander's Water Monte which uses slush powder can be modified to fit the bill. It can be seen on his "Midnight Show" DVD.

[Guest]

Just saw a very impressive video of the Japanese Magician Cyril doing a mentalist act with water... check it out... it's all over the Net...

[Guest]

J.C. Stardust wrote:

I am sorry if you understood that the whole show would be water trick based ...
Since the theme is water I feel that I need one good Mentalism effect with water ... all others are done with center tear, Stebbens etc.

Seems to me that you are confusing the effect with the method. How will the audience know that you are doing a trick with the center tear or with Stebbins unless you screw them up?

Don't confuse the map with the territory.
Don't confuse the tools with the effect.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Bill Palmer:
J.C. Stardust wrote:

I am sorry if you understood that the whole show would be water trick based ...
Since the theme is water I feel that I need one good Mentalism effect with water ... all others are done with center tear, Stebbens etc.

Seems to me that you are confusing the effect with the method. How will the audience know that you are doing a trick with the center tear or with Stebbins unless you screw them up?

Don't confuse the map with the territory.
Don't confuse the tools with the effect.

Maybe it got lost in translation or something ...

I did confuse the effect and the way of doing it.

The show is going very well. I have developed some original stuff using a dowsing rod to find a card, thought transmission using sweat etc.
It should be good ... hopefully ;)

[Guest]

Many years ago i saw a magician put a blank piece of paper in a glass with water and a few moments later a prediction showed up on the paper. Very visual. And, I think i saw this effect in a catalogue in the mid 80s.

[Guest]

The July, 2006, issue of "Soapbox Derby" includes a Living & Dead test that uses a bowl of water.

In the effect, the target billet becomes animated via "psychic forces" when placed in the bowl.

Read the following thread at the Genii Forum:
http://geniimagazine.com/forum/cgi-bin/ ... 6;t=001876

How about a "Pea Can"?
hahahah. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Serendipity strikes! The July, 2006, issue of "The Book That Burns in Hell" features some new presentable and dry ideas with Pea-Cans...

Both e-zines are available at Gregg Webb's Feenx.net

[Guest]

Thanks Conus

I'll have a look at the July, 2006, issue of "Soapbox Derby"

Just got it :)

[Guest]

You could do wonders with Super Gel and styrofoam cups, and of course, some water.