Clip-Sight by Devin Knight

[Tom Frame]

Clip-Sight (Trick) by Devin Knight $59.00
22 page stapled instructions with 44 photos, 9.5 x 6.5 Plexiglas clipboard, spring clip, envelopes, pencils, secret stuff.
Available at: http://www.hocus-pocus.com/magicshop/


Devin Knight is back with Clip-Sight, the latest product in his Psychic Sight Series. As usual, Mr. Knight writes well and does a fine job of teaching the material. The accompanying photos are clear and helpful. He dutifully cites his inspirational sources.

The featured effects are performed with a special clipboard that is based upon a principle created by Mr. Knights friend and mentor, the late Al Mann. The clipboard itself does nothing. It has no moving parts or secret devices.

It is designed to appear to be completely transparent. But for some strange reason, my much underused Superego compels me to tell you that things are not as they appear.

For most of the effects, the crowd will believe that the clipboard is transparent and is used simply as a writing surface. With a compelling presentation, they wont even remember it.

But in a few of Mr. Knights offerings the crowd will see that the clipboard has a black rectangle on it. Their awareness of the rectangle will in no way help them to unravel the method, but it may strike them as being odd.

Mr. Knight asserts that the rectangle appears to be a modernistic design. I have no idea what that means. But I do know that a black rectangle doesnt exemplify a modern (?) design.

To make the clipboard appear more classy, Mr. Knight recommends sprucing up the black rectangle with a gold monogram label. Say what? Who the hell monograms a frigging clipboard? Thats as creepily narcissistic as monogramming a stapler!

I recommend only performing the effects in which the rectangle is not seen.

Mr. Knights motivation for using an ostensibly transparent clipboard is to prove to the crowd that the clipboard doesnt incorporate sneaky devices. That goal begs the question of Who is your crowd?

If you only perform for magicians/mentalists, a transparent clipboard is an important feature because it precludes the use of several established methods. You get a chance to fool the boys.

But if we assume that Mr. Knight wishes us to perform these effects for lay folk, then a transparent clipboard is meaningless. The vast majority of lay folk arent hip to gimmicked clipboards! They have other, important things to obsess about.

A transparent clipboard is just fine and dandy. But most of these effects can generate an equally strong reaction from a lay crowd by using a cheap, opaque, plastic clipboard. Youre reading minds. The clipboard should be irrelevant, or ideally, forgotten.

With the exception of the last two items, the following effects are accomplished by creative applications of a well known principle.


Encircled Thought: A participant is presented with a clipboard, onto which is attached a newspaper clipping. She uses a pencil to circle any word on the clipping. She tears the clipping off of the clipboard and folds it. The performer gives the participant an opaque envelope, into which she places the folded clipping. The performer immediately divines the selected word.

Heres a performance clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObQuDEwdHuE

The effect is strong and the method is clever. I like it.


Double Take: Two participants are presented with a clipboard, onto which is attached a newspaper clipping. Each participant uses a pencil to circle any word on the clipping. Participant #2 tears the clipping off of the clipboard, folds it and places it in an envelope. The performer correctly divines participant #1s word.

The performer hands participant #2 a piece of cardboard and a marker. He takes a piece of cardboard and a marker. He and the participant stand back to back. The participant writes her word on the cardboard and the performer writes his impression on his cardboard. They display their pieces of cardboard, revealing that they wrote the same word.

This is a nifty elaboration of the previous effect. I like it.


Mental Vacation: Audience members call out the names of 10 or more vacation cities and the performer writes them on a piece of paper affixed to a clipboard. A participant freely circles a city while the performers back is turned. She tears the paper off of the clipboard, folds it and inserts it in an envelope. The performer correctly divines the selected city.

The effect is strong and involves lots of audience participation. I like it.


Question Revelation: Prior to receiving a psychic reading, the participant writes her question on a piece of paper affixed to a clipboard. She tears off the paper, folds it and places it in an envelope. The psychic answers her question.

As Ive stated on numerous occasions, I detest all effects involving psychic readings or similar snake oil derivatives.


Simplex Drawing Duplication: A participant draws an object on a piece of paper affixed to a clipboard. She tears off the paper, folds it and inserts it into an envelope. The performer detaches a larger envelope from the other side of the clipboard and the participant places her envelope into it. The performer draws an object on a piece of cardboard. The participant names the object she drew. The performer displays his cardboard, revealing that he drew the same object.

Mr. Knight wisely recommends not drawing an exact duplicate of the participants image because this may cause her to conclude that you somehow glimpsed her drawing. A close approximation seems more like real mind-reading. I like it.


Revealing a Thought Never Written: Prior to his show, the performer asks a participant to write a word on a piece of paper affixed to a clipboard. He gives her a pen that contains invisible ink. Naturally, when she writes her word, nothing appears on the paper. She tears the paper off of the clipboard, folds it, inserts it into an envelope and hangs onto the envelope.

During the show, the participant removes the paper from the envelope and shows the crowd that it is blank. The performer correctly divines her invisible word.

This is a strong, novel effect and I like it. My only concern is that the participant may forget what word she wrote. Mr. Knight doesnt address this potential problem. I recommend urging the participant to frequently repeat her word to herself to ensure that she remembers it.


Impossible Card Prediction: The performer tables a cased deck. A participant thinks of any card and writes its identity on a piece of paper affixed to a clipboard. She tears off the paper, folds it and inserts it into an envelope. The performer removes the deck from its case and spreads it, displaying a single face-down card. He places the card on the table, sight unseen. The participant names her card. She turns the tabled card face-up and it is her mentally selected card.

Youll need a well known, gimmicked deck. Using the clipboard in conjunction with the special deck allows you to table your prediction card before the participant names her card. I really like it.


Totally Impossible Card Prediction: Prior to his show, the performer hands a deck of cards to participant #1 and she shuffles it. She places the deck behind her back, removes a card, reverses it and inserts it into the deck. She cases the deck. The performer places several rubber bands around the card case. He gives the deck to the participant and asks her not to open it until later.

During the show, the performer asks participant #2 to think of any card. The participant writes her card on a piece of paper affixed to a clipboard, tears off the paper and places it inside an envelope. She retains the envelope.

The performer invites participant #1 on stage and provides a general recap of the pre-show card selection procedure that she carried out. He takes the cased deck from her and allows her to return to her seat.

The performer removes the deck from the case and spreads through it, revealing the face-down card that participant #1 reversed. He tables this card. Participant #2 removes the paper from the envelope and shows the crowd that she mentally selected the Five of Clubs. She turns over participant #1s card and it is the Five of Clubs.

He includes his complete performance script. Youll need the aforementioned gimmicked deck to create this mind-boggling effect. I really like it.


Mr. Knight describes how to construct the special envelope that allows you to create the preceding effects.


Next, he describes how to construct another special envelope for use in the following effect.


Foreseen - A Nu-Way Headline Prediction: The performer mails an envelope to a VIP, with instructions not to open it. She is to bring the envelope to the performers show in a month.

During the show, the performer asks the VIP to come on stage with the envelope. The VIP tears off the end of the envelope and dumps a smaller envelope into the performers hands. The performer affixes the envelope to a clipboard and has the VIP and several people sign their names on the envelope to ensure the same envelope is opened at the end of the show.

At the end of the show, the performer detaches the envelope from the clipboard. He cuts off the end of the envelope and hands it to the VIP. The VIP removes a folded index card. He opens it and shows that the performer correctly predicted the headline of todays newspaper.

This method is a clever approach to the Headline Prediction. I like it.


Switchboard: Mr. Knight describes how the clipboard can be used to secretly switch playing cards and other small items.

This application overtly displays the black rectangle on the clipboard. The object to be switched is clipped over the rectangle to highlight it. While the clipboard is effective at switching objects, its use seems like overkill to me. There are numerous sleight of hand methods that are equally effective. I dont like it.


This is a relatively pricey product. Despite the allure of the effects, I suspect that Internet kids and hobbyists will be reluctant to part with their hard-earned green for this material. Thats fine. Seasoned semi-pros and professional performers will appreciate the considerable bang to buck ratio.


Recommended

[Ken Becker]

Just a thought on the youtube presentation. Quote "what I have here is a clipboard with a clipping from a newspaper" unquote.
Reminds me of the magician who says " what I have here is an
empty box, (substitue 'tube').
Why even mention clipboard...isn't it apparent...and only calls
attention to it?

Just my thoughts.

Ken Becker