|
|
RickSilmser Special user 869 Posts |
In my years as a billet worker, I've gone through so many different ways of doing the "swipe". But, aside from slight of hand directly out of the envelope, the best method was sitting in my close up case...the vernet !
Get yourself some envelopes that open at the end, show it empty, slide your vernet in and "pick up from here and then from over there...and away you go! Actually, you can make quite a production of having the slips collected. What I do is to select a person from the audience before the show and explain what I want them to do..simply to put his or her entire hand around the wrist of the hand that held the envelope and I pretty well dragged him/her around as the slips were collected. I moved fast and talked fast as to put a bit of misdirection into the collecting. Once I had 3 or 4 of what I needed from here and there to spread them out, I slip the vernet on and said..."here, you know what to do now" and let them take over. To ditch the vernet, I reached into my pocket to get a broad tip marker for them to initial the envelope after it was sealed...and off it went. You come away clean, they have the envelope, sealed and the audience is satisfied that their slip is secure and in the possession of an audience member. I've heard talk about trying to keep a billet "psychologically invisible" ~shakes his head~, unless you are entertaining a room full of retarded monkeys, people know and remember that they have just filled out a slip of paper revealing a small but very personal bit of their life. Don't ever think you can hoodwink an audience to the point where they actually "forget" that they filled out a billet. There are plenty of ways and I do mean plenty of ways to deliver the written info so the audience will say..."he's right...I didn't write that" when in fact they actually have. If you know your way around billets, you'll know what I mean. For the beginner at billets, I'll be doing some postings just on the delivery of written info from a billet. LOL...I remember what I did a few times, and it worked. I had a suit coat on...I cut the pocket lining out and just left the flap over...I had a dummy envelope filled and sealed tucked into the waistband of my pants. I had some one collect all of the slips and sealed into the envelope, I went off stage to meet them with my left hand in the cut pocket. I simply took the envelope out of the waste band, and held it there in waiting under cover of my jacket...as I took the envelope from the person, I held it high in the air. At the precise moment, as I turned my back to the audience,just as my foot hit the first step up to the stage, the real envelope came down even with my waist in front, my left hand holding the dummy poped out ever so slightly from under my jacket in the front, I slid the real envelope behind the dummy envelope and then grabbed the dummy envelope and my hand went back up into the air, before my other foot hit the second step...it was done all in one move...AND IT WORKED !!!!! I just opened the envelope behind my sided clipboard when the routine began later in the show. What did I do whith the dummy envelope ??? I shocked the s**t out of the audience at the very beginning of the billet routine...I took it off of the stand and said..."so I can't be accused of cheating".....and I soaked it it lighter fluid and set it on fire and into ash it went... Did the reads... 4 or 5 from my sided clipboard and slid the rest under my pad held by the clip...and I walked away clean as a whistle ! ~Rick~ |
kbiehler Regular user 165 Posts |
I like billets and I am thankful for anything you have to say on the subject. It seems the paper would have to be very small to get 4 or 5 into your vernet. I am interested in any suggestions on how you reveal the information. Presentation is everything. You also mentioned your clip board has sides. Are you using the same type that Dunniger used? I am still fasinated by Osterlind's Though Scan and his technique.
|
RickSilmser Special user 869 Posts |
Hi Kbiehler, welcome to the Café ! Actually, the size of billet I use is 2 1/2 x 3 inches and I always hand out pre folded slips, folded 3 times which makes them very small once folded. You can fit 3 folded slips into a Vernet with ease but in actual fact...you really only need 1 slip but I like 3...just as a back up.
Personally, the writing board I use is a standard size, aluminum clipboard. I went to the local metal shop and had the fellow there cut me two pieces of the same gage aluminum 11 inches long x 5 inces wide and he put a 90 degree bend in each one at 2 inches in. So my sides are 3 inches high which is plenty. I glued the sides on with a hard resin glue (5 minute apoxy) and spray painted the entire thing dark ghost gray and then put a low gloss sealer on it to protect the paint. All in all, it's a nice, professional looking outfit that fits into my briefcase. I just put all my other stuff on top of the clipboard and away I go. I'll be making some posts soon as far as my own delivery of info from the billets goes. I just want to collect my thoughts on it and make some notes. As you will read here, billets are my passion, my methods are, well, sometimes pretty bold and old fashioned, but in 25 years, I've never been caught or questioned about anything (if you know what I mean). I don't know of Mr. Osterlinds "Thought Scan", but if it's from his mind...it's bound to be good. I think if Mr.O was around in Dunninger's day...Joe would have had stiff competition from him. Richard O is a very cool man. ~Rick~ |
kbiehler Regular user 165 Posts |
Rick, could you be so kind as to tell what your typical show consists of and what type of venues you perform in. I mean the type of routining you do and the length of your program. Do you use the Q&A for your big closing routine? Thanks.
Rick, I just found the 'Davenport Experiance' web page and it answered most of my questions. I still would like to know how long your Q&A lasts and how many people you answer questions for. Thanks. |
RickSilmser Special user 869 Posts |
Hi again, Kbiehler(?)
For the past several years, I have opened with the torn and restored news paper which is still, to me, an amazing trick and it really gets their attention. To begin, I have an audience member collect the folded billets in a large wine glass which sits on a small (antique plant stand) table which I carry just for that purpose.(the table comes apart and really looks nice.) I do my version of the 12 digit test, I introduce my wife, Em, whom does the giant memory routine and/or the Georgia Magnet routine, depending on how long we are contracted to do the show for. When I begin my billet routine, I select a person from the audience, this person is always a complete stranger to me. They sit on stage right beside me and act as a "judge", so to speak, to make sure there is no hanky-panky going on...LOL! They control the billets and do all of the handling, they pull them out of the wine glass and hold on to them while I do the read with the writer in the audience. Em and I usually do resorts but recently was encouraged to start doing service club shows by a friend of mine down in Aussie. I had done a few in the past before my resort days...and I have found that the audiences there are almost like the resort crowd. I really enjoy doing the family show stuff... ~Rick~ |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Penny for your thoughts » » Vernet's...an able aid in mindreading (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.03 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |