On 2009-06-12 04:29, TonyB2009 wrote:
For what it is worth I feel that a book test, unless handled well, is not needed at all. Bank Night, already mentioned by Dan, is a very strong routine, with built-in audience involvement. I find Osterlind's presentation a bit cold, but his method is spot-on.
Max Maven has a trick called Contimental in one of his DVDs which is well worth considering in place of a book test. Basically someone thinks of a European destination they would like to fly into, and you tell them what it is. It has the benefit of being propless.
The one thing that strikes me is that you open with bending a spoon and close with bending a coin. Both these effect for me are magic rather than mentalism (I know most of you will disagree) and they take from what comes in between.
I tend to use Bank Night as an opener, but you could just as easily use a tossed-out deck. That has a very high impact on an audience, and has plenty of scope for comedy. Check out Wayne Dobson's handling.

On 2009-06-12 05:13, psychicturtle wrote:
Although I agree with what Tony has said, avoid contimental as it is, it does not always work - Iceland, Greece and several other countries are missing.

The whole 'influencing' thing is getting a little stale in my opinion, but regardless the concept of 'influencing an object' just seems too unbelievable to me, that may be where you are going wrong.

You have to remember, when you do something like that presented like that, you are challenging peoples beliefs and knowledge of how the world works, and to get them to come along on the ride with you, you need to bring them into the experience gradually. Opening with a spoon bend makes you a magician - unless that is the only thing you do.

Also, how much acting are you putting are you putting into it? If you make it look easy, then again, you are just a magician doing tricks. Make it look hard, make it look like it drains you, and leave it until last. I think you will get a much better reaction.
People who say you should do your strongest piece first are wrong.

As for Q2, why do you want to do booktest? Because you have a great presentation for it, and you think it would be a worthwhile part of your show, or because everyone else does one?
If it is because everyone else does one, then don't do it. What others do is not important. You are creating YOUR show.

And do the spoon bend OR the coin bend. Not both. It's almost the same piece twice. Too similar. I know we as performers see huge differences, but audiences do not see such a big difference.

That is my opinion. Good luck with your decisions!