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jcestlin New user Chicago IL 2 Posts |
I recently read about an effect called WORDIVINO in North Bigbee's "Stage Mentalism" book. After an audience member writes any word from a dictionary on a chalk-board, the performer wipes it clean-- then takes the slate back and proceeds to
be able to divine the randomly chosen word. (No force, no fixed dictionary) Sounds amazing! However....when I tried it this evening on two different chalk-boards, the technique described to achieve the effect was unsuccessful. Has anyone else tried this effect and had success with it? I've edited my post so as not to give away the technique, but if anyone has knowledge of how to make this effect work properly and could PM, it would be much appreciated. Many thanks in advance - Jennifer |
Dick Christian Inner circle Northern Virginia (Metro DC) 2619 Posts |
Jennifer,
I am familiar with the effect and, like you, have not been able to make it work as described. But even if it did I consider it impractical on several levels. First, most audiences would find the use of slates rather anachronistic today -- white boards and dry erase markers, okay, but slates and chalk would seem strange. Second I don't believe that Carbona (the recommended product) is still made with carbon tetrachloride, so will contemporary Carbona may not work. Substituting carbon tetrachloride (which is odorless) with lighter fluid (which is anything but) hardly seems to me like a good idea as the odor would make its use suspect. Bear in mind that North Bigbee published "Wordivino" in 1962 -- nearly 50 years ago -- and it is possible that the formulation of lighter fluid, blackboard chalk or both may have changed during that time. Even more importantly, mentalism has advanced significantly since then. Far more effective methods for presenting a dictionary test -- many of which do not require the participating spectator to write anything down -- are now available. If something is to be written down, there are numerous contemporary impression devices that will serve better than slates and chalk. The bottom line is that there are several far better ways than that described in Wordivino of presenting essentially the same effect. My suggestion would be that you explore those alternatives.
Dick Christian
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Frank Douglas Special user 555 Posts |
Depending on Stage lighting A whiteboard can throw a glare and thus what is written or drawn on it may not be seen due to siad glare.
Thus the justification of the slate over the whiteboard. Cheers Frank |
jcestlin New user Chicago IL 2 Posts |
Thanks --I have a feeling the chalkboards I got are not in fact slate but wood with chalkboard paint, which may also change the chemical reaction necessary. Oh well, I guess more modern effects will have to do.
I like some of those old-timey looking effects! |
Dick Christian Inner circle Northern Virginia (Metro DC) 2619 Posts |
As Frank has noted the refectivity of whiteboards is certainly something that a performer must take into account; however, that doesn't address the question of why the method Bigbee describes in Wordivino does not seem to work as claimed. I tried it with real (antique) slates and found, as did Jennifer, that it didn't work. Absent some definitive explanation of the cause of the problem, an alternative way of accomplishing the same effect -- whether or not a whiteboard is involved -- is recommended.
Dick Christian
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