Learn a Trick: Gift Card Prediction

Everyone talks magic a little differently, from camera operators to magicians and consultants. We can learn a lot from how we talk tricks.

Camera Operators Talk Methods.

Years later, they say things like “that shoot with the huge magnet” or “the trick with the fishing line.” They almost always recall tricks by their method.

There’s a reasonable explanation. Camera operators tend to be there for shoot days only. They don’t see the writing or rehearsal process. They don’t watch the edit, and they rarely see the show. Instead, they rock up and block the trick. They get told the method and try their very hardest to avoid exposing the method on camera.

Magicians Talk Tricks

Magicians talk tricks. They say what if we do a version of X trick. When suggesting methods or ideas, they’ll use trick names to describe the things they mean.

I suppose this is because they mostly buy tricks, learn them and perform them. This is no knock at that. A lot of cover musicians have wonderful careers.

Consultants Talk Principals*

Consultants skip the trick names and go straight to the principles of magic. Principles like dual-reality, swami, black art, illusion bases, one-ahead, multiple-outs, double-writing, forces, instant stooging, impression devices, pre-show and the almighty Hollingworth principle.

In a writers room, we practically bounce off the walls suggesting magic principles for brilliant new trick ideas. What if we pre-show the first half of the prediction and use multiple-outs for the second half? Open the envelope, and the first half is written on the folded paper, then open that up to reveal the second half of the prediction?!… that’s actually pretty good.

Dual-Reality

This is one of my favourites. It’s exactly how it sounds; two people or groups experience totally different tricks. Both tricks are impressive, and both groups are fooled. But the larger group experiences a slightly better trick, fueled by the second less impressive reality.

In TV, sometimes magic the contributor on the show experiences is different from the one we experience at home. Before you freak out and report me to the magic circle, let me tell you, I’m not talking about camera tricks.

I did a TV show where a signed object vanished and reappeared on the other side of the room. The person who signed it and the audience at home experienced different tricks, both impressive but more so for the audience. Why do I not stay up at night praying for forgiveness from the magic gods?—There was a live audience on the set, and they experienced the same reality as the viewers at home, and also I’m agnostic.

The real secret to a great dual-reality trick is to make sure both realities are as close as possible and do not raise suspicions. In a dream world, both groups can spend the entire night afterwards discussing the trick and not realise they experienced different realities.

Swami

Are swami gimmicks, nail writers and thumb writers technically a principle of magic? Probably not, but I’m gonna run with it. I adore this cheeky little ancient method because it’s so goddam gutsy. Could I pull it off? Absolutely not, which is why I’m not a performer. Gutsy methods like this are one of the many reasons I admire performers. Hey, instead of switching out the prediction, why don’t you write the prediction in after they say the dam thing with a tiny pencil on the end of your thumbnail? Sure.

Covid Ruined Gift Cards

Hard facts. I’m in shock that relatives gave me gift cards for Christmas and my Birthday (tomorrow, btw). With stores closing left, right and centre; a gift card is a terrible gift at the moment.

As I sat looking over my gift cards and crying over the weird world we find ourselves in, I was reminded of a challenge I set myself a few years back.

Anthony Owen’s lottery trick is a thing of beauty, which I believe he teaches in detail in his book secrets. I won’t reveal the secret, buy the book. I should also credit Al Koran for this concept, and also Preston Nyman for reminding me to credit Al Koran.

My challenge was to find a format of prediction that people are accustomed to seeing printed, but wouldn’t be perplexed if they saw it handwritten instead.

I only went and solved it, didn’t I—a gift card. To think that if covid didn’t happen, I would probably already spent my Carluccio’s voucher and never solved this little challenge of mine. A gift card might not be the perfect solution, but I’m getting there, and this is progress worth sharing.

Here’s The Trick

It’s your mates birthday, and you’re a good friend, so you bought them a gift card to their house party (post covid).

You bring your friend onto the stage you built in the living room and give them a little challenge because you’re a great great friend.

Selfridges are fancy and do gift cards in all sorts of values from £5 to £5,000.

If they guess the value of the gift card, they get to keep it.

They name a value at random.

You remove the gift card from its sleeve/envelope/sheath and ask them to read aloud the printed value on the card for all at the party to hear.

Their guess is correct, the value printed on the card matches.

Thunderous applause.

You go home alone.

Here’s The Secret

I don’t know why the colours are weird in that video. But I do know you could cut a hole in the back of the gift card sleeve, thumb-write the named value on the back of the card with a super sharpie, then hope and pray the audience assumes it’s printed on the card while the spectator on stage is still pretty impressed it’s written on the thing.

You can give the card to your friend, who won’t discover its true value till they try to redeem it and by that point, you’ll be halfway to South America.