Even though I usually have an audience of about 200 to 500, I have done my Thought Scan act for as small a group as 10 people! Sure, you have to make changes (like just one or 2 envelopes) but that is to be expected.

Put it in perspective. The small cards I use are about the size of a silver dollar. They are much smaller than a playing card! If a coin worker can do vanishes up close and a card worker can do a card to wallet routine, or flying cards, or card to pocket, etc. then you shouldn't be worried about a 2 X 2 piece of cardboard!

Richard

Someone has done already something akind to what you suggest... And he sold it!

Of course the value of the whole thing was IMO in the routining of it...

Paolo Cavalli

Many good suggestions!

If you don't have it, I'll recommend getting Lee Earle's Q&A Teach-In video. I'll also recommend that you take a look at Cassidy's "Jazz Q&A" (I use it regularly and it kicks butt!) There is also the Falkenstien & Willard Videos explaining their version of the Q&A as well as Code work from L&L.

The chief thing that I've found is to keep it exceptionally simple and to mix up the methods employed. As best I can I do not rely on pre-show actions such as clip-boards. That's just a personal preference.

The real secret to my Q&A as well as the modus of operation other "noted" personalities employ, centers on our learned skills of observation and quite literally "READING" members of the audience... what some would call "Cold Reading". As you gain experience as a Reader (and yes, I mean sitting at the table doing private one-on-one Readings for folks over then next two or three years) you will develope within yuorself, the ability to instinctively "know" what is on a person's mind as well as many "unknown" factors about them.

No, I'm not going to tip how that's accomplished in a public forum but there are resources available if you would like to invest some time and develope those skills that will allow yuo to outdo John Edward or the average Televangelist.

Best of luck!

Shrink,

very true however, if one utilizes it to do a real pic duplication (no force) you are still set with what you need.

Banachek,

I'm not sure how you would do that without using the force but I will take your word for it.

I had a thoughtscan board made up a few months ago but haven't put it to use yet.

I like the notepad decoys for small groups as it looks totally innocent. Plus it seems like they keep the billets and the notepads it appears that they never comeback to me. In fact after the show they hand the pads back to me.

But I would prefer the other methods yours or Richards for larger groups. I think they are perfect for that..and I would feel comfortable using them then.

I do like the subtleties of the cat duplication I could see it going down really strong.

Hi,

I think, and please correct me if I am wrong, however Banachek is implying that you break the effect into two.

The drawing duplication is one part of it, and the Q+A portion is entirely different.

Due to it being just a drawing duplication, there is never any need to refer to any other information on the billet.

Now due to the structure, you have never touched any of the billets people had written on, meaning you can only be doing real mind reading. That added to cold reading, which I have seen you perform and know you are fantastic at, you are set to blow your audiences away.

Best wishes,
Colin

The only problem with the drawing dup is that no one can claim it. I think in a SMALL group that might cause a problem for me and the kind of groups Ive worked with. They would want to know who owned the cat. And someone whould probably ask out loud to the group.

Of course this is just me. I really like both Richard and Banacheks Q&A and want use one of them for the larger groups.

That figures. And the principle behind the routining is exactly what I am getting at. With just one CT you are set.

Actually, I've been thinking now about Banachek's idea now that he posted the possiblility and I can see it happening in a small group.
Without giving too much away, this would be the contruction:
Five or six people write stuff on cards that includes information and something to draw. The papers are collected on the pad. You turn to another person and have someone pick out a card, but they are to fold it so the information is on the insde so no one can accidentally see it... not even the person holding the card. You now open the pad to yourself and tear out a sheet. You start to concentrate. You say that something is forming and you begin to draw. You finish your drawing and fold it up and hand it to someone. Now you open up the pad and have the person toss the folded paper onto the other papers. You talk about getting impressions and then you suddenly remember that you want the person who's info is on that folded billet to stand so you open up the pad and take out the folded billet. You dump out all the other billets like the original presentation.
You open the folded billet and read out some of the info and ask the person that wrote it to stand... they do. Now you say, "You also wanted me to draw something. Do you remember what it was?" They say a dog. You have someone open up your folded drawing and it's a dog.
You are now ready to go into the Q & A.
For those that have the DVDs I'm sure you'll be able to construct the routine from what I said... think about the original routine and realize you have to do the move three times and not once.

Greg

SHrink,

any method for Picture duplication would work. That is any where you have the spectator draw a picture and somehow you secretly know (see, before, during, after) by various methods, (copy cat, vision in black, carbon, business card peek). Now you are really doing a real picture dupe, not a force.

In other words, they pick one from the real billets, however when it is added back it goes to the other billets (these could even be blank if you wanted but better to have something on them.)

Now the ones you have stolen are one card less but you still have at least five.

For anyone who's interested, I have both the Lee Earle video and the complete 3-volume Falkenstein & Willard set (all VHS-NTSC format) for sale. PM if interested.



Or like the dyslexic agnostic insomniac who lies in bed awake all night wondering if there realy is a dog.

Funny...I just read those Principium last night We must have been pullinging on the same web.

JE

Quote:
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On 2004-10-08 16:21, drwilson wrote:
Just don't be like the dyslexic occultist who sold his soul to Santa...


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yeah, about that, would a dyslexic person not understand that joke?!

-Francisco

It's included as a bonus when you buy the
CD with most of his books on.

Where can you find
Cassidy's Q + A
TJ
:)

Juan D: Might I suggest looking into Millard Longman's 'Acidus Novus' package. In there is a Q & A routine to fit your needs and be sure to listen to the bonus from Tony Michaels for a kicker ending.

My 2 cents, - Nicodemus

Hanks for that
TJ