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F A C E V A L U E

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Face Value A reconstructed ‘modern classic’

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www.benjaminearl.com

“The first mistake of Art is to assume that it’s serious.” – Lester Bangs

FOR YOUR ATTENTION: All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be recorded, reproduced, transmitted, translated, distributed or communicated in any form without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Subscribers to www.benjaminearl.com are granted permission to perform this material, in nonstreaming, non-broadcast, non-recorded, non-ticketed environments only. Any other use of this material is not permitted without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. No permission is granted to publish, teach or communicate derivative handlings of this material in any form without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Illegal or unauthorized holders of this material are not granted any performing rights or permissions of any kind. Thank you. Face Value, Copyright © 2016 by Benjamin Earl Photography and design by the author Edited by Justin Higham and Mike Vance Available from www.benjaminearl.com First edition PDF, March 2016

CONTENTS vi

Preface

1

Face Value

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End Notes

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PREFACE ‘Face Value’ is my handling of Eddie Fechter’s close-up card effect, ‘Be Honest. What Is It?’1 The effect has attracted some of the best magicians on the planet2 – the most common handling of which was popularised by David Blaine3. The effect has good technical and psychological construction; it is very practical, fooling and it happens in the spectator’s hands. It has become somewhat of a modern classic. Over the years I have developed a more sophisticated version of this modern handling which increases the physical isolation of the cards in play, increases the contrast and spatial impact of the transformation and provides a climax with increased clarity and flexibility. ‘Face Value’ isn’t just my personal ‘variation’; it represents a process of evolution over time to increase the quality and craft of the routine... and it works. For those of you not familiar with the original effect, don’t worry, you’ll be able to perform ‘Face Value’ immediately; I have described each small element in detail and it isn’t technically difficult. I’ve put a lot of effort into giving you something which subtly elevates the original effect into a more powerful space. I think you will enjoy ‘Face Value’ very much.

Ben March 2016

1 Jerry Mentzer, Magician Nightly: The Magic of Eddie Fechter, 1974, pp. 134–137. 2 David Williamson has a nice version called ‘The Memory Test’ which can be seen on his DVD Magic Farm. 3 Performed in his NBC magic TV special, Street Magic, 1997.

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FACE VALUE Effect A spectator holds two cards in their hands. Impossibly both change into completely different cards... while they are still holding them! Set-up Place the Seven of Hearts and Nine of Diamonds on top of the deck, followed by the two black Aces. Now place the Seven of Diamonds and Nine of Hearts into your wallet or some other isolated location. Method Begin by false shuffling the deck as you introduce the following idea: “People often ask me: How do you make something appear or disappear? Well, the answer is very simple: a psychological blind spot is created, and in that moment there is a brief opportunity for something to change. Let me show you what I mean... I need a couple of cards... any will do.” In this moment, stop shuffling and turn over the top two cards of the deck to reveal the Seven and Nine. It doesn’t really matter how you do this. It must look completely incidental or casual – you can of course, force these cards, but it isn’t necessary as the shuffle has already communicated randomness. Ironically, turning these cards over after a shuffle (apparently at random) will make the cards feel far less contrived than if a selection was made. Their appearance feels utterly incidental, which is precisely what we want. You are now holding them on top of the deck and casually switching them back and forth between the fingers in an elevated position (Figs. 1 & 2), as you say: “A red Seven and a red Nine... It doesn’t matter what they are, or that I can see them. Hold on to them for a moment and then decide to keep one and hand me back the other face down... Don’t let me see it.” Hand the two cards to the spectator, and as you do, relax and palm the top two black Aces into your right hand. You have plenty of time to do this as the spectator is looking at the two cards and deciding which one to keep. At some point they will want to hand you back one of the cards. Extend your left hand and they will replace it on top of the deck. Maintain a break beneath it and add the palmed cards on top as you relax and say the following:

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“Now 90% of the time people always give me the Nine... I don’t know why, but they do.” Once you have said this, perform a triple turnover and, if you see the Nine (which in this case let’s assume we do), say: “Yep... I know it seems like a 50/50 but like I said... people always give me the Nine.” But, if instead you see the Seven, simply say: “Ok... it’s going to be like that is it? This might be harder than I thought!” Now, I know that several of you are thinking that the palming is unnecessary, however, it is there for an extremely good reason: I want them to have had the tactile experience and visual memory of cleanly holding the two cards. This is extremely important as this technique is one of the most convincing factors in making them believe that the two cards never left their hands. When the triple is turned over, there is no suspicion on it; they were only holding it a second ago, so they will believe it to be nothing more than a single card. “Ok... well, let me show you what we can do from this position. It’s possible to take this guessing game to the next level. Hold on to the card in your hand face down and at your fingertips.” While clearly keeping the face of the triple displayed, help the spectator hold the card in the correct position (Fig. 3). Once they have the card in the right place, allow them to double-check the card they are holding, and then turn the triple face down, remove the top card (an Ace) and place it in between their fingers (Fig. 4) as you say the following: “Now, all you have to do is follow which card is the Seven and which is the Nine. I want you to hold both in one hand, but I’ll be sneaky. I’ll try to switch one... like this.” Almost as soon as the new card was placed between their fingers, you steal back the bottom card (Fig. 5) and display it (Fig. 6) as you say the following: “Remember, all you have to do is follow which is the Seven and which is the Nine... but I try to switch them at speed... like this.”

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(Fig. 1)

(Fig. 2)

(Fig. 3)

(Fig. 4)

(Fig. 5)

(Fig. 6)

(Fig. 7)

(Fig. 8)

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(Fig. 9)

(Fig. 10)

(Fig. 11)

(Fig. 12)

As you deliver the previous line, apparently attempt to switch the card between their fingers again by darting the card in and out of their fingertips at speed. In reality the cards do not switch; these movements are just physical and psychological misdirection/cover for you to perform the Top Change (Fig. 7) as you ask them the following question: “Now without looking, I want you to think about which card is the Seven and which card is the Nine.” Place the card in your hand (now an Ace) with the other card (Fig. 8). While the spectator is thinking, casually place the deck into a pocket and come up with both empty hands into the performing space, allowing them to be seen empty. The entire point in putting the cards away at this point is to increase the sense of isolation; by the time you get to the end of the effect the spectator will have completely forgotten the existence of the deck. They will forget the deck was ever involved, making this effect much cleaner and more impossible to deconstruct. “Now, I want you to do something. Switch the two cards just once in your own hands... done? Ok, now hold one in each hand. Remember, this is all happening in your own hands and you haven’t looked away once!”

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This serves two purposes: it makes them forget that you did a switch – they just remember holding them and moving them around – and it also puts the two cards in different positions in space. Once they are in this position (Fig. 9), say the following: “Now hold one of the cards slightly higher than the other... and now hold one slightly farther back than the other.” Once they have positioned the cards correctly (Fig. 10), ask them which card is the Seven and which is the Nine. Whatever they say, bring both hands into the space between the cards, allowing them to be seen empty (Fig. 11). Individually flex one of the cards with both hands (Fig. 12) and then do the same with the other card, as if your are doing ‘something’ to both cards. “Now... you have been watching closely. Without looking, which card is the Seven and which card is the Nine? [They answer again.] Ok... so if I could make them change places under these conditions [mime the cards swapping places by subtly pointing at each card and crossing your arms] that would be impressive, right? Well, it’s already happened... Turn them both over!” This is the climax of the effect. At this moment please resist all urges to deal with the pseudo-mates, and only use this extra climax if they ask. If they do ask, simply reach into your wallet (or some other impossible location) and show the two cards. Like I said, only use this ending if the spectator asks where the other cards have gone. Of course you have the option of showing that the original two cards are now in your pocket (by removing the top two cards of the deck from whichever pocket the deck was ditched into). However, this isn’t always the most interesting or practical place to remove them from and so the pseudo-mate ending gives you more options. There are probably a number of you reading this who aren’t confident that the pseudo-mates will deceive a spectator. Well, let me say that it is probably one of the most reliable tactics/principles in all magic! I have been using pseudomates in a variety of ways since I first started in magic and have never had a spectator question that they weren’t the original cards. It is a hugely powerful and underappreciated, deceptive principle.

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End Notes: As I stated in the preface, ‘Face Value’ basically increases the physical isolation of the cards in play, increases the contrast and spatial impact of the transformation and provides a climax with increased clarity and flexibility. It is not important that you recite the script verbatim; you just need to understand why everything is constructed in the way that it is so that you can make it your own. If you do learn this routine, I can assure you that you will have a very powerful and deeply fooling routine at your fingertips. Remember, if you show the pseudo-mates (or the original cards) at the climax, the effect becomes a ‘transposition’ rather than a transformation. Personally, I prefer the transformation as it is a much cleaner ending. Therefore I don’t mention the original cards, but if the spectator does ask where they have gone, the effect is already a transposition in their mind; now it makes sense to take advantage of the pseudo mates. Below are a number of important points to remember regarding the construction of ‘Face Value’: 1. The two initial cards are ‘random’; not selected or pre-selected. This further impacts the deceptiveness of the climax as you begin from a shuffled deck and this initial state of casualness contrasts with the clarity of the ending. 2. The spectator has a genuine tactile memory of holding the two initial cards. The ‘choosing/guessing’ sequence that happens in this moment is there to compound this fact and to deepen their memory of physically holding the two initial cards (but still allowing them to forget the relative order of the suits). 3. The suits are never mentioned, only the values. This means the spectator will not pay attention to the relative positions of the suits and will only concentrate on the values. 4. Two initial cards are of different values and red, and they change into cards that are the same value and black, which gives better contrast visually and conceptually (red to black and disorder to order). Also, the Seven and Nine seem to have no collective relationship, familiarity or symbolism; they seem incidental and random. However, Aces are recognisable and seem powerful, related and important.

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5. The deck is ditched after the switch. This increases the isolation of the held cards as the spectator will not remember the deck ever being in play; the spectator will only remember two cards in the performing space. This makes the transformation seem utterly impossible as there was nothing to switch in or out from! Do not try to hide the presence of the deck or ditch it secretly. Do everything in the open and they will simply erase it from their mind as it seems to have no real importance. 6. Isolation and honesty are communicated physically through the visibility of open hands. After the deck is ditched it is important to make sure your hands are obviously empty to communicate fairness and to cause the memory of the deck to fade. 7. You put effort into the moment that the change occurs, making the change happen in that moment, not before. Therefore they see the moment happen, and because this moment is completely isolated and clean, it feels incredibly magical. 8. At the climax the cards are in separate hands and in different orientations in space. This is to make the ending seem like two changes in separate spaces rather than one change in one space! You also treat each card individually, making it seem like two individual moments. This is also the reason for having two different values changing into one value; it makes it feel that the Seven and the Nine have changed instead of the Sevens having changed (if you were using a pair of Sevens). I have done everything possible to decrease the sense of a binary change and to make it seem to be a more impossible and magical duel change. 9. Because of the two initial cards used, the option of using the pseudomates of those cards presents some interesting possibilities. You now have the potential to cause the cards to apparently be anywhere you like after the effect... but think about this carefully: you don’t want it to become too impossible as it might dilute the effect they have experienced so far. 10. If you do reveal the pseudo-mates, move them in the same way you did in Figs. 1 & 2, but obviously without the presence of the deck.

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www.benjaminearl.com