The Family by MaxVellucci

THE FAMILY

The Family is a special set made up by 5 particular nineteeth-century styled pictures that will allow you to realize many bizarre mentalism effects.

Each picture has a mark on the back that allows you to identify, without looking at the faces, the represented character.

In the pictures below, the marks on the back of the cards have been highlighted.

These marks are letters, from “a” to “e”, referred to the names of the characters this way: -“a” from Alexander

-“b” from elizaBeth -“c” from Catherine -“d” from eDwarD - “e” from hElen

For the spectator it is impossible to find the mark and to realize that the characters are put in a sort of alphabetical order.

STACK

Due to the fact that the pictures are in alphabetical order, it is possible to perform an effect that is very easy but also very powerful.

Put the pictures in an alphabetical stack and Charlier shuffle it, or cut the packet many times, to give the impression that the stack is actually shuffled.

Ask the spectator to select a card (completely randomly or giving him the possibility to choose), turning your head so that you cannot even look at the backs.

Cut the deck at the selected card and turn round.

FIND A DEAD

This effect could be realized using two different methods, using real mentalism techniques or using illusionistical mentalism techniques. I suggest you to test both.

REAL MENTALISM EFFECT (CONTACT MIND READING)

Tell a spectator to mentally choose one of those cards, then ask him to grab your arm on the wrist. He should grab you strongly enough not to lose his grip, but neither too strong you cannot move.

The spectator should concentrate and imagine he is taking your hand to the chosen picture; he doesn’t have to think about the chosen character, he should just imagine your hand going to that character.

He doesn’t have to help you, but neither to hinder you.

He should act neutrally and just concentrate on your hand going to the chosen card.

Now, you will be able to feel the spectator’s small ideomotorical movements so that you can actually know where his picture his.

This kind of sensibility is not easy to manage and you need a lot of practice, but practicing you’ll be able to realize an incredibly real mentalism effect.

ILLUSIONISTIC MENTALISM EFFECT

While you practice with the “Contact Mind Reading” technique, you can also perform a similar experiment, using magician techniques.

This way, you’ll be able to realize a secure effect in case “Contact Mind Reading” effect shouldn’t work at the beginning.

Take three pictures and place them in front of the spectator.

“These three pictures represent three different members of a nineteeth-century family. Only one of these people had had a gory death and you will decide which one.”

“Think of a picture. Pretend that the character represented in that picture is dead. The others are still alive. When I’ll be turned, I ask you not to touch the dead’s picture but to exchange the places of the other two, so that you can show everyone your choice. When you are done, turn all the pictures face down on the back all the pictures.”

When you turn, repeat the instructions to the spectator that will switch the unchosen cards’ place, then will turn on the back all the pictures.

Turn to the spectator and ask him to switch the position of two pictures at a time, the same way you shuffle the cards in the Three Card Monte trick.

You just have to follow the central card and remember its final position (in this case Picture B)

Picture A Picture B Picture C

After that, turn “Picture B” (wherever it is placed). There are now two possible situations.

1)If “Picture B” is the one that was in the center at the beginning (we suppose it is Edward), the chosen picture is right this one, Edward.

2)If “Picture B” represents another character (for example Elisabeth), then the chosen character is not the one you just turned, neither the one that was in the center at the beginning (Edward), but the one that remains (in this case Alexander)

Using this simple system, and also using a powerful presentation, you’ll be able to simulate a spectator’s mind reading while you practice the real mentalism technique.

NOTE:

You could make this effect more interesting and impossible for the audience, using the marks on the back of the pictures.

Do exactly as you do in the trick above, remembering the position of the central picture.

When you turn to the spectator, before he shuffles the cards, look at the marks on the backs, so that you can immediately recognize the chosen character.

- If the picture that was in the center is where it was, that is the chosen card.

- If the central picture is another character, the chosen picture is not the one that was in the centre nor the one that is now in the center.

Now, ask the spectator to shuffle the pictures, then to take them.

“Please, look at the pictures and place one of them covered on the table. Think about the character you selected at the beginning”

Looking at the back of the picture again, you will know if that is the chosen picture.

“I think that the card you put on the table is not the one you selected at first. Please, place there another one”

Do this until the spectator places the right picture on the table. Credits:

This is a principle created by Bob Hummer, popularized by Al Koran using the name of “Note Under Cup” published on “13 Steps to mentalism”.

Hummer commercialized this principle in 1951 as “Mathematical Three-Card Monte”, then Koran turned it into the one I used for this effect.

SEANCE

Write on a piece of paper “I’m dead, but I’ll be back, Edward”, fold it and place it inside a pocket watch (or something similar), write on another piece of paper back, “I’m dead but I’ll be back Helen” and place it inside a Bag. Into the bag you will also put the pocket watch and the five pictures form The Family.

At the beginning of the experiment, take the five pictures out of the bag and place them face up following in this order:

Take the watch and tell the spectator:

“These are the members of an eighteenth-century family: Alexander the father, Elisabeth the mother, Helen the younger daughter, Catherine the older daughter and Edward, Catherine’s husband.

Only one person in this family died tragically and you will find who, as you are a supernatural powers gifted medium.

This kind of séance has two phases, the first one will be a choice, the second one will be an invocation”

Take the watch and give it to the spectator.

“This object was owned by the dead person no one actually knows. Please, place it on a member of the family. This is phase one.”

The most probable choices are two, Edward and Helen, and so you have two possible outs, one inside the bag (Edward) and the other one into the pocket watch (Helen). We now suppose the spectator chooses Helen.

“As I said, the second phase is the invocation of the chosen person, so please whisper this sentence ‘Helen, are you the dead person?’”

Then open the pocket watch and read the message.

In case the chosen one is Edward, take the message from the bag.

In case the spectator chooses one of the other three pictures (Alexander, Elisabeth or Catherine) you can equivocally refer to the sentence you said at the beginning about the invocation.

So if the spectator chooses one of the three characters, you will say:

“As I said, there will be two phases: the first one is the choice, and that’s what you just did, the second one is the

invocation of the chosen name.

Like in a séance, you will move from picture to picture, spelling loudly the letters from the chosen name. You can freely move forward or backward, you will stop on a picture… The dead one’s picture.”

The words Alexander, Elisabeth and Catherine are made up by 9 letters and the described method will always lead you on Edward or Helen’s picture so that you can use the two outs.

You could also create a third out on one of the other three pictures.

For example, taint the back of Elisabeth’s picture with “blood”. When you place the pictures on the table do not show the backs.

In case the tainted card is the chosen one, show the backs of the other ones and say:

“The weird thing is that you choose Elisabeth as the dead member of this family… Actually, she’s the only character that has blood on the back of her picture.”

Now turn Elisabeth and show the back of the card. Note:

Using the marks on the backs, you can perform this effect with the pictures placed faced down.

Tell the spectator to shuffle the cards and then place them on the table the way I described before. Now the choice will be totally random and you can reveal the message right before the chosen character is shown face up.

PREMONITION

This effect is inspired by David Humprey’s “Jazz Mentalism”, and, to be performed, you need two sets of 5 pictures from The Family. Thanks to Michael Murray for the permission to use the technique.

Effect:

The mentalist takes a set of 5 pictures and gives another one to the spectator.

He asks the spectator to mentally chose a character; the mentalist also place a face down picture on the table and so does the spectator.

This is repeated for all the pictures that, when turned face up, will be incredibly paired, as if the mentalist had shown foresight or mental influence ability.

Presentation and Explanation:

“the experiment I’m about to introduce you, recalls the old eighteenth-century salons in which spirits from afterlife were invocate.”

Take the sets of pictures.

“These 5 pictures represent 5 people from a family, they all died in tragical and mysterious circumstances, one by one.

The important thing is that they died in a specific sequence that you do not know.

The experiment actually consists in this: I’ll place on the table these pictures in order of their death. You will try to guess the exact sequence.”

Chose a picture, for example Alexander (marked on the back with the letter “a”) and place it face down on the table.

Tell the spectator he has to do the same. Of course, looking at the marks on the back, you’ll be able to individuate it without looking at its face.

Now there could be many different situations, on the basis of you should change the used method (that’s why the original version is called “Jazz Mentalism”).

Let’s examinate the case in which none of your cards is paired with spectator cards.

Situation A)

Suppose you placed the picture of Alexander and the spectator puts another one on the table (for example Elisabeth).

Now, place on the table, face down, Elisabeth’s picture inviting the spectator to chose another one and place it next to the other.

The spectator chose Catherine, then you after a little pause, place there actually your picture of Catherine. Then, the spectator chose Edward, you do the same. At the end you will place Helen and the spectator will finally place Alexander.

As you noted, you should go one step forward, placing as the next one the picture the spectator has just selected. Now grab your set. Ask the spectator to do the same.

Do a bottom deal turning the last picture as it is the first one (Alexander) and ask the spectator to do the same. The two pictures will be paired.

Continue to deal on the table the other pictures, highlighting the fact that the spectator had been able to individuate your exact sequence.

Situation B)

It is the most lucky situation, in which everytime the mentalist place a picture on the table, the spectator places the same picture.

When the spectators puts three times the same picture you placed, you have two pictures left. Now continue as in situation C.

Situation C)

When you have two pictures left, and those pictures are the same the spectator has, take one in the right hand and the other one in the left and place them face down in front of the spectator (don’t place’ em on the table, just in your hands in front of the spectator). Tell him to do the same.

In this case there could be two situations:

If the spectator has in his right hand the picture you have in the right hand too, you can say:

“You chose which picture should be in the right hand, and which one in the left hand, didn’t you? Right, I did the same before you did. Please, when I count to three, turn the picture you have in the right hand”

When he turns his right hand, you do the same: the pictures will be paired. Then, do the same thing with the one in the left.

If the spectator has in his left hand the picture you have in the right, you just have to place your picture in front of his picture, then turn them: they will be paired.

For the intermediate situations, you have to adapt to what happens, combining methods appropriately. Let’s see some possible different situations

Variant 1)

We now suppose that you placed on the table the picture of Alexander, and the spectator placed Elisabeth. You will obviously place Elisabeth as second, and then the spectator places Catherine.

Now you place Catherine and the spectator Alexander.

As you can see, this card coincides with the first one you placed.

With the other two cards remaining do as you would do in “Situation C”, then with the pictures on the table do as in “Situation B”, bottom dealing the third card.

Variant 2)

We now suppose that you place on the table the picture representing Alexander, and the spectator does the same with Elisabeth. You obviously then place Elisabeth on the table and the spectator places Alexander. Now, the trick is done.

Take the two pictures from the table and switch them (or bottom deal) to invert those two characters and notice the coincidence with the pictures placed by the spectator.

With the remaining three pictures, work appropriately as in “Situation A” or as in “Situation B”.

Variant 3)

We now suppose that the first one, or the first two pictures coincide as in “Situation B”; in this case show them immediately.

If from the second or third picture, your pictures and the spectator’s ones are not in the same order, do as in “Situation A” with the remaining pictures.

Note:

For a technical description of the “Bottom Deal”, you can check Roberto’s Giobbi “Card College 4”.

To have more information and a good video explanation for the “Jazz Mentalism” technique, you can check

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Marco Pusterla for the constant consultation on every work of mine. Matteo Borrini for the very interesting advices for this effect THE FAMILY - COPYRIGHT BY MASSIMILIANO TESO VELLUCCI