The Rough Draft Framework

One of the most interesting ways you can present a trick to someone as an amateur is to break it up in stages over the course of a few different interactions. The idea is to “let people in” (but not really) on some “rough draft” (but not really) versions of the trick before you show them the real thing. In reality, the “rough draft” versions are just a way to extend what would otherwise be a quick trick into something hopefully more interesting. And to get the target spectator thinking in a direction other than the methodology that you’re actually using.

Here’s an example. Suppose you had a sleight-of-hand color-changing-ring effect, where one ring was secretly exchanged for a ring of a different color. That would likely be a very quick effect that would amount to a nice visual, and not too much more. And the idea that you likely just switched the ring would probably be the first thing they would consider.

We can change that around with a rough-draft style framework for the effect.

You would use this with someone you see regularly.

Encounter 1 - After you’ve performed another trick, or when the subject of magic comes up, you mention you’re trying to come up with a way to do a trick where a ring changes color—from black to gold (or whatever). This is said casually, you don’t make too big a deal about it at this stage. You can give more to the backstory regarding why you want to work on this trick, but the important point is simply that you bring it up.

Encounter 2 - “Remember I told you I was trying to come up with a method to make a ring change color? I’ve come up with a prototype for it.”

Here you now perform this color changing paper ring trick by origami-ist, Jeremy Shafer. The idea is that this is an early stage version that you’re hoping to shrink down to finger ring size. This is just a proof-of-concept.

This trick is kind of neat looking, but it’s not really strong enough to stand on its own. People will know that if they took a look at the paper ring, they’d know how the trick was done. Now, you could make up a whole routine around this and build in some switches to make it stronger, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m just talking about using this routine as a misdirect for a future effect.

So for our purposes you would end the effect by exposing the trick. This is not “meaninigless exposure” It’s purposeful exposure. But if you’re uncomfortable with it, that’s understandable. Don’t do this type of presentation.

Encounter 3 - You would mention you had your “prototype” professionally printed so it’s more durable (although it’s still in the prototype phase). And then demonstrate the color change again using the gimmick from Tenyo’s Honeycomb.

I’m not suggesting you do the whole effect, just show them the gimmick and some of the color changes you’re working on. Because they already understand the basic workings, the purpose of this is just to beat into their heads (subtly) the mechanics of how a ring shaped object changes color.

“The next step is to find someone who can forge a ring for me that has the same qualities as this… with the colors laid out in this manner.”

Encounter 4 - “Hey. I got that ring made. Check it out. From this angle it looks black, but from this other side, it looks gold.”

Here you do any sort of sleight-of-hand ring color change you want to do (I’ll post a simple one soon.). Then you slowly hand them the ring after the change (as if you’re still trying to maintain the correct angle), and as you do this, you ditch the extra ring while all the focus is on your other hand.

You see, if you just do a change of an object, there is heat almost immediately on your hands to see if there is something else hidden there. But because we’ve set up “how it works,” all their focus will be on the ring itself. You’ve shown them essentially the same trick and you’ve exposed the method in the past, so they are not (yet) looking for another layer of deception.

When they get the ring, they’ll turn it over in their hands looking for the opposite color. This is how they’ve been trained. You’ll want to have your hands out in front of you, innocently. Perhaps slightly adjusting the ring in their hands. So without saying anything, it’s clear you’re clean. By the time it dawns on them there’s nothing special about the ring, it’s too late for them to catch anything. The other ring has long been ditched. And it’s even too late for them to remember if there was any time for you to ditch anything, because their mind wasn’t focused on that until too late in the game.

At this point, the trick is over. But if you want, you can do something to “explain” why they’re not seeing what they expect to see with the ring. “Oh, yeah. Well, the two-sided color thing works better with the larger, flat-sided, paper rings I was using. Once I shrunk it down to ring size, it wasn’t nearly as effective. So I had to come up with another way to do the trick. Have you ever heard of the psychology of color expectation? There’s an experiment where they handed people a blue coke can, and later on they asked them what color the can was and they almost universally said red—because that’s the color people expect coke cans to be. Anyway, so I primed you by saying it was a black ring. But it was gold all along.” [Blah, blah, etc., etc.] “Next time we hang out, I’ll show you something cool with that color expectation thing.”

And the next time you’re together you show them something interesting with a color theme.

It’s these types of techniques that allow you to take a two second ring trick and expand it over time and weave it into other performances. This is the unique aspect of amateur magic. You don’t have to just build isolated moments of weirdness. You can build out an entire weird tapestry.