Hey Craig, Happy Holidays! I just wanted to say that I think you have done a fantastic jop with your ideas, creations and products for our community. I've enjoyed spending time talking to you at Mindvention and you taking the time to show and demonstrate for me and so many others the many possibilities that are available with your products.

I posed this question downstars and didn't receive many replies so I thought you might have the best opinion on this. With Color Match, which mental ability to you feel plays the strongest or best - infuence, mind reading or prediction? I know the prediction/reveal is the key, but how do you feel it is best utilized and plays the strongest? I realize it may also have to do with each performer's personna and proclaimed abilities, but just hoped you would elaborate on your thoughts. Thanks, and looking forward to what the future brings from Promystic (any sneek peaks?).

Thanks for asking this first question and for the kind words. I would like to say that Color Match has become my favorite effect and I close my show with it. I always perform it at a prediction or a sympathetic routine, never as influence. I should also add that I give the least to the audience in terms of plausible explanation. I give such explanation for other effects throughout the show and I like to close with something that is clean, direct, and has no explanation.

I would like to thank Blake Adams for coming up with the drawing duplication routine and Colin Mcleod for his fantastic routines as well. I have used a premise of the book “The Secret” and the use of a “vision board” as explained in the book. I say that I realized that if your ‘visions’ do come true you are able to ‘predict the future’. I then explain that I created a ‘vision board’ and have been focusing on it all week, let’s see what happens. Given this the slow methodical reveal is the key. I always use a thick foam board and show the envelope as well because lots of people suspect the envelope. This is something that I learned from performing for kids. I did a routine for quite a long time not realizing that they all thought the method was the bag. Now the ‘gasp’ comes when I show the bag at the end, the kicker is the bag is normal.

For a sympathetic routine I draw a stack of blocks and have them colored. I like this because you would logically color the blocks from the bottom to top, free choice. I stack colored cubes behind a screen and the reveal is very strong, simple, and direct. This can also be presented as a mind reading effect with focus on the color and stack. This can be done real time or after all the blocks are drawn. There is something very strong about changing the medium in the presentation, going from a drawing to a physical structure. This is stronger than doing a second drawing. There is more separation and additional dimension to it. There is only one structure and you are totally committed. I have also found that this is very strong doing it real time not covered. The audience sees them pick a color and sees me pick a colored block. The drawer does not see me and there is additional enjoyment when the audience sees him/her react. I sometime stack 2 and 3 wrong and correct it at the end before the reveal.

I have never tried this as influence. I am now thinking of a way I would might perform it as such.

For obvious reasons here are some of my favorite performances of it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08JN1mrk0u8



I would love to hear all of your experiences with CM.
Best,
Craig

Color Match is one of my favorite Promystic products, too. I use a cool little stick figure drawing with hat, t-shirt, shorts, baseball glove, and tennis shoes. And, reveal a prediction drawing that matches the spectator's drawing perfectly.

My only issue with Color Match is that you have to maintain the markers and keep them fresh. You also have to be careful what the spectator does after he discards the markers. Look what David Williamson does in the video. He tosses the markers on the table and they land right next to the metal pen holder. That happened to me one time and it really threw me off.

Still... another great Promystic effect.

Robert McDaniel

Hi Robert,

These are good points. I have recently developed a new way to prep the markers that is both easy and makes the markers last several months. I am developing a PDF and short video on how to do it. I will post it on my site when done.

As far as the handling, this does happen occasionally. I have asked the spectator to put the pens in their pocket to prevent this and it works quite well. If you are not using a metal cup, you can have the pens put back in upside down. When using the metal cup, this marker can be set off by the mag field traveling up the cup.

Best,
-Craig

I'd be very interested in learning a new way to prep the markers. Thanks, Craig.

That's a good solution - having the spectator put the markers in their pocket.

I've been asking the spectator to hand the marker to the person next to them and to not let me see it. There's certainly justification since the magician isn't supposed to see which markers have been chosen.

Robert

Ya, Craig was kind enough to prep my initial set of markers in his kitchen some weeks ago and the method is quick/easy and looks like it should supply a nice supply of ink along with making sure the ink stays put and doesn't cause a problem later.

ColorMatch is my favorite Promystic marvel. Spectators really love the drawings. I love the reactions and gasps. Everybody is happy