I took the time to study and learn Slydini's Paper Balls Over The Head, and more recently Greg Wilson's version.

The routine is great, and a classic, but by way of confession, I've never used it because I have a little fear that neither Slydini or Wilson address: Although I am sure I can pull it off as far as fooling the spectator, my fear is that there is going to be some idiot in the audience who is not going to understand the premise of the trick, and shout at the top of their lungs, "Hey! He just threw it over your head!" (This of course would cause the person to turn around, seeing the evidence, and of course effectively halting the effect in mid performance.)

God forbid that there would be kids in the audience! Thay would be even worse! Kid's love to shout the method of an effect for all their friends to hear.

Are my fears justified? Have any of you ever had this happen?

Is there ANY possible way to assure that it won't happen?

I'm stumped.

Tell the audience not to give away the secret.


Syldini used to tell the audience every time he did it.

With kids, you just have to re-enforce the idea that you are letting them in on a secret, like you are letting them, in a way, become magicians, and they have to make sure they keep the secret.


I had one kid want to explain how he thought everything was done. No matter what.

But after explaining to him that the trick won't work unless you keep the secret, he didn't tell.

He really wanted to, but I just kept mentioning that he has to keep the secret or it won't work.


With tricks like these, there is a certain amount of humble pie one must eat before you can do this trick correctly.

I suggest practicing on the young and working your way up through.

You try it on a tennager, or a parent and they will notice, but once you get the idea with kids, you'll be able to graduate up to teenager, then adult.


At least, that's what worked for me.

Doug, I have performed this in restaurants and never had that happen. I do it for large parties at the restaurant, (usually a birthday but I have seen it for retirement or leaving the company or whatever) and I use the honoree as the "victim," everyone has fun.

Never had anyone yell out the "secret."

Peter

If I remember right, Gregory Wilson's version has a line that deals with this. He says something like, "The audience will be able to see what happens, but you won't." That would clue adult audiences, at least, to the fact that they're to keep quiet about the secret. I'd think it would work on most teen audiences, as well, but I may be a bit optimistic there.

I performed this a few Saturdays ago at a child's birthday party. I perform this often. But before doing the trick, I "swear the audience in." I give a repeat-after-me patter that goes something like, "I promise not to tell the secret even if I have to eat brussel sprouts ... even if I have to go to the dentist ... in sickness and health ... in good times and bad ... till death do us part ... I now pronounce you, no, no - let's get on with this."

It may still happen, just interrupt the interrupter.

FC

Here's my advice; try to spot the potential blabbermouths before you do the routine. Then durring the routine, when you throw, aim at them. Then, instead of paper balls use pointy, metal darts. Go for the eyes. No need to thank me, that's why I'm here.

Multiple darts. Lawn darts.

Seriously though, Wilson does indeed address this problem implicitly on the DVD ("This time they'll be able to see it, but you won't"). I do this routine at least once a week - and that one statement is just fine.

And, if it really doesn't work, just go into the sponge napkin routine. No need to miss a beat.

I perform that from Bars to kindergarten and with the correct control they keep quiet. Even if they don't it is still a funny routine and you can get out of anything with planning.
Where I am from it is not illegal to carry firearms so as effective as the darts may Al Capone use to say "a man with a kind word can never accomplish as much as a man with a kind word and a gun"

What is being said here is that the trick is more about audience control than the mechanics of performing the over the head toss.

Billy McComb talks about this at length in his booklet on the subject. His whole patter line is one of educating the audience well before the trick even starts and then reminding the audience partway through. Steve Bidwell also focus a lot on the audience before he does his cut and restored rope version of this trick.

Technically the trick is fairly easy but in terms of actual performance it remains one of the more difficult to do successfully.

The only way you are going to learn the audience management part of the trick is to get out there and perform. Go for it! You’ll have fun even when the audience tips the method!

HAHAHAHAHAHAAHHA!!!!

Another reason why I absolutely love reading your posts. You have some of the most hilarious ones to date.

Chris

Chris
I agree.
Firedice is the man.
Whenever I need a good laugh I check out his latest posts and within minutes I'm pumped up.

I hear ya ABC.

As far as this thread is concerned.

You shouldn't be performing anything, whether paperballs or not, until you have that trick on lockdown. Sounds like you need to start studying your performances and audience management.


Chris

I have read this thread a few times now and every time the wording of a response just doesn't come so I'll say it worded badly.
You need confidence.
It is all about confidence and you will only have it when you are convinced that you can do the trick really well.
Without it many good performers or athletes or whoever fail because they worry about things that normally don't happen and then for some unknown reason ( I think it's called Murphy's Law) the stuff happens.
There are quite a few effects or jokes or stunts whatever you wanna call them where the viewers or audience know whats happening and they are hugely successful and very entertaining.
They really work.
You should do the trick ASAP and see for yourself.

"I am now going to do a trick just for Doug (the guest of honor). Ladies and gentlemen, YOU will see exactly what happens, but PLEASE let Doug know what's going on! Why should tonight be any different! (Just kidding Doug - don't hit me, I'm a bleeder!).

"And you kids in the audience - raise your right hand and repeat after me: 'I swear I will not tell DOUG how the trick is done!' because we don't want to spoil the surprise at the end!

I then do the effect, using sponge balls. At the end, I make the comment, "Of course, if he ever looks behind him, I won't live to see the dawn!" as he looks, I smile and say in a kindly manner, "Don't feel bad Doug. There's no way you could have seen it! Let me show you so you won't feel bad."

He already knows, so this is not exposure - follow me here, folks, there's a kicker coming!

Another volunteer comes up. I repeat the effect, but do a variation so they know that I didn't do the "move" like I did with Doug, fooling them, after doing it straight the first time.

I then do the 1 in my hand, one in yours with the sponges and watch her, and Doug, freak out when I open my hand to show nothing and she has both sponges!

This plays well and nobody gets ticked off, either.

Hope this abridged version helps!

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.

Oh jeeze! The things that make you guys laugh are usually the things the staff yells at me for in a PM! But I'm glad to see that my civil-disobedience is appreciated!

My experience with it has been that the audience loves being in on the secret, and can't believe the spectator isn't seeing what's going on. That in itself has provided enough entertainment to keep them quiet. This is actually one of the few items I will do with the "smart-alec" age audience of about 10 - 15 years old.

Posted: May 29, 2004 11:05am

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Boy I sure don't like the way that last post "sounds". Some kids are always a wonderful audience - regardless of age. My point was about those who are NOT polite - and I in my experience early adolescents are most likely going to be the "know-it-all" and heckler types. And as Jay Sankey's book states - sharing the magic should be the goal - not "frying" your audience <u>Beyond Secrets</U> <b>Magic as Blood Sport</b> - no matter how tempting they make it. This is a great way to "share" the magic even though they think they're having fun at the "victim's" expense... That's why I think this routine is particularly suited to this audience.

I'm listening.

I love this routine but never perform it for kids audience. If there's one or a few kids with their parents in the audience, it's ok. But if it's a full kids audience, no matter what you tell them at the begining of the trick: they shout.