Hello from down under,
I am looking at doing a bit of thread work in restaurant. I have a Super Micro that is attached under my coates lapel. I would love to do a floating bill but our AU currency is like plastic and doesn't stay crumpled! Can anyone suggest what else I can levitate in a restaurant? P.S The restaurant I'm at doesn't have paper napkins to use either they use cloth napkins. Your ideas will be appreciated, many thanks in advance.

Gidday mate! You can either levitate your business card or a card from your deck. Try looking into Ammar's Easy to Master Thread Miracles. There are a lot of info you can get from there.

How about nothing? Levitations are so extreme that people automatically start looking for a method. Don't think for a second that people won't think of thread. I think it was Michael Close who pointed out that everyone's seen leaves flapping in otherwise invisible spiderwebs.

Levitations look awesome, but ask people, honestly, how they think you did it and be prepared to be upset by their responses.

Instead, why not move silverware on the table? IT makes it possible to move a heavy butterknife and end clean. Build it up enough, and people may believe you have actual PK powers.

Basically, less is more.

I'm with Avocat on this.
My preference is to move things rather than floating and levitating.
Basically I do things with cards, coins and other stuff not related to psychic abilities.
So if I decide to use my ITR it's presented as an experiment. I then pretend to struggle with the effect. After a few attempts, maybe with concentrated help, the object will move, flip/fall over or jump. If the gaff breaks..."Hey, I tried but it's not what I do".

Matchbooks, finger rings, cloth napkin rings and as suggested silverware can be put to use.

Heheh. Got me thinking off topic but isn't it funny that psychics will bend stuff but don't do cut ot torn and restored effects. Just a thought.

Add me to the no-thread list. If I ever did use it to float a borrowed dollar bill, I would have it balance on my finger-tip and maybe switch fingertips very quickly. But having it just hanging in the air? No way. They know it's connected to something. They just don't know from where to where. That's not magical enough for me.

I agree with what most of you guys say that lay people must know that 'it' is connected somehow, but it is still entertaining to watch because you can make it look real, just like on the movies but in their faces. I suppose that all the hype that Copperfield caused with his flyiing illusion was a waste of time?, because everyone knows he is connected to something. I'm not trying to generate an arguement here, on the contrary I think that a little bit of constructive criticism never goes unheard. Please keep your ideas rolling as I'm keen to read what many have to say on this topic. Thanks guys.

I use an ITR to perform Nick Einhorn's spooked. It is probably one of the most powerfull effects you can perform for laymen. Perfect for walk around. Ask your local dealer or do a search. I highly recommend it.

Several years ago I wrote a book on Dancing Hank techniques (it is just back in print). Spent a LOT of time thinking about the “effect" of floating. Some thoughts.

As to WHAT to float, perhaps a matchbook or matchbox. if complete floating bothers you try just having it stand till its up on a corner, then fall and display clean. Alternately dispense with open thread floating entirely and do a "haunted/acrobatic" matchbox. simple & amazing with no "open" thread to catch. (If not familiar, find an explanation on Michael Ammar's "Easy to Master Thread miracles Vol # 1"). Just a flash, a small pad ("Post-it" pad?) where you draw a fast picture of a little ghost, then crumple it "Around a small ghost" and float this object. (nothing wrong with being "Cute" at dinner)

RE: Leaves in a Spider web. Yes, we are unconsciously aware of what a "dangling" or "suspended" object looks like. Still Ammar's total routine varies the method with enough "proving moves" to keep it interesting.

Do people entertain the idea of a thread? Undoubtedly. But if we are going by "modern perception" it could also plausibly be a "static" effect, or even something like those new momentarily floating top toys. It is still interesting, and a mental picture that stays with them, and probably gets exaggerated in recollection. If it thrills us and leaves without a clue, it is "Magic".

Moving silverware is strong and something the more scientific and logical individual is likely to mentally invest in. The intelligent may not give you credit for "Magic", but it is absolutely an intriguing display. A very good idea.

The "static" rationale being used nowadays to start floating routines makes sense. (My personal favorite stage floating routine of the past decade is Kevin James' Floating Rose, a very logical Progression).

For great reference, strongly recommend spending time watching Soap Bubbles for a real world example of how floating objects move. they can move in a most remarkable manner, eddying, dodging, swirling about, then, and strangely going dead still in space. Imagine your floating object to be like this bubble, but with some intelligence behind it...

Always like to make the acquaintance of fellow floaters. Enjoying this thread!

You can try attaching the other end of your IT to something that they wouldn't think of e.g. like attach it to your nose or forehead or tie the end to a rubber band and put the band in your mouth. that's how I levitate cards.

I've only used my ITR for "spooked" as mentioned. Which is absolutely killer!
However, as far as levitations, I used to always close my table routine by borrowing someone’s credit card and doing a quick slight of hand demonstration with it!
Then, I would offer to show them something without the use of slight of hand.
I would build this up a lot. I can’t do this all the time, sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't, etc. But I would eventually end up performing a UFO type effect using the Fearson hook up with Their credit card.
I always got huge reactions and never any suspicions of thread! Every now and then I might hear somebody mumble something about how it Must have been done with magnets & the magnetic strip on their card! To which I would simply reply. Justify it however you want, but I guarantee you your card will still work just fine.

You must ask yourself...am I a trickster pretending to do magic, or a magician merely pretending to do tricks!

I'm a loop man myself, rather than a ITR man. But ball point pens are easy to levitate, you can borrow them from spectator, waitress, etc. That way they are amazed since you are levitating something that is theirs, and they know not gimicked. I used to levitate my own pen only to watch spectators totally disassemble it and often destroy it trying to find out how the pen was gimmicked. They don't do that with their own pen.

The current version of invisible thread can likely handle a "shell" version of your coin currency. Approach to "borrow" some change from their pockets and shuttle-pass into your setup coin. reverse to hand back the coin and let them examine all they want!

I do effects with my ITR that I would never even dream of with loops because of lighting conditions. You have to be carefull w/ loops because they are so visible. I can also get away w/ spooked in places that you could do no other IT effects because your body "shadows" the dirty work.

I have found this to be a very good “false premise” to the ITR.

When lighting conditions are good (not to often) I always look up at the ceiling and make some mini-step adjustment to the place I am standing.

Half the people constantly look up to see if there is “string” holding the item. Recently I pushed the envelope by asking a small group to move over here (several feet away) to do a bill levitation. In fact I was moving to a darker spot, but to their point of view, I was moving to where I had something waiting for me in the ceiling.

Bob

Good point Bob;

If thread is suspected (and they will truly never know for sure unless you admit it, or it flashes) people do tend to look for an OVERHEAD source for it FIRST as opposed to thread stretched through an area. Their eyes then dart about in all angles scanning the area directly surrounding the object.

At least this has been my experience.

Thanks for you ideas guys there has been a lot of constructive info that I can tussle with, I really appreciate it. G'day to everyone, from downunder.