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Chris Rawlins - XIDD
Chris Rawlins - XIDD
Chris Rawlins,
Manchester, 2020.
I.D.D
I’m choosing to include the IDD system here because: you’ll
need to understand this system fully to be able to
understand how to achieve the other feats Included in this
volume and because the IDD is something special.
HOW IT LOOKS:
REQUIRED MATERIALS
1 x Roughing Stick (I use the Vanishing Inc/ Harry Robson/Lawrence Turner stick).
1x Sharpie Marker.
1x Dry Sharpie Marker (that does NOT write).
1 x Pencil
MY SYSTEM
I strongly believe that you should make up an IDD and then
perform it, as it’s only through performance that you will be
able to refine your index of images to suit the demographic
that you perform for. I have refined my index over a long
period of time and overleaf is a list of the images that
supply me with a hit every time I perform this.
As you can see, my images are separated into ‘Man-Made’
and ‘Natural’, meaning that when paired correctly, you will
instantly know which side of the IDD to spread towards your
Man-Made - Natural
Rocket Planet
Boat Sun
Aeroplane Star
Train Tree
House Snowman
Car Octopus
Anchor Man
Guitar Pig
Flag Dog
Ball Monkey
Wheel Cat
Shoe Flower
Piano Banana
Bottle Ice Cream
Book Fish
Phone Ring
Clock Butterfly
Lightbulb Face
Candle Heart
Music Universal Image
spectator to reveal the correct image, without any memory
work or real mental effort.
Rocket / Planet
Boat / Sun
Aeroplane / Star
Train / Tree
House / Snowman
Car / Octopus
Anchor / Man
Guitar / Pig
Flag / Dog
Ball / Monkey
Wheel / Cat
Shoe / Flower
Piano / Banana
Bottle / Ice Cream
Book / Fish
Phone / Ring
Clock / Butterfly
Lightbulb / Face
Candle / Heart
Music / Universal Image
Now stack your IDD in the exact same order as listed above,
as I will use this order to refer to another important element
to the preparation. The above order is also organised by
size, helping for a quicker location of the necessary image in
performance.
Take your IDD with the man made images nearest to you,
and spread the deck on a table in front of you. Now in the
top left corner of each card, in pencil, write the name of the
image on the reverse side of that particular card. Do this
with all the cards on this side of your deck. Now carefully
gather the deck, take hold of the short edge furthest from
your body, and rotate the whole deck 180 degrees towards
you. Now spread the deck again, and write on the back side
upper left corner of each natural image card.
You now know how to make an IDD and you have my exact
set up and selection of images that I currently use, I really
suggest making one up; holding one in your hands and
experimenting will really clarify how simple this is and how
easy it is to handle and use.
Play around with this and you will find other ways to display
the image, but keep in mind that there are markings on the
reverse side of the deck that you need to keep hidden. The
best way to get used to this is in a mirror; you will quickly
learn what works for you and what doesn’t.
You must also keep in mind that if you are performing with
the IDD as part of a show, whether virtual or in person, you
should use the same visual procedure to commit to and
isolate your impressions for the duration of your
performance, creating a consistent visual for your
audience. This is important to remember.
John really gives thought to his staging, and it’s the idea of
simultaneous back to back drawing and spreading the decks
to each other that I find really valuable here.
Each spectator draws and the performer walks the line and
proclaims that he had a strong sense it would be this
particular spectator he would connect with. The other two
spectators are dismissed as the mystery performer returns to
the cellophane wrapped, slightly open pack of index cards.
The performer spreads until the audience see one image
drawn big and clear amongst blank card; this matches the
remaining spectator's image perfectly.
“Chris Rawlins here, and I’d like to invite you to take part in
an experiment. One that will happen simply and privately.
For now, PLEASE DO NOT OPEN the other envelope.
Instead, when you have a spare minute, call me.”
“What I’ve sent you are some simple but specific items. An
envelope, the one I asked you not to open, a Sharpie and a
small stack of blank cards. When we get off the call I would
like you to begin to think about something that you can
draw. I say begin to think because I don’t want you to just
draw the first thing that you think of. I’d like you to think of
two or three different simple drawings and at some point
today, decide on one. When you have done this you must
find somewhere totally private… Take any one of those
blank cards and draw your image. Be sure not to let anyone
see you during this process. Then when you are finished,
place the image into the stack of other blank cards and then
the whole stack into the envelope. Please then seal it shut
and put it somewhere safe, really safe. Then I want you to
think of your image over and over again, imagine re
drawing it and imagine as if you could send that image to
me. Exactly one hour after you have drawn your image, call
me.
Remember, any simple image and you can start the process
at any time. Your call, literally.
You ask the spectator to, for the first time, tell you and show
you thier drawing, as they do you also open your envelope
and begin to spread through your stack.
I suggest that the images scattered upon your table for the
video call are very unusual images and scribbles so that
there is no danger of one of them being the image your
spectator has drawn.
“I like this idea. One thing you could extend this out to - if
you're doing it for one person, a week before hand send
them an email and ask them to watch the video attached.
Then send them an article to read. Then send something
else, each day, up to the effect. All these things are
unrelated, but the idea is that by sending them these things
to do you are making them think of the image you finally
end up with. Instead then of being surrounded at the end
by 'test' drawings, you can instead be surrounded by your
'plans' to make them think of that image - shots from the
video you made them watch with scribbles over it, a cork
board with things pinned up that you sent them, with
timings on and string linking them, etc.”
AN IMAGINED IMAGE
Another possibility for the IDD, and one that I have had fun
with on occasion is what follows. It requires the standard
IDD set up, and uses one less blank card that the original.
(As they don’t physically draw). You already know how, but
here is what.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
1 x Roughing Stick
19 x Blank Card Stock
1 x Sharpie Marker
1 x Fine Tip Black Inked Pen
1 x Bulldog Clip
Now write each star sign, one per card, in Sharpie Marker
and as before rough the faces of all the cards you have
written upon.
You will now pair the star signs together and place three
unprepared blank cards at either side of the stack.
Now look at which star signs you have paired together. You
will (on another blank and unprepared card) write out the
star signs in the order that you have placed them in the
stack and in the order you have paired them.
This open crib will be placed on the top of the stack, and
will be used to help people who don’t know their star sign
to find their star sign should it be needed but its main
function is to secretly cue you as to what star signs are
where.
Try learning all the star signs and pairing the roughed
cards in your known order. This would mean you can
perform this without the open crib.
A NAME PREDICTION
If you are doing this over video call, it is very easy to have a
visual off camera crib that can indicate which name exists on
what side and how far down in your stack.
I think that if you try this, you will be surprised at the impact
it has, there is an element to using peoples names that
enhances the predictions strength.
MORE MIND READING
Although duplicating drawings is a favourite premise in
Mentalism of mine and one extremely well suited to my
IDD method. It it not the only possibility. Throughout the
next pages I’m going to explore and explain one further
approach that allow you to appear to read the minds of
your spectators in ways that do not use images, whether
drawn or imagined, but instead a personal thought of
name and a destination.
The performer asks where they would both travel too. The
performer then smiles as he picks up the stack and spreads
through writing facing towards himself. He up jogs two
cards, removes them and sets the stack aside.
Here you will create an IDD stack that houses the name of
countries. I suggest that you search online for a list and
narrow it down to 20 counties. With a quick look for ‘Most
Visited Counties’ you will see that there are many lists of the
top 10. I use the following list, but of course you should
create a list that works best for where you are based and the
demographic that you perform for.
Now you will take a pencil and write in the top left corner of
each pair but you will write upon the back of the blank cards
and write the relevant destination that is on the inside of the
pair. This means that there is no hidden writing on any of the
destination cards and no roughing substance either.
For confirmation you ask for the name, you must remember
that name.
Once you have committed you can turn the stack face
towards you, and tilt the stack slightly to obscure the secret
writing. As there is only one side with writing on, there is no
danger of a spectator seeing anything they should not. Look
for both the name billet and the relevant destination pair.
Up jog each card as you reach it, writing towards you. This
should feel and look like you are looking for only two things,
not searching through a library of many.
Place these cards face down on the table and then turn each
over during your verbal revelation.
As you are writing the name after you have been told it, you
can write the abbreviation of the thought of name (Ed in
place of Edward) and during the revelation then explain that
you were picking up on the abbreviated name. It will be
likely that they call thier friend that name.
Christopher Rawlins,
Manchester 2020.
CREDITS
Vanishing Inc, Harry Robson and Lawrence Turner - for the Roughing
Stick they produce.
Dai Vernon & Joe Berg- for their work with roughed pairs of cards.