Mitchell Kettlewell - Ringtone
Mitchell Kettlewell - Ringtone
RINGTONE
By Mitchell Kettlewell
Hello, and welcome to Ringtone.
Since first creating this trick, it has vastly
improved and become a lot more practical.
In fact so practical, that I perform it every
time I have a gig - every time I perform. It's
always on me and only takes up a small
amount of space.
Effect:
The spectator thinks of a song from a list of
songs (the list can be however big the
performer so wishes - even from the
spectators phone).
The magician then begins to reveal details
about the artist and song but fails to get the
song. The spectator calls the magicians
phone and they are asked to believe that
the ringtone is in fact the song - even
though it is clearly the standard ringtone.
The ringtone then morphs into the selected
song! To finish the routine, the magician
reveals something else that the spectator is
thinking of!
Method:
The method for this is rather simple. The
ringtone is a specially edited audio track of
a standard ringtone, morphing into a song.
This effect works with absolutely any
modern phone (I haven't found a modern
phone that this cannot be done on). We will
come back to how this is accomplished
later on.
I will run you through the setting up of the
trick first, and then the performance. The
set up is a one time thing.
Set up:
So, the first thing you'll need is a list of
songs. This can be written on blank playing
cards, blank sided business cards -
anything that has a blank side - that you
can shuffle easily and you can carry on
you. I personally use business cards. I
began with 25 cards. So write down 25
different songs - one on each card. I
started by writing a variety of music - some
popular music from the current charts - and
some older songs. Also, ensure that you
write this in different style handwriting and
different coloured pens as this sells the
routine that you explain later on - being
different people's thoughts.
Next, choose one song to be your force
song. You then create the audio track of
your phone's standard ringtone morphing
into your force song. This force song goes
on top of the packet.
The audio edit:
Firstly, download a program for your
computer or laptop - called 'Audacity'. This
can be found at this link:
http://www.audacityteam.org/download/
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/
apple/turn-song-on-your-iphone-into-
ringtone-summary-3622959/
The Routine:
In routine, you introduce the list and have
them add a song to it on a blank card the
same as the ones you wrote the list on -
keeping it to themselves as a secret. I use
the presentation that 'I have people add to
the list every time that I perform' to keep
consistency and the routine makes sense
(this was a subtlety added to by Peter
Turner). They place it into the pack - on top
of the force song. I just swing cut and have
them place it on, then put the lower packet
on top - retaining a break (so the song they
thought of is under your break). I then
control it to the top with a pass (you can
double undercut it or control by any means
you prefer). At some point, you need to
peek the song that they wrote down. I do
this in the action of miming shuffling
(palming it as I mime an over hand shuffle
to peek. After, I slip cut it so it goes to the
middle. The force song is still on top. I then
palm off the force song and hand the pack
to them to shuffle.
Next, talk about the wide variety of music in
the list and how there is a vast amount of
thoughts so random that they didn't come
from their mind. I include how it also
prevents them being influenced by me and
also prevents them just thinking of a
favourite song (I normally say cheekily how
they just did that with the song that they
thought of - therefore adding an additional
hit) . I also add that in a moment they are
going to select a song out to use - but
based on probability, it will not be the song
they thought of - it will be different.
Alternative forces:
I have also come up with a few alternative
forces that use the mobile phone to force
the song - as I know some of you may not
like using the card list.
ID:
So the first force I call ID for a reason you
will be able to tell in a moment. The force is
essentially using the music app on your
phone. You load it up and swipe through a
few songs, and stop when you get to the
song you want to force. Then go back one
(the music is playing like it is in the picture
below).
The sound is off so that you can't hear
what song is playing. You then turn the
phone over and have it face towards the
ground. The spectator moves forward a
song (so they can get the right position to
hit the screen) then you secretly lock the
phone! They do not know you have locked
it (so also ensure that the phone is on
silent so there is no sound when you lock
it). They keep tapping the screen to
supposedly cycle through the songs when
in reality they are just hitting the screen
and it is doing nothing. Then, when they
are done, you unlock the phone using
Touch ID (fingerprint recognition). You need
to set this up for the most natural finger
and natural position when you are holding
the phone face down for them to 'cycle
through'. My ring finger is best as it cannot
be seen pressing the button to unlock it so
I would calibrate it with my ring finger.
Unlock the phone with the Touch ID before
you show them the song - as you are
forcing it and the phone needs to be
unlocked before they look or the method is
revealed. This same technique can be
used to effectively force photos for a
remote viewing experience or something
similar! Clearly this can be adapted to
anything - contacts is one idea I'm playing
with to force a name and appearance of a
person!
Smart force:
I use the pebble watch as a way to force
the song. This is a hands off force where
they have hold of the phone.
You connect your pebble watch (or any
smart watch) to the phone and open the
music app on both. Then, find the force
song and go a few songs before it. They
now hold the phone and go through a few
songs, then hold it face down and continue
moving through. As they do this, you are
glimpsing at the pebble to find out what
song they are on. Every time they move
away from the force song, you press the
button to go back a song. They essentially
always end up on the force song as you
are controlling the phone through the
pebble. One technique for this, is to have
the pebble without the straps - so that it
can be easily palmed. This opens you out
to many discrete peeks when using the
pebble device!
Notifi-force:
This force uses the notifications tab on
iPhone. This may work on other phones -
so you'll have to check it - but the most
popular phone is iPhone anyway.
This method allows you to force anything
stored on their phone. Photos, Contacts,
Music, anything!
So you need to know what it is to reveal
after the force. So you pull up the force
information (if it is a contact you can have it
at the top of the screen and when you ask
them to remember the information, ask
them to remember whatever contact is at
the top), then pull down from the top of the
screen as you rotate the phone down from
your and their vision. This pulls the
notifications tab down. They can now swipe
and tap to their hearts content - but it will
do nothing! So when they stop, you just
ask them if they are sure, and as you do,
hit the home button (discretely - similar to
the ID force above). The notifications tab
then goes back up and the screen wouldn't
have changed behind it - effectively forcing
the information you need. The spectator
just needs your force song on their phone -
which you can find by a search in their
music player (under the guise of
commenting on their music library. For
example: "what's that one - never heard of
that. Ah I like that one. You have one of my
favourites." )
It is important that they actually see you
scrolling through a few songs or down the
contacts page or through a few photos first
so that the selection process seems as fair
as possible.
Ringtone Script:
“Whenever I demonstrate what I do for
people, I ask them to add something to a
list that I keep. Every time I perform I
always ask people to write down the title
and artist to a song. This is the list here. So
I would like you to add a song by writing it
down to add to my list.”
(Hand them a pen and blank business card
so that they can write down their song).
“I don't want to know what it is, in fact keep
it just for you - no one else. Keep it a secret
just for you so no one else knows. This
playlist of songs – created by those I
perform for – is going to be used. The
reason that I ask people to write a song for
this list is to ensure that I cannot
specifically influence someone to think of a
song –these are all random thoughts from
a vast amount of different people. So here
are a few that people have given:”
(Go through some of the songs in the list).
“So we will now add your song to the list.”
(Swing cut the deck so the card is replaced
on top of the force song. Then control it to
the top. Palm off and act as if you were to
hand the pack to someone).
“What I'm going to do in a moment is give
you this playlist and you are to shuffle it”
(Peek the song that they wrote down and
remember it. Then replace it on top of the
pack as you mime an over hand shuffle).
“Maybe a cut”
(Slip cut the top card (peeked card) to the
middle then palm off the force card as you
hand them the deck).
"In a moment, a song will be randomly
selected from the list. The song chosen
could be the one that you thought of,
however – based on probability – it will be
one that someone else thought of… But
this way it is fair as I can in no way
influence your thinking to go for a specific
song. If I were to ask you to name a song, I
could tell that you would go for a favourite
song”
(Pause to see if they react as they may
have done this at the very beginning)
“Or maybe one of those really overplayed
ones off of the radio. Doing it this way, the
decision is more random and there is no
way that I can know anything about the
song.”
(Take the pack from them and replace the
force song on to the top. Then force it in
anyway possible – even ask if they wish to
change their mind to emphasise fairness.
Then hand them the cards to shuffle).
“So you have randomly thought of a song
from this playlist of songs generated by a
multitude of different people. We are going
to step by step find out what this song is.
So firstly, please think of the artist…
Okay… This isn't a particularly busy
thought – so I would say that this is a very
small number of people… no just the one!
This is a solo artist. I'm also getting that
this is a female yes?”
(The force song here is ‘Beat It by Michael
Jackson’. They will reply no as it is a male).
“It's not?... Okay that is fine I was just
getting a feel of a high pitch and a figure
with long hair. I am also picking up on an
immense feeling of sadness surrounding
this artist. They had quite a controversial
life but this particular person had a very
successful career. The feeling of sadness
I'm struggling to get - do you know what
this could be linked with?”
(Let them tell you)
“That's it that makes sense now. Were you
a fan of this person?”
(Allow reply)
“Okay. Could you now please imagine the
initials written in the air – nice and bold for
me… That's good – a little bigger and
clearer though – block writing rather than
hand writing. That's better. I'm picking up
on two initials. The first – imagine saying it
over and over in your mind… Okay. And
the second… Okay. I'm picking up on an
‘m’. So this would be a name like max,
no… Mike, close - it's Michael yes?!”
(Allow reaction)
“So based on what I have discovered about
this artist that you are merely thinking of –
the sadness, the long hair and high pitch -
this would be Michael Jackson I believe?”
(Allow reaction/confirmation)
“That's great. Now for the song that you are
merely thinking of…Michael had an
amazing career and in the period of time
that he was alive he released a lot of
songs. Id like everyone here to think of a
different Michael Jackson song. Based on
probability – and the fact that you would all
have different music tastes – we are now
probably all thinking of a different one of
Michael's songs. Picking up on the song
myself could be difficult because if I have
never heard it – then I won't know the
song. So let us investigate something
different… Belief can make anything
possible. The only thing that made
Christmas magical for you was the belief in
it all - Father Christmas; flying reindeer;
elves who made your presents. When you
found out the truth - they was destroyed. I
think that shows how powerful belief can
be and we will use this power here. I am
going to ask all of you to believe something
for me now. What was the song that you
thought of?"
Note: I reframe to make it seem as if
they only thought of a song - the story
they tell others will be heightened that
way and it seems more incredible to
them when they remember it.
(Allow reply and repeat)
“Okay. You have my business cards there,
please ring my number on it. I'd like you all
to believe that you can somehow hear the
song – whether it be in your minds or out
loud. Hum it if you like. The ringing of the
phone will act as a distraction as there are
so many of us and the power of belief is
very strong but please pay attention to
everything that is going on and truly
believe. Collectively, we can do this.
(Wave over phone as they believe and then
allow reaction to finish completely. Step
back on back foot to relax).
“That just shows the true power of belief.
Now I am picking up on something rather
predominantly from you… You have proven
to be a great sender of the information and
I'm now picking up on something.
(Reveal song - as instructed above - then
smile. Allow reaction)
https://youtu.be/5E8GnUjMXRk
Bonus Ideas:
The following are bonus ideas that I have
come up with for this routine.
TOXIC force:
One idea I have had is to do the routine as
normal up until the reveal of the song
where they call your phone. I would do the
TOXIC force to get them to generate my
mobile number then call it (unknown to
them that it's my number). I then say
'Everyone has intuition and can do what I
do - so whoever is on the other end of this
Phone will reveal the song instead of me!'
My phone then rings and I employ the line
of 'It looks like your guys intuition payed off
here - not in my favour - but you generated
my phone number. Ok. Just focus on the
song'
I then wave over and change the song. I'll
then continue with the routine as before (go
on to the reveal of the song they 'thought
of' (wrote down).