Thin Air Vanish
The magician displays an object in her hand then throws the object up into the air where it promptly disappears.
Last Place Vanish
The magician tosses an object back and forth between the hands. Finally the fingers of one hand close around the object. After a moment of suitable contemplation, that hand is reopened to show the object has disappeared.
Shuffle And Gone Vanish
An object is tossed back and forth between the hands. At some point the hand that is the current recipient of the object tosses it into the air where the object immediately vanishes.
The Acquitement
The requirements for this type of vanish are facility with palming, an object that can be palmed and the ability to play the part of a magician.
This vanish is all pretense. Thus the performer must learn to properly pretend that what he wants the audience to think they are seeing is what they are seeing.
This is where that oft-used word misdirection proves inadequate and it becomes obvious that the true task of performer is to conduct the attention of the audience so they can momentarily accept the play as reality.
The ball is tossed from the hands up into the air, the magician following the path of the ball with head and eye movement. The ball is caught between the hands then tossed up again.
On the third toss the ball suddenly seems to vanish as it flies upward, the magician stopping all motion to stare up at the point of disappearance.
In fact, the ball is retained in the down stage hand to effect the vanish. But the audience is convinced it has vanished in mid-air.
The Last Place Vanish, not being as visually abrupt in the transition from truth to fiction, allows the use of almost any type of finger retaining hold such as the finger palm.
The Shuffle And Gone Vanish combines the back and forth rhythms of the Last Place Vanish with the illusive, away from the body disappearance of the Thin Air Vanish. In its mechanics it puts the performer one hand ahead at the moment of vanish.
Toss Timing
The toss vanish differs from other manipulations in that it is a sleight where timing is more important than technique. In fact, with the proper timing, minimal technique is needed. In other words, the performer's primary responsibility is to act out the vanish convincingly.
There is a moment in the toss vanish where reality (the tossing of the object in the air or between the hands) is replaced by a simulation (the object is retired from view, but the tossing continues.) The performer creates the illusion of tossing the object into nothingness by making it impossible for the spectator to discern any change in the proceedings until the final, impossible moment when the object is gone.
There is also the curious phenomenon that the spectators complete the illusion for the performer. Spectators may be wary of the premise of magic, but they are not critical of any particular action performed unless they consider the action unusual.
The performer, maintaining the rhythm and tempo as the effect is played out, accustoms the spectators to the event. So if the event does not appear to have changed, the spectators presume that they are observing and waiting for something that is about to happen rather than something that already has.
Sequence
Generally an object is secretly palmed for eventual production or to take it out of play. This necessitates the palming hand not have the focus of attention. In performing a toss vanish, there is a moment when the object seems to have disappeared and it is during that moment that the palming hand should be given the focus as it reaches for another object or otherwise performs some action. If the opposite, empty hand is given the focus, the palming hand will be immediately suspect.
The magician displays an object in her hand then throws the object up into the air where it promptly disappears.Last Place Vanish
The magician tosses an object back and forth between the hands. Finally the fingers of one hand close around the object. After a moment of suitable contemplation, that hand is reopened to show the object has disappeared.
Shuffle And Gone Vanish
An object is tossed back and forth between the hands. At some point the hand that is the current recipient of the object tosses it into the air where the object immediately vanishes.
The Acquitement
The requirements for this type of vanish are facility with palming, an object that can be palmed and the ability to play the part of a magician.
This vanish is all pretense. Thus the performer must learn to properly pretend that what he wants the audience to think they are seeing is what they are seeing.
This is where that oft-used word misdirection proves inadequate and it becomes obvious that the true task of performer is to conduct the attention of the audience so they can momentarily accept the play as reality.
Toss Mechanics
Every toss vanish requires the performer to conceal the object in the hand. Normally a finger palm or classic palm is used, the particular palm depending on the size and shape of the object and the effect desired.
The Thin Air Vanish normally requires a classic palm since a necessary part of the illusion is a moment when, the arms raised upwards, the fingers are seen outstretched and spread apart.
The Thin Air Vanish normally requires a classic palm since a necessary part of the illusion is a moment when, the arms raised upwards, the fingers are seen outstretched and spread apart.
The ball is tossed from the hands up into the air, the magician following the path of the ball with head and eye movement. The ball is caught between the hands then tossed up again.On the third toss the ball suddenly seems to vanish as it flies upward, the magician stopping all motion to stare up at the point of disappearance.
In fact, the ball is retained in the down stage hand to effect the vanish. But the audience is convinced it has vanished in mid-air.
The Last Place Vanish, not being as visually abrupt in the transition from truth to fiction, allows the use of almost any type of finger retaining hold such as the finger palm.
The Shuffle And Gone Vanish combines the back and forth rhythms of the Last Place Vanish with the illusive, away from the body disappearance of the Thin Air Vanish. In its mechanics it puts the performer one hand ahead at the moment of vanish.
Toss Timing
The toss vanish differs from other manipulations in that it is a sleight where timing is more important than technique. In fact, with the proper timing, minimal technique is needed. In other words, the performer's primary responsibility is to act out the vanish convincingly.
There is a moment in the toss vanish where reality (the tossing of the object in the air or between the hands) is replaced by a simulation (the object is retired from view, but the tossing continues.) The performer creates the illusion of tossing the object into nothingness by making it impossible for the spectator to discern any change in the proceedings until the final, impossible moment when the object is gone.
There is also the curious phenomenon that the spectators complete the illusion for the performer. Spectators may be wary of the premise of magic, but they are not critical of any particular action performed unless they consider the action unusual.
The performer, maintaining the rhythm and tempo as the effect is played out, accustoms the spectators to the event. So if the event does not appear to have changed, the spectators presume that they are observing and waiting for something that is about to happen rather than something that already has.
Sequence
Generally an object is secretly palmed for eventual production or to take it out of play. This necessitates the palming hand not have the focus of attention. In performing a toss vanish, there is a moment when the object seems to have disappeared and it is during that moment that the palming hand should be given the focus as it reaches for another object or otherwise performs some action. If the opposite, empty hand is given the focus, the palming hand will be immediately suspect.
By Richard Robinson
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