The

Influencer
*

Lewis Le Val
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prior written permission of the author.
The Influencer – Intellectual property of Lewis Le Val

Copyright © Lewis Le Val, All Rights Reserved.

 Hello!

Thank you for purchasing The Influencer. This ebook

contains 3 of my favourite effects to create the illusion of
influence over another person’s thoughts. Two of them
allow you to appear to influence your spectator’s
thoughts, and one allows your spectator to appear to
influence your thoughts.

The Influencer

Effect

Your spectator is given a prediction card to put in their

pocket. They are then asked to shuffle the deck or mixed it
in various ways. They name a number and you
immediately begin to deal the cards FACE UP. You could
even have the spectator deal the cards into your hand. The
card at the chosen number perfectly matches the
prediction card in the spectator’s pocket! The best part is,
your spectator can change their chosen number WHILST
THE CARDS ARE BEING DEALT! They can even randomly
call out STOP at any point, and the card will always be
exactly where they stop.

Explanation

Personally, I’ve always felt that the closer we get to the

cleanest card at any number, the more boring it becomes
for an audience. Ideally, we would have a spectator
shuffle the deck, then name a card and a number, they
deal to the number, and there is their card. But only
magicians/mentalists care about or realise the impossibility
of this outcome. For laymen it is not very entertaining. By
focusing more on the “why” and less on the “how”, we
can make the whole performance a lot more captivating.

I have made a video explanation of the handling and

method, but before you watch it, I would like to share my
script and presentation with you.

Script

“So I do a lot of paintings, mostly abstract. But after I

finish a painting, most of the time, I destroy it. I don't
really know why I do this. I guess I feel that once I have
expressed myself, then the painting no longer needs to
exist. Most of the time I do this, but the one thing I don't
destroy are the tools that I use to paint with. One tool I
use is playing cards instead of brushes to apply the paint
to the canvas. So it kind of connects my work with cards to
my work with art. I have one of these cards with me in my
wallet.”

I then remove a paint covered card from my wallet and

place it face down on the table or in the spectator’s hand
for them to put in their pocket.

“In a moment, I will get you to create something totally

unique, that will also be destroyed. So here, take this
deck of cards and shuffle them. Now, because of the
amount of combinations a deck of cards can be shuffled in
to, it is extremely unlikely that a deck of cards will ever be
shuffled into this exact order by anyone ever again. So
you have created something unique; a combination, an
order that will be destroyed the next time the deck is
shuffled, and never seen again. So with every painting I
do, I feel connected to it because I created it, and I am
influenced by the cards that I use. So let’s see if you have
a connection to what you have created, and if you are
influenced by the card in your pocket.

So there are 52 cards in the deck, I would like you to

name a number between 1 and 52. *Spectator names a
number* So we will deal the cards one at a time to that
number, and see which card you land on. But, if at any
point you change your mind, you can call out the word
stop, and the card that you stop at will be the card we
use. Ok? good. one… two… three…”
When you reach the number or the spectator says stop,
the very next face down card will be the card that matches
your prediction card.

The method was inspired by a force that was shown to me

a long time ago. This was the pick-up force by Tommy
Rozum. It was this that inspired me to begin loading face
down cards under face up cards, and also create a
variation of Tommy’s original force with a smoother
handling.

The story in the script is true, I do destroy most of the

paintings I do, but I use old credit cards to apply the paint
instead of playing cards. Feel free to use this presentation,
or create one that suits you better. I use a paint covered
card as my prediction card because it adds a nice visual
element to the routine and fits with the story. If you wish to
do this, I would recommend using acrylic paint on the
card. I have found this to be the best. Just make sure it is
dry before you put it in your wallet!

Sometimes spectators want to keep these cards after

seeing this routine, so if you are performing this at a gig,
have numerous painted cards with you in your bag. It can
also be a nice presentational point to give them the card
after the routine, as a reminder/souvenir. Don’t forget to
sign it for them!
Depending on your audience, you could keep your
prediction card face down until the end and use it as the
final reveal, or show it to your audience first and let the
card from the deck become the final reveal. By doing it
this way, you will build a good amount of suspense as you
deal the cards.

In the video, I will show you an extra idea for this routine
that Shaun Dunn from Penguin Magic added, which
involves having the spectator deal out the deck into two
piles. If you choose to do this, you can also say, along
with the above script:

“So I would like you to deal the deck face down into two
piles, but don't make them even. Deal a few cards here, a
few cards there, back and forth, make it random. When
you have done that with the whole deck and you have
decided where each card goes, I will shuffle both halves
together, and every card will fall into place to create a
brand new, unique order.”

Please watch the video now, and all of this will

make sense!

If you don't want to force a card or do any setup, you can

simply have the spectator shuffle the deck, then spread the
deck face up in your hands or on the table as you talk
about the new order they have created. Then just peek the
card that is second from the top and use that for the
routine, revealing it however you wish.

This routine also works very nicely with tarot cards.

Imagine the stories you can create to go with your
prediction card!

Le Secret Rouge

Effect

A number of words (or symbols, shapes, etc) is written on

your business card. You show these to a lady and ask her
to think of one. This is a completely free choice. After
explaining that her lipstick sees every word that passes her
lips, you borrow her lipstick and ask her to imagine saying
the word she thought of. You then allow your hand to be
guided by the lipstick and make a mark on the business
card. The lipstick is returned and the spectator announces
the word she thought of. You then turn the card around to
reveal that you marked her exact thought.

Explanation

As a big fan of swami gimmicks who never really uses

swami gimmicks, this was perfect for me. I came up with Le
Secret Rouge, The Red Secret, when I was developing my
“Read My Lips” system (a lady leaves a lipstick kiss on
your business card and you give them a personality
reading based on it). The Red Secret is a gimmickless
swami technique. It is completely impromptu and there is
no set up. All you need is a business card, a pen and a
borrowed lipstick. At gigs I carry a lipstick in my pocket
rather than borrowing one. I will explain more on this
later.

All you need to do is decide what you want on your

business card. For this example, I have chosen ESP
symbols, and I have added a heart and a triangle. I try to
keep the options that are most likely to be chosen, closer
to the left side of the card. You will see why in just a
moment.

The performance begins, you remove a business card and

a pen and begin to write down the options you would like
your spectator to choose from.
For example, something like this.

You then ask to borrow a lipstick. If nobody has one, you

can use your own, I will explain more on this later, but for
now let’s assume that somebody has one.

You explain that the lipstick they wear, sees every word
that passes their lips, and in some way, this object is
directly linked to their lips, that is what it was created for.
Then show them the business card and ask them to think of
one of the words/shapes/symbols etc.
Take the card back, hold it so that your spectator cannot
see the face of it, and ask them to just imagine saying the
word/shape/symbol they chose. Explain that you will
allow the lipstick to guide your hand to one of the words
or shapes, and you will leave a mark with it.

At this point, straighten out your thumb so that the tip of it

is not making contact with the card, like so;

Remove the cap from the lipstick and turn it until just over
half an inch of it is visible.
At this point, as you bring the tip of the lipstick to the card,
pretend to mark somewhere on the card, but do not
actually touch it with the lipstick. Instead, allow the tip of
your thumb to come into contact with the side of the
lipstick. You can even rotate the lipstick slightly to wipe a
small amount of it onto your thumb.
Now you can recap the lipstick and return it to its owner.
Be careful not to flash the card or the tip of your thumb,
which will now look like this;
You are now ready to ask the spectator to stop imagining
and for the first time, say their chosen thought out loud.

Whatever they say, immediately appear slightly surprised

and ask them why they thought of that. This will give you
enough time to secretly stamp their chosen thought with
the tip of your thumb.
Exaggerated here for clarity, you want to leave a small,
shapeless smudge on their chosen thought. You do not
even need to press hard, a gentle touch will do. You can
remove any fingerprint lines by smudging slightly as you
touch the card.

You can now table the card face down, or hand it to the
spectator whilst dropping your hand to your side, being
careful not to flash the tip of your thumb.
To clean up, I usually rub my thumb into my fingers. This
will not remove all the lipstick, but it will make the thumb
less suspicious looking.

Tips

If you are performing this at a gig and intend to do it

multiple times, you will not want to have one hand covered
in lipstick, so cut a thumb tip in half and keep this in your
pocket. Then you can put the thumb tip on for the effect,
which will sometimes give you an even better stamp on the
card, then ditch it in your pocket when you are done. I say
use half of a thumb tip (so a thumb tip tip) because a full
one may restrict the flexibility in your thumb which is
needed for this effect.

You only need a very small smudge. If you were to

actually mark the card with lipstick, it would look quite
different from what your thumb leaves. So by telling your
spectator that you will leave just a small mark as you do
not want to damage their lipstick, you will have justified
leaving a tiny mark that will look a lot more like the real
thing.

If you have stamped the card and you're not happy with
how it looks, ask your spectator to hold their hand out and
place the card in their palm face down with a small
amount of pressure. Talk for a few moments, then ask them
to look at the card. Now if there are any visible fingerprint
lines, It will just look like that was caused by your
spectator’s palm. I have only ever had to do this once, as
most of the time it looks just fine.

Sometimes people will not feel comfortable with letting

you use their lipstick as it is something that goes on their
lips, and for hygiene reasons, may not want anything else
to touch it. So before you begin performing this, make
sure somebody has a lipstick that they are willing to let
you use.

What if they don't have any Lipstick? What if your

spectators are all men? Well, use your own and change
the story slightly. At gigs, I remove a dark red lipstick from
my pocket and say, “This lipstick used to belong to a
fortune teller who believed she could speak the thoughts
of other people, but she could only do this after applying
lipstick. So inspired by her, I would like to try something.”
I then slightly raise the lipstick a bit closer to my mouth,
then pause, and begin smiling with hesitation. This usually
gets a great laugh. I then say, “So I’m not actually going
to put the lipstick on, even though some of you would like
me to! I will use this instead.” I then take out a business
card and continue with the effect as normal.

Using lipstick adds a nice contrast to any pens you use in

the rest of your set. When you use the lipstick, there will
be no doubt in anyone’s mind that you used anything else
but the lipstick.

After performing this, I let them keep the business card,

and sometimes put it in a nice black envelope for them.

I used to tell a story I made up about a group of women in

Paris in the 1920’s who would get together in secret, share
the same scarlet lipstick and sit up all night drinking wine,
also sharing their deepest, darkest secrets with each other.
It was said that if you kissed one of these women, their
lipstick would unlock their secret thoughts. I would then
make the routine about revealing a secret word chosen
from a list. So please feel free to take this presentation,
expand upon it and change it around to suit your
performances.
 Memory Call

Effect

Memory Call, or Memo Recall is the perfect, impromptu

mentalism effect for the next time a spectator asks, “Can I
film you do something?” They hit record, and you explain
that you will use a psychological technique to influence
them to choose a certain card in the deck. You deal the
cards and no matter where the spectator says stop, they
will land on the exact card you wanted them to. But did
they notice the subliminal message? Of course not. Luckily,
it’s on video! They now play the video back and clever
hidden in your words, they clearly hear you telling the
them which card to choose!

Explanation

This is situational mentalism with an extremely simple

method. It is performed when somebody asks you if they
can film something. Of course, if you like this then there is
nothing to stop you from asking a spectator to take out
their phone and start recording.

This is simply a script, followed by a force. Now please do

not think small method = small effect. Derren Brown used
something similar in the finale of a nationwide theatre tour
he did a number of years ago. Parts of the show would be
recorded and played back to the audience to show them
all of the hidden messages that he had been feeding them.

To set up, position the 4 of clubs second from the top of

the deck. You are now ready to use the force explained in
the video for The Influencer. If you are confident with a
second deal, you could put the 4 of clubs on top of the
deck, and second deal until the spectator says stop.

Now that the deck is set, I ask my spectator to start

filming. I then use the following script.
“In my home town, there are poker clubs, or groups of
people who get together and learn to play poker at a
very advanced level. Sometimes they invite me to go and
teach them certain psychological techniques that will
improve their gameplay. What I will show you now is a
technique that I choose for clubs that want to learn how to
secretly influence their opponents to pick certain cards in
the deck.”

All I need to do is slow down a little, and put emphasis on

the words, “choose for clubs” as it sounds like “choose
four clubs.” Now because you are not really trying to
force a card by doing this, you only need to focus on
making it clearly heard in the video. I sometimes even look
at the camera and wink as I say it. This of course will have
no real effect on the spectator, but when they watch the
video, they will think that this is exactly why they chose the
4 of clubs. People believe in this kind of thing, so use their
belief to fuel this effect.

Continue with the force, and when they say stop, say,
“Now you could have stopped anywhere in the deck, I
even gave you the option to change your mind, and now
you've ended up here. The card I was trying to influence
you to choose was the 4 of clubs. So turn the card over
and see what you got.” Let them look at the card and
make sure they show it to the camera. Then, “Now you
may not have felt like I was trying to influence you in any
way, but that is the point! Luckily, we have it on video. So
now watch the video and you will clearly hear me telling
you to choose the 4 of clubs!”

For you, the reader, this may seem a bit too obvious. But
when you are there in the moment, with an audience who
doesn't know what to expect, they will not notice what
you've said until you point it out in the video. Try it, I know
you'll love it!

With some thought, you could build a script around other

cards too, but I always stick with this one as I have used it
so many times, I feel like I’m actually telling the truth when
I say it, even though I made it all up.

There is also a chance that they could actually just name

the 4 of clubs before you force it. So if you are willing to
take that chance, before you force the card, you could
say, “So could you just name a random card out loud for
me?” If they say the 4 of clubs, winner winner chicken
dinner! You could end the effect there, or continue to force
the 4 of clubs with the deck and get two strong reveals.
They've chosen the card that they named and also named
the card that you secretly told them to.

If they don't name the 4 of clubs, just quickly and casually

follow with, “Excellent and that’s a random choice. But
now I will try and influence you to choose the card that I
want you to choose.” Then continue with the force.

I was going to include an audio recording with this

download, of me saying the script exactly as I do during
performances, but I do not feel it is needed as everyone
speaks in their own way and might say things very
differently from the way I do. However, if you feel it would
help, please feel free to contact me and I will send a
recording to you.

End

Thank you again for supporting my work, I really hope

you enjoy these effects and put them to good use!

Until next time,

Lewis Le Val.
2017.

Thank you
Tommy Rozum
Shaun Dunn
Branden Wolf
Nicholas Lawrence
Dee Christopher
Lilja-Alexandra

& Thank you reader.