COMPLETE METHOD /ND PRESENTATION! “The $100 BILLET CATCH is both magical and funny. Tf you begin the routine with a ot of energy, even subtle jokes will get a big response. Start the laughter rolling the moment you step on sfage, and then Keep it going until the very end. Along with the laughs, build na little drama. With the proper amount of suspense and anticipation, the audience wil jump in their seats when the balloon pops! First, you have to select a spectator with $100 bill T can tell you, over the years, because of credit cards and a flictuating economy, it is getting difficult to find someone witha $100 bill. If Franklin is scarce, ary denomination of bill wll work for the START HERE! In-the-honds closeup magic has always been trick (foreign currency works too, though folks may be unwiling to sign it). A $100 bill is ‘ny comfort zone. When I first started working professionally, best, as its value and importance is instantly recognized - plus the jokes are better! T would get nervous when asked to perform on stage. Not because of stage fright per se, but because I felt like my stage Once the bill is signed, you have to load it into the “gun.” Openly, and in front of the material wasn't as strong as my eleseup repertoire. Over the audience, fold the bill in half. Then in haf again. In half again. In half agai, And in half ‘years, T solved the problem by creating tricks for the stage again. Fold it in half five times total, which means to fold it im 32nds. It is quite small That allow me 10 perform for large groups using nothing more and needs t2 be kept in full vew (large audiences are suspicious of small things), Have than closeup techniques. The $100 BILLET CATCH is one of the spectator who is on stage with you, close their second, third and forth fingers, Those tricks, It's dirt-simple and easy to do, providing the leaving their first finger extended and their thumb streight up inthe air like a gun (the perfect opportunity for you to explore a large, ever-the-top "hand gun position) presentation. Instead of covering the stage with your props, fill the theatre with your personality! {ip the billet between your first and second finger of your right hand at the fingertips ‘Toke hold of the spectator's “hand gun" with your left hand, and openly stick the billet {TNE EFFECT! A spectator with a $100 bill i chosen from the into the fist-port of the “gun.” (FIGURE 2) The moment the spectator sees/feels the dudience He or she signs their bill and the magician loads it billet go into ther fist, bend your fingers inward and into thumb palm (FIGURE 3 & 4). inte a ‘hand gun® (the spectator's hand held ike @ gun). The replacing the bill in their fist with your first finger (FIGURE 5) Push aginst the Gjectotor, now cemed. cocks the gun and cims (fat the spectato's closed fingers with your let thumb as you insert your first finger into their revnan's face twenty feet ccross the stage. The mesicion fist, simulating the bil. Then remove your finger, twisting it «quarter turn ond pushing inflates ¢ balloon and holds it in his teeth. After a dramatic tightly one last time with your left thumb. moment of pause, the “yun” is “fired” and the belloon pops! ‘There, wrapped in a few shards of balloon still held in the FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3 ‘magician's teeth, is the spectater's signed $100 billl The Spectator opens the gun chamber - their hand - and the $100 bill they were holding is gore! ‘THE METHOD (WN A NUTSHAL In reality, the magician never puts the bill n the spectator’s hand, The magician actully uses {method that makes the spectator think they are holding the bill in their hond, when the Bill is really in the magician’'s pocket, fed into the mouth of a ballaon. The magician inflates the balloon ard holds it between his teeth, covering his ears with the index finger on each hand. Out of view from the ‘audience, he is secretly holding a thumbtack next to the balloon, When the spectator yells bang, the magician pops the balloon and is left holding the bill between his teeth (wrapped in shards of the balloon £0 the bill never touches your mouth directly), When the spectator opens their hand, the bill is gone! ‘The magician drops the bill from his mouth onto a table. The. spectator opens it ard reveals their signature! [SETUP Pull abelloon through the round copper tube, stopping when the mouth reaches the top of the tube (FIGURE 1). Roll ‘the mouth of the balloon over the end of the tube and place it in your pocket or FLGURE1 | in an open closeup case on stage, freely accessible. ‘The tube makes it easy to insert a billet into the mouth of a balloon, TF you ore working from a closeup case, a big pocket or are just generally already ‘adept at inserting @ billet into a bolloon, you may find the gimmick unnecessary. Hide the ‘thunbtack somewhere so you can get to it later in the routine. “That slight squeeze with your left thumb, for lack of a better term, cramps the specta: tor fingers, making it difficult for them to tell if there is anything in their hand, Tell them to keep their hand closed tight, Make sure I can't get the bill out of your hand. That's my last hundred and I want fo make sure nothing happens to it." Otherwise, they ‘may loosen their grip to see f they can feel the billet in their hand for sure. Some magicians may consider that a “gutsy” move. But it is no more gutsy than any umber of other sights found in the average Sponge Bal routine. While some spectators may be aware there is nothing in their hand, they are either too nervous or too polite to mention it cloud (F cite an endless number of Hypresis routines). Occasionally, however, specially when performing for a small group, the spectator may say, "You dicn’t really put the billn my hand"Tf this happens, show the bill and say, “Very good! That was justPERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS ¢ ONE LINERS! “One of the mest fomave magic tricks in the word i the legendary Bullet Catch That's where abulle?s signed, leaded into a gun, and shot foward the mogicien. He magical catches it his feet Very mores: Sie very dangeraus, Iam here today fo recreate the famous Bullet Catch lesion mith 100% less death. 90% less bullets. 0% less gum ut there wil bea signature and you will get fo see my tt “They say George Weshington threw a dolla acrass the Potomac iver Sounds impressive but remember =a dollar went alot forther in tore wos” “Magicians hove performed the Bullet Catch for years. Everyone ie afraid ofa bullet. 1? was the mast frghtening ting around back then ‘ut now dys, money goes so fost its scary?” ‘Magicians refer to small peces of paper, such as foléed wp bill. 2s billets Se ladles and gentiemen, ts is the famous $100 BILLET caren ‘Rist, let me see your bill Wa! A one-hundred delle bill have ony ever heard of these before” Lekirg at it eesely, "Ths will work ‘perfect foro Bilet Catch, sos here ethel fender Oh wat it Says lego tender tld you thi trek was eg "You know «guy once tipped mea one-hundred dlr bil sidf that the 9p. fake the rest of Yoo™ “A one-hundred dol bills hard to come by. The government treasures them" “Theor money torte of mint Swffing the money on both sides, “They soy money is city, but I can tellyours was leundered” When folding the bil, “Don't wary about wrinkling your cach, this ie folang money" “They sy. the reason Beriamin Frankin is the ony face on money who is emi is becouse he nce sar? enough to never become presiden? ut that's not true. He's smiling because wher he posed forthe money shot the artist eked him with 2 soF# brush” “Sir, do you know how to make a hond gn” Show the spectator your hand in gun poston, ‘Perfect Yau ane armed Trust me, Yeu can? do thar without arms" "H's nor polite fo point, but arguably, shooting someone inthe face is even ruer. OF course, being rude isnt agains? the lw. “In the old dys ofthe Bullet Cotch, magicians used a wtermeln inthe middle of the stage t2 prove the Bullet realy shot from the gun However I cov’ ind an nfletble watermelon, 0 wee going 1 se (balloon instead Pls Added benefit. There are no seeds na balloon.” When blowing wp the ballon, “Ths is the scariest part,” between breaths, “especially now cys inflation When you frst put the balloon in your mouth, “The only thing that protects me from your money is his balloon. Ualy, my Wide” Whomever yu ike (wife, husband, government), “are wha? gets berween ‘ne and money,” “Toke the balan cut of yeur mouth, “New, want you fo yell BANE!" Wait fort. spectator yell BANS! "on the count of three, That's okey, jur pullback on your thunb ard mel do again ut the balloon back n your mouth and maton with your fingers, “One. Tee. Thre!” “The spectator yels BANG! and the balloon pops. The money i left between your teeth, wrapped i shards of balloon Munble, "New that's fast money ‘After dropping the bile onthe plat o tbl, “Si, wl yeu plese open ‘your han? The bullets gore!..and your gun fell opar.* [At the end of the tick, "You know, sr, you popped my boloon. TF you (ge me that nce wel alt even ‘SPECIAL THANKS TO GERALD KIRCHNER FOR THE COVER IDEA. (COPYRIGHT © 2012 by AARON SMITH. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ‘WWW MAGIC ORG and WWW MRGADFLY.COM @ fest, Let's do this again” Repeat the same move as before, but whisper to your ‘spectator, "Go along with this please."Tt doesn't weaken the routine at all In fact, this wil strengthen the routine for the audience, at they trust you and the spectator even more than before ALTERNATIVE LOAD: The move just described is the strongest method in my ‘pinion, but T did come up with an alternative loading procedure along the way. T will share it with you here and you can use whichever method you feel most ‘comfortable performing, You need a small (playing card size) payment envelope with a Thumbtip inside. Ask ‘the spectator ta fold their $100 bil in haf five times, as above (instruct them to fold itn half and in half again, ete), and then hold up the payment envelope so they can drop the bill inside, Tf you hold the envelope correctly, the bill wil naturally fall into the Thumbtip, Az you lick the envelope to close it, steal the Thumbtip with ‘your thumb, Fold the envelope a couple of times and toss it to the spectator to load Into their *hand gun." At the very end of the routine, ask the spectator to rip the. envelope open to make sure thei bills gone. It's an extra step, but almost as good, Regardless of which loading procedure you choose, the next step is the same. Reach into ‘your pecket or cleseup case and lead the bill inside the ballon: simply push the bill into the opening of the tube and roll the mouth of the balloon off the gimmick to release it. Remove the gimmick from the balloon, and then bring the balloon from your pocket, In the begining, you may have difficulty removing the balloon from the gimmick. TF you ‘absolutely must, you can take the balloon out of your pocket with the gimmick still around its neck, The copper matches skin color just enough to buy you the time to remove the gimmick using both hands - then ditch the gimmick back in your pocket. Blow up the balloon about halfway - over inflating makes for a louder, more dramatic bang, but remember, the balloon is popping right in front of your face, likewise, under inflating the ballon leaves it in one big piece after the pop, hiding the billet from instant view - halfway is the compromise. After it's inflated, hold the balloon by the bill inside. ‘the neck, and tie a knot in the mouth, The knot will hold the bill in place ard you can freely handle the balloon, Put on your safety gogoles (sold separately). Put the mouth of the balloon between your ‘teeth and bite down on the billet. Have the spectator point their "hand gun" at the balloon. Secretly obtain the thumbtack with your left hand. Stand profile to the ‘audience, with your right side facing them, Plug your ears with your fingers, secretly holding the thumbtack with your left hand (FIGURE 6), Tilt your body (mastly your head) slightly at an angle ancy from the spectator on stage, so they cannot see the thumbtack, Tf they do, itis no big deal (spectators on stage will go along with just about anything as long az you are nice to them). When your spectator yells, "BANS" pop the balloon with ‘the thumbtack, If the balloon doesn’t pop first try, you can use any one of a number of jokes to get your spectatar to yell "BANE again (Once the balloon pops, point towards the shards of balloon in your mouth (FIGURE 7), ‘The shards may cover the billa bit, concealing it from immediate view. Turn towords the ‘audience and point out the billet in your teeth, Drop the billet (still wrapped in belloon) onto a plate or table. Step back. Have the spectator open their hand to show it empty, ‘then ask them to unfold the billet and reveal their signature to the audiencel MW WARITENG 1! WEAR EYE PROTECTION, SUCH AS SAFETY GOGGLES, WHEN POPPING THE BALLOON NEAR YOUR FACE. COVER YOUR EARS WITH YOUR FINGERS, AS LOUD NOISES CAN DAMAGE YOUR EARDRUMS. HOLD THE SILL TIGHTLY BETWEEN YOUR TEETH AND DO NOT SWALLOW IT. DO NOT OVER- INFLATE THE BALLOON. KEEP BALLOONS AND BALLOON PIECES AWAY FROM ‘CHILDREN AND ANIMALS AT ALL TEMES!