Have you cracked the secret of the zig-zag bill magic trick Crack by Mickael Chatelain?
How the apparently split apart bi-fold bill could restore itself back in one single piece.
The effect of this banknote trick is similar to the popular Zig-Zag Girl stage illusion created by Robert Harbin.
Just like all the other zig-zag magic tricks, be it the splitting girl, banknote, or card, they seem to come apart, but they are still intact.
So how does this this Crack zig-zag note close up trick is done?
Welcome to another post of the Info Ruckus Magic Trick Secrets Revealed series.
I am going to explain the method of Mickael Chatelain trick and also the psychology behind it.
Like all my other magic exposé articles, I do not own or have seen the real prop.
They are solely based on my observations by viewing the video clips and analyzing the prop from website pictures.
In addition, I would accompany my explanation with supporting relevant pictures, illustrations and video snippets.
Effect:
Take a bill or a banknote, fold it in half lengthwise.
Next place two small flat plates on top of each other.
Slip the half-fold bill between the 2 plates.
Push it in, until it seems the end of edge of the bill comes out between the pair of plates.
Now slowly slide the bill upward and mysteriously it seems to split apart.
The protruded end of the bill remains at the bottom of the plates, while the rest of it moves to the top.
In short, visually the bill is cut into two separate parts.
Then slide the bill down to ‘join’ back the protruded end at the bottom of the plates.
Finally pull out the folded bill, between the two plates.
Unfold the banknote or bill to show it is still intact in one single piece.
Watch the demo video of the Crack by Mickael Chatelain:
Mickael Chatelain Crack Trick Secret Explained
Let’s explore and see whether my speculation of this zig-zag bill trick secret is correct.
Bill/Banknote Under Both Plates
For a start, the two-fold bill goes underneath both the plates, and not between them.
From this video, at 0:38, and then at 0:47 you can see the folded bill moves behind the pair of plates.
In other words, the folded bill is at the back of the two plates, and it is not linked to the short piece bill at the bottom.
Incidentally, the edited scene in the video using the 1000 Yen note is a false demo; it goes between the pair of plates at 0:43.
Two Separate Bills/Notes
Now we know they are two unconnected pieces: the actual bill and the short piece bill that comes out from the edge of the right plate.
Here are two visuals which confirmed Mickael Chatelain Crack trick uses two individual bills.
In Mickael’s demo video, the short ten Euro note piece has a stain-like mark (indicated), but not on the original note.
These pictures are captured from Ludovic Magic’s video, where the original bill has a creased corner (indicated), but not at the short piece.
Mickael Chatelain Crack Short Bill Single Layer
Here is another clue that the short bill at the bottom of the plates is a different piece by itself.
It appears the short separate bill piece that slips out from the edge of the top right plate is single layer, and not two-fold.
At the beginning of the video at 0:08, you can see the two layers of the folded bill.
But then that is not how the trick is supposed to be done; it’s an edited misleading demonstration to confuse and deceive the viewers.
It needs to be a thin piece, so that it is easier to come out from the narrow edge of the gimmick plate.
I think this is the opening slot where the short piece bill exits from.
Compare to the above picture, it is the same wood bark lines where the top part of the short bill is.
Now, let’s see how the Crack come apart-and-restored bill trick works.
Remember this is merely my assumption of this zig-zag trick.
Gimmick Plate Hidden Bill With Magnet
When they slide the bill and picture, there are jerking and pulling movements of the short bill and the girl’s head picture respectively.
I guess Mickael Chatelain Crack trick uses magnets.
You can see the abrupt motions in Mickael Chatelain’s demo video, at 0:31 and 0:47.
Similarly, they also occur in Ludovic’s video, at 0:38 and 0:48.
They are also seen in Magic Patagonia’s video clip at 0:30 and 0:40.
I believe the short piece of bill or picture has a magnet at one end, concealed inside the right plate, as illustrated below:
Crack Bill Fixed With Paper Clip
Probably the folded bill is embedded with a tiny paper clip, as shown below:
This is where the paper clip is embedded inside the ten Euro bill taken from Mickael’s demo video.
Here is another close-up view of the hidden paper-clip inside the note.
Likewise these are visuals of the gimmick bill captured from Ludovic Magic’s video clip.
When he is demonstrating at 0:23, the paper clip inside the bill got stuck momentarily between the plates.
By the way, the actual trick is the two-fold bill is supposed to be beneath the pair of plates.
For Magic Patagonia, the paper clip is concealed at the upper left arm of the bikini-clad girl picture.
All the paper clips are embedded just after the center of the bill.
Thereby it matches when the concealed bill coming out from the plate.
When they push in the bill or the picture under both plates, the metal paper clip attracts the magnet of the hidden bill/picture.
As a result, the concealed bill or picture is dragged out from the plate.
When they slide the folded bill or the picture upward, the short piece jerks abruptly because the magnetic pull.
There is also another magnet piece at the top of the right plate to hold the folded bill, so the performer can let his hand free.
It is an important part of the trick; to give the perception the folded bill is gripped between the two plates.
But the truth is, we know the bill or note is underneath the plates.
This is my view how Mickael Chatelain Crack trick works.
Mickael Chatelain Crack Zig-Zag Trick Psychology
This close up zig zag trick is a psychological puzzle.
They see it as one solid piece of bill or picture, and then it is disjointed, and rejoined back as one.
If the viewers do not know the method of the trick, it does not make sense.
In the demo video at 0:08, Mickael purposely places the folded USD 20 bill between two plates.
Then move the bill up and down the plates, as if that is how the trick is performed.
Then again at 0:41, when he pulls the 1000 Yen note from between the pair of plates.
As we know that is not how the Crack trick is actually performed.
It plays on the viewers’ perceptions and expectations.
Perception is how we interpret what happens, while expectation is what we anticipate will happen.
Our perception of the world is influenced by our expectations.
When these two states or acts do not align, we feel strange or surprised.
From the start, we see or perceive it as one single bill or banknote.
We expect the short bill at the left plate to move accordingly, because it is supposed to be from the bill.
Psychologically it is odd or magical for this case.
Gravity By Mickael Chatelain Trick Secret
Probably Mickael Chatelain’s Gravity levitation bill with a card trick uses the similar method.
The gimmick card with a concealed magnet, and the bill with a metal piece.
This is captured from the demo video:
The back of the gimmicked card:
This is where the metal piece is embedded.
DISCLAIMER: This post is only for informational purposes.