Do you want to leap into the Super Hole by Mickael Chatelain and come up with how the transfomation magic trick is done?
I do not possess or have even seen the real prop, this is just my view how this closeup trick is done.
In other words, I am in the dark about the actual method of this mysterious black hole card trick.
I could be jumping into the wrong conclusion.
Anyway, let’s jump in and take a shot in the dark, and hopefully to find the way out of the dark secret of this self-working magic trick.
Effect:
Show an empty deck case, then get a small black disk about the size of a 2 euro coin.
Place the black disk onto the deck case.
Mysteriously, the solid black disk apparently transforms into a black hole.
To prove it is now an actual hole on the deck case, you insert your index finger right into it.
And what’s more, you borrow a coin from your spectator and you drop it into the black hole.
Then you shake the case or box and there is a rattling sound inside it.
You open the box and pour out the coin onto your spectator’s palm.
To end the act, you magically change the black hole in the deck case back to the solid flat black disk.
Watch French magician Mickael Chatelain demonstrates his creation the Super Hole:
One vitriolic comment reads:
Terrible this gimmick is…it is visually stunning for sure watching the trailer and that’s it….the only way the switch works is if I close my eyes and cant see it and the switch is done…if I put ear plugs in there is no noise… can’t perform on a video or in front of someone…I wasted my $$ on this and since I wasted my $$ I actually threw it in the garbage…my review is harsh but it is what it is ..JUNK
Basically most of them complaint the noise issue and the switch from the black disk to the actual hole is too visible.
In addition, the visibility of the crease line on the box.
If my guess how the Super Hole by Mickael Chatelain trick is done is correct, then I agree there should be noise problem made by the gimmick.
I will explain it below.
Super Hole By Mickael Chatelain Secret
By just viewing the Mickael Chatelain’s demo video, I suspected there is a concealed flap and a real hole in the playing card box.
I reckoned there is a hidden flap on the box, by the way Mickael Chatelain’s thumb gripping tightly onto the box at the beginning of the video.
The flap is hinged at the middle of the box, and attached with elastic threads, as illustrated below.
He has to discreetly release the flap by lifting up his thumb, thus revealing the real hole in the box.
The black disk is now hidden behind the flipped up flap on top of the box.
In Mickael Chatelain’s demo video, you would not be able to see the swift flipping action, in three occasions.
The first time he hides it under the guise of showing the coin to the viewers at 0:19.
The second time is at 0:58, when he uses his right hand movement to distract your attention when the flap flips up.
Anyway, focus your attention at the ball of his left thumb, you can see it momentarily lifts up from the edge of the box, and that’s when he releases the flap.
You also notice the red color of the box changes to a lighter shade when he waves his hand over it, as pictured below.
It is because there is a quick movement of the upturned flap.
The third one is at 1:20, which you cannot see it completely, because the camera pans out from the playing card box.
But I managed to caught glimpse of the flap from Ludovic Vlln Magie video clip, at 0:24 and 0:28.
The problem with the loud noise, which buyers are grumbling about (no pun intended) is because of the snapping sound made by the elastic thread-attached flap.
It is loud because it is an empty box, and furthermore it has a hole in it.
To create the black hole in the deck case or box, the inner wall facing it, is either colored or pasted it with a black card.
It uses the popular Black Art principle in magic tricks.
Black Art is a principle where anything painted black cannot be seen when placed against a black background.
It is a black-on-black method of disguise.
Square Circle & Black Art Principle
One good example which uses the Black Art principle is the classic Square Circle production box.
The Square Circle prop is one of most versatile production device used in magic tricks.
Here is one example in this 1985 magic book.
You can read/download this free e-book from any of the links below.
The Magic Handbook By Peter Eldin
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
*This book is also available in Z-Library.
Here are two free books you can read about the Black Art principle.
No doubt Super Hole has its shortcomings, but I would say this is another one Mickael Chatelain’s ingenious ideas.
It uses simple principles, but the magical effect is visually impressive.
This is just my opinion how the Super Hole by Mickael Chatelain transformation effect is done.
Updated: After I have written this post, I came across this Super Hole video clip in YouTube, which probably is from his merchandise.
Related: This is another one of his HOLE tricks.
I suspected how this penetration trick is done when I noticed the gimmick from the interview of Mickael Chatelain with Dan Harlan video in Penguin Magic site.
I caught sight of the extra piece on the card, when Chatelain pastes the round label sticker on it.
His left hand middle finger pushes the back of the card, to support the pasting of the sticker, thus exposing the gimmick, as seen below.
First I though it was a hidden slit on the card where the other card could slip through.
After I did a few mock-ups, I deduced it could be an extra piece short piece of card magnetically attached on top of the main card. (see below)
And at the edge of the main card, in the middle it has a concealed semi-circle cut-out.
You can see the edge of the cut-out from the video.
The purpose of the semi-circle cut-out is to avoid the round sticker from sticking onto the main card.
As you can see from below, it appears the sticker is adhered to the King of Diamonds card.
The round sticker is actually pasted onto the attached extra gimmick piece, and not on the main card.
As you can see from the image below, the card actually slips through between the main card and the short piece card which attached onto it with magnets.
The sticker is actually above the penetrating card.
I keep seeing his hand holding tight onto that magnetized part of the gaff card.
To further confirm my guess is correct, I noticed he has slight difficulty slotting the card into that gimmicked part at 1:06 in this demo video.
This is what I think is the secret of the HOLE by Mickael Chatelain.
Switchbox By Mickael Chatelain Revealed
This is a tutorial video by Mickael Chatelain explaining his “Switchbox” trick found in YouTube.
Related: PIC By Mickael Chatelain Revealed
This is what I believe is the secret of the nail through card penetration trick by Mickael Chatelain.
Watch the video of PIC/Nail Through Card trick below:
Both of these closeup tricks do not use any flap.
According to PIC by Mickael Chatelain ad, it says:
…the card is unbroken ! No Hole ! NOTHING !! like new !Show the card back and front, this is a totally regular playing card !
Here are two visuals captured from the video, where you can see the round hole mark clearly on the back of the card.
At the end of the demo, you can see the same round hole spot again.
At both occasions when he pushes in and pulls out the nail, he uses his middle and fourth fingers to block that spot of the card.
Again during that two instances, you can see the movement of his left thumb.
It is most probably sliding the gimmick inside the card, like this classic Penetration Frame.
There is a small round hole in the card itself, and it is blocked by the gimmick inside it.
The middle Diamond symbol of the card is a cut-out, and this is where he uses his thumb to slide the gimmick to open and hide the hole.
This is what I reckon how the PIC gimmick card looks like as illustrated below.
Mickael Chatelain Cigarette Through Card Trick Secret
By viewing the Cigarette Through Card demo video clip, I guess the method could be the same as the nail through card trick aka PIC.
This is the demo video of Cigarette Through Card by Mickael Chatelain:
I noticed in the demo, Mickael does not show the face of the card with the penetrating cigarette.
He just displays the back and the side view of the card.
The only time he holds up the face of the card is when the cigarette has taken out from the hole.
Because of this routine, I surmise the secret of this “Cigarette Through Card“ trick is probably the same as “PIC or Nail Through Card“.
The hidden hole is at the cut-out card symbol.
If you show the face of the card with the cigarette through it, the secret would be clearly seen.
Watch the middle finger under the card (Ten of Diamonds) sliding the gimmick at 0:48 to open the hole and at 1:08. to close it up.
Again you can see his middle finger manipulating the gimmick under the card (Three of Spades) at 1:23 and at 1:32.
This is the Ten of Diamonds card from the video clip, where you can see the irregular cut-out edge of the Diamond symbol.
This is the ragged edges of the cut-outs of the Three of Spades symbol below.
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