Wayne Houchin - A Single Needle
Category
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CreativityTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:10 Magic challenges the assumptions that we have about what is or isn't possible.
00:15 And I find shock magic particularly interesting because it affects a unique
00:19 range of emotions.
00:20 Now in the next few minutes,
00:21 I'm going to share with you the result of an obsession of mine.
00:24 It's a new take on the classic needle swallowing effect.
00:28 A bizarre performance piece I call a single needle.
00:31 Welcome.
00:32 [MUSIC]
00:42 [MUSIC]
00:52 [MUSIC]
01:02 Chico, California.
01:15 I grew up here.
01:16 It's a small town north of San Francisco populated by an eclectic mix of college
01:20 students, farmers, and artists.
01:23 I learned at a young age how powerful magic can be in a small town.
01:26 [MUSIC]
01:28 Later on tonight, I've invited a small audience right here to a place called
01:32 Monks, a popular wine bar and lounge in the heart of downtown Chico.
01:35 We're going to enjoy a glass of wine, maybe three.
01:38 And if all goes well, a special dessert.
01:40 [MUSIC]
01:50 [APPLAUSE]
01:58 Thank you.
01:59 [APPLAUSE]
02:00 Thank you very much.
02:01 [APPLAUSE]
02:02 Thank you so much for joining me here tonight.
02:04 Tonight, I'm going to show you something that I find, well, strange.
02:09 But in order to do this, I need someone to help out.
02:10 What's your name?
02:11 [MUSIC]
02:13 >> Angela.
02:13 >> Angela? >> Yeah.
02:14 >> Would you be willing to help?
02:15 >> Of course. >> Let's give Angela a round of applause.
02:16 >> [APPLAUSE]
02:17 >> Come on up.
02:18 You can set your wine down there.
02:20 I have a very important question to ask you.
02:23 Your answer to this question will determine whether or not this trick will work.
02:26 So no pressure.
02:29 >> Okay.
02:29 >> Do you like cherries?
02:33 >> Yes.
02:34 >> Good news.
02:35 >> [LAUGH] >> We can do the trick.
02:39 That was the correct answer.
02:40 Thank you.
02:41 I have some cherries here.
02:43 I'm going to take a couple.
02:44 You take a couple also.
02:45 And we're going to hold one in each hand.
02:49 And I just want you to do what I do.
02:52 All right?
02:54 So the first cherry.
02:55 A little more enthusiasm.
02:59 >> I'm not pulling this out of my eye.
03:02 >> [LAUGH]
03:05 >> You won't have to.
03:06 Bon appetit.
03:07 [MUSIC]
03:13 Mm, very good.
03:15 The second cherry.
03:16 [COUGH]
03:17 Let's try that again, Angela.
03:21 >> [LAUGH]
03:23 >> Very good.
03:24 >> [LAUGH]
03:26 >> Here we go.
03:30 This one we just wet.
03:31 >> [LAUGH]
03:34 >> Oh, you're good.
03:36 You're good.
03:37 You're good. I'm just joking.
03:38 We are going to eat it.
03:39 >> [LAUGH]
03:42 >> What's important are the stems.
03:44 We're going to leave the stems sticking out like this.
03:45 [MUSIC]
03:50 Perfect.
03:50 Come here.
03:52 Is this not the strangest thing you've done today?
03:55 >> [LAUGH]
03:56 >> Yeah.
03:56 [MUSIC]
04:00 Mm.
04:01 >> It's like nothing.
04:01 >> Mm.
04:02 [MUSIC]
04:10 >> [LAUGH]
04:13 >> Tying two cherry stems into a knot is difficult.
04:15 Tonight though, I'm going to try something a little bit more complicated.
04:20 [MUSIC]
04:30 Stuck inside of this cherry are 40 very real and very sharp sewing needles.
04:38 You don't have to eat this cherry.
04:41 >> I wouldn't.
04:42 >> [LAUGH]
04:43 >> Very carefully, I want you to reach in there and pull one of those out.
04:46 Take a look at it.
04:50 It is real.
04:51 It is sharp.
04:51 >> Yeah.
04:52 >> I also have some string.
04:54 [MUSIC]
05:00 In a minute, I'm going to ask you to take that needle and place it on my tongue.
05:06 Notice I did not say in my tongue.
05:09 >> [LAUGH]
05:11 >> That's a different trick.
05:12 I don't do that one.
05:13 >> [LAUGH]
05:16 >> Can you do that for me?
05:17 Are you comfortable just laying that right on my tongue?
05:19 >> Yeah, does it matter which way?
05:21 >> It doesn't matter which way, just not down.
05:22 >> Okay, we're good.
05:24 >> Okay.
05:24 >> I got you.
05:26 >> Take a deep breath.
05:26 [MUSIC]
05:32 That was fast.
05:32 >> [LAUGH]
05:36 >> Let's just, let's take a deeper breath.
05:37 >> [LAUGH]
05:39 [MUSIC]
05:49 >> Nothing in the glass but water and cucumber.
06:06 >> Yeah.
06:08 >> I know this is strange, but I want you to look on top of my tongue.
06:10 Look in the very back, by the little.
06:14 >> Is it the dentist right there?
06:17 >> The what?
06:18 >> The dingly thing.
06:20 That's the dingly thing.
06:21 >> [LAUGH]
06:21 >> Look at the roof.
06:22 >> Okay.
06:24 >> Beneath.
06:24 >> Okay. >> The gums, gone.
06:28 >> Yeah, there's no needle.
06:29 >> It gets a little bit easier.
06:31 Sewing thread.
06:32 Are you right handed or left handed?
06:34 >> Right.
06:34 >> Hold out your, your finger just like this.
06:36 I'm going to wrap this right around your finger.
06:39 Not too tight though.
06:40 That's not too tight, is it?
06:41 >> No, it's fine.
06:41 >> Okay.
06:42 Hold it just like that.
06:43 Have you ever been fishing before?
06:46 >> Yes.
06:47 >> Good.
06:48 >> [LAUGH]
06:51 >> Hold it just like this.
06:52 Don't move.
06:52 [MUSIC]
07:02 [LAUGH]
07:12 >> Don't pull too hard.
07:23 >> I'm not.
07:23 [LAUGH]
07:24 [MUSIC]
07:32 [APPLAUSE]
07:40 >> And take a look.
07:45 You can see, if you look closely, that it's not just threaded.
07:49 It's actually tied onto the string.
07:52 >> [LAUGH]
07:53 >> Thank you so much.
07:54 It was a pleasure meeting you.
07:55 >> [LAUGH]
07:57 >> That's yours to keep.
07:58 Let's give her a round of applause.
07:59 >> [APPLAUSE]
08:03 >> Well, Wayne basically pulled out a real
08:05 needle, put it on his own tongue, and swallowed some thread and
08:10 pulled it back out.
08:13 I have no idea how he did that.
08:15 >> This guy is actually off the charts.
08:17 I, I, I have to say that I saw some stuff tonight that it's hard to believe.
08:23 >> It was awesome.
08:24 It was amazing.
08:25 >> Hell no, I wouldn't swallow a needle.
08:27 >> [BLEEP] that was stupid.
08:28 [LAUGH]
08:30 >> Does he have a little needle compartment?
08:32 I mean, in his mouth?
08:33 I mean, where's that, where's that go?
08:34 >> I was thinking he had a very, very happy life.
08:37 [LAUGH]
08:39 >> That's what I was, I was like, I can't seem to, seem to feel.
08:43 >> When the needle got out, it was tied to the string.
08:49 Absolutely amazing.
08:51 I know if I tried to do that, it wouldn't work, and
08:53 I'd probably end up in the hospital.
08:55 But no, I, I have no idea how he did it.
08:57 [MUSIC]
09:02 >> A single needle was born from the desire to have a version of the classic
09:05 needle swallowing effect that could be performed in close up casual situations.
09:10 And it's quite effective.
09:11 But after spending more than a decade performing a full stage version using 40
09:15 needles, I wondered how this new version would play in front of a larger audience.
09:19 Tonight, we're going to find out as I present my show,
09:22 Moments of Insanity at Feather Falls Casino in Northern California.
09:26 [MUSIC]
09:34 I'd like to show you something that I find strange, but in order to do this,
09:38 I'm going to need someone to come up and help me out.
09:41 What's your name?
09:41 >> [LAUGH]
09:42 >> Emily.
09:43 >> Emily, would you be willing to help?
09:44 >> Sure, please.
09:45 >> Let's give Emily a round of applause.
09:47 [APPLAUSE]
09:50 Don't move.
09:50 [MUSIC]
10:00 Stuck inside of this cherry are 40 very real and very sharp sewing needles.
10:09 Carefully reach in there and pull one of those out for me.
10:12 But do be careful.
10:13 I want you to take a look at it.
10:16 Make sure it's real.
10:17 Make sure it's sharp.
10:19 Do not poke yourself.
10:20 I also have some thread.
10:24 Do you sew at all?
10:27 A little bit?
10:29 Okay.
10:29 I want you to listen to me very carefully.
10:33 In a minute, I'm going to ask you to take that needle and place it on my tongue.
10:41 [LAUGH]
10:43 Can you do that for me?
10:44 Can you lay that carefully right on my tongue?
10:46 >> Mm-hm.
10:46 [MUSIC]
10:56 >> Nothing left in the glass.
11:09 >> Mm-hm.
11:10 >> I want you to look on top of my tongue.
11:11 Look in the back.
11:14 Got a little.
11:15 >> You look loud.
11:16 >> The what?
11:16 >> You look loud.
11:18 >> You look loud?
11:19 >> [LAUGH]
11:20 >> You look loud.
11:21 >> By the tonsils, the lung.
11:22 Look by the lung.
11:23 >> Good to go.
11:25 >> Look beneath the tongue.
11:27 Gums, gone.
11:29 It gets a little easier.
11:32 Sewing string.
11:35 Are you right handed or left handed?
11:36 >> Right handed.
11:37 >> Hold out your finger, your right finger just like this.
11:38 I'm going to wrap this right around your finger.
11:41 Just a little bit, not too tightly though.
11:42 That's not too tight, is it?
11:45 No? It's comfortable.
11:46 Put your thumb right there so you hold it so it doesn't come unraveled.
11:49 Good.
11:50 Have you ever been fishing before?
11:54 >> Once.
11:56 >> Once.
11:57 Good enough.
11:58 [COUGH]
11:59 [MUSIC]
12:09 [APPLAUSE]
12:33 And if you look closely, you will see that it's not just threaded on.
12:39 That's actually tied onto the string, and that's my gift to you.
12:44 Thank you so much for coming.
12:45 It was a pleasure.
12:46 [APPLAUSE]
12:49 Over the past couple of years, I've performed a single needle in
12:51 smaller theaters all over the world, but
12:53 I had no idea how it would play in a larger space.
12:56 We did decide to use live video during the performance, but
13:00 we heard from people sitting in the balcony that as soon as that needle came
13:03 out of my mouth and the light hit it, they were able to see it.
13:06 It was very cool.
13:06 When I was 11 or 12, I picked up a biography on Harry Houdini,
13:12 written by Ken Silverman.
13:13 And in the book, there's a photograph of Houdini on stage,
13:16 performing the East Indian Needle Mystery.
13:18 It fascinated me.
13:19 It's a great photo.
13:20 Unlike card tricks or coin tricks, this was something that seemed real.
13:25 And needle swallow was the first magic effect that I was ever really obsessed with.
13:28 I had to learn how it was done.
13:31 And when I was 12, I started performing a version that I'd created using toothpicks.
13:36 It's actually kind of interesting.
13:37 I used to eat dried spaghetti as a snack because I was a weird kid.
13:42 So what I did is I would ask a volunteer to take a few toothpicks and
13:46 break them in half.
13:47 I would take them back, but I would switch them for dried spaghetti.
13:50 And at a distance, the dried pasta looked exactly like the toothpicks.
13:55 I would eat them, swallow them.
13:56 I would then swallow a piece of string and
13:58 then pull out another piece of string that had toothpicks tied onto it.
14:02 At the time, this was the only thing that I performed that people really believed,
14:05 that didn't seem like it was a trick.
14:07 And eventually, I started using real needles instead of toothpicks.
14:11 And over the years, I slowly developed my own version of the classic effect.
14:15 It's a version that I've performed all around the world.
14:18 In 2010, I was preparing for a series of television performances
14:21 in the Dominican Republic, along with the rest of the Curiosidadis team.
14:25 And I decided that I wanted to find some way to perform the needle swallowing
14:29 effect in that kind of situation.
14:31 And my full stage version uses 60 needles, and it's a 12-minute routine.
14:35 So I began to explore the idea of just using one needle.
14:38 And after a lot of experimentation, I found a method.
14:41 And what's exciting and unique about this version is that the string never
14:44 leaves sight.
14:45 It's almost as if the volunteer fishes the needle out.
14:48 The thread stays wrapped around their finger throughout the entire process.
14:51 I remember one of the first people that I showed this to was Aaron Fisher.
14:54 I performed it for him.
14:56 He liked it, and he commented on how gross I was.
14:59 I never did perform this in the Dominican Republic.
15:01 But in 2012, I did put it into my show, Moments of Insanity.
15:05 And I'm excited to share it.
15:06 Before we jump into a full explanation, I want to give you a brief overview
15:13 of how this works.
15:14 In performance, it looks like I take a needle and swallow it.
15:17 But of course, I don't actually swallow it,
15:19 because that would be stupid and dangerous.
15:21 But we'll talk about that in a few minutes.
15:23 It then looks like I take a piece of string, wrap it around a volunteer's
15:26 finger, swallow the string, and together we fish the needle out.
15:30 Here's what really happens.
15:31 Unwrapping the string pulls a hidden needle up into my hand.
15:38 I break the thread and secretly position that needle
15:44 so that it's hidden behind my thumb and forefinger.
15:50 Now, because the needle's not tied onto the string, I can slide it like this.
15:55 And this creates the impression that besides the string, my hands are empty.
16:01 I take this end here, and I wrap it around my volunteer's finger.
16:06 Then I slide the needle to the other end, where I've secretly tied two knots.
16:12 Now, they're small, and you can barely see them.
16:14 And one of them is much smaller than the other.
16:17 Giving the needle a quick tug like this causes it to pop over the smaller knot,
16:22 trapping it in between the two knots, which creates the impression
16:26 that it's tied into place.
16:28 But of course, all of this happens with the needle hidden between the fingers.
16:32 So the needle is now secretly locked onto the string.
16:35 I place it on my tongue, bring the string into my mouth,
16:38 and then pull it back out and reveal it.
16:40 That's a brief overview of the method.
16:42 There's a lot going on.
16:44 And as I'm sure you're aware, this is potentially very dangerous.
16:47 So let's break it down and go through the entire routine
16:49 from the beginning.
16:52 I have here two needles.
16:54 Now, these are size 8 sewing needles.
16:56 And this is a good size because they're small enough
16:58 that they can hide between my fingers.
17:00 But they're large enough for an audience to see.
17:02 I also have a spool of thread.
17:04 This is a custom-made spool.
17:05 I made it from a cork from a very good Sierra Nevada beer.
17:09 I wrapped some string around it.
17:10 And I've drilled a hole into the center, not all the way through,
17:14 just down into the center.
17:15 It needs to be large enough to allow one of these needles
17:18 to hide easily all the way inside.
17:22 I've also taken a sharp knife.
17:23 And I've cut little notches along the bottom.
17:26 And you can see that that allows me to lock
17:28 the end of the string in position, which makes it
17:30 easy to find during a performance.
17:32 So the first thing I'm going to do is tie some knots.
17:36 So I'm going to start by pulling off about a foot and a half of thread.
17:40 And I'm going to tie two knots right about here.
17:43 The first knot is going to be a large one, essentially
17:45 four knots tied right on top of each other.
17:47 And then after that, I'll tie a single knot, much smaller,
17:50 directly in front of the large one.
17:53 So let's tie the big knot first.
17:56 We're going to tie a single knot here.
17:58 And now we'll tie a second knot right on top of it.
18:05 And this is quite difficult to do if you're doing it alone.
18:07 If you do have another person that you can trust,
18:10 you can ask them to pinch the knot, which will allow you to tie a second one
18:14 right on top of it very easily.
18:16 And we'll tie a third one.
18:20 And we'll tie one last one just to be sure.
18:33 Four knots right on top of each other.
18:38 This is our large knot.
18:40 We're now going to tie one knot directly in front of it.
18:43 And this can be a bit of a challenge to position it where you want it.
18:46 So what we'll do is we'll use the needle.
18:49 I'll start the knot here.
18:50 And if I place the needle right in the center,
18:57 I can tie the knot right around the needle
18:59 and then slide that knot right to where I want it to be,
19:04 directly in front of the larger knot that we just tied.
19:09 I can pull the needle out and tighten it up.
19:13 And there we are, two knots, one of them very large,
19:16 closest to the spool, and a small knot directly in front of it.
19:21 There's a little space in between, which is where the needle will end up.
19:25 There it is.
19:26 I'm now going to thread one of the needles onto the string.
19:29 So I'll thread the needle on just like this.
19:32 And I'm going to slide it down the thread until I get just about to the knot.
19:38 I'm now going to wrap this around.
19:40 Like this.
19:41 And now I'm going to place that needle all the way down through that center hole,
19:46 just like that.
19:47 So you can see that we have the thread coming up here.
19:50 There's the knot.
19:51 It goes through the needle, which is down in the hole,
19:54 and across to the other side.
19:56 You're going to hold this in place and wrap the thread around
20:00 and take the end.
20:02 And I'm just going to slip that right into one of those edges that I've cut.
20:07 To lock it into place.
20:10 So this spool is now set and ready.
20:12 There's a hidden needle down inside, but let's talk about the other needle.
20:15 You saw in the performances that I often have a cherry with 40 needles in it,
20:19 and I ask my volunteer to pick one out.
20:21 This is theatrically interesting because of the contrast between the cherry
20:24 and the needles.
20:25 It's also easy to see at a distance.
20:27 But when I perform this close-up, I'll often just have a single needle
20:30 inside of a small box, or I'll even stick it in my sleeve.
20:34 This is nice when I'm performing in a more casual situation.
20:37 Ultimately, how I choose to display this needle depends entirely upon
20:42 the situation and how I want to frame the effect.
20:45 So that's the setup.
20:46 Let's jump into the performance.
20:48 [music]
20:50 So I begin by introducing the needle.
20:52 I hand it to my volunteer, and I ask them to carefully take a look at it,
20:55 make sure it's real, and make sure it's sharp.
20:58 While they're doing that, I pull off a piece of string,
21:01 and I secretly position that second needle so that it's hidden
21:05 between my fingers.
21:06 I hold the spool in my left hand like this.
21:08 You can see the knot here.
21:09 It's closest to my index finger.
21:11 I place my finger directly on top of the hidden needle,
21:14 and I unravel the thread.
21:18 When the thread gets to this point, my right hand comes in like this
21:24 and lifts that needle up out of its hiding place,
21:28 directly behind my fingers.
21:31 I now break the thread, and I put this away.
21:35 In a continuing action, making sure that I keep these fingers closed,
21:39 I carefully lift this needle up and position it so that it's hidden
21:43 between my thumb and index finger.
21:47 And it's very important that the thread doesn't wrap around like this
21:51 because that will prevent the needle from sliding.
21:55 So it's important that you take your time and make sure that the thread
21:59 flows smoothly through the eye of the needle while it's hidden
22:03 behind your finger.
22:05 Now, it's natural to be nervous during this moment,
22:08 but you have to remember that the audience has no idea
22:10 what's going to happen.
22:12 The effect is just beginning, and there's very little heat on me
22:14 at this point.
22:15 If you choose to perform this, you will know that you're secretly
22:18 positioning a hidden needle, but to the audience,
22:21 it will just look like you're carefully arranging the thread.
22:24 It's okay if they see you doing that.
22:27 If you were really about to swallow this string in order to fish out
22:30 a needle, it makes sense that you would move carefully and deliberately
22:34 with every action.
22:36 So take your time and make sure that the needle is positioned correctly
22:38 so that it can slide easily along the string.
22:41 Otherwise, you're likely to have problems later on when the heat is on you.
22:45 So once the needle is in position, I slide it along the string nice and slow.
22:51 My hand looks empty.
22:54 The audience has no reason to suspect that I have anything but a piece of string.
22:58 And the needle ends up at the opposite end.
23:01 So the needle is here, and the knots are at the bottom.
23:05 The stage is now set.
23:07 I've introduced the major players in the minds of the audience.
23:09 Now is when the effect begins.
23:12 I found that part of the challenge of performing this is remaining
23:14 hyper-aware of my own movements and the movements of the audience
23:17 while making it appear as if I'm relaxed and playful.
23:21 The reality of the situation is that I'm about to place a needle inside my mouth.
23:25 And in order to do that safely, I have to be aware of everybody's movements.
23:30 A little later on, we'll discuss some alternatives to placing the needle
23:33 inside my mouth.
23:35 But right now, I'll walk you through my process.
23:37 I begin by telling my volunteer that in a minute, I want them to take the needle
23:41 and place it on my tongue.
23:44 As I say this, I gauge their reaction.
23:47 How they react to this information will tell me a lot about their personality.
23:50 Are they shy? Are they playing along? Are they showing off for their friends?
23:54 And more importantly, am I comfortable with them placing a needle in my mouth?
23:59 And if I am comfortable, I proceed.
24:02 I stick out my tongue, and I allow them to place the needle right on it.
24:06 Now if I'm at all worried, maybe they're showing off for their friends,
24:09 or they have a little bit too much energy, I'll place one hand on their arm
24:12 as they do this.
24:14 This gives me a little bit more control over their movements.
24:16 If I decide that I'm not comfortable with them placing the needle on my tongue
24:20 as they're moving forward, I'll say, on second thought, maybe I should do it.
24:25 I make a joke out of it, and I take the needle.
24:27 And then I can carefully place it in my mouth and show everyone.
24:31 One way or another, the needle ends up on my tongue.
24:34 Now in a minute, I'm going to do this, and it's going to look like I swallow it,
24:37 but I don't.
24:39 In reality, I'm going to use my tongue to carefully position the needle
24:42 right along here, right inside my gum.
24:46 Watch.
24:57 It looks like the needle's gone.
24:59 I can ask them to look on top of my tongue, beneath my tongue, in the back.
25:02 They won't see anything, because right now the needle is resting right here,
25:06 right inside.
25:10 Now I can talk with this in position.
25:12 I can drink.
25:13 I can eat.
25:14 But I remain hyper-aware of the fact that there is a needle inside my mouth.
25:19 Every movement and every decision that I make while this is here
25:22 is carefully considered.
25:24 Now if you want to know what this feels like, take a toothpick
25:26 or even a dried piece of pasta, break a piece off that's about the same length
25:30 as a needle, and put it in your mouth.
25:32 I think you'll be surprised at what you find.
25:34 Now this needle will stay hidden right where it is until after the performance
25:38 when I can carefully remove it.
25:40 So the audience now believes that I've swallowed a needle.
25:43 Now we get to retrieve it.
25:45 In order to properly demonstrate this part of the effect,
25:47 I'd like to introduce my wife, Fraun.
25:49 Hi.
25:50 Hi.
25:51 How are you?
25:52 Good.
25:53 Good.
25:54 Hold up your finger just like this.
25:55 So I've got the needle hidden here between my fingers.
25:57 The knots are at this end of the string, down at the bottom.
26:01 I'm going to wrap the top of the string here right around her finger,
26:05 and as I do this, I'm allowing the needle to slide along the thread.
26:10 Go ahead and hold that in place with your thumb.
26:13 Perfect.
26:14 I slide the needle all the way down the thread until it hits the knots,
26:18 and at this point, I ask her a question.
26:20 I say, "That's not too tight, is it?"
26:23 And as I ask that, I grab the thread here, and I give the needle
26:28 a small, controlled tug, which causes it to pop right over the small knot
26:34 and end up trapped right between the two.
26:36 Now this is an important moment in the routine.
26:38 The audience still doesn't know what's coming.
26:40 They know I've swallowed a needle, which is weird, but why?
26:45 So now that I've got the string wrapped around her finger
26:47 and I'm in the right position, I take a breath.
26:50 I let everything that's happened up until this point sink in.
26:55 [exhales]
26:58 When I'm ready to continue, I ask my volunteer a question.
27:01 I say, "Have you ever been fishing?"
27:04 This usually gets a nervous laugh, and it essentially tells the audience
27:07 what's coming.
27:08 I carefully lay the hidden needle right on my tongue,
27:11 and I do that by placing both fingers all the way into my mouth
27:14 and then letting go, and I don't rush this at all.
27:16 I want to make sure that that needle is exactly where I need it to be,
27:19 and the needle will stay right on my tongue as I bring the thread
27:22 into my mouth slowly, getting closer and closer to my volunteer's finger.
27:25 I'll demonstrate this in just a minute.
27:27 Like before, I remain hyper-aware of my volunteer's actions.
27:31 I want them to stay perfectly still.
27:33 If they do start to move, I'll take my right hand and place it on theirs
27:36 to keep them in position, and I'll make eye contact.
27:39 That's usually enough to get them to understand that they need to stay still.
27:43 So when I do this, I slowly bring that thread into my mouth,
27:46 making sure that the needle stays right where it is on my tongue.
27:49 The thread that comes in ends up on top of the needle.
27:52 I get closer and closer to my volunteer's finger, which is funny,
27:55 and when I'm ready, I slowly back away, and eventually, very carefully,
28:01 I allow the needle to be pulled out of my mouth.
28:05 Now, obviously, this is potentially a very dangerous moment
28:08 because the needle is moving.
28:10 Now, there are two ways that the needle can come out of my mouth.
28:13 I can either allow the string to pull the needle around like this
28:17 and pull it out eye first, or I can let it come out point first,
28:22 and I tend to do both depending upon whichever feels the most comfortable at the time.
28:27 Now, as the needle is being pulled from my mouth,
28:30 I use my tongue and my lips to find the end of the thread
28:33 so that I can hang on to it, which will allow the needle to hang.
28:36 You ready?
28:37 Yeah.
28:38 Here's what it all looks like.
28:40 [silence]
29:07 And there it is.
29:09 I display the needle, and then I say, "Not only is it threaded onto the string,
29:15 it's actually tied onto the string," and I let it hang,
29:20 and of course, because the needle is trapped in between those two knots,
29:24 it appears to be tied.
29:27 So there it is.
29:28 Now that you know how it's done, let's go back and take a look at one last performance,
29:32 and I'll walk you through each moment.
29:34 [applause]
29:38 So this is another performance that was filmed at Feather Falls Casino,
29:41 and for the purposes of this walkthrough, we'll jump right into the effect.
29:45 So to start off with, I reveal the needles,
29:48 and I'm going to ask my volunteer to pull one out and look at it.
29:51 It's important that she and the audience understand that the needles are real
29:55 and that they're sharp.
29:56 Make sure it's real.
29:57 Make sure it's sharp.
29:59 Now, while she's looking at the needle, I'm going to pick up the spool,
30:03 pull out the hidden needle, break the thread,
30:06 and position that needle so that it's hidden behind my fingers.
30:09 I then slide it to the opposite end of the string, opposite the knots,
30:14 and this creates the impression that besides the string, my hands are empty.
30:18 I'm going to ask you to take that needle and place it on--
30:22 And I'm now preparing my volunteer to place her needle inside my mouth.
30:26 --in my tongue.
30:28 That's a different trick.
30:30 And this looks playful, and it is,
30:32 and I'm studying her reaction and body language.
30:36 It doesn't matter which way it goes, just not down.
30:38 That was the way I was going to go.
30:40 Now you can do something different.
30:42 It appears as if I've swallowed it,
30:52 but I've carefully tucked it into my cheek so that it lays along my lower gum.
30:57 Now, while that needle is still in my mouth, I can swallow some water.
31:02 Now, I make that look effortless,
31:04 but everything that I do while that needle is inside my mouth
31:07 is carefully considered and purposeful.
31:09 But I want you to look on top of my tongue.
31:12 So at this point, I ask my volunteer to look on top of my tongue and beneath my tongue,
31:16 and because that needle's so small, it remains hidden.
31:19 Gum's gone.
31:21 I'm going to wrap the string around her finger.
31:23 And here, I'm carefully wrapping that string around her finger.
31:26 I slide the needle down to the other end until it pops over the smaller knot,
31:30 trapping it between the two.
31:32 That needle is now locked into place.
31:34 I place both fingers inside my mouth as I lay that needle on my tongue.
31:41 Now, this is a playful but also a potentially dangerous moment.
31:45 As I pull that thread in, I'm judging her reaction and her movement
31:49 while remaining hyper-aware of both needles that are inside my mouth and their positions.
31:54 And at this point, I became a bit concerned that she might move or react as I backed away.
31:59 So you can see that I reach up and I hold her hand in place.
32:02 I back away, allowing that needle to eventually pop out.
32:09 And in this performance, you can see that I lost the end of the thread and it fell.
32:15 Now, obviously, that's not ideal, but sometimes it happens.
32:18 I just pick it up, display the needle, and continue on.
32:22 And there it is. That is a single needle.
32:30 Now, let's talk for a minute about the idea of giving the needle away as a souvenir.
32:38 Most people you offer it to, they're not going to take it.
32:41 But occasionally, somebody will.
32:43 And when that happens, I say, "You know what? Just to be sure it doesn't slip off, let me double knot it."
32:48 And I tie a couple of knots right on top of it.
32:50 This makes sure that they're not going to accidentally or purposefully find out the secret.
32:55 So now let's backtrack and talk about some alternative methods of creating the illusion that you swallow that first needle.
33:00 The idea of placing a needle that's loose into your mouth is scary, and it should be.
33:05 And although my experience has shown me that it's absolutely possible to do this safely,
33:09 I've spent some time thinking about other ways of creating that illusion, and I'd like to share a couple of those with you.
33:15 One idea is to get a pin cushion.
33:18 It's a cupcake.
33:20 You can see that I have a few needles here.
33:22 I'm going to take one...
33:24 ...and apparently swallow it.
33:33 However, of course, I never even removed it. It's still right here in the pin cushion.
33:39 So this is very simple.
33:40 These needles are normal, but instead of removing one, my index finger pushes it straight down into the pin cushion.
33:47 I pretend to remove it, pretend to place it in my mouth, and pretend to swallow it.
33:51 Easy.
33:52 Now, if you prefer this method, you would, of course, use a pin cushion that suited your style,
33:56 although personally, I recommend that you use one that looks like a giant cupcake.
34:00 So that's an idea using a pin cushion.
34:02 I've also played around with the idea of using invisible thread elastic loops to create a pole.
34:08 The way it works is you attach one end of an invisible loop to the needle.
34:12 You safety pin the other end inside your sleeve.
34:15 You would keep the needle on your sleeve here.
34:18 When you were ready to perform, you'd stretch that invisible thread all the way up to your fingertips,
34:24 display the needle.
34:26 You apparently place it in your mouth, but when you let go of the needle,
34:29 the invisible thread loop pulls it all the way into your sleeve.
34:33 Now, you can make an argument for either method.
34:35 I have enough confidence and experience with having a loose needle inside my mouth
34:39 that that's the one that I choose to use.
34:41 But if you're going to perform this, use whatever method you're most comfortable with.
34:46 Remember, the object is to create the illusion of danger.
34:51 [music]
35:17 There's a simplicity to this version of the needle swallowing that I really like.
35:21 One needle is swallowed, a volunteer holds a piece of string, and essentially fishes it out.
35:26 The story that's presented to the audience is clear and absolutely insane.
35:30 I hope you enjoy a single needle as much as I have.
35:34 My name is Wayne Howching. It's been a pleasure.
35:36 [music]
36:06 [music]
36:17 All right, so we are just getting ready to film a single needle.
36:20 I want to point out Dust over here.
36:22 He's hard at work in the background. He's got the knobs, the headphones on.
36:25 But if you take a look at what he's really doing--
36:28 [laughs]
36:31 Okay, so this is the interview, page four and five and six.
36:35 Take something. Who the [bleep] cares?
36:39 It's late. I'm going to be real.
36:41 All right, there are knots. I'm now going to thread one needle onto the thread.
36:45 That's a lot of threads.
36:49 Oh, what are we filming?
36:55 Did you just nail that?
36:59 Yeah, okay.
37:01 Now this is an important moment in the routine.
37:05 The audience still doesn't know what's happening.
37:07 What's happening?
37:09 In the exact reverse position as it was when I put it in.
37:14 I do what?
37:17 Very carefully, I allow the needle to be pulled out of my mouth.
37:23 That made sense. Are we good?
37:28 All right.
37:29 Now, of course, if you prefer this method, you don't have to use a cupcake that looks like a giant pincushion.
37:35 That was backwards.
37:37 Now, if you prefer this method, you would, of course, use a pincushion that suited your style.
37:42 Although I must say that nine out of ten magicians highly recommend that you use a pincushion that looks like a giant cupcake.
37:48 Well, what I was saying is that this guy has the most incredible tongue of anybody I've ever seen on the planet.
37:57 [Bleep]
37:58 [Bleep]
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38:01 [Bleep]
38:02 [Bleep]
38:03 [Bleep]
38:04 [Bleep]