49. Static Charge Match
class: tweener | impressiveness: 4/5 | factors: convincing illusion, presentation matters | requires: wooden matches, acting skills, practice | watch full episode
I use this all the time. There’s something so awesome about the buildup of anticipation, the fear of an explosion, and the utter surprise of a match launching two feet into the air that makes this one of the best bar tricks to pull.
The Effect: Start by having someone hold our her hand. Place a large wooden match on her palm, balanced halfway off. Now hold up another match in your hand. Start “building up static” by rubbing the match on your pants legs, shuffling your feet… doing anything that looks like you’re about to give someone a shock.
Now slowly bring your “charged” match towards the one dangling off of their hand… and despite wood being an insulator, the moment the matches touch, her match will make an audible *crack* sound and soar up into the air!
The Method: Before you learn the method, seriously: check out how freaking awesome this looks on video:
Watch Demonstration (External link)
Now to bum you out: Physics and static electricity have nothing to do with it. All you really need to do is use your fingernail to flick the base of the your match right before both match heads touch (check out the photo). Everything else is just acting.
But it’s important acting. The key to making this effect work is build anticipation. If you just walk up to someone and flick the match, nobody will be impressed. But if you carefully position the first match in her hand, then make a production of shuffling around to build up static electricity, the anticipation of something dangerous about to happen will put the mark on edge. This tension turns into a yelp when the match rockets up into the air.
If you want to get maximum response, really build up the tension between the match and your fingernail as your approach her. Wait until the matches are about 3 millimeters apart, and when you release your match it’ll make a crackling sound as it launches her match right out of her hand.