ANCIENT SCROLL

***

LEWIS LE VAL
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Ancient Scroll – Intellectual property of Lewis Le Val

Copyright © Lewis Le Val, All Rights Reserved.

 ANCIENT SCROLL

This technique is something I have used for a number of

years. With each phone upgrade and software update, the
iPhone’s natural functions would change, meaning I had to
keep finding new methods for the effects I liked to perform
with borrowed phones. This technique has survived
software updates for the last few years, and works perfectly
with iOS 11 (the latest update at the time of writing). It also
works great with iOS 10.

I wanted a way of letting a spectator believe they are freely

scrolling through something on their phone, whilst I control
the outcome. I also didn’t want to have to do much extra
with their phone, e.g. open or close apps, secretly type,
change settings etc.

This technique is so simple. It uses one (or two) of the

most common iPhone functions, but when used in this way,
goes completely unnoticed by the spectator.

Depending on which direction you will have the spectator

scroll, you will use either the Control Centre or
Notification Centre. Just incase you are not familiar with
these functions; they are basic menu screens which can be
opened and closed at any time, even if there is an app open.
Think of them as a curtain that you can temporarily pull
over whatever is taking place on the screen.

To open the Control Centre:



Begin by “waking” the phone (light up the screen). You can
do this by pressing a button or sometimes even just lifting
the phone. It will not matter if the phone is locked or
unlocked.
Now place your finger at the bottom of the phone, touching
the phone but off the screen.
From here, begin to swipe up, bringing your finger onto the
screen.
Continue swiping up until the menu fills the screen.



To open the Notification Centre:


Begin as before by placing your finger on the phone but off
the screen, this time at the top.
Swipe down, bringing your finger onto the screen. The
Notification Centre will begin to appear.
Keep going until the menu fills the screen. This is the
Notification Centre (which in iOS11 looks annoyingly like
the lock screen).
Opening these menus will not affect anything taking place
beneath it. They can only be closed by either swiping back
in the opposite direction that the menu came from (NC =
up, CC = down), or by pressing the home button or lock
button. This makes these menus perfect for keeping
something in place on the screen, whilst letting your
spectator think they are scrolling through something.

For example, if you ask someone to scroll down through

their phone’s contacts, then you secretly open the Control
Centre before holding the phone face down, when they
reach under and begin scrolling, they will actually just be
bumping the Control Centre menu, and whatever lies
beneath, in this case it would be their contacts list, would
remain untouched. Then all you need to do is make sure the
Control Centre menu is closed before allowing the spectator
to look at the screen.

Here is a brief explanation of the handling I use, which

uses the iPhone’s calendar app. I use this app because it
allows me to use 4 digit numbers (years) which can then be
associated with many different things depending on the
presentation you choose. It is also an app which doesn't
contain any sensitive information such as messages or
photos. People are more likely to let you handle their phone
if you are only using the calendar.
I begin by asking them to take out their phone, unlock it
and go to the calendar app (all iPhones have it). I then make
sure it is set to years and not months. If the screen does not
look like the image below, you will see the current year in
orange in the top left of the screen. Tap it and it will bring
you to this view.
I demonstrate that you can scroll backwards or forwards
through time using this app, usually saying something along
the lines of, “Using your phone, you can actually take a
very small peek into the future. It is like a mini time
machine. We can scroll forwards through these years, as far
as we want, even a hundred years or more, and even though
will will not be alive then, here is the calendar just sitting
and waiting for the people of that time to be using it. So it is
an interesting concept. I am going to have you randomly
select a year in the future, and then imagine being
transported to that year. I will then see if I can feel, or sense
what year you may be in.”
As I am talking, I begin scrolling quickly through the years,
with the phone facing me, and occasionally turning it to
show the spectator the years going by. I then stop scrolling
and allow the calendar to keep going until it eventually
stops, almost like a spinning roulette wheel. When it stops,
I take note of the year it lands on (which will be visible at
the top). I do not let the spectator see what year it is.
I make it appear that I begin scrolling again, only this time I
am really swiping up from the bottom of the screen,
opening the Control Centre.
At this point, once the Control Centre is open, I can
continue genuinely trying to scroll, and nothing will happen
because this menu is now open.
I then hold the phone face down in front of me and ask the
spectator to reach under and continue scrolling, I even
demonstrate what I would like them to do, incase they do
not know which direction I want them to scroll in. At this
point, neither of you will be able to see the screen.
This is what you will see from your angle.
The spectator reaches under the phone and begins scrolling.
I instruct them to stop whenever they like. Now all I need to
do is get that menu closed. I have three ways of doing this.
My favourite way is to simply have them press the lock
button on the phone. I tell them that this is to commit to the
year that they landed on and also so that I don't accidentally
see it when they take the phone back. Now I can give them
the phone, look away, and have them then unlock the phone
and take a look at the year. When they unlock the phone,
the menu will no longer be there. From here I can then
reveal the year at any time I wish.
Another way of getting rid of that menu is to ask the
spectator to now scroll once more, but back in the opposite
direction, for luck. By doing this, they will close the menu.
Please note: This only works with the Control Centre as it
can be closed in this way much easier than the Notification
Centre can.

The third way is to simply press the home button at the

bottom of the phone once. This will close the menu but not
the app. I wouldn't recommend doing it this way though as
to press that button secretly, you would have to hold the
phone in a bit of an unnatural position.

OTHER USES

You can use this technique for any app that you can scroll
up or down through. It works very nicely with instagram.
Have your spectator open the instagram app, and they could
go to their own profile, your profile, or even just the home
page. Use the same handling as above, but this time you
would be using a picture instead of a year. This can lead
nicely into a “seeing through the spectator’s eyes” effect.
Memorise as much of the picture as you can, then when you
get to the point where the spectator unlocks their phone to
see what picture they landed on, have them stare at it as you
begin to reveal details about the picture.
You could also do this with the list of contacts in their
phone. Scroll down and memorise the name it stops on,
then continue with the technique as above.

CONCLUSION

I know this explanation was brief, but the simplicity of the

technique means that no further explanation is necessary,
only exploration. So take this and give it the little practice
that it needs, then go out there and blow people’s minds
with their own phones! It is a fun and addictive effect with
the beauty in its simplicity.

I recently discovered that José Prager also has a very

similar effect called Swipeit. I speak with José regularly,
and it is great to see how alike we think!

Thank you for your support, feel free to get in touch with
me if you have any questions.

Best,

Lewis Le Val
www.lewisleval.com
lewis@lewisleval.com


Thanks to:
Ben Francis
Lilja-Alexandra