What is the ventriloquist trick?

To “project” his voice on an articulated doll, the artist needs a lot of vocal technique and a good script

To make a doll “speak”, the ventriloquist needs to move it in sync with his voice, issued without moving his lips. Neuroscience explains how the viewer is deceived: when the sound and movements of the puppet’s mouth happen at the same time, the tendency is to unconsciously associate them – the same happens when we watch TV and find that the sound comes from the lips of the person in the room. not the speakers.

What is the ventriloquist trick

The practice of ventriloquism is believed to have started around 300 BC in ancient Greece, used by oracles to simulate the voice of the gods. In the Middle Ages, the technique was associated with witchcraft and, in the 16th century, began to appear in magic shows. Only at the end of the 19th century did it gain its current format, with puppets amusing the audience with stories and jokes.

Some ventriloquists make the doll’s voice while pretending to drink water. The trick is done with a special glass, used in magic numbers.