First things first, it takes courage to market your first effect, opening yourself up to the
critique and criticism of the magic community. For that I commend Iain Bailey, and I hope he
continues inventing and marketing. If Penguin allowed decimal ratings, I'd have given this a 3.5. I
bumped it up to a 4 because I like Iain's style and think he's an excellent teacher.
This
is probably the best coffee shop routine I've seen, though it's limited because performing with a
cup of coffee would seem out of place just about anywhere except a coffee shop. (Albeit I bought
this for the high school Sunday School I teach, where it does fit in because everybody has a cup of
coffee or cocoa.)
It lost a star because "the move" was done off camera. While this
frustrates me as a consumer, I can understand why, and this should not be read to mean that the move
would be flashed in a real-world application. There's a clever deception that provides a boatload of
misdirection at the crucial time.
I also wanted to address the claim that the gimmick
takes 20 seconds to construct. While that's true for the main gimmick, the secondary gimmick takes
more effort and costs a few bucks. (Technically, you could do the effect with just the main gimmick.
But the secondary gimmick adds an additional layer of cover and helps sell the miracle.)
Finally, kudos should be given for the twist that keeps the audience from thinking a step ahead
of the magician, detracting from the "miracle." While even the most unseasoned laymen knows where a
card trick is going when the magician pulls a citrus fruit out of his pocket, nobody will see this
ending coming. Good work Iain, and I'm looking forward to your next release.
Christopher you gentleman thank you!
Good constructive feedback and I really appreciate the kind words. Your Sunday school sounds fun, keep up the good work and go inspire!
Just to clarify for those reading this, there is a secondary gimmick which like Christopher said is not essential but helps with the illusion. This is a one time set up and then you are good to go for every performance.
Thanks again Christopher!
Much love,
Iain