I’ll start with some general notes then jump into some quick thoughts on the effects.
Nathan’s lecture is great, imho. He’s both a worker and a thinker, and you can really see both
offerings here. There are some quick, impactful table hopping routines that have elegant and simple
methods, but also pay attention to how the presentation/structure is always thoughtful of involving
interaction with the spectators(see his reason for only using two spectators instead of three in the
fusion effect). Then both the moveless and moveful routines where he has clearly put a lot of
thought into how he constructs his sequences, and studying how he did so can teach you a lot. There
are many pieces here that I’ll be trying out, and I think you’ll do the same. Onto the effects:
Flash Cyclic Location - Very cool principle for a great impossible location of sorts. Simple to
do and can hit hard and fast, by having you find a whole group of cards instead of just one. You can
also produce the cards one by one in a flashier manner if that’s your style.
Nice Tri
Sweetie Pie - A quick but impactful version of anniversary waltz that has a really elegant
construction with well-known moves and uses no gaffs. I was previously using Tyler Wilson’s Running
Man for a gaffless Waltz, but I might be switching over to this! Notice the way he justifies the
placement of the signatures but also why he uses two spectators instead of three.
Redivivus
Revisited- Biddle trick combined with twisting the aces with a fun back and forth presentation with
the spectator that I love. Nathan really thought about the moments here, the biddle steal and the
vanish we’re used to, and put nice touches on them.
Direct Ace Cutting- Great variation of
a great Bannon effect, not much to say here except you should do it. He made the method even cleaner
and simpler.
Rise-Rise-Rise Coda- This one is for the people out there that love sleights
haha. It’s a great little study in both sleight of hand and construction, really paying attention to
how and when you move your hands combined with method cancelling.
21st Nervous Breakdown
and 2112:
There are a couple reviews here that didn’t like this section on the 21 card trick.
It’s not meant to be the most practical, hard-hitting magic, and Nathan is clear about that. He says
he only views the first one as performable, and only in the specific conditions he mentions. It’s a
study/thought experiment/expansion, and there is definitely value here. Pay attention to how, in the
first version, he lampshades the procedure to take heat off it, cancel the method, and have a
conversation about magic with the spectator. All at the same time. I think there’s a lot to be
gained when applying what he discusses to other largely self-working or semi-automatic effects.
Hofzinser's Suit Selection- This is a wonderful effect that catches you by surprise simply
because of how clean the magical moment is. Nathan makes efficient use of his technology, and I
think this stands on its own but could also be a great finale to a suit production a la Pepe
Carroll.
Henweigh- I personally love how quirky this plot is. There are a lot of solutions
to it. What I really like about the one presented here is how it requires the minimum number of
readjustments of the sandwich cards, allowing it to be fast and furious magic.
Snowflake
Assembly- I’m biased because I love packet tricks, and this thing is a tour de force of problem
solving in packet tricks. It’s definitely challenging and a lot of work, but I think there are a lot
of interesting moves here to learn and apply elsewhere, and a fun effect to perform in its own
right!
3 of Clubs Trick Variation- This is a great little effect that you can use to engage
two spectators and get them not only to interact with you, but with each other. What I enjoy, in
particular, is Nathan’s discussion of how he handles the various different paths the effect can go
down, and how he adjusts to deal with what the audience might suspect in terms of method.
Earth, Sky, Stars- This is a really nice version of Out of this World. I think Nathan is correct
in that dealing out a whole deck can seem daunting to the spectators, so he opts for a foot in the
door approach that gets them there over time with multiple phases. But this also allows him to do
some very interesting things with the construction to get way ahead of his audience, using the
leftovers from previous phases to help the later ones. Really great stuff here.