Magic Tricks

First Impression:

So we all know about the Invisible Deck, right? We know how it's done, and we know the basic way to use it. So why do I need to buy this DVD then? (You may ask yourself...) Well, not only does this DVD teach how the basic effect is done, but it also covers many other variations and tricks with the invisible deck, and PRESENTATION of the invisible deck! The I.D. (yeah, it's so good it has it's own acronym!) is a very versatile tool, but without presentation, your performance can go from amazing to just a "meh, that's cool, but whatever." If you get this DVD, Oz teaches you how to always make your performance amazing.

The tricks:

Stand up, a royal mess, and sync up. Each trick is very powerful, and, I don't want to ruin the surprise of what specifically each effect is, though, let me tell you, each effect is special to a certain TYPE of magic. I.e. Stand Up is perfect for parlor magic, and a royal mess is perfect for close-up. The versatility Oz teaches with the invisible deck is GREAT. For example, using the deck as an "out." I don't want to give away the tricks, since Penguin doesn't give them away on the review page, but I will tell you, the tricks look like you are performing with a normal deck (i.e. Royal mess is like a triumph)- SO, you can then go into another invisible deck routine after doing a triumph, without actually having to switch decks. Brilliant!

The teaching:

Oz's teaching is always good. The DVD is shot in VERY high quality, the sound is perfect, and the pace of the teaching is perfect. Oz doesn't leave us curious on anything. No problems on this section.

The prop itself:

The I.D. penguin supplies you with (when you buy the DVD) is a very high quality deck. It will last you a good 6 months or so if you take care of it well. Not all I.D.'s are as high quality as the one's at penguin, so DO NOT take this for granted! Also, the deck comes free with the DVD, which isn't always the case when you buy from other sites.

Final thoughts:

I believe this is a must-have for every magician. Not every "card magician" but every magician. There is SO much you can do with this tool. Most great magicians say that magic is 99% presentation and 1% trick. If we all hold true to this principle, we can really create great magic with such a simple effect (1% trick) and building up a 99% presentation, since the trick itself is so basic. On the product page, penguin says that you will be performing the effect in "days." This is false. You will be able to perform it after 1 hour MAX if you focus. Though, I advise you to first come up with a great presentation (after you master the technical part of the effect, which is SO easy), before actually performing it. I must have said this 5 times already, but this prop is so versatile as well. For ANY type of magic, the I.D. can be a perfect tool. For stage, for close-up, or for parlor, and even street magic, the I.D. never fails to get GAPING reactions.

Last words:

I will give this DVD a 10/10. No doubt. I have been looking for a great DVD for the I.D. for a while, but out of all the ones I have, this one is WITHOUT a DOUBT the best. I am a professional performer 5 nights a week at a restaurant, and continue to use ALL of the tricks on this DVD every night. Usually when I buy a magic DVD, I will only use 1 effect out of every 5 or 10. This is not the case with this DVD.

Brilliantly shot, wonderfully produced, and a gold-quality effect. For any of you serious performers, I cannot recommend this effect ANY more.

Keep astonishing,

With respect,

-Sanj