Review of Digital Conviction
Greetings magic buds and I hope things are going well for you on
the other side of the screen. Been a busy end of year with not a
lot of time for magishing though I'm going to make a concerted
effort to change that in 2010. I know I made a similar resolution
in the beginning of 2009 and completely lost sight of it. Not
this time. Gonna start practicing more, regain my mojo, look for
opportunities to perform and work with my son more to help him to
develop a deeper love and respect for magic.
This week I want to tell you about something interesting I came
across from Paper Crane Productions, the same people who have
previously brought you The Sleeping Queen among many other
unusual and visual performance pieces.
Digital Conviction is a cell phone trick. I like cell phone
tricks because there's always one handy - either yours or a
spectator's. The more you can do with something that someone else
owns, the more you can screw with everything they hold holy.
In Robert Smith's newest effect, you remove a joker and place it
aside and have someone select a playing card. Free choice,
honest. The selection is returned and lost in the deck. Then you
write the spectator's initials on the corner of the joker and
take a picture of it with their cell phone. The phone is placed
face down on their hand. You then visually transform the
initialed Joker to the selected card -- with their initials on it
now! Then when they turn over the phone, they find the photo of
the previously initialed Joker has also transformed into a photo
of their selected and now initialed card!
The video may be downloaded or purchased on DVD. In either case
it is an informally shot video - which may be a turn off to some
people who are expecting a higher quality production - and the
spectator who helps him to demo and explain the trick and its
nuances doesn't exactly light up the screen. Robert is a pensive
individual and he tries very hard to explain the intricacies of
the handling. The effect itself is not terribly difficult to pull
off; most folks should be able to do so quite easily. It's less
sleights than it is about performance and subtlety and nuance.
I found the explanation, psychology and handling very well
thought out. He includes many touches and finesses that truly
make this a keeper. While some individual cell phones may present
slight challenges to his suggested handling, he provides some
work-arounds and ideas that are very practical.
This is an effect that people will talk about and it leaves them
with a photo souvenir on their cell phone which they can send to
others to help promote you. That's clever back-end marketing like
Out to Lunch for the cell phone. I strongly recommend this and
advise you to watch it very carefully and with an open mind. You
may not care for his handling of how he gets from the beginning
to the end. You can change that up yourself if you want. But this
one is quite clever and offers tremendous opportunity for
self-promotion. Learn more here:
http://www.papercranemagic.com/digitalconviction.htm
Sidebar: Over the past year I have provided a ton of free advice
about how magicians can improve their marketing, both online and
in TV, print and radio. If you are thinking about upgrading your
web site in 2010 or want to discuss ways to improve your overall
marketing and visibility, I would be pleased to speak with you.
I really want your business. While you may find many web
designers out there, you will find few who can design a site and
write compelling copy. Remember, I not only have over 25 years of
marketing under my belt, but I have also been involved in magic
(performing and writing about it) for 45 years. You and I are a
good match.
Another reason to reach out to me before end of year is because
I am raising my prices in 2010 from $150.00/hour to $200.00/hour,
but if you contact me NOW rather than LATER, I will grandfather
you in at the $150.00/hour rate even if we don't start until some
time in 2010. So review your stuff and then drop me a line. The
first hour is on me!
Have a great holiday season!
All my best,
Steven
the other side of the screen. Been a busy end of year with not a
lot of time for magishing though I'm going to make a concerted
effort to change that in 2010. I know I made a similar resolution
in the beginning of 2009 and completely lost sight of it. Not
this time. Gonna start practicing more, regain my mojo, look for
opportunities to perform and work with my son more to help him to
develop a deeper love and respect for magic.
This week I want to tell you about something interesting I came
across from Paper Crane Productions, the same people who have
previously brought you The Sleeping Queen among many other
unusual and visual performance pieces.
Digital Conviction is a cell phone trick. I like cell phone
tricks because there's always one handy - either yours or a
spectator's. The more you can do with something that someone else
owns, the more you can screw with everything they hold holy.
In Robert Smith's newest effect, you remove a joker and place it
aside and have someone select a playing card. Free choice,
honest. The selection is returned and lost in the deck. Then you
write the spectator's initials on the corner of the joker and
take a picture of it with their cell phone. The phone is placed
face down on their hand. You then visually transform the
initialed Joker to the selected card -- with their initials on it
now! Then when they turn over the phone, they find the photo of
the previously initialed Joker has also transformed into a photo
of their selected and now initialed card!
The video may be downloaded or purchased on DVD. In either case
it is an informally shot video - which may be a turn off to some
people who are expecting a higher quality production - and the
spectator who helps him to demo and explain the trick and its
nuances doesn't exactly light up the screen. Robert is a pensive
individual and he tries very hard to explain the intricacies of
the handling. The effect itself is not terribly difficult to pull
off; most folks should be able to do so quite easily. It's less
sleights than it is about performance and subtlety and nuance.
I found the explanation, psychology and handling very well
thought out. He includes many touches and finesses that truly
make this a keeper. While some individual cell phones may present
slight challenges to his suggested handling, he provides some
work-arounds and ideas that are very practical.
This is an effect that people will talk about and it leaves them
with a photo souvenir on their cell phone which they can send to
others to help promote you. That's clever back-end marketing like
Out to Lunch for the cell phone. I strongly recommend this and
advise you to watch it very carefully and with an open mind. You
may not care for his handling of how he gets from the beginning
to the end. You can change that up yourself if you want. But this
one is quite clever and offers tremendous opportunity for
self-promotion. Learn more here:
http://www.papercranemagic.com/digitalconviction.htm
Sidebar: Over the past year I have provided a ton of free advice
about how magicians can improve their marketing, both online and
in TV, print and radio. If you are thinking about upgrading your
web site in 2010 or want to discuss ways to improve your overall
marketing and visibility, I would be pleased to speak with you.
I really want your business. While you may find many web
designers out there, you will find few who can design a site and
write compelling copy. Remember, I not only have over 25 years of
marketing under my belt, but I have also been involved in magic
(performing and writing about it) for 45 years. You and I are a
good match.
Another reason to reach out to me before end of year is because
I am raising my prices in 2010 from $150.00/hour to $200.00/hour,
but if you contact me NOW rather than LATER, I will grandfather
you in at the $150.00/hour rate even if we don't start until some
time in 2010. So review your stuff and then drop me a line. The
first hour is on me!
Have a great holiday season!
All my best,
Steven
posted by Steven at
10:53 AM
