ULTIMATE SELF-WORKING CARD TRICKS: Cameron Francis Edition -- published by Big Blind Media 2019
Another excellent collection of easy-to-do card magic that looks like you must've practiced for years.
The very creative Cameron Francis has brought his unique, very practical way of thinking to eleven different effects, many of which you might have in one of those "beginning" card books in your library, but when you read the book so many years ago, you overlooked the potential of those tricks. Francis has updated, streamlined and modified them, creating some very impactful and memorable card magic.
Standouts on the DVD for me: the last effect, called "Keep, Hide, Giveaway" puts a neat presentational context (from Jay Sankey) into an easy to do triple card prediction that is very reminiscent of Deddy Corbuzier's wonderful Free Will effect. Francis' three explorations of the classic Tantalizer (in Royal Road to Card Magic) are all good, but the one he calls Exhausted Aces is a total fooler, for laymen and magicians alike. "Blackjack Buffet" also based on an effect in the early chapters of Royal Road, ends like a high skill gambling demo, and yet is almost completely hands off -- the spectator does everything. His effect "3 Impossible Things" seems to be just that!
There is also a nifty "speller" card reveal, a 10-card poker effect, "self-working" super clean Triumph, and a few I am probably forgetting. Some effects require set-ups/stacks, as you would expect with this type pf card magic, but there are a few goodies that will go directly into your "impromptu" arsenal, for when you get handed a deck and asked to "do a trick".
The effects are all demo'd and taught by Francis. The performances include some lay audience so you can see the reactions these effects get. The methods are clearly explained, with Francis often citing some of his inspirations and giving glimpses into his creative process.
My only critical comment would be that some of the effects require a few (simple, easy) shuffle or cut "moves" that are not actually "self-working". But even if you are very, very new to card magic, nothing on the DVD is hard-to-do.
This DVD sells for $25, but I'll sell it for a bit less (because I am a nice guy!)
Brand new -- NOTE: this DVD was issued from BBM without shrinkwrap, but it is brand new, never previously owned.