Title: Hein’s Catch Up
Artist: Karl Hein
Producers: Karl Hein
Retail Price: $29.95
Learning Difficulty: Easy
Length of DVD: 20 Minutes
Notes: This is just a DVD tutorial. You will need to purchase your own CPS gimmick.
Features:
• Play All
• Performance
• Explanation
• Bonus Effect
• Trailers
Copper, Silver, Brass has never looked so good! Karl Hein’s master work, five phase, routine is the crème de la crème of Copper, Silver, Brass work. This DVD is a great example of how you can take a solid effect, and with some scripting, and cleaver thinking, make it something more powerful, and more memorable. Karl Hein has produced an impressive routine with an ending the audience never sees coming.
Usually when I’ve seen Copper, Silver, Brass done, similar to Hopping Halves plot, it’s a bit of a sucker gag. In so much as coins are removed, audiences are asked what remains in the hands, and it’s never what they think. Karl’s approach is more magical and less sucker. Karl incorporates almost like a three coin fly routine into his performance which makes it by far my favorite handlings for this effect.
Regrettably Hein’s Catch Up is just a DVD explaining Karl’s handling. If you want to actually perform his version of the Copper, Silver, Brass plot then you’re going to have to go out and get your own set of CSB coins, and that can turn into quite a bit of an investment. The standard set from Johnson’s Magic runs around $60 bucks, Tango Magic produces a set using a Euro coin for around $42 bucks, and that’s just the start of it. Karl suggests using higher end coins, as he does himself, and a set of such coins from makers like Schoolcraft, and Lassen can run into the hundreds of dollars making the commitment to performing this routine a sizable one.
The bonus material on the DVD teaches Karl’s jumbo coin production which is a fun add on to any coin routine, and a good closer to his Hein’s Catch Up, or a Coins Across routine.
If you’re going to perform Copper, Silver, Brass then Karl’s presentation is the way to go. This is a great routine, and when skillfully performed will become a strong reputation maker. I highly recommend this.
When I give my product scores below I am measuring them on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 Being absolute the worst score possible, and 10 being the absolute best, making a score of five average. The four points that I grade upon is Product Quality, Teaching Quality, Sound & Video Quality and Overall Quality.
Product Quality: 8
The DVD has a great routine on it. It’s not too expensive either. Though the real expense comes when you start looking into buying a higher quality set of Copper, Silver, Brass coins.
Teaching Quality: 9
Karl is fun to learn from, and his performance is fun to watch for just the entertainment value alone.
Video & Sound Quality: 9
Great sound and video. No problems.
Overall Quality: 8
Overall high marks for this DVD. I think if it included a set of coins, even if that meant the price would be twice as much, it would have made for a more complete product. But as it is, this isn’t a bad purchase if you own a CSB set. It may even give you strong enough reason to finally get around to investing in a good set of high end coins too.
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