Effect: Solitary
Artist: Cameron Francis
Producers: Paper Crane Magic
Link: http://www.papercranemagic.com/solitary.htm
Retail Price: $19.95 USD
Learning Difficulty: Moderate
Run Time: 43 minutes
Notes: Additional coin holders will need to be purchased if you plan to perform this effect often. Good news is: They’re cheap!
Features:
• DVD
• Three Coin Holders
Cameron Francis teaches multiple effects that can be done using a coin holder ranging from penetrations, to transpositions, and the coin holder can even be given out as a souvenir!
Finally a coin trick for the collectors out there! Solitary is a unique way of visually transpositioning a signed coin from outside a sealed coin case, to inside of it right before the spectators eyes. The method is easy enough but the variations to how you can utilize it are many! Solitary can be a simple coin to impossible location trick, or used in a larger routine with card reveals and more. You may even be able to come up with your own use for it after playing with it a bit.
Cameron teaches a few different handlings that include a rip open version, a repeatable version, a handout routine, and even a gimmicked version for those who are uncomfortable with sleight of hand.
The hardest move you need to learn for this effect is a false take, which if you don’t know how to do that already Cameron teaches you. My personal favorite part of the DVD is Cameron’s mega routine in which he combines a little bit of card magic, with some coin magic, throws in bits and pieces of what is taught on Solitary, and in the end leaves you with a complete close up routine worthy of your time and attention.
What more could you want in a magic product? It’s practical, affordable, it has an option to give something away at the end, it deals with a signed object to impossible location, and leaves you the creative flexibility to come up with your own way of incorporating it into other tricks that you do. It’s a close up workers dream come true! It’s fairly priced, practical to perform, and well lit, shot, and edited. If I had to find anything wrong with the product, it’s that we don’t see a live performance of his mega routine, but really that’s reaching for it.
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
Great trick! Fair price.
Teaching Quality: 7
I liked Cameron’s teaching skills. He’s not boring like some magic videos can be. He holds your attention well through the entire length of the DVD.
Video & Sound Quality: 8
The sound and video are both decent.
Overall Quality: 8
All the qualities of a great close up trick are here rolled into one. If you’re a coin guy (or gal!) then you should own this.
