talkmagic.co.uk

Product
2 X DVDs
First DVD runs about 1 hr 05 mins
Second DVD runs about 1 hr 35 mins
Selectable scenes and chapters including menu screen.
Works on all computer systems and DVD players (region-free).
Performer and instructor - Shade
DVD edited and produced by Baha Video Productions

Intro
Firstly this is an advance review, so I want to thank Shade for giving me a first peek of the dvd. The review will be divided into two sections pertaining to content and the dvd itself (production qualities) respectively, so as not to confuse the two. The second is one of those fables of magic and cardsharping that everyone who has spent two weeks working card magic or read Erdnase knows of and immediately hopes to master. There are many instructions out there for learning the second deal, but all that I have seen (and I have seen a lot) handle the subject fleetingly. I recently heard from someone on the SMC forum saying how Simon Lovell's instructions on mastering the second deal involves the following: Showing how to execute the deal; and then telling you to keep doing it till you get it. Sure, sounds great, if only it's overhand shuffling we're talking about here.

From the get-go, it's obvious this DVD set is not for beginners. Firstly, it's a study on one and only one sleight: the second deal. Secondly, it includes 5 effects that are meant to be presented as a routine. Too many instructional DVDs out there shows you effect after effect after effect without a link between them and without any kind of structure in the performance. Here, the DVD set gives you a whole routine mainly based on the second deal, mixing both magical presentations to gambling demonstrations. Which means that upon mastery of the second deal, one is already able to perform an entire 30 minute routine of effects. Good for those who seek to routine their magic, but not as ideal for those who just want to learn a few quick effects for that dinner with friends or for a party. Suffice it to say that all the effects are tablework unless you intend to perform magic on the palms of your spectators all lined-up to form a kind of table for you to work on.

Content
Second dealing, coming from someone who has spent quite a many hour in the middle of the night holding a pack of cards and cursing aloud each time I make a mistake, is something that requires lots of practice and thought. It's not a sleight one executes on the whim because it is requires skill in technique, presentation, and misdirection. For instance, how do you ensure you deal only one card when you do a strike second? Trust me, that is the first problem you will encounter when you practice. Where do your hands go when you deal? Should they both move or should your left hand (hand holding the pack) remain stationary? What about the push-off second? How can I ensure a successful push-off every time? And why is it that there are so few effects using the second deal? How useful is it exactly?

The DVD set's main purpose is to answer that last question. Most card magicians don't bother with the second deal, considering it a gambling move, or that it's rewards do not match up to the amount of practice required. This attitude also explains why there has been scant discussion and instruction on the second deal beyond the basics of how to execute one. So to answer the nay-sayers, the first DVD is an hour long performance and explanation of 5 effects:
Ace of Spades Trick
The Fastest Card
Gwen's Choice
The Crossing
The Slayer

As mentioned, they are supposed to be presented as a routine, but by themselves, they are fairly powerful stuff. The Slayer is aptly named because the effects combines locating a chosen card, a Triumph presentation, a small gambling demonstration, and a colour separation all in one. It would have been called The Devastator if everything didn't come together into one smooth and elegant presentation. I must admit that this effect is my favourite in the whole disc.

The explanations are done by Shade alone, without the help of assistants, and are thorough enough for anyone to understand. It goes into details like angles to watch for, suggested patter, variations of presentation, and shows crucial stages of each effect a couple of times so that you don't have to rewind the DVD if you missed it the first time. It does assume that the learner has a fair amount of magic and card skill. For instance, on the Zarrow shuffle, Shade's advice is, "If you don't know the Zarrow shuffle, then....... check out Herb Zarrow's DVD or Expert Card Magic." So no point watching this DVD and hoping to be able to do the effects on the same day. It's going to take some work, so get cracking.

The real gold is in the second disc (appropriately enough for a treatise on the second deal). It is one and a half hours of nothing but teaching on the second deal. From the types of decks to use, to the different grips, discussions about surface tension and how to ensure the cards don't stick, to advice on the tells to avoid and how to control noise. Tips on how to practice to get the best results in minimal t time was extremely helpful. In short, it covers everything you can think of. Shade is wonderful, wonderful teacher and seems to know exactly what to zoom in on to make the sleight work so you don't have to fiddle around with the deck by yourself to discover these helpful pointers. Everything is explained clearly and I had absolutely no problems following what he is talking about.

This is Shade's first DVD shoot and at parts it shows as it's clear Shade is much more comfortable communicating with the participants/helpers than he is talking the camera. But the instructions are painstakingly clear and important points are repeated for emphasis. The participants are luckily not distracting and on the second disc, they ask some good questions that people new to the sleight would no doubt have on their minds.

Production quality
The video image is great, with lots of close-ups so you get to see how the sleight is executed and used in different situations, and the camera work is generally good. The only problem is the sound. Firstly, you would be inclined to lower the volume because the menu music is blaring at top volume, only to find that the actual instructional parts are very soft. While Shade's words and volume is good and clear, the two participants/audience can hardly be heard half the time. This isn't so much of a problem for the first disc but for the second disc, where the teaching is in a format of a coaching session cum Q&A (similar to Bob Chua's DVD), sometimes the participants asks some questions that you really have strain your ears to hear.

To add to the problem, the background music tends to drown out the conversation sometimes. While it's not so loud as to become distracting, it sometimes makes certain parts hard to hear. I found that by watching and listening to the disc with earphones helped tremendously as the sound capture is actually very clear and unmuffled, just soft.

Some of the cuts from the wide angle view to the close-up view of the cards and Shade's hands were a bit jarring but these won't be a concern for the student learning from the disc as the close-ups are there to illustrate a fine point in handling or to show exactly how to execute the sleight properly.

The DVD plays well and there were no problems with skipping chapters and navigating the various sections. No jumps and skips or lags were experienced.

Conclusion
While not a lavish production, the DVD is definitive on the second deal. It's content is unmatched in terms of clarity of instruction and attention to detail compared to the DVDs that I've watched. There may be some reservations that these two DVDs are on just one sleight, but all such concerns will be quelled the moment one watches the first disc and sees how Shade really works the second deal and converts it from a sleight to a powerful and effective tool for card magic. Enrico made some helpful comments on how the second deal used as a change, a DL, a false count and others. So by learning the second deal, you're actually able to use it to perform several other sleights as well.

I really loved the format of the second disc as it feels more like a round table discussion and study of the sleight than just a normal "do this and then do that and then do this and then do it until you get it". Because of the Q&A, many details were covered and surprising tips and pointers were given which would otherwise not be touched on if it were just a normal instruction. And you can actually see the helpers learn the sleight as the session goes along and see how from never having done the sleight before to being able to do a push-off properly.

I highly recommend this to all card magicians, especially those interested in gambling routines. Not for the beginner but this DVD is testament to how a studious and concentrated study of just one sleight can produce fantastic effects and a wonderfully useful sleight. Just one caution: Never practice this in front of the lay people, and never EVER EVER expose the second deal as a kind of gambling move. It's too useful and powerful a sleight to be exposed as a method of card cheating. I really hope Shade plans on producing more DVDs of such studies on sleights in the same format. They're definitely what every serious card worker needs and probably ever going to need.

Purchase details
Currently the DVD is still in post-production (at the point of writing) but check Shade's site at http://www.cardshark.sg or email him at shade@cardshark.sg as he plans to release this very soon.

There is a thread on the Singapore Magic Circle forums that contains more reviews. http://forums.singaporemagiccircle.com/ ... try8355765

Check it out. I'm posting this here because I think it's really good stuff and would be very useful to a lot of people. Thanks guys!

I would just like to add that in the above review, I said that the effects are tablework only.

This is not true.

Shade emailed me and pointed out that all except the last two effects can be done in the hand, walkaround, without a table. The last two require displays, so they are the only ones on the DVD that do require a table.

Link to a preview/trailer of the DVD - http://cardshark.sg/secthoughts/

Hi guys,

Thanks for the queries and the interested emails.

Some people have requested for a closer look at the deal as the actual trailer on my website was cut to reduce exposure and prevent curious buyers. So I put together a sample clip of the strike second as detailed in SECOND THOUGHTS.

This isn't off the DVD - it's just a quickie (took about the better half of 10 minutes with my handycam and Windows Movie Maker) as a sort of demo. It was raining outside, so the lighting's not too great, but it's still clear enough.

A Closer Look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58MtVxh-Sg8

You can view the trailer or purchase this here:http://www.cardshark.sg/secthoughts.

I'd be happy address any questions you might have; just email me.