talkmagic.co.uk

Greed - Daniel Garcia

Price:$29.95

Available From:

http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=1368 - Penguin Magic

The Effect:

You show your spectators a ONE DOLLAR BILL. Fold it in half and it's still a ONE DOLLAR BILL.

Give it a wave and with NO FUNNY MOVES and WITHOUT LEAVING THEIR SIGHT it visually changes into a FIVE DOLLAR BILL. That's phase one, and your spectators already got their money's worth.

Fold it again and it's still a FIVE DOLLAR BILL.

But give it a wave... and WITH NO FUNNY MOVES (and AGAIN WITHOUT LEAVING THEIR SIGHT) the FIVE visually changes into a TEN DOLLAR BILL! That's phase two. Now they've seen the magic twice... with their own eyes. It would be safe to say they're pretty much addicted to you at this point.

Fold the bill again. It's still a TEN DOLLAR BILL.

Give it a wave and AGAIN it VISUALLY CHANGES, this time into a TWENTY DOLLAR BILL!

That's phase three. At this point your spectators have had just about all they can handle... their mouths are watering and they're only moments away from EITHER embracing you as a spiritual leader OR grabbing your TWENTY and running for it!

Before they have time to decide, you say, "Want me to make it a FIFTY?"

They can't help themselves...

"YES... yes... GOD-YES!"

You give the folded up TWENTY DOLLAR BILL a shake and it VISUALLY MORPHS into a FIFTY...

...A FIFTY CENT PIECE!

You hand them the FIFTY CENT PIECE and deliver the MONEY LINE:

"Don't get greedy..."


Review:

What you get is the instructional DVD which details every aspect of the effect. From detailed instructions on the creation to the gimmick, to step-by-step instructions on performance, the DVD is worth every penny. Mr. Garcia goes into such incredible detail from start to finish. No stone is left unturned, and all aspects of the creation and instruction are top notch.

Construction:

The gimmick - in a word - BRILLIANT. The thought process that went into creating this effect is absolutely stunning.

One worry I've seen on other boards, is the cost of the gimmick. Yes, it will cost you a few dollars. In my opinion, the cost to create the gimmick is well worth it.

Bear in mind, the creation process is time consuming - as it should be. Rushing through this will only detract from the power of this routine. What is so great about this effect is that the true beauty comes in this construction process. The gimmick is so intelligently thought out and conceived, that it makes the handling and performance of the effect that much easier to master. IF you give it the work and care it deserves, you are already well on your way to creating a miracle.

Aside from the typical step-by-step instructions on the DVD - you also get a PDF file that you can snag from the disc to help you in constructing the gimmick. Beyond that, Penguin has created a pretty cool 3D diagram of the gimmick as you build it - which works as a nice added visual learning tool. Every aspect of this part of the DVD is first rate and will not disappoint.

Performance:

So the gimmick is great. How is the routine? Even better. One thing I have noticed time and again with Daniel's videos is his handling and routine construction. It's fun just to watch him work.

I saw it originally in his "Project" series, into Torn - and it's still here in Greed.

His handling is like liquid, it's that smooth. No wasted effort, no unusual movements. Every gesture or movement of the hands is meant to keep the magic going smoothly and effortlessly. The way he uses his hands to present and draw attention is just plain art. His hands move just like the folding of the bill, making it even more amazing to watch. At no point does he obscure your view. You never lose sight of the bill, but yet his fingers just keep moving and distracting as these changes occur.

Watching this routine, you can see how much thought has gone into the entire presentation. It's readily apparent that Daniel has worked on this for years, hammering out the kinks and refining it to razor sharp precision. The result is a smooth piece of magic that just keeps pounding away at your spectator's mind.

The true beauty of the routine lies in how intelligently it is constructed and performed. It's actually a fast-moving effect - but the presentation is done in a way where it doesn't feel like you're rushing. The changes are quick-fire, but the spectator won't fall behind. What else makes it strong is how logical the progression is. 1 - 5 - 10 - 20 - it all makes sense. It's exactly what a spectator would do. In essence, you can make one change and just wait. If you have a group where a skeptic says "yeah, what about a ten" BAM - you hit them in the face with it. This natural progression just keeps building and building. And the ending is sheer genius. You make it seem like you can just keep going. Fold that bill, and it'll change one more time. Then you hit them with the "don't get greedy" line. Suddenly, they're thrown for a loop. The climax is anticipated, as the routine drives them towards it - but the reveal of the half dollar just hits them like a jackhammer. It's such a jarring finish that by the time they've realized what happened, you're done - and best of all - clean.

The routine is not difficult to perform - but that's not to say it's dead easy. You will need to practice to get everything smooth. I have not performed this for many people, yet - but I find the handling is very intuitive and not at all difficult to learn. It's a wonderful effect that is easy to pick up and work out - and with constant practice and refinement, the effect will keep getting stronger and stronger.

The instructions bring more of the same quality. Clear and detailed instructions, with the new angles tossed in by Penguin to make the learning process even easier. Penguin offers multiple angles to watch in real time as the performance is explained. They are:

The OUTRATEOUS FIVE ANGLE REVIEW SECTION features:
The Penguin over-the-shoulder cam (OTS)
The Penguin under-the-armpit cam (UTA)
The Penguin dude-on-the-ceiling cam (DOTC)
The Penguin from-the-side cam (FTS)
The Penguin food-in-your-teeth cam (FIYT)

Now you can see everything from every angle. This is one of the most thorough instructional discs I have seen. Great production quality and excellent teaching from start to finish. As if that wasn't enough, Daniel also offers an alternate handling (for table hopping), as well as thoughts and ideas on how to borrow a bill to make the effect even stronger.

As an added bonus, there's even a "bloopers" section which offers a few funny bits that didn't make the original cut.

For one effect, I would normally say the price is a bit high. However, I think Daniel has gone to great lengths to make sure you walk away feeling that every cent was worth it.

Cons:

That's not to say it is absolutely flawless. While none of these detract from the overall strength of the effect, there are a few things to point out:

1 - The effect is designed for bills that are all the same size. If your currency isn't the same size, it will be a major problem. Different colored money isn't a problem, as the gimmick is cleverly constructed to cut down on any problems like that.

2 - The effect isn't angle proof. You'll need to work on group management, making sure no one is behind you, or too far to either side. However, if you can keep yourself plotted properly, this is a non-issue.

3 - It will cost you a few extra bucks to build the gimmick. As I said before - the cost is worth it.

Final Thoughts:

I can't sing the praises of this effect enough! Daniel Garcia has released yet another gem. Not only is it powerful, but it's not all that difficult to perform. You'll need to practice quite a bit to get as smooth as Daniel does - but the work is worth it. Give this the time and attention it deserves and you will have an absolute killer in your hands. If you're looking for an ultra-visual bill switch routine, then I would seriously suggest picking this up.

Overall: 10/10

Edit - I would also like to point out - in a different thread, the subject of spectator interaction came up in regards to Mr. Garcia. Any thoughts about how he handles spectators will undoubtedly be cleared up while watching this dvd, and his interactions with spectators.

It should also be noted that Daniel is a funny dude.... But I'm sure most of you already knew that.

Great review sounds like a neat trick, one concern... do you know if this would work with uk notes (different sizes?)

Nice review Demitri!

Kems, I think Demitri stated that it would be a major problem for different sized notes.

Demitri, I was actually wondering if by chance you would happen to know if this effect would work for the plastic notes we have here in Australia? I was also wondering if any notes have to be destroyed to make the gimmick, as it is a Federal Crime here in Australia to do that (you don’t have to answer this last question if you think it’s exposure).

Dagnammit, I saw the preview vid for this and I've been really looking forward to it but I had a nasty feeling all along that it wouldn't work with different sized notes. Oh well.

Costas, if you do have to destroy any notes to create the gimmick I think it's safe to say you're going to have to be the world's unluckiest magician to get prosecuted for it, especially as you'd have to reveal the secret for anyone to find out you'd done so!

Not sure if this is relevant or even legal but rather than destroy genuine currency notes, could a scanned version be used instead? I recently bought a different effect where one bill changes to another and, without saying too much, a portion of a scanned bill means not having to destroy a genuine fiver!

Greetings

You do not need to destroy any bills but they would need to be modified but at a later date you could un modify them.

I think photocopied currency would work providing they are all the same size as it is vital that they are.

Hope this helps

Dean

If you scanned in English money.. could you resize them all to be the same size?
Will a spectator notice the slight discrepancy in sizes?

How about chopping off/folding down the edges of the larger notes?

PM does say that it can be done with notes of different sizes so they must have some trick up their sleeve...

Kati

Can you imagine being busted for producing counterfeit notes and trying to explain to the authorities that they were just to be used for the latest magic trick you purchased! Yeah right! This occupation is a life of crime I tell you! We compulsively lie and cheat; steal items from people’s possession; make others disappear; and to top it off we create counterfeit notes all in the name of entertainment. ! Nonetheless it is a great idea Mandrake, the only thing is that we use plastic notes here in Australia !

i guess that we could alway use monopoly money...lol

Funny you should mention Monopoly money, Beard. When he invented the trick, Daniel used monopoly money to create the gimmick.

I don't see why photocopies couldn't work. However, I would probably try to find extremely lightweight paper to use for the copies.

I can't comment on Kati's idea to "trim" - as I don't know the size relations of English currency. I'm assuming if it's a minor difference in size, it could be possible.

costas wrote:the only thing is that we use plastic notes here in Australia !

And they're extremely durable down on the beach and when going scuba diving! The part about them I like is the little transparent window - it means you can count your money in the pub but keep an eye on your beer at the same time!

The effect I had in mind uses perhaps 1/8th of a note and is only shown for a short time so the cheeky magish might get away with it. As it's only a part copy I doubt the boys in blue would be too upset but I could so easily be wrong!

heh - that is whre I got the idea from - I just can't think of anything else we could really use down here in the good ole UK without cutting and duplicating

Looks like an interesting effect but I am not sure if this one effect is worth it rather than using some bill changes or other device to pull off a similar trick.

Problems I see with this are that you would (I presume) need to have $36 dollars with you all the time.

and in England our smallest note is £5--->£10---> ---->£20 and hardly anyone has a £50 and if they did that's & £85 and the patter for the end then doesn't really work AND for those in the USA £85 is (roughly) $160-$170 which is a lot for one trick.