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The Effect

.PERFECTION by Oz Pearlman (DVD)

Performance can be found easily on YouTube by searching "Oz Pearlman perfection" or something similar.


Cost

£12.99 + postage (my copy from MAGICmagic.co.uk)


Difficulty
1=easy to do
2=No sleights, but not so easy
3=Some sleights used
4=Advanced sleights used
5=Suitable for experienced magicians only

I'm not sure whether to give this a 3 or a 4.

Some sleights are certainly used, and with the right misdirection would go unnoticed even if performed by a merely "adequate" magician, but the two main sleights in the effect (which, for obvious reasons, I won't name) are considered widely to be two of the hardest to perform with total invisibility. If your spectators eyes are burning a hole in the deck, then anyone other than a pro will find themselves in trouble, however Oz Pearlman's suggested patter for the routine should provide easily enough off-beat misdirection if you're relaxed and confident.

I'll give it a difficulty rating of 3.5.


Review

I'd been toying with the idea of buying this DVD for a while simply because, from the performance videos on YouTube, it was so visually stunning it looked almost impossible to me. I suspected it might be too advanced for me to be performing any time soon even if I did buy it, but I went ahead anyway because I was determined to at least know how it was done even if it turned out to be too difficult for me just yet.

I was really happy to find out that it's something that I will hopefully be in a position to perform flawlessly after a few months solid practice, and I'm by no means a great card handler (yet!).

I noticed on another thread in this forum that someone said they'd watched the performance a few times and they'd worked out the secret. I'm sure they worked out a very vital portion of the effect, but they can't have worked out every subtlety needed to make it flow. There are quite a few little tips and pointers that Oz talks about on the disc, and the deck also needs to be "prepared" slightly beforehand. This cannot be correctly performed with a cold deck that someone just tosses in your direction (think those everyday items that children are often told not to run with)...

The disc contents run as follows:

- The Performance section, which includes four different live performances in slightly different settings.

- The option of Audio Commentary over the performances, so Oz can talk you through the subtleties of his ad libbing and "thinking on his feet" during each version.

- The Explanation, which goes into detail about every sleight you'll need to perform. Oz is a very clear and thorough teacher - having watched the DVD only twice so far there is no part of the effect I don't fully understand.

- The Bonus Effect, where Oz teaches a different version of the same concept, where the effect is performed with ESP cards instead of playing cards. He uses business cards with ESP signs hand drawn on the backs and the trick works just as well with a few slight changes to the handling and patter.

The complete explanation section lasts just over 30 minutes which, considering the effect takes about 2 to 3 minutes to perform, is a lot of detail, and discussed and explained very well indeed.

Overall

Frankly, I love this effect. I can't wait until I'm confident enough with the handling to get out there and try it with an audience. As I always do, I'll be changing the patter, changing a few things here and there in order to make it "mine", but I couldn't be happier with the investment.

Including UK postage this knowledge cost me 15 quid, which I assume is about 30 dollars. Even if the effect was explained poorly on the DVD, knowing how to do it would still be very handy. Luckily, Oz Pearlman is a great teacher and the DVD is structured very well for a complete and satisfying tutorial.

Now I'm off for a drinky!! Bye!

i have this, i think its very sneaky and lovely in equal measure...

I don't have the DVD but I have the effect in the lecture notes I got at the IMS convention a few years back.

Perfection is exactly as it says on the tin - Perfection.
Card magic at its best!

Just thought i'd put this out there for anyone who performs this effect.

I was never happy with Oz' patter for it, claiming he'd watched the spectators shuffling the cards and somehow mirrored their shuffles with his own. It just never sat right.

Instead, i offer the idea to the spec that there are more possible combinations for the way a deck of cards is arranged than there are stars in the milky way, ( if anyone knows the exact figure of possible combinations i'd like to know it ) and that the odds of two packets being arranged the same after being shuffled by two individuals are 1 in ( insert outrageously large number here ).
I then proceed with the effect and hopefully knock people sideways.

I understand that we assume the spec should know the chances of both packets being the same are astronomical, which is what makes the effect so good, but it never hurts to remind them, and it's a tad more satisfying to leave an impossible mystery than making out like you replicated the shuffle. Any comments appreciated.

I am sure you will get this much quicker than that Kate! It's not too difficult once you get the process down and work a way out for the misdirection. When this came out I made up a rhyme of sorts that I'd say as I did it kind of tongue-in-cheek. Thought I'd share...

I once heard of a card master, and the story of this man
Said he could control cards completely, even those in your hands.
He passed them out to be shuffled, to make sure they were mixed
So this wouldnt be confused with other cheap tricks
From one to another the cards would switch hands,
It was then he became known as the card control man.
He tought me his secret, told me never to tell,
So here I share the experience, hope it goes over well.

Proceed with dealing cards to match

i'd be more inclined to ramp up the subconcious actions...

did you have any idea how many times you shuffled?

how many cards did you feel you displaced with each cut or shuffle?

this is important, do you remember shuffling any singular cards into this packet?

as you say "this packet", hold up the....

if you have it, I'm talking about what is needed to achieve the effect...

then finish off your script by saying that despite whatever they actually say, their subconcious remembers exactly how many cards were moved and where...and when you've been shuffling your half, you've tried to mimic them and their way of thinking...

infact, ask them some personal questions before you start, to get yourself in that frame of mind to be a replica of their mindset...