Torn 2 Pieces - Shawn Farquhar

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Torn 2 Pieces - Shawn Farquhar

Postby Webhed » Oct 18th, '10, 21:37



The Effect

A real photograph, signed by the spectator, is torn into four pieces. The photo is really torn. Then in an instant all four pieces join together but in the wrong order leaving the spectator with a mismatched photo with their signature! That's right their signature is on the odd "almost restored" photo.

Cost
I bought mine from Penguin Magic for US$30.00

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)

Definitely a 5+!
No, not really; I just want to keep this one to myself! It's hard to rate this part. There is what I suppose you'd call a sleight, but it's so easy to do, I'd be surprised if anyone had any trouble with it.

Review
This is the first time I've ever bought anything by Shawn and I was sold on it when Craig and David they reviewed it last week. I immediately ordered it, and I wasn't disappointed.

All I keep thinking about, when I look at the gimmick is that Shawn must have one heck of a creative mind to come up with something like this.

T2P is the perfect torn and restored. The spectator signs the photo, the signature never leaves their view, and they are left with an great souvenir.

T2P is virtually angle-proof and can also be customized so that you can use a photo of the host of the event you are performing at, thus giving them an emotional attachment to what you are doing. If you plan on using your own photo, you can sign the back of it, giving the spectator an impossible souvenir, complete with their own signature on the front.

The DVD also comes with a Photoshop template, which will make your creation of the gimmick automatic, and you can make one in about 2 minutes using this. If you don't have Photoshop, then you can also use the free software Gimp. This will take you a little longer (maybe 10 minutes after a little practice). All you need is an inkjet printer that can print photos, or access to a photo processing store, which every town has.

I had a bit a of a problem with Gimp, so I emailed Shawn. He was in Denmark at the time, but he took time out to help me out by email and we got the problem sorted. If anyone plans on using Gimp, let me know and I can pass on the advice that Shawn gave me. All I can say is that Shawn's after-sales service is impeccable.

The DVD also has images o some of Shawn's friends, that you can use if you don't have any friends or family of your own! :D Shawn's thought of every contingency!

Overall
This is an effect that I'm going to be using a lot. As I said, it's the first time I've bought anything from Shawn but, from now on, I'm going to check out everything he's done.

Last edited by Webhed on Oct 18th, '10, 22:53, edited 3 times in total.
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Postby Lee Smith » Oct 18th, '10, 22:45

I have to say Torn 2 Pieces is one of the best effects I have seen in a long time this went into my working set the next day.

I have in the last couple of days found the perfect photo and made up over 50 of these (that is how much I like it)

Very easy to do, which is a bonus.

And in the UK Kodak are doing buy one get one free on the photo paper.

GREAT!

Lee.

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Postby Jing » Oct 19th, '10, 10:33

Hmmm... sounds good. I'll think about this. I would need to think, why I would tear up a photo and put it back the wrong way, before I get it.

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Postby Lee Smith » Oct 19th, '10, 10:48

Jing wrote:Hmmm... sounds good. I'll think about this. I would need to think, why I would tear up a photo and put it back the wrong way, before I get it.



I have been having alot of fun with this, I use my old promo photo and use patter themed around people wanting to tear it up. (which gets a few laughs)

Then after showing them the pieces say im going to try and restore it but that I'm not very good at it. You wil find that it makes for a very funny yet strong routine.

I have found a few other ways of doing this, and having tried various other torn and restored effects this seems to get the best reaction the fact that is in the wrong order makes no difference ,remeber it is signed and to a laymen this is impossible. :lol:

Lee.

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Postby russpie » Oct 19th, '10, 10:59

Jing wrote:Hmmm... sounds good. I'll think about this. I would need to think, why I would tear up a photo and put it back the wrong way, before I get it.
Depends who the photo is of. An ex? A rival? David Cameron?

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Postby Mandrake » Oct 19th, '10, 12:04

Good point, almost any politician or annoying so called 'celebrity' (Paris Hilton?) would be a valid target!

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Postby russpie » Oct 19th, '10, 12:26

He explained this in his lecture at Blackpool a couple of years ago. Very good effect & as they mentioned on Wizard Product Review, extremely commercial if used correctly. There's a bit of prep but worth having it in the wallet.

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Postby Lady of Mystery » Oct 19th, '10, 12:29

Loving the sound of this and it looks like it'd fit in perfectly with my rather quirky 'voodoo, Lady sawn in half' routine.

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Postby dat8962 » Oct 19th, '10, 17:48

I'm still considering this but my interest in it has just increased :lol:

Member of the Magic Circle & The 2009 British Isles Close-Up Magician of the Year
It's not really an optical illusion - it just looks like one!
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Postby Lee Smith » Oct 19th, '10, 17:54

dat8962 wrote:I'm still considering this but my interest in it has just increased :lol:



Just get it mate. It is amazing.

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Postby dat8962 » Oct 19th, '10, 18:34

Darn you Lee - you just know the right buttons to push! :lol:

Member of the Magic Circle & The 2009 British Isles Close-Up Magician of the Year
It's not really an optical illusion - it just looks like one!
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Postby Lee Smith » Oct 19th, '10, 19:26

LOL,

Was a bit bored this afternoon so here is a quick clip of me doing the effect. I will film this live soon and put that up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttUIsPu2xN4

:wink:

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Postby Mandrake » Oct 19th, '10, 19:58

Nicely done Lee!

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Postby Lee Smith » Oct 19th, '10, 20:48

Mandrake wrote:Nicely done Lee!


Thanks Mandrake, bit of a spare of the moment thing. I really want to put a live version up so its all logical.

Will post one in the next couple of days.

This effect is the cleanest torn n restored I have seen. And what I love about it the most is that its not a card trick

Lee. :D

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Postby greedoniz » Oct 20th, '10, 09:23

I'm interested in this also but am wondering about getting the photo print-outs.

Am I correct in presuming you can either use the images provided or create your own on photoshop with elements provided on the disc and then slap this on a memory stick and print out at a digital photo printy thing in a shop?

If the printy thingy in the shop is possible do have one performance per printout or do you chuck a load on, say, one A4 sheet?

I presume this isnt exposure of any kind as it doesn't involve the trick itself but rather the costs and time of making the 'gimmicks'

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