This ad was playing on CNN last night. If you didn't catch it, you can download it here:

https://www.cardscan.com/tv/download.asp

Anyone recognize the performer?

I don't know who did this, but it's not the guy who you see talking. Notice every magic effect is done as a "cutaway." That is, you don't see the spokesman and the trick in the same TV frame. I have a friend who does the same thing for casinos. Actor Vince Van Patten is the actor whom you see, but my friend is doing all the "moves."

Personally, I think the magic in this spot looks pretty weak ... in two of the three he's simply flipping the card over! But, who cares? Someone got a paycheck out of it!

Yes I agree the "magic" is very weak.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...ah......sorry ....did I miss something?

A CardScan gig, apparently.

I agree that this could have been done better. I'm curious. What would you guys have done differently?

Oh I didn't realize they actually hired a magician....sorry.

Hahaha! No kidding ...

But, don't be too hard on the magician. My (limited) experience has been that the director -- the boss during a commercial shoot -- may have very different ideas than you about what looks good on camera. It's very possilbe that the magician came in with some killer slieights, only to have the director ask for the simpler card flips. Remember, it's not a magic show --- they were simply making a point with the magic, or whatever you care to call it. They may not have been too critical about how powerful the effect was compared to its impact on their message.

Wow. I've never been in this forum and just happened to stumble upon the thread...

That said, I was the magician for the CardScan commercial. Not the actor, just his hands.

I had initially been contacted to do the magic AND the acting in the commercial. However, a week before filming they decided to use a professional actor (which I'm not) and edit in the magic sleights.

I had a whole bunch of moves/transformations worked out for them, but they all didn't work with what the director wanted. In the end, I did a number of moves they couldn't use due to the script/timing. Also, to further complicate things, they made me use their special business cards. I was given the cards the night before, and their texture/coating/thickness made most of my ideas unworkable.

So, there's the back story. Commercial definitely would've been better if they hadn't edited in the sleights....

Ryan Oakes

Aha! I figured that they director had very different ideas from what the magician could do. Ryan's experience is very typical of what I (and others I know) have also experienced in doing TV work. Thanks for sharing your experience, Ryan ... and congratulations on a cool gig!