I've loved this plot ever since reading it in Paul Harris' AOA. Something about the pure simplicity, the spontaneous feeling of the effect, and innocent props intrigues me. Here I've developed my own handling of it with an obviously completely different method. Any feedback would be appreciated as I continue to tweak my material for an upcoming DVD. Of course if you're going to dig into the method, please PM me, instead of posting it here.

Thanks, you guys have already been a tremendous help,

Platt

http://www.dropshots.com/platt

Nice effect Platt.

Reminds me of a coin through Tic Tac box effect I purchased long time ago. That one requires a gimmick and I never tried that out in front of the spec...

Yours is obvious different from that and I like it very much.

Please let me know when the DVD is out =)

Yes info2victor, I think I know the gimmick you're talking about. Forgot about that one. I never bought it but was shown the workings. Not very practical in my opinion. But clearly with 3 different attempts now to make this thing happen, there must be someting attractive about this plot.

The thing I'm most proud about with this handling is that you start and end clean. To have a dirty left hand after this effect just isn't good enough for me. Or more likely I'm not good enough to handle being left with a dirty left hand. Either way I've eliminated it.

Beautiful, Platt!

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il illegetimi est non carborundum --- A charitable group (they take care of widows and orphans) in the Gold Country uses this quote. Can you translate?

That's crazy cool! I also love the simplicity of the dime resting on the end of your finger and delicate travel into the box. Bravo! -Dan


Posted: Apr 17, 2006 11:13am
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...oh, and keep me informed on your DVD! -Dan

Carborundom = abrasive
Illegetimi = illegitimate child, born out of wedlock. a.k.a. B*stard

Roughly, I heard it meant "Don't let the b*stards wear you down"

Nice effect Platt. I am myself looking forward to your DVD.
I was familiar with it and I don't use it that often but I perform it from time to time.
Very nice handling as well.
Oh, and if I may translate what Mr. Biro said : "don't let the ***s grind you down" or something close to that.

All the best,
-Matt

My yahoo search gave me nothing. Google gave me "Don't let the b******* wear you down." Although I'm not quite sure how it fits into a critique. Perhaps you were just referencing Kamus signature. Anyhow, compliment or putdown, it's a great quote.

Pete- essentially: "Don't let the ***s grind you down!". I find it amusingly odd that a charity for widows and orphans would use this, though certainly apropos on some level!

Right Platt. This coin through Tic Tax Box effect is very nice IMO. I can imagine just take out a Tic Tac Box, borrow a coin, make it in, and pass the box out (they can take it home... I assume?).

Actually even though I never use the gimmick I own, it just broke by itself when I was clearing my drawer (yes it was in my drawer for a long long time).

I'm really looking forward to your effect =) release it quick pleeeeeease~

Platt. I'm pretty sure everyone was referencing my signature- I think everyone likes your effect.

Platt:

Any idea when the dvd will be out? looks like you've a good amount of material that people want to see!

On the tic-tac penetration, look very clean, must admit I'm baffled.

Keep up the good work.

I shot a good chunk of it about a month ago. A lot more to go. It's all very homegrown, so I'm debating scrapping it all and starting over in a professional studio. I'll start a thread to see if people care about that sort of thing. Personally, I don't. A lot of my favorite material comes from very cheap looking basement recordings. Either way all the material is well lit and clearly explained.

If the material is good and you can see it well and figure it out, why waste the time and money on a pro studio?

Speaking for myself, if the material is clearly presented teaching wise, with audible audio and adequately lit video then it's just fine. Frankly, I get a bit sick of all these "professional" dvds that have a lot of gee-whiz graphics and pointless filler segments that reflects the producer's fascination with video editing toys but merely serves to delay getting right to the material. Carry on Macduff!

Pete, David-

I completely agree with you guys. However I know a lot of people, even here, beat up on videos due to production quality. I believe "production quality" is also a common rating category in magic magazines reviews.

More than 30 years ago I went to high school with Bob Chesbro. A few years after graduation we studied/sessioned together and that was the time he invented the coin in lighter. He went from a wide lighter (much the width of the tic tac box) to a narrow one nowadays more popular. I still do the MARKED dime or penny in lighter and can fool anybody with it as you hand the lighter out at the end. He digressed a bit to the tic tac package and I remember the day he demonstrated it to me. From one hand the HALF DOLLAR vanished and in the other it appeared in the tic tac box. The cleverness came as you could actually see the coin appear in the box. The tic tac label concealed the duplicate coin, the gimmick allowed it to appear WHILE the specs were watching it. The illusion was SO strong and it was created for those who did not smoke or carried a lighter. Bob is one of the most creative and least known magicians around, he rarely performs but his standards for effect are higher than anyone else's I'd ever met. I think his tricks with the lighter and the tic tac box were quite a wonderful digression from the usual fare known at the time. I fondly will pull out the lighter effect and show it if only to remember the day he so completely fooled me. The gimmick if handled well can be rung in and rung out to no one's notice to allow full inspection. I will stay with this way for my comfort.


Marty Shapiro
Greenville, SC

I say just make it plain, steve dushecks dvd is very homemade and it is amazing. Cant wait for your dvd with all this great stuff!

Marty -

Bob's routine sounds interesting. Is it in print anywhere?

Thanks in advance.

- Rob