MAGIC INC. has just posted a video demo of this and it looks great. Anyone know anything about it?

Pete,
There has been a lot of talk about this.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......&start=0

Floyd

Its a short routines part of his lecture. Seems if anyone messes with the PN, it stirs up conversation.

Posted: Sep 7, 2010 9:58pm
The more I watch it the more I love it.
nice work from Dan.

I saw him perform it earlier this at his lecture. It really fooled me. I love it.

He is performing it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRf0kgnN33A


Dynamike
Detroit Magician

I am attending his lecture Monday night at IBM ring 6, and I look forward to meeting him.

Dan is a special and talented guy, also BEST Magic M.C. in the business.

Got this as I'm a PF fanatic.
Happens so instantly, you almost have to repeat it via his own presentation, or come up with your own similar one.

There are two classic PF routines in my new book, and this is probably too fast a move for people to get on the first round.

The one and only weakness (if you want to call it that) that I could find, is that the ropes definitely may not be examined, though I never feel that is in any way necessary to the success of a PF routine.

Very nice rope included, detailed directions and presentation, a startling version.

So that's my two-cents,

Magically,
Walt

I got to buy this now and it's on sale at magic inc currently.

I received this today in the UK, and have to say this is one of the cleverest, most brilliant pieces of thinking I have seen in a while
Looking forward to many hours of fun and entertainment with this.
Bruce

I too just received this in the UK...Dan sent it promptly and it's fantastic. As has been said, beautiful and clear directions that actually make sense, a very clever handling, and can actually be shown fairly openly all the way through if you're careful in your display. The method is so simple I was doing it in the first five minutes. Highly recommended.

It took this amateur rather more than 5 minutes to feel comfortable with this remarkable effect. But after several weeks of practice, I felt able to actually show it to people today. I did not perform the routine as scripted by Mr. Harlan, but used the effect to illustrate several different themes with different small groups of people during the day. The instantaneous switches are completely astonishing and fooled everyone, even folks who happened to see it happen again and again. Most of the time, the setting was rather close in. The ropes cannot be examined, but simply putting them back into my jacket pocket was perfectly natural and casual, and there was no request to handle them. (I think that after pocketing them, a second set of ropes could easily be switched in and tossed out for examination.)

Woland

Best $20 I've spent on anything this year. Brilliant.

DCB

I love rope routines and have 4 or 5 that I do for different events. The thinking behind this routine is brilliant, but (and I know I'll be in the minority..perhaps a minority of one) I just find this routine far too repetitive.

Yeah, you keep thinking there's going to be a variation or a twist, but then there isn't. But the basic effect is impressive and clean. Not sure how it works, but if you could combine it with something else, that might be the way to go.

It's evident from the video that Mr. Harlan's routine works very well, and as he has explained, it fits in with the general theme of his performance. As far as its being repetitive goes, with many effects, we avoid reproducing them too many times for the same audience, for fear that the eye will gradually become accustomed to the quickness of the hand. However, in this case, the transformation of the ropes is so instantaneous, and can be accomplished with a variety of perfectly ordinary, very quick moves, that the transformation from equal to unequal ropes and back again can be repeated many times without fear of discovery. As an amateur who is only now "learning the ropes," I thought that it would be helpful to master Mr. Harlan's routine, with the transformations performed in the order and in the manner that he recommends, before experimenting further. But there are undoubtedly many other ways of doing this.

May I add, the gimmick is absolutely brilliant, and helps immeasurably in performing this effect. I would bet that the more skillful, and careful, performer could do this without the specific gimmick, once the effect is completely mastered.

It happens now and again that we order an effect from a company, sight unseen, and receive a poorly printed, smudged and smeared, mildewed sheet of instructions, along with a cheaply manufactured, crude and ultimately obvious construction of cheap materials.

That is not the case here! In my opinion, you will receive more than your money's worth. The ropes are lovely, the gimmick is well made, innovative and original (I haven't yet found anything exactly like it in Gabe Fajuri's edition of Stewart James's Encyclopedia), and the instructions are more than adequate.

To add something to the description of how I worked this effect, I kept the ropes in my right jacket pocket, arranged so that I could rather quickly reach in and withdraw them, ready to go. The transformation can then be made a couple of times, with appropriate patter, and as I am finishing up, I just put them back in the pocket. Nobody even hinted they wanted to examine them.

Woland

I too agree that it appears repetitive and it wouldn't fit my style to do it as many times as Dan does it in his routine, however I also don't use other people's presentations, and prefer to come up with my own. I've come up with one that I find rather humorous (of course I'm biased) that works so well with these ropes, it's like they were meant to be together.

That said, this is a fantastic purchase and I'm shocked that it was only $20. As Woland said, you often get crummy directions and unclear pictures, but it's obvious that time and thought went into this, and I went so far as to email Dan to thank him for that when it showed up. If you're worried about repetition, this effect won't let you down...just use a little creative storytelling and you'll have yourself a beautiful routine. Dan also explains several variations of how to go through the transformations so that you're not doing the exact same moves each time.

Again, I can't recommend this enough...and it's so easy to do that you almost feel guilty when it looks so good in your own hands.

As much as I like the premise, you are right. It has several flaws. Keep in mind that this is and should be a lecture piece. It is not original, as I have found this in other routines. It is just in the forefront on this site.
Once past the premise of the basic move, there is an exposure (that had been discussed in the review section) and it is not really something I would want to show to non magicians.
Also, (having discussed this with Dan), it does not have to be manufactured, but Dan feels that it works better that way.
The technique can be found in old Hen Fetsch effect, but the impact for magicians is strong because it hasn't been seen in 50 years or more.The repetition is required so as to give it length and substance. As discussed, it cannot be handed out so it has no greater merit, to layman than any other effect (to them).
Magicians are always thrilled and baffled when the separation and return of the PN pieces are done. I have cashed in on the impact of moves like that as well. But, as I said, Dan has taking a lecture piece and "stretched it" into a routine.
I would use the pieces as part of a longer routine without repeating the one key move 4 times.
This thread should really have been part of the commentary in the tricks review section.

I saw Dan Harlan perform it live and it kills. It begs to be repeated, several times! Even though I do professor's nightmare, I'd still want to perform this for certain gigs.

Has anyone come up with a good way to get into this effect? I love it as an opener because it's visual and the story involves how I got into magic, but the handling itself is proving to be an issue if I'm not ready to perform it as soon as I get on stage. Feel free to PM me if you have ideas!

Andrew
Do you use a case of any kind in your shows. I added the awakening to my parlor show many months ago, and I truly don't know why you would have a problem. I don't open with this as a matter of fact I use it as my third routine. As I am building and connecting with the audiance I start with the five card opener as the first trick I ever performed.

I then do Hold it Buster as the first trick I ever saw, and then Awakening as the trick I always wanted to do but never learned.

The ropes are in my case I do have them attached in a way that while the lid is open they are hanging so I simply go to the case and grab the ropes. Well that is what the audiance sees at least.

If your worried about the get ready don't, just keep talking they don't care what your doing.
Oh one other thing, for my first four effects I go to the case to get out what I need, I don't have them on a table or anything like that. So the audience is use to seeing me go to my case. However I could see laying the ropes behind other props on a table and getting ready right there no problem.

-Floyd

I have a case, though I don't typically have it open on stage with me.
In many of the situations I perform in (comedy clubs,) I get on stage and need to shake the hand of the person that's brought me up, which obviously is done with the right hand. My issue is that most of my act is self contained...pockets and such. That said, I'd like to be able to have the ropes in my left hand when I get to the stage, shake the hand of the MC, and get everything over to my right hand. If I had something like a case, I could be doing that behind the lid, but typically it's just me up there. Alternatively I could just re-learn it with the left hand, but wanted to see what other people were doing. I do like the case idea! I would love it if that were as easy for me, but I've come to find I can't always rely on the angles OR the performance setting (having a table or stool on stage) in a club setting.