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In My Mind 2 Review

One DVD, 2 PDFs, about 80 minutes, $25 bucks and one In My Mind 2 Review. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.

In My Mind 2 Review: Effect

This is a compilation DVD with 6 effects on it. Read the ad copy for a sense of the effects, and then read below for a little bit more details

White Memory

A card is freely selected (no force). It's put back in the deck. You then read the mind of the spectator as you remove one card and place it face down on the table. The spectator spreads/deals through to deck and sees that their card is not in the deck. You ask the spectator to imagine that the ink on the card is fading away. They do. Then the card you placed aside is turned over by the spectator. It's completely blank.

Lucky Envelopes

A bank night routine with two envelopes. The spectator does not win the money, but you ultimately predict which envelope they will pick.

Double Coincidence

Two spectators are each given a deck of cards. They each take their own deck under the table and reverse any card in the deck. The decks are brought out and fairly spread on the table. Only one card is reversed in each deck. With no funny moves, both cards are turned over and found to be a perfect match. They both turned over the seven of hearts (or whatever) card in their decks.

The Two Drawings

A coincidence effect where a small packet of business cards with symbols drawn/printed on them are used. The spectators each think of a card at a certain number in the deck. It is revealed that they are both thinking of the same drawing. It can be repeated instantly with different results.

Just One Chance

The spectator shuffles a deck. She then deals the cards face down until she wants to stop. The card she stops on matches a prediction that you placed on the table at the beginning. The prediction is not switched, and the cards are completely unprepared in any way.

The Key of Fate

Three keys, one lock. You predict who will have the key that opens the lock — only one of them will. Two people walk away "losing" and not winning a prize. The prizes they supposedly could have one were $100 Euros in one case, and and iPhone in another case. The person who does win an actual prize gets a "booby" prize.

In My Mind 2 Review: Method

All of the methods are very simple. They range from simple gaffs that you already have, to extremely basic sleight of hand, to a special deck of cards that you may have to purchase. All of the methods are very practical, extremely realistic and within the grasp of any magician willing to put in just a small amount of work. Not much to say here.

If you decided to do every single trick listed above, it would cost you under $30 bucks to buy everything you need (assuming you didn't already have it). Also, the majority of that expense is for only one effect, Double Coincidence. If you didn't do that effect, we're talking $14 or $15 bucks for everything else. Again, that assumes that you don't have anything but a deck of cards. My guess is that you have most of the stuff you need. Of the $14/$15 bucks, the majority of that would be spent on the padlock and keys for The Key of Fate.

Most of these methods are very clever and will get you thinking about how to apply them to other effects. In fact, they mention in the ad copy that the methods for Just One Chance could be used for ACAAN and just simply as a force.

In My Mind 2 Review: Ad Copy Integrity

The video ad copy doesn't "say" much. It just flashes the names of the tricks on the screen and a silent clip from that effect with music in the background. The written ad copy, however, is where it's at. They do a great job of accurately portraying the content. In fact, they even mention that a force is used for one of the effects.

The only claim I might mention as being a little bit off is the claim that The Key of Fate is worth 10 times the cost (i.e., $250) of the DVD. I don't know if I would have paid $250 for that one effect. The only way I can see to justify that claim is if there was a marketed product that included everything (the keys, the lock, the box, the special something that makes it work, and full analysis of the method, effect and routine . . . then maybe it would be a $250 product.

I will admit that I may be a little bit biased on that. I actually created a Key Test routine using the exact same method about 15 years ago. I've never published it or even used it. However, I had planned on someday publishing it, and I would not have charged $250 for it. Nit picking aside, the ad copy is solid.

In My Mind 2 Review: Product Quality

The product quality overall is pretty good. Let's talk about what you get first. Then we'll break it down in detail. First you get a DVD that's about 80 minutes long. It includes the six effects and a bonus effect/idea/concept. Second, you get two PDF files.

DVD Production Value

Yay! A play all button! Woo Hoo! The navigation was excellent and easy. The lighting was a bit off, particularly in the performance segments. In fact, on at least one performance segment, I wasn't really able to see/feel the moment of magic because the camera was too far away, and the lighting was off. However, during the explanation, the effect and performance became very clear, and they did a great job of getting close ups when needed.

The only other complaint is that there was a music track running in the background that was annoying and distracting. It made it much harder to listen to the explanations.

Teaching

Luca Volpe covers everything in depth and with pretty good clarity. As mentioned in the effect section, there are two effects where the spectator is a "loser." I've never been a fan of that plot. However, that has no impacting on the star rating. But, I bring it up because I felt that during the teaching segments he should have at least addressed how he manages that situation. Any tips on how to make the spectator not feel like an idiot would have been nice. Other than that, no complaints.

PDF & Bonus

The first PDF is a file with all of the symbols used in The Two Drawings. He mentions that you can use this to have the symbols printed on your business cards. That's all he really says about it. He doesn't really say how to go about doing so. I have no idea how to print something directly on the back of my business card. However, including the symbols is a nice gesture and maybe someone with Photoshop experience could figure it out. Also, keep in mind that the symbols provided are just the ones that he uses. You actually don't have to use those specific symbols. It can be anything.

The second PDF is for the included bonus effect, Mind to Mind Communication Test Cards. It's basically a template for the front of your business cards that has some built in effects using a playing card, a clock and ESP symbols. It also has, built into the design, a super clever way of marking the cards. This section (the bonus) of the DVD covers a basic psychometry routine using the cards. It requires the use of a peak wallet. However, it's a very clever method, handling and routine that has a lot of presentational potential. He also briefly touches on a few other ideas you can do with these cards before he refers you to a few resources he recommends you study to learn more about this type of routine.

In My Mind 2 Review: Final Thoughts

There are a lot of clever concepts on this DVD with a lot of potential to be customized for your own style and venues. In fact, this is the first product in a long time to spark so many ideas of how I could use these principles and ideas. I took about 4 or 5 note cards (3x5) worth of notes/ideas for my own work, plus I video "journaled" some more. Of course, how much I like the ideas, etc. has no impacting on the star rating. What does have an impact is method (SOLID), Product Quality (Really Good) and Ad Copy Integrity (Solid).

Final Verdict:
5 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.

Available at your Favorite Magic Dealer. Dealer's see Murphy's Magic For Details.