Random I-Tunes Song of The Moment: Eyes Open by Taylor Swift

Spaceshifter by Nicholas Lawrence and SansMinds Reviewed

One DVD, one trick, thirty-eight minutes and $25 bucks. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.

Effect

A corner is torn from a selected card that the spectator has initialed. The spectator holds the torn off corner in one hand. With her other hand she pinches the corner of the torn card that you are holding. In the blink of an eye, you let go of the card, and the torn corner has healed, but a new tear is found in the middle of the card. It perfectly matches the corner the spectator is holding. The effect is very visual and stunning and happens, for the most part, in the spectator's hand.

Method

The method relies on a homemade gimmick that is taught on the DVD. It also makes use of a clever optical illusion. The gimmick is two parts. One is a gimmick that will be reused over and over. The second gimmick is the card itself . . . the one that is torn and healed/the tear moves. This card is prepared in advance, but is totally examinable at the end of the effect.

If you have the card signed, or if you give the card away, you'll have to make up several of these cards in advance. The problem with that is that keeping things organized for the reset can be a little messy. If you're only planning on doing this once (i.e., you're not strolling), then there's no problem. However, if you're planning on doing it 10 times in a night (and you're giving the card away — you should give the card away), then you'll have to have 10 cards prepared.

Part of that prep requires keeping a little something with the prepared card, and that "little something" only works on one card, so for each card, you have the "little something." If you mix up the 10 "little somethings" and lose track of which "something" goes to which card, you'll have a prop management nightmare on your hands. Thus, the best thing to do (not suggested in the video) is to put each card and its "something" into a coin envelope. Thus you'll have 10 separate envelopes in your close up case or pocket, etc.

Then for each performance, you'll need to go to your case/pocket and get an envelope and reset the gimmick. The reset is easy and takes just a second or two, but keep in mind that you're needing to manage 10 (or however many times you want to perform it) envelopes loaded with a card and "something" in each one.

The performance itself (once the gimmick is set up) is pretty straight-forward and easy to do. However there are a few points where there are some angle issues. You'll have to really put in the time to practice and make sure you manage the handling and angles properly. Once you've got that mastered, you're all set for the gimmick to do its job.

The another thing to consider is the construction of the reusable portion of the gimmick. The way it's taught in the DVD makes the illusion needed not as good as it should be. However, this is a super easy fix. When you watch the DVD, you'll know exactly what I mean, and you'll be able to easily see the small simple modification you'll need to make to get the correct illusion. I know that's vague, but anything more is exposure. All I can tell you is that the minor change needed in the way you make the gimmick will be very obvious.

Lastly, when having the card signed, the spectator cannot handle the card. You must hold it while they sign it. It's nothing too major, but sometimes this can be awkward for the spectator.

Ad Copy Integrity

The ad copy is pretty solid. The video was very accurate. There were several places where they could have cheated, but they didn't. The written copy has one point I need to clarify. It mentions the spectator holding onto the card. This is true, but you're also holding it. While you're holding it sort of pinned to the deck, the spectator grabs the corner. Then you let go and all the magic happens, and they can keep the card. So the ad copy is accurate, but I just wanted make sure you're clear on the details of what "holding the card" meant.

Product Quality

The DVD is well produced, well lit, well mic'd, easy to navigate, etc. In fact, there was a major improvement from previous SansMinds products. Typically, at the end of a SansMinds DVD, they just start rolling commercial after commercial after commercial. This time, however, at the end it went to a menu screen with the commercials listed. That's much better in my opinion.

The teaching was very clear and detailed . . . also a step up from some past SandsMinds products. The video was 38 minutes, and it shows an un-cut performance without any camera cheats. It also explains the gimmick construction, handling and presentation very clearly.

Final Thoughts

If you liked the effect as shown in the trailer, you'll be very happy with your purchase. You'll need very minimal card handling experience. Just know that you'll need to put in the time to work on the handling. Though I've mentioned several method related considerations, these are not issues that would prevent me from recommending the product. Rather, they are issues that you need to be aware of to decide if you're willing to put in the work. The product itself is solid.

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