Card Happening

Sanada

(Based on 1 review)
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This amazing DVD contains two amazing tricks - Toyosan Sanada's Card Happening and Ginjiro's Invisible Boomerang Card.

Effect


The spectator takes a card. Remembers the card and returns it to the deck.

The magician then returns the cards back into its original box and then places the box on top of the table.

Both hands are empty.

The magician begins pulling an invisible card out of the deck without even touching the box and places the card in front of the spectators for all to see.

With a wave of the magician's hand over the invisible card, It appears!

You can perform this trick with any regular deck.

Sanada's Card Happening and Ginjiro's Invisible Boomerang Card are throughly explained in this DVD.

Running Time Approximately 31min

Reviews

James Sanden

Official Reviewer

Oct 30, 2008

“Card Happening” is an interesting and unusual effect from Japan which allows the performer to appear to either pluck a card from mid-air or touch a spot on the table and have the card appear visibly in that spot . Of interest is the fact that the performer’s hand is empty in both situations and the card does seem to just pop into existence. The effect includes a DVD as well as that something extra that allows one to put together the effect.

While there are sleight of hand methods that create a similar effect, the advantage to “Card Happening” is its flexibility and consistency. In the tabled version of the effect, the deck is cased and set on the table. The performer reaches out and touches a spot on the table. The chosen card instantly and in full view appears at that spot. In the stand up version, the performer mimes throwing an imaginary card, boomerang style, watches it circle around, then catches it at the end of it’s spin, where it seems to materialize in his hand. While the stand-up version can be more or less be duplicated with sleight of hand, “Card Happening” allows the card to appear after the deck has been cased. (Though to be honest, if I were to use this in performance I would experiment with making the gimmick in a way that would eliminate the need for the case. Based on the DVD, this certainly seems possible.)

The explanation portion of the DVD is quick, to the point and very clear. As the product is Japanese, the producers decided not to have verbal explanations, but instead had the performer slowly and clearly demonstrate the method and effect, then added subtitles to clarify the action. This resulted in a more deliberate, careful and complete demonstration, which is a nice change of pace from many DVD’s currently entering the market. The performances are done in studio, for the camera, but clearly demonstrate what the effect would look like in a real world performance. My favorite part of the DVD is a bonus section which teaches how to do a classic comedy bit, using “Card Happening”, that allows you to show your hand empty prior to producing the card.

While the construction of the gimmick is a bit of an arts and crafts project, other than the included special something and a deck of playing cards, all that is needed is scissors, glue, a hole punch and tape. Construction will take probably 20 minutes and the gimmick should last quite some time. And even if you burned through one of these a night (which would never happen), extra “special something” is included that allows you to make quite a few sets of the gimmick.

In my mind, the biggest advantage to “Card Happening” is that it doesn’t turn your cards into a one trick deck. While there’s nothing wrong with one trick decks, I like to be able to ring my gimmicks in and out (short cards, duplicate cards, etc.), which allows me to use an otherwise normal deck for other effects. With “Card Happening” you can certainly do that.

I like “Card Happening”. It’s not terribly expensive (when you include the special something), includes a DVD, is fairly easy to put together and creates a very flexible, magical effect. If you don’t know any sleight of hand methods to create the illusion of plucking a card from mid-air with an empty hand, or if you prefer the consistency of a gimmick, then this is certainly for you.
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