Price$35.00
Media TypeDVD
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedNov 16, 2010
Daniel Garcia Project Vol #4
Garcia, Daniel
Paul Harris Presents
(Based on 2 reviews)
Volume 4.
William Tell - Show your archery skills by causing the Ace of Spades to pierce the deck finding a previously selected card. Complete with a "Kicker Ending" and an alternate handling.
Jacob's Ladder - Watch as a single dollar openly and VISUALLY penetrates a rubber band being held by the spectator with NO COVER and without the magician even touching the bill.
The DG Box Steal - Learn a new utility move that will change your card magic forever.
TimeLine 2.0 - Garcia tackles the Mystery Card Plot by causing a selected card to change into a previous prediction that has been signed and held by the spectator from the beginning of the effect
The OG Transpo - The magician secures a selected card in a card box and under the spectators hand only to cause it to change places with another selected card instantly. No extra cards, no dupes, and not to mention, both cards can be SIGNED.
Micro Dissolve - An extremely visual impromptu copper/silver transposition using NO EXTRA coins
Scorch - Fire and card magic at its best. Watch as a candle flame slowly vanishes and finds a signed selection by magically scorching the back of the card.
iCard - Included on this DVD is the bonus files for Daniel Garcia's signed card to iPhone. NO APP NEEDED.
Party Perception - Be able to divine a mentally selected word from a beverage container without the use of any prying questions.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
Overview
OK, let me cover a couple of things real fast: I watched this video entirely and then went back over a couple of minor pieces. This DVD contains some hard hitting stuff -- no hesitation in that regard. I almost removed 1/2 star for these 2 reasons (but changed my mind) -- Daniel does not credit anyone in any way whatsoever -- that is so common today and I find it horribly lazy. He does some good stuff here, but I have read elsewhere (and considered myself) that there is no possible way that no one anywhere has ever touched on tricks of this nature -- just not possible. The newer generation of magicians are just bad about that and it confuses me, but I decided not to lower my rating in that regard.Also: What is this bizarre trend where performers list 'bonus' effects? I mean: who decides what a bonus is/isn't? All effects are on the package and in the ad copy, so how is there a 'bonus' here? I've paid $30 for a DVD with 2 tricks on it. I've paid $35 for a DVD with 11 tricks on it. This 'bonus' thing is weird. There are 9 tricks here and 8 of them are superb!
As I understand it, Daniel did Volumes 1 - 3 of this set himself and then Paul Harris and the Buck twins jumped in to help produce Volumes 4 - 6. Most of these tricks are just beautiful and captivating. I intend to learn nearly all of them. There is 1 mentalism trick that is a bit weak, which is costing this 1/2 star, but everything is a complete banger! An effect uses a smart phone and (I missed this on his instructions) the photos/files needed for that are included on the DVD.
I also like how he performs the trick, then teaches the trick, then has a short segment merely focused on the physical moves needed for the trick -- very classy. He also shows some stuff performing out in the wild (in the Fort Worth, Texas area) -- and tosses in a few bloopers as well. This is a fun view and will be a treasured part of my personal library for years to come.
Effect
A DVD, featuring 9 effects spanning cards, coins and mentalism.Method
Practically no gimmicks here -- one effect uses a smart phone, that does require some files (included, but easy to make yourself), hardly classifies as 'gimmicks, really. Sleights are just above beginner level.Product Quality
Good production value, nice case and graphics. Good lighting and sound.Ad Copy Integrity
Spot on, delivers exactly what is promised in every sense.Final Thoughts
A 100% must have for you library!(Top ▲)
Boy was I wrong! Not only is Daniel a creative force in magic, he’s a very engaging performer (with amazing chops) and a really nice guy!
I’m reviewing Volumes 4, 5 and 6 of the Daniel Garcia Project and there are three generic statements I should make about all three (apologies for the repetition if you read all three reviews).
The first is that I think there’s something for everyone on each of these DVDs. In fact, I tended to like the mythologically simpler routines the best!
The second is that, while there’s something for everyone, the bulk of the material is going to require some skill with cards or coins (or both). If that’s your thing, you’re going to have a lot to choose from. If not, I would argue that the few non-techie pieces are worth the price of the DVD.
The third is my one and only frustration with these DVDs. There’s a timer / scrub bar that runs during most of the video segments. I honestly don’t know why it’s there. I can see where I am in the video using my DVD or computer video player… and it’s distracting and even visually in the way of the material at times.
Now on to the effects…
William Tell is one of those card tricks that looks like it took thousands of hours to master, but shouldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll need to put in the time. But it’s going to take a lot less than you might expect by just watching the performance.
Jacob’s Ladder is, in my opinion, the best thing on the DVD. While I’ve learned lots of magic with rubber bands, including the Crazy Man’s Handcuffs, I’ve never actually wanted to add any of them to my repertoire. Jacob’s Ladder is definitely going in!
(NOTE: the second phase of Jacob’s Ladder requires a bit more finesse; if that makes you uncomfortable, I think you could easily drop that segment and not lose anything in terms of its effect on the audience.)
Timeline 2.0 and The O.G. Transpo utilize Daniel’s DG Box Steal. Two great routines and one really useful utility move.
Micro Dissolve is a take on a coin trick that most of us probably learned a version of when we were just starting. Needless to say, Daniel’s version is very clean (though takes a lot more skill).
Scorch is one of those cool effects where something (a selected card in this case) ends up with a scorch mark from a candle flame. What makes it interesting is that the scorched card is in the middle of the deck and the bottom card, which is sitting right above the flame, is unharmed.
iCard is the first in a series that you’ll see variations of on Volumes 5 and 6 (and I think got started on one of the earlier volumes I don’t have). The effect says it all: pull a signed card from your iPhone. The DVD contains the “special files” you’ll need to make this work. Just know that because this DVD was produced several years ago, the instructions for setting it all up on your phone are different (but still workable as of 2022)… though you may need to do a bit of minor image editing, depending on your phone model.
Finally, Party Perception is a really amazing impromptu “bar magic” mentalism piece. Like most good mentalism, you’ll need some skills in directing people. The genius part is that it uses an object that’ll likely be sitting right on the table.