Price$19.95
Media TypeVideo Download
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedFeb 13, 2015
Champ
Rick Merrill
Penguin Magic
(Based on 2 reviews)
"Straight from my FISM award winning act" -Rick Merrill
You won't believe your eyes. A FISM Grand Prix Champion shares close-up magic secrets for the first time.
There are no words to describe how eye-popping Rick Merrill's CHAMP is. You just feel like a punching bag by the time it's done. It's a delight to watch, and once you learn it you'll be able to perform it anywhere you see a pen and a coin.
PROFESSIONALS: If you could practice and master only one close-up routine, this one is as good as it gets. Period. Wish I had more to say, I don't.. it's that good.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
PROS
This is the routine Rick Merrill used to win FISM. It is a great routine and there is a lot of great magic to be learned.
He teaches routines with sharpies, coins, and a dollar bill.
The routine will take a bit of practice, but is well within the grasp of most beginner to intermediate magicians who put in the practice.
It is well suited for close-up, parlor, or stage.
CONS
As with much production and vanish magic, you have to be a bit sensitive to angles. I would say that in most of what he is doing, you are pretty well covered with your audience just being generally in front of you. many of the moves are very well hidden from most all angles.
VERDICT
Excellent championship routine, well explained.
This is the routine Rick Merrill used to win FISM. It is a great routine and there is a lot of great magic to be learned.
He teaches routines with sharpies, coins, and a dollar bill.
The routine will take a bit of practice, but is well within the grasp of most beginner to intermediate magicians who put in the practice.
It is well suited for close-up, parlor, or stage.
CONS
As with much production and vanish magic, you have to be a bit sensitive to angles. I would say that in most of what he is doing, you are pretty well covered with your audience just being generally in front of you. many of the moves are very well hidden from most all angles.
VERDICT
Excellent championship routine, well explained.
(Top ▲)
In this video download, Rick Merrill teaches how to perform two effects based on his award-winning FISM act. In the first effect a Sharpie disappears and reappears in the magician's hands. In the second effect a dollar turns into a Sharpie and vice versa. Both effects are performed with the sleeves rolled up and the hands shown empty. These effects appear truly magical -- even more magical than you might guess from looking at the demo trailers.
However, there's a drawback: The effects are angle sensitive. Merrill briefly alludes to the angle issue but not in great depth. However, my impression (and I may be wrong) is that the tricks can't safely be done with anyone behind you, and side-angles may be a problem too. Thus, these effects probably aren't appropriate for most walk-around situations and have only limited use for restaurant work.
Merrill is a very good teacher. The sleights he teaches are within the reach of intermediate magicians (about 5 or 6 on a 10-point scale of difficulty) and will require only a moderate amount of practice. They can then be used mainly in situations where the audience is located directly in front of the performer. If you want an amazing magic trick that can be pulled out to deeply impress one special spectator, Champ is an excellent choice.
However, there's a drawback: The effects are angle sensitive. Merrill briefly alludes to the angle issue but not in great depth. However, my impression (and I may be wrong) is that the tricks can't safely be done with anyone behind you, and side-angles may be a problem too. Thus, these effects probably aren't appropriate for most walk-around situations and have only limited use for restaurant work.
Merrill is a very good teacher. The sleights he teaches are within the reach of intermediate magicians (about 5 or 6 on a 10-point scale of difficulty) and will require only a moderate amount of practice. They can then be used mainly in situations where the audience is located directly in front of the performer. If you want an amazing magic trick that can be pulled out to deeply impress one special spectator, Champ is an excellent choice.