I was so fooled by this that I'm a bit embarrassed. The feeling got worse once I learned what was going on. Things this beautiful are often simple.

Shoot has taken what probably began as an old gag and turned it into a whole new category of close-up magic, complete with a full set of moves, techniques and ideas.

The story is simple: you can apparently magnetize any object around you. It's all technique. You don't actually need any magnets (or gimmicks of any sort, for that matter). With Shoot's collection of techniques, you can create a routine that is essentially foolproof and can be done surrounded. Actually, there's no reason this has to be done close-up. You're working primarily with shiny, metal objects that will show up well under the correct lighting and can be heard quite easily with a minimal amount of amplification.

Of course, you don't have to stick to silverware and coins. Shoot has several routines with non-metallic objects (bills, cards, etc.).

In addition to the physical work, Shoot spends plenty of time talking about the theory and acting required to make the technique look natural. While the ideas are simple, they're going to take a lot of practice to get right. Details, details, details.

The videography and camerawork are more than sufficient to learn. Shoot's English isn't perfect, but I can't imagine having any problems understanding what he's saying.

I don't think there's any question that some of this stuff is going into my act.