Price$50.00
Media TypeTrick, One-Trick DVD
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedMar 04, 2011
MatriXpress
Farquhar, Shawn
(Based on 2 reviews)
"Very Impressive."
- Ellen Degeneres
"He's the magic equivalent of one of the seven great wonders of the world. Once you have seen him, you'll never forget Shawn Farquhar."
- Graham Hey - Magic Seen Magazine, Europes' #1 Magic Magazine.
Running Time Approximately: 1hr 32min
DVD-Rom section contains many .jpeg images for customizing the MatriXpress and PhotoFinish effects.
(Props and DVD)
Reviews
(Top ▲)
PROS
If you are looking for a super easy matrix routine, Shawn’s routine with poker chips is tremendous! You can do this routine with certain coins, commonly available in some countries. In the US, you would either need to use four gimmicked coins or you would need to use certain foreign coins.
He also teaches a very good three fly and a couple routines involving photographs and chips or coins.
The quality of the props is excellent and the teaching is equally excellent.
Because of a certain gimmick that comes with the product, you can begin and end very clean. Reset is also very easy.
CONS
This version is using a few gimmicks to easily do what would take a long time to learn using sleights. The trade off is you must have your gimmicks available and you won’t be performing this impromptu. The only exception is the 3 fly he teaches. Aside from the clever ditch using the gimmick, he teaches a pretty standard 3 fly. While his 3 fly is pretty standard, I really like his presentation. Clearly Shawn, as a FISM winner, puts a lot of thought into his magic.
VERDICT
One of the best DVDs for an easy but stunning matrix, plus several excellent bonus ideas and routines.
If you are looking for a super easy matrix routine, Shawn’s routine with poker chips is tremendous! You can do this routine with certain coins, commonly available in some countries. In the US, you would either need to use four gimmicked coins or you would need to use certain foreign coins.
He also teaches a very good three fly and a couple routines involving photographs and chips or coins.
The quality of the props is excellent and the teaching is equally excellent.
Because of a certain gimmick that comes with the product, you can begin and end very clean. Reset is also very easy.
CONS
This version is using a few gimmicks to easily do what would take a long time to learn using sleights. The trade off is you must have your gimmicks available and you won’t be performing this impromptu. The only exception is the 3 fly he teaches. Aside from the clever ditch using the gimmick, he teaches a pretty standard 3 fly. While his 3 fly is pretty standard, I really like his presentation. Clearly Shawn, as a FISM winner, puts a lot of thought into his magic.
VERDICT
One of the best DVDs for an easy but stunning matrix, plus several excellent bonus ideas and routines.
(Top ▲)
“Matrix Express” is a visual matrix routine by Shawn Farquhar, a two time FISM award winning magician. It’s direct from his working repertoire, having been performed thousands of times over the last few years, and is clearly an effective piece of magic. In essence the effect is a sped up matrix, where instead of the coins assembling one by one beneath a card, all four coins instantly appear under the final card with virtually no adjustment. It’s fast, visual and a fooler.
In addition to the title effect, Matrix Express, Mr. Farquhar also teaches several variations. These include one where the cover cards are photos of hands and the poker chips or coins appear in the photo, as well as a simpler and more direct effect wherein one coin joins another using just two cover cards. Photos are included, though there is one variation that would require some photography and photo editing skills to perform. He also teaches a 3 fly routine, and while the included poker chips are great for use in most sleight of hand versions, given the number of 3 fly routines in the marketplace to choose from, Mr. Farquhar’s included routine is quite standard and unremarkable.
Before getting into the pros and cons of the routine, it’s important to note the incredible quality of instruction on this DVD. Unlike the majority of DVD’s being released today, Mr. Farquhar gave a great deal of thought as to how best to present the information needed to learn the routine, not only verbally but also visually. It’s clear he’s committed that the viewer be given the best possible instruction and that he put the same level of effort in to this production that he puts into his work. It’s no surprise that a FISM award winning magician would release an instructional DVD of this quality.
The included props and secret something are also of the highest quality. While traditional poker chips could be used, Mr. Farquhar had them specially made just for this release, not only to increase a certain property of the chips to make the effect more sure fire, but also to make them smoother than traditional chips, making certain coin sleights easier to perform. He even went so far as to avoid printing the denomination (dollar or euro sign) on the chips, so that they could be used in any country. Lastly, the secret something that makes this effect possible was also put through an impressive amount of research and development with features that make it truly practical and reliable. Given the quality of the props and the work put into development, this DVD is a bargain.
If I were to level any criticism at the effect, it’s minor. The handling required is ever so slightly idiosyncratic. Honestly, it’s far less idiosyncratic than quite a few of the matrix routines out there, and certainly much cleaner and more magical. Had I not seen Ponta the Smith’s DVD, or viewed the work of Armando Lucero, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all. At the same time, the method is far easier than the sleight of hand used by the above mentioned magicians, so the trade off is the release of an instructional DVD of this quality.
In addition to the title effect, Matrix Express, Mr. Farquhar also teaches several variations. These include one where the cover cards are photos of hands and the poker chips or coins appear in the photo, as well as a simpler and more direct effect wherein one coin joins another using just two cover cards. Photos are included, though there is one variation that would require some photography and photo editing skills to perform. He also teaches a 3 fly routine, and while the included poker chips are great for use in most sleight of hand versions, given the number of 3 fly routines in the marketplace to choose from, Mr. Farquhar’s included routine is quite standard and unremarkable.
Before getting into the pros and cons of the routine, it’s important to note the incredible quality of instruction on this DVD. Unlike the majority of DVD’s being released today, Mr. Farquhar gave a great deal of thought as to how best to present the information needed to learn the routine, not only verbally but also visually. It’s clear he’s committed that the viewer be given the best possible instruction and that he put the same level of effort in to this production that he puts into his work. It’s no surprise that a FISM award winning magician would release an instructional DVD of this quality.
The included props and secret something are also of the highest quality. While traditional poker chips could be used, Mr. Farquhar had them specially made just for this release, not only to increase a certain property of the chips to make the effect more sure fire, but also to make them smoother than traditional chips, making certain coin sleights easier to perform. He even went so far as to avoid printing the denomination (dollar or euro sign) on the chips, so that they could be used in any country. Lastly, the secret something that makes this effect possible was also put through an impressive amount of research and development with features that make it truly practical and reliable. Given the quality of the props and the work put into development, this DVD is a bargain.
If I were to level any criticism at the effect, it’s minor. The handling required is ever so slightly idiosyncratic. Honestly, it’s far less idiosyncratic than quite a few of the matrix routines out there, and certainly much cleaner and more magical. Had I not seen Ponta the Smith’s DVD, or viewed the work of Armando Lucero, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all. At the same time, the method is far easier than the sleight of hand used by the above mentioned magicians, so the trade off is the release of an instructional DVD of this quality.