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whateverisisright Regular user Savannah, Georgia 132 Posts |
Just thought I'd share my review of this DVD.
CoinOne: Effect by: Homer Liwag Homer's Website: http://www.homerliwag.com/main.htm CoinOne Purchase Link: http://www.homerliwag.com/coinone.htm Preview Link: http://www.homerliwag.com/trailer.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Intro: Go check out the preview at the link I've listed above before reading on if you're not already familiar with the effect. It'll help solidify what I'm saying and make sense of it all...plus it'll make you want to buy the dvd. Effect: It's the most visual coins across routine I've come across. Coin 1 goes across in a standard close-my-hands-and-it-travels type method. Coins 2 and three are the amazing ones. Coin two appears out of nowhere in your open hand while disappearing from the other. Coin three you say will be "easy." You visually show two coins in each hand and throw the third coin. Then you open both hands to show that there are STILL 2 coins in each hand. This is a confusing moment in the mind of the spectator. Coin three jumps across just as visually as coin 2. Open hands, one vanishes the instant one appears. It's very startiling to the spectator. You place all 4 coins down on the table, pick up one, and it vanishes, only to reappear with the other 3. VERY VERY visual. The only downside to the extreme visualness of this routine is that it isn't impromptu (but many many great effects aren't). It does require a gimmick, and as soon as you click Pay, Homer sends you an email letting you know the required gimmick (it's common; most magician's own one already). Angles: Not a problem. Two places you really would rather not have people at: DIRECTLY, LITERALLY looking over your shoulder, or on the floor. Everything else is good (the only exception to this is that the very last vanish is a "do your favorite vanish" part...so if the vanish YOU want to use has angle issues, so will the trick). You coulnd't do it for a group sitting on the floor, but as long as they're at a table and fairly close-up, you should be good. Half dollars are less angle sensitive than silver dollars. The effect probably wouldn't work on stage, but anything remotely resembling close-up is fine. And then again, I can think of a way to make it stage-presentable... VERY VERY VERY angle friendly. Packaging: Pictures of the packaging can be seen at the purchasing website I've listed above. The DVD comes in a tri-folded case in a static-protective (that he's crossed the word "static" out and wrote "magic" in...funny) sleeve (it looks like its radioactive). Inside the sleeve is a note from him thanking you for your purchase, signed and numbered by him (you can tell it was a pen and not a reprint...nice touch...I'm 760/2500 if anyone cares). Its a little thinner than a standard DVD case, but its unique...as is the entire dvd. Production: The production is top notch...VERY cool the way he worked animations into his teaching, and the angles it shows are great. The picture is very clear and the music he has in the background the whole time compliments the effect nicely. Teaching: Let me emphasize...I do NOT care for the no-talking teaching methods of some DVDs (I realize I'm unintentionally hurting both the Buck's and De'Vo's feelings here...sorry). BUT, this is different. There is no talking, but its shot from over-the-shoulder of Homer. You are meant to follow along (it even tells you you should have coins in hand as you watch it). It pauses on moves and animates them, it goes over slow, teaching, and real-time speeds. It really is excellant. Extras: Homer's Melt Away vanish looks very smooth, but I've got an alternate handling I've figured out that I use that looks even cleaner (I'll call it the Jimmy-Coin-B-Gone ) The Melt Away vanish is a nice touch and will be especially valuable for those of you who purchase this dvd who aren't familiar with a wide variety of single-coin vanishes. You also get multiple Alternate Handling variations involving different ways to both start and finish the effect; even so much as how to put 3 coins into a spectators hand when the close it, yet have 4 coins there when they open it (2 variations of that). You also get Chris' The Deep. CoinOne is NOT impromptu. The Deep is. And as far as impromptu goes, it looks pretty cool. When I purchase a dvd, I like to watch the "Performance" section a few times through and see if I can catch on before I watch the explination part. I had to watch Chris SEVERAL times. Difficulty Level: I'd rank it an intermediate level trick because it requires you to do different things with both hands at the same time (not hard, but still more advanced than some are ready to undertake)...at one point with both doing a completely different "sleight" (but not really...hate to call it that, but no other way to word it) at the same time. It's not a Scotch & Soda self-working miricle you can do in 5 minutes, but put in the practice and this routine will be flowing in no time...it's worth the effort. Overall: Great. I don't like number grades...I tend to grade a little harsh and then people think because someone didn't give it a 10/10 its not worth buying, so I'll just say that this IS worth your money. It's a very visual routine you WILL use.
Jimmy Smith
smith_cj@med.mercer.edu |
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h_A_Z Special user Ireland/Msia 701 Posts |
Very good review. I bought it when it was first released (#592/2500) and still practising till now! It is not easy for some of the moves if your hands are sweaty of sticky (unlike most coin magic which favours that condition).
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Majestic12 Special user Maryland 643 Posts |
Thanks for the review, this has been on my list.. now it's time to get it.
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illusioneer Special user NYC 751 Posts |
I'm waiting till I have the $$$ for some of the nice SchoolCraft Silver Dollar sets until I pick this one up. With magic that looks this good, you wouldn't want anything else.
Things are about to change........ LIGHTS!!!
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CircleCityMagic New user 8 Posts |
Anyone have any thoughts as to whether this would be easier to perform with halves or dollar sized coins?
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joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
I found it easier with halfs, but when I practiced for a few days, the dollars looked and felt really good. Just play around with it and see what feels natural.
Josh London |
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illusioneer Special user NYC 751 Posts |
What kind of halves and dollars are you using, Josh?
Things are about to change........ LIGHTS!!!
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joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
I am using regular half dollars and Morgan Silver Dollars
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whateverisisright Regular user Savannah, Georgia 132 Posts |
I mentioned it in the review, but I figured I'd highlight it since the conversation is discussing halves vs whole dollars. Homer recommends beginning with halves and then progressing to dollars. However, even once you've got to where you can use dollars, if there's a large crowd, go back to the halves. Dollars tend to have an angle issue if people are watching from a little farther off (nothing you can't position yourself to fix, but still, an issue).
Jimmy Smith
smith_cj@med.mercer.edu |
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Ryan clark Loyal user Spruce Grove ,AB 236 Posts |
Great dvd, amazing style of teaching from one of the best coin guys around. The deep should not be underestimated either.
Any Effect Is Possible, methods are relativley easy to come by, but it is the effect that takes true courage to come up with
Sankey |
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Salby Inner circle New Jersey 1254 Posts |
Sorry to resurrect this thread, but wanted to get more opinions of this DVD now that it has been for a longer time.
You know how to make God laugh?........... Tell him your plans!!!
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Salby Inner circle New Jersey 1254 Posts |
Still No New Insight????
You know how to make God laugh?........... Tell him your plans!!!
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Charlie Justice Inner circle Mount Dora, Florida 1142 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-08-18 22:09, Salby wrote: Okay, I'll give you the skinny on this. If you are a coin worker and you do not own CoinOne or already know its original form "4 coins and a filipino" (from The Magic Man Examiner in the early 1990's) then I will boldy proclaim that you are missing the train on one of the most beautifully designed and significantly advanced routine structures of coins across to ever be offered to an unsuspecting magician public. I've been performing this since 1992 and can honestly say that if I had to settle on only one coin routine to do for the rest of my life it would be, without a doubt, my version of Homer Liwag's 4CAAF aka CoinOne. If you do not know this routine then you are not performing coins across the way it should be performed. I feel that strongly about it. (This has been an unpaid endorsement) peace, charlie |
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jonxodus Veteran user San Diego, CA 320 Posts |
This is an awesome coins across routine, extremely visual and such a joy to practice and perform. Spectators will love it!
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joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
It is a routine you need to practice or it will fall into the bottomless chest o' magic that we all own.
I like some effects that are somewhat difficult since I do like to try new things and mostly keep my personal interest into magic. As for the overall effect, it's clean and looks beautiful. Since we're all magicians here we love the newest and greatest (just look at how many posts are in this forum compared to others) or we get bored. But, I think that you'll get the same (if not bigger) reaction from doing another (much simpler) coins across, like Roth's. For a few reasons, one being the coins are help by the spectator and they have a little emotional involvement in the effect. All in all it's a fun routine, but if you have a coins across stick with it as it's tried and true to you and your style, but by all means pick the DVD up if you want to practice something new. Josh London |
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toomuchmagic Special user 534 Posts |
Where can I get some coins like that.
They are dollars right....how come the cost more than a friggin dollar. This country is rediculous. |
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joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
The coins are magicians being magicians. They think the effect is elevated with rare/pricy props.
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Charlie Justice Inner circle Mount Dora, Florida 1142 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-08-20 02:18, joshlondon17 wrote: In lieu of the charts and graphs that I would need to properly express how much in disagreement I am of this comment allow me to offer this analogy. Is a cups and balls routine elevated with the use of nice copper cups instead of those plastic ones found in Toys'R'Us magic kits? Is a signed card to wallet elevated by using a standard deck of Bicycles instead of an Old Maid deck of cards? In each case the "effect" remains the same right? I would offer that your props are an extention of your presentation and style and are just as important as your performance in producing the impact you desire...and the audience deserves. I'll agree to disagree with you though. peace, charlie |
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joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
Charlie,
Before this too out of hand as happens often here on the Café, let me explain myself a bit. You could achieve the same effect (CoinOne) with either Schoolcraft Morgan Dean sets OR Eisenhouers. To compare the plastic cups with copper cups is obviously a one sided battle where I agree the copper cups will win. But, David Regal has a good routine with the plastic cups if I remember correctly. My point of saying the above was to point out that once does not need Schoolcraft/Lassen coins to make CoinOne beautiful, they just need to be good at perfroming it and you can use whatever coins and s**ll you have handy. Josh London |
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Harry Murphy Inner circle Maryland 5444 Posts |
It’s not about the props it’s about the routine. A Johnson made prop will work as well (and look as good) as either the Lassen or Schoolcraft. I have a Lassen, a Schoolcraft, and a Johnson prop coin made from Morgan dollars. Heck I even have Eddie Gibson and a Presley Guitar versions of the prop but not in Morgan’s (British penny and Eisenhower dollars). There is little discernable difference between the three Morgan’s for all the hype. In fact there is little difference between the qualities of manufacture between any of them. They will all work for this routine and not be noticed for what they are by an audience.
Now back to the routine. It is a sweet routine when you are doing close-up magic for a few people and probably best being performed for one or two standing in front of you or sitting across a table from you. It is a sweet routine to really floor those few people. As mentioned above, there are horrendous angle problems with this version of coins across. So performing sitting or below the eyelevel of the audience is preferred. As I’ve said about other tricks and routines “it’s courses for horses”. That is, not everyone will like (or be able to master) every trick or version of a trick. I say thanks for that! Now there are any number of coins across routines available for the discerning magician and for all the hoop-la that is all this trick is! It is a visible, four coins across, from hand to hand, routine. Do you need one? For a routine using a gimmick it is OK. It will not be that expensive to put together in either a dollar or half-dollar set. In fact with just a short search a gimmick is made for other coinage (non-USA) can be found and used as well. I’ve tried this routine using the old style English pennies (I had them remember?). I’ve also used Kennedy half-dollars, and I even tried it using a set of the Chinese coins available today (since I had the necessary gimmick). Yes I have Morgan gimmicks, Ike gimmicks, walking liberty gimmicks, etc. and can perform this routine with of them. Honestly, while this trick is interesting, I’ll stick to U3F for a visible coins across (OK U3F is three coins and Homer’s is four coins but so what?). I’ll have less angle problems, can perform for a broader audience, standing up, and not have to have the spectators looking down at me. For a four coin version I think that Paul Diamonds no gimmick four coins across is cleaner to perform and easier to learn with fewer angle problems. Paul used to sell his version with four plastic Matri Gras coins for $5.00. It took maybe an hour to learn and a weekend to perfect. Homer Liwag has clearly dreamed up a very magical (maybe even astonishing), very visual, four coins across. The routine and moves are easy to learn from the DVD. He leaves plenty of room for the individual magician to put themselves into the routine and not just be a cookie cutter of Homer.
The artist formally known as Mumblepeas!
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