Mine arrived this morning and I have just watched the DVD from start to finish...
I like it. I like it a lot!
The gimmicks are easy enough to make and with a little bit of practice you should be knocking them out in a few minutes at the most.
Any card can be used (but a few tips are given to why certain cards are better than others) so great for walk around and table hopping.
Just load a new gimmick each time you need one.

The method is very good and simpler than I had first thought. Like any T&R effect the angles have to be managed but far from impossible.
The final move before the reveal is a tad audacious but should be easy enough with some practice.
Overall I'm impressed and I'm off to make a few gimmicks!

Raymondo can you speak to the idea of specs examining it and figuring it out. If a lovely souvenir most won't, but I always seem to perform for engineers...

I am also interested in how "examinable" it is.

I don't usually post reviews, but I thought I would on this one.

You will receive a 20-minute long DVD in a cardboard slip case. No extras, no example gimmicks, no materials to make gimmicks. Just the DVD. I don't know why WMS bothered producing packaging and printing DVDs. This would've been a perfect single trick download. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if it gets released as such after Christmas.

The content is shot really well and Henri comes across great. But I felt there was a real lack of real world performances. With all the talk on the WPR of seeing tricks performed before real spectators I expected to see Henri working a set in a restaurant or other close-up environment where we not only see the trick performed before actual people, but also see how he gets in to it in real time. In fact this point isn't covered on the DVD at all. Not a problem if you're already a working pro with experience as you can probably work it out for yourself, but could cause issues for someone just starting out and if nothing else should've been discussed for completeness.

I also didn't see or hear any mention of any previous tricks in the same vein as Souvenir. Since the plot of linking a card on to the stem of a wine glass isn't new I would've expected there to have been credit given to those that came before. If this is something I missed then I apologise, but if it is there then maybe it needs to be highlighted a little more.

I found the gimmicks easy to make. But I've had previous experience of doing what needs to be done. If you've never made card gimmicks before you might find it a little tricky at first. Although it shouldn't take long to get the knack. What is nice is that if you haven't done this type of thing before Henri's explanation and tips for achieving a good result are really good and will help with the construction of other gimmicks that use this method of construction.

I've not gone out and worked this yet, having only watched the DVD today, but I have attached a card to a glass and I have to say I'm not overly impressed with the result. It could just be that I need more practice. However, in the DVD explanation at the moment when the card is supposed to be examinable it still looks very suspect to me. I'm not convinced it would pass constant examination in a close-up environment.

I think this is over-priced for what it is. If this was £10 as an instant download I would've been happy. There are a few tips that I found useful. But for £25 I feel this is over-priced. Especially when you can get full projects on card magic for the same or less.

Would I use it? No. At least not in close-up. As card magic souvenirs go I feel something like Anniversary Waltz is much better since the specs still get an impossible signed object but it truly is is 100% examinable and with the new packs of AW cards just released there's no longer any arts and crafts moment at all. Does that mean this is useless? No. If you perform other tricks with wine glasses, like refraction for example, and are looking for a kicker finish then this might combine well. The reason I suggest refraction is because you've done something tricky with the glass therefore the heat would still be on the glass rather than on the card. This could draw people's attention away from the card. I'm only hypothesising since I don't perform refraction either, but in theory I feel that makes sense. At least it does for me.

However, all that said, I do think this could work well for parlour situations, on stage with a screen or for TV.

Neither of these performing situations are discussed on the DVD, but if you had a glass engraved with your show details and linked the card to that I think this could be a pretty cool giveaway. Also, if the spectator discovers the secret it doesn't matter as much because the majority of the spectators will go away having never seen the glass up close. So as long as the glass makes it out of the theatre you're safe.

So my overall verdict is that of disappointment. This is over-priced and far from a finished project in my opinion. If you're looking for an impossible object souvenir for regular close-up then go with Anniversary Waltz. With some thought there are occasions where this could come in useful. But for regular work this isn't it, at least not for me.

Using the WPR scoring system I'd give this 62%. Hope this helps.

Roslyn you should post more reviews. Thank you on that one!

Excellent and honest review Roslyn - thank you.

Thx for the honest review. I will simply skip this one

Thanks for taking one for the team. A true Wingman.

My pleasure.

I have just received the DVD. I totally agree with Roslyn. This should be a one-trick download. The DVD's only 20 minutes long. No performances are included. I found the contents really poor to say the least. O will NEVER do this, and am willing to give my DVD free to anyone living in Spain. In his performance as example we can CLEARLY hear how he tears the card... Any one hearing that would instantly be looking for tears... which, in fact, are CLEARLY visible. He explains that everything is invisible but we can easily see all the tears!! I feel totally "tricked" myself for having bought this. I will never be buying anything from Henri White again.

There really is some complete and total rubbish going on here!
'You can hear how he tears the card' - God give me strength!
Are you performing in complete and utter total silence - well are you?
Get real buddy!

Really some people really do need to get in the normal world. Roslyn does makes some very valid comments that is for sure.
This is better suited to an instant download or a stream. And I do agree I was dissapointed that the DVD
didn't contain a practice gimmick or two. I don't agree that you need a live performance to validate the effect. Most of us on here
realise pretty quickly if it's real world or not - which it very much is IMHO.

However this should not take away from the effect itself which is very, very good!
I agree this is not a trick for novices or beginners - you need to know what you are doing... And if you do your have a serious effect
on your hands here. Do not under estimate this routine.
It will take practice (God forbid!). It will take audience management (shock!) and it will take a confident performer to pull it off (oh no!)
But let's not forget you are performing a miracle which afterwards is open to complete and total scrutiny by the spectator. How often does that happen?

Henri White has a possible modern day classic on his hands here....
For me the less people that take this up the better as it makes it all the more special for the guys and gals who do perform it.

[quote]On Dec 14, 2015, Roslyn wrote:

I've not gone out and worked this yet, having only watched the DVD today, but I have attached a card to a glass and I have to say I'm not overly impressed with the result. It could just be that I need more practice. However, in the DVD explanation at the moment when the card is supposed to be examinable it still looks very suspect to me. I'm not convinced it would pass constant examination in a close-up environment.

I think this is over-priced for what it is. If this was £10 as an instant download I would've been happy. There are a few tips that I found useful. But for £25 I feel this is over-priced. Especially when you can get full projects on card magic for the same or less.


I agree... I've tried and tried to get this to work, but to no avail. The tear is obvious, and the result from the "thing' you do / have done is very noticeable. That's if you can get the fold to look right....

Although Henri does explain things in detail, I wasn't impressed by the distance between him and the camera, especially at times when I needed a close up of the card / gimmick not a 3/4 shot of Henri holding a card.

I will keep trying for a bit, but I'm starting to think this may well become shelved.

Anymore reviews on this?

I have this and I think it could be stronger than Anniversary Waltz! The method is tremendous!

I was thinking about how this effect makes for a great souvenir, unless the restaurant or bar owns the stem glass being used. This could be a big problem.

So,

I tried a slight variation to this that was so strong, it had everyone in tears!

For a newlywed couple, I did the following routine. I forced two cards on them, both spot heart cards, one of them being the gimmick card. I had each person write their name on the top edge of each card. I then tore out a large rectangular hole in the middle of each, forming two frames with their names at the top. The two cards were linked as described in the DVD, but using my hand for cover. I pretended to hold them as if they weren't really linked and talked about their lives together.. how they will have a lot of good times, but also encounter tough times... perhaps even times when they feel they are being pulled apart. I told them that I wanted them to remember the magical moments when they first met, when they got married, etc. Then, remember that their bond can be as strong as these two linked cards. At that moment, I drop one of the cards from my fingertip hold and it appears magically linked to the other card. I then give them the linked cards as a souvenir.

This is why I now think this can be as strong or stronger than anniversary waltz.

KJ

To clarify above, I hold them as if I am "pretending" they are linked. I hold them with just my pointer finger and thumb, spreading the rest of the fingers, but with the pointer finger covering the point where they are linked. At the end, when releasing one, it is just a matter of "rubbing" one card out of the grip, causing it to fall down, much like the magical moment of a linking ring falling only to be caught linked at the bottom of the other ring.

KJ

The next time I perform this, I am going to add a bit of humor and extend the drama toward the end. Let's say it is Tina and Tom. I would talk about how "this card represents Tina, and this card represents Tom. What would happen if I let go of Tom? Would Tina be there to catch him, or would the card just fall to the ground?" After the drama builds up a bit, then drop the card to reveal it is really linked to the other card.

KJ

"But let's not forget you are performing a miracle which afterwards is open to complete and total scrutiny by the spectator."

Sorry, I have to call you out on that. For a bit of background, I make a lot of Ian Rowland style "Flink" cards - linked cards that can be absolutely examined minutely, but they take hours to make with months of practice, and with very specific cards - certainly they can't be made "on the hoof".

I say this not as a boast, only to infer that I'm reasonably "au fait" with making gimmicks of this nature and it's not just a case of I need practice. There's no way on earth I would leave this with a spectator - even the card made on the DVD by the creator (seen from a distance) wouldn't pass scrutiny in my humble opinion.

It's a nice effect, no doubt, it is well taught, but for the advertising blurb to say its completely examinable is disingenuous at best - that is what I have the problem with. The problem with the effect is it is too strong for the method - the spectators will absolutely want to examine the link, and if they do they will find it - no amount of audience management is going to get away from that; if you don't let them examine it they infer the method, if you do they will see the method.

I like the premise, I like the explanation, I'm just not convinced it will hold up in most situations (I can see it working in a bride and groom scenario - not wanting to fiddle with the souvenir too much as to break it - but in a general walk around in a restaurant, people will have a close look and a pull of the card).

I agree it's overpriced for what it is. It's not bad, don't get me wrong, I just can't think of a way of doing this and not letting the punters examine it - because they will see the working. Your mileage may vary.

Differing opinions from differing posters which I suppose is to be expected. I really do like this one it has to be said.
I'm meeting up for lunch tomorrow with a very experienced magician who actually put me on to this effect in the first place - however
he hasn't seen the effect performed live nor does he know the method in detail.

I have made up circa 20 gimmicks and we are going to go through this in some serious detail together and undoubtedly some poor
unsuspecting people having a quiet Christmas lunch together are going to get this performed for them before they leave like it or not!

I'll keep you updated with the verdict.

Yes please do report, however the difference will be this... The majority of people when performing in the real world will only have a good and proper look at the card when your gone. The majority of people are too polite to really scrutinise the card real time (yeah you will get the odd one or two). So unless you specifically say 'go ahead really examine the card' which is what they will do anyway when you leave - then they will give it a quick once over and that's it - until you leave.

Unfortunately I don't feel this would withstand the majority of close inspection and I don't care what people say, when you leave people will really examine this and look more closely. After all you have just performed a puzzle to them, they want to solve it.

.
Just received this...

This definitely could have been a Video Download or even a PDF.

I find similarities to James Daws' GatheRing, but no credits to it?!?!

In fact, NO Credits or noted inspirations at all.

Length of DVD is about 20 minutes... That's all you get!!

I always say with these kind of "Make it yourself" tricks to have the creator put 1 constructed gimmick in the package so we can see what it suppose to look like in hand. That might help to diminish the criticism of "That's all I get and I have to make the gimmick?!?!" Price should not go up. For $30, the release company should splurge and make a gimmick for each package. To put a copy of the Performance/Instructions on a DVD is pennies. Just add a gimmick. You are still making a profit.

Here is GatheRing:

http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S13026
.