Review of JeanLuc Bertrand's Blinking Effect:

2 DVDs, 1 movie, 8 routines, 1 gimmick and $40 . . . is it gem or is it rubble . . . or somewhere in between?

Effect

This is a compilation DVD, so it's hard to nail down one specific effect. However, what you do receive is a full live 30 minute show of JeanLuc Bertrand's close up act. Everything from appearing roses to vanishing watch to borrowed ring on glass stem and a whole bunch more stuff. Here's the short version:

The effect in the trailer is called Influence. This effect is essentially an Invisible Deck without a gimmicked deck.

Signature is essentially signed card under the table cloth a la Matt Schulien.

Bottom Card & Card Watch is a pretty solid routine for cards under the spectator's bum-bum and under their watch.

Ring Glass - borrowed ring on wine glass stem.

Final Destination is essentially an open prediction style of effect where you place a small bag on the table with an object in it. The spectator names an object that might be a souvenir from a trip she took in the past. The named souvenir matches the object in the bag . . . read the method section below before you get too excited.

6MN Card Routine is a whole bunch of stuff . . . an appearing deck, vanishing deck, card at any number (very fair handling of CAAN), and a couple of card changes (i.e., Kings turn into Aces, etc.).

The title effect, Blinking Effect, is basically a jazz style card under the box/card on forehead/card over here/card over there routine ending with a color changing deck on the back, vanishing ink on the front (i.e., a blank faced deck).

Baramundi is a very magical torn and restored card to borrowed cigarette.

Method

Well . . . the methods range from basic sleight of hand and misdirection to gimmicks and impromptu stooges. Deck switches and top changes abound.

Influence requires a simple gimmick (supplied) and an instant stooge. The method is very doable and super easy. It just takes a little guts and a bit of audience management.

Signature (signed card under the table cloth a la Matt Schulien) can be done signed or un-signed. Both versions require some pre-show set up. The method used here is certainly not the kind of thing that you can just do on the fly. You have to do a fair bit of prep work in advance (especially for the signed version). It's doable, but not the most practical method I've seen.

Bottom Card & Card Watch is a flurry of misdirection and simplicity. The only move of significance is the two handed Mercury Card Fold. However, you can leave out that phase if you're not quite a master of that move. Or you could also just use a duplicate card. During the effect, cards appear under the spectator's "bottom" (hence the name), and under his watch. As Betrand points out, this part of the effect is important because it subtlely lets the audience know that he's wearing a watch to help set up a later routine. So if you're doing that later routine, you'll need to do the Mercury Fold part of this effect (or use a duplicate pre folded card). Other than the MCF, this routine is super easy to do and has a lot fun interactive moments with the spectator. It's very doable.

Ring Glass ends with a borrowed ring linked on a glass stem. It requires a quite a bit of help from an assistant. The effect is pretty unbelievable, so it may be worth the effort, but this, again, is not the kind of thing you'll be able to just do on the fly. Also, at the end of the routine, the only way to get the ring off the glass is to break it. Betrand puts it on the floor wrapped in a cloth napkin and steps on it to break the glass. I'd be a little worried that I might accidentally step on the ring. So if you do this routine, you may want to find a better method for removal. Simply placing the napkin-wrapped glass on the table and giving it a tap with a hammer should do the trick.

Final Destination is an effect that will not work 100% of the time. In fact, I'd be surprised if it worked 25% of the time. It requires some pretty heavy duty scripting to pull it off and guide the spectator. The problem is that Bertrand says, "if they don't name the right object, you're screwed." My guess is that he gets screwed more often than not. He gives no out, no explanation on what to say or do if the audience "misses." Further, part of the method requires equivoque as he says in the instructions. However, during the performance, he clearly did not use equivoque for the part that he claimed. He never explained or went into any depth about the "selection" procedure.

6MN Routine Card will require you to be seated and to be loaded up with a bunch of stuff for a bunch of switches. All of the switches are nearly invisible and very effective, but this is the kind of thing that is a lot of "stuff" to prepare and is not easily or quickly reset. If you're in a seated situation and don't mind a fair bit of set up, you'll have a very magical routine that is very impossible seeming.

Blinking Effect is another routine requiring a bit of audience management and misdirection along with some deck switching. For the most part it's a pretty solid and doable method that will take a fair bit of preparation in advance.

Baramundi is actually a pretty practical way to do this effect, but it does require that you smoke. The effect can be done if you don't smoke, but much of the impact is lost if you don't light the cigarette before revealing the card is there. Bertrand said that if you don't smoke, don't do this effect.

Ad Copy Integrity

The ad copy is pretty solid. There is, however, a weird claim found within. They claim that the needed gimmick to perform Blinking Effect is included. The only included gimmick is for performing Influence, and as far I know, there is no gimmick required to perform Blinking Effect. You need a deck hold out and a blank face deck. But those are not included, so I'm a little confused by that claim. Other than that we're solid here.

Product Quality

The DVD is extremely well produced. That was one of the best features of this product. You first get a live performance of the show from start to finish. Then during the explanations, you get cuts to other live performances with live spectator's to help highlight and clarify the methods being taught. This was extremely well done, and made learning the effects very simple.

Further, Betrand had a lot of excellent tips and advice in between and during each segment. Also included is a bonus disk with 2 live performances of his card in cigarette effect as well as a 20 minute short movie that he produced/wrote/directed. It was in French with subtitles in English. It was extremely well produced. Following along was a bit hard because the subtitles moved way to fast, and the "kicker ending" of the movie was a bit lost on me partly due to the language issues. But it was an excellent, albeit macabre, movie.

Another really nice touch was the DVD was filmed twice. The tricks were performed for the same audience twice. Once in French and once in English, so you don't have to deal with dubbed voices and subtitles. It did impact the audience reactions in some cases, however. It would appear that the French version was filmed first because the reactions seemed more surprised and legitimate in the French performances (yes . . . I watched them both).

Overall, the methods were covered in depth, but some methods were not fully taught. For example, in one effect, a pack of cigarettes magically turns into a deck of cards. The pack of cigarettes is then later produced from your inside coat pocket. He never shows how to get the cigarettes into the pocket. He also used a nice convincer that showed a double card as a single, but he never taught it. Additionally, for the ring on glass stem effect, he teaches what the helper needs to do to load the ring on the glass. However, he never teaches you how to get the glass back from your helper to get it in play again.

Final Thoughts

At the Beginning of the DVD Bertrand gives an opening monologue. During that monologue he mentions the names of a few great magicians (particularly French ones that he has filmed and produced), including David Stone and others. He then says that "their magic is technical, but his (Bertrand's) is not technical; it's practical and for real world audiences, not magicians." I've got an issue with that statement for two reasons. First, the implication is that David Stone and the magic of the others mentioned is not practical and not for real audiences. That was an unfortunate claim.

Further, I would argue that a lot of the material on this DVD is not practical. Much of it requires pre-show set-up or carrying around a bunch of body loads and other less practical things. During his show, he had at least six different body loads on him, plus multiple decks of cards (apparently - to the audience - only one deck) in various pockets along with a whole "station" set up for his helper to do his ring to glass stem effect. So, practical? Hardly.

I think there is a lot to be said for watching the live performance of a real performance, and there is much to be learned from Betrand, including what not to do. He is very bad at palming. When palming a card, he holds his hand in a very unnatural position and in a very bad place. Also when he's about to do a top change or a switch or steal a watch, he gets very fidgety, starts taking super fast and moves around quickly and panicky and unnaturally.

However, he also is very clever in his thinking and theory about the type of magic he does. He's willing to put in whatever work needed, and use whatever method needed to accomplish the effect. Additionally, he favors simpler methods over complicated sleight of hand which is what I think he was trying to say when he mentioned how "practical" he is.

There is a lot to be learned from this DVD. You'll likely find something of value. However, a lot of the material is impractical (regardless of Betrand's claim to the contrary). If you're looking for a bunch of new stuff to add to your repertoire, my gut tells me you won't find a ton here. On the other hand, if you're willing to put in the work for routines like Ring Glass or Blinking Effect and you don't mind all of the less-than-practical set up involved, then you'll have a couple of really solid and powerful effects on your hand.

His "work" on the appearing rose is very valuable information. His thoughts on flash paper were useful, but for me those were the highlights. The rest of the material was too impractical for my taste. It either requires you to be at the restaurant hours in advance when nobody's there to "set up" some stuff, or it requires too much pocket space or too much help from someone else, etc.

Final Verdict:
2.5 Stars with a Stone Status of Grubble (not enough gem found amongst the rubble)

This is a very well shot, and edited DVD project. It’s stupid high quality. There are special effects, a real soundtrack, audio commentary, subtitles and alternate languages.

The major downside is that many of the effects will be deemed ‘unpractical’ by many amateurs watching. He uses all the methods we as magicians groan at with disappointment. One of the methods makes the use of turning a spectator into an instant, shall we say, “Larry, Moe, or Curly.” One of the effects uses a brilliant ‘psychological force’ but it won’t work outside of Europe. Some of the effects require really extensive one time preparation, that will be considered WAY too much by some table workers.

However, THIS table worker showed me something more worthwhile to me than ‘tricks’. He showed me the passion of a magician for the effect alone, and not caring about the extensive work it takes for the method. He admits several times that he does not care about the method, the effect is all that matters, and his devotion pays off. There is as much care in this close up set at a table as there is in most full evening stage acts!

The effects range from a signed card under table cloth, a borrowed ring on wine glass stem, a double rose production, a watch steal, and a six minute card routine. The extensive work for the methods will prevent many people from doing these routines as is.

What I suggest is that you use this as an opportunity to see how a magician thinks, and performs. Much like watching Tommy Wonder explain his “Nest of Boxes” effect, you are thinking to yourself, “This is NOT something I will be adding to the show tomorrow, but it’s amazing how much thought and care he has put into this one effect.”

You may get a few ideas to incorporate into your work, but you won’t get any ready made ideas to add to your restaurant work tonight. Instead, sit back, relax, and take this opportunity to learn about one man’s beautiful approach to our craft.